I, strive for the prosperity of the motherland! 【system】

Fixing is a crucial step in green tea production.

When blanching, the pan temperature should be controlled at around 130-160 degrees Celsius, starting at a higher temperature and then decreasing.

Grandpa Su also took some of the tea leaves after they had been spread out and gave them to the girls as a demonstration.

He gently shook, tossed, and scattered the leaves with his hands, ensuring each bud was heated evenly. He used the high temperature to quickly deactivate the oxidases in the fresh leaves, stopping fermentation and preserving the unique tender green color and aroma of green tea.

As he demonstrated, he explained, "In this process, the movements must be quick, light, and even. It must be thoroughly and evenly cooked, but it must not be scorched, burnt, or have red stems..."

Huang Wenwen and Li Yinuo listened attentively and watched intently, occasionally taking notes in their phone's notepad.

Although Su Xing had already learned tea making from his grandfather, he still listened attentively to the explanation and watched his grandfather's hand movements intently.

The leaves softened and turned dark green in the pot and in Grandpa Su's hands.

He picked up a piece and nodded, saying, "It's soft and not sticky, the green smell has dissipated, and it already has a delicate fragrance. It should be taken out of the pot quickly now."

As he spoke, he immediately took the tea leaves out of the pan. "At this point, you need to shake them out and spread them out thinly to dissipate heat, so as to avoid the residual heat from overcooking the tea leaves. This will lay a clean and refreshing foundation for the subsequent rolling and drying."

The girls nodded repeatedly.

After the initial firing, let it cool for three to five minutes before starting to knead it.

At this time, the tea buds and leaves are still warm and soft, making them ideal for the kneading process.

Grandpa Su gathered the slightly cooled tea leaves into a ball, placed it on a clean bamboo tray or wooden table, and gently pressed and rubbed it with both hands.

He explained, "The application of force is about alternating between light and heavy pressure, then back to light pressure... First, gently knead the leaves to form them into strips, then gradually increase the pressure to break down the cell walls to release the tea juice and lock in the inner qualities. Finally, gently knead and shape the leaves to prevent them from breaking..."

The three girls stared intently at the actions Grandpa Su was making.

Grandpa Su continued, "The entire kneading process must be neither too tight nor too loose, and the speed must be just right. The buds and leaves must be rolled tightly into slender and elegant strips, but the leaf texture must not be crushed or lose its freshness..."

He picked up a tea leaf and said, "Look, when you knead it to this extent, the tea leaf is tightly rolled, straight, and has a bright green color. It feels slightly sticky to the touch, and the aroma is subtle and doesn't dissipate. At this point, you should stop immediately..."

The girls all nodded.

After demonstrating, Grandpa Su looked at the three girls with a smile, "Why don't you give it a try?"

Huang Wenwen and Li Yinuo exchanged a glance, then both looked at Su Xing.

"Ahem..." Huang Wenwen cleared her throat and said, "Um... Su Xing, would you like to go first?"

Su Xing readily agreed, "Sure, I'll go first then."

She almost perfectly replicated her grandfather's actions as she began the wrap-up process.

Grandpa Su nodded repeatedly: This is clearly a student he taught...

Huang Wenwen and Li Yinuo watched intently.

After Su Xing finished cooking, it was their turn. They were a little excited and a little nervous...

After Su Xing finished preparing her tea, she smiled and asked her grandfather, "How was it?"

Grandpa Su said, "It's alright, not bad."

Su Xing was quite happy to receive his grandfather's approval.

She continued kneading.

After examining the kneaded tea, Grandpa Su nodded and said, "Not bad, there's been some improvement."

Su Xing raised her chin, and the corners of her lips involuntarily curled up.

Next up is Huang Wenwen.

She thought she had learned it, but when she actually tried to do it, she became flustered and overwhelmed.

While bustling about, he kept calling out, even his local accent showing.

"Oh my god! It's so hot... Oh my god! Is it too hot? What should I do...?"

Grandpa Su said, "Don't be nervous, stay calm."

Huang Wenwen asked again, "Did I burn this...?"

Grandpa Su said, "Take your time."

Su Xing couldn't help but smile. She remembered when she and her cousin Su Yu first learned tea making from their grandfather. She was nervous then, but not this flustered. Huang Wenwen's current appearance was more like Su Yu's back then.

Seeing that Huang Wenwen, a top student from Peking University, had managed to do this, Li Yinuo became even more nervous.

The filming process was quick, ending in just a few minutes.

Huang Wenwen looked at the tea leaves, which she had clearly over-stirred, and her face fell. "This... is it still usable?"

Grandpa Su hesitated for two seconds and said, "It's alright, it can be used if needed..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Wenwen looked up, her eyes sparkling as she gazed at Grandpa Su. "Really?"

Grandpa Su: "Uh... it can also make dried tea. As for the taste... you can try it yourself tomorrow."

Huang Wenwen nodded, "Okay!"

She certainly wouldn't dislike the tea leaves she roasted herself!

After the tea leaves had been left to dry for a few minutes, Grandpa Su quickly said, "Now you can start kneading them."

"Good good!"

Huang Wenwen began...

Huang Wenwen soon felt like crying...

Why... does it look like she crushed some of the tea leaves?

Grandpa Su closed his eyes briefly, then took a deep breath. "It may not look very good, but it's still drinkable..."

Huang Wenwen asked again, "Really?"

This time, Grandpa Su couldn't say anything comforting, and could only manage a weak "hmm".

Huang Wenwen then looked at Su Xing.

Su Xing patted Huang Wenwen on the shoulder and comforted her, saying, "It's okay. I just wanted you to experience the tea-making process. I didn't expect you to actually make any delicious tea."

Huang Wenwen: "..."

Thank you... but she wasn't comforted.

Seeing Huang Wenwen's utterly dejected expression, Li Yinuo couldn't help but shrug her shoulders and chuckle to herself.

Huang Wenwen turned to Li Yinuo, her face expressionless, and said, "What are you laughing at? Is it funny?"

Li Yinuo said seriously, "No, no..."

"I saw it all!" Huang Wenwen snorted. "Your turn!"

Li Yinuo, “…Oh, oh”

Next, Li Yinuo began to operate.

In the end, she wasn't any better than Huang Wenwen, and she even became a little hesitant.

Grandpa Su said to her, "You're not cooking it right yet, go for it!"

Li Yinuo: "..."

When it came to kneading, she became even more flustered and made a complete mess of it.

Grandpa Su wanted to cover his eyes several times, but he managed to hold back.

Of the last three girls' teas, only the one from Su Xing was presentable; the others... were a bit of a waste of top-quality tea leaves...

Grandpa Su said something against his conscience to comfort the two of them, "It can be used, it can be used."

He used to think that his eldest granddaughter was quite talented, while his youngest granddaughter was just so-so.

Now that he's mentoring two complete novices, he suddenly realizes that his granddaughter is also incredibly talented!

In fact, there are continuous requirements for making tea using traditional techniques.

After the initial processing and rolling, the chemical reactions inside the tea leaves continue. The subsequent steps, such as initial drying and rolling, are intended to fix the shape of the tea leaves in time, further dissipate moisture, and stimulate the aroma.

If the interval is too long, especially in a warm and humid environment, tea leaves are prone to excessive oxidation or fermentation, leading to a yellowing color, dulled aroma, and negatively impacting the final quality characteristics.

However, in actual production, if the tea cannot be immediately processed after the initial processing (killing and rolling) due to limitations in scale, manpower, or equipment, it is common practice to temporarily store the tea leaves in a clean, cool, well-ventilated environment with low humidity.

Grandpa Su glanced at the tea made by the three girls. Apart from his eldest granddaughter's tea, which was somewhat decent, the other two lumps were really unbearable to look at. They were bad enough as they were, and leaving them overnight wouldn't have affected their quality much.

He checked the time and said, "It's almost midnight. Let's go home and rest. We can do the rest of the work tomorrow."

The three girls had no objections and followed Grandpa Su outside.

Su Xing drove them back to the Su family home.

Grandma Su has already gone to sleep.

Uncle Su and his wife also went back to the courtyard next door to rest.

The three girls all whispered goodnight to Grandpa Su.

Grandpa Su waved to them, "Go upstairs and get some sleep. If you want the tea to be of good quality, get up early tomorrow and go to the tea factory early."

He paused, then added, "If you can't get up, it's okay, it won't have a big impact."

Huang Wenwen said earnestly, "Grandpa Su, don't worry, I definitely won't oversleep!"

Li Yinuo solemnly replied, "Me too!"

Grandpa Su: "..."

He thought to himself: There's really no need for that.

He was just being nosy...

Seeing his grandfather's speechless expression, Su Xing couldn't help but chuckle to himself.