Chapter 68: Chicken Head Pearl
Chen Shun’an didn’t say much, just looked strangely at the Grass Carp’s soft belly.
It was already late June now, not to mention that the Grass Carp spawning season had already passed.
Even if it was carrying eggs to give birth, it shouldn’t be this bloated.
Chen Shun’an had a vague guess, extended two fingers, and pressed, squeezed, and pushed on the Grass Carp’s belly!
“No, don’t touch there…”
A shy consciousness entered Chen Shun’an’s mind.
Chen Shun’an didn’t stop his movements.
Puff!
The next moment, a thumb-sized bead in gray-white colors was spat out from the Grass Carp’s mouth and fell into Chen Shun’an’s hand.
Treasure Light flowed within this bead. As soon as it emerged, a faint fragrance wafted out, water mist enveloped the bead’s surface, then condensed into drops of sweet water, dripping down one by one.
But soon, the Treasure Light receded on its own, and the fragrance stopped.
The speed of the condensing water drops also slowed down a lot.
“Ah, finally comfortable…”
A voice of relief came out. In its agitated mood, this Grass Carp couldn’t maintain its magic trick. After a shimmer of water light, it revealed its original form.
Revealing its true flesh with a body all red and a golden flower on its head.
“Done for, done for, I’m gonna die, how did I reveal my true form? Dad, Mom, your child is unfilial… You’ll have to fend for food on your own.”
The Golden Scaled Perch’s eyes were lifeless, dangling swayingly from the fish rope, its fish mouth opening and closing, its whole body in a despairing state.
“This is the Golden Scaled Perch? Indeed peculiar.”
Rowed the boat ashore.
Scholar Ma chewed slowly and had just finished one pan-fried bun when he couldn’t help but come over, curiously examining this Golden Scaled Perch.
Then he looked at the bead in Chen Shun’an’s hand.
“Could this be the Chicken Head Pearl?”
“Oh? It has such a strange name?”
Scholar Ma was well-read and remembered a book of strange tales he had seen before, saying,
“It’s actually a type of Fish Dan. Only fish like black carp and green carp, over long days and years, will nurture it. It cannot be consumed, as it causes bloating and intestinal blockage. I suppose this Golden Scaled Perch ate too much and nearly lost its life.”
The Golden Scaled Perch’s indignant voice reached Chen Shun’an’s mind,
“Nonsense, fooling fish! I ate it and wasn’t hungry at all, it’s a good bead! Not a bad bead!!”
Chen Shun’an’s mouth twitched faintly, pretending not to hear.
Scholar Ma continued,
“If this bead is placed in a humid place with water vapor, it will slowly condense moisture from the air. The resulting Sweet Water has the effect of nourishing essence and replenishing Qi;
And if there’s a highly toxic substance nearby, when this bead condenses water droplets, it not only produces foul water, but the bead itself will gradually turn red, much like a congested chicken comb, hence the name.”
Gathers moisture, sweet or foul water, detects deadly poison?!
Chen Shun’an’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected such an unexpected gain.
Both Chen Shun’an and Scholar Ma tasted the Sweet Water.
Scholar Ma savored it like ginseng tea, his wrinkled old face relaxing, the fatigue from staying up late translating foreign books dissipating greatly.
But for Chen Shun’an, the Sweet Water had minimal effect, not as good as circulating Qi and Blood himself!
With Scholar Ma’s help on this trip, not only did he get the Guo Lu Society’s Badge Holder, but also got a bead from the fish. Even with Chen Shun’an’s thick skin, his face flushed slightly with excitement.
He took out all the silver he had and prepared it as Scholar Ma’s reward for this trip.
Who knew that upon seeing it, Scholar Ma shook his head like a rattle drum and firmly refused,
“Why does Brother Shun An need to do this? Ma Mou today is fortunate to Brother Shun An, came to view the lotus pond, appreciate the Precious Fish, flow cups along the curving stream under flower shade—it’s worth Ma Mou going back to polish and write a travelogue!
Besides…”
Scholar Ma shook the pan-fried bun and sour plum drink in his hand, laughing,
“I’ve already got my reward.”
Scholar Ma had only eaten two buns, and hadn’t even sipped the sour plum drink.
At this moment, he packed both up and urged,
“Please carry me again, Brother Shun An, hurry back to the county. Such delicacies, how could Ma Mou enjoy them alone? My fierce wife is still hungry…”
……
The mule cart was too slow.
This fifty-year-old Chen Shun’an could only carry the sixty-something Scholar Ma on his back, crossing mountains and ridges, returning to Wuqing County in less than the time of one incense stick.
To avoid drawing attention, he put Scholar Ma down early outside the county gate.
The two then got on the mule cart. Chen Shun’an first went to Scholar Ma’s home to borrow that book 《Three Fates Compendium》.
Before parting, he secretly transferred Qi and Blood.
After confirming Scholar Ma had no hidden illness, just some muscle and bone strain from years of hunched writing, he left reassured.
Having silently regarded Scholar Ma as a future Devout Believer, Chen Shun’an truly cherished this old treasure.
The more he interacted with Scholar Ma, the more Chen Shun’an felt this man had great talent.
Even the last bit of integrity in the Changbai Sacred Dynasty!
If Scholar Ma entered officialdom, became a great Confucian scholar, took charge of the Main Hall, he might actually turn the tide… uh, impossible.
Scholar Ma’s bones were too rigid; he couldn’t kneel.
Chen Shun’an shook his head and, on the way, went to the rice market street to buy an exquisite imitation willow Woven Fish Basket Bottle, used for holding fish.
After all, it was for gifting, so the packaging had to be upscale.
Chen Shun’an planned to strike while the iron was hot and go to Zhang Mansion today to give the Golden Scaled Perch as a birthday gift to the Old Lady.
Spirit Official Wang’s Birthday was on the twenty-fourth of June. To avoid taboos and offending the Deity, Zhang Mansion celebrated the birthday a day early every year.
Chen Shun’an going today was also reasonable.
Anyway, he’d already delayed a long time, so Chen Shun’an simply asked someone to request a day off.
Back at Chaodou Hutong, Wan Niang had gone to the Second Meat Shop to help out.
‘Chirp chirp chirp chirp…’
Perhaps hearing the familiar footsteps.
The Golden Head Overlord, which had been behaving in the water vat cricket cage, immediately chirped urgently, like a hungry infant crying for food.
This Golden Head Overlord was extremely spiritual. After recognizing Chen Shun’an as its master （Whoever has milk is mother）, it never made noise when Chen Shun’an practiced martial arts or rested or when no one was home.
It only made a little noise when Chen Shun’an came home or when it was hungry.
Chen Shun’an quickly changed the water and food, took rotten rice grains, and used a small amount of water to moisten the cage, maintaining a humid environment.
‘Chirp…’
The Golden Head Overlord emitted a subtle trembling sound, seemingly extremely satisfied with Chen Shun’an’s attentiveness.
It ignored Chen Shun’an’s teasing, and after eating and drinking its fill, lay down to sleep again.
“Alright, really treating itself like a lord.”
Chen Shun’an pushed it back under the table.
Only then did he untie the fish rope from the Golden Scaled Perch and temporarily place it in the water vat outside the kitchen.
“Huh? How did I get here? Such a clean new home… Has the Silver Scholar paid back my food debt?”
The Golden Scaled Perch seemed to have forgotten its earlier experience of being lured into the trap and swam around in confusion and dependence.
Did this Golden Scaled Perch also have a seven-second memory?
Chen Shun’an chuckled and fed it some mulberries as fish food.
“Huh, there’s actually free food. This person gave me a home and food. Could he be a High God?”
The consciousness came.
【Wish +2】
“This…”
A look of surprise appeared in Chen Shun’an’s eyes.
This was the first Spirit Fish Chen Shun’an had encountered that could provide Wishes.
In theory, any sentient being, whether from wet eggs or live birth, could be a believer, devoutly serving the god.
But the premise was possessing a certain degree of Spirituality.
One that just kept calling Chen Shun’an ‘grandpa grandpa’ obviously wouldn’t do.
Otherwise, Chen Shun’an could directly charter a big ship, enter the river to scatter bait, or catch and release ordinary Spirit Fish repeatedly to farm Wishes, and he’d ascend to godhood in a day.
“This Golden Scaled Perch seems to have parents, siblings, a whole family of fish. If I netted them all…”
Chen Shun’an pondered silently, quickly changed into a proper robe, put the Golden Scaled Perch into the Woven Fish Basket Bottle, bought some common light gifts like dried fruit and Tea, then strode toward Zhang Mansion.
Today, it was time to handle a big matter.
