Making a Solemn Promise to the Shiding Farm

Meeting the Shiding farm was truly a matter of fate, like stumbling upon the Peach Blossom Spring. After climbing up the steep slope at the entrance, we followed the small path along the field edge, and then saw the mountain mist curling around, with bitter tea trees and tea bushes growing side by side at different heights, quietly forming a world of their own. From that moment on, the agricultural planning team hoped that one day it could become a demonstration farm for Cha Tzu Tang, so that everyone could see the natural beauty of a bitter tea tree garden. Today's most important task was to put up a sign at the Shiding farm. Under the blazing 36-degree sun, we carried cement, sand, shovels, and the sign up the mountain, all to plant this dream and make a promise to the Shiding farm, hoping that Shiding's oil tea industry can restore the prosperous scene of days gone by.

While digging the soil pit, we also saw small bitter tea tree seeds beginning to grow on the farm, which made us look forward even more to this year-end's seed harvest, and we believe that as long as we treat the land well, they will all know it. After finishing the sign, our colleagues happily took a group photo, and in each other's eyes there was an added sense of responsibility to work hard for this piece of land. After resting for a while in the mountains, we walked down the hill together. The primal forest shade along the way blocked the sunlight, letting us enjoy a brief forest bath. After passing through a lush green tea garden, we returned to the front courtyard of Brother Ye's house to rest, and happened to see him making spring tea, spreading the tender leaves picked in the morning on the ground to dry. Curious, we also scooped up some with our hands and smelled them. "So this is what fresh tea leaves smell like!" This was something we had never known while drinking hand-shaken beverages in the city. Having been away from the land for too long, we have so many, many things to rediscover. Today's sign is only a beginning. We hope that in the future, through the demonstration farm, we can let more people know the truth and beauty of this land.