Chinese Medicine: Starting with Daily Intelligence-Chapter 175: Qin Fish

Ding Kaifang worriedly touched his daughter's forehead—no fever.

He gently opened Duoduo's mouth and shone a flashlight on her throat. "Hiss... Her throat is completely inflamed."

"A lot of students at school have the same thing," Lin Yue said as she walked in with a cup of honey water, her brow furrowed in concern. "The school nurse said it's viral pharyngitis and prescribed some anti-inflammatories."

Ding Kaifang took an exquisite little porcelain bottle from his briefcase and gave it a mysterious shake. "Try this new product from Daddy's company."

Duoduo curiously took the bottle and twisted open the cap—a cool, refreshing aroma immediately wafted out.

The white powder inside was crystalline and translucent, shimmering with tiny glints under the light, as if the bottle were filled with the first snow of winter.

"It's so pretty..." Duoduo exclaimed, her voice hoarse.

"This is Watermelon Frost. Here, let Daddy apply it for you." Using the small bamboo spoon that came with the package, Ding Kaifang scooped out a little powder and gently blew it into Duoduo's throat.

"Ngh..." Duoduo's little face scrunched up. "It's cool... and a little bitter..."

Lin Yue watched her daughter's reaction. "Is this going to work?"

"Absolutely!" Ding Kaifang was full of confidence. "The formula was developed under Doctor Li's personal guidance. It's a purely herbal preparation."

The results were as stunning as ever. Less than five minutes after the medicine was applied, Duoduo blinked in surprise. "My throat... it doesn't hurt anymore!" 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Although her voice was still raspy, her expression had visibly relaxed.

Before, every swallow had been an agonizing ordeal.

She hadn't even wanted to drink much water.

Because her throat hurt terribly with every sip.

Now, it was completely different.

"So quickly?" Lin Yue asked, her face full of pleasant surprise.

Ding Kaifang smiled proudly. "This is just the beginning. Duoduo, how does it feel?"

"It's like I ate a mint..." Duoduo licked her lips. "But it's more soothing. Not spicy, just... um... like there's a piece of ice in my throat..."

Before bed, Ding Kaifang gave his daughter another dose of the medicine.

This time, Duoduo could even giggle. "Daddy, this cool powder is amazing!"

The next morning, while Ding Kaifang was still asleep, he was startled awake by the sound of clear, crisp singing—

"The sun shines high above, the flowers smile at me..."

He happily got out of bed and went to his daughter's room.

Duoduo was sitting in front of the mirror while Lin Yue tied her hair into a ponytail.

Duoduo hummed a nursery rhyme, her voice as clear and bright as if she had never been sick at all.

"Duoduo... your voice?"

"It's all better!" Duoduo turned and gave her dad a big hug. "That Watermelon Frost is amazing!"

Ding Kaifang cupped his daughter's little face in his hands and had her open her mouth. The throat that had been red and swollen last night had now returned to a healthy pink, without the slightest trace of inflammation.

"Hahaha, wonderful, wonderful..."

He was overjoyed.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a Divine Medicine, given these results.

Once it was approved for the market, it would absolutely be a massive hit.

'Maybe a retail price of 16 yuan is too low...' he thought.

On the dining table, the housekeeper had already prepared a lavish breakfast.

Watching her daughter bouncing with energy, and then her husband playing along, Lin Yue couldn't help but laugh. "Now I understand why you said, 'This is great!' yesterday."

Ding Kaifang set his daughter down and happily pulled out his phone. "I have to tell Doctor Li right away! These results... these results are just incredible..."

"Daddy!" Duoduo suddenly tugged on his sleeve. "Can I take some Watermelon Frost to school? My classmate Xuanxuan has a sore throat, too..."

Ding Kaifang crouched down and told Duoduo seriously, "Not yet, sweetie. The Watermelon Frost from Daddy's factory hasn't been approved yet, so we're not allowed to sell or distribute it."

Duoduo didn't understand. She blinked and asked, "Then why can Duoduo use it?"

Ding Kaifang laughed. "Because if Duoduo uses it and gets a tummy ache, no one will come and make trouble for Daddy."

"Hmph!"

Duoduo was not pleased. With her hands on her hips, she declared, "Daddy's mean."

"Hahaha..."

...

Li Xu was also pleased when he received Ding Kaifang's call.

The system's intelligence was as reliable as ever.

The information it had provided on the watermelons had been perfect for making Watermelon Frost.

'In a couple of days, I'll go find that person, sign a contract, and have him continue growing watermelons next year,' Li Xu thought to himself.

'Why wait a couple of days?'

Because Li Xu's schedule for today was already set.

He needed to go to Bailingyu Village to check on the growth of the foxtail grass.

He also had to visit another adjacent mountain.

[Today's Intelligence: To the Northeast of Huangshan lies Jing County, a land of dark, elegant peaks and deep, beautiful forests, where every stream runs crystal clear. One of these streams is called Qinxi. The stream is home to a small fish known as the Qin Fish. Though only as thick as a little finger, its fame is immense. Since ancient times, it and Xuan Paper have been hailed as the two wonders of Jing County...]

There was a lot of information in today's intelligence report.

It was over a thousand words long.

It began by introducing the Qin Fish.

The waters of the Qinxi are a light, clear green—magical waters that produce a magical fish.

Though a fish, the Qin Fish is never served as a culinary dish. Instead, it is renowned as a delicacy to be brewed into a fine tea.

Alongside Insect Tea, Snow Tea, and Sticky Rice Scent Tea, it is known as one of the Four Great Curious Teas of the Dragon Country.

It is said to have detoxifying and body-nourishing properties.

Beside the Qinxi stands Hidden Rain Rock. Beneath this rock lies a cave called Dan Cave, immeasurably deep and mysterious.

Local legend says that on moonlit nights, one can hear clear, ethereal notes drifting from the rock's crevices, mingling with the murmuring of the stream, seeming at once distant and near. There is another legend about this place.

Legend has it that during the Jin Dynasty, a hermit named Qin Gao practiced alchemy and sought immortality here. He would often dump the dregs from his elixirs into the stream at the foot of the mountain. Upon entering the water, these dregs would transform into little fish.

One day, Qin Gao "attained the Dao and ascended by riding a carp."

Later, to commemorate him, the people named the stone platform at the foot of the mountain Qin Gao Platform, the stream Qinxi, and the small fish in the stream Qin Fish.

If one waits quietly by the banks of the Qinxi just as the misty rain begins to clear, one might catch a glimpse of these magical creatures.

As they peck at the green moss, the two fleshy barbels beneath their jaws tremble in the current, creating a rather amusing sight.

What is even more peculiar is that although the stream stretches for dozens of li, these fish exclusively inhabit the three-li section of water near the Qin Gao Platform.

Each year around the Qingming Festival, the Qin Fish fatten up and swim to the surface to play, at which point the locals begin the harvest on schedule.

Using special, fine-meshed triangular nets, they patiently sweep forward from the deep parts of the stream, herding the fish into their nets.

But to this day, the Qin Fish has long since become a rarity.

Even after waiting painstakingly for a whole year, the locals have a hard time finding any.

But today's intelligence report informed him that right next to Hidden Rain Rock, there was another small, deep, and narrow cave.

It had been dry for many years.

Last year, a minor tremor opened a fissure underground, connecting the cave to the Qinxi.

A small population of Qin Fish swam into the cave and survived there.

The water in the cave was clear and cold.

The Qin Fish there grew slowly, but their flesh was of a higher quality, making for an exceptionally effective tea when brewed.

After reading the intelligence report, Li Xu's heart leaped with excitement.

'One of the Four Great Curious Teas... An opportunity this rare couldn't be missed.'

A couple of days ago, Ding Aiguo had lent him 6 million yuan and invited him for a tea tasting.

He had been wondering how to return the favor.

Now, this was perfect. If he could catch some Qin Fish and give Ding Aiguo some Zither Fish Tea, the man would be absolutely delighted.