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

On Luo Yueqiao Bridge, light boats shuttled back and forth like weaving shuttles. Along both banks of the river embankment, misty willows grew in dense layers. Following the embankment forward for about six or seven li, there was a small lake with a pavilion in its center. Three or four small boats were moored around the lake pavilion—scholars who had come to observe the Peach Blossom Festival were gathering here for entertainment.

This place was tranquil, surrounded on all sides by the lake. Looking up, one could see the magnificent scenery of the river embankment, and in the distance, peach blossoms on tree after tree were enchanting. Literary scholars loved this place most. Every year during the Peach Blossom Festival, they would appreciate the scenery from the center of the lake and invariably produce several volumes of poetry collections and literary selections.

This year was no different.

The Confucian scholars and literati were engaged in animated conversation here. Just as their poetic inspiration was at its peak, another small boat stopped before the lake pavilion, and someone disembarked. He wore a head wrap and a brand-new chestnut-colored long robe, looking spirited and exceptionally energetic.

It turned out to be Master Hu.

When the people in the lake pavilion saw Master Hu, they were first stunned, then exclaimed in surprise: “Master Hu, how is it that you’re able to come to the Peach Blossom Festival today?”

Master Hu pursed his lips: “Why shouldn’t I be able to come?”

“Don’t you suffer from seasonal nasal congestion, and whenever you see willow catkins and poplar flowers, your sinuses run endlessly?” Another person asked curiously: “In past spring seasons, you hardly even left your door. How is it you’ve come out today? There are quite a few poplar flowers along the way.”

Someone else stared at him in amazement: “And I don’t see you covering yourself with a handkerchief either. Old Hu, you…”

Master Hu walked to sit at the pavilion table. He raised his arm with dignity, and after everyone had turned to look at him, he spoke leisurely: “This old man has not only come to the Peach Blossom Festival today, but I also took several turns along the river embankment, and before boarding the small boat, I even bought a bowl of wine-soaked duck to eat under Luo Yueqiao Bridge. As for the handkerchief,” he suppressed his smugness and smiled faintly, “this old man’s nasal congestion has been resolved, so naturally I have no need for a handkerchief.”

“Old Hu, surely you’re not deceiving us?” Before he could finish speaking, someone at the table expressed doubt. “Nasal congestion has always been difficult to resolve. How many of our old friends suffer from this condition and cannot come to the Peach Blossom Festival, missing literary gatherings and flower wine? How did you manage to resolve it?”

Hearing this, Master Hu snorted: “Why would I deceive you? What good would it do me? If you don’t believe me, go to the Renxin Medical Hall in West Street Lane yourselves. Buy the nasal congestion medicinal tea, drink a couple of packets, and you’ll know whether I’ve been lying.”

He casually grabbed the poetry collection from the others’ hands: “After all these years, this is the first time I’ve properly observed poplar flowers. I think today’s poetry gathering should take poplar flowers as its theme!”

…

Lu Tong had no opportunity to witness the lively spectacle of the Peach Blossom Poetry Festival.

Du Changqing, the owner of Renxin Medical Hall, had spent his time as a dandy engaging in cockfighting and dog racing, appreciating flowers and flirting with courtesans. Now that he had reformed, he paid no attention to all those romantic pursuits of the past. On the day of the Peach Blossom Festival, he hid in the shop looking at account books all day.

Though there wasn’t much worth seeing 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, Lu Tong had been unhurriedly making medicinal tea.

The materials for the nasal congestion medicinal tea weren’t expensive, so Du Changqing was generous and simply let Lu Tong make as much as she wanted. It was Yin Zheng who was always worried, asking Lu Tong: “Miss, we’ve made so much medicinal tea, and haven’t sold a single jar yet. Shouldn’t we pause for a bit?”

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

“But…”

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

Lu Tong looked up and saw a crowd of people standing in front of the medical hall—about five or six people, all dressed as scholars in head wraps and long robes. When this group caught sight of Lu Tong’s face, they were immediately stunned, seemingly not expecting the resident physician to be such a young and beautiful girl.

Du Changqing threw down the account book in his hands and warmly welcomed them: “Gentlemen, you want to buy nasal congestion medicinal tea? Yes, yes, yes! In all of the capital, only our Renxin Medical Hall has this medicinal tea.”

The leading young scholar didn’t dare look up at Lu Tong’s face and said with a red face: “Master Hu told us that this place has medicinal tea that can relieve nasal congestion and sinus problems…”

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 Water Rising’? Four taels of silver per jar.”

“Spring Water Rising?” The scholar was puzzled.

Lu Tong smiled: “‘When poplar flowers scatter, spring water rises.’ Nasal congestion mostly manifests when poplar flowers dance in the air, and only resolves when near summer arrives. This medicinal tea has a blue-green color and elegant fragrance, resembling spring water in form. When the tea emerges, the troubles of poplar flowers naturally resolve, hence the name ‘Spring Water Rising.'”

Yin Zheng and Du Changqing were stunned, but the group of scholars became excited. Someone said: “How refined! How refined! This medicinal tea has such an elegant name—even if it had no efficacy, I would want to try it. Miss,” he smiled, “I’ll take two jars!”

“I’ll also take two jars!”

“My grandfather has suffered from nasal congestion for years and loves poetry and literature. How could I not buy two jars for him? Give me two jars as well!”

The area in front of Renxin Medical Hall suddenly became lively.

The medicinal tea jars on the yellow wooden table were empty in an instant. A’Cheng struggled to emerge from the crowd: “Young masters, please wait a moment. Let me go get more. Don’t push, don’t push—”

…

While Renxin Medical Hall was unusually bustling, in the nearby Apricot Grove Hall, Bai Shouyi was watering his newly acquired pot of clivia with his hands behind his back.

The orchid was fragrant and elegant, refined 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 has Renxin Medical Hall been lately?”

“Not well at all.” Zhou Ji also smiled: “Du Changqing hired a young girl as the resident physician. How could anyone trust such a person? It’s completely ruining their reputation. I heard that since that woman arrived, Renxin Medical Hall hasn’t even had people coming to buy medicine. I’m afraid it won’t be long before the shop really falls into their hands.”

Hearing this, Bai Shouyi gloated, his big round white face beaming with smiles, though his mouth still put on a pretense: “This Young Master Du was simply spoiled rotten by his father back then. Clearly already of age but still achieving nothing, unable to lift with his hands or carry on his shoulders. You tell me, such a fine medical hall, who would have thought it could be ruined by his nonsense? It’s truly sinful.”

He sighed dramatically, playing with the orchid leaves with one hand while saying: “If it really doesn’t work out, I, as a neighbor, should show some compassion and take over that medical hall. You can ask him about the shop later, but the current asking price can’t compare to what it was six months ago…”

Just as he was speaking, the voice of his assistant Wen You suddenly rang out from outside: “Shopkeeper, Renxin Medical Hall… Renxin Medical Hall…”

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

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

“Many people?” Bai Shouyi was stunned and calculated in his mind: “Could it be that woman killed someone and the patients have come to cause trouble?”

Young female physicians who thought themselves skilled in medicine but were actually pretending to understand what they didn’t, causing disasters and killing patients, was a common occurrence. Du Changqing thought he was taking an alternative path, but in reality was seeking his own death. Now trouble had come to his door.

Bai Shouyi was thinking this way and hadn’t yet managed to form a smile when he saw Wen You stammering: “No, I heard those people say they were going to Renxin Medical Hall to buy medicinal tea.”

“Splash!”

The watering water spilled all over the ground.

Bai Shouyi shouted: “What did you say?”