Ever since Xinlin Hall introduced Chunyang Sheng, the name Chunshui Sheng was gradually mentioned less and less.

Firstly, Chunyang Sheng and Chunshui Sheng differed by only one character, making them easily confused when spoken aloud. Secondly, Xinlin Hall was after all a large medical hall with veteran doctors presiding over it. When people buying medicine arrived at West Street, they would first see the grand and magnificent Xinlin Hall, enter to buy Chunyang Sheng, and who would still know about Chunshui Sheng?

Thus Xinlin Hall’s entrance became increasingly lively, while Renxin Medical Hall’s medicinal tea went unnoticed.

Seeing this situation, Du Changqing became melancholy and dejected, but Lu Tong remained as composed as ever, doing what needed to be done each day without showing the slightest trace of worry.

In the blink of an eye, several more days passed. At noon this day, a carriage stopped by the riverbank at Luo Yueqiao. Someone was helped down from the carriage by a servant, walking unsteadily to the riverbank and heading toward the pavilion where scholars gathered.

This person was about fifty years old, wearing a lotus-root colored silk robe, his hair bun combed to a shine, with an extremely long black beard, looking quite dashing. The group of scholars who were dining and discussing tea saw him and called out: “Why has Fourth Master Chen come today as well?”

Fourth Master Chen was named Chen Xian. His family had originally started with a fan shop business, but later the business grew larger and larger. Fourth Master Chen handed the business over to his children to manage, while he himself adopted the mannerisms of a refined gentleman, spending his days touring mountains and waters, composing poetry and discussing philosophy, vowing to become the capital’s foremost scholar.

However, even the capital’s foremost scholar had no solution when faced with the annoying willow catkins of spring.

Among all his scholarly friends, this Fourth Master Chen most detested the old-fashioned and conservative Master Hu, yet he had contracted the same nasal congestion as Master Hu, suffering terribly every spring.

A few days ago, Fourth Master Chen heard that Master Hu had actually gone to the Peach Blossom Festival, which greatly surprised him. Master Hu’s nasal congestion was even more severe than his own – with pollen flying about at the Peach Blossom Festival, how could he endure it? Later he heard that Master Hu had been vigorously promoting among friends a medicinal tea called Chunshui Sheng, saying it could relieve nasal congestion. It was only after drinking this medicinal tea that Master Hu could swagger around at the Peach Blossom Festival.

Fourth Master Chen knew that Master Hu was habitually prone to exaggeration. This nasal congestion was a stubborn ailment, always difficult to treat, so he was somewhat skeptical. He had people make inquiries in the marketplace and indeed heard that this medicinal tea had remarkable effects. So Fourth Master Chen set his mind at ease, instructed his servant to buy several packets, and took them diligently, thinking that in a few days he too could enjoy the spring scenery refreshed and comfortable.

After drinking it for five consecutive days, Fourth Master Chen felt he should be ready, so he changed into carefully prepared new clothes, wore a sachet, and even applied a bit of peach blossom powder, planning to properly display the talent he had accumulated over the winter at the poetry gathering.

He smiled and cleared his throat lightly, about to respond, when unexpectedly a gust of wind blew over, bringing a familiar itching sensation that suddenly arose, making him involuntarily open his mouth wide.

“Achoo—”

An earth-shattering sneeze rang out. Under everyone’s gaze, beneath Fourth Master Chen’s nose flowed like a waterfall, tears flew sideways, and a cluster of mucus even landed on the hair of the nearest young man.

Everyone stared at him dumbfounded.

“Achoo—”

“Achoo—”

“Achoo—”

One sneeze after another flew uncontrollably from his mouth. Facing the various looks from everyone, Fourth Master Chen awkwardly covered his face and retreated, then rushed toward the carriage.

“Master—” the servant called anxiously from behind.

Fourth Master Chen wiped tears and mucus, his heart filled with grief and indignation. Damn that Hu Laizi, he indeed had no good intentions! After drinking this Chunyang Sheng for five days, it had no effect whatsoever, and just now he had made such a fool of himself in front of his friends. How could he have the face to go out in the future?

What divine medicine for nasal congestion – it was clearly fake medicine!

He hurriedly got into the carriage. The servant followed from behind, carefully observing his expression: “Master…”

“To the Hu residence!” Fourth Master Chen gritted his teeth in hatred: “Today I must demand an explanation from that surnamed Hu!”

While Fourth Master Chen burned with rage and his carriage rushed at great speed, at the entrance of the Hu residence, Master Hu was holding a scroll of poetry, about to go out to visit friends. Before he had even stepped out the main gate, he heard someone calling his name aggressively: “Hu Laizi!”

Master Hu’s expression changed. When he turned around and saw that it was Fourth Master Chen getting down from the carriage, his beard nearly stood up in anger, and he shouted loudly: “Chen Shanzi, what nonsense are you spouting?”

Though Fourth Master Chen looked frail, his movements were agile. In a few steps he reached Master Hu, grabbed Master Hu’s beard and gave it a violent shake, shouting: “You fraud, full of lies! Saying that medicinal tea can cure nasal congestion, causing me to lose face in front of my friends. Exactly how much benefit did that medicine seller give you to make you help him deceive people like this?”

While Master Hu struggled to reclaim his beard from the other’s grasp, he argued: “What fraud? That medicinal tea indeed has miraculous effects. After drinking several jars, this old man now breathes freely every day. There’s something wrong with your own nose – why blame the medicinal tea? You’re sick!”

Seeing that he showed no remorse even now, and thinking of his own appearance with mucus and tears in front of everyone just moments ago, Fourth Master Chen became even angrier. His grip on the beard suddenly tightened, directly pulling out a tuft of beard, and he cursed: “Old fraud!”

Master Hu was not to be outdone, and grabbed his black beard in return: “Damned scoundrel!”

The two actually began wrestling with each other.

The servants on the side wanted to separate them, but unfortunately, though both men were clearly middle-aged, they had considerable strength. In front of the Hu residence, the sound of their mutual cursing rang out.

“Old fraud, conspiring with the medical hall to sell medicinal tea and cheat money – it’s completely useless!”

“Damned scoundrel, calling a miraculous elixir worthless junk – I think you just want to extort money!”

“Nonsense, after drinking that medicinal tea for five days I still sneeze constantly!”

“Rubbish, after drinking for only three days this old man could remain unmoved even with willow catkins brushing his face!”

“Chunyang Sheng is completely useless!”

“Chunshui Sheng is the best!”

“Eh?” Master Hu was startled and subconsciously stopped his actions, allowing Fourth Master Chen to take advantage and pull out the last tuft of his goat beard by the roots. He cried out “Ouch” in pain, but still remembered Fourth Master Chen’s words and only asked: “What did you just say – Chunyang Sheng?”

“Isn’t that right?” Fourth Master Chen’s face had lost a layer of peach blossom powder, his clothes and hair were disheveled from the struggle, and he held a tuft of goat beard in his hand, still not satisfied with his anger. He cursed: “What Chunyang Sheng – it’s clearly meant to curse medicine buyers as ‘stupid-looking birth,’ what vicious medical practitioners!”

“That’s not right?” Master Hu was stunned and asked his nearby servant: “Go get that jar of medicinal tea from my room.” He then asked Fourth Master Chen: “You said the medicinal tea you bought is called Chunyang Sheng?”

Fourth Master Chen: “How many times do I have to say it!”

Master Hu said nothing. When the servant brought back the medicinal tea jar, he held up the jar so that Fourth Master Chen and the onlookers gathered around could see clearly: “Look carefully – what this old man bought is Chunshui Sheng! You bought fake medicine yourself but don’t go settle accounts with the fake medicine seller. Instead you come to my place to throw a tantrum. What kind of reasoning is that!”

Hearing this, Fourth Master Chen was momentarily stunned and subconsciously wanted to step forward to see the jar clearly: “Chunshui Sheng?”

“Chen Shanzi, you used to have problems with your nose, but how come now even your eyes don’t work?” Master Hu sneered: “Open your eyes wide and look carefully at exactly what characters are on this old man’s jar!”

Fourth Master Chen was also incredulous.

This jar was very similar to the jar he had bought the medicinal tea in, made quite delicately, with a very small piece of white paper pasted on top, with a little poem written in ink brush – very elegant. When he had first seen this jar, he had even praised this clever design.

However…

This indeed had the three characters “Chunshui Sheng” written on it.

It wasn’t Chunyang Sheng?

Could it be that he had really bought fake goods?

Fourth Master Chen suddenly looked at his servant beside him and shouted loudly: “You slave, where did you go to buy fake medicine to deceive your master?”

The servant was startled and hurriedly knelt down crying innocence: “Impossible, Master! This servant bought the medicinal tea at Xinlin Hall on West Street. Xinlin Hall is an old established shop, the medical hall has a great reputation – there couldn’t be fake goods!”

“Xinlin Hall?” Master Hu said in surprise: “Isn’t that Manager Bai’s medical hall?”