Shengjing always rained at night.
After one such night, the river beneath Luoyue Bridge filled with drifting willow catkins.
With the busy swallows and the idle orioles, and the flowers along the dyke falling, it was always the most splendid scene of spring.
Yin Zheng went downstairs to fetch some hot water and ran into the innkeeper. Being pretty and sweet-tongued, the people at the inn were always willing to lend her a hand. The innkeeper smiled, "Miss Yinzhen, you're awake so early?"
Yin Zheng smiled, "Yes."
The innkeeper glanced upstairs, "Your lady was busy in the back kitchen again till the third watch last night. You should advise her to take care of herself, ruining her health wouldn't be good."
Recently, Lu Tong had sent Yin Zheng with some money to buy herbs nearby and had also borrowed the inn's kitchen to process the herbs, busying herself until late at night. Though the innkeeper didn't say it aloud, he doubted inwardly. Processing herbs was skilled labor, and even the resident doctors in the city occasionally messed up. How could a young girl like Lu Tong manage? It was simply overreaching.
Pretending not to notice the disdain in the innkeeper's eyes, Yin Zheng exchanged a few more jovial words before she went upstairs and entered the room.
Inside, Lu Tong sat at a table wrapping teabags in white paper, tying them carefully with coarse red thread, and placing them into a box.
"Lady?"
Lu Tong stood up, "Let's go."
Leaving the inn, they were greeted by wonderful weather outside. It wasn't too hot in the early morning, with a light mist that caused a slight itching sensation on the skin.
There were tea stalls everywhere, as the people of Shengjing loved to drink tea. Tea houses could be seen all along the streets, with tea drinkers in sight everywhere. From a distance, the melodies from the Pear Garden enhanced Shengjing's lively atmosphere.
"Shengjing is nice," said Yin Zheng quietly, "but everything is just too expensive."
Lu Tong remained silent.
Before Lady Yun died, she asked her to burn all the medical books in the chest along with her body, leaving behind only silver for her. But over the years, Lady Yun had been extravagant with silver, quickly spending it on new herbs. After Lu Tong settled Lady Yun's affairs, there was hardly any silver left.
The expenses of traveling back to Changwu County and then to the Capital City weren't small either. A few days ago, Yin Zheng had estimated that, after deducting the cost of the herbs, the remaining silver could sustain them in Shengjing for just under half a month.
In at most half a month, they would truly have nothing left.
As they pondered, they passed through several alleys and followed a bustling street. Turning a corner, they came upon a medical hall.
In a row of neatly refurbished shops, this medical hall stood out as exceptionally discordant. The storefront was small, the signboard quite old, with "Renxin Medical Hall" written in a flamboyant style. Despite its prime location, its unassuming setup made it easy for passersby to overlook it.
Lu Tong walked towards the medical hall.
It was only upon approaching did they realize just how desolate the interior was. At the forefront was a long table nearly blocking the entrance. Seated behind was a young man in a canary-yellow lined robe, dozing with one leg up. Behind him was a whole wall of rosewood cabinets with tags on them—those were the medicine cabinets.
The medical hall had small windows and a small shop floor, making the light dim. Without lamps lit, it looked grey and somewhat eerie.
Yin Zheng cleared her throat and was about to speak when a young boy in short clothes, around eleven or twelve with some freckles on his nose, walked out from the inner room. He paused upon seeing Lu Tong and Yin Zheng, then swiftly went to the side of the dozing man and shouted, "Boss, there are customers here!"
The young man was so startled that he almost fell over. He scrambled up from his chair and put on a fake smile for Lu Tong and Yin Zheng, "Ah, what would you like to purchase?"
Yin Zheng gave him a strange look. His words didn't sound like those of someone running a medical hall, but rather like someone doing business.
Lu Tong asked, "Does your esteemed medical hall purchase processed medicine herbs?"
Seeing that they weren't there to buy medicine, the young man went back to his indifferent look. He took one glance at her and asked lackadaisically, "What herbs do you have?"
Yin Zheng quickly unwrapped a bundle and took out a large paper package.
The man opened the package and deftly pinched a bit to smell, then rubbed it between his fingers. His gaze on Lu Tong turned a bit surprised as he noted, "Puhuang Charcoal, huh. Not badly roasted."
Puhuang Charcoal was used frequently in medical halls, and raw Puhuang wasn't expensive, which is why Lu Tong had roasted these at the inn's kitchen.
Yin Zheng had been worried the medical hall wouldn't accept the herbs Lu Tong had processed. Reassured by his comment, she smiled, "The Puhuang Charcoal my lady roasts has always been of good quality, what say you, boss..."
This time, her smile wasn't as effortlessly convincing as usual. The young man held out three fingers and wiggled them, "Three coins of silver."
Lu Tong frowned slightly.
Just buying the raw Puhuang had cost her three coins of silver, not to mention the days she had spent working in the kitchen at the inn. This price was much lower than the market rate.
"What?" Yin Zheng exclaimed, "just that much? The raw Puhuang alone costs more than that!"
The owner put the paper package together with an unenthusiastic manner and, pointing outside, said with no politeness at all, "That's all you got. If you think it's too little, go out, turn left, there's an Xinglin Hall. It's a big establishment, try there, they might give you more."
His carefree and dejected appearance was infuriating, and Miss Yinzhen was about to argue when Lu Tong already pushed the paper package in front of the man, "Three coins then, three coins."
Seeing this, the young man's face showed a more sincere smile and he ordered the boy behind him, "Ah Cheng, go get the silver!"
The boy named Ah Cheng quickly brought back a piece of silver, which Lu Tong took. She then took two other oilpaper-wrapped items out of her bag.
The owner furrowed his brows, "What is this?"
Lu Tong: "Medicinal tea."
The owner pushed the medicinal tea back, smiled insincerely, and said, "Sorry, Miss, we don't accept medicinal tea at the medical hall."
"It's free, consider it a bonus." Lu Tong set the medicinal tea on the table, "Brewed, it can relieve nasal congestion and rhinitis. I'll give two doses to the owner to try first. If you're satisfied, I can send more." She added, "I'm staying at Laiyi Inn under Luoyue Bridge."
The owner looked at Lu Tong, who looked back calmly. After a while, the young man snorted and pocketed the two packets of medicinal tea, only waving his hand and saying, "Then thank you, Miss."
Lu Tong didn't say anything else and left with Miss Yinzhen.
After the two had gone, the boy approached the owner, puzzled, "Owner, we usually charge five coins for Puhuang Charcoal, why the sudden change in price today? And three coins is the price for raw Puhuang, there's no profit in it, why would they still agree to sell?"
The owner pushed Ah Cheng's head aside and, carrying the Puhuang Charcoal into the room, said, "Who says they didn't make a profit; didn't they give away two packets of medicinal tea?"
The boy looked down at the medicinal tea on the table. The packets were only the size of a palm, delicately tied with a red string and looked quite refined at a glance.
Ah Cheng realized, "They want to sell their medicinal tea on consignment?"
"What else?" scolded the owner: "There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What, do you think they're naive? Otherwise, why would they skip Xinglin Hall and come here to sell herbs? Do you think they like my face?"
The boy looked at the medicinal tea on the table. "Then, Owner, are we selling this medicinal tea or not?"
"Sell it my ass!" said the owner as he walked through the curtain into the back room, irritated, "Who knows if an unfamiliar item is poisonous or not? Who will pay the price if someone dies from it? I still have to test this Puhuang Charcoal. There are too many swindlers in the Capital City, including female swindlers. If you don't think twice, you'd end up counting money for them after being taken for a ride."
Muttering, he entered the back room and left a message, "Later, just throw it away, and don't mix it with other medicines."
Ah Cheng acknowledged and looked at the medicinal tea in front of him, shaking his head.
What a pity.
…
Outside, Lu Tong and Miss Yinzhen were walking ahead.
Miss Yinzhen was still brooding over what had just occurred, "We've been selling Puhuang Charcoal for five coins each everywhere we've been, yet this place only pays three. And they call themselves 'Renxin Medical Hall'; more like 'Malicious Medical Hall' if you ask me! Miss," she looked at Lu Tong with confusion, "we only made a few packets of medicinal tea, why not offer more to Xinglin Hall instead of consigning to this one?"
She didn't understand; the owner of Xinglin Hall was very generous when buying herbs, which was much more straightforward than the owner they just encountered. That medical hall looked more prominent, well-maintained, and bustling with people – much better than Renxin Medical Hall at first glance.
Lu Tong shook her head and softly said, "Renxin Medical Hall doesn't have a resident doctor."
Along the way, they had visited many medical halls where the resident doctors were usually elderly healers. However, in Renxin Medical Hall, apart from the owner and the boy called Ah Cheng, there were no other people.
Renxin Medical Hall was short-staffed.
Miss Yinzhen was surprised, "Miss, you want to become the resident doctor?"
Lu Tong paused for a moment, then nodded her head.
In the Capital City, she had nothing but Miss Yinzhen and a medical chest. Meanwhile, the business of the Ke Family was thriving.
Renxin Medical Hall was short-staffed and located on West Street; it wasn't too close nor too far from the Ke Residence.
She needed an identity.
An identity that allowed her to approach the Ke Family discreetly, yet openly.
The role of the resident doctor at the medical hall was the best option.
"But..." Miss Yinzhen hesitated. In these times, it was rare enough for women to practice medicine, let alone become a resident doctor.
"Let's keep moving," Lu Tong pulled her thoughts back, "Let's sell off the remaining Puhuang Charcoal."