My father lived to be eighty-six, which is a long life. His figure has never been fat or thin, his height is nearly 1.8 meters, and he never hunched. Even two or three years before his death, although he suffered from cor pulmonale, he was ruddy most of the time, full of confidence and clear thinking. My second uncle is a Chinese doctor and a western doctor. He said more than once: "Your father can do this. Apart from having a good appetite and eating, he loves drinking tea." Drinking tea helps him to clear stomach, eliminate fat, clear away heat and toxic materials and promote blood circulation. "

Dr. Zhang from the Department of Respiratory Medicine of the county hospital where my father was treated also made a similar statement.

My father often tells people the benefits of drinking tea.

In my memory, I clearly remember that in the 1980s, after life gradually improved, my father began to drink tea.

In fact, he has a long history of drinking tea.

He told me. Before liberation, when he was an apprentice in Kaifeng, his shopkeeper loved tea, so he learned to drink tea from him. He didn't drink good tea, jasmine tea. The shopkeeper is from Shanxi and is very frugal. When drinking tea, he chooses the cheapest one. Relatively speaking, jasmine tea is the cheapest kind of tea. The shopkeeper chose this drink, and so did my father.

Later, when I got home, at Rongmaoxiang grocery store, my father and my third grandfather often drank jasmine tea. During the great famine, my father's hobby of drinking tea was driven away. The sharp memory of jasmine tea, more than 20 years later, is still immersed in his taste. In the 1980s, when economic conditions allowed, my father's hobby of drinking tea slipped back to his lips and teeth.

However, at that time, although life improved, that is, I just had enough to eat, wear warm clothes and drink tea, it was still a luxury. Jasmine tea is still the cheapest on the market. My father loves to drink this kind of tea, so he chose jasmine tea to drink. At that time, what was sold in the market was a bagged "Monkey King" brand jasmine tea produced in Fuzhou, Fujian. Very cheap, first class, big bag, five or six yuan a catty. Later, it rose to eight yuan, and later, it grew to ten yuan a catty. My dad bought it to drink. At that time, my father also smoked. Sometimes, my uncles or others go to see him and bring him some high-grade cigarettes or tea. He thought it was too extravagant and wasteful, so he changed it to a small shop opened by his old neighbor. Change cigarettes to "Big Chicken" brand, two yuan a box. Change the tea to "Monkey King".

Father often says to people, "We ordinary people drink jasmine when drinking tea, which is cheap and fragrant!" " "

The word "cheap" is a concise expression of my father's consistent sense of thrift. "Xiang" means that the fragrance of jasmine tea is exposed and rich. As soon as the bag is opened, the fragrance of jasmine will come to the nose. Boiling hot water will be stuffy for a while, and it will be full of fragrance when poured out. If you drink it, the fragrance of jasmine will spread quickly between your lips and teeth. Unlike some teas, which are subtle and meaningful, they need to be tasted slowly to taste. It is precisely because of its cheap price and rich aroma that jasmine tea has always been positioned as civilian tea, which is the tea that the people in the north drink. My father defines himself as "common people", which is a common people orientation, so he likes to drink this kind of tea.

My father also likes jasmine tea, which is simple, simple and concise, but it is mellow. People who come and go with him, whether it's our uncle, his old colleagues and neighbors, many people like to come to my house often, drink scented tea and chat with my dad. A big reason is that people who like my dad are like their tea. It is precisely because my father has this kind of consciousness that he usually likes honest and kind people.

My uncle is the most famous generation chef in our town. He is low-key and inarticulate, but extremely kind and honest. He often comes to see my father, and when he goes, he will bring some meat, cigarettes or a pack of jasmine tea he likes. The two brothers sat together, not saying much, but very suitable for guessing. My uncle never shows off himself, nor does he talk about other people's right and wrong. My father told me, "What I like about your uncle is his honesty."

If anyone accidentally shows off his wealth and boasts in front of him, after people leave, he sometimes mutters, "Hum, delay again!" " "

However, that is to say, when you're finished, you won't mention it again.

The older I get, the stronger my father's preference for jasmine tea becomes. As long as it is jasmine tea, he loves to drink it, whether it is silver needle, white hair or ordinary jasmine tea, and hardly drinks any other tea.

His brothers, my second uncle, my fourth uncle, my uncle Dong Zhishu, and other relatives and friends brought him black tea, "Biluochun", Longjing, Dahongpao, Tieguanyin and other teas, and he almost put them there without looking. Sometimes relatives and friends give them to others when they come.

Once, my son-in-law gave me a pack of Tieguanyin and told me, "This is the top grade of Tieguanyin. A kilo costs several thousand yuan. Drink it! "

I tasted it. It was really strong and mellow. I couldn't bear to drink it myself, so I gave it to my dad to drink. Later, I went to my father's house. It happened that one of my cousins came out of his father's house and saw a bag of tea in his bicycle basket. I knew at a glance that it was the package of Tieguanyin that I gave my father, because the packaging bag was too familiar to me. When I entered my father's room, I asked my father, "Dad, did you give the package of Tieguanyin I gave you to Uncle XX?"

"Well, I don't drink it, but it's always there. I'll take it (dialect, meaning waste)!"

I went on to say, "that's a good tea for 1000 yuan a catty!" " "

Father smiled and said, "Hum! Let me see, thousands of jasmine flowers are not as good as tens of dollars a catty! "

Recently, I read WeChat, and there is a saying, "Even the best things are rubbish." This sentence, used in my father's "Tea Selection", is more appropriate.

I once said to my father, "The aroma of jasmine tea is mainly the aroma of camellia. Nowadays, many scented teas are not as delicious and lasting as some new tea varieties with improved production technology. "

My dad simply scolded me: "I've been drinking all my life and I can't change it!" " "

If you can't change it, you can't change it. A son respects his hobby. So whenever I go on a business trip or travel abroad, I always buy some good jasmine tea for my father.

In the mid-1980s, I went to the provincial capital for further study and began to buy tea for my father. There is a tea shop opposite my school. The price of super jasmine tea is only one catty in 20 yuan. Bring him half a catty or a catty every time you go home. As for me, I also learned tea and scented tea from my father. But I dare not drink super-first-class, and I don't drink top-fifteen pounds or so, which is still too expensive; Those who drink too much are all grade two or three-no more than ten yuan a catty. At that time, the monthly salary was more than 80 yuan, almost all of which was used for further study. Besides the cost of going to school, I still spend 20 yuan on books every month, and there is not much left. Therefore, I only dare to bring my dad something super-class, and all the drinks are cheap. Father drank it and was amazed: "This tea is still good, it smells good!" " "

Many years later, my father mentioned the jasmine tea I brought him from the provincial capital several times and always said, "That tea is not expensive, it tastes good!" " "

After I retired to the second line, I went to Xinjiang for more than two years, where I found two kinds of jasmine tea, called Xiaolongzhu, which was made into small round beads. The other is called phoenix eye, which rolls tea leaves into the shape of oval eyes layer by layer. My city is Korla, especially in southern Xinjiang. It doesn't rain all year round and the air is dry. Therefore, the tea there is fresh when stored, and it is not easy to be moldy and deteriorated due to moisture. When I saw them, they were dry and bright. Dragon ball, the best, more than 300 yuan a catty; Cheng, the best is more than 500 yuan a catty. Even this price, compared with those hyped teas, such as Pu 'er tea in previous years and black tea in recent years, is very general. I tasted the best one first. It's really more fragrant than ordinary scented tea, and it's foam-resistant. And there is no old taste of low-grade jasmine tea. I bought a catty for my father. To take it home, he unpacked it, pinched it, looked at the brown color and smelled it, then soaked a pot with boiling water, poured it into a small cup, sniffed the aroma with his nose, took a sip, and rolled it back and forth in his mouth for a long time before slowly swallowing it. Then, he said, "Good tea, I have never tasted such good scented tea!" " "He asked me," how much is a kilo? "

I gave an honest answer.

At that time, I got a salary in my hometown, worked in a school in Xinjiang and got another salary. Money is no longer a problem, so my father doesn't care much about the price. However, he didn't want to drink it all at once. But when guests come to our home, we will make a pot to share with them and say, "Saner brought it back from Xinjiang!" " "

I always have a smile on my face when I say this. At this time, he showed off a little unconsciously.

Later, in my hometown, there were also little Dragon Ball and Cheng, so I often bought him some drinks. Although the quality is far from what I bought in Xinjiang, it is better than ordinary jasmine tea.

In the last two or three years before his father died, he gave up smoking because of pulmonary heart disease. However, the love for tea persisted until the end. Even if he is in hospital, he will take a teapot and taste jasmine tea. As long as you are clear-headed, you should insist on drinking tea and water even if you take medicine.

After my father died, the day I was buried, I made a pot of dragon balls from his teapot and put it in front of his grave. Then I went to the grave several times. I took some jasmine tea and sprinkled it on his grave. I also made a cup and poured it on his grave. Secretly chanting in my heart: "Dad, this is your favorite jasmine, drink it!" " "