A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 86 Interest Classes

In a classroom at Sunshine Middle School, homeroom teacher Mr. Zhang stood on the podium, his signature mysterious smile on his face, as if he were about to announce a major secret. "Classmates, today we're going to talk about hobbies and interests, which is a big deal that affects your happiness index in your after-school life." As soon as Mr. Zhang finished speaking, the classroom erupted in excitement.

Liu Yixin's eyes sparkled as she secretly planned, "I'll choose painting. That way, I'll have more creative ideas for makeup in the future, and maybe I can become an art master in the beauty industry." The more she thought about it, the more beautiful she felt, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.

Li Shiqing, however, already had a plan in mind: "Tea ceremony is an elegant thing, I can't go wrong with it." As she was thinking, she suddenly noticed that Zhang Chen had also raised his hand and said he wanted to choose tea ceremony. Li Shiqing's heart skipped a beat, "Why is this guy choosing tea ceremony too? I'd better stay away from him, or he'll steal my thunder."

Teacher Zhang started calling roll: "Liu Yixin, what did you choose?"

Liu Yixin stood up excitedly: "Teacher, I choose painting. I want to paint all the beauty in this world and then use it in my great makeup career."

Teacher Zhang looked puzzled: "Painting and makeup? What kind of novel combination is that?"

Liu Yixin explained in a serious tone: "Teacher, think about it, if I draw well, it will look like I'm painting on my face when I do my makeup, wouldn't that make me look incredibly beautiful?"

Teacher Zhang smiled and said, "Alright, that's a unique idea of ​​yours."

"Li Shiqing, what about you?" Teacher Zhang then asked.

Li Shiqing stood up gracefully: "Teacher, I choose tea ceremony. I want to experience the fragrant aroma of tea, which is very charming."

Teacher Zhang nodded in approval: "Not bad, very tasteful."

At this moment, Zhang Chen also shouted, "Teacher, I want to choose tea ceremony too!"

Upon hearing this, Li Shiqing inwardly groaned and secretly rolled her eyes at Zhang Chen. Zhang Chen, however, didn't notice and continued to grin foolishly.

Trouble arose when it came time to form groups.

Teacher Zhang waved his hand and said, "Those who choose tea ceremony will form a group and learn from each other." Li Shiqing felt a chill in her heart and helplessly stood with Zhang Chen.

Zhang Chen also greeted her warmly: "Li Shiqing, from now on we'll be partners in the tea ceremony group!"

Li Shiqing responded with a forced smile: "Hehe, yes."

Every Wednesday afternoon, the third and fourth periods are the hobby time at Sunshine Middle School. For Liu Yixin, these two periods are like two sweet treats in a week, because she can immerse herself in the world of painting and freely express her colors and creativity.

Liu Yixin hummed a little tune and skipped into the art studio. As soon as she pushed open the door, she saw several classmates who also loved painting already inside, fiddling with their art supplies. Among them, her friend Chen Yu was standing in front of an unfinished landscape painting, frowning and muttering, "No matter how I paint this tree, it doesn't look right. It looks like a big broom poking at the sky."

Liu Yixin walked over and said with a grin, "Chen Yu, is your tree enchanted? It looks so 'unique'."

Chen Yu glanced at her helplessly: "Liu Yixin, stop making fun of me, come and help me take a look."

Liu Yixin put down her painting tools, leaned closer to the painting, and pretended to examine it: "Hmm, I think this tree is probably trying to defy gravity and grow towards the sky. You need to add some weight to its roots so it knows it's on the ground." As she spoke, she picked up her paintbrush and added a few strokes to the roots.

Just then, Zhao Xiaomeng, who was in the corner, shouted loudly, "Look, doesn't the cat I drew look like a cat alien that wants to rule the world?"

Everyone gathered around to take a look, and saw a cat on the drawing with its eyes wide open and its paws stretched out exaggeratedly. Next to it were several knocked-down mice, their eyes filled with terrified little stars.

Liu Yixin laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight: "Zhao Xiaomeng, did your cat eat a 'super-sized pill'? With that kind of aura, it could run for the title of King of the Universe."

Zhao Xiaomeng proudly raised her chin: "Of course, this is the super cat hero of my dreams, who is dedicated to punishing those wicked rat villains."

Just as everyone was laughing and joking, art teacher Mr. Li walked in. Seeing the students making a ruckus, he smiled and said, "Wow, you haven't even started drawing yet, and you're already so excited. Have you all come up with some earth-shattering creative inspiration?"

Liu Yixin eagerly said, "Teacher, Chen Yu drew a tree that can fly, and Zhao Xiaomeng drew a super cat. They're amazing!"

Teacher Li walked up to Chen Yu's painting, looked at it, and said, "Chen Yu, while your tree has a unique concept, we must also respect the laws of nature. However, you can retain some of this bold imagination to make the painting more fantastical." Chen Yu nodded repeatedly.

Then, Teacher Li came to Zhao Xiaomeng's painting and said, "Xiaomeng, your cat has a lot of story to tell. If you add some contrast in the colors, for example, use bright and vivid colors for the cat and darker colors for the mouse, you can better express the main and secondary elements and the tension in the painting."

Zhao Xiaomeng's eyes lit up: "Teacher, I understand, I'll change it right away."

Liu Yixin returned to her workstation and began to conceive her painting for the day. She wanted to paint a picture of a school playground, but she was struggling with the composition. She would sketch with a pencil for a while, then erase and start over.

Chen Yu, who was standing next to her, joked, "Liu Yixin, are you playing 'hide-and-seek' on this playground? How come you appear and disappear every now and then?"

Liu Yixin frowned and said, "You don't understand. I'm thinking about how to express the vitality and spaciousness of the playground at the same time. It's not easy, unlike when you draw a flying tree as freely as you do."

Chen Yu pretended to be angry and said, "That's also an artistic creation, don't underestimate it."

After a while, Liu Yixin seemed to have thought of something and began to sketch quickly on the paper. The lines gradually transformed into the outline of the playground under her pen, and the running track, lawn, and basketball hoops slowly took shape. As she drew, she muttered to herself, "Here come a few students running, like a gust of wind. Draw a few more playing basketball over there, jumping high and throwing the ball into the hoop."

Zhao Xiaomeng leaned over and said, "Liu Yixin, if you finish this painting, it will definitely make our playground famous. The principal might even hang it in the school hall so everyone can admire it."

Liu Yixin laughed and said, "I wouldn't dare say that. I'm just drawing for fun, to record what the playground looks like to me."

As get out of class was about to end, Mr. Li walked around the classroom again to check on the students' progress. Seeing Liu Yixin's painting, he praised it, saying, "Yixin, your painting has a lot of life in it, showing the vitality of the campus. If you refine the details a bit more, such as the students' expressions and actions, it will be even more vivid."

Liu Yixin said gratefully, "Thank you, teacher. I will continue to work hard."

The bell rang, and the students were still a little reluctant to leave. Liu Yixin packed up her art supplies and said to Chen Yu and Zhao Xiaomeng, "Let's create an even more interesting painting together next week. Today I need to go back and think carefully about how to improve this playground picture."

Chen Yu and Zhao Xiaomeng responded enthusiastically: "Great! Let's see whose painting is the most creative next week. Maybe we can even hold a small art exhibition."

And so, amidst laughter and joy, Wednesday's art class came to an end. But the students' enthusiasm for painting burned brighter and brighter in their hearts, like a spark, as they looked forward to embarking on another wonderful painting journey in the studio and using their brushes to depict more imaginative and joyful worlds.

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In a corner of the campus, in a tea ceremony classroom filled with the faint aroma of tea, Li Shiqing, Zhang Chen, and a group of students who love tea ceremony are sitting around an elegant tea table, their eyes sparkling as they wait for the teacher to impart the secrets of tea ceremony.

On the platform, tea ceremony teacher Ms. Lin, dressed in an elegant tea robe, smiled and gently raised her hand to signal everyone to be quiet. "Students, today we are about to embark on a wonderful tea ceremony journey. Don't underestimate these tea leaves; they each have their own 'little temper' and 'big stories'!"

Zhang Chen rubbed his hands excitedly and said loudly, "Teacher, I can't wait to make friends with these tea leaves."

Li Shiqing glanced at him lightly and muttered, "With your impatient nature, you might scare the tea leaves."

With a smile, Teacher Lin began her explanation: "First, let's get to know the teaware. This is the teapot, one of the main characters today. It's like a little castle, locking in the essence of the tea leaves." As she spoke, the teacher picked up an exquisite purple clay teapot.

Zhang Chen curiously stepped forward and examined it carefully: "Teacher, this pot doesn't look very big. How much tea can it hold? Will the tea leaves be crowded inside, like when we're crammed onto a bus?" As soon as he said this, the classroom burst into laughter.

Li Shiqing shook her head helplessly: "Zhang Chen, you really have a vivid imagination. Tea leaves aren't people, so they wouldn't feel crowded."

Teacher Lin couldn't help but chuckle: "Zhang Chen's question is interesting, but actually the capacity of a teapot is important. You need to choose the right size based on the type of tea and the number of people you are brewing. Just like when we wear clothes, we need to choose clothes that fit well to be comfortable."

Next, the teacher picked up a teacup, which is called a fairness cup. "This is called a fairness cup. Its purpose is to distribute the tea fairly, so that the tea in every cup tastes the same. It's like when the teacher distributes candy to you, making sure that each student gets the same amount."

Zhang Chen couldn't help but ask again, "Teacher, what if it's unfair and secretly pours more into a certain cup? Does it also have its own favorite 'little cup'?"

This time, the students laughed even harder, some even doubled over with laughter.

Li Shiqing blushed and scolded, "Zhang Chen, can you be serious for once? This is a tea ceremony lesson."

Teacher Lin smiled and waved her hand: "It's alright, having questions is a good thing. But the fairness cup is very fair, its design is to allow the tea soup to flow evenly."

Then, the teacher began to explain the types of tea. "The common types of tea we see include green tea, black tea, oolong tea, and so on. Green tea is like a fresh young girl, with a delicate and elegant fragrance; black tea is like a passionate dancer, with a mellow and rich taste; and oolong tea is like a reserved gentleman, with a lingering and profound flavor."

Li Shiqing listened intently and couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, does that mean different teas are like people with different personalities, and we should treat them differently when brewing them?"

Teacher Lin nodded approvingly: "Shi Qing's question hit the nail on the head. For example, green tea should not be served in water that is too hot, around 80 degrees Celsius, just like handling delicate flowers with a gentle touch. Black tea, on the other hand, can be served in hot water that is above 90 degrees Celsius to allow its full flavor to be released."

At this moment, Zhang Chen blurted out, "Teacher, if I use the water temperature for brewing black tea to brew green tea, won't the green tea get 'scalded' and then not taste good?"

Teacher Lin replied with a smile, "That would be like putting a gentle young girl on a fire to roast her; it would definitely ruin her fresh taste. So you must choose the water temperature according to the characteristics of the tea leaves."

Before starting the actual tea-making process, the teacher emphasized etiquette again. "Students, tea ceremony is an elegant art. Our movements should be gentle and slow, like dancing a slow dance. For example, when holding the teapot, you should hold it gently with three fingers, which is called 'three dragons guarding the cauldron'."

Zhang Chen tried to imitate it, but ended up making a mess of things and almost dropped the teapot. "Oh dear, this 'Three Dragons Guarding the Cauldron' is not easy. My three 'dragons' seem to be fighting," he said self-deprecatingly.

Li Shiqing whispered instructions from the side: "Don't be too hasty, take your time to feel it, first stabilize the teapot, then adjust the position of your fingers."

Finally, it was time to brew the tea. The students carefully followed the teacher's steps. Li Shiqing focused intently as she gently placed the tea leaves into the teapot, her movements light and graceful, as if performing a sacred ritual. Zhang Chen, on the other hand, was a little apprehensive, his eyes fixed on the teapot, afraid of making any mistakes.

The moment the hot water was poured into the teapot, the aroma of tea gradually filled the air. Teacher Lin reminded us from the side: "At this time, you should rinse the tea first and pour out the first brew. It's like giving the tea leaves a bath to remove the 'dust' from them."

Zhang Chen asked curiously, "Teacher, do tea leaves need to be bathed? Won't they be unhappy?"

Teacher Lin smiled and said, "This is just a metaphor. Washing tea leaves allows them to unfurl better and release a purer flavor."

After rinsing the tea leaves, the brewing process officially began. Li Shiqing calmly lifted the teapot, and the golden tea flowed like silk into the fairness cup, then was evenly distributed into each small teacup. She picked up a cup of tea, gently inhaled its aroma, and then took a small sip, a look of delight on her face.

Zhang Chen followed her example, picked up a cup of tea, drank it all in one gulp, and then frowned and said, "Oh dear, why is my cup a little bitter? Is the tea 'punishing' me for being naughty earlier?"

Teacher Lin walked over, looked at his tea-making process, and said, "Zhang Chen, you may have been brewing the tea for a bit too long. Too much of the bitterness in the tea leaves has been extracted. It's like stewing meat; if you brew it for too long, the meat becomes tough and doesn't taste good."

Over the next few hours, the students practiced brewing tea continuously, filling the classroom with laughter and the fragrant aroma of tea. They shared their tea-brewing experiences and anecdotes about the little mishaps that occurred while brewing tea.

Li Shiqing said to Zhang Chen, "Although you always made mistakes at the beginning, you have improved now. At least you no longer treat the teapot as a toy."

Zhang Chen chuckled and said, "It's all thanks to your help, otherwise, as a 'tea ceremony novice,' I don't know how much trouble I would have caused."

As the bell rang, the students were reluctant to leave. This tea ceremony class not only taught them the techniques of brewing tea, but also allowed them to experience the profoundness of Chinese tea culture in a relaxed and humorous atmosphere. They left the tea ceremony classroom with a love for tea and anticipation for the next class, while the delicate aroma of tea seemed to linger around them, refusing to dissipate.