Elder Li added, "However, while the three loaches are top-tier, there are only a few of them—not quite enough for the four of us to really dig in. So, I added some other small fish to play a supporting role." 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As he spoke, the housekeeper brought out the final dish—the one everyone had been waiting for, the grand finale.

It was a clay pot, also steaming and billowing white vapor.

Under everyone’s expectant gazes, Elder Li personally lifted the lid.

An exquisite, savory aroma—even richer, more potent, and more complexly layered than the Reverse Fish soup from before—erupted from the pot.

Li Xu immediately looked over and saw a fish soup that was also an alluring, milky white.

Floating in the soup was an assortment of small fish, the longest of which was no more than two inches.

Among them, three loaches, entirely golden with beautiful leopard-like markings, stood out from the rest, exceptionally eye-catching.

"Are these... small assorted fish from the Yangtze River?"

Ding Aiguo gazed at the various small fish in the pot, a nostalgic look in his eyes.

He said with a sigh, "I remember when I was a child, my hometown was right on the banks of the Yangtze River. Back then, there was a type of small fish in the river called a *pangji*. It was shorter than my little finger, shaped like a bitterling, with fine, smooth scales, and its body was so transparent you could even see its internal organs through its belly."

"This fish would die the moment it left the water, but it was a delicacy. It was incredibly plump and tender, and you could eat it whole—head, bones, and all. You didn’t even have to spit out any bones, and the taste was just out of this world."

"Back then, the small fish in the Yangtze were as common as grass. The locals used to joke that if you scooped up a handful of river water, you might find a small fish in your palm. When we washed rice or vegetables, we’d often catch a basketful of tiny fry, each about the size of a matchstick."

Elder Li nodded and said, "That’s right. There were many people fishing by the river with small lift nets. Those nets were only about four or five meters square, stretched taut diagonally by two crossed bamboo poles. You’d lower it into the water, wait for a bit like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree, and then yank the rope. The net would be full of little fish, jumping and thrashing about."

After sharing these nostalgic thoughts, the group grew even more eager to try the "Loach and Assorted Fish Soup," which was so full of childhood memories.

Unable to wait any longer, they each ladled a bowl for themselves.

The moment the soup touched their lips, everyone’s eyes lit up.

If the umami of the Reverse Fish soup was a clear, pure, and straightforward savoriness...

...then the umami of this Loach and Assorted Fish Soup was a mellow, complex, and richly layered savoriness.

The sublime sweetness of the Golden Leopard-Striped Loach, the delicate tenderness of the small mandarin fish, the richness of the small yellowhead catfish, the clean fragrance of the topmouth gudgeon... The distinct flavors of all these small fish had perfectly fused and been elevated within this single pot of soup.

Everyone ate with gusto, their appetites wide open as they reveled in the meal.

Just then, Li Xu picked something out of his soup.

It was a kernel, plump from having been simmered in the broth.

"Hm? Is this... a Sour Jujube Seed?"

Li Xu placed the kernel on his small side dish and examined it closely.

Although it had been soaked and simmered in the rich broth for a long time, he could still clearly discern its quality—the kernel was whole, its color a rich red, and while its surface was slightly wrinkled, its overall shape was very full.

Without a doubt, it was a high-quality Sour Jujube Seed.

Li Xu marveled at how Elder Li’s cooking was meticulous to an extreme degree.

Every ingredient he used was selected with uncompromising care.

He knew that if inferior, unripe Sour Jujube Seeds had been used, their sour and astringent taste would not only fail to calm the mind and enhance the flavor, but would in fact severely ruin the delicious umami of the entire pot of soup.

Seeing Li Xu studying the Sour Jujube Seed with such interest, Elder Li smiled and asked, "What’s this? Do you find it strange to put Sour Jujube Seeds in fish soup?"

Li Xu shook his head. "No, not at all. This combination can be found in ancient medicinal cuisine."

"Sour Jujube Seeds are neutral in nature with a sweet and sour flavor. They enter the Heart, Liver, and Gallbladder meridians and are excellent for nourishing heart yin, benefiting liver blood, and calming the heart-spirit. Loaches, on the other hand, are warm in nature with a sweet flavor. They enter the Spleen and Kidney meridians and are best for tonifying the middle burner to augment qi, warming the spleen and stomach, and supporting kidney yang."

Li Xu gestured to the loach and fish soup and explained eloquently, "One governs ’yin,’ the other governs ’yang.’ One nourishes the ’heart and liver,’ the other tonifies the ’spleen and kidney.’ When paired together, you have yin and yang, upper and lower, a harmony of water and fire, an interaction between the heart and kidneys. Not only do their flavors enhance each other, but they also create a supreme medicinal dish that ’dually nourishes yin and yang and facilitates communication between the heart and kidneys.’"

"Moreover," Li Xu added, "in some ancient medicinal recipes, there is a specific dish called ’Sour Jujube Seed and Loach Soup.’ It’s specially used to treat symptoms like insomnia, night sweats, and soreness in the lower back and knees, which are caused by a disharmony between the heart and kidneys and a deficiency of both yin and yang. It’s very effective."

Elder Li nodded repeatedly as he listened. "Doctor Li is right. Sour Jujube Seeds are indeed a good addition to fish soup."

The mention of Sour Jujube Seeds reminded Li Xu of what he had recently seen and heard in Xingtai, especially the huge storm that had swept through the entire sour jujube market.

As the conversation drifted to this topic, Li Xu gave a brief account of the current situation in Xingtai, the "Sour Jujube Turmoil."

As the chairman of the Ding Group, Ding Aiguo was naturally aware of the situation regarding the Sour Jujube Seeds and the Dragon Bone Calming Pill.

"The ’Dragon Bone Calming Pill’ that Doctor Li developed was like a shark charging into a pond full of minnows the moment it hit the market. Now, the entire Sour Jujube Seed market has collapsed, with prices plummeting. A few days ago, I heard from Kaifang that the procurement price for the highest-quality red Sour Jujube Seeds has already fallen from a high of over ten yuan back down to three or four yuan per jin, and even then, there’s no market for it. No one dares to buy."

After hearing this, a new idea sparked in Li Xu’s mind. The intelligence reports from the past few days had been almost entirely about the dynamics of the Sour Jujube Seed market. Right now, the entire market was in a phase of irrational, panic-driven selling—a complete overcorrection. He felt it was time to start buying at the bottom.

"Chairman Ding," he began thoughtfully, "’Dragon Bone Calming Pill’ is highly effective, but it has a fatal flaw. Its core ingredient—Dragon Bone—is a non-renewable fossil resource. The mines in Shanyang County have massive reserves, but they will eventually be depleted one day."

"Therefore, in the long run, the ’Dragon Bone Calming Pill’ can only serve as a high-end, strategic product. The calming-type medicine that can truly capture the mass market and achieve long-term, stable production must ultimately return to a track centered on a renewable plant resource like Sour Jujube Seeds."

"Right now, the price of Sour Jujube Seeds has hit rock bottom. I believe this is the perfect opportunity for us to make our move and acquire high-quality red Sour Jujube Seeds on a massive scale."

Ding Aiguo shared the same view.

After the meal, the three of them bid farewell to Elder Li.

On the way back, Li Xu immediately called Ding Kaifang and explained his idea to "buy the bottom" in detail.

Upon hearing the plan, Ding Kaifang slapped his thigh in excitement.

"Of course! How did I not think of that?" he said, annoyed with himself. "These past few days, I was so busy enjoying the ’Dragon Bone Calming Pill’s’ total market domination that I forgot this was the perfect opportunity for us to turn around and consolidate the upstream supply chain."

"Doctor Li, your suggestion is perfectly timed."

He made a snap decision. "I’ll get on it right away and contact the processing plants over in Xingtai."