As spring arrived in Shenjing, small snack vendors gradually multiplied on the streets.

People went out for spring outings, and female visitors climbed mountains to burn incense. To pass the time on their journeys, they inevitably bought treats like sesame candy and orange cakes. Old Lady Feng’s cloud-slice cakes sold the best, thin as snowflakes, both fragrant and sweet.

In “Benevolent Heart Medical Hall,” Du Changqing sat at the long counter with half a cloud-slice cake in his mouth, staring absent-mindedly at the street across the way.

The Du family of Shenjing’s Nanwang District had started as a medicine shop, which gradually expanded into a medical hall. As the medical hall’s reputation grew, Old Master Du’s residence also expanded.

Old Master Du had been busy building and maintaining the family business in his youth, only marrying when he approached middle age.

His young bride was nineteen, beautiful as a flower, and became pregnant a year later. Having a son in his old age delighted Old Master Du immensely. He wanted to pamper his wife to the heavens.

Unfortunately, Madam Du was not so blessed—she passed away a year after giving birth to their son. Old Master Du, pitying his young son’s early loss of his mother, and seeing how clever and lovable the child was, spoiled him even more. Thus, with continued indulgence, he raised his son to become a good-for-nothing who couldn’t lift a finger or carry anything on his shoulders, spending his days only listening to music and drinking.

Du Changqing was this good-for-nothing.

While Old Master Du was alive, the family’s wealth was substantial. After his passing, the Du family had no one to support it.

Raised in luxury, Du Changqing was mediocre in his studies, knowing only how to ride horses and play with dogs, never showing any proper behavior. He was also generous to a fault, and his pack of fair-weather friends treated him as an easy mark. Today, Zhang San would borrow three hundred taels because his elderly mother was gravely ill; tomorrow, Li Si would need five hundred strings of cash to fund his business venture to the capital. Bit by bit, over time, all the fields and shops were sold off for silver until finally, only this run-down little medical hall on West Street remained.

This small medical hall was the first establishment Old Master Du had acquired when starting. Du Changqing didn’t dare sell it, so he had a street calligrapher write a signboard to hang up, and he became the owner of Benevolent Heart Medical Hall.

The medical hall’s original resident physician had been lured away by Xinglin Hall’s high salary offer, and finding a suitable replacement wasn’t easy. Moreover, the medical hall was operating at a loss, so having a physician or not made little difference. They barely scraped by with occasional locals coming to buy medicine. It seemed the medical hall would have to be sold before long.

A carriage drove down the street, its wheels stirring up floating willow catkins as it passed.

Someone stepped down from the carriage.

Du Changqing’s eyes brightened. He quickly swallowed the remaining cloud-slice cake, instantly shedding his listless demeanor as he hurried forward to greet the visitor, calling out warmly and loudly: “Uncle!”

The visitor was a man wearing a square cap, around fifty years old, dressed in an aloe-colored silk robe and holding a paper fan. His other hand held a handkerchief pressed against his nose and lips as he walked in, coughing.

Du Changqing led him inside the medical hall to sit down, calling to the young assistant who was wiping tables inside: “Ah Cheng, don’t you see my uncle has arrived? Quickly make some tea!” Then he pretended to scold the boy for his guest’s benefit: “Useless rabbit kid, don’t mind him, Uncle!”

Master Hu lowered his handkerchief, waved his hand, and pulled out a prescription from his robes, saying: “Changqing…”

“This month’s medicines, right?” Du Changqing grabbed the prescription and walked to the counter. “I’ll get them for you right away, Uncle!”

Ah Cheng placed the brewed tea before Master Hu, giving him a somewhat sympathetic look. There were plenty of easy marks in the world, but Master Hu was the only one he’d seen who thought he was getting the better deal.

Master Hu had been Old Master Du’s good friend. The two men had similar backgrounds and had known each other since childhood. On the surface, they maintained cordial relations, but privately they competed in everything. From their wives’ beauty to their children’s studies, from height and waist size to clothing and accessories, they always had to compare and compete.

After Old Master Du’s death, Master Hu had no one left to compete with and found life rather dull, so he turned his attention to Du Changqing, Old Master Du’s son. He would come every couple of months to get medicine, taking the opportunity to lecture the younger generation in his role as an elder uncle, finding some spiritual comfort in this.

Du Changqing always put on an attentive and obedient act, which satisfied Master Hu greatly. Since Master Hu needed to buy some tonics every month anyway, this small amount of silver meant nothing to him, but for the impoverished young Master Du, it could keep Benevolent Heart Medical Hall running for another month or two.

One could say that after Old Master Du’s death, Master Hu had become Du Changqing’s meal ticket.

When dealing with one’s meal ticket, one’s attitude must remain appropriately humble.

After preparing the medicine, Du Changqing sat down beside Master Hu. Sure enough, after drinking some tea, Master Hu began lecturing Du Changqing again.

“Changqing, when your late father was gravely ill, he entrusted me to look after you after his passing. Having been friends with your father for many years, I treat you as half a son, so let me speak frankly with you today.”

“Others your age have already established their careers and families. When your father was alive, the family had many businesses, so it didn’t matter if one medical hall didn’t bring in much income. Now it’s different. You rely on this medical hall for your livelihood, and although the location is good, the storefront is too small and few people come to buy medicine. This can’t continue long-term. Even if you sold the medical hall for silver, living off that money isn’t a solution either.”

“I see you’re clever and have some talent—why not take the imperial examinations and seek an official position? Look at my two unfilial sons; they may not be as smart as you, but they’ve studied since childhood, and now they have decent careers. Did you know my younger son recently received another salary increase…”

Du Changqing listened respectfully for a long while until Master Hu had finished half a pot of tea and was parched from talking. When Master Hu was about to leave, Du Changqing wrapped up the remaining half box of cloud-slice cakes, and his eye caught the package of medicinal tea on the table—this was the bonus gift from the young lady who had sold them the cattail pollen ash. Ah Cheng hadn’t had the heart to throw it away, and after drinking it for two days without ill effects, they had kept it.

Du Changqing wrapped both the medicinal tea and the leftover cloud-slice cakes in red paper and pressed them into Master Hu’s hands as he was boarding his carriage, saying with a smile: “Uncle is very busy, so I won’t see you off far. This is a special spring gift for you. The medicinal tea inside helps with nasal congestion and rhinitis. Please take care of your health, Uncle.”

Master Hu laughed heartily: “How thoughtful of you, Changqing.” He instructed his carriage driver and departed.

As soon as the carriage left, Du Changqing’s smile collapsed. Walking back inside, he grumbled: “That old pedant, finally got rid of him.”

Ah Cheng said: “Actually, Master Hu has a point. Master, you could try for the imperial examinations…”

Du Changqing glared at him: “Easy for you to say. You think I’m not taking the examinations because I don’t want to?” He continued muttering, “Even my old man never lectured me like this!”

“As they say, even dogs wag their tails for their masters. The medical hall’s income depends on him now,” Ah Cheng smiled, “Master should just put up with it.”

Du Changqing aimed a kick at his bottom: “Who are you calling a dog? Who’s the dog?”

Ah Cheng rubbed his bottom and grinned: “I am.”

…

When Master Hu returned to his residence, his wife was reviewing account books brought by the steward.

Seeing the oiled paper package in Master Hu’s hand, Madam Hu snorted: “Been to Benevolent Heart Medical Hall again?”

“How could I refuse your brother’s dying wish?”

Madam Hu smiled coldly: “You’re just rushing to give away silver, letting them take you for a fool. He won’t help himself, so why are you worrying about him?”

“You women don’t understand these things!” Master Hu waved his hand, not wanting to argue further. “Besides, they always send tea gifts. What do you mean, taken for a fool? Such unpleasant talk!”

Madam Hu gave him a sidelong glance and said sarcastically: “It’s just some leftover cakes and tea dregs—what spring gift? You’re so gullible.”

“I can’t argue with you, and I won’t bother trying.” Master Hu opened the oiled paper package. Usually, it contained some worthless tea snacks, and today seemed no different.

He took out the cloud-slice cakes, and his gaze fell on the wrapped tea.

The package was tied with thick red string, and there was writing on the white oiled paper. Master Hu’s eyesight wasn’t good, so he looked closer and found two lines of poetry: “Willow catkins laugh at humanity’s shallow nature, deliberately clinging to clothes and brushing faces.”

The calligraphy was in a woman’s ornamental small script, each stroke graceful and moving.

Master Hu’s eyes lit up—he loved such refined things. This tea package with poetry written on it, even if it contained mere tea dregs, showed some artistic sensibility.

He instructed his servant: “Brew this medicinal tea. I’ll drink this for the next few days.”

Madam Hu looked at him strangely: “Didn’t you always give their tea to the servants? Why do you want to drink it yourself today?” She glanced at the tea package again. “Ignoring the good tea we have here to drink this instead—what’s wrong with you?”

“How can money measure the taste of refinement?” Master Hu flourished his sleeve, about to argue, but catching his wife’s expression, he quickly coughed lightly and said, “Changqing said this tea can help with nasal congestion and rhinitis…”

He added in a small voice: “I’ll try it for a few days and see.”