In the backyard, Tan Lao excitedly fiddled with the expensive tea set. Zhang Zhiyuan stepped forward to help, but Tan Lao hurriedly stopped him and said, "Sit down. Today, I will show you what the tea ceremony is."
The Tea Ceremony was an art that used tea as a medium. It was also a way to cultivate one's character. It promoted friendship through making tea, appreciating tea, smelling tea, and drinking tea. It was a very beneficial and harmonious ceremony. Drinking tea can calm the mind, help cultivate sentiment, and get rid of distracting thoughts, which is very in line with the Eastern philosophy of advocating "quiet and tranquil", and also in line with the "introspective cultivation" of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism.
Thoughts. The spirit of the tea ceremony is the core of tea culture and the soul of tea culture.
The tea ceremony originated in China, but it was carried forward in Japan, which is ironic. As early as the Southern Song Dynasty, a Japanese monk brought tea back to Japan and popularized it. At first, it was not accepted by people. It was not until the era of Toyoda Hideyoshi that it began to be gradually promoted in the upper class of Japan, and later formed a kind of tea culture, also known as "tea ceremony."
The tea ceremony is the essence of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Buddhism emphasizes that "Zen and tea are one and the same", using tea to help Zen, tea to pay respect to Buddha, and tea to appreciate the bitterness and solitude from tea, while Taoism stresses "the unity of heaven and man", instilling the soul of the tea ceremony, and organically integrating health and tea ceremony, reflecting a kind of aesthetic concept of advocating nature, simplicity, and truth.
"Harmony, respect, purity, and silence" is the basic spirit of the Japanese tea ceremony. It requires people to reflect on themselves and each other through drinking tea in the tea room. In the silence, they get rid of the dirt in their hearts and the grudges between each other to achieve the goal of harmony and respect. It is also known as the "Four Rules of Tea Ceremony" in Japan. Harmony and respect were the rules for dealing with interpersonal relationships. Through drinking tea, people could live in harmony and interact with each other in order to adjust interpersonal relationships. Tranquility and silence referred to the environment's atmosphere. It was necessary to use a quiet and elegant environment and simple furnishings to create an ethereal and quiet artistic conception that would influence people.
China's tea ceremony stresses "honesty, beauty, harmony, and respect", which means being honest and virtuous, beautiful and healthy, sincere, and respectful.
Whether it was the Japanese tea ceremony or the Chinese tea ceremony, they were all about cultivating one's mind and temperament through tea, tasting life, and achieving spiritual enjoyment.
The two most important steps of the tea ceremony were the tea art and the tea tasting. In the tea ceremony segment, everyone might have heard of the Six Gentlemen of the Tea Ceremony, which are the teaspoon, teaspoon, teaspoon, teaspoon, and teaspoon. The specific operation steps were relatively tedious, so there was no need to elaborate on them. Next, we will talk about tasting tea. First, we will raise the cup and smell the aroma, mainly to experience the aroma of the tea, to stimulate the taste buds through the nasal cavity, and to feel the wonderful enjoyment of the tea seeping into the heart and spleen. Next, we will adjust our breathing, take a small sip, chew the tea, and try to let the tea stay in the mouth for a while. Then, we will slowly swallow it, and it will slowly slide along the esophagus into the stomach. Finally, we will close our mouth and exhale through the nasal cavity, savoring the fragrance of the tea.
After listening to my nagging, someone might say, "How troublesome!" A glass cup, a handful of tea leaves, and a bottle of boiled water would solve the problem. Once something rose to a certain level, it would become a kind of enjoyment bound by the rules and regulations of a certain class. This kind of enjoyment was also something that ordinary people couldn't understand. For example, when it came to incense, how could a piece of spice smell good? It wasn't even as good as scented soap. With so many rules and regulations, not to mention smelling it, it was troublesome to operate.
Once people reached a certain level and wanted to return to nature, they would want to use a kind of elegant thing to cultivate their mind and temperament. In ancient times, the nobles didn't have to worry about food or drink. Naturally, they would want to play in different ways. They would go sightseeing, compose poems, drink wine, and sing songs. It was the same for the nobles of the Qing Dynasty. Speaking with an authentic Beijing accent, he would carry the birdcage and walk through the streets. Then, he would sit in a teahouse and talk about his grandfather's glorious history. From time to time, he would talk about the secrets of the palace, ending the day with the booing of others. At night, his nightlife would be even more colorful. He would hug left and right, sing and dance to celebrate peace, and live a free and easy life.
After entering the new China, the aristocratic culture had basically disappeared. Even if there was, they didn't dare to show it, for fear that they would be defeated as the landlord's son. After the reform and opening up, the environment was relatively relaxed, and people gradually became rich. The things left by the ancestors returned to various fields, and people also began to enjoy life and taste it.
Looking back 18 generations of Tan Lao's ancestors, he was probably a farmer, or at most a middle farmer. He didn't have a high level of education, but he was able to turn the situation around and become a serf. After his retirement, he enjoyed the benefits of the provincial level. He had a house, a private car, a nanny, guards, and free medical care. He was bathed in the Party's kindness and care.
"Come, come, come, try this tea. How does it taste?" Tan Lao personally served the tea to the two of them and said excitedly, "This is the authentic Taiping Houkui, the taste is absolutely great!"
Although Guo Jinzhu was a boorish person, his knowledge of tobacco, wine, and tea wasn't inferior to the so-called experts. He took a sip and enjoyed the aftertaste for a moment before praising, "Good, the taste is really good. The taste is soft and smooth, and the fragrance is smooth. This is a top-grade tea."
Zhang Zhiyuan didn't know much about the tea ceremony, but he still praised the tea, and Tan Lao's tea skills were even better. Hearing this, Old Man Tan cheerfully went back to making tea.
Guo Jinzhu had something on his mind, but seeing that Tan Lao was in a good mood, he couldn't bear to disturb him, so he could only chat with him.
After chatting for a while, Tan Lao suddenly changed his tone and asked, "How's Yongzhi now?"
Guo Jinzhu put down the teacup and sighed, "It's been seven to eight days, and he's still in a coma. I even asked the doctor yesterday, and the doctor said that the situation isn't optimistic, and he needs to be observed. It'll be fine if he can survive this period, but it's hard to say now. "
Tan Lao's facial muscles twitched slightly. He closed his eyes and said slowly, "Yongzhi shouldn't be like this, this kid shouldn't be like this."
Guo Jinzhu said, "Tan Lao, I didn't report to you because I was afraid that you would be angry if you knew …"
Tan Lao suddenly reached out his hand to signal Guo Jinzhu to stop. He sat up and opened his eyes, "Don't I know now? Tell me about it. "
Guo Jinzhu explained the progress of the case in detail, and Tan Lao didn't speak for a long time. He was thinking about each person's role in the case. After a long time, he said, "This Tian Chunqiu and Li Hugang are both not simple. They're very good at playing tricks. One is good at crossing the sea, and the other is good at escaping."
Guo Jinzhu echoed, "Yes, Tan Lao, I don't know what to do now, so I hope you can give me some advice."
Tan Lao was still thinking quickly, and suddenly asked, "What's the reaction from the higher-ups?"
Guo Jinzhu said, "Secretary Tian said he will ask the higher-ups, but I have a feeling that he didn't tell them, and said that Yongzhi was injured in the line of duty, so I don't know what to do now."
"When it comes to playing tricks, you, Yongzhi, and even Zhiyuan are no match for them." Tan Lao said, "Did you notice? You all have a common trait, and that is being honest. I have told you long ago that you must learn to be tactful in the officialdom. Being too honest is not good for winning people's hearts, so you all lack experience in this aspect. Especially Zhiyuan, I can only say that you are a good person, but not a good official. "
"A good person and a good official is a false proposition. If you want to be a good person, you must protect the interests of all parties, but can you satisfy everyone's requirements? No! Definitely not! If you stand on the side of the people and speak for them, you will offend another group of people. If you stand on the side of the people and are influenced by what you see and hear, it will inevitably cause the dissatisfaction of the people. So, if you want to be a good person, you must not be a good official. "
"What is a good official? There have been disputes since ancient times. Is it a good official to serve the people? Absolutely not. If you want to be a good official, you must balance the interests of all parties, learn to use all kinds of tricks, and then you will be able to stand firm in the ever-changing officialdom. "
"Although I am no longer in the political circle, I am still concerned about the political situation in various places. Often, when you walk out of the circle, you will see more clearly. Let's talk about the officialdom in the Northern Province. I have roughly divided it into three categories. The first category is the 'power faction' led by Tian Chunqiu. Tian Chunqiu's ability is limited, and his results are mediocre. Look at what he has achieved in the Northern Province all these years? Almost nothing. However, Secretary Huang of the Provincial Party Committee thinks highly of him, and his position is indestructible. No one can shake him. Then why can he get Secretary Huang's appreciation? He is a person who is well-versed in the ways of officialdom. He can figure out the thoughts of his superiors, and he can often figure out the key points. Tiantong Mountain Scenic Area is a good example. This is his uniqueness. "
"Secretary Huang is a practical leader. When he took office in Xijiang, he assigned Tian Chunqiu, who was then the Deputy Minister of the United Front Work Department of the Province, to a heavy responsibility. One of the important tasks he gave him was the restructuring of the enterprises. He hoped that he could carry out a comprehensive restructuring of the third-tier factories during his tenure and bring them to the market. Not only would he get rid of the burden for the government, but he would also activate these enterprises. However, Tian Chunqiu is really not cut out for this. So far, none of the enterprises have been restructured. Speaking of Zhiyuan, you should understand why Tian Chunqiu supported your restructuring of the enterprises in Nanyang, right? "
"Tian Chunqiu did not make any achievements, and he also lost face. Gradually, he began to doubt Tian Chunqiu's ability. As early as last year, he wanted to make a move on him, but he could not find a suitable position, so he put it aside. He also knew that he could not stay in the Northern Province for long. It was only a year. If he did not leave this year, he would leave next year. So, during this period, he did not ask for the development of the Northern Province. Instead, he wanted stability. As long as he lived a stable life, it would be fine. As for the future, he would leave it to the next person. "
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