Chapter 349: Chapter 135 Poison Flower_1
Lu Tong arrived at the lodgings when the sky had already darkened.
She had spent half the day at the Hanlin Medical Institute updating records. The other half of the day was spent listening to lectures in the hall with everyone else, as Imperial Medical Officer Chang Jin briefed them on their rotational duties. By the time everyone dispersed, it was dusk.
The female officer who had led the way pointed out the direction to her at the entrance to the herb garden before leaving. Carrying her medical kit and luggage, Lu Tong walked on. There was no need for medical practitioners who had just arrived at the institute to be on duty on their first day. They were only required to familiarize themselves with the lodging and their colleagues in the same hall. Official work would commence the next day.
Without the company of other medical practitioners, Lu Tong followed the direction indicated by the female officer. The herb garden was vast, with lush vegetation as far as the eye could see. Some plants were neatly trimmed and appeared to be well-cared for. Others grew as wild as weeds and shrubs, scattered and unchecked.
After a long stretch of wild grassland, a large expanse of bright pink flowers bloomed hazily in the sunset, their delicate colors striking. From a distance, they looked like clouds of bright scarlet mist, and a faint, sweet fragrance drifted on the breeze.
Lu Tong only glanced briefly before shifting her gaze and carefully walking past the medicinal fields. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the fields grew sparse and then disappeared. In front of her appeared a row of buildings.
The last ray of sunshine vanished below the horizon, and in the pitch-black lodgings, only a few dim lanterns were lit, casting a dreary light on the ground.
The compounds were divided into two sections. On the left was the medicine storehouse, with its large doors tightly shut, and on the right were the lodgings. The gates were open, showing signs of age. After a rainfall, several roof tiles had been washed away, and thick cobwebs clung to the corners.
Lu Tong had passed by the residential quarters of the Medical Officer Institute before, which from the outside looked clean and tidy, with spacious courtyards, a stark contrast to the dilapidated place before her eyes.
She had known well beforehand that the Southern Pharmacy was the last place any Imperial Medical Officer wanted to be assigned. Looking at it now, the rumors seemed accurate. If the entire Hanlin Medical Institute could be compared to the Imperial Palace and the various halls to the inner palace, then the Southern Pharmacy would resemble the deserted Cold Palace.
Approaching the door, Lu Tong knocked lightly a few times. With no response, she pushed the door and entered.
As soon as she set foot inside, a musty, decaying smell assailed her nostrils.
The room wasn’t large. A big, old wooden cabinet stood near the window. Mud walls on all sides were splattered with stains—blood or something else, or perhaps mold spots from the dampness. Getting a closer look sent shivers down her spine.
Along the wall were bed after bed. The beds were narrow and closely packed, each covered with a sleeping mat showing signs of use.
Turning back, Lu Tong counted a total of twelve beds and made a mental note.
She placed her medical kit on an empty bed and intended to fetch a cloth from her luggage to wipe off the dust on the bed. As she opened it and moved the neatly folded clothes at the bottom, she froze.
Hidden neatly under the clothes were ingots of silver. On top was a grayish-brown fragrance pouch, washed white and inconspicuous. It was heavy and, when opened, Lu Tong found it filled with tiny, finely cut pieces of silver.
Lu Tong’s fingertips trembled as she held the pouch.
When she left West Street, all the people from the medical hall came to see her off. Against Du Changqing’s non-stop chatter, Yin Zheng was noticeably more silent than usual. Lu Tong had thought Yin Zheng was angry about the harsh words she had said the night before; she hadn’t realized Yin Zheng had secretly returned the silver.
She had even added a pouch of miscellaneous pieces of silver.
Lu Tong didn’t know how long it took Yin Zheng to save up that pouch of fragmented silver, but it surely hadn’t been easy.
While she was still in a daze, laughter and voices came from behind. Lu Tong swiftly pulled over the cloth cover and tied it, concealing the silver hidden among her clothes.
The laughter abruptly stopped, and Lu Tong turned around.
A line of women stood at the entrance. These women were not young, wearing robes of the Imperial Medical Officer that were different from those in the Medical Officer Institute during the day. Their robes were a dark brown, stained with something. Each one appeared irritable in their expressions and sallow, with a lackluster demeanor.
The woman at the front, who looked to be in her early thirties with fine brows and phoenix eyes, had a pale, narrow face. Her black hair was coiled high on her head, giving her a slightly harsh appearance. She stood in the doorway’s shadow, eyeing Lu Tong with an unfriendly gaze.
She didn’t speak, and the others around her remained silent as well. The dim and damp room, assessed by the cold gazes of the group, felt as uncomfortable as the large patches of mold on the walls, clinging to one’s skin, damp and sticky.
Lu Tong returned their gazes calmly, unfazed.
Seeming to be somewhat taken aback by her composure, the leading woman’s eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly before she walked over to Lu Tong and asked, "The newcomer, what’s your name?"
"Lu Tong."
The woman nodded, moved to Lu Tong’s side, picked up her luggage and tossed it aside, then spoke in a stern voice, "Your bed is over there."