“It’s in the river outside the village. Xiaoyan and I went fishing yesterday, and we were lucky enough to catch it,” Lu Qing replied.
"The river actually has blue carp of this age?" Doctor Chen was somewhat surprised.
The river outside the village isn't very big, so it's quite rare to find a blue carp that can grow to this size.
However, he suddenly realized that none of the nearby villages seemed to make a living by fishing.
Perhaps that's why that blue-shelled turtle was able to grow to its full size.
"No wonder you said before that you felt you had a talent for fishing, able to produce fish of such quality. That blue-shelled turtle must have been quite big; how did you manage to catch it?"
Dr. Chen looked at Lu Qing's somewhat thin body and couldn't help but look at him with new respect.
"It's all thanks to the silk thread you gave me, Grandpa Chen," Lu Qing said modestly. "Grandpa Chen, that silk thread was truly exceptionally strong. Without it, I really wouldn't have been able to pull up this big fish."
"As long as it's useful, that thing is useless to me anyway."
Dr. Chen waved his hand, not really caring.
Instead, he showed some interest in the wooden bucket that Lu Qing had been carrying.
"What's in your bucket? It looks quite heavy."
Because Lu Qing had put some branches and leaves in the bucket before leaving to prevent the fish from being too frightened, Doctor Chen couldn't see clearly what was in the bucket at first.
“This is what I want to give to you, Grandpa Chen.” Lu Qing began to take out the branches and leaves from the bucket. “Yesterday, Xiao Yan and I went fishing and caught two big fish. We ate the big blue carp, and I thought I’d give you a taste of the smaller one, Grandpa Chen.”
“Yes, Grandpa Chen, this fish is so beautiful! Grandpa Zhang and the others don’t recognize what kind of fish it is,” Xiaoyan added.
"Oh, how thoughtful! I'd like to see what kind of fish it is."
Upon hearing this, Dr. Chen became even more interested.
"It's this fish."
Lu Qing cleaned out all the branches and leaves from the bucket and handed it to the old doctor.
The old doctor looked into the bucket and saw the fish that looked like flames. He was first shocked, and then somewhat moved.
He blurted out, "This, this is a Red Moon Carp?"
The old doctor did indeed recognize the fish.
Lu Qing's mind raced with thoughts, but her face showed confusion.
"Grandpa Chen, do you know what kind of fish this is?"
The old doctor put Xiaoyan down, leaned forward, reached into the bucket to tease the fish, and carefully examined them.
Finally, it was confirmed: "There's no mistake, this is the Red Moon Carp!"
The old doctor looked at Lu Qing with genuine astonishment. "You can even catch such a rare fish as the Red Moon Carp?"
"Grandpa Chen, what is a Red Moon Carp?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.
"This Red Moon Carp is quite something."
Seeing that Lu Qing also looked blank, Dr. Chen simply began to explain.
"The Red Moon Carp is a kind of rare fish. In this world, everything that can be called a rare fish has its own unique characteristics."
"This Red Moon Carp is famous for its delicious taste."
"It is said that its taste is so delicious that once you have tasted it, you will never forget it. Therefore, some people call it one of the ten delicacies in the world."
"One of the Ten Delicacies of the World?"
This time it was Lu Qing's turn to be surprised.
He never expected that the Red Moon Carp would be so famous.
It truly lives up to its reputation as a rare fish that can be described as extremely delicious by those with supernatural abilities.
"Wow, the big red fish is amazing!" Xiaoyan exclaimed in surprise. "Grandpa Chen, have you ever eaten the big red fish?"
"Grandpa once had the honor of tasting this Red Moon Carp at a banquet hosted by a distinguished guest. The taste was..."
Dr. Chen didn't finish his sentence, but even Xiao Yan could see the lingering look on his face.
“Then this Red Moon Carp would be the most suitable gift for you, Grandpa Chen,” Lu Qing said.
"I dare not accept this gift," Doctor Chen said, regaining his composure. "Do you know how much these Red Moon Carp can fetch if sold in the city?"
Lu Qing shook his head.
"One hundred taels of silver." Doctor Chen held up one finger. Seeing the shock on Lu Qing's face, he continued, "The best quality Red Moon Carp can sell for at least one hundred taels of silver."
"A single fish is worth a hundred taels of silver?" Lu Qing gasped.
He knew very well that the purchasing power of silver in this world was very strong.
One tael of silver was enough for a family of three to live comfortably for a month.
In his memory, even at the wealthiest time, the Lu family probably didn't have more than ten taels of silver.
Now a single fish is worth a hundred taels of silver, which is truly beyond his expectations.
The key point is that this is just a strange fish with a hint of red light in its white light. If it were a true red-light level spirit fish, how precious would it be?
"This world is vast, Lu Qing," Dr. Chen sighed. "The daily expenses of those important people are beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Do you know how much it costs for some important people to host a banquet?"
Lu Qing shook his head again.
"It would cost at least a thousand taels of silver. If it were for entertaining distinguished guests, the expenses would be unimaginable."
"This Red Moon Carp is an extremely rare and delicious delicacy. For those wealthy nobles who are not short of money, what is a mere hundred taels of silver worth in order to taste such a delicacy?"
Lu Qing's mouth opened slightly.
His expression was half feigned, and half genuinely surprised.
Sure enough, no matter what world it is, the extravagance of the rich is always this outrageous.
"So, do you still want to give this Red Moon Carp to this old man?"
Seeing the incredulous look on Lu Qing's face, Dr. Chen joked.
Lu Qing snapped out of his daze, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded firmly: "Of course I'll give it to you. Compared to Grandpa Chen's life-saving grace, what is a hundred taels of silver? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be standing here, let alone catch this Red Moon Carp!"
"Ha ha ha ha......"
Suddenly, Dr. Chen burst into laughter.
He laughed for a while before stopping, his face showing satisfaction: "I'm very happy that you have this thought, but I really can't accept this Red Moon Carp. It would be too wasteful for me to eat such a precious fish."
"But Grandpa Chen..."
Lu Qing was about to say something when Doctor Chen raised his hand, interrupting him.
"Alright, it's settled then. You leave the fish with me, and in a couple of days, I'll take it to the city to sell and get some money for your household expenses."
Lu Qing opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't insist anymore. He just said, "Alright, but Grandpa Chen, the money from selling the fish should be used to pay your previous medical expenses first."
“Okay!” Dr. Chen nodded.
However, he did not tell Lu Qing that the precious medicinal herbs added to the medicine he had prescribed earlier were no less valuable than the Red Moon Carp.
The doctor could tell that Lu Qing was a young man with a strong sense of self-respect.
If he knew the value of that medicine, he probably wouldn't want the money from selling the red moon carp anymore.
Dr. Chen then looked at the red moon carp in the bucket.
Then he frowned and said, "Unfortunately, although your Red Moon Carp is of good quality, it is a bit too big. I'm afraid it's not worth a hundred taels of silver. Its value will be reduced a bit."
"Why, Grandpa Chen? Aren't bigger fish better?" Xiao Yan asked, puzzled.
“That’s generally true, but the Red Moon Carp is different,” Dr. Chen explained.
"The most precious thing about Red Moon Carp is its freshness. Red Moon Carp that grow to about two pounds are at their most delicious and tender. If they exceed this weight, even if the freshness is not diminished, the meat will be slightly tougher and the value will not be as high."
Lu Qing could understand this.
Just like some seafood in my previous life, it's not that the bigger the seafood, the more expensive it is; on the contrary, the smaller the seafood, the higher the price per unit.
"Regardless of its value, I'll be troubling Grandpa Chen anyway," Lu Qing said.
No matter how valuable the Red Moon Carp was, Lu Qing had no way to sell it.
He believed that if he dared to bring such a strange fish into the city, even if he could sell it for money, he probably wouldn't be able to leave the city.
Perhaps only a cultivator like Dr. Chen is qualified to get involved in such a transaction.
"By the way, these Red Moon Carp are always rare, and their habits are hard to discern. They prefer to be alone and are difficult to spot. How did you manage to catch one?" Doctor Chen asked curiously.
"Perhaps it was luck. After I caught that blue carp yesterday, I fished for a while longer and then I happened to catch this red moon carp," Lu Qing replied.
A slight stirring occurred to my heart.
Habits are hard to discern. So, even the old doctor didn't know that the Red Moon Carp liked to eat blood apricots?
"In that case, you really are very lucky," Dr. Chen said with some emotion. "Perhaps Heaven saw how much you and your siblings had suffered, so it bestowed these blessings upon you."
The old doctor thought of Lu Qing's sudden improvement in her condition.
Perhaps this is why Lu Qing's illness was able to recover so suddenly?
After sighing for a while, Doctor Chen put the Red Moon Carp into a water tank in the house to keep it temporarily, and then gave Lu Qing acupuncture.
This time, after the acupuncture, Lu Qing's sleep time was shorter than the last time.
When I woke up, I saw the old doctor still chatting and laughing with Xiaoyan in the courtyard, and there was still a plate of yam cake on the stone table.
"You're awake! Come on, have something to eat first."
When Dr. Chen saw Lu Qing come out, he pushed the pastries on the table towards her.
This time, Lu Qing did not refuse and picked up a piece of pastry to eat slowly.
Dr. Chen observed Lu Qing's complexion and nodded.
"Good, it seems you've taken my advice to heart these past few days and haven't been neglecting your food and drink."
"Grandpa Chen, my brother and I have been eating delicious food every day these past few days. My brother's cooking is so good!" Xiaoyan boasted from the side.
"Yes, Grandpa noticed." The old doctor patted the little guy's head affectionately.
With his medical skills, how could he not see that the brother and sister looked much better than they had a few days ago?
After Lu Qing ate a few pieces of pastry, the old doctor slowly said, "I mentioned before that after this acupuncture session, you would be allowed to study medicinal herbs with me for half an hour. Do you remember?"
Lu Qing immediately sat up straight and said solemnly, "Of course Lu Qing remembers."
"So, do you still have the desire to learn about medicinal herbs?"
"Of course, Lu Qing's interest in herbs has never waned."
"That's good." Doctor Chen laughed. "I thought that after you caught a Red Moon Carp and were about to have a lot of money, you wouldn't want to go back to the path of herb gathering."
"Lu Qing wants to learn about medicinal herbs not just for a living, but because he is genuinely curious about all kinds of magical herbs and wants to know how they cure diseases and save lives," Lu Qing said earnestly.
"In that case, come with me."
Dr. Chen got up and went inside.
Lu Qing quickly followed.
Once inside, Dr. Chen took out a book and placed it in Lu Qing's hands.
"Here is a book called 'The Classic of Herbs,' which records the names, illustrations, and growth habits of various medicinal herbs. Take it and study it carefully, compare it with the herbs drying outside in the yard, and ask me if you don't understand anything."
Lu Qing stared blankly at the book: "Grandpa Chen, didn't you say you wanted me to help you dry the medicinal herbs while learning from you?"
Now they've actually handed him a medical classic.
Lu Qing knew that books were very precious in this world.
Firstly, paper is expensive, and secondly, ink and brushes are also expensive.
The original owner's grandfather, when he fled from war, took nothing else but a few books with him.
Unfortunately, the books were lost during the escape.
As a result, when the original owner was a child, he often heard his grandfather sigh, saying that the loss of those family heirlooms was something he felt ashamed of having failed his ancestors.
Later, due to poverty, the family could not afford paper and ink, so Grandfather Lu was never able to revise those family heirloom books.
Even the original owner only knew a few characters and was very shallow in writing.
"What, are you not happy about it?" Dr. Chen asked.
"Of course I'd love to," Lu Qing replied quickly.
He was aware of the value of knowledge in this world.
"That's fine then. You can start learning now."
Seeing that the old doctor had said so, Lu Qing could only take the book and return to the courtyard.
After giving Xiaoyan a few words of advice, he went to a quiet spot and opened his book.
However, after glancing at a few pages, Lu Qing couldn't help but frown.
Because the names of many medicinal herbs in the "Compendium of Materia Medica" are quite strange, and the characters are very obscure.
The original owner didn't know many characters.
Although he possessed memories of his past life, the languages of the two worlds were different.
There are some characters that even he doesn't recognize.
This makes the "Compendium of Materia Medica" very difficult to read.
At this rate, he doesn't know when he'll be able to learn the knowledge inside.
Lu Qing knew that he wasn't the kind of person who was exceptionally intelligent.
They also lack the ability to read ten lines at a glance and comprehend the whole thing.
In his previous life, he was just an ordinary person with normal intelligence who studied hard but barely managed to get into an average university.
Therefore, if he wants to learn the "Compendium of Materia Medica" as soon as possible, he estimates that he will have to put in the same amount of hard work he did when he took the college entrance examination.
Encouraging himself, Lu Qing continued reading.
Then, as they looked at it, the medicine book in front of them suddenly emitted a hazy white light.
【The Classic of Materia Medica: A book that records a great deal of knowledge about medicinal herbs.】
【By studying this book, one may gain a basic understanding of the various herbs in the world.】
【Download now?】
The first two notes were fine, but when the third note appeared, Lu Qing was completely stunned.
