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The Apothecary Diaries

The Apothecary Diaries

This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.

Episode 48: The Beginning

What are you doing, Master Jinshi?

N-No! I'm just...

Hmm?

Master Jinshi, your face...

It's nothing. Just a scratch.

Let me see it, please.

Excuse me.

The stitches are messy.

I want to redo them now, but I'm tired enough that my hands are shaky...

Were you on the front lines?

I can't just sit back in a safe place to watch.

You can and should. That's your role, after all.

Don't put yourself in danger on purpose.

When you get hurt, the people around you get in trouble.

You're right.

I wasn't exactly planning on getting hurt, though.

No one ever does!

I granted a strange wish.

Were you and Loulan close?

Were you two friends?

I'm... not sure.

Friends...

At least from my point of view, I think that would be mostly true.

Loulan... Shisui, and Xiaolan.

Hanging out as a trio wasn't bad at all.

But I don't know how Shisui felt.

I never really did figure her out.

I feel the same.

It all ended before I understood any of it.

I see.

So, Shisui is...

Please take care of the rest.

All I can do is complete the task Shisui entrusted to me.

That's all.

All done.

Thanks.

You're a mess. Shouldn't you rest?

Yes, I'm very tired.

Don't sleep here, please!

Why not? I'm tired.

I mean...

This place is unclean.

I'm aware.

So...

Master Jinshi's hands are so cold.

Then, why are you here?

Even I feel pity towards children.

Is that so?

I thought your mentor forbade you from touching corpses.

Yikes. He remembers.

It makes me wonder why you'd linger here for so long despite that limitation.

He's weirdly sharp like this sometimes.

What excuse should I use?

How'd you get hurt here?

I ran into a bad person.

Were you assaulted?

It was a woman.

Why's this guy so concerned about my chastity all the time?

I hope this doesn't leave a scar.

This will fade very quickly.

Make sure it doesn't scar.

May I say the exact same thing to you, too?

I'm a man. This isn't an issue.

You are much more than just that.

I don't care.

Neither do I, then.

If a simple scar would nullify my value, so be it.

Hey.

Am I...

Am I the kind of man who would lose all his value from just a scar?

Is my pretty face the only value I hold?

Actually, a few more scars might be helpful for you.

Master Jinshi is too beautiful.

That causes ripples in the hearts of the people around him,

making them focus on just his beauty.

But Master Jinshi's true essence isn't flamboyant, like his appearance.

He's much more solid and practical.

That's probably much more valuable than his outer beauty.

You've become more manly than before.

What's wrong?

Given the situation, I was going to hold it in.

Well, if you're sleepy, you can go and—

Huh?!

I thought I could maintain my composure.

Huh?

I think I did better than expected, all things considered.

Wait, this situation...

Master Jinshi, shouldn't you try to get some sleep?

I'm fine.

How about some painkillers, then—

I can still go for about another half hour.

A half hour of what, exactly?

What is he saying when he looks that exhausted?!

This... This is bad!

What was that sound?

Hey!

No.

No...

It was medicine.

Shisui said it was medicine, not poison.

A medicine that kills a person, but later brings them back to life...

The resurrection medicine...

Is she alive?

Master Jinshi! Hot water! Get some hot water, please!

And something warm! Clothes, food, anything!

I don't know what Master Jinshi will do with the resurrected children.

But still, this is what I was brought here to do.

Died once...

So, you'll let those who've died once go.

It's like I've been tricked by a fox.

Master Jinshi!

Right, got it!

Hey! Fetch some hot water in a pail, and blankets.

Get some warm drinks, too!

Yes, sir!

Master Jinshi?

I need more help! Bring Suirei, if possible!

Gaoshun, do it.

Understood.

I'm leaving the hot water here.

Thank you.

Can we continue some other time?

Yeah, yeah. Sure.

Suirei.

The children have come back to life.

H-Hey!

How festive at the beginning of the year.

The new crown prince is being revealed, right?

That's what I heard.

With all the festivities in the air, our guests are quite generous, too.

Our old Grams can't stop smiling at her abacus.

I heard Concubine Gyokuyou, who Maomao served, is going to become the empress.

After the baby was delivered,

they decided to keep my dad in the palace,

rather than return him to the pleasure district.

Guen, I'll leave this here.

He was originally thrown out of the rear palace unreasonably,

Understood, Luomen.

but his skills as a doctor are solid.

It's only natural that they would want to keep him.

I haven't seen Master Jinshi since then.

He must be busy cleaning up after the Shi clan,

while doing his original job at the same time.

That is all good news,

but also meant that I no longer had a place in the rear palace.

That said, it's busier working here in the pleasure district.

The medicines my dad stocked up before he left have already run out.

Hey, Freckles! I want snacks!

Don't run around so much. You were bedridden until just recently.

I'm fine!

The five children all came back to life afterwards.

Oh, are they here?

This one took the longest to wake up.

The medicine was still experimental.

I wanted to wait until I knew for sure it worked...

Kyou-u took the longest to come back. He lost his memory,

and is lightly paralyzed on one side of his body.

Still, he should consider himself lucky that he came back from that state at all.

The other children had their names changed and lived on.

I don't know what the reasoning was, but all the children who woke up first

were adopted by former high-ranking concubine Ah-Duo.

She also took in... Suirei.

Suirei caused trouble all over the palace,

but it seems they determined that she has extenuating circumstances.

Moreover, she carries the blood of the late emperor.

She'll be under surveillance, but won't be executed.

Kyou-u, with his memory loss, was the only one to come to the pleasure district,

as they decided he should be raised apart from the other children.

What did they mean by "this is probably the safest place, in a way?"

Found it!

Hey! What was that for?!

Don't eat that without permission, stupid Chou-u.

His name was changed from "Kyou-u" to "Chou-u."

It was a last resort, since he remembered some of the sound of his former name.

Come on, Chou-u. Take this.

Yes! I'm gonna go play!

Ouch...

Hmm? Lady Seki-u?

Long time no see.

I heard you're an apothecary now, but I didn't realize you were in the pleasure district.

Did the crown prince's reveal go well?

Yes, without any trouble.

Everyone asked me to send their regards.

Oh, and this. I had to give this to you.

It wouldn't sit well with me otherwise.

Maomao

Shisui

Xiaolan

Xiaolan...

She was really sad because you and Shisui left.

She hoped you would at least leave a message for her.

I think the official story was that both Shisui and I were hired elsewhere, right?

Yes. But...

It's good that she stays so positive.

She's not the best worker, but also, you just can't leave her alone.

Well then, take care.

Yes. Same to you, Lady Seki-u.

Lady Seki-u explained to me in detail how Xiaolan did.

Shisui

Maomao

After we left, Xiaolan kept working diligently at the baths.

Lady Seki-u couldn't just leave her by herself.

I see...

Xiaolan isn't...

"Maomao, how are you doing? I'm doing well."

I'm doing well.

My tenure is up, and I'm leaving the rear palace.

A concubine who gave me a hair stick liked the work I do,

so she hired me to work for her younger sister back home.

I'll do my best and more!

Oh, I wish I could tell you in person.

I want to see you and Shisui sometime soon.

I want to eat ice treats all together again.

Shisui

Snow...

I heard they couldn't find Shisui's corpse, no matter how much snow they dug up.

Supposedly they'll search again, once spring comes and the snow melts away.

I hope they never find her.

Verdigris House

Hmm.

This new medicine isn't exactly what I envisioned.

Oh, I know.

Here we go!

What are you trying to do?

Master Jinshi. Did you finish all of your work?

I deserve a break every now and then.

Hee hee! Here you are! Please, enjoy!

What's gotten into her?

Oh, it's all cleaned up now.

Did my dad redo the stitches?

You seem tired.

I've been managing our staff, lands owned by the Shi clan, and so on.

I heard the members of the Shi clan were mostly executed already.

Their land's being reclaimed by the government, I think.

It's full of great forestry resources.

That should boost the national treasury.

Lumber, huh? I hope they make a lot of paper.

Hey, stop treating me like I don't exist.

I'm sorry. Old habits.

Fine. You have a promise to keep.

Promise?

I got you your ice treat ingredients.

Ice... Oh, the hair stick!

What's wrong?

Well, um... About the hair stick...

I gave it away.

Huh?

Maybe we'll find it when spring comes.

Why spring?

We might never find it.

It might end up in a storefront somewhere.

You sold it?!

I didn't sell it!

Well, um... I...

I gave it to Shisui... Loulan.

I asked her to give it back to me someday.

I see.

You can fulfill your other promise, then.

Listen to what you say until the end, was it?

Right.

Alright. Go ahead, please.

Go ahead?

Yeah...

Nothing to say?

Well, there is, but...

Thinking on it, you already know what I wanted to tell you.

I guess all that stuff about his status is old news.

In that case, is there something else?

Something else...

So, there's nothing?

What are you doing?

Does this make it clear what I mean?

Human saliva can be poisonous, sometimes.

Light poisons won't work on you!

Ow, ow, ow! Are you trying to bite me to death?!

Sometimes I really want to.

What—

Let's pick up where we left off at the stronghold.

This really is clean...

Do you have poison in you, too?

Huh?

Hey, Freckles! Look! This is what you wanted, right?!

Oh, good job!

It's big.

I know, right?

Why do I always get interrupted?

What's wrong with that guy?

He's very tired.

Here's your payment. Brown sugar.

Yay, bye!

Grams, prepare a bed for him, please. Some incense to help with rest, too.

Dammit. Fine!

You seem very tired, so please go get some rest.

Right. I'll rest.

Huh...

I'll use this as my pillow.

Master Jinshi?

Are you pretending to sleep, Master Jinshi?

He's putting my legs to sleep.

Here's your goods. Thank you!

Hey, mister.

Yep! Huh?

Is this a cicada?

Yeah, it's made of jade, popular in the old days.

Oh, jade, huh?

Hey, that's valuable. Don't waste my time.

Are you buying?

Hmm... I don't have much money.

Then don't touch it.

How about a trade, then?

Give this a look.

A hair stick?

What is this?! You don't see this kind of thing out in these parts!

What do you think?

Miss, where did you—

I mean, no, it's a deal!

Thanks, I'll take this!

So pretty.

Hey, mister!

Hmm?

My name's Tamamo.

"Tama" like the "gyoku" for jade, and "mo" as in seaweed?

Sounds like a name with blessings from the ocean.

Yes!

Right...

The other side of the ocean sounds exciting.

Alright, thanks again!

Bye-bye!