Chapter 22: The Utmost Delicacy, The Hundred Herb Scripture
Chapter 22: The Utmost Delicacy, The Hundred Herb Scripture
"In the river outside the village. Yesterday, Xiao Yan and I went fishing and happened to catch it by chance." Lu Qing replied.
"That small river has a green-armor fish of this age?" Chen, the old doctor, was a little surprised.
The river outside the village wasn't particularly big, and it was quite a surprise to find a green-armor fish of this size there.
However, he suddenly thought that the nearby villages didn't seem to rely on fishing for their livelihood.
Perhaps that was why this green-armor fish had been able to grow so large.
"No wonder you said you felt gifted in fishing. To be able to nurture a fishing stone that produced such a specimen, that green-armor fish must have been quite large. I'm impressed that you managed to reel it in," Chen said, looking at Lu Qing's somewhat frail body with newfound respect.
"It's all thanks to the silk thread you gave me, Chen. That silk thread is incredibly strong; without it, I wouldn't have been able to pull in such a big fish," Lu Qing humbly acknowledged.
"As long as it's useful, it serves its purpose. It was just sitting around doing nothing anyway," Chen waved his hand dismissively.
On the contrary, he was quite interested in the wooden bucket that Lu Qing was still holding.
"What do you have in the bucket there? It looks quite heavy," Chen asked, as Lu Qing had put some branches and leaves in the bucket when he left, presumably to calm the fish, making it hard for Chen to see what was inside.
"It's something I want to give to you, Chen. Yesterday, when Xiao Yan and I went fishing, we caught two big fish. We ate the larger green-armor fish, and I thought you might like to try this slightly smaller one," Lu Qing began to remove the branches and leaves from the bucket, revealing its contents.
"Yeah, Chen, this fish is so pretty and beautiful. Even Grandpa Zhang didn't know what kind of fish it was," Xiao Yan piped up.
"Oh? Now I'm even more curious to see what kind of fish it is," Chen said, his interest piqued.
"It's this one," Lu Qing said, as he cleared away the remaining leaves and twigs, handing the bucket over to the old doctor.
Chen peered into the bucket and saw the fiery-colored fish, his expression first registering shock and then softening with emotion.
"This, this is a Red Moon Carp?" he blurted out, recognizing the fish.
As expected, the old doctor knew of this fish.
Lu Qing's thoughts raced, but he kept a puzzled expression on his face.
"Chen, do you know what kind of fish this is?"
The old doctor put Xiao Yan down, moved closer, and reached into the bucket to gently prod the fish, examining it carefully before finally confirming, "There's no mistake, this is indeed a Red Moon Carp!"
The look in the old doctor's eyes as he turned to Lu Qing was one of genuine astonishment. "You even managed to catch a rare fish like the Red Moon Carp?"
"What is a Red Moon Carp, Chen?" Xiao Yan asked, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"This Red Moon Carp is quite something," Chen began to explain, seeing the bewildered look on Lu Qing's face.
"Red Moon Carp is a type of exotic fish, and any fish that is categorized as exotic has something unique about it."
"This Red Moon Carp is famous for its exquisite taste."
"In legends, its flavor is said to be incredibly delicious, such that once you've tasted it, you'll never forget it. Thus, some enthusiasts even consider it one of the Ten Delicacies of the world."
"One of the Ten Delicacies of the world?"
Now it was Lu Qing's turn to be astonished.
He hadn't expected the Red Moon Carp to have such a reputation.
No wonder his ability had deemed it an exotic fish of utmost delicacy.
"Wow, the big red fish is so amazing!" Xiao Yan exclaimed, equally surprised. "Chen, have you ever eaten the big red fish?"
"I once had the honor of tasting the Red Moon Carp at a banquet held by a noble. That flavor..." Chen trailed off, but even Xiao Yan could see the fond remembrance on his face.
"Then it's perfect that we give this Red Moon Carp to you, Chen," Lu Qing said.
"I can't possibly accept such a gift," Chen came back to his senses. "Do you know how much this Red Moon Carp would fetch if sold in the city?"
Lu Qing shook his head.
"A hundred taels of silver," Chen said, holding up a finger. Seeing the shocked expression on Lu Qing's face, he continued, "The finest quality Red Moon Carp can sell for at least a hundred taels of silver."
"A hundred taels of silver for one fish?" Lu Qing breathed in a cold breath.
He knew that in this world, silver had a strong purchasing power.
One tael of silver could provide a comfortable living for a family of three for an entire month.
In his memory, even at its wealthiest, the Lu family probably didn't have more than ten taels of silver.
Now, a single fish was worth a hundred taels; it was truly beyond his expectations.
Chapter 22: The Utmost Delicacy, The Hundred Herb Scripture
"Its rarity and elusive nature make it a challenging catch. It prefers to be solitary, and its movements are unpredictable. How did you manage to hook this one, Lu Qing?" Chen, the old doctor, asked, intrigued.
Lu Qing replied, "Perhaps it was luck. After I caught the green-armor fish yesterday, I continued fishing for a while longer, and that's when I happened to reel in the red moon carp."
Lu Qing's thoughts stirred, wondering if the old doctor knew that red moon carp favored blood apricots.
"It seems like luck is on your side indeed." Chen sighed, "Perhaps the heavens took pity on the hardships you and your sister have endured and decided to bestow blessings upon you."
The old doctor reflected on Lu Qing's sudden improvement in health. Perhaps his recovery was also attributed to this divine providence?
After expressing his wonder, Chen placed the red moon carp in a water tank on his property to keep it temporarily and then proceeded to administer acupuncture treatment to Lu Qing.
This time, Lu Qing's slumber after the treatment was shorter than the previous occasion.
Chapter 22: The Utmost Delicacy, The Hundred Herb Scripture
Upon waking, Lu Qing saw that the old doctor was still chatting and laughing with Xiao Yan in the courtyard, and there was a plate of yam cake on the stone table.
"You're awake. Come, have something to eat first."
Seeing Lu Qing come out, Chen, the old doctor, pushed the plate of cakes towards him.
This time, Lu Qing didn't refuse and picked up a piece to eat slowly.
The old doctor observed Lu Qing's complexion and nodded.
"Good. It seems you've been taking care of yourself these past few days and not skimping on your meals."
"Grandpa Chen, my brother and I have been eating well every day. My brother's cooking is so delicious!" Xiao Yan boasted from the side.
"Mhm, Grandpa can see that." The old doctor affectionately patted the little one's head.
With his medical skills, how could he not tell that the siblings' complexions had improved significantly compared to a few days ago?
After Lu Qing ate a few pieces of cake, the old doctor slowly said, "As I mentioned before, after this acupuncture session, I'll allow you to study herbal medicine with me for half an hour. Do you still remember?"
Lu Qing straightened up and solemnly replied, "Of course, Lu Qing remembers."
"So, do you still have the heart to learn about medicinal herbs?"
"Of course. Lu Qing's interest in medicinal herbs has never waned."
"In that case, follow me."
The old doctor stood up and walked into the house.
Lu Qing quickly followed.
Inside the house, the old doctor took out a book and placed it in Lu Qing's hands.
"Here's a copy of the Hundred Herb Scripture. It records the names, illustrations, and growing habits of various medicinal herbs. Take it and study it well. Compare it with the herbs drying in the courtyard, and if there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
Lu Qing held the book and was stunned. "Grandpa Chen, didn't you say that I would help you dry the herbs and learn from you at the same time?"
Now, he had actually given him a herb manual.
Lu Qing knew that in this world, books were precious.
Firstly, paper was expensive, and so were writing brushes and ink.
His original body's grandfather had once fled with only a few books in hand.
Unfortunately, he lost those books during his escape.
As a result, Lu Qing's grandfather often lamented in his old age about how the loss of those ancestral books was a disgrace to their ancestors.
Later, due to their poverty, they couldn't afford paper, brushes, or ink, so Lu Qing's grandfather was unable to revise those ancestral books.
This was why the original owner only recognized a few characters and had a shallow understanding of writing.
"Well, are you unhappy about it?" the old doctor asked.
"Of course not. I'm very happy," Lu Qing quickly replied.
He knew the value of knowledge in this world.
"Then it's settled. Now, start studying."
Seeing the old doctor's insistence, Lu Qing could only take the book and return to the courtyard.
After instructing Xiao Yan a few words, he walked to a quiet spot, sat down, and opened the book.
However, after browsing through a few pages, Lu Qing frowned.
Many of the herb names in the Hundred Herb Scripture were quite bizarre, and the characters were obscure.
The original owner didn't recognize many of the characters.
Although Lu Qing possessed the memories of his previous life, there were differences between the written languages of the two worlds.
There were some characters that even he didn't recognize.
This made the Hundred Herb Scripture quite difficult to comprehend.
At this rate, he wondered how long it would take to master the knowledge within.
Lu Qing was aware of his own limitations; he wasn't exceptionally intelligent.
He didn't possess the ability to skim through a text once and instantly grasp its contents.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person who had to study hard to barely pass the college entrance exams and get into a regular university.
Therefore, to master the Hundred Herb Scripture quickly, he estimated that he would have to study as diligently as he had for the college entrance exams.
Mustering his determination, Lu Qing continued reading.
Then, as he was reading, the book before him suddenly emitted a hazy white light.
[Hundred Herb Scripture: A book that records the knowledge of various medicinal herbs.]
[Learning this book may provide a rough understanding of the myriad herbs in the world.]
[Do you want to download this knowledge?]
The first two prompts were fine, but when the third one appeared, Lu Qing was completely stunned.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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