Xiao Si - Tea Masters Biographies (30)

In 2008, I started making tea. Xiao Si is a friend I've known for many years, and our relationship is neither good nor bad. After hearing that I was making tea, he often came to drink tea with me. After a few sessions, he told me he really liked Pu'er and brewed it at home every day, unable to do without it. At that time, I gave him a lot of tea, and I guess most of what he drank was from me.

"I heard Teacher L has a good tea called XXX tea. Have you tried it?"

In the spring of 2011, at my shop, Xiao Si asked me seriously and rambled on about how good this tea was supposed to be.

I knew L, somewhat familiar, and had gone to drink tea a few times. I hadn't heard of XXX tea, but my curiosity was piqued.

A few days later, I went to see L, bringing along a colleague who had taught me to drink tea and was also a teacher. At that time, I couldn't really discern tea, but I seriously drank XXX tea and earnestly asked the accompanying teacher about its quality and taste. Before leaving, I asked L for a small piece of the tea cake as a sample, saying I wanted to share it with a friend who was eager to try it.

After returning, I called Xiao Si and told him I had obtained the XXX tea sample, inviting him to come and taste it in person.

Xiao Si came a few days later and asked if I had heard of Teacher M's YY tea, rambling about how good YY was. I had just pried open the XXX tea and hadn't even let it air out when Xiao Si received a phone call and said he had to leave, asking me to give him a sample to take home. I broke off half and gave it to him.

A few days later, Xiao Si called me, asking about the taste of XXX tea, explaining that he had been busy and had given the sample to a tea friend to drink. The friend described the taste, but he was afraid it wasn't right, so he asked me to confirm so he could talk about it with other tea friends. I told him my impressions and invited him to come try YY tea, as I had just obtained a sample.

A few more days passed, and Xiao Si came. Before even sitting down, he asked about two more teas, talking at length about how much his tea friends loved them. I said okay, I'd try them if I had the chance. Xiao Si did finish drinking this YY tea but left without comment. The next day, he called again to ask about the taste of YY tea, saying he had been too busy chatting to notice.

Half a month later, Xiao Si came to drink tea, not even mentioning the two teas he had asked about so seriously last time. I didn't bring them up either, nor did I brew them, though I had already obtained the samples.

Later, Xiao Si still often came to drink tea and often asked me about various teas.

Later still, Xiao Si often showed off about having drunk some famous tea, praising it, and would always ask, "Have you tried it?"

Even later, Xiao Si often told me that L was his teacher, M was also his teacher, and also W, Z, etc., all "celebrities" in the tea industry. Even if I had introduced them to him, he would always ask, "Do you know them?"

And even later, when Xiao Si came to drink tea, L, M, W, and Z had all become his good friends, and he often told me news about them, even gossip.

A few years ago, Xiao Si opened a studio, selling teas from him and his friends, and reportedly recruited many students. He just didn't come to drink tea with me much anymore. I tried every means to get some of Xiao Si's teas to drink. The packaging looked good, but I couldn't understand the tea.

When I see Xiao Si again, it's at various tea gatherings, where he talks endlessly. Xiao Si, in flowing Hanfu and with long black hair, looks like a master.

Recently, people often ask me if I know Teacher Xiao Si. I always reply lightly: "I know him, but not well."

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