Zhong Lin showed an interested expression on his face and casually said, "You're not lying to , are you?"
That question made the doctor so angry that he glared and shouted, "My family has been running a pharmacy here for five generations, a whole century already, how could I possibly deceive you?"
Zhong Lin didn't respond and continued to inquire, "How much does it cost?"
"Hmph! A dose of Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup costs three taels of silver and lasts for three days."
Expensive!
It's really damn expensive.
Zhong Lin hesitated a bit — just one dose costs three taels of silver, which is the sa as the annual rent for the apartnt he rented.
"Can it be a bit cheaper?"
"No."
"Is the effect really as good as you say?"
"You can choose not to buy it."
The doctor's attitude was getting worse, with a look that seed to say "buy it if you want" written all over his face, clearly irritated by Zhong Lin's words earlier.
"Alright, let try two doses first."
After pondering for a while, Zhong Lin decided to purchase two doses of the Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup.
Upon hearing this, the doctor got up and headed to the back room. Monts later, he returned with two paper-wrapped herb packages, instructing, "Mix with hot water, once a day, no more, no less."
Zhong Lin readily paid the six taels of silver and left with the dicine packages in hand.
After buying the dicine, Zhong Lin did not head ho directly but turned to visit a teahouse.
He ordered a pot of green tea and two plates of snacks, quietly savoring them in a corner.
The teahouse is a place where people co to drink tea and relax. In the center was a high platform, where an elderly man in a gray robe was currently giving a mimicry performance, with sounds ranging from male and female voices to dog barks and bird calls, all vividly imitated.
After the performance was over, he took a sip of tea, moistening his throat before starting to talk about books again.
Zhong Lin wasn't there for relaxation — if it were relaxation he sought, wouldn't Tianxiang Tower or Nuafeng Building be better than this place?
The main reason for being here was to listen to people from all over bragging and to learn about the local customs through their stories.
For example, the Black Mountain County beneath his feet belonged to Tianyang County, one of the eight counties of the Chen Country.
Currently, the Monarch of Great Chen is Emperor Sheng Yun, and this legacy has lasted for one hundred sixty years.
After finishing the last sip of his green tea and swallowing the last piece of cake, Zhong Lin rose to leave the teahouse.
While passing by the East Market, he happened to see a snake catcher selling a freshly caught Black Ring Snake.
The Black Ring Snake was entirely jet-black, with a darker ring-like pattern around its neck, and this snake was as thick as an arm, looking extrely fierce.
At first sight of the snake, Zhong Lin's eyes lit up, and after so haggling, he bought it directly.
After returning ho, he skillfully gutted the snake, using the snake gall to brew wine.
After so preparation, a pot of snake stew was freshly made.
In the anti, Zhong Lin also lit a fire and heated a pot, adding a big chunk of pork lard, a handful of chopped green onions, and a star anise, cooking them till fragrant.
He then cracked six eggs into the pot, frying them till they turned golden brown, before adding hot water to the pot, turning the water into a milky soup.
When the pot boiled, he added handmade noodles, and soon a hot bowl of fried pan-cooked handmade noodles was ready.
"Let's dig in."
Zhong Lin and Little Stone each took a bowl and began to eat, slurping down the noodles in a few gulps, followed by finishing the snake stew while their stomachs were full.
It was delightful and satisfying.
After resting for a while, Zhong Lin instructed Little Stone not to run around, and then headed out to Mr. Liu's residence.
In the morning, Zhong Lin no longer went to class; it was only in the afternoon that he went to learn to read and write, and with a full-level calligraphy foundation, he was learning increasingly quickly, sotis learning more than a hundred characters in an afternoon.
In at most a month's ti, Zhong Lin would be able to master so commonly used fonts and be capable of normal reading and writing.
Mr. Liu had said that from ancient tis until now, there have been about fifty thousand characters, but only three to four thousand are commonly used — as long as one doesn't encounter those ancient texts, reading and writing would be manageable.
Returning ho at dusk, still with ti to spare, Zhong Lin decided to try the Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup.
He took out a package and opened it, finding not the typical dicinal herbs, but so powder. He took a third of it and mixed it with boiling water to drink.
Not long after taking the Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup, Zhong Lin felt as if there was a ball of fire in his stomach.
"What a potent effect; that old physician indeed didn't lie to ."
Zhong Lin dared not be careless and quickly moved to the courtyard, using his palms to begin practicing punches.
With breathing reverberating between his mouth and nose, the unique breathing technique of Iron Mountain Skill resonated throughout his body.
Unlike previous training with Iron Mountain Skill, Zhong Li clearly felt that a warm stream seed to be bred from that ball of fire in his abdon, circulating throughout his body with the flow of blood, while droplets of gray sweat seeped from his pores.
Zhong Lin was exhilarated and continued to practice punches.
Once, twice, thrice...
This ti, he managed to practice the punches six tis before stopping; had it been yesterday, his body would've been sore and unable to continue long ago.
"This Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup indeed has miraculous effects; just one ti was enough to support my body through six rounds of practicing punches. Thanks to the full-level 'Iron Mountain Skill,' I could absorb the dicinal power well, wasting less than half a tenth of it. For others, even with the Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup, they could absorb at most six to seven-tenths of the dicinal power."
Zhong Lin clenched his fists, feeling power coursing through his entire body. He understood why Martial Artists needed dicinal food — with it, progress was vastly different.
"No wonder people say that wealth is needed for martial training; only with dicinal food can one progress rapidly. But unfortunately, it is very expensive, and those who are not well-off cannot afford to train, and forced training could ruin their bodies. This Eight Treasures Blood Building Soup must continue to be used; the high cost is its only downside."
Zhong Lin squeezed the muscles on his arms; without dicinal food, it would've taken at least a few months for normal dietary supplents to achieve such effects, but with martial training, it was done in just two days, making him marvel at the wonders of Martial Arts even more.
He took so hot water prepared by Little Stone from the kitchen and washed off the sweat from his body in the open space.
...
Half a month later.
Sweet Water Alley, Zhong family.
A serving of cold-mixed vegetables, a serving of crystal dumplings, and a serving of white rice.
This was the lunch for Zhong Lin and Little Stone, the two brothers.
In half a month's ti, Little Stone no longer had the malnourished image of a big head and a small body; even Zhong Lin himself had grown half a head taller, with tanned skin turning fair, becoming bronze-colored, and gaining muscle, transforming into what Old Zhou described as a robust youth with a tiger-back and wasp-waist.
Now Zhong Lin was firmly established in Black Mountain County; every two or three days, soone would co to commission a painting, and he would earn no less than five taels of silver each ti. Additionally, being affiliated with the governnt office, no one dared to extort protection fees from him.
Zhong Lin grew increasingly grateful for becoming a governnt painter that day; although painting for the governnt only provided an inco of about one tael of silver per month, justifying it as voluntary work, the status of being a painter for the governnt ensured that his life in Black Mountain County was prosperous,
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