Chapter 31: Luck and Change
Chapter 31: Luck and Change
As soon as Lu Qing entered the house, he saw a brand-new large iron pot sitting there.
Old Doctor Chen, meanwhile, had gone back into the inner room and emerged with a cloth bag.
"This silver is from the sale of the Red Moon Carp. Take it."
The old doctor handed the bag to Lu Qing.
Lu Qing took it and was surprised by its weight.
"So much? Grandfather Chen, how much did the Red Moon Carp sell for?"
"You're lucky," the old doctor said. "The noble I delivered the herbs to has a wife who's feeling unwell lately and needs nourishment. When he heard I had a Red Moon Carp, he offered one hundred taels of silver without hesitation."
"One hundred taels?" Lu Qing blinked. "But Grandfather Chen, didn't you say that my Red Moon Carp was too big and its value would decrease?"
He recalled the old doctor's previous words—that the best Red Moon Carp would fetch no more than a hundred taels.
"That's why I said you're lucky," the old doctor said, stroking his beard. "Typically, only the finest Red Moon Carp would be worth a hundred taels."
"But this noble dotes on his wife. Aside from its delicious taste, the Red Moon Carp is also highly nourishing, so he offered the highest price without haggling."
What a coincidence, Lu Qing thought.
Hearing the old doctor's explanation, Lu Qing had to agree that he was indeed lucky.
"Out of this hundred taels, I've gotten all the silver for you. After deducting the ten taels of silver for my medical fees and the five taels for the pot and salt, you still have eighty-five taels of silver left."
Lu Qing opened the bag and peeked inside. The shiny silver pieces were almost blinding.
There were silver ingots of various sizes—larger ones of ten taels and smaller ones of five taels, along with some loose change.
Evidently, Old Doctor Chen had considered Lu Qing's daily needs and exchanged a portion of the silver for smaller denominations.
As for the fifteen taels that had been spent, Lu Qing didn't mind.
The old doctor's fee of ten taels for treatment and medication seemed high, but given Lu Qing's understanding of the man, he suspected he had actually charged less than he should have.
As for the expense on the pot and salt, well, salt was salt, but Lu Qing had expected the pot to be pricey.
After all, from what he recalled of his original self's memories, the family had made quite a sum of money when they sold their iron pot.
Even now, there weren't many families in the village who could afford an iron pot. That spoke volumes about its value.
However, no matter the cost, Lu Qing had been determined to buy an iron pot.
Having lived in this world for some time, most of his meals were boiled or stewed, and his taste buds were crying out for variety.
With an iron pot, he could prepare a much wider range of dishes.
He could compromise on clothing, but when it came to food, he refused to skimp and deprive himself—that was Lu Qing's life philosophy.
"Also, I've already seasoned the pot for you last night, so you can use it right away when you get home. There's no need to go through the hassle of doing it yourself." The old doctor added.
Lu Qing looked at the pot, its surface now slick and shiny, a sign that it had been properly seasoned.
"Grandfather Chen, seasoning a pot requires a lot of oil, doesn't it? Let me pay you for that." Lu Qing reached for his cloth bag.
"No need," Old Doctor Chen waved his hand. "It only took two pieces of fatty pork, and it wasn't that expensive. I'm too lazy to bother with cutting the silver anyway."
Seeing the old doctor's refusal, Lu Qing could only give up.
He knew that in this world, people looked down on pork.
Especially the upper-class nobles, who considered it lowly and fit only for consumption by the lower classes.
Those with some wealth preferred to eat beef or mutton.
Chapter 31: Luck and Change
Pork wasn't exactly cheap in this world, but it was more affordable compared to beef or mutton. For the common folk, any meat was a luxury. Even pork was a rare treat, reserved for special occasions, festivals, or when they had a little extra to spend or guests to impress.
Lu Qing was aware that Old Doctor Chen wasn't exactly strapped for cash. The two pieces of fatty pork he used to season the pot were probably of little concern to him.
"Thank you, Grandfather Chen," Lu Qing said.
"You're welcome. Now lie down on the bed. I'm going to administer the acupuncture treatment," the old doctor said, waving off the offer of payment.
Lu Qing did as instructed and lay down on the wooden bed, removing his upper garment.
Old Doctor Chen took out his silver needles. "This is the third and final acupuncture session. After this, you won't need any more treatments."
"Grandfather Chen, do you mean my body has fully recovered?" Lu Qing asked, his eyes lighting up with hope.
"Not entirely, but your vitality has stabilized. From now on, as long as you eat well and get plenty of rest, your body will gradually regain its strength. There's no need for further sessions of the 'Consolidating the Foundation and Nurturing the Origin' acupuncture," the old doctor explained.
"Thank you, Grandfather Chen," Lu Qing said gratefully.
"Alright, relax and don't move," the old doctor instructed as he began to insert the needles into specific points on Lu Qing's body. Before long, he finished, and Lu Qing drifted into a deep sleep.
As Lu Qing slept, Old Doctor Chen furrowed his brow. Although Lu Qing had been recovering well under his care, he still couldn't pinpoint the reason for Lu Qing's sudden improvement.
During the acupuncture sessions, he had taken the opportunity to examine Lu Qing's body thoroughly, but he found nothing unusual and no lingering ailments. This left him perplexed.
After a while, seeing that he wasn't getting anywhere with his thoughts, the old doctor smoothed out his brow. Not being able to find the cause wasn't so bad, especially since Lu Qing's health had improved significantly under his care.
"Grandfather Chen, is my brother asleep?" Little Yan asked softly from the side.
After witnessing Lu Qing undergo acupuncture a few times, the little girl was no longer as afraid as she used to be. However, she still found it difficult to watch the process and would usually look away when the needles came out.
"Yes, he's asleep. Let's not disturb him. Come, let's go outside. Yesterday, your grandfather bought some pastries from the city, and they're supposed to be delicious," Old Doctor Chen said, changing the subject.
"Really? What kind of pastries are they?" Little Yan asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"They're called osmanthus cakes..."
When Lu Qing awoke, he felt energized and vibrant. Moreover, he was certain that this time, it wasn't a mere illusion like after the first acupuncture session; his body had genuinely recovered significantly.
He had Old Doctor Chen to thank for this.
As he thought this, he heard Little Yan's laughter coming from the courtyard outside.
A smile tugged at Lu Qing's lips, and he put on his upper garment before stepping out into the courtyard. There, he saw Old Doctor Chen and Little Yan sitting on the stone bench, just as they had been the first time he woke up after an acupuncture session. Little Yan was holding a pastry in her hand, chatting away, her legs swinging back and forth as she laughed happily, her head tilted back.
The scene was almost identical to the one from before, yet everything had changed.
Back then, Lu Qing had been weak and destitute, his very survival uncertain.
Now, his health had been restored, and he had just earned a substantial sum of silver. His future also held the promise of learning medicine from Old Doctor Chen.
Everything had taken a turn for the better.
(End of Chapter)
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