Chapter 183: Tea

"Come on, let's start cooking!"

As the mutton was added to the soup pot and began to simmer, its bright red color gradually faded, replaced by a grayish-white hue. The fragrant aroma filled the room, stimulating the appetites of Jiang Hai and his companions. When the soup pot boiled once more, Jiang Hai gave the signal, and everyone eagerly reached for the mutton with their chopsticks. Instead of dipping the first piece of mutton in sauce, Jiang Hai ate it directly.

The moment the mutton touched his tongue, a rich and unique flavor exploded in his mouth. The light, gamey aroma of the mutton perfectly absorbed the seafood essence from the broth. The meat was firm but tender enough to break apart with a gentle bite, offering a delightful, springy texture. It was a completely different experience from eating beef.

This flavor was one Jiang Hai was deeply familiar with. A wave of nostalgia washed over him as he frowned slightly. If such high-quality mutton wasn't available in the United States, what would he do? An idea suddenly struck him—he should consider importing sheep from China.

"This mutton tastes amazing. Where did you get it? Maybe I'll bring some back to the U.S. to raise them myself," Jiang Hai said to Fu Yuan as he eagerly grabbed more mutton from the pot.

"Don't even think about it," Fu Yuan replied, shaking his head while chewing. "This breed is a nationally protected variety. It's only raised in that region. When my dad bought it, they insisted on slaughtering the sheep before selling it to him. You want live ones? Not a chance."

Hearing this, Jiang Hai felt helpless. People often talked about the concept of a global village, but in the end, even basic exchanges of resources were full of limitations. Humans could be so hypocritical! Shaking his head, he decided not to dwell on it and focused on enjoying the meal instead.

Lunch was a satisfying feast: seven pounds of mutton, not including side dishes, paired with five bottles of beer per person. After the meal, Fu Yuan and the others cleaned up before settling down to play mahjong. Meanwhile, Jiang Hai reclined on the sofa, browsing his phone to figure out how to bring the ingredients he wanted back to the U.S.

To his surprise, what he found online shocked him. For years, he'd heard through various channels about certain countries banning exports from China—everything from weapons to livestock. However, China's export restrictions were just as stringent. For instance, rice seeds were prohibited from being taken out of the country, even though the rice itself could be sold.

It turned out that various livestock were also protected. Meat donkeys, Luxi cattle, black goats, and other regional breeds were strictly off-limits for export. Even pigs were tightly controlled—like Britain's Berkshire pigs, Spain's Iberian pigs, and China's Tibetan pigs. Exporting live specimens of these breeds was almost impossible. After scrolling through this information, Jiang Hai couldn't help but curl his lips in frustration. It seemed his idea of importing sheep was dead on arrival.

"Here, have some tea," Fu Yuan said, walking over with a cup of green tea. While strong tea wasn't great for health, they all agreed that a cup of fragrant tea after a meal was refreshing.

Fu Yuan placed the tea on the coffee table before returning to the mahjong game. Jiang Hai glanced at the transparent glass, noticing the intact tea buds floating and sinking gracefully in the water. It was a sight unlike any tea he'd seen before.

Although Jiang Hai had never been fond of tea—he associated it with the bitter brews his father used to drink—he hesitated for a moment. His mouth was dry after the beer, so he picked up the cup and took a sip.

As the tea entered his mouth, a slight bitterness was followed by a subtle sweetness that lingered. Now that he was older, Jiang Hai found himself appreciating the natural fragrance that danced on his palate. To his surprise, he even felt a strange sensation, as if his body was subtly revitalizing.

"Does this tea really have such an effect?" he muttered, setting down the cup. He raised his voice toward Fu Yuan. "Hey, where did you get this tea?"

"It was a gift for my dad," Fu Yuan replied, still focused on his game. "Apparently, it costs over 2,000 yuan per pound. I think it's called Maojian or something."

"Maojian? Or maybe Maofeng?" Jiang Hai mumbled as he looked it up online. Either way, neither he nor Fu Yuan knew much about tea. Regardless, Jiang Hai had developed a newfound appreciation for it. The tea's apparent ability to stimulate his scales intrigued him, and he decided to buy some to bring back to the U.S. Price wasn't an issue for him; effectiveness was.

That evening, dinner featured roasted lamb, prepared from black goat meat. Xu Wei took charge of the cooking, marinating the lamb slices with cooking wine, ginger, fennel, sesame, and spices before grilling them. The roasted lamb was fragrant and tender, with a hint of spiciness. It was a flavor Jiang Hai found difficult to describe, but it left a lasting impression.

Although mutton couldn't compare to Jiang Hai's premium-grade A marbled beef in terms of texture, the preparation methods here were unmatched. Back in the U.S., even professional chefs lacked the patience to achieve such results.

After another hearty meal, the group drank until nearly midnight before dozing off. As men, they weren't too concerned about sleeping arrangements. Fu Yuan and Xianghua took the bedroom, Xu Wei and Huang Yuanfei shared the sofa, and Jiang Hai made himself comfortable on the floor with a quilt.

The next morning, Jiang Hai woke early. Not wanting to disturb his friends, he stepped onto the balcony and opened the window. A cold winter breeze, mixed with snowflakes, swept in, waking the others instantly. Soon, everyone was up and taking turns freshening up. Breakfast was a simple yet comforting meal of three pounds of dumplings served with sour pork belly.

After helping clean up, the group parted ways. Jiang Hai spent the afternoon at a nearby supermarket, stocking up on sauces and pickles to take back to the U.S. Items like Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, Xiangqi sauce, and garlic chili sauce were far more expensive abroad, so Jiang Hai made sure to buy plenty.

Although life in the U.S. was convenient, there were certain flavors that couldn't be replicated. As Jiang Hai filled his cart, he felt grateful for the chance to bring a piece of home with him.

(To be continued.)