Chapter 1497: Chapter 768: Shamelessness (Part 2)
Qing Shui noticed the duo because they stood out among the street vendors. The elderly woman missing an arm accompanied a little girl around the age of ten. Although the little girl’s clothes were somewhat tattered, they were free of dirt and stains, and she was very clean. Her bright eyes were full of curiosity, her long eyelashes blinked continuously, she was very adorable. However, the firmness of her cherry-red lips showed how stubborn this girl was.
Intrigued, Qing Shui approached the three large buckets and found that the water was full of black fish about the size of a thumb and several young river turtles. As Qing Shui squatted down to inspect them closely, he saw the hopeful gaze in the little girl’s eyes.
Qing Shui felt a pang of sorrow strike his heart. He was neither a good person nor a bad one. He never intended to save everyone suffering in this world. However, if he encounters someone truly in need of his help, he would still try his best.
Qing Shui had always wanted to test if the mysterious water in the Crystal Pool could sustain the growth of animals... There seemed to be an opportunity to do so now.
"Little sister, can you tell me the price of these fish and turtles?" Qing Shui asked gently.
The little girl blinked continuously while staring at Qing Shui, "Big brother, are you not kidding? Do you really want to buy them?"
The little girl used a small net to catch all the little fish and turtles. Since the goods were too small to be eaten, the little girl suggested to her grandma to open a shop and try to sell them as pets.
"Yes, I certainly want them. It’s getting late now, don’t you want to go back and rest with your grandma?" Qing Shui laughed lightly.
"All of these were caught by Nier by the riverbank. If big brother wants them, Nier can show you where to catch the fish and turtles, saving you the money!" the young princely heiress named Nier shouted seriously, smiling with two adorable canine teeth, her eyes filled with innocence.
"Oh, but I particularly want the fish and turtles you have here. Big brother can combine the contents of these three buckets into one and pay you two liang silver?" After Qing Shui spoke, he poured out the contents of the other two buckets, merging them into one. Taking out the last of his money, he handed two liang silver to the little girl.
"Big brother... Two liang silver is too expensive, these fish and turtles aren’t that costly...." The little girl frantically waved her hand, disagreeing while taking a step back.
Qing Shui found that his liking for this little girl’s character increased. He smiled and replied, "Silly girl, big brother said it’s worth that much. Take it, go buy some food suitable for your grandma."
The little girl hesitated for a while, then gradually accepted, "Big brother, what’s your name and how can I find you?"
"My name is Qing Shui. If you want to find big brother, go to the Qing Family’s pharmacy. Little sister, if you need help, no matter how big or small, you can come to me, understand?" Qing Shui gently patted Nier’s head as she continued to smile.
"Alright, I understand, big brother!"
After that, Qing Shui watched as the little girl held two empty buckets of water with one hand, while supporting her grandmother with the other, slowly leaving the street. However, after taking a few steps, the little girl turned around and looked at Qing Shui, her face showing a bright smile, again revealing her adorable canine teeth.
The setting sun elongated their shadows, and then their outlines finally disappeared from the street.
After that, Qing Shui walked to a secluded place, carrying a bucket filled with the fish and turtles he just bought, and entered his Space Domain. Reaching the center of the Crystal Pool, he first placed a little turtle in the water.
"Hmm," Qing Shui observed the little river turtle swimming in the water, and after a moment, it looked more lively and agile than before.
This made Qing Shui very excited, as the effect of time dilation seemed better for animal husbandry than for medicinal herbs. Especially for fish, he just needed to keep them in the Crystal Pool for three days before they could be harvested.
When a sudden thought flashed through his mind, his eyes brightened. That’s it! The way to get rich! I just need to supply these little fish. Hehe, I’d better come up with a good explanation, otherwise, it would definitely arouse suspicion. Qing Shui shook his head and carefully placed all the remaining little fish and river turtles into the Crystal Pool, hoping the mysterious properties of the crystal water infused with infinite spiritual energy could somehow cause them to evolve.
Qing Shui had a big smile on his face, rubbing his hands happily. He knew that in the near future, these little fish and river turtles would become his source of income.
Qing Shui cultivated in the Space Domain while observing the growth of the little fish and river turtles. After about three days, he noticed from the experiment that not only had the fish and turtles grown much larger, but they also seemed to be full of vitality, and even emitted an imperceptible black glow from their eyes, as if they had somehow gained intelligence. This discovery put Qing Shui in a dilemma. If this were true, would they evolve into demonic beasts after staying in the Space Domain for ten more years?
However, he suddenly stopped, feeling something was amiss. "Hmm, that’s not right, after all, how can a fish or shrimp live for over 100 years? Only turtles can have such a long lifespan."
As he stepped out of the Space Domain, the neurons in his brain were firing rapidly. Qing Shui needed to think of a way to maximize profits and keep it a secret. The best method was to actually raise fish, shrimp, crabs, and turtles in the ponds of the Hundred Medicine Garden.
Now, a fire burned in Qing Shui’s heart. Only with a goal comes motivation. As he tried to find a solution, the light in Qing Shui’s eyes grew brighter as he thought of various scenarios. Unconsciously, he returned to the Qing Family’s pharmacy, and it was already evening.
"Qing Shui, you’re back, we’ve been waiting for you to have dinner with us. Today, Aunt Qing Yi cooked her best dish—roasted fish, along with your favorite turtle nourishing soup!" Qing Shi exclaimed excitedly, not noticing Qing Shui’s face turning pale when his favorite soup was mentioned.
However, at that moment, it was as if a switch flipped in his mind. "That’s it! The opening I can use, dammit, I’m a genius!"
"Mom, are the ingredients expensive?" Qing Shui asked, pointing at the roasted fish and turtle soup.
"Yes, compared to the prices of some beast meats, they are even more expensive. In the ’Hundred-Mile City’, raising fish isn’t ideal, so most of the supply comes from outside. As for turtles, their growth rate is too slow to be sold as products; even if you want to hunt them in the wild, turtles are relatively rare."
"Perhaps the environment in Baili City cannot support the breeding of marine species?"
"No, it’s not that they can’t support it, but raising them takes too long, so the supply in ’Baili City’ comes from outside resources."
"Mother, I want to try raising some fish in our Hundred Medical Garden’s pond."
Qing Yi was puzzled. Didn’t she just explain the difficulties of raising fish? Why was Qing Shui still interested in the prospects? Her son was indeed becoming more and more mysterious.
"Hehe, mom, rest assured, I can guarantee that the fish I raise will definitely be better than those bought from outside." Qing Shui smiled, looking directly at Qing Yi, his eyes filled with sincerity.
The next day, Qing Yi handed over 300 liang silver notes to Qing Shui, giving him the authority to do what he deemed necessary. Qing Yi laughed joyfully, as Qing Yi was still the one who understood him the most.
As he wandered the streets, looking for more live fish to purchase, he suddenly remembered what Nier had said to him. Qing Shui rushed towards the stream Nier mentioned, excitement shining in his eyes.
The golden dusk river, a small river near a valley of a nearby mountain. Although it was wide, the water level was shallow, and it was relatively close to the outskirts of Baili City. A 15-minute walk could still reach it.
The water was only knee-deep, and it was very clear. People could see many fish, like minnows, shrimp, crabs, and even turtles. However, they were not of pure breed, and the largest of them were smaller than the size of a palm.
"Ai! Isn’t that Nier?" Qing Shui found Nier with two other kids about her size, holding their small fishing nets.
"Nier!" Qing Shui shouted.
The little girl turned her head and broke into a lovely smile as she ran over.
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