Chapter 643: Extremely Particular

"Maphario? Are the tea seeds done soaking?" Tea seeds usually needed to be soaked for several days before planting because of their hard shells. However, the special nutrient solution Maphario had prepared could significantly shorten this period, so Shen Yibin asked about them the very next day.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" At the sound of his voice, Maphario immediately popped out of Hah’Er’s pocket and scampered over to the two jars filled with nutrient solution and tea seeds. Since the Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao and West Lake Longjing Tea seeds were different, they were soaking in different nutrient solutions in two separate jars.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" After examining them for a moment, Maphario turned and nodded at Shen Yibin. It looked like both types of seeds were soaked and ready for planting.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!" Overjoyed, Shen Yibin immediately ran to the tool shed to grab a hoe, a shovel, and a watering can. He then picked up the fertilizer Maphario had prepared the night before and led his little companions out of the villa and into the courtyard. He planned to break ground on the empty plot next to the Junshan Silver Needle Tea plants to sow these two new types of tea trees.

Maphario squeaked at Hah’Er, who then picked up the jars. Xiaoliu and Turtle Immortal followed Shen Yibin from behind. Once they were in the courtyard, however, Maphario dashed in front of Shen Yibin and blocked his path.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" The little creature waved its paws and hopped around, preventing Shen Yibin from heading toward the Junshan Silver Needle Tea plants. Instead, it pointed toward the rockery in the corner of the courtyard, seeming to direct him over there.

"Hmm? You want me to plant the tea trees on the rockery?" ’Oh, right. Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao grows on cliffs, so it makes sense to plant the seeds in a similar environment.’ Shen Yibin’s yard didn’t have any cliffs, so the rockery would have to do. "In that case, I’ll have to go find some soil. I bet we can’t just use regular soil, right?"

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" As expected, Maphario led Shen Yibin out of the courtyard and up the hill behind the house. It had him specifically dig up some soil from a cliff’s edge and bring it back. Then, it found a few suitable spots on the rockery and had Shen Yibin pile the soil there. It mixed in some withered branches, fallen leaves, and fertilizer, and then the planting finally began.

Four seeds, comprising three different varieties, were buried in different locations on the rockery. Two identical seeds were planted at the highest point, while the remaining two, each a different variety, were planted at a slightly lower position and the lowest position, respectively. The entire process seemed very meticulous.

Even the water used for the seeds was different. Shen Yibin, carrying the watering can, followed Maphario to the stream where Bald Qiang and his friends lived. He drew half a can of water each from the upper, middle, and lower parts of the stream to water the seeds. It looked like he would have to continue using these different water sources for the long-term. Shen Yibin certainly had his work cut out for him.

With the Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao planted, it was time to move on to the West Lake Longjing Tea. ’The Dahongpao was such a hassle; the Longjing is sure to be just as difficult.’ ’Planting the Junshan Silver Needle Tea didn’t seem this complicated, did it?’ Shen Yibin mused. ’Maybe that patch of soil just happened to be perfect for the Junshan Silver Needle Tea’s needs?’

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" This time, Maphario led Shen Yibin to the well in the courtyard. During construction, the workers had discovered a natural spring, so Wen Yuan had designed the well around it. Shen Yibin normally used water from this well for cooking and brewing tea—it tasted much better than bottled mineral water.

"Oh, so you want to clear a plot of land next to the well?" Wen Yuan had originally designed a few cobblestone footpaths around the well. It took Shen Yibin a long time just to clear them away. He wasn’t even halfway finished when it was time for lunch.

Shen Yibin had no choice but to head back inside first. He cooked a pot of congee and prepared a few side dishes for his pets, and they all quickly filled their stomachs. A proper feast would have to wait until the evening, after all the work was done.

The medicinal congee restored the energy he’d spent that morning. Shen Yibin shouldered his hoe and went back outside to continue the arduous work of clearing the land. Hah’Er and Xiaoliu moved the cobblestones aside, arranging them decoratively between the flowers and fruit trees, which created a unique charm. Turtle Immortal, with Maphario on his back, followed behind Shen Yibin, acting as the foreman.

"Alright! Do we need to bring in different soil this time?" Finally, after all the cobblestones had been cleared away and the soil beneath loosened, Shen Yibin stood up, placed a hand on his aching back, and asked.

This time, it wasn’t necessary. The eighteen original Imperial Trees grew right next to a well, so the soil here was perfect. Maphario just added some withered branches, fallen leaves, and fertilizer, had Shen Yibin mix it all in, and then they were ready to start planting.

Maphario carefully planted the nine seeds. Then, Shen Yibin drew water from the well and gave them a thorough watering. Now all they had to do was wait for them to sprout.

After planting the two new types of tea, Shen Yibin went to check on the Junshan Silver Needle Tea plants. He saw that tiny, tender buds were already dotting the soil. He crouched down for a closer look and could see that the seedlings were growing exceptionally well. Each one was vibrant and brightly colored—clearly in perfect health.

’Looks like I’ll definitely get to drink this Junshan Silver Needle Tea after all. I just wonder how different the tea grown here will taste compared to the tea from Dongting Lake,’ Shen Yibin wondered, stroking his chin.

"SQUEAK! SQUEAK!" Maphario was not pleased to hear this. The little creature waved its fists at Shen Yibin in protest, apparently offended that its abilities were being questioned.

"My apologies, my apologies. With you on the job, I’m sure the tea will be even better than the original." Shen Yibin quickly apologized, but inwardly he was ecstatic. ’If it’s this confident, then the tea is bound to be amazing.’

’Sigh... It’s just that growing these tea trees is so much work. If West Lake Longjing Tea and Wuyi Mountain Dahongpao are this difficult, I imagine famous teas like Huangshan Maofeng, Taiping Houkui Tea, Qimen Red Tea, and Duyun Maojian Tea won’t be any easier, will they?’

The terroir—the soil and geography—of each of these famous tea regions is unique. It wouldn’t be easy to perfectly replicate all of them in this small courtyard. Besides, he was running out of space. ’I’d better just wait and see how these three types of tea turn out first.’ For now, Shen Yibin put aside the thought of collecting more tea seeds from other places.

’Whoa, it’s five in the afternoon already. Time to make dinner.’ He’d just taken a short rest, and now it was already time to eat again.

"Come on, I’ll take you guys to the store." ’I brought back a lot of specialty gifts from Wuyi Mountain and West Lake this time. We might as well eat at the store, and I can give the gifts to Xia Shixuan and the others while we’re there.’