Chapter 23: A Sip of Fame
It started with a whisper.
At first, the new teas at Willow Breeze Teahouse were only noticed by the regulars—wealthy ladies taking afternoon rest, scholars seeking warmth before returning to their scrolls, merchants resting heavy legs from the market crowd.
They asked the same question again and again.
"This blend… is new, isn't it?"
"Yes," Madam Lu would say with a slight smile. "A countryside supplier. Miss Su."
The name slipped gently through gossiping lips and into fan-shaded whispers behind painted screens.
The mint-plum blend became a favorite of Madam Qin, the wife of a city magistrate, who claimed it soothed her chronic headaches. The wolfberry-licorice tea began selling out by midday, with the teahouse forced to water it down for lingering guests.
Within two weeks, Willow Breeze's midday crowd doubled. A rival teahouse down the street, Fragrant Leaf Pavilion, sent a maid disguised as a customer to spy. She returned wide-eyed, whispering, "They're calling it 'medicine tea with a sweet soul.'"
By the third week, the first imitation blend appeared in the market.
It was weak, pale, and had too much licorice. Customers scoffed.
"It's not Miss Su's recipe," someone said confidently.
Miss Su.
A girl they had never seen. A name passed through the town like a scent carried on spring wind.
---
Back in the village, Su Yanyue was rinsing herbs when Madam Lu's messenger arrived.
She handed the sealed scroll to Yu Shiming, who raised an eyebrow.
"Why me?"
"She said you look the most serious," the messenger replied dryly.
Yanyue opened the scroll and read it aloud. "Double order. Payment enclosed. And—she wants to display my name."
Yu Shiming folded his arms. "You're becoming famous."
She didn't smile, but her hands stilled on the rinsing cloth.
"…I didn't think it would happen this fast."
He glanced toward the triplets who were busy tying feathers to a chicken.
"They'll tell the entire village before sunset."
"Maybe I should charge them for advertising," she said wryly.
He tilted his head. "What are you thinking now?"
She paused, serious. "I want to expand."
Yu Shiming didn't interrupt. He always let her speak when she got like this—calm, calculating.
"I want to dry more fruit. Package better. Maybe even design a label."
He nodded. "Need help?"
Her eyes flicked to him. "Only if you don't mind sorting thirty baskets of chrysanthemum petals."
"I've suffered worse," he muttered.
They began preparations that night. Under the soft glow of a single lamp, they sorted, labeled, dried, and wrapped.
Su Yanyue took her time with the designs. Each packet bore a small seal now: a phoenix in flight, hand-carved from a block of pear wood.
---
By the end of the month, people came to Willow Breeze not for the food or the location, but for the tea.
"Where can we find her?" they asked.
"Can we send orders?"
"Is she married?"
That last question made Madam Lu chuckle every time.
---
In the village, Su Lin ran up to Yanyue with a grin. "Auntie, the neighbor's aunt said you're more popular than the tofu lady in town!"
Su Rui added, "Someone even offered two coins for a single leaf of your tea!"
Su Zhi looked worried. "What if someone tries to steal you?"
Yanyue laughed. "Then I'll brew a special batch just for them—extra spicy."
Yu Shiming, nearby, said nothing. But his gaze lingered on her just a little longer.
He knew the tides were turning.
And Su Yanyue was no longer just a village girl.
She was becoming someone people remembered after a single sip