Chapter 73: Chapter 56 Xianxian_1
In Shengjing on the fifth day of the fifth month, under Luoyue Bridge, dragon boats competed in racing, and at midday people loved to bathe in orchid-infused water, believing that "a mouthful of noonti water is better than three years of the finest tonics."
Ah Cheng, carrying a wooden bucket, left the house, planning to draw so well water for tea making at noon. Yin Zheng sat inside making zongzi with dates, while Du Changqing leaned against a long chair, weakly reminding Lu Tong who sat in front of the dicine cabinet, "Doctor Lu, we haven’t had any inco for a month."
Lu Tong said nothing.
No one showed any interest in "Xianxian."
Five taels of silver was indeed a bit pricey for commoners. Besides, since the herbal tea wasn’t a cure for serious ailnts like nasal congestion, it inevitably aroused so skepticism.
Regular custors like Official Hu were uninterested in such beautifying and weight-reducing teas, and even if they wanted to support the business, they couldn’t, leaving Renxin dical Hall much quieter than before.
Du Changqing’s patience was limited, and seeing silver going out without coming in every day, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. However, Lu Tong was even less responsive than he was, so Du Changqing could only vent a few complaints verbally, truly at a loss.
While they were talking, a figure ran from the far end of the long street; it was high noon on a sumr day, and today being the Dragon Boat Festival, everyone in the city had gone to see the dragon boat races under Luoyue Bridge. West Street was very quiet, so the sudden appearance of this shadow seed quite peculiar.
The shadow rolled down the scorching long street towards Renxin dical Hall and burst into the shop, not waiting for Lu Tong to speak, she herself cried out loud, "Herbal tea! I want two jars of herbal tea!"
Du Changqing swiftly stood up from his chair and stepped forward quickly, blooming a warm smile to this month’s only custor, "What kind of herbal tea would you like?"
The woman, who was a bit plump and forthright, said without hesitation, pointing at the white porcelain jar hidden among the pogranate flowers, "That one!"
"Xianxian?" Du Changqing was stupefied.
This herbal tea had been in the dical hall for nearly a month without anyone asking for it. The pogranate flowers Ah Cheng had picked were all withered, leaving only the bare branches in front of the dicine cabinet, adorned with the pink paper on white porcelain jars, looking quite pitiable.
"This herbal tea..." Du Changqing wanted to explain.
The woman interrupted him, "I know it makes you lose weight when you drink it!"
Yin Zheng, seeing this, went up with a smile and asked, "Sister, how did you know that drinking this herbal tea would make you lose weight? Did soone tell you?"
The woman replied, "Who told ? I saw it with my own eyes! Dai Sanlang from the East City Temple Entrance, who sells pork, used to be as fat as a pig, but after drinking your family’s herbal tea, he’s turned into a handso man now, looking very respectable!"
Since many rchants on West Street had gone to watch the dragon boat racing today, the number of shops that were open was small. Next door, Taylor Ge was sipping tea by the doorway, eavesdropping on the conversation with half-shut eyes. Hearing this, he couldn’t help but blurt out, "Nonsense! Who hasn’t seen Dai Sanlang? His waist is wider than my dustpan; how could he be comparable to a handso man?"
The woman glanced at Taylor Ge’s robust figure and sneered, "Exactly, but now he’s different from before. Even Widow Sun is eager to talk to him. If you don’t believe it, go and see for yourself at the East City Temple Entrance!"
She spoke with such certainty that she silenced Taylor Ge for a mont, leaving him without a coback.
Du Changqing wanted to speak, but then a voice ca from outside, "I can vouch for her, she’s not lying!"
Everyone turned to look and saw that it was Sister Song, panting heavily with a bamboo basket in her hand, running towards them. Her voice rang out before she even got close, "I went to Dai’s Shop with Sister Sun, and Dai Sanlang really does look handso now, even more heroic than Shopkeeper Du!"
Du Changqing: "..."
Sister Song’s silk shoe shop was right here; everyone on West Street knew her and she wasn’t the type to gossip idly. For a mont, everyone was half-believing and half-doubting as they stared at her, bombarding her with questions, "Is that possible? We all know what Dai Sanlang looks like, can he really turn into a handso man?"
Sister Song disregarded them and rushed straight into Renxin dical Hall, saying to Lu Tong, "Doctor Lu, my cousin asked
to buy a jar for her daughter as well. Do you still have any?"
"We do." Lu Tong took out a jar from the dicine cabinet and handed it to her while Du Changqing weighed the silver. In an instant, Du Changqing completed two transactions and was still in a daze from the trendous surprise, not yet having snapped back to reality when they heard Ah Cheng’s voice from the end of the long street, "Boss... Boss!"
The young apprentice ca rushing from the end of the street, dragging a wooden bucket as if he was being chased, gasping for air he ran into Renxin dical Hall. Du Changqing looked at his empty bucket and asked in puzzlent, "Didn’t you go to fetch water? Where’s the water?"
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