Master Hu stood in place, looking somewhat dazed.

He hadn’t been to West Street for some time and didn’t know that West Street had produced a new medicine called Chunyang Sheng, much less that this Chunyang Sheng was produced by Xinlin Hall.

Xinlin Hall was operated by Bai Shouyi.

Master Hu’s impression of Bai Shouyi was of a gentle, kind-hearted old good man. Apart from his family’s medicinal materials being more expensive than others, making it somewhat difficult for some poor people on West Street to afford, he was still considered a decent merchant.

Now suddenly hearing news about Chunyang Sheng, Master Hu was truly surprised.

Though he was a pedantic scholar, he wasn’t completely stupid. Chunyang Sheng and Chunshui Sheng differed by only one character, and both were medicinal teas for treating nasal congestion. When others heard about them, they would inevitably confuse them. Backed by a large medical hall like Xinlin Hall, in the end, others would only know of Chunyang Sheng and not know of Chunshui Sheng.

This Bai Shouyi was clearly deliberately copying Renxin Medical Hall’s medicinal tea.

Copying was already beneath contempt, especially since everyone was neighbors on the same street, seeing each other constantly. Such shameless behavior was completely at odds with Bai Shouyi’s past image as a good man.

But why would Bai Shouyi do this? One should know that Xinlin Hall was thriving, and Bai Shouyi himself was wealthy, while Du Changqing was just a fallen young master who had finally managed to hold his head high thanks to Chunshui Sheng. Just when the medical hall was about to come back to life, Bai Shouyi pulled this move.

Against Du Changqing, who was inferior to him in every way and posed no threat, was it worth pressing him to death like this?

Master Hu couldn’t understand it.

While he was pondering, Fourth Master Chen had already straightened his collar and stamped his foot, saying: “So that’s how it is! That Xinlin Hall must have copied other medical halls’ medicinal tea, but their skills are poor. Since it’s fake goods, yet they’re spreading word everywhere about its miraculous effects. Such a conscienceless medical hall – this master must go demand an explanation today!” Having said this, he called for his servant to get up and was about to take the carriage forward.

Master Hu snapped back to attention and said: “Brother Chen, wait!”

“What for?”

Master Hu stepped into the carriage in a few strides, squeezing him aside. At this moment he couldn’t be bothered with the earlier grudge over beard-pulling, focused entirely on understanding exactly what was going on, so he said: “I’ll accompany you!”

“What are you going for?”

Master Hu touched his swollen chin and spoke with conviction: “Chunshui Sheng was first discovered and promoted by this old man. Now with fake goods causing trouble, even this old man’s reputation has been implicated. If we don’t clarify things, wouldn’t that be unjust? Naturally I must go.”

He flicked his sleeve: “Let’s go!”

…

So Master Hu and Fourth Master Chen rode the carriage straight to Xinlin Hall on West Street. When they reached the entrance of West Street, the two had just gotten off the carriage and walked a few steps when they could see Xinlin Hall’s golden signboard from afar.

Fourth Master Chen took a deep breath, flicked his robe corner and walked toward the medical hall entrance, saying: “That scoundrel has quite the impressive signboard!”

Master Hu hurried to catch up, but also mindful that neighbors on the same street fighting would look bad, he couldn’t help trying to placate: “Speak nicely, absolutely don’t start fighting.”

While the two were talking, suddenly a whirlwind passed, and a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, tall sturdy woman walked by, bumping Master Hu to one side.

He stopped, about to get angry, but when he looked up, he saw that woman charging aggressively into Xinlin Hall and slapping the table in front of the medicine counter: “Is anyone here? Get out here!”

Master Hu and Fourth Master Chen both stopped in their tracks simultaneously.

What performance was this?

…

In the inner room of Xinlin Hall, Bai Shouyi was carefully moving his clivia into the house.

Recently, the capital had frequent continuous rain at night, and in one night many peonies in the courtyard were damaged. This clivia was delicate and he dared not leave it outside in the courtyard anymore.

The clivia had cost him the high price of one tael of silver a few days ago. The orchid’s fragrance was ethereal and rich, diluting some of the medicinal smell in the shop. Taking a deep breath, one immediately felt refreshed and happy.

Indeed, his mood had been quite good lately.

Xinlin Hall’s “Chunyang Sheng” was selling very well.

For medicinal tea with the same effects, Xinlin Hall was one tael of silver cheaper than Renxin Medical Hall. Moreover, Xinlin Hall was an established shop with considerable reputation, so people needing to buy medicinal tea didn’t need to weigh their options – they would naturally enter here.

He heard that Renxin Medical Hall’s business had plummeted, with hardly anyone seen at their entrance these past few days. Thinking of this, Bai Shouyi felt satisfied.

Du Changqing was just a useless dandy – what great ability could he have? Even if he had temporary success, it was nothing more than flowers in a mirror or moon in water, unable to last long, truly not worth a second glance.

Bai Shouyi gazed at the flower branches before him, calculating this month’s income. It had to be said, this medicinal tea was quite profitable. In just ten-odd days, it already equaled several months’ past income. The medicinal tea’s materials weren’t expensive, and seeing the current supply-falling-short-of-demand situation, he imagined that once the entire spring season passed, Xinlin Hall’s profits would certainly be considerable.

Earning more silver was naturally good. Once he acquired Renxin Medical Hall for himself, he would be the only medical hall on all of West Street. When the time came to raise consultation fees and medicine prices, those common people would have to buy even if they didn’t want to. Why worry about not earning silver in the future?

Bai Shouyi calculated like this, his smile increasingly showing spring success. Just as he was thinking, he suddenly heard noisy commotion from outside Xinlin Hall, as if someone was causing trouble.

He frowned, lifted the felt curtain to look outside, and saw a tall, sturdy woman with a head wrap standing in front of Zhou Ji, shouting roughly: “Call your manager out!”

Probably here to cause trouble, these lowly people…

A trace of contempt flashed in Bai Shouyi’s eyes, but his face showed a kind smile. He walked out from the inner room and spoke amiably: “This auntie, I am Bai Shouyi…”

“Ptui!” A thick glob of phlegm spat onto Bai Shouyi’s face.

Bai Shouyi was stunned.

He had operated a medical hall on West Street for many years and had considerable reputation in the capital’s medical circles. Because the medical hall’s medicinal materials weren’t cheap, those who could afford to see doctors at Xinlin Hall were mostly from wealthy families, always maintaining some dignity in their speech. When had he ever encountered such a shrew? For a moment his mind went blank, only feeling a wave of nausea rising in his stomach.

But that woman paid no attention to Bai Shouyi’s expression and cursed at him: “What a fine Xinlin Hall, saying some Chunyang Sheng medicinal tea would immediately relieve nasal congestion when drunk – turns out it’s all lies! Bragging to high heaven, causing this old woman to scrimp and save to buy three jars to take home and boil, without seeing the slightest bit of effect. Still calling it miraculous healing – I say it’s like the King of Hell posting notices – nothing but ghost stories!”

This woman was tall and sturdy with a sharp tongue. After finishing this speech without taking a breath, it nearly made Bai Shouyi unable to maintain his composure. He took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his tone calm: “Without evidence or proof, how can this lady randomly slander and ruin reputations in front of my medical hall?”

“Reputation? What damn reputation do you have!” The woman sneered coldly with sharp words, then simply turned to face the busy street outside the shop front and shouted loudly: “If you have the guts, ask yourself – after drinking your Chunyang Sheng, was there even half a bit of effect?”

Xinlin Hall’s entrance had already gathered quite a crowd of onlookers due to this commotion. Fourth Master Chen and Master Hu were hiding among them. Upon hearing this, before Master Hu could speak, Fourth Master Chen seemed to have found someone to lead the charge and immediately rushed out shouting: “Exactly! What effect does this medicinal tea have? I drank it as instructed for seven or eight days, and as soon as I went out, I still choked with mucus and tears streaming. Saying nasal congestion would be immediately relieved – who are you trying to fool?”

“Three taels of silver per jar, cost me fifteen taels of silver total. The money was collected quickly enough, but not half a bit of effect was seen. And you still have the face to say others are slandering? Don’t you know that doing business requires genuine goods at fair prices, especially when you’re a medical hall dealing with matters of life and death!”

Fourth Master Chen had originally started in business, so his tongue was naturally sharp, and having learned some poetry and literature, he was even more aggressive now.

There were also people in the crowd who had bought Chunyang Sheng. Previously, just because they were all neighbors, seeing each other constantly, speaking out would make things awkward, so when the medicinal tea was ineffective they just accepted their bad luck. Now hearing Fourth Master Chen speak up, with someone taking the lead, gradually, discussions began to spread.

“That’s true. Earlier I heard rumors that Xinlin Hall’s medicinal tea had miraculous effects, so I also bought several jars to drink. It’s no different from ordinary nasal congestion decoctions – where are the effects they bragged about?”

“Right, I thought it was my own problem, turns out I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

Someone else said: “With such exaggerated claims spreading outside, Xinlin Hall really doesn’t live up to its name.”

“Probably for money’s sake. You know these people will abandon their conscience for money.”

“Tsk, even a large medical hall like Xinlin Hall would be so conscienceless…”

Such discussions reached Bai Shouyi’s ears, and his expression immediately changed.

Xinlin Hall’s good reputation of many years was now being criticized because of this medicinal tea – how could this be acceptable?

Just as he was about to speak, at this moment, someone unknown in the crowd said: “Oh my, you get what you pay for. This Xinlin Hall’s medicinal tea is just copying Renxin Medical Hall’s Chunshui Sheng. The one that had miraculous effects from the beginning was Chunshui Sheng. If you ask me, there’s a difference between imitations and genuine goods. Everyone, if you want to treat nasal congestion, you still need to go to Renxin Medical Hall!”

“Renxin Medical Hall’s Chunshui Sheng is the truly effective miraculous medicine!”

This voice was neither high nor low, just right to fall into everyone’s ears, but it made Bai Shouyi’s gaze suddenly turn sinister.

Renxin Medical Hall…

He gritted his teeth – it was Du Changqing again.