From feeling awkward at first to now being completely used to it, Richard Sullivan no longer felt embarrassed.

David Sullivan forced a smile. “Richard Clark, stop fussing, Grandpa isn’t thirsty today.”

Richard Clark could clearly sense that David Sullivan was weighed down with worries.

He quickly walked down from the veranda, went up and took David Sullivan’s hand, saying, “Grandpa, when the water seller Old Mr. King delivered water, he said he found a spring of milky water at Huancui Valley. I had Mrs. Cooper keep two buckets, planning to make a bowl of Longevity Tea for you… Grandpa, come and sit.”

The Sui people were extremely particular about the charcoal fire and water used for tea.

At this time, the Sage of Tea, Lu Yu, had not yet been born, and the best water in the world had not been ranked. But those who knew how to drink tea, and were skilled at it, had already classified water into different grades. Among them, mountain spring water was the best, river water was second, and well water was the worst. Of mountain water, milky springs and gentle streams were considered the finest. Wealthy families often used mountain spring water to brew tea, which gave rise to a special profession: water sellers.

Near Xingyang, the mountain water from Huancui Valley was considered the best.

But milky springs were hard to find; sometimes a single spring could be worth a fortune.

George Sullivan loved drinking tea, and as a result, David Sullivan also became particular about it. After a day’s work, coming home to drink a bowl of tea brewed by Richard Clark was truly a happiness. The Longevity Tea Richard Sullivan mentioned was a kind of tea soup.

Holding Richard Clark’s small hand, David Sullivan’s mood instantly relaxed a lot.

He lifted his robe and sat down on the veranda, watching Richard Sullivan boil water.

When fish-eye bubbles appeared on the surface of the tea cauldron, Richard Sullivan took a pinch of salt and tossed it in. In tea-making, this was called the “first boil.” The amount of salt directly affected the flavor of the tea, so the first boil was quite particular.

“Grandpa, you seem very tired?”

David Sullivan leaned against the veranda pillar. Hearing Richard Clark’s question, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. “It’s alright, not really tired.”

“Grandpa, did something happen at home today?”

“Oh?”

“I saw you were in a bad mood… Mrs. Cooper said that when you’re feeling down, it’s best to talk to someone, it can help ease your worries.”

Richard Sullivan put on a little adult’s demeanor and asked innocently.

“Worries?”

David Sullivan couldn’t help but laugh. “You’re just a child, what’s the use of telling you… Watch the fire, it’s about to reach the second boil!”

“Oh!”

Richard Clark stopped asking and focused his gaze on the tea cauldron.

But after that laugh, David Sullivan’s mood seemed to brighten a lot.

When the water in the cauldron bubbled up like a spring, Richard Clark scooped out a ladle of water for later use, then picked up bamboo tongs to stir the water, and poured the tea powder into the center of the whirlpool. In an instant, foam filled the surface, flowing over the cauldron with a sizzling sound, and the courtyard was immediately filled with a rich tea aroma, making David Sullivan take a deep breath, feeling even more at ease.

“Richard Clark!”

“Hmm?”

In the cauldron, the tea was boiling, foam splashing.

Richard Sullivan slowly poured the reserved water back into the cauldron to stop the boiling, and immediately saw tea flowers rise to the surface, the fragrance delightful.

“What do you think of Luoyang?”

David Sullivan’s sudden question startled Richard Sullivan.

He was dividing the tea, and his hand shook, causing the tea flowers to scatter. You should know, the tea flowers were the essence of the brew, very important. If they scattered, it could ruin the whole pot. Fortunately, the cauldron was already off the fire, and Richard Sullivan only scattered the tea flowers while dividing the tea. Even so, he still felt puzzled.

Are we going to Luoyang?

Richard Clark quietly divided another bowl of tea from the cauldron and placed it in front of David Sullivan.

For this grandson he had adopted halfway through life, David Sullivan was very satisfied. But sometimes he still felt that Richard Clark’s temperament was too calm and cold, not like other children his age. Every time he talked to him, it felt like talking to an adult.

Of course, Richard Clark was mostly a listener, rarely speaking.

Seeing Richard Clark’s look of surprise, David Sullivan couldn’t help but laugh.

But the smile quickly faded, and he said softly, “Today the master told me, the Second Master is coming back!”

The Second Master?

Richard Sullivan was not unfamiliar with this title. In fact, he had known for a long time that there was a Second Master in Anyuan Hall.

As for the origins of this Second Master, it went back to the ancestors of George Sullivan.

George Sullivan’s ancestors were descendants of the sixth branch, Thomas Sullivan, of the seven branches of the Zheng clan in Xingyang. Thomas was famous for his bravery, and his eldest grandson, Simon Sullivan, was also a renowned figure of the time. Simon Sullivan’s son, John Sullivan, surrendered to the Liang dynasty during the Northern Wei, and later returned at the end of Wei. When Northern Wei split, John Sullivan raised troops in support of Western Wei, and the Zheng clan followed him. Among them were two clansmen, Peter Sullivan and Paul Sullivan, whose ancestors had been servants of Thomas, but due to their merits, they were included in the family register and became members of the Zheng clan.

Paul Sullivan later died in battle, while John Sullivan achieved great success and fame.

He was granted the rank of Grand General, became the defense chief of Jiangling, and commander of the military in fifteen prefectures. At that time, the Anyuan Hall branch of Thomas was at its peak. Peter Sullivan was also granted the title of Junior Minister of the Guards for his merits, and after his death was posthumously awarded the rank of Minister of the Three Departments.

The Second Master David Sullivan spoke of was Peter Sullivan’s son, Mark Sullivan.