Rebirth 04: Starting from Taking an Unconventional Approach

"Eat?" Zhang Ruiyi shouted into her phone as she drove her car through the traffic on the inner ring elevated highway.

"Yes, I'll send you the address," Han Fei's voice came from the phone. "Did you pick up Uncle Zhang?"

"I received it. But..."

"What's wrong?"

The headlights illuminated the road. The traffic stopped ahead of the tunnel.

Zhang Ruiyi stepped on the brake: "I'm stuck in traffic here."

Is the traffic jam very bad?

"Hmm... I'm not quite sure yet, but I guess there was some kind of accident in the tunnel."

"Okay, take your time, no rush. We've only just arrived downstairs."

"Okay, I'll take my dad home and then head over."

Zhang Ruiyi hung up the phone and caught a glimpse of Zhang Qiming in the passenger seat turning to look at her. She swallowed hard, trying to keep her eyes fixed on the car in front of her, but couldn't help looking in Zhang Qiming's direction.

She pursed her lips and tapped her fingers lightly on the steering wheel to ease the awkwardness. This awkwardness was different from the estrangement between strangers; it was the kind of awkwardness that arises between the closest people due to long-term estrangement, a feeling of not knowing how to get along.

"Is it Han Fei?" Zhang Qiming asked.

"Um."

"How's his project progressing these past few days? When I reported to headquarters, his data really made me look good," Zhang Qiming said lightly, his tone so casual it sounded unnatural.

"Great, the magazine just went to print today. Five thousand copies."

"That kid's quick on the uptake. You've been going to his place every day lately, looks like you're really interested?"

"What's wrong?" Zhang Ruiyi gazed into the air, brushing a strand of hair away from her face with a finger. "Are you complaining that I'm going too often?"

"When did I ever complain?" Zhang Qiming chuckled a few times. "Do you still keep in touch with your old friends?"

Zhang Ruiyi was surprised to hear Zhang Qiming say "friends" instead of "those messy people".

"Occasionally," she said. "He called last week to ask if I wanted to go to Hangzhou together."

"What did you say?"

"I'm busy, I can't get away."

Zhang Qiming nodded, pondered for a moment, and said, "Ruiyi, I may not have done some things well enough over the years."

The car was very quiet, with only the hum of the engine idling in the background. The small truck in front moved forward a meter, and Zhang Ruiyi followed.

"Like that dance competition you had when you were little," Zhang Qiming said, "I did promise to go, but I couldn't. Back then, I felt that work matters were always more urgent than family matters. If someone invited you out, not going was disrespectful; if you weren't there at a meeting, no decision could be made. Gradually, it became a habit, always feeling that family matters could be postponed, and that postponement eventually turned into a debt. Ruiyi, are you listening?"

"Um."

Zhang Qiming chuckled quietly: "I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to tell you that since you came back this time, I feel you're different from before. There's something in your eyes now. Before, your eyes were empty, and everything annoyed you. Now it's different; now when you look at things, your eyes light up."

As if by miracle, the traffic suddenly began to move. Zhang Ruiyi stepped on the gas.

......

"Is this for me?" Wen Shuyan clapped her hands and said, taking a copy of Bluebird Magazine.

"This is my first time here, so I don't know what to give you." Han Fei stepped inside. "This magazine was just printed today, the inaugural issue. Consider it a memento."

"Wow, you've already finished the magazine." Wen Shuyan hugged the magazine to her chest. "Thank you, I'll keep it safe."

"It doesn't matter if it gets worn out, there will be new ones next month."

"Brother Fei, is that one for me?" Wen Jie asked, pointing to another magazine in Han Fei's hand.

"You want it?" Han Fei said. "I want to get it from the publisher myself."

Wen Shuyan giggled: "Please sit down first, wait for me."

Han Fei and Wen Jie sat down on the sofa. Han Fei noticed that four sets of tableware were already set on the dining table. The television was on, and a music program was playing. The three of them sat on the same piano bench, smiling at each other.

Wen Shuyan returned to the living room, carrying two brown paper bags, both sealed with hemp rope and tied with a delicate bow.

"Here, this is for you." Wen Shuyan handed a paper bag to Han Fei.

Han Fei took it: "What's this?"

"Didn't I say I'd send you some of our family's tea another day?" Wen Shuyan sat down next to him. "A batch of new tea arrived from home a couple of days ago, so I saved some for you."

"Oh!" Han Fei said, feeling flattered. "I just said it casually at the time, I didn't expect you to remember it, thank you."

"You're welcome. You've helped Xiao Jie so much, I haven't even had a chance to thank you yet," Wen Shuyan said with a smile, placing another packet of tea on the coffee table. "This one's for Ruiyi."

"Go ahead and drink it, Fei-ge," Wen Jie said smugly. "You can't even buy this tea from our family if you want to."

"Why?" Han Fei asked.

"Uh, because..." Wen Shuyan said, somewhat embarrassed, "the channels we used were a little different."

Wen Jie clicked his tongue: "Sis, just tell him directly. Fei-ge isn't an outsider anyway."

Wen Shuyan's gaze shifted from Wen Jie to Han Fei, a smile appearing on her face: "Our family's tea garden doesn't produce much. When my father was young, he worked in foreign trade for a few years and got to know some Japanese tea merchants. Later, we gradually settled down there, and most of the tea we harvested each year was directly supplied to them."

"Japan?" Han Fei nodded. "No wonder. Zisun tea is quite famous in Japan, isn't it?"

"Yes, the people over there have very high requirements for the raw materials used in their tea ceremony, such as matcha and sencha. The variety we have is just right for them."

"So your company doesn't sell loose tea directly, but rather supplies them with raw materials?"

"More or less," Wen Shuyan said. "But it's also a kind of customized service. Every year before spring, the Japanese trading company sends over the standards for that year, with very clear requirements for pesticide residue control, the tenderness of the harvested tea leaves, and the processing techniques. Our family grows and harvests according to their standards, and then they take the raw tea leaves back to refine and blend them before finally putting their own brand on them and selling them."

"It's basically OEM, private label manufacturing," Wen Jie added. "Sister, am I right?"

"Mm." Wen Shuyan nodded.

Han Fei looked thoughtfully at the tea in his hand: "So, this is considered a very high-end tea in Japan?"

"I guess so." Wen Shuyan smiled simply. "I heard from my dad that they use it to make matcha, and a small jar can sell for tens of thousands of yen in department stores in Tokyo. I don't know the exact price, but the price we get from them is much higher than what we sell to tea vendors on the market."

Han Fei nodded. He nodded to confirm that his first impression of the siblings was correct: they were extraordinary.

"My dishes..." Wen Shuyan said softly, standing up and walking into the kitchen.

Half an hour later, Zhang Ruiyi appeared at the door, carrying two large bags.