After the Minor Heat period passed in Shengjing, the weather became even hotter.
In front of the silk shoe shop on West Street, they had set up an awning with brocade cloth. Every evening, vendors would gather in twos and threes under the awning to cool off.
Today was unusually overcast, with no sun in the morning sky. Du Changqing took Xia Rongrong and her servant to stroll around the city, incidentally buying some local products for Xia Rongrong’s parents. Only A’Cheng and Yin Zheng remained in the medical hall to help Lu Tong organize medicinal materials.
Lu Tong sat in the medical hall, stacking newly made “Xianxian” in the corner of the long cabinet. A few days ago, she had borrowed another hundred taels of silver from Du Changqing, so she could only make more medicinal tea to supplement their income.
Yin Zheng was sweeping the floor, and A’Cheng had gone to the West Street syrup shop to buy sweet syrup for Lu Tong.
Du Changqing found Lu Tong’s taste incomprehensible, but this newly opened syrup shop was perfectly sweet for Lu Tong. Two cups cost three copper coins total. Since the others in the medical hall found it too sweet, Lu Tong bought it daily and drank two bamboo tubes by herself.
After about half an incense stick’s time, Lu Tong had just finished arranging all the medicinal tea when A’Cheng returned.
A’Cheng came back looking hesitant, holding bamboo tubes of syrup, appearing somewhat restless.
Lu Tong glanced at him: “Why aren’t you coming in?”
Before A’Cheng could speak, a voice suddenly emerged from behind: “Dr. Lu!”
Lu Tong paused in placing the medicinal tea, and Yin Zheng, who was sweeping, straightened up to look toward the door.
Duan Xiaoyan walked in from outside with a cheerful smile, familiarly greeting everyone: “Miss Yin Zheng.”
Lu Tong looked toward him. Behind Duan Xiaoyan stood a handsome young man with a sword, who smiled as their eyes met.
Lu Tong’s heart sank.
This person was truly persistent as a ghost.
She paused, then spoke calmly: “Why has Minister Pei come?”
Pei Yunying walked in: “To buy medicine.”
“Buy medicine?”
Duan Xiaoyan turned around: “Recently, the summer heat has been intense. The brothers in our camp inevitably suffer from heat stroke when moving about outside. The Minister wants to buy some heat-clearing medicinal tea to brew and distribute among the brothers.” He smiled at Lu Tong: “Since we’re all acquaintances, we specially came to patronize Dr. Lu’s business.”
Lu Tong nodded: “Thank you.” She then said to both of them: “Please wait a moment.”
She sat at the table and took paper and brush to write a prescription. Pei Yunying stood before the medicine cabinet, his gaze sweeping over her flowing calligraphy, raising his eyebrows slightly.
Lu Tong didn’t notice. After finishing, she handed the prescription to A’Cheng, who went to prepare the medicine. Yin Zheng glanced at the two men and smiled: “Please sit for a while, this servant will go brew…”
Before she could say “tea,” two bamboo tubes of sweet syrup were already placed on the small table.
Pei Yunying looked up as Lu Tong smiled and withdrew her hand: “Freshly bought syrup. The Minister and Young Master Duan can try some.”
This meant she had no intention of brewing tea for them.
Drinking a cup of sweet syrup would only take a moment, while brewing and drinking tea would take quite a while. Though Lu Tong didn’t say it explicitly, she had expressed her intention to see them off quite thoroughly.
Pei Yunying’s gaze swept across Lu Tong’s face. After a while, he shook his head and good-naturedly picked up the bamboo tube of syrup for a sip.
The next moment, the young man’s smile stiffened.
Duan Xiaoyan beside him had already exclaimed: “Ptui ptui ptui, this is way too sweet! Dr. Lu, what did you buy?!”
“Ginger honey water.” Lu Tong said: “Is it very sweet? I think it’s just right. All the medicinal materials in the medical hall are bitter. The ginger honey water in Young Master Duan’s hands is sweeter than medicine.”
Her expression was calm, her tone without the slightest hint of playfulness, making it impossible to tell if she was deliberately teasing them.
Pei Yunying put down the bamboo tube and sighed: “That makes sense.”
Lu Tong looked at him.
This person showed no signs of anger on his face, maintaining a consistently polite and gentle attitude. She couldn’t tell if it was good breeding or cunning.
A’Cheng was still preparing the medicine. Duan Xiaoyan held his fist to his lips and coughed lightly, making conversation: “Dr. Lu, when I saw you at the Fan residence entrance last time, I wanted to chat more, but I was busy with official duties… How have you been these days? No one has caused you trouble, have they?”
Lu Tong also sat at the table: “No one has. Thank you for your concern, Young Master Duan.”
Duan Xiaoyan coughed twice more: “Speaking of which, I lost my purse last time at the Fan residence…” As he said this, he looked at Lu Tong probingly.
Lu Tong quietly watched him.
Duan Xiaoyan stammered: “Did you… did you see my purse?”
The shop fell silent for a moment.
Gray clouds obscured the sky, and the branches and leaves of the plum tree by the door rustled in the wind.
After a long while, Lu Tong spoke calmly: “Is Young Master Duan suspecting me of stealing your purse?”
A’Cheng crouched by the medicine cabinet, the sound of preparing medicinal materials rustling softly. Yin Zheng stood by the table at the door, lowering her head to seriously wipe the table.
Duan Xiaoyan was stunned for a moment, then laughed awkwardly: “How could that be? I was just mentioning it casually.”
Lu Tong nodded: “Young Master Duan, I did not see your purse.”
Duan Xiaoyan hurriedly said: “I also thought you didn’t see it. I must have dropped it somewhere else.” After speaking, his hand under the table gently tugged at Pei Yunying’s sleeve.
Pei Yunying sat to one side, his gaze sweeping over the stack of ‘Xianxian’ on the pharmacy table, suddenly changing the subject: “Dr. Lu’s medicinal tea is selling well. I heard even Chief Judge Fan’s family personally requested it.”
“I was merely fortunate enough to catch Madam Fan’s eye.”
“How could it be mere fortune?” He smiled: “Madam Fan cares about her figure, and Dr. Lu happened to make slimming medicinal tea—it was like sending charcoal in snowy weather. If I didn’t know Dr. Lu was from out of town, I would have thought Dr. Lu prepared it specifically for Madam Fan.”
Yin Zheng’s hand wiping the table tensed, gripping the cloth tightly.