Chapter 79 Tea Stir-Frying

Chapter 79 Pan-Frying Tea

Today marks the fourth day of filming for Wilderness Adventure. The sun is already high, yet the guests' cabin remains hushed.

On the first day, they spent the entire day building their shelter, solving their accommodation needs. On the second and third days, they ventured down the mountain for two consecutive days to forage and hunt, securing a substantial food reserve and averting the immediate crisis of hunger.

With basic survival needs met, the tension that had gripped their hearts finally eased. Naturally, they earned the right to sleep in.

Of course, this excluded Yu Xin, who, without fail, rose early every day for exercise.

Everyone slept soundly and, upon gradually waking, felt no desire to do anything but simply relax in the warm cabin.

The cabin door opened from the outside, and Yu Xin stepped in, bringing with him a gust of crisp, cold air.

"Morning, Yu Xin," Sheng Xingyao greeted with a yawn, lazily asking, "Anything on the agenda today?"

"Morning."

The cabin was significantly warmer than outside. Yu Xin removed his black windbreaker, hung it aside, and shook his sweat-dampened bangs.

"It snowed again last night. Today we need to clear the snow off the roof, build a table for indoor dining, and also process the food we brought back yesterday."

"Oh, right, we brought back a bag of tea leaves yesterday. We should pan-fry them today, shouldn't we?" Qin Shizhen had been anticipating those high-quality tea leaves since yesterday and quickly reminded Yu Xin, lest he forget.

"Yes, after breakfast, I'll teach you how to pan-fry tea leaves."

[Pan-fry tea leaves? Out here in the middle of nowhere? Is that even possible?]

[Why not? Traditional tea processing was done under similar conditions. Some people still do it this way today, and this kind of artisanal tea is incredibly expensive. Many teas marketed as handmade are actually machine-made. Genuine artisanal tea is truly precious, you know?]

[Is there anything Yu Xin can't do, I wonder?]

[Male childbirth technology was developed and clinically implemented a hundred years ago, so theoretically, he could even give birth. Hahahahahaha... owww!]

Everyone was keenly interested in learning how to pan-fry tea leaves. After breakfast, they gathered around Yu Xin to observe his technique.

Yu Xin had already spread the tea leaves out to wither overnight. He brought out the prepared leaves and explained, "Freshly picked tea leaves need to be withered for a period first. This step is called 'withering,' and its purpose is to allow the leaves to undergo initial oxidation and fermentation, reducing their astringency and enhancing their aroma. It also converts bitter compounds in the leaves into fresh, aromatic ones, making the tea taste more fragrant and mellow."

"Additionally, spring has weaker sunlight and higher humidity. Withering allows some of the moisture in the leaves to evaporate beforehand, making the subsequent pan-frying process easier."

He picked up a tea leaf and gently bent it in his hand. "The standard for withering is when the leaves feel soft and pliable to the touch, and the stems are flexible but don't break. The leaves should become soft yet resilient."

The young man's voice was clear and light, like the gentle clinking of ice chips in mountain snowmelt, yet it possessed a captivating quality that drew listeners in, making them mesmerized by his words alone.

As he spoke, his fair, slender fingers gently stirred through the emerald-green tea leaves, like a small white fish gracefully darting through clear water.

It was a dual delight for both sight and sound.

He was explaining technical knowledge, yet the listeners found it anything but dry or boring. They only wished he would speak more, much more.

[Ughhh, if only Yu Xin were teaching my Mechanical Principles class this semester, I wouldn't have to worry about failing.]

[If Yu Xin ever loses his job, he can sell me health products when I'm old. The moment he opens his mouth, I'd be throwing money at him.]

[Don't understand a word, but I want to kiss him.]

"The next step is called 'fixing.' First, you need a clean iron wok."

Coincidentally, the iron wok provided by the production team hadn't been used yet, making it perfect for this stage of tea processing.

Yu Xin instructed them to thoroughly wash their hands with clean water, ensuring no cosmetics or skincare products were applied. Tea leaves are extremely sensitive to such scents; even merely standing nearby could alter the flavor of the pan-fried tea.

Shen Tong sighed in relief. "Luckily, since we've been here, we've gone completely bare-faced every day. Being able to wash our faces with clean water is already a luxury. Makeup and skincare? We simply don't have the conditions for that here."

[Hahahahaha, the last stand of a female celebrity: washing her face clean.]

[Gotta say, these folks are quite attractive. Even covered in dirt, they still retain some charm.]

After everyone had cleaned themselves, they gathered around the wok to watch Yu Xin preheat it to between 170 and 200 degrees Celsius. He then added the tea leaves and began stirring them continuously by hand.

"This is 'fixing.' The high temperature rapidly deactivates the enzymes in the tea leaves, preventing the oxidation of polyphenols and helping the leaves retain their fresh green color. The brewed tea will have a clear green infusion and green leaves. It also encourages the evaporation of low-boiling-point compounds and moisture, carrying away some of the astringent bitterness while allowing high-boiling-point aromatic compounds to emerge, enhancing the tea's fragrance."

As he stirred, the leaves underwent physical and chemical changes from the heat, and a fresh tea aroma gradually permeated the air.

The guests began sniffing repeatedly, savoring the faint, elusive scent of tea in the air.

"What a wonderful tea fragrance," Qin Shizhen murmured, closing his eyes and rapturously enjoying the gradually intensifying aroma. It felt even more satisfying than drinking the tea itself.

Once the leaves in the wok darkened, shriveled, and curled, they were taken out to cool slightly before moving on to the next step—rolling.

"This step doesn't require much technical skill. Just roll the tea leaves firmly in one direction. Everyone can give it a try."

Yu Xin took a handful of leaves to demonstrate. "Like this. Use the palm of your hand to apply force, rolling clockwise continuously to form the leaves into a ball."

The others followed his example, each taking a handful of leaves and rolling them in their palms. A richer aroma than during the "fixing" step began to emanate from their hands.

"Rolling breaks down the tea leaves' cells, allowing their juices to be released. This enables the organic compounds in the leaves to react better with oxygen and enzymes, making the aroma more pronounced and enhancing the richness and depth of the tea liquor. Therefore, good tea often requires multiple rounds of rolling."

The rolled leaves changed in shape and color, becoming darker, more curled, and closer to the appearance of everyday pan-fried tea.

"At this stage, the tea pan-frying is almost complete. The final step is drying. Given our limited conditions, we'll simply dry them further in the wok."

Similar to the "fixing" step, drying also requires constant stirring to ensure even heating. The high temperature continuously evaporates the moisture from the leaves until they are thoroughly dried.

"This step requires patience. You can't rush it, but you also can't go too slow. Every single tea leaf must be dried properly; otherwise, it will affect both storage and taste later."

Yu Xin rhythmically stirred the leaves, which gradually took shape under his hands, releasing a richer and more pleasant aroma.

Sheng Xingyao found it interesting and volunteered to give it a try. Yu Xin raised an eyebrow but said nothing, silently stepping aside to make room.

Sheng Xingyao imitated Yu Xin's earlier motions, reaching in to stir the leaves. But the moment his hand touched the wok, he hissed sharply and pulled back quickly, grimacing. "Why is it so hot?!"

"It's a heated iron wok. That's your hand, not a spatula. Of course it's hot." Yu Xin's lips curled slightly as he resumed his position.

"Alright then," Sheng Xingyao backed off, turning to the camera with a helpless shrug. "See that, viewers? To pan-fry tea like Yu Xin, you not only need patience but also—a pair of hands of steel."

[Hahahahahaha, Yu Xin deliberately didn't warn him. So mischievous!]

[Poor Yao Bao, his hand is all red. Let me blow on it to make it better.]

[Yu Xin knows Iron Sand Palm confirmed!]

[Wait, does anyone remember that Yu Xin used to be Sheng Xingyao's obsessed fan? Am I misremembering? Feels like a lifetime ago.]

"Alright, it's done now." By the sound and appearance, after the extended drying, the tea leaves in the wok looked identical to everyday tea. Yu Xin poured them onto a plate, announcing the end of the tea pan-frying process.

"Mission accomplished!" Everyone was delighted to have witnessed the tea being made right before their eyes.

"Such fragrant tea. Xiao Yu, can we brew a cup to taste now?" Qin Shizhen pinched a bit and brought it to his nose for a light sniff. Just the scent alone told him how exceptional its quality was.

His tea craving had been building up, and he couldn't wait any longer, eagerly asking.

"It just needs to cool slightly, and we can boil some water in the meantime," Yu Xin said.

The water they drank here was the clearest, sweetest snowmelt from the snowy mountains, completely pure and unpolluted, tasting exceptionally sweet. In tea brewing, the water matters as much as the tea leaves. As the ancients said, "Spring water from rocks tastes purer; tea from the peaks carries a fuller flavor." "Unpleasant water can spoil the taste of tea." Brewing with snowmelt—you can imagine how exquisite it must taste.

Qin Shizhen thought of this too, his eyes gleaming with excitement as he personally took a pot outside to fetch the cleanest, clearest snowmelt.

A short while later, everyone gathered around the fireplace, each holding a cup, waiting to taste the tea they had just finished roasting.

The water boiled, bubbling vigorously, lifting the lid. Yu Xin took the pot off the heat and poured it into the teapot already filled with tea leaves.

As the hot water poured in, the tea leaves floated up and down, their curled forms slowly unfurling. A rich, aromatic scent of tea, carried by the steam, quickly filled the air. The tea gradually took on color, turning into a clear, vibrant green hue.

Yu Xin poured the tea into everyone's cups. Holding their warm cups, each person first brought the cup to their nose, taking a deep breath, feeling the lingering aroma surround them, long and persistent.

Taking a small sip, even the tea novices widened their eyes in surprise, let alone those who loved and understood tea.

Outside, the world was freezing, blanketed in white snow, while inside the warm little cabin, they sat by the fire, drinking the hot tea they had made with their own hands—the setting was perfect.

Shen Tong had never before thought that water with leaves in it could taste so good, but this time, her perception was completely changed.

How could ordinary water, with just a few tea leaves added, become so rich, fragrant, and delicious, with a sweet aftertaste? One sip, and it felt like every pore in her body seemed to sigh in pleasure.

"Really, how is it so delicious!" She couldn’t quite describe what made it so good, only feeling that one sip wasn’t enough—she wanted another, and another.

[How could it not be delicious? High-mountain ancient tea, hand-roasted, brewed with mountain snowmelt—I can’t even imagine how good it must taste.]

[And it was made by a beauty’s hands. Damn, why can’t I have that luck!]

[Where can I get the rest of this tea? I’d pay any amount for it, as long as it’s hand-roasted by Yu Xin! I’m on Capital Star, my assets are verifiable. If anyone has a way, contact me—any conditions can be discussed.]

[Wow, rich dude/rich lady, are you for real? So bold!]

[I’m tempted—should I message Yu Xin privately for you?]

[There’s probably only a little tea left, and they’ll likely split it among themselves. Look, which of them looks like they need money? Better save it, rich guy.]

"Rich color, rich aroma, mellow taste, beautiful form—this is truly good tea, really good tea." Qin Shizhen shook his head and sighed. After one sip, he felt endless regret—even he had never tasted tea this good. Such an opportunity is rare and hard to come by; he might never have it again.

Holding his cup while tapping his thigh, he sang a few off-key lines:

"Life is but a generation, grass and trees but an autumn; floating life is like a dream, only tea can soothe worries."

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Author's note: Not sure if there are any little angels taking the college entrance exam—good luck on your exams, and may you get into your dream school!