Independence

iranda pulled out a red certificate from her bag. On the cover, the words “Tea Master Professional ertificate” were printed in Hebranian and Danglish. It was none other than an Expert Tea Master Professional Certificate.

Looking up, Miranda turned to Ingrid and said indifferently, “Is this enough? Or would you like me to bring it closer so that you can get a better look?”

Ingrid widened her eyes in disbelief. Did Miranda really have the certificate?

She was stubborn and refused to concede even with the evidence right in front of her. Ingrid retorted, Certificates can be faked too.”

Miranda smiled slightly. “State–issued certificates have unique identification numbers. You can easily verify their authenticity online.”

One of the guests eagerly pulled out her phone and ched the identification number on Miranda’s certificate. Then, she deliberately announced in a loud voice, “Wow, I can really check the authenticity! The information and level of mastery is correct, so there’s no chance of forgery here.”

Gritting her teeth, Ingrid tried to salvage her pride. “So what if you have a certificate? That doesn’t mean your tea–brewing skills are any good.

“There are plenty of people out there who buy their way into these qualifications. Getting an Expert Tea Master Professional Certificate with money must be pretty easy, right?”

Miranda seemed to have anticipated Ingrid would say this. She looked up and spoke coldly, “Then open your eyes and watch closely. This is how I earned my tea master certification.”

With that, Miranda got down to business. She turned on the power and added water to the kettle. She narrated as she worked, “There are seven steps to making tea. First, we need to boil the water. Water is key to a good cup of tea. Spring water from the mountains is ideal. Bring the water to a boil.

“Next, we need to warm the teapot. Rinse the teapot with boiling water to raise its temperature. This will

wer enhance the aroma released from the tea leaves. At the same time, we are washing the teaware and ensuring that it is clean.

*Then, the third step is adding the tea leaves. Use the right amount of tea leaves. If you add too much, the tea will taste bitter. Too little, and the tea will be diluted. It’s important to control the quantity.

“The fourth step is to pour more boiling water into the teapot, allowing the tea leaves to steep fully.”

As Miranda spoke, she paused for a moment before continuing. “Just a quick note, you should pour the water slowly along the edge of the teapot to avoid directly hitting the tea leaves. This will help maintain the flavor of the tea.

“At this stage, the tea is already brewing, and we are halfway through the process. Next comes the sleeping.”

She swiftly covered the teapot and looked up at everyone. “The steeping time depends on the type of tea. It usually ranges from a few seconds to one minute. During this time, the tea leaves will unfurl in the

teapot and release their full aroma.”

Then, she removed the lid after exactly 40 seconds, neither a second earlier nor later.

Miranda explained as she demonstrated the process, Finally, pour the tea into a pitcher first before pouring tea into individual tea cups. Remember, ensure the consistency of the brew when pouring the tea to avoid it being too strong in the beginning and weak at the end.

“Now, we can lift our tea cups. Inhale the aroma and savor the flavor.”

Miranda raised the cup to her lips and took a small sip. “When tasting, focus on the color, aroma, flavor, and aftertaste of the tea. This is the way to truly appreciate the art behind making a cup of tea.”

Throughout the entire process, Miranda’s movements were fluid, while her explanations were clear and detailed.

At this point, Ingrid’s palms began sweating. Inwardly, she was already having second thoughts about giving up, but there was no turning back now that so many people were watching. She could only stubbornly stand rooted to the spot.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Miranda then recited, “Edgar Pea once said, ‘A cup of tris an excuse to share great thoughts with great minds. Similarly, Socratis said, ‘Tea to the body is like ic to the soul.‘ Bill Yeats also mentioned, Tea is a liquid that brings all senses to life.”