Good friends are like tea, with a subtle and distant fragrance.

Somebody once discussed with me: Friends can last as long as what? I didn't think twice and said bluntly: Friends are like tea.

Friends are like tea, what is valued most is the taste of good tea. A pot of fine tea savored slowly will leave a long lingering aftertaste. The faintly pleasant and fragrant aroma, much like the soft sound of zither music, brings one into a subtle state of intoxication and calmness, which can evoke countless associations and philosophical thoughts, allowing for an appreciation that is slow and rich.

Friends are not just fleeting guests, but should be companions on the journey of life. When we meet we open our hearts to each other, and when we part we retain memories in our hearts. The saying "The friendships of a gentleman are as cold as water" may be a bit too austere. If one only pursues acquaintances for convenience without taste or depth, it will inevitably fall into utilitarianism. To treat someone like an acquaintance and forget them as soon as you turn your back on them, can we still call that friendship?

A friend is like tea. I love the part about its calm and ordinary heart. Tea enters the great halls of noble people but does not become arrogant, and enters the thatched hut of a peasant without becoming humble.

Having tea doesn't need any display. One small table, a pinch of tea leaves, a kettle of hot water, and whatever happens is fine. A little less courtesy and a lot more sincerity. Even if it's about the traditional Chinese art of drinking tea, there should be simplicity and elegance but not extravagance.

In a soft warm atmosphere, tea's elegant simplicity and return to its true nature are enough to make us forget about our appearance.

If relationships are as gentle and unpretentious as tea, not distinguished by wealth or poverty, or fake or empty words, then the world would have fewer tragic cases of using people for gain but forgetting their relationships and turning friends into enemies.

Friends are like tea. What is valued in a cup of tea isn't its shape or color, but the substance it contains. A concentrated tea awakens one's mind and sharpens one's thoughts; a light tea quenches thirst and soothes dryness. Drinking hot tea warms both heart and lungs; drinking cool tea dispels heat. When thirsty, even just a drop of tea is as good as nectar. After drinking liquor, there's no need to add more tea, rather it would be better not to have any.

The difference also lies in that tea is not like wine. Wine is also loved and praised by people, but wine has mixed too much worldly elements in its long evolution, while tea has existed all the time without flattering others and has come out to be seen.

Beneath a seemingly carefree and detached exterior, lies a profound and enduring loyalty. If one's friend has earned the right to a cup of tea from them, he will help in times of trouble, lend a hand when things are tough, share a cup of joy if they are successful, or even sober up his "drunk" friend at the right time.

Friends are like tea because one can drink as much of it as he likes without fear, and everyone has heard that drinking tea is beneficial to body and mind, but no one knows of any harm caused by it.

I do not seek fame and reputation throughout the world but want to have no regrets in this human world. I wish to be a clear cup of tea, facing society, friends, as well as hoping that my friends are like tea, sincere and calm.

No matter whether you are rich or poor, I don't bother to associate with you. If you are down on your luck, you can come and vent your frustrations here, get some food and drink to fill your belly, if I can help you in any way, it brings me joy too. But even if you're successful now, I won't try to curry favor with you. Even if you forget the past, I won't be sad about it; I'll just live my own life as usual.

What a wonderful creation of mankind!