Chapter 21: Chapter 20 Rave Reviews_1
The Wu family’s affair at the Fresh Fish Lane was unknown to Lu Tong. To her, Wu Youcai was just another exceedingly ordinary scholar among those who came to buy the medicinal tea. After a brief encounter, she quickly forgot about him.
She was busy making more medicinal tea.
The "Chun Shui Sheng" from Renxin Medical Hall was selling even better than imagined.
In the springtime, those troubled by nasal congestion were plentiful. Word spread in the marketplace that drinking this tea could greatly alleviate such symptoms. Many, out of curiosity, bought the tea to try and, after brewing a few packets, discovered its remarkable effectiveness.
Despite "Chun Shui Sheng" costing four taels of silver per jar, which wasn’t cheap, it was considered a miraculous remedy for those deeply troubled by nasal congestion. Moreover, even if one didn’t buy "Chun Shui Sheng," the final cost of purchasing separate herbs to brew wasn’t much different. Thrifty housewives did the math and concluded it was better to just buy Chun Shui Sheng. In time, Chun Shui Sheng made a name for itself in Shengjing, and Renxin Medical Hall became known as well.
Its growing reputation even reached the Palace Front Office.
At the Capital Marshal’s Mansion of the imperial guards...
Duan Xiaoyan walked in from outside.
Despite his youth, he had a pleasing and friendly appearance. Dressed in a wisteria-colored robe, he looked like a delicate wisteria bloom within the Marshal’s Mansion as he entered the room with light steps.
Inside the room, someone was reviewing official documents.
The young man was dressed in a scarlet round-necked official uniform, his sleeves embroidered with subtle patterns. Sunlight filtered through the latticed windows upon his face, lending a hazy halo to his handsome profile.
Hearing the footsteps, he didn’t look up but simply asked, "What is it?"
"Chaser said he’ll be back to the city a few days late," Duan Xiaoyan replied.
Pei Yunmeng paused in his review of the documents and frowned, "What’s Xiao Er up to now?"
"He says there’s a plum tree on a farm outside the city, with fruit that will ripen in a few days and is said to be delicious. He wants to wait for the plums to ripen before returning," explained Duan Xiaoyan, also puzzled, "Strange, I’ve never heard before that Chaser liked plums."
Upon hearing this, Pei Yunmeng first paused, then as if realizing something, chuckled and said, "Let it be, let him do as he wishes."
"There’s also an invitation from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion," Duan Xiaoyan continued. "They want you to visit ..."
"I won’t go, just say I’m swamped with official duties."
Duan Xiaoyan sighed, "I knew it would be like this." With a hint of emotion, he added, "It must be because the Grand Preceptor’s daughter took a fancy to your good looks last time. They say when one has a daughter, many come asking; it seems to be the same with a son. Ever since I joined the Marshal’s Mansion, I’ve turned down at least eighty invitations for you, if not a hundred."
Duan Xiaoyan glanced at Pei Yunmeng’s excessively handsome face and shook his head, "In our line of work, playing the hero and saving damsels in distress happens all the time. With your eye-catching good looks and formidable skills, if I were the one saved, I’d also be moved to give my heart. Speaking of which, among all the girls we’ve saved over the years, it seems that only the one we met last time left without even saying thanks. For someone to remain indifferent in the face of your beauty must truly be destined for great things."
With a smile tugging at his lips, Pei Yunmeng looked at him and said lightly, "It seems you have plenty of leisure time on your hands, just as it’s about time for the guard rotations..."
"Stop right there!" Duan Xiaoyan quickly interjected, slapping a palm-sized jar on the table from his bosom, "Yunmeng, I’m here to bring you tea. How can you repay kindness with ingratitude?"
Pei Yunmeng picked up the jar in front of him and glanced at it, "Chun Shui Sheng when willows shed their blossoms?"
"Don’t you know? Recently, this Chun Shui Sheng has become quite popular in Shengjing. They say brewing it can relieve nasal congestion and offer significant benefits. Furthermore, the tea is a clear jade green, very elegant indeed. I asked someone to buy two jars for me, giving one to you. I was worried if I went any later, Renxin Medical Hall would be out of stock," Duan Xiaoyan explained.
At the mention of "Renxin Medical Hall," Pei Yunmeng’s expression subtly shifted.
A moment later, he tossed the jar back into Duan Xiaoyan’s arms, "Keep it for yourself, I won’t drink it."
"Though it’s not some famous tea, you don’t have to be so picky. I had a difficult time buying it," complained Duan Xiaoyan with a pout, "It’s not poisoned."
Pei Yunmeng chuckled, "That’s yet to be seen."
...
Renxin Medical Hall’s Chun Shui Sheng, which had reached as far as the Palace Front Office, naturally found its way to the nearby Xinglin Hall as well.
Inside Xinglin Hall, what swirled around wasn’t the lingering ripples left by the spring water, but rather, it felt like a chilling, cutting wind.
Bai Shouyi’s azure robe was creased, unsettled by his lack of attention to smooth them out. His usually kind face now appeared somewhat grim.
He had asked Wen You to spread rumors about Chun Shui Sheng in the marketplace, exaggerating the efficacy of the medicinal tea in hope that those who bought it would find it not living up to its reputation and make trouble at Renxin Medical Hall. But several days had passed and no one had come to make a scene, while Chun Shui Sheng’s tea sold increasingly well.
The tea indeed had an effect on relieving nasal congestion.
Nasal congestion and rhinitis were always difficult to treat, and every spring, a large number of patients would come to Xinglin Hall for medicine. Just drinking the tea for two to three months could bring in significant income for Xinglin Hall.
Now, with the emergence of Chun Shui Sheng, no one came to Xinglin Hall to get medicines for nasal congestion anymore. Xinglin Hall’s income for this month had nearly halved. If before, Bai Shouyi simply despised Du Changqing, now his grievance against Renxin Medical Hall was sky-high.
"Lately, the number of people coming to Xinglin Hall for medicine has decreased," Bai Shouyi straightened his silk belt and muttered, not really speaking to anyone, "and the patients coming for nasal congestion have dropped by sixty percent."
This made Zhou Ji’s heart sink.
As the sole Resident Doctor at Xinglin Hall, he had relied on his exceptional medical skills to crowd out other doctors, and since patients recognized him as a living advertisement, Bai Shouyi turned a blind eye. But now, with this issue at hand, Bai Shouyi’s anger was directed solely at him.
Seeing Bai Shouyi in a bad mood, Zhou Ji braced himself and said, "Shopkeeper, I have tried the tea myself for several days, and indeed, it relieves nasal congestion. Perhaps the Resident Doctor Du Changqing has hired is not all talk."
"Not all talk?" Bai Shouyi looked at him with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, "If that’s the case, why didn’t you keep the tea when that woman came to Xinglin Hall to consign it, instead of discarding it, allowing Du Changqing to snatch up the bargain?"
"I..." Zhou Ji’s face showed deference, but internally he cursed. The consignment of new medicines was always managed by vendors familiar with the business, and how could he, a Resident Doctor, make such decisions? In the past, it was always Bai Shouyi himself who chose the merchants for new medicine consignments. But now Bai Shouyi was simply looking for an excuse to make things difficult, so he could only grit his teeth and bear it.
Bai Shouyi seemed amicable, but he was actually petty and mean-spirited. Now that the money from the medicinal tea was going to Renxin Medical Hall, Bai Shouyi was earning less, and as a Resident Doctor, Zhou Ji couldn’t expect to fare well either.
As Zhou Ji was thinking this, he heard Bai Shouyi put on an act, heaving a sigh: "It’s a pity that Chun Shui Sheng didn’t end up in Xinglin Hall. Otherwise, it would be us earning the silver now."
Chun Shui Sheng ending up in Xinglin Hall?
A thought struck Zhou Ji.
He stood there still, his goat-like eyes flickering, and suddenly he spoke up, "Shopkeeper, I have an idea."
Bai Shouyi glanced at him, "What idea?"
Zhou Ji said, "Practicing medicine as Resident Doctor requires tailored treatments, but making medicinal tea or pills is different. If you find out the materials used and master their preparation, you can replicate the same effects."
At this, Bai Shouyi’s eyes lit up, "You mean..."
"If that young woman lacks the experience of practicing medicine, she likely just lucked out with the recipe; her skills in compounding are probably not profound. Having been a Resident Doctor for many years, I think replicating this medicinal tea won’t be difficult."
Zhou Ji spoke confidently. His medical skills were well-recognized in the Shengjing medical community, and if a young woman could create the medicinal tea, he certainly could do it as well. Hence, his language was filled with arrogance.
Bai Shouyi was silent for a moment, then slowly started to smile.
When he smiled, his face softened, amiable and benevolent once again, and he hypocritically added, "In such a case, wouldn’t it be somewhat dishonorable? After all, it wouldn’t be honorable to admit to such copying."
"How could that be?" Zhou Ji feigned surprise, "Since it is a medical recipe, it should be shared to alleviate the suffering of the sick. This is a great kindness, a reflection of your compassionate heart, Shopkeeper."
His words deepened Bai Shouyi’s amusement. He affectionately patted Zhou Ji’s shoulder and sighed, "I appreciate your far-sightedness; it seems I have been too narrow-minded. In that case, I’ll have to trouble you to put in the effort."
Zhou Ji chuckled, "It is only what I should do."
Bai Shouyi nodded and, concealing his smile, called in the apprentice who was sweeping outside.
He said, "Go to Renxin Medical Hall and buy a few jars of Chun Shui Sheng. Make it quick."