At tea-making time every year, Boss An would personally scrutinize the process in the workshop. This year was no exception. 

Boss An was an expert in tea-making and very fond of the flavor of tea. Seeing the green tea leaves drying, he felt like it was a grand and fascinating ritual, as magical as the birth of a child. He was filled with joy when participating in this process, even feeling a little moved by a sense that blood is thicker than water. After breakfast, Boss An went to the workshop. The familiar smell of tea leaves made him feel refreshed. The workers were bustling about. All the tea leaves collected from the tea farmers yesterday had been placed in bamboo sifts, ready to be dried. 

“Ah, there you are, Boss!” When the workers saw him coming, they immediately greeted him. 

“Hi, guys! How is everything with you?” With a smile, he approached the iron pot used for drying tea leaves to start working. 

The art of tea-making is a series of tightly interconnected steps, and every step should be done carefully. 

“Uncle An, this batch of tea is of very high quality, but it’s a pity the leaves were bitten by insects. I wonder whether the flavor will suffer because of it.” The young man who spoke was named Shuanzi. He was 17 years old and came from Lanshan Tea Farm. His father had once saved Boss An’s life, so the boss constantly bestowed privileges upon him. After Shuanzi finished delivering tea to the tea factory, the boss gave him a new job learning how to make tea in the workshop. 

The tea leaves were infested with insects. When they were delivered to the workshop, An Wen, son of Boss An, proposed purchasing them at a lower price and the villagers agreed without resistance. When the boss found out about this, he insisted that his son return the deducted money to the villagers at the Lanshan Tea Farm, thus still paying the originally agreed-to price. The villagers were very grateful, but felt a little indebted to Boss An. 

“Don’t worry! This batch of tea leaves will be made into black tea. Nothing will be impacted! When they’re ready, we’ll first taste them before putting them on the market. In the worst case scenario, if it’s actually a loss, I can still afford it.” The boss comforted Shuanzi as he worked. 

Boss An kept holding up tea leaves and then dispersing them in the pot. The moisture in the leaves was gradually evaporating. At that moment, the waft of a refreshing aroma blossomed out and the boss could not help but freeze for a moment. 

This aroma smelled quite different than the previous one. When the boss quickly held the tea leaves in both hands and sniffed them, the aroma did not seem special. However, when he shook and scattered the tea again, the extraordinary smell came out once more. 

The tea smelled very special and Boss An was amazed! 

“Shuanzi, what kind of insects bit the tea leaves?” Boss Ann looked at him, thrilled. 

“I really don’t know. We have never seen these insects before, but they swarmed in the farm this year. They are green all over, looking like cicadas, but much smaller. We will try our best to wipe out the pests next year,” Shuanzi said with rage as he scratched his bare head. 

“I see. First, let’s start working.” Boss An refrained from showing his excitement as he worked with the staff. 

Half a month later, the boss sampled the tea’s taste, calling in his son An Wen and Shuanzi. 

The boss considered it a ceremonial rite to sample the flavor of tea. To begin, he cleaned his hands. Then, he rinsed all the tea utensils in boiling water, added the maroon tea into the purple clay pot with bamboo slices, and poured boiling water into it to brew. The first pot of water was used to nourish the pot and the second was slowly poured into a fair cup. The color of the liquid in the cup turned to an amber-wine hue, with a wondrous aroma and sweet taste. 

Boss An’s hands trembled slightly with excitement. He took the tea from the fair cup and poured it into three smaller cups. Then, he picked up one cup, gently sniffed it, and carefully sipped it. The tea tasted soft in his mouth and smelled fragrant. It was a very sweet taste, completely different from the black tea made before. 

“An Wen, Shuanzi, taste the flavor of this tea!” Quickly, they each picked up a cup of tea, took a sip, then drank up in three times. 

“Terrific, father! This tea tastes pretty special, it is fragrant but not greasy. It tastes balmy and sweet. Why?” The son looked at his father in astonishment. 

“I think it’s because the leaves were bitten by the insects. When the tea is fresh, I feel its distinctiveness. As expected, the taste of the brewed black tea is different from the other type.” Boss An’s face flushed slightly with excitement. 

“Shuanzi, hurry back home. Tell the villagers not to spray pesticide over the tea boughs – not to kill the insects. I will pay them 50 percent more than the agreed price for the bitten tea leaves next year!” 

“OK. I’ll go back and tell them right away.” Shuanzi was extremely thrilled and left immediately. 

“Father, I didn’t expect something that seemed bad to be so good. The tea leaves bitten by pests have turned out to be extraordinarily high-quality tea.” An Wen was overwhelmed with joy as he watched his father. 

Boss An poured another cup of tea for himself and his son, saying, with a smile: “Yeah, this shows that, sometimes, something appears bad on the surface, but it is not necessarily the case in reality. A bad thing can turn good if dealt with well. What should we name the tea, An Wen?” 

An Wen pondered a while and then said: “Father, this tea appears to be a beauty. Its gracefulness and unique fragrance intoxicate those who drink it. Why not call it ‘Beauty Yu’?” 

“Wonderful! It’s very appropriate. A good name!” When An Wen heard his father’s praise, he could not help feeling a little proud, maybe even conceited. 

Boss An looked at his son and said: “Do you know why I love tea? Tea making is like life; it mirrors how one should conduct oneself in the world. You should always stand with others when you think and act. You are bound to gain something valuable from it. Come, have a cup of tea!” 

“Yes, father, I will keep that in mind.” An Wen’s face turned slightly red and he was touched. 

The father and son drank tea together surround by the scent of tea all around them.  

Selected from A World Away from Fairy Tales, compiled by China Flash Fiction Society, and published by New World Press.