Short story: Tea Love

That day, the sun was still soft and gentle, and Mr. Tran was relaxing under the starfruit tree enjoying his tea when someone arrived. The visitor was a healthy old man with a rosy complexion, a collector of teapots. Mr. Tran had learned about the visitor from seeing him on television.

After serving tea to his guest, Mr. Tran asked, "What wind brought you to this hilly region?" The guest was a refined, well-read, well-traveled man with a particular passion for tea. He replied that his love for tea had led him to many places, and that his connection with tea had also led him to a connection with teapots. To enjoy good tea, besides the quality of the tea leaves and water, one needs a suitable teapot and teacups. To make it even better, the tea drinker and the other person must be kindred spirits. A tea drinker needs tranquility to understand the lingering aftertaste of the tea.

The guest, named Huynh, knew that Mr. Tran was the one who had spread the tea-drinking culture of the entire region. Many people praised Mr. Tran not only for his skill in growing tea and processing it, but also for his unusual way of keeping birds. His approach was "more elaborate than elaborate," showing the value of the tea as well as the person who appreciates it. Mentioning that, Mr. Tran smiled:
- I'm not the only one here who understands, loves, and appreciates tea. Many others here are well-off, have good friends, appreciate tea, and enjoy reading. That's quite something, sir.
Mr. Huynh raised his teacup with both hands. He was even happier because the air was filled with the clear sound of birdsong and the purple blossoms of the starfruit tree falling in the corner of the courtyard.
- I'm not flattering you, but the tea here really does taste different; it's hard to describe its flavor.
Mr. Tran nodded in agreement. So many tea connoisseurs have come here, and no one has been disappointed. Many have come and stayed, to see the ancient tea trees, pick the buds, and mingle with the locals during the joyful harvest days.
The customer bought a lot of tea, gifted Mr. Tran a set of Yixing teapots, and then left. Looking into Mr. Huynh's eyes, Mr. Tran sensed a hidden secret. When asked, Mr. Huynh seemed hesitant. It was clear that Mr. Huynh's visit wasn't solely for collecting tea.

***

Back then, Mr. Tran was young and deeply passionate about literature and books. He had returned to Son La to clear land and develop the economy, winning the affection of the local people. When he had accumulated some wealth, his son fell ill, and he and his wife returned to their hometown for support. The boy had leukemia, and despite the couple's considerable efforts, he still passed away. That year, the village was very poor; the roads were dark and the houses were low-lying, not spacious and magnificent like they are now. Mr. Tran's return to the village meant accepting a simple, rustic way of life. The village's tea cultivation methods remained traditional, though they never failed, providing just enough for the villagers to live on. Well, he had aspirations, but fate didn't grant them; what could he do?

One night, he had a dream. In the dream, an old man with a long, white beard, calm and kind, told him that for tea makers, it's essential to find a good variety and cultivate it in suitable soil and climate to build a brand. A village without a brand is like a flower without fragrance, attracting few people. The old man invited Mr. Tran to sample his tea, the finest he had ever tasted. Then, the old man instructed Mr. Tran to go to Cao Son, where there was a type of tree called Shan Vu Tuyet, known only to immortals. He told Mr. Tran to take a branch, propagate it, plant it, and continue to grow it. With that tea, his village would be different.

The next morning, Mr. Tran woke up with an unusually clear mind. He remembered his dream from the night before, and the old man's advice was still vivid in his memory. Without much thought, he packed his bags and set off. After two days' journey, he arrived at Cao Son, and to his great surprise, there was a large patch of tea plants there, with a layer of fine white downy hairs covering the young buds like snow, the trunks and branches sturdy and rough, the leaves large and thick with prominent veins. With skill, he broke off many branches that he thought he would successfully propagate. He cared for them and planted them, and after about three years, he was delighted because after many trials, the tea tasted better and better.

During the months waiting for the new tea plants, Mr. Tran shared cuttings with his relatives for propagation, and then with the villagers. In just six years, Shan Vu Tuyet tea plants had taken over a third of the village's hillsides. And strangely enough, after drinking Shan Vu Tuyet tea, everyone in the village became healthier, their skin rosy, and their eyes bright. They also became more optimistic, and many sought out books on wealth creation, politics, world affairs, and novels to have topics to talk about while drinking tea.
Thirty years have passed, and the tea plants have helped the villagers earn a living, raise their children well, and fostered optimism and a love for life. Now, in every corner of the village, there are people who know how to write poetry and sing. Making a living is now a trivial matter, because whatever tea they produce, customers from all over come to buy it all. Someone came to ask Mr. Tran, as if to express their gratitude: "Sir, you are the one who has made this whole area so cheerful. Everyone greets each other warmly. What do you think if, in the future, the villagers honor you as the village's guardian deity?" The old man just shook his head and smiled.

***

The old tea collector, Mr. Tran, arrived again. Mr. Tran received him beside two decades-old peach trees displaying their blossoms. Birds chirped merrily in the starfruit trees, the rows of betel nut trees, and even the sturdy, rustic yet vibrant peach branches. The peach blossoms here had thick, plump, and pretty petals, their colors vivid as if printed with ink. This time, Mr. Huynh came with an urgent plea, wanting to learn how to transform the souls of his villagers through tea. Mr. Huynh wasn't the first to seek such a method. Some were born in villages where the people toiled year-round but remained poor. Others were afflicted with pragmatism, looking down on each other, reducing everything to profit. Children were disrespectful to their fathers, wives were insolent to their husbands, and young people fought amongst themselves – countless tragedies. They wanted to learn from Mr. Tran and bring tea to their villages.

But not all land is suitable for tea plants. Some people brought cuttings home to propagate, but even with careful tending, none survived. They went to Mr. Tran to buy more seedlings, but the tea plants remained stunted and refused to grow. Others wanted to buy the special tea, made and packaged by Mr. Tran himself, hoping it could somehow help the incompetent, weak, and arrogant to repent. But all their attempts failed.

"Now, what do you want?" Mr. Tran asked Mr. Huynh after recounting those events. Mr. Huynh's eyes narrowed with worry. Then, unexpectedly, he said:

- I also need to learn from your perseverance, at least so that I can make a better life for my children and grandchildren in the future. At my age and younger, people's souls have hardened, their life force has diminished. Children these days spend their time playing video games outside of school. Young people are drunk and aimless. Many who follow hooligans have become corrupted. I hope you will help me.

Never before had Mr. Tran seen someone so desperate. It made him ponder. He realized that anywhere, in any land, people can fall into the dark abyss of survival and its traps. But they didn't know that tea wasn't a magic potion. Tea becomes more valuable when a person's soul is calm and resilient, living in a state of ease and comfort, not in competition and calculation.

Mr. Tran still agreed. Mr. Tran didn't promise whether he could help Mr. Huynh change the mindset of his people, but he could certainly help expand the tea cultivation. That spring, Mr. Huynh came to the village to attend a poetry festival, participate in cultural exchanges, drink wine with the villagers, and receive hundreds of tea cuttings to take back to his garden to plant. Three years passed, and Mr. Huynh came to Mr. Tran again to confide that his wish had not come true.

The tea plants thrived, the people became wealthier, but the hustle and bustle, the sweat and grime, also increased along with the rising real estate prices. For days, Mr. Huynh patiently learned how to brew tea, inviting people to sample it, but no one understood anything.

At this point, Mr. Tran frankly told Mr. Huynh that most people who came to learn about tea appreciation and enjoyment didn't achieve their desired results because they still maintained a hurried and impatient mindset. In contrast, true tea connoisseurs must maintain a state of slow living, tranquility, and wisdom. Drinking tea isn't just for the sake of drinking, but to reflect on oneself.

Mr. Huynh now realized that perhaps the people in his hometown were still too chaotic, chasing after wealth and therefore unable to change? But here, on the low hillsides, the tea plants flourished in lush green. The scenery was poetic, and the people were vibrant with an unusual tranquility. Mr. Huynh thought a lot about Mr. Tran's words: "We must also consider fate. In life, not everything we want can be obtained immediately. Nature and life have things that are far beyond human understanding." Mr. Huynh was no longer worried. Returning to his village, he continued to live peacefully, wholeheartedly devoted to his children, grandchildren, and neighbors. He again campaigned to build a library for the village and establish a scholarship fund. His work was supported by many people, because they felt that helping children get closer to books was a worthwhile endeavor.

***

Spring has arrived again in the "land of optimism." That's a nickname given to Mr. Tran's village. He's now the chairman of the village's poetry club. At the spring poetry gathering, not only the elders read, but even the children are captivated. At the end of the event, Mr. Tran was surprised by the appearance of Mr. Huynh. It turned out that Mr. Huynh had been quietly sitting below, listening for a long time. Back at Mr. Tran's house, while enjoying tea, Mr. Huynh happily confided that his villagers were becoming more enlightened. Enlightened from the heart. The economy is improving, students are putting down their phones and turning to studying and reading. Mr. Tran asked:
- What did he do to get them to change?
Mr. Huynh chuckled and said:
- I always learn from you the importance of perseverance, persistence, and unwavering dedication. These days, young people give up very easily. If we lose our perseverance, it will have a huge impact on them. And also, I think a lot about the word "fate" or "destiny." Fate is so important, sir. When you have the right connection, you'll easily meet friends. People from my hometown have been fortunate enough to have found their "fate" with tea.
The two old men nodded in agreement, admiring each other in the warm spring air. Peach blossoms and starfruit blossoms displayed their fragrance and colors. A flock of birds scattered delicate clusters of sunlight.