Ultimate Delicacy, "Classic of Materia Medica" (Combined Chapter)

Ultimate Delicacy, "Classic of Materia Medica" (Combined Chapter)

"It was from the river outside the village. Xiao Yan and I went fishing yesterday, and I was lucky enough to catch it," Lu Qing answered.

"That little river actually had an Azure Armor Fish of such age?" Old Doctor Chen was somewhat surprised.

The river outside the village was not particularly large. For an Azure Armor Fish to grow to such a size there was truly rare.

But then he suddenly recalled that the nearby villages did not seem to make their living by fishing.

Perhaps that was why the Azure Armor Fish had been able to grow so large.

"No wonder you said before that you felt talented in the way of fishing. For it to produce a Fish Stone of such quality, that Azure Armor Fish could not have been small. And you actually managed to reel it in?"

Old Doctor Chen looked at Lu Qing's somewhat thin frame and could not help seeing him in a new light.

"It was all thanks to the silk thread Grandpa Chen gave me." Lu Qing modestly said, "Grandpa Chen, that thread was truly extraordinarily tough. Without it, I really could not have pulled in such a large fish."

"As long as it was useful. It was useless sitting with me anyway."

Old Doctor Chen waved a hand, sounding unconcerned.

Instead, he was rather interested in the wooden bucket Lu Qing had been carrying.

"What have you got in that bucket? It looks quite heavy."

Since Lu Qing had put some branches and leaves into the bucket before leaving, so as not to frighten the fish too badly, Old Doctor Chen could not clearly see what was inside at first.

"It contains something I want to give Grandpa Chen." Lu Qing began removing the branches and leaves from the bucket. "Xiao Yan and I caught two large fish yesterday. We ate the larger Azure Armor Fish, and we thought we would let Grandpa Chen taste this smaller one."

"That's right, Grandpa Chen. This fish is so, so pretty. Even Grandpa Zhang and the others didn't recognize what kind of fish it was," Xiao Yan chimed in.

"Oh, how thoughtful. Then I really must see what kind of fish it is."

Old Doctor Chen's interest grew even stronger.

"It's this fish."

Lu Qing cleared all the branches and leaves from the bucket and handed it to the Old Doctor.

The Old Doctor peered into the bucket. When he saw the fish that looked like living flame, his expression jolted, then softened with emotion.

He blurted out, "Th-this is a Red Moon Carp?"

The Old Doctor really did recognize the fish.

Thoughts whirled through Lu Qing's mind, but he wore a puzzled expression.

"Grandpa Chen, you know what kind of fish this is?"

The Old Doctor set Xiao Yan down, leaned closer, reached into the bucket to tease the fish, and examined it carefully.

At last, he confirmed, "There is no mistake. This is a Red Moon Carp!"

The Old Doctor looked at Lu Qing with genuine astonishment now. "You actually managed to catch a Rare Fish like the Red Moon Carp?"

"Grandpa Chen, what is a Red Moon Carp?" Xiao Yan asked innocently.

"This Red Moon Carp is quite something."

Seeing that Lu Qing also looked utterly bewildered, Old Doctor Chen simply began explaining.

"The Red Moon Carp is a kind of Rare Fish. Under heaven, every fish called a Rare Fish has its own unique excellence."

"This Red Moon Carp is famous for its exquisite flavor."

"Legend says its taste is incomparably delicious. Once someone has eaten it, they can never forget it. Thus, some idle enthusiasts have named it one of the Ten Supreme Delicacies."

"One of the Ten Supreme Delicacies?"

This time, it was Lu Qing's turn to be surprised.

He had not expected the Red Moon Carp to have such a great reputation.

No wonder the Supernatural Ability had appraised it as an Ultimate Delicacy.

"Big red fishy is that amazing?" Xiao Yan was stunned as well. "Then Grandpa Chen, have you eaten big red fishy before?"

"This old man was once fortunate enough to taste Red Moon Carp at a noble's banquet. That flavor..."

Old Doctor Chen did not finish his sentence, but even Xiao Yan could see the lingering look of remembrance on his face.

"Then there could be no one more suitable than Grandpa Chen to receive this Red Moon Carp," Lu Qing said.

"I dare not accept such a gift." Old Doctor Chen came back to himself. "Do you know how much this Red Moon Carp could sell for if you took it into the city?"

Lu Qing shook his head.

"One hundred taels of silver." Old Doctor Chen raised one finger. Seeing the shock appear on Lu Qing's face, he continued, "A Red Moon Carp of the finest quality can fetch at least one hundred taels of refined silver."

"One fish is worth one hundred taels of silver?" Lu Qing drew in a sharp breath.

He knew that silver held considerable purchasing power in this world.

One tael of silver was enough for a family of three to live in warmth and fullness for a month.

And in his memories, even when the Lu Family had been at its wealthiest, its entire fortune probably had not included ten taels of ready silver.

Yet a single fish was now worth one hundred taels. It truly exceeded his expectations.

More importantly, this was only a Rare Fish with a thread of Red Light shining through its White Light. If it were a genuine Red-Light Grade Spirit Fish, how precious would it be?

"This world is very large, Lu Qing." Old Doctor Chen sighed slightly. "The daily expenses of those nobles are also beyond ordinary people's imagination. Do you know how much it costs for some nobles to host a single banquet?"

Lu Qing shook his head again.

"At least a thousand taels of silver. And if they are entertaining an Honored Guest, the expense becomes even more unimaginable."

"The Red Moon Carp is a rare Ultimate Delicacy. For those nobles who do not lack money, what are a mere hundred taels of silver if it lets them taste such a delicacy?"

Lu Qing's mouth fell slightly open.

Half of that expression was feigned, while the other half came from genuine surprise.

Sure enough, no matter what world it was, wealthy people were equally outrageous when they indulged in extravagance.

"So, do you still want to give this Red Moon Carp to this old man?"

Old Doctor Chen teased as he watched the disbelief on Lu Qing's face.

Lu Qing came back to himself, hesitated for a moment, then nodded firmly. "I do. Of course I do. Compared to Grandpa Chen's life-saving kindness, what are a hundred taels of silver? If not for you, I would not even be standing here, much less have caught this Red Moon Carp!"

"Hahahaha..."

Old Doctor Chen suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

After laughing for a while, he finally stopped, his face filled with gratification. "This old man is already very happy that you have such feelings, but I truly cannot accept this Red Moon Carp. Such a precious fish would be wasted on me."

"But Grandpa Chen..."

Lu Qing still wanted to say something, but Old Doctor Chen raised a hand and cut him off.

"Enough, it is settled. Leave the fish with me. In a couple of days, I will take it into the city and sell it for you. Exchange it for silver, then take it home for household expenses."

Lu Qing opened his mouth, but in the end, he did not persist. He merely said, "All right. But Grandpa Chen, the money from selling the fish must first pay for the medical fees from before."

"Fine!" Old Doctor Chen nodded.

Yet he did not tell Lu Qing that the precious medicinal ingredients added to that decoction alone were worth no less than this Red Moon Carp.

Because the Old Doctor could tell that Lu Qing was a Youth with great self-respect.

If he learned the value of that decoction, he would likely never agree to take the silver earned from selling the Red Moon Carp.

Old Doctor Chen looked once more at the Red Moon Carp in the bucket.

Then he frowned. "What a pity. Your Red Moon Carp is of fine quality, but it is slightly too large. I fear it will not be worth a hundred taels of silver. Its value will be somewhat lower."

"Why, Grandpa Chen? Isn't fishy better the bigger it is?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion.

"Generally speaking, that is so, but the Red Moon Carp is different." Old Doctor Chen explained.

"The most precious thing about the Red Moon Carp is its freshness. A Red Moon Carp that has grown to around two jin is at its most tender and delicious. Beyond that weight, although its freshness does not diminish, its flesh becomes slightly old, so naturally it is not worth as much."

Lu Qing could understand that.

It was like certain seafood from his previous life. Bigger was not necessarily more expensive; instead, the smaller specimens often commanded a higher price per unit.

"No matter what it is worth, I will trouble Grandpa Chen with it," Lu Qing said.

No matter how valuable the Red Moon Carp was, Lu Qing had no way to sell it himself.

He believed that if he truly dared carry such a Rare Fish into the city, even if he managed to sell it for money, he likely would not make it back out of the city.

Perhaps only a cultivator like Old Doctor Chen was qualified to take part in such transactions.

"By the way, Red Moon Carp have always been rare, and their habits are difficult to discern. They prefer to travel alone, and their traces are hard to find. How did you catch it?" Old Doctor Chen asked curiously.

"Perhaps it was luck. After I caught that Azure Armor Fish yesterday, I continued fishing for a while and happened to hook this Red Moon Carp," Lu Qing answered.

But his heart stirred.

Its habits were difficult to discern. That meant even the Old Doctor did not know that Red Moon Carp liked eating Blood Apricots?

"Then it truly was your good fortune." Old Doctor Chen sighed. "Perhaps Heaven saw how bitterly you two siblings had been living, and so bestowed these blessings upon you."

The Old Doctor thought of Lu Qing's illness, which had suddenly improved before.

Perhaps Lu Qing's illness had abruptly gotten better for the same reason?

After sighing for a while, Old Doctor Chen placed the Red Moon Carp in a water vat in the residence to keep it temporarily, then began giving Lu Qing acupuncture.

After the acupuncture session this time, Lu Qing slept for a shorter time than before.

When he woke, he saw that the Old Doctor was still chatting and laughing with Xiao Yan in the courtyard. A plate of Yam Cake still sat on the stone table.

"You're awake. Come, eat something first."

When Old Doctor Chen saw Lu Qing emerge, he pushed the pastries on the table toward him.

This time, Lu Qing did not decline. He picked up a piece of pastry and ate it slowly.

Old Doctor Chen observed the color in Lu Qing's face and nodded.

"Not bad. It seems you have listened to my instructions these past few days and have not deprived yourself when it comes to food and drink."

"Grandpa Chen, my brother and I have been eating delicious things every day these past few days! My brother's cooking is really delicious!" Xiao Yan boasted from the side.

"Mhm, Grandpa can see that." The Old Doctor tenderly rubbed the little girl's head.

With his medical skill, how could he fail to see that the siblings' complexions were much better than they had been a few days ago?

Only after Lu Qing had eaten several pieces of pastry did the Old Doctor slowly say, "I said before that after this acupuncture session, I would allow you to study medicinal herbs with me for half a shichen. Do you remember?"

Lu Qing immediately sat upright and solemnly said, "Of course Lu Qing remembers."

"Then do you still have the desire to learn about medicinal herbs?"

"Of course. Lu Qing's interest in medicinal herbs has never diminished."

"Good." Old Doctor Chen smiled. "I thought that after catching a Red Moon Carp and soon obtaining a large sum of money, you might no longer wish to walk the path of gathering herbs."

"Lu Qing wants to learn about medicinal herbs not only for the sake of making a living. I am truly curious about all kinds of miraculous medicinal plants, and want to know exactly how they cure illnesses and save lives," Lu Qing said earnestly.

"Since that is so, come with me."

Old Doctor Chen rose and walked into the house.

Lu Qing hurriedly followed.

Once inside, Old Doctor Chen took out a book and placed it in Lu Qing's hands.

"Here is a copy of the 'Classic of Materia Medica.' It records the names, illustrations, and growing habits of many medicinal herbs. Take it and study it carefully. Compare it with the herbs drying outside in the courtyard. If there is anything you do not understand, come ask me."

Lu Qing froze with the book in his hands. "Grandpa Chen, didn't you say you would let me help dry medicinal herbs while learning from you?"

Yet now he had directly handed him a medical classic.

Lu Qing knew that books were very precious in this world.

First, paper was expensive. Second, ink and brushes were expensive as well.

When the original owner's grandfather had fled famine years ago, he had taken nothing else with him but several books.

Unfortunately, those books had still been lost during the escape.

As a result, when the original owner was young, he often heard his grandfather sigh that losing those inherited ancient texts was a betrayal of their ancestors.

Later, because the family was poor and could not afford paper or ink, Grandpa Lu had never been able to reconstruct those inherited ancient texts.

Even the original owner had therefore only learned to recognize some characters, and was exceedingly shallow in the art of writing.

"What, are you unwilling?" Old Doctor Chen asked.

"Of course I am willing." Lu Qing hurriedly replied.

He understood how precious knowledge was in this world.

"Then that settles it. Start studying now."

Since the Old Doctor had put it that way, Lu Qing could only carry the book back into the courtyard.

After giving Xiao Yan a few instructions, he went to a quiet spot and opened the book.

However, after roughly reading several pages, Lu Qing could not help frowning.

That was because many of the medicinal herb names in the "Classic of Materia Medica" were rather strange, and the characters were extremely obscure.

The original owner had not known many characters to begin with.

Although Lu Qing possessed memories from his previous life, the writing systems of the two worlds differed.

There were some characters that even he could not recognize.

This made the "Classic of Materia Medica" exceedingly difficult to read.

At this rate, who knew how long it would take him to master the knowledge within?

Lu Qing knew himself. He was not the kind of person with peerless intelligence.

Nor did he possess the ability to read ten lines at a glance and comprehend everything at once.

In his previous life, he had merely been an ordinary person of average intelligence who studied hard, only barely managing to enter an ordinary first-tier university.

So if he wanted to master the "Classic of Materia Medica" as soon as possible, he estimated that he would have to summon the same desperate diligence he had used for the college entrance examinations.

After encouraging himself, Lu Qing continued reading.

Then, as he read, a hazy White Light suddenly emerged from the medical classic before his eyes.

Classic of Materia Medica: A book recording knowledge of numerous medicinal herbs.

Mastering this book may grant a rough understanding of the hundred herbs of the world.

Download?

The first two lines of text were fine, but when the third appeared, Lu Qing was completely stunned.