The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 20: Searching the trees everywhere, rushing up the mountain to pick

"Third sister, look, it's the sunrise!" Shang Zishu, wearing a cloak, grabbed Shang Mingshu's arm, her tone unable to conceal her excitement, and pointed to the mountains in front of her separated by the sea of ​​clouds.

Shang Mingshu was a delicate girl and couldn't sleep after tossing and turning at the foot of the mountain. So she got up at 3:00 a.m. and took Shang Zishu up the mountain early to wait for the sunrise.

When they arrived, the sky and earth were as dark as ink, with only the outlines of distant mountains looming, like giant beasts lying dormant. They ate some dry food for breakfast. At this time, the sky was shimmering with light, like a piece of white silk spread out, gradually tinged with golden light.

"On the top of Fuqiu Peak, the sun rises, a magnificent sight on earth." Shang Mingshu felt the cool breeze from the mountain mist and looked at the sunrise gradually appearing in the distance.

The clouds are surging, the horses are galloping, the orange and yellow are blending together, it is extremely gorgeous.

The red sun peeked out from the clouds, and in an instant, all the mountains and valleys woke up.

The rock walls are dyed red, the brown soil is covered with clouds; the ancient pines are bathed in light, their green shadows flowing like gold.

"Looking at this scene, it's like falling into a fairyland." Shang Zishu was extremely intoxicated and murmured softly, "Third sister, at this moment, I feel that the troubles of the past have been blown away by the wind. Life is fleeting. Fame and wealth are not as satisfying as a rendezvous with mountains and rivers."

The cool breeze mixed with a little warm sunshine gently pulled Shang Mingshu's hair. She did not respond to Shang Zishu's words.

Shang Zishu didn't get a response from her sister for a long time. After thinking about it carefully, she couldn't help but laugh silently.

She herself said that it was at this moment, the beauty of this moment intoxicated her heart and dazzled her eyes, but time could not stay at this moment forever.

"If we leave early, will Shi Guangchao follow us?"

Her fingertips tucked the wind-swept hair behind her ears, and Shang Mingshu said firmly, "He will come."

"You..." Shang Zishu opened her mouth, not knowing how to ask.

Shang Mingshu tilted her head: "Second sister, do you think I will set an ambush and kill Shi Guangchao?"

Shang Zishu looked away, not daring to meet Shang Mingshu's gaze. She did guess so, but she also felt that she had thought her sister was too cruel and disregarded human life.

She knew that it was wrong to make such an assumption about Shang Mingshu, as she had never killed a living being. However, Shang Zishu's intuition told her that this was the case.

Shang Mingshu looked at Shang Zishu quietly, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Just when Shang Zishu could no longer bear her gaze and wanted to speak to relieve the pressure of silence, Shang Mingshu withdrew her gaze and spoke first: "Second sister, I will not offend others unless they offend me. I am not a cold-blooded executioner. I hate everyone in the Shi family, but I will not get rid of them just because they are annoying. I am a law-abiding citizen."

As long as the Shi family doesn’t seek death!

"Not only will I not kill him today, I will even save his life."

"Save him?" Shang Zishu was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and asked in astonishment, "Are you saying Shi Qingyu would hire someone to kill my brother?"

Shi Guangchao has been here harassing her for a long time. If he had an enemy seeking revenge, he would have taken action long ago. Since he has no enemies, who would kill Shi Guangchao?
Shi Qingyu appears bright and beautiful on the surface, but is actually a crazy woman behind the scenes.

She hated the three sisters, and hated the brothers Shi Guangchao and Shi Guangbo even more, even though they were born of the same mother...

Shang Mingshu smiled but said nothing.

Shang Zishu's heart trembled. She knew that Shi Qingyu was vicious and cruel, but she didn't expect him to be so vicious!
"Come on, take me to see where you found the new tea." Shang Mingshu no longer looked at the rising sun, as the sunlight was too high and too bright.

Shang Zishu was at Fuqiu Temple, but the new tea she found was at Diezhang Peak. She was afraid that the Shi family, who were always keeping an eye on her, might find any clues. The two peaks were connected. From the place where the sun was viewed, she would walk down for a quarter of an hour, cross into Diezhang Peak, walk around the mountain road, and then go up again... "Searching all over the trees, rushing up the mountain to pick the tea..." Shang Mingshu followed Shang Zishu through mountains and rivers. She knew how hard it was to pick tea, and this was her first time experiencing it herself. Her eyes fell on Shang Zishu who was walking in front of her, and admiration appeared in her eyes.

"You must be tired. We will be there in another quarter of an hour. Drink some water and take a rest." Hearing her sister reciting a poem, Shang Zishu stopped to take out her water bag and drink some saliva. After crossing mountains and rivers, a thin layer of sweat seeped out of her forehead, her cheeks were flushed, and her breathing was uneven.

Shang Mingshu was a martial artist, so her breathing was relatively steady, but her heartbeat was a little faster than usual. She found a boulder to sit on, slowly swallowing clear water to moisten her lips. "Second sister, are you tired?"

"I'm not tired. We talked along the way and we arrived here without realizing it..." Shang Zishu broke off a large leaf and fanned herself with it. When she caught a glimpse of Shang Mingshu's quiet and lonely gaze, she realized what Shang Mingshu was asking.

He restrained his expression, put on a faint smile, and looked determined: "Third sister, I'm not tired."

"I was born into a wealthy family. My mother and father allowed me to wear gold and silver and command servants. I was born superior to more than half the women in the world. I was not confined to a deep house, but learned a skill to suit my taste. After I came of age, I was not forced into a blind marriage, but instead relied on a man for my entire life, with my joys and sorrows controlled by him.

I love tea and am also passionate about making it. From discovery to picking, frying, and finally to its release, the process is long and complicated. However, once it is accomplished, all the hardships experienced in the past will turn into a hundredfold joy.

Only at this moment did I realize that I was different from other young ladies in the inner chambers."

She lives like this and still feels tired. How many women in this world wouldn't want to commit suicide?

The bright sun hanging high in the sky cast a dazzling light behind Shang Zishu, making her look radiant.

At this moment, Shang Zishu, who was telling the story, had a strange glow in Shang Mingshu's eyes, vivid and eye-catching.

This bright light green color stands among the peaks, making all the other mountains and valleys pale in comparison.

After stuffing the water bag tightly, Shang Mingshu grabbed Shang Zishu's hand and said, "Let's go find some tea. I hope my second sister will be able to harvest a hundred times more joy soon."

The distance was not far, so we made a concerted effort and arrived earlier than expected.

Shang Mingshu never expected that this small patch of tea trees would grow in such a location.

On the edge of a high cliff, tea trees sway in the strong wind. Peaks are steep, clouds and mists swirl, and the tree roots are deeply rooted in the precarious place, close to the dangerous rocks. Amidst the mountain mist, watching the changing seasons quietly, it seems as if every green leaf contains the majestic and tranquility of the mountains.

"Second sister, I'm afraid the saplings you transplanted will have a hard time growing." The tea tree's growing environment made Shang Mingshu not have high hopes for Shang Zishu's transplanting. "The flourishing of tea is inseparable from the sky, the earth, and the sun."

This tea grows on the top of a high mountain, surrounded by clouds and mist, which gives it an elegant aura; it grows facing the sun, where the yang energy is sufficient and the leaf buds become plump.

"I know, but I still want to give it a try." Shang Zishu lacked confidence in cultivation, and her eagerness was poured into the development of new tea.

"There are not many tea trees here." Shang Mingshu counted them and found that there were about fifty or so.

The tea trees are lush and their branches are quite old. One tree can easily produce half a pound of tea. If you only pick the first buds, you might only produce two or three ounces. In a year, all you can pick is only ten pounds of tea.

If you still need to stir-fry it on the mountain...

The cost of this tea made Shang Mingshu frown.

"Third sister, there are a few tea trees." Shang Zishu was worried that Shang Mingshu would not support her, so she hurriedly said, "Look, this land is empty and we can't transplant the tea trees down the mountain. How about we open a tea garden on the mountain?"

(End of this chapter)