There was a rare period of warm autumn before winter. There was a unique tea garden in the southern suburbs of London. The green tea leaves would release the last of their fragrance during this season. They would then enter a dormant winter, just like most other plants. They would only grow again in spring.
The tea maidens had already started harvesting the tea leaves before the sun rose. The autumn tea leaves were richer and more fragrant than the ones in spring, and were popular among those who loved tea.
It did not take long to produce the tea leaves. Mo Jiaxing was already waiting for the tea leaves as soon as they were ready. He had to bring the first batch of tea back to make some minor modifications so it could become the main product of his tea shop.
Mo Jiaxing bought a gardening shop and renovated it. Finally, it became a tea shop garden that was not too remote. All the tea sold in the shop was selected by Mo Jiaxing himself from all over the United Kingdom. The British and the Chinese had one thing in common, which was that they liked to drink tea.
Fanxue Mountain had a Chamber of Commerce in London. Mo Jiaxing had grown fond of the place after living here for some time. He happened to be a gardener too, so he decided to open a tea garden at the edge of London's bustling city to enrich his life.
Mo Jiaxing had been busy with the tea garden for a long time. If he had not gone to Greece all of a sudden, the tea garden would have been open for business even earlier.
"Mister, do you have a lot of customers? Why are you ordering so many cakes this time?" an English girl in an apron asked in the dessert shop.
"They're not customers, they're not customers," Mo Jiaxing smiled.
Mo Jiaxing was not entertaining any customers today. Mo Fan had mentioned yesterday that he would be coming with his two daughters-in-law, so Mo Jiaxing had prepared everything in advance. He first put up a sign saying that the tea garden was closed for the day, then prepared all kinds of delicious food and drinks. Even though the schedule was tight, Mo Jiaxing was still in a good mood.
…
Mo Jiaxing was the only person in the tea garden. He was the one in charge of everything, from making the tea to serving the customers. The tea garden was not too big, so they did not need a lot of customers. They would not lose money if they only had a few tables a day.
At first, there weren't many customers, but every shop needed patience and focus. When Mo Jiaxing made the whole tea house unique and warm, the people who lived nearby would come to the shop no matter how busy they were.
Now, there were more and more customers. Mo Jiaxing was afraid that he wouldn't be able to entertain all of them, so he specially put up a sign saying that he wasn't doing business today.
"Ding ding ding ding ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
A melodious silver bell rang. Mo Jiaxing, who was busy in the kitchen, heard the sound and immediately raised his head to look at the door covered in violet vines. He saw a head poking in and then looking around like a thief.
"Smelly brat, don't look, it's here!" Mo Jiaxing quickly walked to the window and shouted towards the door.
"I thought I walked into the wrong house. Not bad, Dad. I didn't expect you to have such amazing artistic talent. You're a real socialite with a rough face and a noble heart!" Mo Fan walked in. He didn't know why, but he purposely looked at the soles of his feet, worried that the mud under his shoes would dirty this small sacred ground.
The entrance was a very cozy garden. There were a few tables and chairs placed very casually. There were a few small ginkgo trees with lush leaves, surrounded by flowers. The color was perfectly matched with the whole tea house. The faint fragrance and the aroma of brewing tea were just right to attract people to sit down … …
As soon as he walked in and felt a little, he had the thought of paralyzing here and not going anywhere for the whole day. He perfectly emptied himself and perfectly immersed himself in this comfortable atmosphere.
The kitchen and small house were all modern floor-to-ceiling windows that could be seen at a glance. Chinese people didn't like to show their kitchens to their customers, but the British were more inclined towards open kitchens. The customers could see the whole process of processing the ingredients. Mo Jiaxing clearly did some in-depth research on this point, so the overall style was more inclined towards open kitchens.
"Dad, let me help you. We have a lot of people here," said Ye Xinxia.
"No need, no need. You all sit down. This is my territory. I have the final say. Sit down, I can handle it!" Mo Jiaxing hastily stopped them.
As he said this, Mo Jiaxing had already prepared a large tray.
The large tray was covered with a blue engraved cloth. On top of it was a steaming white ceramic teapot, as well as simple teacups surrounding the teapot. Mo Jiaxing steadily carried them to the table where Mo Fan, Mu Ningxue, and Ye Xinxia were sitting.
"I tried over a hundred shops before finally choosing these desserts. The taste is very good. Even an old man like me who doesn't like sweets really likes them," Mo Jiaxing placed the desserts that he had prepared beforehand on the table.
In just a few minutes, the table became very sumptuous. There was a steaming hot new green tea, as well as all kinds of desserts.
"Yi yi ya ya!!!"
"Ling ling ling!!!"
"Yi ~ ~ ~ ~!"
"Si si si ~ ~ ~ ~ ~"
Beside the three of them, there was another larger table. The table and chairs were filled with various small holy spirits.
The porcelain doll engulfed in flames was the first to protest.
We are all babies. Why can't we give the babies something to eat first!?
Xiao Naofu, covered in white fur, slammed its paws on the table too. It looked like it was going to cause trouble if it was not given something to eat.
Little Moon Moth Phoenix circled around the tea house. She seemed to like the taste of the place too, but she still joined the crowd when she smelled the delicious desserts.
The two big brothers, the Black Totem Snake and Neptune, were relatively calm. Even though they had turned into their mini forms, they looked like a few calm kids in kindergarten, calmly watching the little ones causing a ruckus! Translator: XephiZ Editor: DOCuinn
"Come, come, it's only been a few minutes. You are all hungry!" Mo Jiaxing brought a bigger tray over with a smile. It was filled with all kinds of delicacies, including the little cub's favorite roast meat.
The babies cheered. They surrounded the table and started devouring the desserts. Even though there was still a tray in front of them, they had to snatch another one from someone else, as if the food they stole would taste better!
Everyone was amused by the little gluttons. They could not stop laughing.
"Ningxue, you should eat more. It's been a while since we last met. You've lost a lot of weight," Mo Jiaxing said worriedly as he refilled Mu Ningxue's tea.
"Mm," Mu Ningxue nodded seriously.
"It's great to see you all safe and sound …" Mo Jiaxing exclaimed sincerely.
Everyone was safe and sound. This was the most important thing for Mo Jiaxing. As for the great world's rules, why would Mo Jiaxing care about them?
Mo Fan felt a little ashamed after hearing the words.
After going through so much trouble, the most exciting thing for Mo Fan was the peace and tranquility. The family was enjoying the time when they were not being chased, pressured, or restrained by anything.
…
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone sat together and chatted. The little Totem Beasts were playing and chasing each other in the courtyard. Some customers would come to the entrance and poke their heads inside.
Mo Jiaxing would rise to his feet and repeat the same sentence, "I'm sorry, we're closed today."
"Did someone reserve the place?" the customers would ask, unwilling to give up.
"No, it's a family gathering."
"Have a good day."
"Thank you."
After the guests left, Mo Jiaxing sat down again and continued with the topic from before.
"Dad, we're going back to China tomorrow. Aren't you coming back with us?" Mo Fan asked.
Many people had come in the afternoon. Some had purposely crossed the city to come. It seemed like business was quite good. Mo Jiaxing was obviously planning to continue running the place.
"It's fine, it doesn't matter where we are if we have something to do. Besides, the Fanxue Mountain Chamber of Commerce is in the next street. We're all familiar with each other, so it's quite lively here. I'll go back with them after Chinese New Year, "Mo Jiaxing said with a smile.
"That's fine," Mo Fan nodded.
Being able to be busy doing something that one was passionate about in a place was also a kind of happiness. Mo Fan didn't need to cause trouble for his father. In terms of living, Mo Jiaxing was much better than a young man like him. Sometimes, he was quite envious of Mo Jiaxing's attitude.
…
Mo Jiaxing did not ask the children for help. After sending Mo Fan and his two daughters-in-law away, Mo Jiaxing played some light music and slowly tidied up the place.
It was already late at night. The cold air of London had arrived, but Mo Jiaxing was not in a rush to go back. He made himself a cup of hot black tea and started trimming the gardening that his family had left behind.
London's night sky was also filled with fog, and it was rare to see stars. When the hazy moonlight and turbid starlight shone down, they would often be buried by the flowery scenery of the city, or the night sky would be stained with some special light dust.
"Ding ding ding ding ~"
The doorbell rang. Mo Jiaxing looked at the door in confusion.
There shouldn't be any customers at this time.
"It's time to close," Mo Jiaxing said to the person who had not yet come in.
No one answered, but Mo Jiaxing did not hear the footsteps of that person leaving.
Mo Jiaxing thought that the other person did not hear, so he put down the construction knife, wiped the dirt on his hands, and walked towards the door.
At the door, a thin figure stood there. Her hair was slightly messy and hung in front of her shoulders. It was a woman who looked a little haggard. Her black eyes flashed with a trace of nervousness when Mo Jiaxing walked over, but she quickly showed a calm appearance.
"Hi … hello," the woman said in Chinese.
"Hello." Mo Jiaxing politely looked at her and found that the woman was wearing a dusty male leather jacket. It looked a little loose on her body.
The woman was a little afraid of the cold. She pulled at the leather jacket, hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "Excuse me, are you hiring?"
Mo Jiaxing did not have the idea of hiring at first. The store was small, and one person was enough. But recently, the number of customers started to increase. If he had to personally go and order ingredients, he would not be able to handle it.
"Come in and talk. It's windy outside." Mo Jiaxing invited her into the courtyard. The courtyard had a flower wall, so it was much warmer than outside.
"Thank you."
Sitting in the courtyard, Mo Jiaxing walked to the kitchen. He was preparing to brew a pot of simple tea to warm the woman's body. He thought that some people might not like to drink this kind of thick tea, so he casually asked: "What do you want to drink? I also have flower tea here."
"Do you have jasmine?"
Mo Jiaxing was stunned. After a few seconds, he replied: "Yes, yes … …"
A pot of hot flower tea was served. The fragrance of jasmine slowly filled the air.
Mo Jiaxing waited for the woman to drink the tea and warm her body. Then he asked: "Why do you want to work in my store?"
"I don't know. I just feel that this place is very familiar … …"
"It might be a little hard here. After all, I didn't hire anyone else. There are many things that I have to do myself." Mo Jiaxing said.
"I'm very hardworking. It's just that my memory is a little bad. I forget things. The doctor told me that if I continue to forget the people around me and the things around me, I might have to go back to the hospital to receive care. I don't like to stay in the hospital. I … … I don't have the money to hire a caretaker … … "The woman's voice was getting smaller and smaller.
Mo Jiaxing looked at the woman and then glanced at the somewhat old leather jacket.
"Okay, you can come to work tomorrow."
"Really?"
"En, where do you live? It's best if you live closer."
"It's very close. I can see the hospital from here."
"… …"
Mo Jiaxing felt that he should go to the hospital to confirm that this woman didn't sneak out.
The woman gave Mo Jiaxing a phone number. Mo Jiaxing called to inquire.
Sure enough, it was a nursing hospital. The doctor explained the situation to Mo Jiaxing and said that the woman had no symptoms of continuous forgetfulness in recent months. She could be considered to have recovered and could be discharged. If she had a proper place to work, the hospital would naturally be more assured.
"I've asked. Then come to work tomorrow. I'll find someone to arrange a place for you to live. Is that okay? "Mo Jiaxing asked.
"Okay."
"Do you have any other requests?" Mo Jiaxing asked.
"No."
"See you tomorrow." Mo Jiaxing said.
"See you tomorrow." The woman's face revealed a heartfelt smile.
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