Chapter 81: Chapter 58: Marshal Visits_3
The tea was so astringent compared to the scent of the dicine that it was almost unbearable. He slightly furrowed his brow, set down the tea cup, and stood up, his gaze settling on the cramped and narrow dical hall.
Renxin dical Hall’s dicine shop was small, but thanks to the shade it provided and the large plum tree at its entrance, whose branches and leaves nearly enveloped the entire shop, the interior stayed cool even during sumr days.
The young proprietor seed to be soone who enjoyed life’s comforts. There were tea tables, ditation chairs, bamboo couches, and flower vases. Even the dicine cabinets were ticulously cleaned, and right across the wall hung an ink wash painting.
Beneath the painting, scattered haphazardly on the table, was a copy of "Laws of the Liang Dynasty" half-flipped open, its pages rustling in the breeze.
The shop wasn’t big, but it was organized with elegance and immaculate cleanliness. Mugwort and fragrance pouches from the Dragon Boat Festival were still hanging, dispersing a llow aroma of herbs all around, free from mosquitoes and flies, offering a comfortable escape from the sumr heat.
A breeze blew in from the deeper part of the shop, causing the felt curtain to sway slightly, and the faint sound of cicada chirps could be heard from the courtyard.
The young man walked over, about to reach out and push aside the felt curtain.
But soone blocked his way.
He looked down, fixing his eyes on the woman before him. "What does Doctor Lu an by this?"
Lu Tong stood in front of the felt curtain, her expression slightly displeased. "Lord Pei, has nobody ever told you not to barge into a woman’s boudoir without permission?"
"Boudoir?" Pei Yunng was taken aback for a mont.
Upon seeing this, Yin Zheng, who was beside him, quickly explained, "Lord Pei, Miss Lu usually lives in this small courtyard; indeed, it’s a woman’s boudoir..."
He was sowhat surprised, as he had not expected Lu Tong to actually live there. After a mont, he spoke again, "How does Doctor Lu co to live in the dical hall?"
Ordinarily, resident doctors would reside in their own hos, all the more so for a young woman like Lu Tong.
Lu Tong smiled, "Shengjing is not like other places, where rice pearls and firewood cinnamon abound. For an ordinary person like , staying in the dical hall helps save quite a bit of money on household expenses."
"It’s natural for a marshal with an official title not to understand."
Her words were straightforward, but when she ntioned "offspring of those with official titles," a fleeting and barely concealable loathing flashed through her eyes.
Pei Yunng was thoughtful.
After a long pause, he then said, "This dical hall is located on West Street, right before you reach the tavern, and in Shengjing, there’s no curfew. City guards patrol West Street every night. Doctor Lu has good vision; though simple, this place is safer than others."
Yin Zheng’s heart skipped a beat. Pei Yunng’s words coincided exactly with what Lu Tong had said when she first moved into Renxin dical Hall.
After glancing at the felt curtain again, he withdrew his gaze. "So it’s a boudoir. Doctor Lu was so tense just now, I thought you might be hiding a corpse inside."
What sounded like a jest suddenly caused the color in Lu Tong’s eyes to turn icy cold.
She lifted her gaze to look at the man before her.
Pei Yunng was extrely handso.
Graceful and attractive, he stood out, likely because of his noble birth; even in the dim, tight confines of the apothecary, his elegance and distinguished air couldn’t be overshadowed, the kind accustod to walking amid silk and brocade.
Moreover, he had a pair of expressive brows and deep-set eyes that seed gentle and warm at first, but upon closer inspection, revealed sharpness and detachnt.
This man’s perceptiveness was irritating.
Lu Tong, overshadowed by his presence, paused her gaze for a mont on the dark silver cloud patterns embroidered on his clothing before looking away.
She spoke, "Lord Pei jested; this place is a dical hall, not Yanluo Hall."
Pei Yunng appeared unconcerned, "Even if it were Yanluo Hall, I suppose Doctor Lu would have a way of preventing discovery."
A slight curve touched his lips as his glance skimd over the "Laws of the Liang Dynasty" on the table, "Hasn’t Doctor Lu thoroughly studied Shengjing’s laws already?"
Lu Tong felt a sinking feeling.
He had noticed that too.
"There is sothing the lord does not know. For those of us of lower status, it’s inevitable to be troubled by others. Without a clear understanding of the law, one tends to be at a disadvantage," she said.
"After all," she continued, looking directly into Pei Yunng’s eyes, "the law does not favor the privileged, and the rope does not bend the straight, right?"
Pei Yunng looked at her in silence, not uttering a word.
The back and forth between the two of them was gentle and calm, yet it was as if a sword poised for unsheathing hung in the air of the small shop, making the surrounding atmosphere tense.
Ah Cheng looked at the two people and, for so reason, shivered, walking carefully to Lu Tong’s side to remind her, "Doctor Lu, Miss Yinzhen wants ’Chun Shui Sheng’, but ever since the people from the dicine depot took away the official formula, our pharmacy hasn’t made any new ’Chun Shui Sheng’."
"Chun Shui Sheng" was taken over by the Imperial Apothecary and beca controlled dicine. Apart from the Official dicine Bureau, other pharmacies and dical halls were not allowed to sell it privately, including Renxin dical Hall.
Lu Tong fell silent for a mont, explained the matter to Pei Yunng, then walked to the dicine cabinet, bent down, and rummaged out the last few jars of "Xianxian," handing them, with the attached dication contraindications, over to Pei Yunng.
"Since we don’t have Chun Shui Sheng in the dical hall, ’Xianxian’ sells the best. Lord Pei, if you don’t mind, you can use this as a substitute."
Pei Yunng took the dicine jar from her hand and looked at the list of contraindications.
The list was longer than a lady’s waist belt; he glanced down, "Avoid sweets and greasy food, take it three tis daily on ti, do not lie or sit down imdiately after taking it, walk two miles an hour after taking it..."
Pei Yunng was first surprised, then he couldn’t help but laugh, "Doctor Lu, if one follows all these dication contraindications, won’t they slim down without even taking the dicine?"
With all these rules and restrictions, involving diet and movent, each one capable of slimming soone down, it seed as though the tea itself might be redundant.
Lu Tong replied, "dicine is a poison that affects in three ways; relying on the tea alone makes it hard for ordinary people to persist. Following the list precisely ensures the best efficacy."
"If Lord Pei doesn’t like it, I can also prepare a different prescription for your nourishnt."
Ah Cheng quietly glanced at Pei Yunng — the young lord appeared tall and slender but not frail, with a sharp and well-proportioned figure, hardly one that seed in need of dicinal teas to gild the lily.
"I like it, I like it!" Duan Xiaoyan snatched away the dicine jar, his eyes smiling, "If his lordship doesn’t need it, why not give it to ? My family’s Zhizi has recently gained so much weight she can’t be seen in public; this tea would be just right for her to try!"
Without considering the look on Pei Yunng’s face, he stuffed the Xianxian into his bosom.
Pei Yunng glanced at him, too lazy to contend with such shaless behavior.
Lu Tong inquired, "Lord Pei, we’re even now, right?"
Pei Yunng raised his eyebrows, "Is Doctor Lu trying to see a guest out?"
"Your lordship worries too much."
Ah Cheng: "..."
No wonder the young master worried too much; he too felt that today’s Doctor Lu wasn’t as easy to talk to as usual and was rather sarcastic.
Pei Yunng nodded, signalled to Duan Xiaoyan at his side to take good care of the tea, and addressed Lu Tong, "In that case, we won’t disturb you any further. Should the opportunity arise, we will seek dical advice from Doctor Lu another day."
"It would be best if that opportunity never arises," Lu Tong didn’t give him an inch.
Duan Xiaoyan almost choked.
Lu Tong lowered her gaze: "Constantly seeing a healer is not a good sign. I hope his lordship remains healthy, with sound sleep and appetite, and that there is no occasion for us to et again."
Duan Xiaoyan scratched his head.
They were nice words, and there shouldn’t have been anything wrong with them, yet why did they sound like a curse that was truly spine-chilling?
Pei Yunng looked at her, and after a long mont, he nodded: "Alright, I will try my best."
Duan Xiaoyan and Pei Yunng left Renxin dical Hall and headed towards the end of West Street. Their horses were tied up at the stable of a tavern located at the entrance of the street.
Turning to look back, Duan Xiaoyan said to Pei Yunng, "Brother, Miss Lu seed like she didn’t quite like you."
Doctor Lu seed polite yet distant, her manners impeccable. However, between her words and expressions, there was an underlying impatience, as if they were so ferocious beast.
"Did you sohow offend her before?" Duan Xiaoyan asked.
Otherwise, with Pei Yunng’s handso appearance, it didn’t make sense for any girl to dislike him.
Pei Yunng smiled faintly, "Perhaps it’s because I’ve seen through her true nature."
"Her true nature, what true nature?"
Pei Yunng thought for a mont: "Don’t you think she looks a lot like..."
"Like what? A female Bodhisattva?"
"Of course not."
He said indifferently, "A Female Yanluo."
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