The Sojourn Teashop

Tea spilled with friends is never wasted

The Sisterhood meets every morning in Hai Ruo’s teashop to discuss life, love, careers and everything that gets in the way of happiness. Hai Ruo strives to keep the sisterhood together and seeks spiritual intervention to provide answers, but the cracks grow wider as pressure closes in.

Morning brings new and old faces to Hai Ruo’s teashop. The premium leaves she sells to Xijing’s high society keep the doors open, however it’s her Sisterhood – a dozen glamorous confidants who visit daily to share tales of love, loss and professional success – that really keeps the shop running.

From a returning Russian expat to a hotpot tycoon, they epitomise the new possibilities of this ancient metropolis. The group's rise in business and society is sometimes helped by Yi Guang, a noted writer with his own artistic demons. But with every deal struck and official bribed, a debt accumulates, jeopardising a hard-won but brittle autonomy.

The gates of Hai’s establishment help keep the choking smog of the city at bay, and inside she provides a sanctuary for the friends to express their true selves. If only the tea leaves held all the answers. Instead, it’s up to the sisters to discover how far their bonds will really hold.