The issue lay in the insatiable nature of human greed, just like a snake trying to swallow an elephant. After the Guo family grew in influence, they did not change their ways; their insidious desires only intensified, now encroaching upon the Lian family.
Guo Neng's grandfather had always been troubled by the fact that the Guo family's position in the tea industry was attained through cunning rather than steady, thorough work. He was acutely aware that without a proprietary tea recipe, the Guo family lacked a firm foundation, making their status ephemeral like castles in the air, or a mirage reflected in a mirror. He knew that if one day they lost the support of the Xue family's power, they were bound to fall.
Therefore, after the Guo family expanded their tea business, his grandfather tirelessly searched among the folks for a tea recipe that met their conditions.
