Chapter 2778: The Capital (Part 134)

The recipe, naturally, could never be copied out—it was her leverage in this trade. As a rule, she only dispensed medicine and never revealed the formula. To further obscure the ingredients, she always mixed in a few irrelevant herbs, guarding against any gentlemen in the apothecary shops or physicians who might recognize the composition.

She lifted a corner of the basket she carried, revealing a bundle of medicine packets, and chattered on: "Here are ten doses. The Eunuch wants one mace of silver per dose. Just give me one tael—consider my service a gift."

Liu Qi'er hastened to protest: "How can that be! There's no reason for Mama to serve for free!" She promptly led her to her own room, took out a small steelyard, and weighed out one tael and two mace of silver.

Granny Shi declined several times before accepting the payment. Then, with an air of mystery, she produced a crude paper folder from the bottom of her basket and whispered: "Consider this an extra. You and the master of the house do as it shows, and with this medicine, you're guaranteed to give birth to a big fat boy next year!"

Liu Qi'er took it and unfolded it to look. She couldn't help blushing. "Mama, what kind of joke is this! At my age, you're still using Spring Palace Paintings to tease me..."

Granny Shi waved her hand dismissively: "This isn't a Spring Palace Painting! Those are all detailed drawings. Where would you find one done with just two human figures sketched in ink brush? I'll tell you the truth—this is a secret technique from India, hidden away in the Palace, most suitable for matters between men and women. If it weren't for my deep friendship with that Eunuch, how could I have traced it out? You and the master of the house just do as it shows!"

Hearing her speak so vividly, Liu Qi'er was half-believing, half-doubting. Looking at it again, she laughed: "The postures in here—probably only acrobats could manage them. With our old arms and legs, I'm afraid we couldn't..."

"You don't have to do every posture—just pick the ones you can manage." Seeing Liu Qi'er's cheeks slightly flushed, and knowing she was tempted, Granny Shi seized the opportunity: "How many years have you and the master of the house been married? I imagine he's grown somewhat... indifferent in that regard..."

Liu Qi'er sighed: "The master married me to him when I was seventeen! He was attentive enough when he was young. But these past few years..." She trailed off, lowering her head with another sigh.

"He's not even forty yet—his fire should still be strong." Granny Shi's tone turned intimate. "Since you're trying for a son, it's always better to have more... enthusiasm. Otherwise, this medicine is useless no matter how much he takes..."

These words struck exactly at Liu Qi'er's concerns. She asked eagerly: "Does Mama have any method?"

"A method? Naturally I do..."

Seeing her hesitate, Liu Qi'er pressed: "I have silver here."

"It's not a matter of silver." Granny Shi assumed the demeanor of a close confidante. "You and I are practically family. This old woman might as well speak plainly. Medicine for arousing interest and gathering vitality—naturally I have such things. But the medicine's nature is fierce; young people with strong constitutions can withstand it. Or if it's for someone elderly, with flagging spirits who needs warm tonics and nourishment, I have secret recipes for that too. But your master of the house is neither old nor young. If he rashly uses the gathering vitality medicine, it will only damage his health..."

These words were spoken with such apparent concern that Liu Qi'er fell completely for the ploy, thinking Granny Shi truly "kind-hearted." She sighed: "At my age, how can I still arouse his interest? If it weren't for wanting a child..." She touched her own face, a sense of loss washing over her.

"It's not that there's no way..." Granny Shi knew the hook had been cast. There was no need to rush the reeling in just yet. After all, Liu Qi'er was merely a small shrimp; the real catch awaited in the main chamber.

"What method?"

"I heard it from the Eunuchs in the Palace—they say there's medicine paid as tribute from foreign countries, for external use, and it doesn't harm the body." Granny Shi's voice dropped mysteriously. "At the time I only caught a fragment and didn't ask for details."

"Then I must trouble Mama to inquire..." Liu Qi'er had already ordered tea. "Please, Mama, have some."

"Much obliged! Much obliged!" Granny Shi took a sip and continued: "Since Sister-in-law Seven desires it, this old woman will naturally make inquiries. You can rest assured."

"Sorry to trouble Mama."

Granny Shi had exchanged enough pleasantries with her and asked: "Has everything been well in the residence these days?"

This was no idle question but a deliberate probe—testing the waters to grasp the situation within the household. Only then could she formulate her next plan.

"It's been fairly quiet lately," Liu Qi'er said. "Though a few days ago, an evil star descended upon us!"

Her words dripped with disgust. Granny Shi quickly asked: "What evil star?"

"Some child who used to study under Master Zhou. Now he puts on the airs of a master himself!" Liu Qi'er's voice turned venomous. "He came bringing gifts for the New Year festival—fine, so the gifts arrived after the New Year had passed—but the moment he set foot in the residence, he was looking east and west, asking everywhere if there were idlers coming and going. The way he carried on, you'd think he wanted to drag everyone in the household, high and low, in for interrogation!"

"You've only got a dozen people here, masters and servants combined, and the gates are well-guarded. What could there possibly be to interrogate?"

"Who knows what medicine he swallowed," Liu Qi'er spat. "A thing with hair not even fully grown, coming here to check and question! Demanding we be 'stricter with the gates'! From the sound of it, you'd think someone here was committing crimes and breaking the law!"

Granny Shi felt a jolt of alarm. "Bad!" she thought. Some information must have leaked. The master family had sent someone to investigate. She forced herself to remain calm and said: "How strange. If there really were something amiss, why would they send a child to ask about it?"

"Don't underestimate this child," Liu Qi'er sighed. "Young in years, but shrewd as a demon! The moment he arrived, he checked and questioned about the gates, inquiring whether any outsiders came and went, what sort of people they were. Moreover, he questioned everyone separately, one by one. Even if we wanted to play dumb, it was too late to get our stories straight! Those eyes of his—sharp as a thief's, radiating an evil air that makes one afraid just to look at them."

Hearing this, Granny Shi grew even more anxious. This sounded like the manner of a lianjiazi—a practitioner of martial arts serving as a household guard. How could it possibly be a child?

She forced herself to remain composed, assuming the appearance of detached unconcern, and said leisurely: "Master Wang probably sent him? Speaking of which, you have no master in charge here, yet you have two young ladies beautiful as flowers and jade. It's only proper that the gates be kept strict."

"Speaking of strict gates—I won't claim for the whole Capital, but is there a stricter place than this in all of Wanggong Factory? The two ladies and the young master and miss only step out to burn incense or visit the temple fair on the first and fifteenth of each month. The rest of the year, they never set foot beyond the main gate or the inner gate. If that's still not enough, why not just build two cages and lock them all inside? Then it'll be strict!"

"Now, now, what words are these..."

"Just over this strictness of gates, he berated the master of the house like a father scolding a son! From his tone, he probably wanted to drag me out to enforce the law and give me a beating with the board before he'd be satisfied. It was only when this old mother cursed him back that he finally stopped!"

Liu Qi'er neglected to mention that just a few days ago she had knelt before Xu Yong, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy, swearing never to let Three Aunts and Six Grannies through the door again. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't be sitting here making conversation today.

Looking at her demeanor, Granny Shi surmised she had been severely reprimanded a few days prior. Intending to provoke her a bit, she sighed deliberately: "Officials are not as good as those in charge. He has someone backing him. You eat his bowl and receive his dispatch—on the surface, you still have to follow his lead."

"Bah!" Liu Qi'er spat, her voice thick with indignation. "If Master Wang had sent him, fine! But someone sent by Master Zhou's apprentice—a person you couldn't connect to us with an eight-pole—tyrannizing here, who does he think he is! He wants to do this and that; let him wait until this residence bears the name Xu, then it won't be too late for this old mother to listen to him!"

This was precisely the effect Granny Shi had been angling for. Seeing the situation had ripened, she said deliberately: "Well now, Sister-in-law Seven, why make such a fuss! Since he's spoken, I'll just come around less often for a while. No sense courting a rebuff for no reason."

"It doesn't matter. Come whenever you please, elder. He can't make decisions in this Zhou residence yet." Liu Qi'er assumed an air of having everything under control. "Besides, the one who summoned you is Miss You Rong. Does this little brat have the authority to 'enforce the family law' on Miss You Rong too?" She laughed as she finished.

Granny Shi laughed along with her. But inwardly, she was calculating. The master family had probably caught wind of something but lacked hard evidence, so they had sent over a not-so-relevant child instead.

Nine times out of ten, Pan Cheng'an's business couldn't be done. However, that was no concern of hers. She had come to the Zhou residence today originally to pass along Pan's message arranging a rendezvous. As for what Pan said during the rendezvous, whether You Rong believed it, whether she ran or not—none of that was her affair.

Once You Rong packed up and fled in secret, regardless of whether the scheme succeeded or failed, Granny Shi would probably never be able to enter this door again, even if she managed to clear her own name completely. Fortunately, You Rong was her major client, while Liu Qi'er counted only as a side benefit. This final transaction had to be conducted well; squeezing out the maximum profit was the only sensible course.

With this in mind, she had already formed her plan. She steered toward the main topic: "Are the two ladies doing well?"

"What wouldn't be well with them? Every day their soup and water, food and clothing are all laid out ready-made. They open their mouths for meals and stretch out their hands for clothes. Truly speaking, it's no different from raising two small children." Liu Qi'er looked disdainful. "Miss You Rong was asking about you the day before yesterday. She said she was feeling unwell and asked you to go to her room when you arrived."

"Ah yes, she did ask me for medicine last time," Granny Shi clapped her hands. "I'll go over right now!"

"No rush!" Liu Qi'er lowered her voice. "Wait a while until Miss Yui takes her nap before you go. Best to avoid her wagging her tongue."

Granny Shi had long sensed that You Rong and Yui didn't get along. Though both were her customers, Yui was clearly the more "honest" of the two.

The honest ones might be easier to deceive, but they were often timid and couldn't be coaxed into undertaking "grand ventures"—meaning big money couldn't be extracted from them. You Rong, on the other hand, came from a Music Household background and was exceedingly shrewd; petty tricks couldn't fool her. Yet she was bold and reckless. Big money could indeed be obtained from her. Just from acting as a go-between and arranging two private meetings at Ganlu Nunnery, Granny Shi had already secured ten taels of silver and several pieces of jewelry.

"What's the situation with her?" Granny Shi asked eagerly.

"When that one surnamed Xu came asking questions high and low, he frightened her out of her wits. Not only did she tell him everything in detail about the contacts between inside and outside the residence—implicating everyone and getting us all reprimanded—but she also declared that outsiders should no longer be allowed to visit, and that she herself won't go burn incense anymore either." Liu Qi'er's face was full of contempt. "Look at her terrified state—as if she'd been carrying on with a man outside!"

(End of Chapter)