To officially start discussing the research, we have to begin with the first lockdown after the outbreak of the pandemic. At that time, everyone was stuck at home, and since we were all too idle, we discovered what food supplies we had at home and began searching online for recipes to cook. I was no exception; I took the red tea that my father rarely drank and used a recipe I learned while working in a store. I steeped the tea according to a fixed water-to-tea ratio and then strained it, but since I didn't have any condensed milk, I had to use Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk for sweetness, and then added whole milk for smoothness. It turned out that the taste was quite similar to the Hong Kong-style milk tea I learned in the store and the milk tea I had earlier at a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant; there wasn't a huge difference in taste.

However, the lockdown was indeed too idle, so when I learned that this method was not authentic, I searched for beverage-making videos on a certain app. The methods were always varied, and after trying several, none matched the previous steeping method that suited my taste. Until the first time the lockdown was lifted, I didn't care whether my foot injury had healed and put on a knee brace to go look for work. At that time, I learned that the restaurant "Chiji" located at Yanchonghui, Yuehai, Beijing Road was recruiting for a water bar, so I went to apply. However, initially, I was able to be considered, but later they said the water bar was already full, and I was assigned to the floor department.

At first, the company followed the dining system of Hong Kong, allowing employees to order from the store's menu. Since the "Chiji" brand is famous for its wonton noodles, I ordered it to try. Later, when the manager asked what I wanted to drink, I ordered a cup of iced silk stocking milk tea. I first had a few bites of wonton noodles and then took a sip of the iced milk tea. It was indeed rich and smooth, full of tea aroma, and after swallowing, there was a lingering sweetness in my mouth, which amazed me. Even though I was in the floor department, nothing could stop my obsession with a cup of Hong Kong-style silk stocking milk tea. So every day at work, I would occasionally listen and watch the water bar master guide the apprentices in brewing and pulling tea, trying to understand and digest it, but I still felt somewhat confused. However, it was clear that the master had not taught all his skills to the apprentices...

I also tried to boldly ask the master for advice, but the answer I got was that he was just being casual. One day, I returned to work early, and since there was no one to help the water bar master, I went to ask if he needed help. The master asked me to go to the kitchen and use a hot drink cup to scoop four cups of sugar into a rice jar. Then I saw the master use the hot drink cup to carefully scoop fine red tea into the tea bags of four teapots, and then fill each pot with boiling water up to the third hole from the top. He then placed the four pots of tea on the Ego electric pancake stove. I asked the master how many settings there were and how to proceed, and he explained each step to me.