Chen Ping'an hurriedly stopped him, saying, "Wang Jing, forget it, it doesn't matter...Sensing Chen Ping'an's hesitation and reluctance, but remembering that the young man was his savior, Wang Jing dropped the subject and asked instead, "Before I passed out, I heard someone called Zheng Dafeng... Zheng Dafeng, was it? Did he owe you money?"
Chen Ping'an scratched his head, unwilling to stir up more trouble. "Never mind, it's nothing... You've just recovered from fainting, I'll go brew a bowl of ginger soup to warm you up."
Wang Jing was completely baffled by Chen Ping'an. The boy was truly a hopeless do-gooder who could tolerate anything, yet he was genuinely kind-hearted; otherwise, he would have frozen to death long ago!
Watching Chen Ping'an bustle about in the kitchen, Wang Jing made up his mind. "Chen Ping'an may be a mere farmer, but I am no snake! To repay him, I am going to make sure he gets rich!"
After finishing the bowl of ginger soup, Chen Ping'an cleaned the bowl and utensils, and told Wang Jing, "I've taken on an errand to deliver a letter, so I have to go out."
Looking around Chen Ping'an's modest home, Wang Jing felt a pang of sympathy. With the New Year just around the corner, he needed to figure out a way to earn some silver.
"Work a regular job? Impossible!"
He walked out of the Mud Bottle Alley and wandered aimlessly around the small town in search of business opportunities. When he reached the Covered Bridge and looked at the flowing stream, an idea struck him.
In his memory, winter fish had the most tender meat and could fetch a high price as the year drew to a close. Even if worst came to worst and he couldn't sell them, he could always eat them himself.
He acted swiftly, walking slowly along the riverbank where deep snow still lingered. Halfway through, he found a discarded bamboo basket; although slightly damaged, the body was still largely intact.
Catching fish went remarkably well. Wang Jing marveled at the town's well-preserved ecosystem and abundant aquatic resources, and before long, he had a basket brimming with fish.
Clutching his catch, Wang Jing headed to a place called Taoye Lane, having noticed that the buildings there were grand and belonged to wealthy households—evidently the affluent district of the town.
In his past life, he had started from scratch as a street vendor, and now he was ready to pull off the same trick. Standing at the entrance of the alley, he shouted, "Fish for sale! Fresh, pure, all-natural, pesticide-free big crucian carp! No additives, no high-tech gimmicks, no chemical traps! Don't walk past this bargain!"
The wealthy residents, who had been reluctant to venture out in the bitter cold, were drawn by Wang Jing's eccentric hawking. Accompanied by their servants and family members, they gathered around the "fish stall."
"Young man, what does 'all-natural and pesticide-free' mean?"
"That's right, and what on earth are 'high-tech gimmicks and chemical traps'?"
Seeing the crowd grow larger and larger, Wang Jing gazed at the various lords, ladies, and misses dressed in brocades and fine silks, blooming with inner joy.
In business, you need an audience, and judging by their attire, these were all wealthy folks with deep pockets!
Wang Jing gave a light cough and, brimming with confidence, announced in a ringing voice, "Thank you, good townspeople, for your patronage! These fish are nourished by the spiritual energy of mountain streams a hundred miles away. Their meat is tender, and they possess the marvelous property of nourishing Yin and invigorating Yang!"
Some young noblewomen blushed scarlet at his words, while a seductive young matron's eyes danced with interest. Someone piped up in skepticism, "You're a fraud, aren't you? Your crucian carp look no different from the ones in the town stream."
As soon as those words were spoken, the crowd began to jeer, "Exactly, exactly! A con artist!"
Without batting an eye or changing his expression, Wang Jing signaled for everyone to step back. He picked up a piece of stone from the ground and held it up to the crowd. "Honored guests, please look—this is a stone!"
"Well, duh! What is it supposed to be, dog shit?!"
The crowd was utterly baffled, completely at a loss.
With a slight shift of his mind, Wang Jing channeled the Mountain-Crushing Fist technique. Right before the dumbfounded eyes of the onlookers, he crushed the stone into fine powder!
"Amazing! Do it again!"
"I love this!"
Like grass in the wind, the crowd immediately began to applaud and hoot. In the blink of an eye, an ordinary fish-selling venture threatened to turn into a full-scale street-acrobatics show.
Wang Jing brushed the crumbs from his hands and declared to the crowd, "I used to be weak and frail, and it was only after eating these spirit-infused crucian carp that I became this strong!"
With that, Wang Jing couldn't resist striking a few handsome poses typical of a fitness guru.
In the crowd, an old man in red garments wore a look of disdain. With a cold snort, he turned to leave with his family, but the little girl in a red quilted jacket accompanying him refused to budge. Coaxing him coquettishly, she said, "Grandpa, let's watch a bit longer."
The old man had seen right through Wang Jing's trick long ago, but he doted on his granddaughter too much to refuse, so he turned back with her.
At that moment, a heavily makeup-clad matron in the crowd spoke up, "If my man eats this, will he become as strong as you?"
The crowd instantly erupted into laughter, filled with teasing remarks and mocking catcalls.
The matron remained unbothered and scolded the crowd, "It's just the business between a man and a woman! If you've got the backbone, turn off the lights and go at it frantically, doing nothing else; if you haven't, don't stand in broad daylight and lack the courage to admit your own incompetence!"
Wang Jing was thoroughly impressed by this bold and unrestrained matron. With absolute confidence, he said, "Don't you worry, Madam! If Big Brother eats this fish, I guarantee he'll regain his eighteen-year-old vigor!"
The matron was instantly overjoyed. "How much is this fish? I'll take the lot!"
The crowd chattered among themselves. "Shameless!"
"Such a brazen hussy!"
"I heard Liu Sanniang was wild, but I never expected her to say something so shocking."
The insults were harsh, but the matron didn't care in the least. She even snapped back, driving away a few hecklers with her formidable arguing skills.
A look of deeper admiration crossed Wang Jing's face. He gave Liu Sanniang a firm, reassuring look, and then held up five fingers.
"Priced by the catty or by the fish?"
A playful expression crossed Wang Jing's face. The big fish had taken the bait, and he replied calmly, "Madam, I am no unscrupulous merchant. Naturally, the fish are sold by the catty."
"500... cash, or 50 cash?!"
Well, the price had been named by the matron herself.
Wang Jing was just about to say fifty cash when a piece of gold was tossed toward him. He caught it swiftly and hefted it—it weighed a good five taels!
The crowd parted to make a way, and a middle-aged man dressed in slightly loose green brocade strode forward. With hollow eyes and a sallow, emaciated complexion, he looked precisely like someone whose body had been completely hollowed out by excessive indulgence.
"Take the gold and give me the fish! But if it doesn't work, you'd better prepare to collect my corpse!"
His voice was shrill and grating, carrying a somewhat sickly and eerie undertone.
Following closely behind, a tall attendant stepped straight up, hoisted the fish basket away, and the middle-aged man turned and flicked his sleeves as he walked off.
Liu Sanniang was stunned at first, only reacting a beat later. Realizing that the man was someone she couldn't afford to provoke, her eyes reddened with a mixture of frustration and grievance.
"Hold on!"
Hearing the shout, the middle-aged man turned his head with a playful expression. "What? Afraid of dying and want to back out?!"
Pocketing the gold, Wang Jing gave a calm smile and said, "Sir, crucian carp make the best broth when simmered with tofu, wolfberries, and red dates until it turns milky white. Eating them raw works too, but consume no more than two catties a day—too much is not good."
The middle-aged man nodded impatiently. "Got it! Got it!"