Chapter 44: Main Ingredients, Auxiliary Ingredients

Chen Mobai found it very strange.

In this world, could there be people without surnames?

However, seeing that Qingnü had already walked far ahead, he did not ask and followed her.

"The grilled fish at this shop is especially delicious. I only come here once a month when I get my salary."

Chen Mobai followed Qingnü to a small shop in a corner of the city. She picked up the menu with ease and was about to order a spicy and numbing flavor, but then remembered that she was the one treating him today.

"You order."

"I haven't been here before, you order. Just make sure it's not too spicy."

Hearing Chen Mobai's words, Qingnü said "Oh" and quickly changed her order to a pepper-salt flavored grilled fish. She also added lotus root slices, bean sprouts, vermicelli, and other side dishes, and finally ordered two sodas.

"How is it, pretty good, right?"

Qingnü was eating happily. Chen Mobai took a bite and found that the side dishes were indeed delicious, but the fish meat was rather ordinary.

After all, he had been eating Blood Jade Carp for a while, which was a delicacy that even the Golden Core True Humans of the天河界 (Tianhe Realm) found irresistible. The ordinary farmed fish from this side of the Immortal Sect could not compare.

"Alright."

Chen Mobai could only give a fair evaluation. Qingnü shot him a glance, seemingly saying that he lacked social skills, but it did not stop her from enjoying her meal. She ate three-quarters of the large pot with her cherry lips.

"Do you really like grilled fish?"

Chen Mobai watched Qingnü, who was drinking soda to cut the richness, and suddenly asked.

"Yes, the first time I ate out was here. At that moment, I felt that this was the best food in the world."

"Next time, if there's an opportunity, I'll catch a fish myself, and use the ingredients from this shop. I guarantee it will taste even better."

In the碧云湖 (Biyun Lake) where the Water Mansion was located, although the Blood Jade Carp were all eaten, there were still some of their offspring. The taste might not be as good as the original, but it would definitely be better than this shop's.

Qingnü was at a loss for words upon hearing this, and was stunned.

The owner was right there clearing their table, making the situation very awkward.

Who would say the fish was bad right in front of the owner!

Qingnü confirmed that the young man in front of her had average social skills.

"The play is about to start, let's go."

Qingnü, who originally wanted to sit for a while and discuss how to cooperate, had to find an excuse to pay the bill and pull Chen Mobai away.

"Do you have a cheaper source for the raw materials of the Qi-Replenishing Spirit Water?"

The two found a quiet coffee shop to discuss the cooperation.

"No, all the herbs in our shop are delivered by the Bao Ping Pharmacy in pre-packed form. The teacher is responsible for writing the list, and I check and sign for them."

Qingnü shook her head.

"I looked at the formula. There are mainly three main ingredients and four auxiliary ingredients. The main ingredients are okay; I can find them in online pharmacies. But the auxiliary ingredients have many brands, and I don't know which ones to choose."

Chen Mobai took out his unopened bottle of Qi-Replenishing Spirit Water and handed it to Qingnü.

The three main ingredients are Polygonatum, Atractylodes, and Saposhnikovia.

Since it's only for the first-grade Qi-Replenishing Spirit Water, ten-year-old herbs are sufficient. These are common herbs that can be bought with good karma.

The four auxiliary ingredients are different, including dextrin, mannitol, flavoring agent, and spirit-sealing agent.

These seem to be industrial materials, with various brands, and it's hard to know which ones are good.

"Use this brand for dextrin, this brand for mannitol, and this factory's flavoring agent is sweet. If you use the spirit-sealing agent immediately after refining, you can buy the cheapest one..."

Qingnü was indeed professional. She had Chen Mobai open the Immortal Sect website and pointed out which stores he should buy from, speaking confidently, clearly having planned this for a long time.

"I can understand the spirit-sealing agent from its name, which is to prevent the loss of the spirit water's efficacy after packaging. What are the other three auxiliary ingredients for?"

"Dextrin is used to blend the power of the three main herbs. Mannitol makes it easier for the human body to absorb. The flavoring agent is for taste. The original liquid is very bitter, and it would be hard to drink without it."

"Then, can we skip the flavoring agent?"

Chen Mobai asked another question, which made Qingnü choke.

"It's not impossible, which would save 500 points of good karma. But are you sure? You don't like the taste of medicine, right? I've tasted the spirit water without the flavoring agent, and it's extremely bitter."

Qingnü was still trying to persuade him, and Chen Mobai hesitated. He indeed did not like the taste of medicine.

"Alright, for the first batch of spirit water, use the quantities you are most familiar with. How do we solve the issues of tools and location?"

"For this, I can borrow my teacher's herb pool and cold extraction machine. If he finds out and disagrees, then you'll have to figure it out."

The two discussed the details further. Qingnü also helped Chen Mobai choose some stores for the main herbs online. Her teacher's pharmacy bought herbs from these stores, and the quality was reliable.

Chen Mobai did not say much and directly placed the orders according to her instructions. The address and recipient were directly filled as Changqing Pharmacy and Qingnü, as all the packages in the shop were signed for by her, so there was no fear of her teacher finding out.

After buying the three main ingredients and four auxiliary ingredients, most of the 10,000 points of good karma Chen Mobai had exchanged for spirit stones were used up.

"How many bottles do you think you can refine from this batch?"

Chen Mobai picked up the unopened bottle of Qi-Replenishing Spirit Water on the table and asked.

"Between 10 and 20 bottles."

"Cough, cough..."

Chen Mobai, who was drinking coffee, couldn't help but almost choke.

"Then, isn't it destined to be a loss?"

"There will definitely be some investment in the early stages. Don't worry, once I get more skilled, you'll make a lot of money."

Qingnü clenched her slender fingers, patted her chest, and looked very confident.

Chen Mobai could only sigh.

But there was no other way. Resources in the Immortal Sect were scarce. If he wanted to use Qi-Replenishing Spirit Water or even higher-grade pills without limit, it was best to cultivate a pill master.

He could only hope that this Qingnü was worth his investment.

"Let's go, the theater is already open for entry."

At this moment, Qingnü checked the time and immediately urged Chen Mobai. She was eager to see the Jade Phoenix Theater's "Stepping on the Moon."

In the theater.

Chen Mobai sat awkwardly in his seat.

He had overlooked something.

"Brother, is this your sister-in-law?"

On his left was his cousin Wang Xinying, who had taken one of his tickets and decided to come to see Jiang Yuhuan today.

She widened her eyes and looked up and down at the beautiful Qingnü sitting on Chen Mobai's right.

Qingnü's face turned slightly red, and she was a bit at a loss for words, being asked by the innocent little girl.