Renxin Clinic became lively with the arrival of two more young ladies.

Before Lu Tong came, the shop only had A’Cheng and Du Changqing. Now suddenly there were four beautiful young ladies, making even the plum tree at the entrance look more pleasing to the eye.

Under the blazing sun, cicadas on the tree at the entrance beat their wings and chirped, making people dizzy. Du Changqing came in from outside, placing several bowls of sweet drinks on the inner shop’s table: “Tea time!”

Yin Zheng, who was helping Lu Tong organize the medicine cabinet, glanced over and asked: “What’s this?”

Du Changqing put his hands on his hips and declared grandly: “A new sweet drink shop opened at the entrance of West Street. Three copper coins, buy one get one free. The owner is treating me, it’s on me.”

“Thank you, cousin,” Xia Rongrong, who was embroidering handkerchiefs with Xiangcao, softly expressed her gratitude.

Xia Rongrong didn’t know medicinal herbs and couldn’t help with Yin Zheng and A’Cheng’s work, so during the day she sat properly in the shop, doing embroidery with Xiangcao, keeping quiet.

Du Changqing taught them how to share the drinks. He had bought various kinds: pear juice, ginger honey water, apricot drink, jasmine tea, ice-cold yuanzi…

Lu Tong received a bowl of ginger honey water. The drink had been soaked in an ice bucket beforehand and was served in emerald bamboo tubes, making the drink look even clearer, like amber.

She lowered her head and took a sip. It was sweet, icy, and cold. When she looked up, she saw everyone’s faces showed endurance.

Du Changqing asked: “How is it?” Without waiting for anyone’s answer, he took a sip himself.

The next moment, he couldn’t help but choke: “Cough cough cough! What is this, it’s so sickeningly sweet?”

Sickeningly sweet?

Xia Rongrong over there frowned and said: “It is a bit too sweet.”

Even A’Cheng, who loved sugar the most, wrinkled her nose: “Boss, this isn’t sugar added to water, this is water forgotten in sugar.”

Although Yin Zheng and Xiangcao didn’t speak, they placed their bowls of sweet drink far away, seemingly unwilling to take another sip.

Du Changqing said exasperatedly: “Good grief, the drink seller told me if it wasn’t sweet enough it would be free, turns out he was serious. Is something wrong with this person’s head, trying to kill people with sweetness?”

He turned his head and saw Lu Tong continuing to drink from her bowl without expression, and said irritably: “Stop drinking, I’ve never seen you be so frugal for me before, who’s going to be responsible if you drink yourself to death?”

Lu Tong didn’t speak.

Du Changqing thought for a moment, then looked at her suspiciously again: “Don’t you find it sickeningly sweet?”

“It’s fine.”

Du Changqing stared at her incredulously: “Don’t tell me this suits your taste?”

Lu Tong: “If the shop doesn’t close down, I will continue to patronize his business.”

She added: “One bowl every day.”

Everyone fell silent.

Du Changqing was speechless. After a while, he nodded: “Impressive, respect. Looks like whether that sweet drink shop can stay open on West Street will depend entirely on your patronage, Doctor Lu.”

Lu Tong expressed her support for the sweet drink shop by finishing her drink.

After drinking, Lu Tong put the empty bamboo tube aside, and Yin Zheng went to the small courtyard to bring out Lu Tong’s medical box.

The others in the clinic were used to this. Du Changqing waved at the two of them: “Come back early!”

Yin Zheng replied wordlessly: “We know.”

Today was the day to treat Madam Fan.

Lu Tong had arranged with Madam Fan to visit every seven days to perform acupuncture once. Today was the third time.

After leaving, when Lu Tong and Yin Zheng arrived at the Fan mansion, Madam Fan Zhao had just woken from her afternoon rest.

Seeing Lu Tong, Zhao beckoned, indicating for Lu Tong to come in and perform acupuncture.

As usual, Lu Tong took out gold needles from her medical box to treat Zhao’s acupoints.

The maid Cuier was fanning behind her, and Zhao asked Lu Tong lazily with her eyes half-closed: “Doctor Lu, how many more days do I need these needles?”

Lu Tong inserted a gold needle and said: “Madam has already shown some reduction, this is a crucial time. If we stop the needles now, the effects will be completely lost after some time. To consolidate the results, it would be better to continue for two more months.”

“Two more months?”

“Afterward, we’ll space the treatments to once every ten days, six times over two months. What does Madam think?”

Zhao sighed: “Alright then.”

Lu Tong stopped talking and focused on treating Zhao’s acupoints.

Zhao lifted her eyelids to look at the busy Lu Tong, then lowered them again, a satisfied smile escaping from the corners of her mouth.

She was very satisfied with Lu Tong.

To be precise, Zhao was very satisfied with Lu Tong’s acupuncture skills. These days, whether it was “Xianxian” or Lu Tong’s regular acupoint treatments that had taken effect, Zhao’s waist had indeed slimmed down a size, and her usual clothes had become somewhat loose.

This made Zhao ecstatic.

She had previously been half-skeptical of Lu Tong’s words, but now seeing the results with her own eyes, she finally felt reassured.

After losing some weight, Zhao had servants go to the Light Clothing Pavilion in the capital to make several moonlight gauze dresses. After slimming down, she wore lighter makeup, and the thin gauze dresses gave her an elegant, ethereal air completely different from her previous glamorous style. This made Fan Zhenglian find her fresh and interesting for quite some time, and their marital affection grew even stronger than before. Before long, she might truly become that beauty dancing in the palm of one’s hand, worthy of the name “Flying Swallow.”

As for Lu Tong, Zhao noticed that she always came in the afternoon and left before evening, precisely avoiding the times when Fan Zhenglian returned from his duties. Moreover, Lu Tong was taciturn and never asked many questions when in the mansion, appearing proper and well-behaved.

This pleased Zhao very much, as tactful people were always reassuring. Otherwise, with such a young female doctor in the mansion, she would truly worry about Fan Zhenglian developing inappropriate desires one day.

This female doctor hadn’t shown any signs of impropriety yet, so Zhao wasn’t as harsh with her as before.

After about an hour and a half, Lu Tong finished Zhao’s acupuncture treatment. Zhao had her maid Cuier lead Lu Tong to the adjacent room for tea.

Cuier brought tea and the consultation fee. Zhao wasn’t a generous person, the fee was quite small, and as for the medicinal tea she sent, it was as if it didn’t matter at all, and Lu Tong didn’t bring it up either.

While Lu Tong was drinking tea, Yin Zheng stuffed a small jar into Cuier’s hands, smiling: “Miss Cuier, this is hair oil made by Doctor Lu herself. It contains medicinal ingredients, and with prolonged use, your hair will become increasingly lustrous.”

Cuier declined: “How could I take Doctor Lu’s things…”

“It’s not worth much,” Yin Zheng smiled and said, “We thought about giving Madam a few jars, but Doctor Lu thought that since Madam usually uses expensive creams and oils, she might not appreciate ours. Please don’t look down on it, Miss Cuier.”

Cuier then tucked the jar into her sleeve, her smile more genuine than before: “Then many thanks to Doctor Lu.”

Lu Tong shook her head and lowered it to sip her hot tea.

Cuier was Zhao’s personal maid. A small favor like this wouldn’t be enough to buy Cuier’s loyalty, but it could bring Yin Zheng and Cuier much closer.

When relationships got closer, tongues loosened.

Lu Tong finished her tea and rose to bid farewell. Cuier escorted the two of them out. As they passed through the flower hall, they ran into a man.

The man softly said “Sorry,” and Lu Tong looked ahead to see a tall middle-aged man with thick eyebrows and large eyes, wearing a faded sandalwood-colored cloth robe. Though he had an impressive bearing, his manner was very humble.

Lu Tong had seen this man before and didn’t know his relationship with the Fan family. Several times when Lu Tong finished her treatments and was leaving, she encountered this man at the entrance, mostly having Fan family servants pass along some goods and gifts.

This was the first time she had seen him enter the inner courtyard like today.

Lu Tong glanced at him. Zhao’s other maid was directing this man to put down what he was carrying in the courtyard, which appeared to be wild chickens, geese, ducks, and other such local goods.

The man walked around Lu Tong, wiped his sweat, and called out to Zhao who was enjoying the cool air in the flower hall through the courtyard gate: “Madam…”

“I know,” Zhao sounded quite impatient.

The man became somewhat awkward, said a few words to Zhao’s maid, and hurriedly left.

Lu Tong watched his retreating figure and asked Cuier while walking: “He is…?”

Cuier smiled and said: “That’s Lord Qi from the Court of Judicial Review, he’s our master’s capable subordinate.”

Capable subordinate?

Lu Tong recalled the man’s faded old robe and how Zhao’s maids had treated him imperiously, and casually said: “Does Lord Fan value him highly?”

“Of course he values him!” Perhaps because of receiving Lu Tong’s hair oil, Cuier was willing to chat more with them: “When our master returned from Yuan’an County back then, he specifically brought Lord Qi back to the capital with him.” At this point, Cuier seemed somewhat puzzled, “Why is Doctor Lu asking about Lord Qi?”

Yin Zheng pushed Cuier gently, saying in a low voice: “That lord’s appearance isn’t bad, and he has an impressive bearing…”

Cuier understood and covered her mouth, saying: “That’s really a pity, Lord Qi already has a wife and children, but…” She glanced at Lu Tong without continuing.

Lu Tong understood her meaning perfectly. In the eyes of the Fan household, a resident physician of humble origins would be fortunate to become even a minor official’s concubine.

After leaving the Fan mansion’s gate and Cuier had departed, Lu Tong stood at the entrance, turning back to look at the mansion’s nameplate.

Yin Zheng asked: “What’s wrong, Miss?”

“I’m thinking about…”

Lu Tong’s voice was very soft: “That person we just saw.”

“Lord Qi?” Yin Zheng was startled.

Lu Tong said: “Something’s not right about him.”

Cuier said Lord Qi was valued by Fan Zhenglian, which was why he brought him back from Yuan’an County to the capital, but looking at Lord Qi’s attire and position in the Fan mansion, it was clear he lived in difficult circumstances.

This was strange – how could Fan Zhenglian’s capable right-hand man be in such a sorry state?

Moreover, Cuier said he came back from Yuan’an County…

Which meant this that Lord Qi had been by Fan Zhenglian’s side since the beginning of his official career and must have known many of Fan Zhenglian’s secrets.

“Yin Zheng, ask Old Cao to look into that Lord Qi we just saw.”

She needed to know Lord Qi’s background before she could plan her next move.

“Miss,” Yin Zheng said somewhat troubled, “all our earnings after living expenses have gone into Kuaihuo Tower. Old Cao’s information is expensive, and our share of profits isn’t enough. If we need more information, we’ll have to borrow money from Manager Du.”

“Then borrow it.” Lu Tong withdrew her gaze and walked ahead.

Yin Zheng had no choice but to hurry after her. After just a few steps, she suddenly made a sound of surprise.

Lu Tong stopped: “What is it?”

Yin Zheng pointed across the street: “Isn’t that Young Master Duan from Lord Pei’s household?”

Lu Tong was startled and followed Yin Zheng’s gaze. Indeed, at the tea stall across the street in the shade, someone sat drinking tea with their back to her. Since she couldn’t see their face, it was impossible to tell if it was Duan Xiaoyan.

She frowned: “Are you sure you haven’t mistaken someone else?”

Yin Zheng was very confident: “No mistake. I’ve seen many people come and go, I’m good at recognizing people.” With that, she took the initiative to wave across the street and call out: “Young Master Duan!”

After a moment, the person sitting at the tea stall slowly turned around. Seeing Lu Tong and Yin Zheng, he also seemed startled, then showed a delighted expression, stood up, and walked over saying: “Doctor Lu, Miss Yin Zheng.”

It was Duan Xiaoyan.

Lu Tong’s gaze swept around Duan Xiaoyan’s vicinity, not seeing Pei Yunying, so she asked: “What brings Young Master Duan here?”

“Busy with official duties. I was passing by and stopped for a cup of tea, didn’t expect to run into Doctor Lu.” He smiled warmly and asked Lu Tong: “And Doctor Lu?”

“I’m here treating someone.”

Duan Xiaoyan made a sound of understanding, looked into the distance, then said apologetically to Lu Tong: “Well, Doctor Lu, I still have official duties to attend to, so I must leave first. When I have some days off later, I’ll ask my lord to visit your clinic again. That medicinal tea from last time was effective.”

Lu Tong nodded to him: “Take care, Young Master Duan.”

Duan Xiaoyan left quickly. Lu Tong watched his retreating figure without speaking for a long while.

Yin Zheng reminded her: “Shall we go, Miss?”

Lu Tong withdrew her gaze: “Let’s go.”

…

When Duan Xiaoyan returned to the Commander’s mansion, his fellow guard Wu Lian was returning from the training ground and said Xiao Zhufeng had bought plums and told him to go inside and get some.

Duan Xiaoyan waved his hand and asked Wu Lian: “Is the lord inside?”

“No.” Wu Lian took a bite of the green-skinned plum in his hand, so sour he couldn’t open his eyes for a while. “Do you need something from the lord?”

Duan Xiaoyan shook his head: “No.”

Wu Lian went inside, and Zhizi ran out from a corner, rubbing its head against his arms repeatedly. Duan Xiaoyan crouched down, absent-mindedly rubbed the dog’s head, and muttered to himself: “This is strange. From that far away, without even seeing my face, how did she recognize me?”

Someone asked from behind: “Who recognized you how?”

Duan Xiaoyan jumped, turning to see Pei Yunying walking in from outside.

In the summer heat, he still wore the crimson brocade uniform of the Palace Guard, his collar fastened precisely, showing no sign of the heat, instead appearing fresh and dignified.

“Brother, you’re back?” Duan Xiaoyan stood up, following him inside.

As soon as they entered, both were stunned at the same time.

At the entrance of the Commander’s mansion barracks were stacked about ten bamboo baskets, all full of green plums. The guards were eating them with grimacing expressions, and a sour smell permeated the air.

Pei Yunying frowned: “What is this?”

Wu Lian hurriedly said: “Deputy Commander Xiao sent them. Said it was hot, so he specially bought them to quench the brothers’ thirst. The Deputy Commander also specifically picked the best basket and put it in your room, my lord.”

Seeing Pei Yunying’s silence, Huang Song beside him also said: “The plums the Deputy Commander bought taste quite good, just a bit sour.”

Pei Yunying pressed his forehead: “…I see.” After walking a few steps, he turned back, saying unable to bear it anymore: “Move them to the courtyard, don’t pile them at the entrance.”

“Yes.”

Pei Yunying entered his room, turned around, and saw Duan Xiaoyan was still there, asked: “Something the matter?”

Duan Xiaoyan turned to close the door, waited for Pei Yunying to sit down at the table, then went up close: “Brother, Doctor Lu from Renxin Clinic went to the Fan mansion again today.”

“Mm.”

“…I greeted her.”

Pei Yunying’s tea-pouring motion paused.

He raised his eyes: “Were you exposed?”

“That’s unfair!” Duan Xiaoyan protested, “It’s so hot, I just went to drink a bowl of tea at the stall across the street, who knew Doctor Lu would come out right then? I was facing away from her at the time, across a street – even you might not have recognized me, who knows how she recognized me?”

Pei Yunying gave him a look, and lowered his head to drink tea: “What did she say?”

“Nothing. I said I was passing by on duty, she didn’t doubt it, so I left.”

Pei Yunying nodded.

Seeing no reaction from him, Duan Xiaoyan grew bolder and said: “Brother, I’ve been watching the Fan household for half a month now, and Doctor Lu hasn’t done anything besides giving Madam Fan acupuncture. Her medicinal tea sells well, Madam Fan likes it, and it doesn’t interfere with our Palace Guard. Aren’t you being too cautious about her?”

Pei Yunying closed his tea lid: “You trust her that much?”

“I wouldn’t say trust exactly.” Duan Xiaoyan spoke sincerely: “Mainly, watching every day – the transportation costs, tea money, meals outside… my monthly salary isn’t enough. Brother, could you lend me some…” As he spoke, he reached for his waist, then suddenly paused.

“What’s wrong?”

Duan Xiaoyan looked at him: “My pouch is gone.”

“Was it stolen?”

“No, there wasn’t any money in it.”

Pei Yunying was speechless: “Then why the long face?”

“That pouch was from you!” Duan Xiaoyan exclaimed: “When I first joined the Palace Guard, you gave me that pouch, it even has my name on it.”

Pei Yunying reminded him: “Think about where you might have lost it. Have you looked around the barracks?”

“Can’t remember. I still had it when paying for tea across from the Fan mansion this afternoon. Ah!” His eyes lit up, “Could it have fallen when I was talking to Doctor Lu? I went over hurriedly then and left in a rush, maybe it fell at the Fan mansion’s entrance.”

Hearing this, Pei Yunying’s previously relaxed posture straightened somewhat, and he asked: “You’re saying Lu Tong might have picked it up?”

“It’s just possible,” Duan Xiaoyan scratched his head, “but it wouldn’t be right to ask her.”

“Why not?” Pei Yunying asked in return.

Duan Xiaoyan was surprised: “There wasn’t even a copper coin in the pouch, what would Doctor Lu want with it? Besides, if I went to ask her, Doctor Lu might think I suspected her of theft, and if others heard about it, they might doubt Doctor Lu’s character. That wouldn’t be good.”

Pei Yunying: “How thoughtful of you to consider things from her perspective.”

Before Duan Xiaoyan could speak, he continued: “In a few days, I’ll accompany you to Renxin Clinic.”

Duan Xiaoyan looked at him in disbelief: “You want to ask Doctor Lu? Why?”

“Because your name is on the pouch.”

“My name?”

“If someone else picked it up, that would be fine, but if Lu Tong picked it up, I’m afraid you might be sold without even knowing to count the money.”

Duan Xiaoyan was confused: “What could she sell with just a pouch?”

“Oh, many things,” Pei Yunying smiled: “For example…”

“Blackmail.”

“Blackmail?” Duan Xiaoyan was surprised, “What could she blackmail me with using the pouch? I’m not a woman, she couldn’t use it as a love token to force me to marry her?” As he spoke, he suddenly paused, thought for a moment, then mumbled: “Come to think of it, that’s not impossible. She could recognize me today just from my back, showing I must have left quite an impression on Doctor Lu… but I haven’t come of age yet, I can’t make decisions about marriage…”

As he rambled on, unexpectedly a thick stack of documents was dropped on his head. Pei Yunying stood up and passed by him, saying: “Very well, if that day truly comes, as your half-guardian, I will certainly present you with a generous gift.”

“Congratulations to the talented scholar and beautiful lady, a match made in heaven.”