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The dawn arrived not with a blaze of

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gold, but as a slow lifting of the

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veil.

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High in the misty hills, May stood at

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the edge of the terrace tea plantation, watching

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the dense morning fog curl lazily around the

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slopes.

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The air was crisp, carrying the sharp, clean

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scent of damp earth and waking leaves.

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She adjusted the bamboo basket strapped securely to

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her back and stepped onto the narrow worker's

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path.

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Beneath her straw sandals, the red clay was

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cool and slick.

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All around her, the landscape stretched out in

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rhythmic, emerald waves, endless rows of

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tea bushes carved into the steep contours of

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the mountain, disappearing upward into

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the white abyss of the clouds.

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Reaching her favorite section on the upper terrace,

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May paused to gently brush her fingers

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across a cluster of detailed leaves.

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They were heavy with dew, glistening like scattered

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diamonds in the dim light.

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She began her work, her fingers moving with

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a practiced, rhythmic grace, pluck, twist,

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drop, two leaves and a bud.

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Each motion was a quiet meditation, synchronized with

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the awakening world around her, as the

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rising sun slowly burned away the white haze,

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painting the Asian highlands in brilliant,

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living green.