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Chapter 43: Brewing Fame, One Cup at a Time
By the next morning, the villagers of Qinghe were whispering like hens in a feeding frenzy.
"Did you hear? A noble lady visited Su Yanyue's house!"
"She drank her tea! And praised it!"
"I saw her carriage—four horses and a golden crest! That kind of guest doesn't visit just anyone."
Su Yanyue, meanwhile, had little time to worry about gossip. Her tea orders had more than doubled overnight.
Inside the courtyard, baskets of herbs, blossoms, and dried fruits were stacked to the ceiling. Tea leaves roasted in shallow pans, and fragrant steam curled from porcelain pots in the kitchen. She was grateful for the chaos—work always kept her grounded.
But her brow furrowed when she saw her carefully labeled crates had been scribbled over in big, messy characters:
"Premium Flavor"
"Super Fancy Blossom Power"
"Lady Yun Special!"
"Su Zhi!" she shouted.
The smallest triplet poked his head out from behind a basket, innocent smile in place. "Yes, Auntie?"
"Why are you renaming everything in the storeroom?"
"We're rebranding," Su Rui explained as he entered, arms full of charcoal sticks. "We're creating buzz."
"Buzz?" she repeated.
"Yes!" Su Lin nodded sagely. "That's how you get rich. Drama. Names. Big feelings!"
"I need organization, not big feelings!" Yanyue groaned.
But before she could scold further, a line of villagers formed at her front gate.
"Yanyue! I heard you're making the tea Lady Yun drank!"
"Is it true you have a tea that clears the mind and boosts memory?"
"Do you have the one with goji berries and roses? My cousin's goat won't sleep!"
Yu Shiming appeared beside her with perfect timing, sleeves rolled and calm as ever. "I'll manage the gate. You deal with quality control before your tea becomes livestock medicine."
"I could kiss you," Yanyue sighed, then caught herself and flushed. "I-I mean—thanks!"
A rare twitch of a smile touched his lips. "You're welcome."
Inside the workshop, Yanyue organized the triplets like little soldiers.
"Su Lin, take inventory. Su Rui, help me blend the flower teas. Su Zhi, don't rename the crates again!"
Su Zhi nodded… and sneakily tucked a sign reading "Mood Explosion Tea" into his sleeve.
—
By noon, the small courtyard had turned into a lively shopfront. People came from the next village over, bringing goods to barter and silver to spend.
Yanyue moved gracefully through the crowd, correcting measurements, explaining brews, and calming customers who insisted on adding chili flakes to tea for "heat energy."
Watching her work, Yu Shiming stood silently in the shade, arms folded. She was calm under pressure, patient with fools, and yet full of spark.
"How can one woman manage so much?" he murmured.
"She's our Auntie," Su Rui said smugly from beside him. "She can do anything."
Yu Shiming looked down at the child's proud expression and smiled faintly.
Maybe she really could.
—
That evening, as the sun dipped behind the mountains and the courtyard emptied, Yanyue sat beneath the plum tree with a fresh cup of tea.
"Still standing," she whispered, exhausted but satisfied.
The triplets crawled up beside her, sticky with sugar and flour from an experimental 'tea pastry' project that had ended in disaster.
"Auntie," Su Lin said, "Are we rich now?"
Yanyue laughed softly. "Not rich. Just... beginning."
And with that, her tea journey—flavored with sweat, joy, and a bit of madness—continued.