The fourth lunar month, also known as Meng Xia, brought increasingly muggy weather with considerable temperature differences between day and night. At night one still needed to sleep under blankets, but during the day it grew hotter and hotter. After early morning, the sun hanging in the sky became increasingly unfriendly.
There were more vendors selling cold drinks on the streets. Every few dozen steps, Xu Yi could see peddlers hawking various iced beverages and cold foods.
Among them, the most popular with the people of Yanting County was the “thin cold jelly” that had been brought from Bianjing. It came in savory and sweet varieties. The jelly was made from peas and looked like an upturned glutinous white jade plate. With a bamboo brush scrape, one could produce a bowl of translucent thin noodles. The savory version was topped with scallion and ginger water seasoned with salt, while the sweet version used honey syrup. The prices were very cheap, only two wen for savory, three wen for sweet.
As long as ordinary families could get by, they were willing to buy a bowl to bring home.
Therefore, in the marketplace, the thin-slurped cold jelly was the best-selling item.
Smelling the aroma, Xu Yi thought to himself that after completing the transaction, he would buy two bowls as well.
Thinking this, his steps were light and steady, and he soon arrived at Jishi Hall on West Street.
Inside Jishi Hall, several apprentices were working. This was clearly the largest medical hall on West Street. It was said that they also had branch establishments, and the proprietor dealt in medicinal materials. Thus, they employed several resident physicians, but their revenue still relied on selling various prepared medicinal pills and powders.
Doctor Yan was a resident physician who also managed the Yanting County branch of Jishi Hall, so it wouldn’t be wrong to say he ran the medical hall.
He had the authority to do business with Xu Yi, not only out of respect for the Xing family, but mainly because the digestive pills Xu Yi made were quality goods.
With true summer about to arrive, more and more affluent families would indulge in cold drinks. He had no concern whatsoever about being unable to sell the digestive pills.
He had been waiting in the consultation hall early and had instructed the apprentice who had received Xu Yi that day to come notify him as soon as Xu Yi arrived.
The apprentice hadn’t been punished that day but remained fearful. Today, wanting to perform well, he counted medicinal materials while stretching his neck to look outside.
Another apprentice, also a medicine boy, saw his absent-mindedness and asked if something was troubling him.
“No, no, no.” The apprentice, afraid of having his task taken away, quickly denied it. “What would be troubling me…”
Before he could finish, he dashed out, leaving the questioning apprentice dumbfounded.
“Doctor Xu, you’ve arrived!” The apprentice beamed with joy. “Doctor Yan is waiting for you in the consultation hall. I’ll take you to see him.”
“Mm.” Xu Yi responded calmly.
Entering the room, after exchanging a few pleasantries with Doctor Yan, the apprentice enthusiastically brought tea of his own accord. At Doctor Yan’s signal, he even closed the door when leaving.
Incidentally taking Little Huang out for a stroll.
–
The consultation hall was simple and elegant, with quiet, refined medicinal incense burning in the censer.
The price had been agreed upon, as had the quantity.
Xu Yi didn’t plan to make too many. He wasn’t a merchant. He wanted to sell the digestive pills to Jishi Hall for two reasons: first, it was convenient and didn’t require him to sell them packet by packet personally. Second, he needed money.
Yes, he really needed money badly.
Even though he already had several dozen strings of cash on hand, he still desperately needed more.
The reason was simple. He didn’t want to keep living in that tiny grass and wood house. A humble dwelling where he could sleep peacefully and take care of basic needs was not the goal he pursued after coming to this place. He wanted to be a doctor, and not just a traveling doctor. He also wanted to open a medical hall, hire apprentices to help…
All of this required a great deal of money. Several dozen strings of cash wouldn’t do. He couldn’t even afford a mule-drawn cart with that.
Xu Yi unwrapped the bundle he’d brought. Inside were two hundred digestive pills in separate packets.
Even through the hemp paper, one could still smell the medicinal fragrance emanating from within, even richer than the medicinal incense burning in the censer.
Doctor Yan opened one packet and looked at the smooth, round pills, unable to help marveling inwardly. If only Jishi Hall could have the prescription for these digestive pills.
Two hundred digestive pills really wasn’t many.
Forty packets of pills. Doctor Yan wouldn’t open every single packet to inspect them. He rewrapped the one he’d examined and said to Xu Yi with a smile, “The agreed-upon price was ten wen per packet, so this comes to a total of four hundred wen. Would Doctor Xu prefer to exchange it for four qian of silver or copper coins?”
Xu Yi didn’t hesitate. “Copper coins.” He would be going to the marketplace to buy food shortly, and loose coins would be more convenient.
“Very well.” Doctor Yan stood up and went out to call the bookkeeper, telling him to count out four hundred wen from the money chest.
Returning, Doctor Yan said, “In business, it’s better to have proper documentation. I had my people go to the broker’s office beforehand to handle the contract. The doctor need only sign it, then have a servant take it to the broker’s office for the seal.”
For small transactions like this, the broker’s office wouldn’t strictly require the person to appear in person. As long as one could produce an identity token and the contract, one could get it stamped for a dozen or so wen.
Of course, one still needed to use a trustworthy servant. After all, something like an identity token represented one’s identity so how could it be casually given to others?
Xu Yi planned to go himself.
He hadn’t yet been to Yanting County’s broker’s office.
The broker’s office mentioned here wasn’t the solemn and dignified county yamen (court). Yanting County’s county yamen was located on East Street, occupying a three-courtyard compound. Apparently the county magistrate lived in the rear yamen, while the main hall where court was held in front wasn’t like what was shown on television, where common people could watch from outside and see clearly what was happening inside.
When Xu Yi and Doctor Yan passed by the yamen, they both walked by silently.
The people of this era instinctively didn’t dare speak loudly or walk loudly in such places, fearing to disturb the various figures inside.
Walking another hundred meters or so, they stopped at a somewhat dilapidated compound. If not for the plaque clearly stating this was the broker’s office, Xu Yi would have thought they’d come to the wrong place.
Entering through the peeling main gate, inside was a bailiff wearing a loose green robe. He sat in a woven rattan rocking chair, legs crossed as he leisurely drank tea. Seeing people enter, he languidly lifted his eyelids.
Seeing that these weren’t people wearing patched and tattered clothes, he slowly straightened his posture and inquired what business they had at the broker’s office.
“Greetings, Officer. We’ve come to process a contract.” Doctor Yan stepped forward two paces with a smile, tucking a dozen copper coins into the bailiff’s sleeve.
If Xu Yi hadn’t wanted to come in person, he definitely wouldn’t have come.
“Oh, so it’s Doctor Yan. The contract then, hand it over.” The bailiff felt his sleeve and made no difficulties or obstructions whatsoever.
Xu Yi looked at his fraying sleeve and the mouthful of yellow teeth exposed when he spoke, silently shifting his position.
Doctor Yan pressed his lips together and swallowed. After the contract was stamped with the seal, he had to offer a few more pleasant words before walking out of the dim, damp broker’s office.
He wiped away the sweat that had formed on his forehead and said apologetically to Xu Yi, “I’ve made Doctor Xu laugh. This old man rarely deals with the broker’s office and was truly somewhat affected.”
Xu Yi said, “Doctor Yan is too kind. I myself couldn’t have acted so naturally. In the future, I should learn from Doctor Yan.”
Doctor Yan paused and looked at Xu Yi beside him. His expression was sincere, not seeming false. Could it be that he really had performed well?
–
While Xu Yi was busy handling the contract, Little Huang was being pampered comfortably at Jishi Hall.
He was adorable and cute, with big eyes that naturally induced affection. Everyone who saw him praised that he would be a good dog in the future.
Little Huang, endowed with the title of “good dog,” was currently eating a pork-filled flatbread that an apprentice had bought for him.
The pork filling, forty percent fat and sixty percent lean, had been roasted in an iron stove. One bite and delicious juices burst forth, leaving Little Huang’s chin oily.
When Xu Yi returned, what he saw was Little Huang wagging his tail and licking his face, looking for another flatbread from the apprentice.
Xu Yi: “…”
Having a dog that embarrassed himself was his dereliction of duty.
Xu Yi held his forehead. This morning Little Huang had accompanied him in eating plain porridge and white steamed buns, which had left the pup so hungry he abandoned all dignity.
“Little Huang,” he called from afar.
Little Huang, who had been wagging its tail at someone else, froze, then turned its head with perked ears, joyfully sticking out his tongue and running over on all fours.
Just as he was about to crash into Xu Yi’s legs, Xu Yi nimbly dodged…
That was close. He’d almost been hit by that oily chin.
He patted Little Huang’s head and took out a fresh handkerchief. While carefully wiping his chin, he grumbled quietly, “If you’re hungry, tell me. To beg food from strangers, you actually did that. Be careful or I’ll send you to the dog butcher. He’d surely love a gluttonous dog like you.”
Little Huang happily barked, “Woof woof woof~”
Doctor Yan nearby: “…”
The approaching apprentice: “…”
“That…” Doctor Yan opened his mouth, pondering how to ask about Xu Yi’s next arrangements.
Hearing the voice, Xu Yi stood up and asked Doctor Yan, “Is Doctor Yan wondering when the next batch will be delivered?”
Doctor Yan smiled. “Precisely so.”
Xu Yi said, “Still five days from now, coming at about this same time.”
Doctor Yan immediately became alert. Before Xu Yi could continue, he hurriedly asked, “How many can Doctor Xu make in these five days? Jishi Hall has great demand, just two hundred pills is far from enough.”
Xu Yi glanced at him and was silent for a few seconds. “Then I’ll make two hundred more.”
Doctor Yan wanted to continue raising the stakes, but Xu Yi didn’t agree.
Four hundred pills, no more. Otherwise he’d have no time to practice martial arts or go to the mountains to gather herbs.
Summer was scorching. In another while, gathering herbs in the mountains would be even more exhausting. Rather than going then, it would be better to wait until autumn arrived.
…Mm, he would arrange it this way. A few months would pass quickly.
Yes, little Huang must be loved! ♥
❤