Chapter 178 When Tea Brewing Becomes an Art
Vito Curtis cleared his throat and quickly glossed over the tension with a chuckle, "Grace, why don't you get ready to show off your tea-brewing skills for me?"
Grace nodded and settled down calmly; she really looked the part.
She placed some tea leaves into the cup, poured in water heated to the perfect temperature, and gently swirled the mixture with a bamboo whisk.
The leaves unfurled in the hot water, slowly turning the mixture into a rich infusion.
The bamboo whisk, a tool for stirring tea, was crafted from bamboo slivers attached to a handle.
Quickly, Grace added water for the second time and stirred until it was well blended.
Her process was fast, but rough.
To the uninitiated, this method was astonishing due to its rarity. But to someone well-versed like Luann Weaver, it was just a shake of the head—it was a waste of good tea.
"Grandpa, give it a taste," Grace offered.
Vito Curtis took the cup and sipped it slowly. The flavor wasn't exactly delicious but not too bad either; it had a richness that was novel if nothing else.
Seeing no dissatisfaction on Vito Curtis's face, Grace breathed a sigh of relief and shot a slightly provocative glance at Luann Weaver, only to find her face full of resignation.
"What's with that expression, sister-in-law?"
"Is it because you think my tea-making skills aren't up to par?" Grace asked, feeling slightly insecure about her craft. She recalled the days when, as an actress, a director had once hired a professional to teach her the art for a role. She had practiced tirelessly until she had mastered the technique.
Back then, her instructor had assured her, "You've got quite the knack for it now. Unless someone's an expert, they won't see any flaws in your technique."
Convinced of her abilities, Grace had confidently performed the ritual in front of Vito Curtis.
"It needs a little more time to steep, but it's still drinkable," commented Luann Weaver, observing the slight change in Grace's expression. "If you don't like hearing the truth, just pretend I didn't say anything."
Grace's lips curled into a smile, her face a picture of eagerness to learn. "It sounds like my sister-in-law is quite the tea connoisseur. Perhaps you could give us a demonstration? It would be a great learning opportunity for me."
Luann furrowed her brows reluctantly. "I'm not so sure that's a good idea. This was supposed to be your moment to impress Grandpa, not mine..."
Grace's smile twitched at the corners. "Who's showing off here? We're family. If someone can do better, it's bound to make Grandpa happy."
Deep down, Grace felt that Luann was purposely picking a fight with her.
Seeing Luann's hesitation, Alvin Curtis chimed in excitedly. "Come on, sis, show us what you've got! No need to be modest!"
Alvin had learned something from recent events. The more 'understated' Luann acted, the more it revealed her expertise. His sister Grace was usually so domineering at home, looking down on everyone. It was high time that Luann put her in her place, deflate her ego a little bit.
Under the group's encouraging pressure, Luann finally gave in with a shrug. "Alright then, but don't laugh at me if it turns out poorly."
Grace's lips twisted with a sneer as she heard Luann's words, believing it to be nothing more than a preemptive excuse for her own embarrassment.
Luann sat down at the table and, mirroring Grace's earlier actions, added the tea, poured the water, and started to stir. Grace let out an almost inaudible snort of disdain. "An amateur copying the master, you dare challenge me?"
Joshua, who was sitting closest to her, was the only one who heard her words. Watching Grace's confidence reminded him of his own past self, even though he had been humbled by Luann before...
But when Luann reached the third step, she diverged from Grace's practice. Instead of filling the cup to the brim with water, she only poured a third of the way and then rapidly whisked with strong, linear movements, back and forth.
The murky liquid within the teacup swelled visibly, transforming into a distinct porridge-like consistency, seeming to puff up as it rose from three-quarters full to nearly brimming over.
Alvin Curtis couldn't help but prod Emma for her thoughts. "Notice any differences?"
Emma, hand on chin, teased, "Are we playing spot the difference or something?"
Alvin Curtis rolled his eyes in exasperation. "Grace before stirred in circular motions, but Luann went back and forth in straight lines. Plus, the water levels they used were different!"
Emma stared at him in utter surprise. "Since when did you become a tea connoisseur?"
"Do I need to be? Isn't it obvious?" Alvin Curtis retorted, as incredulous as her.
Scratching her head, Emma confessed, "Really? It all looks the same to me."
Alvin Curtis heaved a sigh.
Next, Luann Weaver added just enough water to reach the desired level and whisked it evenly. The bowl of tea now sported bubbles of varying sizes, but under Luann Weaver's deft touch, quickly smoothing out into a delicate froth.
"It's ready now," she declared.
She presented the finished drink to Vito Curtis. The quality was self-evident—a stark contrast as if comparing a rough draft to the final masterpiece.
Grace's face turned livid with envy at the sight. To her disbelief, Luann Weaver actually knew her stuff!
In that moment, Grace felt a surge of frustration so intense she could barely contain it. She even began to doubt Luann Weaver's sanity—who in their right mind would learn such a skill?
Vito Curtis took a sip. Had he not known it was the same type of tea, he might have thought Luann Weaver used some superior-grade tea powder. The difference was beyond words.
After much thought and finding no adjectives to do the flavor justice, Vito Curtis simply declared, "Delicious!"
Luann Weaver smiled gently in response.
Vito Curtis turned to Grace and remarked, "Seems like you still have a lot to learn. Maybe you should have a chat with your sister-in-law to improve."
Grace hadn't expected her own ploy would backfire...
Joshua, standing beside her, chuckled darkly. "Someone was quite happy when it was time to ridicule."
"Thought you were so capable," he mocked.
"Turns out you just got schooled by Luann Weaver, same as me."
Grace put on a cheerful facade, but her words were sharp and piercing. "I was merely testing her."
"If you spent less time mocking and more time strategizing, maybe you'd find a way back into the company."
Joshua paused momentarily, then abruptly stood up.
In the next second, he dropped to his knees with a thud before Luann Weaver.
Luann Weaver: "?"
Myron Curtis: "?"
Grace: "?"
With a voice full of conviction, revealing his inner turmoil, Joshua exclaimed, "Sis, I was wrong! Please forgive me!"
