The Charismatic Charlie Wade

As Jimmy’s condition gradually improved, Nirina and Maria embarked on a drive to Poole, nestled in the southern province.

This city, christened after the tea it holds dear, boasts a history spanning over a millennium. It’s not merely a post station along the ancient tea-horse road but also a significant hub for producing Pu-erh tea.

When Maria left Dali, she carried her parents’ ashes with her, finding their final resting place in Poole. It had been more than three centuries since Maria last set foot here, and the city’s former appearance eluded her memory.

According to her recollection, she had ferried her parents’ ashes from Dali, and when they were buried in Poole, she discreetly selected a feng shui spot for their graves. There were no coffins or gravestones, she had left them bare.

Locating two columbariums from over three centuries ago seemed a near-impossible task. Thankfully, Maria recalled that her parents lay beneath a tea-covered hill known as Erlang Mountain.

What’s more, she distinctly remembered interring the ashes beneath the largest, most opulent Pu’er tea tree on that very mountain.

Oddly, the current map offered no trace of Mount Erlang within the Poole area.

Nirina maneuvered the car into Poole, where he and Maria enlisted the aid of a few local historians. After thorough probing, they unearthed that indeed, a mountain named Erlang Mountain once existed on the outskirts of Poole. Yet, it had undergone numerous name changes over the past decades.

One shift occurred during the Republic of China era, followed by another after liberation. The 1960s saw a name change driven by political movements, and in the late 1970s, another was made after those movements subsided.

More than two decades ago, the last renaming took place, christening it Celestial Mountain.

This shift was triggered by the sale of the entire tea-producing area to a company from the southern province. The rebranding paved the way for Celestial Mountain to evolve into their flagship tea garden.

Today, Celestial Group’s tea gained acclaim both domestically and internationally, specializing in medium to high-end Pu’er tea cakes. Their Cloud series, originating from Celestial Mountain, stood as the pinnacle product, often priced at no less than 10,000 dollars per piece.

Armed with knowledge about Erlang Mountain’s current state, Nirina found Celestial Mountain’s location on his GPS. Having developed it for over two decades, the road infrastructure proved sound, and they reached the mountain’s base from the city in just 40 minutes.

Having not returned to China for several years, Maria’s apprehension about Erlang Mountain’s possible deterioration was palpable. The sight of Celestial Mountain put her at ease, for the landscape hadn’t altered in three centuries.

hadn’t undergone drastic transformation. The most notable addition was a cement road that led from the national highway directly to the mountain’s base. At the foothills, Celestial Group had also established a tea processing factory

the lush

Moses, found herself brimming with

inquired, “Are you certain your parents are buried on this

“Despite the name change, the mountain’s appearance hasn’t altered. It

tree

“Fear not. I’ll stand by

shone in Maria’s eyes as she responded, “If that Pu’er tea tree still stands, it should be about a thousand years

it pales in comparison to the Mother of Pu’er with her ten-thousand-year lifespan

thousand years or ten thousand years, generations beyond

Erlang Mountain came into

particularly dense tea tree near the peak and exclaimed, “If I’m not

his gaze, Nirina confirmed her words. There stood an imposing tree near the mountain’s crest. The entire hillside was adorned with

of the Mother of Pu’er, Nirina wasn’t surprised. While this tea

approach revealed an unexpected

had enclosed several mountains, including Erlang Mountain, with sturdy iron fences, surrounding them with surveillance cameras and layers of

park gate blocked it a kilometer

nearby sentry box and hastened to

someone in charge about a potential cooperation.

accessing it had become quite intricate for outsiders. Additionally, Nirina

security guard inquired, “Your surname? Your affiliation? We haven’t received

and said, “I hail from East China. I’ve heard of Celestial Group’s reputation and its long-standing

apologized, “I’m afraid you can’t enter without an appointment. Even city officials need to notify in

Nirina probed, “Why such strict management? It feels almost like