Two days later was the capital’s annual Peach Blossom Festival.

At Falling Moon Bridge, small boats came and went like shuttles. Along both riverbanks, willows stood in dense layers. Following the embankment for about six or seven li, there was a small lake with a pavilion at its center. Several small boats were moored on all four sides of the lake pavilion, belonging to refined scholars who had come to enjoy the Peach Blossom Festival.

This spot was tranquil, surrounded by the lake on all sides, offering views of the splendid riverbank scenery, with enchanting peach blossoms visible in the distance. Scholars and refined gentlemen loved this place most; every year during the Peach Blossom Festival, they would gather here to appreciate the lake views and compile several volumes of poetry and selected writings.

This year was no different.

As the scholars and literati were engaged in animated discussion, their poetic inspiration running high, another small boat stopped before the lake pavilion, and someone disembarked. Wearing a scholar’s headcloth and a brand new chestnut-colored long robe, he looked spirited and particularly energetic.

It was Estate Manager Hu.

When the crowd in the pavilion saw Estate Manager Hu, they were first startled, then exclaimed in surprise: “Estate Manager Hu, how is it you’re able to come to the Peach Blossom Festival today?”

Estate Manager Hu pursed his lips: “Why wouldn’t I be able to come?”

“Don’t you suffer from nasal congestion every year – doesn’t your nose run uncontrollably at the sight of willow catkins and poplar fluff?” Another person asked curiously: “In past springs, you hardly even left your house, so how did you come out today? There’s quite a lot of poplar fluff on the road.”

Someone else stared at him in astonishment: “And you’re not even covering your face with a handkerchief. Old Hu, you…”

Estate Manager Hu walked to the table in the cool pavilion and sat down. He raised his arm with dignity, and once everyone was looking at him, he spoke deliberately: “Not only did I come to the Peach Blossom Festival today, but I also took several turns along the river embankment. Before boarding the small boat, I even bought a bowl of pickled duck under Falling Moon Bridge. As for handkerchiefs,” he struggled to contain his satisfaction and smiled faintly, “my nasal congestion has been cured, so naturally I do not need handkerchiefs.”

“Old Hu, surely you’re not deceiving us?” Before he could finish, a fellow guest expressed doubt. “Nasal congestion has always been difficult to cure. How many of our old friends suffer from it and can’t come to the Peach Blossom Festival, missing out on the literary gathering and wine? How did you cure it?”

Hearing this, Estate Manager Hu snorted: “What would I gain by deceiving you? It doesn’t benefit me much. If you don’t believe me, go to Benevolent Heart Medical Hall on West Street yourself. Buy some nasal congestion medicinal tea, drink two packages, and you’ll know whether I’m lying or not.”

He casually grabbed the poetry collection from others’ hands: “After so many years, this is the first time I’ve properly seen poplar fluff. I say for today’s poetry gathering, let’s take poplar fluff as our theme!”

…

Lu Tong had no chance to witness the bustling scene of the poplar fluff poetry gathering.

The owner of Benevolent Heart Medical Hall, Du Changqing, who used to spend his time gambling and carousing as a prodigal son, had now reformed and no longer cared for such romantic pursuits. On the day of the Peach Blossom Festival, he hid in the shop examining account books all day.

Although there wasn’t much to examine in those account books.

However, even if he had been in the mood, Lu Tong wouldn’t have had the leisure time. These past few days, she had been steadily making medicinal tea without a hurry.

The ingredients for the nasal congestion tea weren’t expensive, so Du Changqing was quite generous, letting Lu Tong make as much as she wanted. But Yinzheng was always worried, asking Lu Tong: “Miss, we’ve made so much medicinal tea, and haven’t sold a single jar yet. Should we perhaps stop for now?”

“No need,” Lu Tong said. “Someone will buy it eventually.”

“But…”

Before she could finish speaking, a voice suddenly rang out: “Excuse me, does your esteemed medical hall sell nasal congestion medicinal tea?”

Lu Tong looked up to see a group of about five or six people standing in front of the medical hall, all dressed as scholars with headcloths and long robes. When these people caught sight of Lu Tong’s face, they were momentarily stunned, apparently not expecting the resident physician to be a young and beautiful lady.

Du Changqing tossed aside the account book in his hand and warmly welcomed them: “Are you gentlemen looking to buy nasal congestion medicinal tea? Yes, yes, yes, in the entire capital, only our Benevolent Heart Medical Hall has this medicinal tea.”

The young scholar at the front didn’t dare raise his head to look at Lu Tong’s face, and said with reddened cheeks: “Estate Manager Hu told us that there was medicinal tea here that could relieve nasal congestion…”

Lu Tong raised her hand, took several jars of medicinal tea from the small tower, placed them before the group, and said: “Would you like to buy ‘Spring Waters Rise’? Four taels of silver per jar.”

“Spring Waters Rise?” The scholar didn’t understand.

Lu Tong smiled: “When poplar fluff scatters, spring waters rise. Nasal congestion often appears when poplar fluff flies about, and typically only eases near summer. This medicinal tea is blue-green, with a subtle fragrance, like spring water. When the tea is drunk, the torment of poplar fluff naturally resolves, hence the name ‘Spring Waters Rise’.”

Yinzheng and Du Changqing were stunned, but the group of scholars grew excited. Someone said: “How elegant, how elegant! This medicinal tea has such a refined name – even if it had no effect, I would still want to try it. Miss,” he smiled, “I want two jars!”

“I want two jars as well!”

“My grandfather has suffered from nasal congestion for years and loves poetry – how could I not buy two jars to send him? Give me two jars too!”

The front of Benevolent Heart Medical Hall suddenly became lively.

The jars of medicinal tea on the yellow wooden table emptied in an instant, and Acheng’s head barely emerged from the crowd: “Gentlemen, please wait – I’ll go get more. Don’t push, don’t push ah—”

…

While Benevolent Heart Medical Hall was unusually busy, in the nearby Apricot Grove Hall, Bai Shouyi was tending to his newly acquired noble orchid with his hands behind his back.

The orchid’s fragrance was subtle and elegant, like a gentleman. Bai Shouyi admired it with satisfaction for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and asked Zhou Ji at the medicine cabinet: “By the way, Old Zhou, how is Benevolent Heart Medical Hall doing lately?”

“Not well,” Zhou Ji also smiled: “Du Changqing invited a young lady to be the resident physician – how could anyone trust that? It’s simply destroying their reputation. I heard that since that woman arrived, Benevolent Heart Medical Hall hasn’t even had anyone coming to buy medicine. I fear it won’t be long before the shop fails.”

Hearing this, Bai Shouyi took pleasure in their misfortune, his round white face smiling, though his words still pretended sympathy: “This Young Master Du was simply spoiled rotten by his father back then. He’s come of age but still hasn’t accomplished anything, can’t lift a finger to work. You see, such a fine medical hall, who would have thought he could make such a mess of it? It’s truly a sin.”

He affected a sigh, one hand fiddling with the orchid leaves, and continued: “If it doesn’t work out, I, as a neighbor, should show some kindness and take over that medical hall. You can go ask him about the shop again later, but the price I’d offer now certainly can’t match what I would have paid half a year ago…”

Just then, from outside came the shout of assistant Wenyou: “Manager, Benevolent Heart Medical Hall… Benevolent Heart Medical Hall…”

Bai Shouyi looked up: “What about Benevolent Heart Medical Hall?”

“There are many people in front of Benevolent Heart Medical Hall!”

“Many people?” Bai Shouyi was startled, calculating in his mind: “Could it be that woman killed someone, and patients have come to make trouble?”

A young female doctor, thinking herself skilled but just pretending to know while being ignorant, making a mistake and killing someone – it was a common occurrence. Du Changqing thought he was being innovative, but he was seeking his death. See now, trouble had come knocking.

While Bai Shouyi was thinking this way before he could even raise a smile, he saw Wenyou stammer: “No, I heard those people say they were going to Benevolent Heart Medical Hall to buy medicinal tea.”

“Splash!”

The water for watering flowers spilled all over the ground.

Bai Shouyi shouted: “What did you say?”

[Estate Manager Hu: Begins promoting products]