Chapter 20: The Fish Stone Pendant
Chapter 20: The Fish Stone Pendant
Lu Qing did not take out the fish stone from the armored fish in front of Wang Daan. Instead, he left it inside the fish. It wasn't that he was stingy and unwilling to show it to others, but rather that he didn't know how to explain this peculiar item.
Now that he was alone and undisturbed, it was the perfect opportunity to retrieve the fish stone.
In the kitchen, the large head of the armored fish lay in a wooden basin.
Lu Qing split open the fish's head and found the fish stone in its throat. However, when he saw the stone, he was surprised.
In his past life, Lu Qing had once caught a large green fish weighing over 20 jin and had obtained a rather remarkable fish stone from it.
But when he retrieved that fish stone, it had a gelatinous texture. After taking it out, he had to clean it, dry it, and go through a series of other processes before finally obtaining a fish stone with a good appearance.
Now, as he touched the fish stone in the armored fish's throat, he found that it was no longer soft and had already hardened.
Lu Qing fetched a small wooden spoon and carefully dug out the fish stone. After cleaning it with water, drying it, and examining it again, he was even more astonished.
This fish stone was about two centimeters in size, half a centimeter thick, and shaped like a scallop. Its texture was like stone and jade, smooth and warm to the touch, giving it an excellent feel.
Its appearance far surpassed that of the fish stone he had meticulously cared for in his past life.
As he gently fiddled with the fish stone, which felt like jade, Lu Qing felt a sense of peace and calm.
He knew it wasn't an illusion.
In his vision, the fish stone in his hand was currently emitting a layer of dense white light.
Armored Fish Stone: A complete fish stone nurtured by an adult armored fish. It has undergone jadeification.
Legend has it that an armored fish stone that has undergone jadeification can calm and soothe the soul when worn close to the body.
After examining it for a while, Lu Qing discovered that the fish stone's appearance was already perfect. It required no additional polishing and could be worn as-is.
He gathered some tools and carefully drilled a hole at the thinner end of the stone.
Fortunately, although this armored fish stone had jadeified, it wasn't as hard as solid jade.
It didn't take much effort for him to grind out a perfect hole.
After drilling the hole, he took out the remaining hemp rope, twisted it into a sturdy cord, and threaded the stone onto it.
With these tasks completed, he had crafted a simple fish stone pendant.
After admiring his handiwork for a while, Lu Qing called Xiao Yan, who was playing in the yard, into the house.
"Brother, why did you call me?" Xiao Yan asked as she ran inside.
"I made something nice that I want to give to you," Lu Qing said, holding the pendant in his hand.
"What is it?" Xiao Yan's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"This," Lu Qing said, pinching the hemp rope and releasing it so that the pendant hung in mid-air, swaying gently.
"Wow! What is this? It's so pretty!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, her eyes widening as she stared at the pendant.
"This is a pendant. I made it from the fish stone inside the big fish. From now on, you should wear it close to your body. With this, you won't kick the covers off while sleeping at night."
Lu Qing untied the hemp rope and hung the pendant around Xiao Yan's neck, then retied the rope securely.
He made sure the knot was small enough that Xiao Yan couldn't remove the pendant over her head, preventing her from losing it due to carelessness.
"Thank you, brother! I really like this gift!" Xiao Yan said happily as she played with the pendant around her neck.
She was thrilled to have her very first piece of jewelry, and it was such a beautiful stone, too.
Chapter 20: The Fish Stone Pendant
Xiao Yan was enamored with the beautiful pendant around her neck and couldn't take her eyes off it.
"I'm glad you like it. Remember not to lose it, or your brother won't be able to catch another big fish for you," Lu Qing reminded her.
"I won't, brother! I'll take good care of it!" Xiao Yan assured him with a serious expression.
Seeing that she had taken his words to heart, Lu Qing left her to continue playing while he returned to the kitchen to prepare the fish head for cooking.
That evening, the siblings enjoyed a delicious fish head feast for dinner. Lu Qing prepared the fish head two ways: one half was grilled, and the other half was boiled to make a savory soup.
They relished every bite, and Xiao Yan exclaimed, "Brother, the fish is so tasty!"
As they settled into bed that night, Xiao Yan, with her slightly rounded belly, said to Lu Qing, "Brother, the fish was so filling."
"As long as you're a good girl, I'll make more delicious food for you," Lu Qing replied, tucking her in.
Before their parents' passing, Xiao Yan had shared a room with them. After their demise, Xiao Yan would cry herself to sleep every night. The original owner of Lu Qing's body had then moved a small bed into his room, after which Xiao Yan finally managed to sleep more soundly.
"I will be good, brother," Xiao Yan promised, nodding earnestly while touching the pendant on her neck.
"Then let's get some rest. We're going to visit Old Man Chen tomorrow," Lu Qing said.
"Yes, I miss Old Man Chen too," Xiao Yan added, her eyelids growing heavier as she spoke. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.
Lu Qing gently tucked her in, feeling a surge of protectiveness for his little sister. She had indeed tired herself out today. Between the fishing trip, carrying the fishing rods, and playing in the yard for most of the day, it was a wonder she was just getting sleepy now.
Only after confirming that Xiao Yan was fast asleep did Lu Qing lie down on his own bed next to her. He listened to her soft breathing, but his mind was too active to fall asleep immediately.
His thoughts turned to the coming day and his appointment with Old Man Chen, the village doctor. According to their previous agreement, after each acupuncture session, Lu Qing would have half an hour to learn about herb identification from the old doctor.
However, herb identification was secondary to his primary goal, which was to use this opportunity to gain the old man's favor and approval. He also needed to consider what Big Brother An had mentioned about the market fair and the unique rules that seemed to be associated with it.
With the recent days' activities, the borrowed grain from their neighbor had diminished, and salt and oil were running low as well. They would need to restock soon.
So, he had to figure out a way to earn money quickly. It wasn't the season for farming, so he couldn't rely on the fields for income, nor did he have the funds to buy seeds. He needed to explore other options.
The market fair seemed like a promising prospect, but he knew very little about it. Big Brother An's warning about special rules to follow intrigued him, and he wanted to learn more.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, Lu Qing's eyelids grew heavier, and he eventually succumbed to sleep.
The house was quiet, with the siblings sleeping peacefully. Outside, the night breeze was cool, and the sky was adorned with stars.
Suddenly, a black figure nimbly leaped into the courtyard, its gaze fixed on the fish meat hanging under the eaves.
(End of Chapter)
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