Chapter 31: Luck and Change

As soon as he entered the room, Lu Qing saw a brand-new large iron pot sitting there.

Old Doctor Chen returned to the inner room and fetched out a cloth bag.

"This silver is from the sale of the Red Moon Carp. Keep it safe."

The old doctor handed the cloth bag to Lu Qing.

As Lu Qing took it, he was startled by its heavy weight.

"So much? Grandpa Chen, how much did that Red Moon Carp sell for?"

"You are quite lucky," the old doctor said. "The noble person I delivered medicinal herbs to this time has a wife who has been feeling weak lately and needs nourishment. Upon hearing I had a Red Moon Carp, he purchased it for a hundred taels of silver without a second thought."

"A hundred taels?" Lu Qing's eyes widened. "Grandpa Chen, didn't you say before that my Red Moon Carp was too large and its value had decreased?"

He remembered the old doctor saying previously that even the best Red Moon Carp only fetched a hundred taels per fish.

"That is why I said you are lucky," the old doctor said, stroking his beard. "Normally, indeed, only the finest Red Moon Carp are worth a hundred taels."

"But that noble gentleman dotes on his wife quite a bit. Besides its delicious taste, this Red Moon Carp has excellent nourishing properties, so he offered the highest price to purchase it directly from me."

To think it would be such a coincidence.

After hearing this, Lu Qing had no choice but to agree with the old doctor.

His luck really was quite good.

"I have provided this hundred taels entirely in cash. After deducting the ten taels of silver for the medical treatments and prescriptions I gave you previously, and five taels for the iron pot and salt, there are eighty-five taels of silver remaining."

Lu Qing opened the bag to look; the bright white silver inside was somewhat dazzling.

Most of it was in silver ingots of various sizes—some ten-tael ingots, some five-tael ingots, and some broken silver.

Clearly, the old doctor had converted part of it into broken silver, considering Lu Qing would need it for daily use.

As for the fifteen taels spent, Lu Qing didn't mind much.

The old doctor's fee of ten taels for consultation and medicine sounded quite expensive, but knowing him, Lu Qing suspected the old doctor had actually undercharged him.

As for the expense of the iron pot and salt—setting salt aside, the high price of an iron pot was within his expectations.

After all, in his memory, when the original owner of this body had sold the family's iron pot, it had fetched a decent amount of money.

In the village, even now, there weren't many households that could afford to use an iron pot. One could imagine how precious they were.

However, no matter how expensive the iron pot was, Lu Qing intended to buy it.

Having been in this world for so long, almost everything he ate was either boiled or stewed; his palate was becoming incredibly bland. With an iron pot, he would be able to cook a much wider variety of dishes.

It didn't matter if his clothing was a bit shabby, but he could never allow himself to suffer when it came to food—that was Lu Qing's consistent life principle.

"Also, I seasoned the iron pot for you last night. You can use it immediately when you go back without having to season it yourself," the old doctor added.

Lu Qing looked and saw that the inside of the pot was indeed shiny and oily, thoroughly seasoned.

"Grandpa Chen, seasoning a pot requires a lot of oil, doesn't it? I'll pay you for it," Lu Qing said, opening the cloth bag.

"No need," Old Doctor Chen waved him off. "It was just a matter of two pieces of fatty pork. It didn't cost much, and I can't be bothered to break more silver for you."

Seeing that the old doctor was unwilling to accept, Lu Qing could only drop the matter.

He knew that people in this world held a certain disdain for pork. Especially the upper nobility, who viewed pork as lowly—something only the poor at the bottom of society would eat. Those with even a little money preferred beef or mutton.

Therefore, the price of pork in this world wasn't particularly high. Of course, this "not expensive" was only in comparison to beef and mutton. For the common people at the bottom, any kind of meat was never cheap. Thus, even pork was not something that could be eaten frequently. It was only during festivals, or when one had extra money or guests visiting, that they would buy some.

However, Lu Qing also knew that the old doctor was clearly not a man short of money; he likely didn't care at all about the cost of two pieces of fatty pork.

"Then, thank you, Grandpa Chen."

"Alright, don't be so fussy over such small matters," the old doctor said dismissively. "Lie on the bed first; I will give you your acupuncture."

Following his instructions, Lu Qing removed his shirt and lay on the wooden bed.

The old doctor took out the silver needles.

He said, "Today is the third time I am needling you, and also the last. After this session, you won't need them anymore."

"Grandpa Chen, are you saying my body is healed?" Lu Qing asked in pleasant surprise.

"It's too early to say you've fully recovered, but your vital essence is basically stabilized. In the days to come, you only need to eat well and maintain proper rest to slowly recover. As for this 'Foundation-Strengthening and Vitality-Nurturing' acupuncture, you no longer need it."

"Thank you, Grandpa Chen."

"Now, relax your mind and do not move."

Old Doctor Chen began the acupuncture. Before long, the needles were finished, and Lu Qing drifted into a deep sleep.

Looking at the sleeping Lu Qing, the old doctor frowned slightly.

Although Lu Qing had recovered quite well while recuperating under his care, he still hadn't been able to figure out the reason why Lu Qing had suddenly improved so much in the first place.

During this time, taking the opportunity of the acupuncture sessions, he had carefully examined Lu Qing's body. There truly was nothing abnormal within him, nor were there any lingering ailments. It was truly baffling.

After thinking for a while without finding the answer, the old doctor finally relaxed his brow. If he couldn't find the reason, so be it; at least Lu Qing's body was finally well-nurtured, making his efforts worthwhile.

"Grandpa Chen, is Brother asleep?"

Little Yan asked softly from the side.

After witnessing Lu Qing undergo acupuncture several times, the little girl was no longer as afraid as before. However, she still didn't dare look directly when Grandpa Chen was inserting the needles.

"Yes, he's asleep. Come, let's not disturb your brother's rest. Let's go outside. Yesterday, Grandpa bought some pastries from the city; I heard they taste very good."

"Really? What kind of pastries are they?"

"They are called Osmanthus Cakes..."

When Lu Qing woke from his deep sleep, he felt as if his entire body was filled with vitality. Moreover, he was certain that this was not the illusion he had felt during the first session, but that his body had truly recovered almost completely.

All of this was thanks to Old Doctor Chen.

Just as he was thinking this, Lu Qing heard Little Yan's laughter coming from the courtyard.

He smiled slightly, put on his shirt, and walked out into the courtyard.

He saw Old Doctor Chen and Little Yan still sitting on the stone stools. The little girl was holding a piece of pastry in her hand, and as they chatted about something, her feet swung back and forth, her head tilted back as she laughed happily.

This scene was almost identical to what Lu Qing had seen when he first woke up after his first acupuncture session.

However, back then, he had been physically weak and possessed nothing, finding even survival difficult. Now, his body had basically recovered, he had just earned over a hundred taels of silver, and he had the opportunity to study medicine under Old Doctor Chen.

Everything had changed.