I wrote a little story about the life of a tea leaf. I have visited tea mountains, picked tea leaves myself, and drink tea almost every day.
One day I started wondering: what if a tea leaf could tell its own story?
Part 1: The Cold Awakening
You are a leaf.
You wake up in winter.
Everything around you is dark. You are covered by a thick blanket of white snow.
The cold wind blows, and the snow begins to melt. You shake your body gently.
You open your eyes and look around. You see your friends everywhere.
Wow, there are so many of them!
You breathe the fresh, cold air happily.
You feel your body growing bigger from the inside. Deep inside you, amino acids and polyphenols are quietly gathering. In the dark winter, you look still, but the roots of the tea tree are sending you energy. You store sugars to fight the cold, and theanine flows through you.
This is the energy of life. One day, it will become part of your aroma.
Finally, winter ends.
You look like a handsome young boy now.
Your mother tells you, “In a few months, you will become an adult. To become an adult, you must go through a special ceremony. It is a tradition from our ancestors. After this ceremony, you will change from a simple leaf into real tea.”
She tells you that only then can you travel across the oceans, visit different countries, and enter beautiful homes.
Most importantly, you will meet your soulmate: Water.
A tea leaf must meet water to complete its mission.
This is your destiny.
Part 2: The Beautiful Spring and a Fight
You remember your mother’s words carefully.
Soon, spring arrives.
You are full of energy. Your tip is sharp, elegant, and strong. Your body has a beautiful oval shape. You are full of natural nutrients, and you are very proud of your look.
Because you are handsome, two beautiful young leaves are always next to you.
Let’s call them Rachel and Andy.
The three of you form a perfect team: one bud and two leaves.
You enjoy the warm spring sunshine together.
Life is beautiful.
One day, a hungry little bug crawls up the tea tree. It walks straight toward you.
The wind makes you shake, but the bug holds on tightly.
Suddenly, Rachel steps in front of you.
Rachel is also full of tannins and caffeine. They are her armor.
The bug bites Rachel instead.
But Rachel suddenly shakes her body as hard as she can. She throws the bug away!
Andy quickly helps from behind and pushes the bug down.
The three of you win the fight and hug each other tightly.
However, Rachel’s stem is hurt because she used too much force.
Part 3: The Holy Ceremony
Days pass safely, and finally, the exciting day comes: your adult ceremony.
The mountain is full of tea pickers.
On the third day, a woman with kind wrinkles on her face finds your team. She looks at you, Rachel, and Andy.
She picks your team without hesitation because you look so perfect.
She whispers to herself, “This bud is so beautiful. It is the best one on the mountain. Sadly, one leaf is almost broken.”
She places the three of you gently into her basket.
Rachel breaks away from your stem as you fall, but luckily, she lands in the same basket as you and Andy.
When you go down the mountain, it is already dark.
You are very sleepy.
Suddenly, a wave of hot air wakes you up.
You open your eyes.
You are inside a hot iron wok.
Rachel and Andy are in the same wok too!
The adult ceremony begins.
First, you enter the hot wok. This is Fixation, or Shaqing. It removes your fresh, grassy taste.
Next, you are rolled and twisted on a bamboo sieve. This is Rolling, or Rounian. It shapes your body into a beautiful form and helps release your natural juices.
Finally, you go through a quiet Drying process.
You feel completely exhausted, just like the tea maker.
When you wake up again, you are inside a dark bag.
You call Rachel and Andy quietly.
A leaf that looks like a small twig turns around and says, “Stop calling. We are packed randomly.”
Suddenly, you hear Andy’s voice in the dark.
“I am here! Rachel is in the next bag.”
You finally feel safe.
Part 4: The Great Journey
In the next few days, you feel a lot of shaking.
You travel by truck, train, and airplane.
The bag is very strong and thick.
You tell yourself, “I survived the hot wok, so this journey is easy!”
One day, you hear a voice outside:
“Amazon Delivery! Have a nice day!”
A lady answers, “Thank you! Finally, my tea is here.”
Then, your bag opens.
Sunlight comes in.
You feel nervous.
Your mother told you that when the bag opens, you will meet the magical Water.
Suddenly, you and your friends are placed inside a beautiful teapot.
Hot water pours over you.
It feels very hot, but then, a miracle happens.
Your dry body softens, and you open up again.
You dance lightly in the water, releasing all your energy.
It feels wonderful, like heaven.
While dancing, you suddenly meet Andy!
You are so happy that you hug each other.
You hear the lady outside say, “Look how beautiful! They look like they are dancing.”
She looks at you with a kind smile.
After a few minutes, the water becomes a beautiful golden color.
You have released your aroma and tea essence.
You and Andy are taken out of the teapot.
You look wrinkled and old, but you are very happy.
You have finished your mission.
Part 5: The New Beginning
You think you will be thrown into the trash bin.
You close your eyes and wait.
But the lady does not throw you away.
She puts you in a strainer and leaves you in the sunny yard.
The sun is warm.
The lady dries you for a few days.
As the water evaporates, another miracle happens.
You and Andy become dry and light again.
Of course, most of your tea juices are gone now, leaving mostly dry fibers and a gentle scent.
Then, the lady collects you and puts you inside a soft pillowcase with many buckwheat shells.
You are packed tightly.
That night, you hear the lady say, “Wow, it smells so good.”
You and Andy smile.
You have become a wonderful tea pillow, ready to bring her sweet dreams.
Years pass.
You and Andy grow very old.
One day, the lady carries you out to the garden.
She pours you into the soil near the roots of a small tree.
The tree looks at you and says, “Welcome to your new home.”
You look up and say, “You are not like my mother.”
The small tree smiles.
“Yes, I know you are tea leaves, and I am not your mother. But this is your home now. In a short time, you will become a part of me.
Trust me.
You will see a much wider world from here.”