Chapter 447: Chapter 163 Danqing_2
Even his agitation from before was somewhat dissipated.
"...Smells good." Qi Yutai nodded and said nonchalantly, "Where did the Vice Minister buy it?"
This incense surely wasn’t as precious as the Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance; Jin Xianrong was perhaps just acting on a whim, buying cheaper fragrant pills at the Fragrance Medicine Bureau to try a different flavor.
Upon hearing this, Jin Xianrong revealed a mysterious smile.
He coughed lightly, lowering his voice, "This fragrance is called ’Pond Spring Grass Dream’."
"’Pond Spring Grass Dream’?"
"The rashness of youth leads quickly to old age, and every moment should be treasured. The spring grass dream by the pond not realized, yet the leaves of the wutong at my steps whisper the sounds of autumn." He recited a few lines, shaking his head and smiling lewdly, "This is a special concoction that Doctor Lu prepared for me, containing several kinds of medicinal herbs. Men who smell this often will be invigorated and benefit from increased vitality in that regard."
"Yu Tai," he patted Qi Yutai on the shoulder, earnestly advising, "You are young now and don’t understand, but youth fades quickly, and you should cherish it."
Although he spoke somewhat incoherently, Qi Yutai understood what he meant.
Recently, there had been talk that Jin Xianrong had a kidney abscess, and many officers from the Medical Officer Institute had come in waves; it seemed this new fragrant pill was concocted by a female medical officer specifically for Jin Xianrong’s kidney abscess.
Ordinary and cheap fragrant pills like these, he should have scoffed at, but for some unknown reason, Qi Yutai suddenly recalled what that female medical officer had said the last time they met.
"The Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance calms the mind and eases insomnia, but long-term use can lead to dependency. Over time, it may even have the opposite effect."
"It might not be a bad idea for Minister Qi to sometimes use less of this incense to avoid becoming addicted and harming your health."
From a young age, whatever he ate, used, or did, was all arranged by his father.
From the servants at his side to the incense used in his room, everything was chosen by his father, leaving him no room for making his own choices.
This wasn’t a problem at all since those of their noble birth had always rightfully used the best and most expensive of everything.
However, at this moment, as Jin Xianrong held his cheap bottle of fragrance with ecstatic joy, as if it were a precious treasure, it left Qi Yutai feeling oddly unsettled.
Is this fragrance really that good?
Better than the Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance?
Qi Yutai didn’t know, for from his youth to this day, he had only ever used the Spirit Rhinoceros Fragrance.
Having no choice and not wanting to choose are entirely different things.
He felt an inexplicable frustration building up again, as if an annoying mouse was scurrying around in his head, its tiny claws tickling his heart, followed by an even deeper irritation.
He took a couple of steps, then suddenly turned back, hesitated for a moment, and spoke to Jin Xianrong, "Vice Minister."
Jin Xianrong was still smiling, "What is it?"
Qi Yutai extended his hand.
"Give me a few pills as well," he said, squinting his eyes, "I want to try them too."
...
After the start of summer, as soon as the daytime passed, the night rain started to patter down quietly.
The distant sound of watchman’s gongs could be faintly heard outside the Medical Officer Institute, on and off.
A figure braved the rain, running along the outside corridor, stopping in front of a room at the dormitory, and gently knocked on the door.
Lu Tong opened the door, and Lin Danqing, clad in a raincoat, dashed in from outside.
"What are you doing?" Lu Tong blinked in surprise.
"Shhh—"
Lin Danqing gestured for her to be quiet, shut the door, and then whispered, "Chief Physician Chang is asleep, we should keep our voices down, don’t let him catch us." She quickly entered the room, took off her raincoat, went to the window to close it, and placed an object on the long table in front of the window, motioning Lu Tong, "Look—"
Lu Tong walked over.
Under the dim light of the desk lamp, a bamboo basket as large as a winnowing fan rested, and it was a wonder how Lin Danqing had managed to carry it, filled to the brim with hot cooked food.
Even Lu Tong was taken aback for a moment.
The food at the Medical Officer Institute was bland, Lin Danqing was picky, and often sneaked out to buy snacks to eat, but fearing discovery by Chang Jin, she usually only brought back small things like marrow cakes and pastries; nothing like the spread laid out before them now, which was akin to setting up a banquet in the dormitory.
Lin Danqing, oblivious to Lu Tong’s reaction, excitedly began pulling out dish after dish of cooked food, such as cooked beef, spicy chicken feet, pork jelly, spicy bean curd chicken skin, brined peanuts... all of which were drinking snacks. Lastly, she pulled out two jars wrapped in red paper.
She lifted one jar in each hand, holding them high for Lu Tong to see, "Green Plum Wine from Shengxing Liquor Workshop! I had someone line up for an hour to get these, even the tip cost me half a piece of silver! It’s precious; tonight, we each get a jar!"
Lu Tong: "..."
Newly cooked green plum wine battles the freshness of May; it was the prime season for green plums, and Shengxing Liquor Workshop’s green plum wine was in high demand. She did not expect to have two jars right in front of her.
Lin Danqing thrust a jar of green plum wine into Lu Tong’s arms with a somewhat domineering air, "This one’s yours."