Chapter 363: Face Value

A commotion erupted. A group of men and women with armbands were manhandling the fleeing Bai Siwen. His square scarf was gone, his bright red shoes were stamped with black footprints, and his lake-blue silk robe was torn. He was bound tightly, a pathetic sight.

“You think you can run after harassing a woman?” one of them shouted. “Go to the police station and explain yourself.”

Bai Siwen was still trying to protest his innocence. “I was just passing by. I don’t know them.”

But they paid him no mind. They tied up the fallen servants as well and hauled them away. In the distance, Bai Siwen’s voice faded. “I was just admiring the young lady! Admiring! Do you understand? Not for any… deep exchange… I am Bai Siwen! My ancestors shed blood at Yaishan! My father did business with the Great Song! I have bought many Australian goods, you can’t do this to me…”

Zhuo Yifan felt a flicker of worry, but then remembered what Li Xiaoliu had said: the short-hairs’ police never “let a crime blossom.” A few inquiries, perhaps, but with care, he could likely weather it.

As he was thinking, he realized the policewoman looked familiar. He wracked his brain and it came to him: wasn’t this the same woman who had thrashed the arrogant servant at the inn? What was she doing in Nanbao?

At the time, he had thought her merely hot-tempered. But today, seeing her step forward without hesitation, she had a certain chivalrous air. He couldn’t help but feel a little more favorably towards her.

Zhuo Yifan followed the address on the letter and soon found “Huang’s Medical Shop.” The side street was quiet, with few other shops. The sign was conspicuous. The shop was decorated in the old style: a wooden counter at the entrance, rows of medicine drawers behind it. A wooden sign hung at the door: “Medical Institution Approved by the People’s Committee of Health and the Health Police Department of the National Police.” Below it, another line: “First-class, Grade A.”

At the back of the shop was a curtained doorway with a sign that read “Consultation Room.” Below it were three more signs with the names Jiao Gongli, Song Shiying, and Zhou Zhongjun. Zhuo Yifan was taken aback. He knew all three, at least by sight. But seeing their names on a doctor’s shingle was comical. Especially Zhou Zhongjun—what illness could she possibly treat? She’d probably kill someone.

The two assistants behind the counter were strangers. One came to greet him.

“What can I get for you, sir?”

Zhuo Yifan stepped forward. “Do you have schisandra berries?”

The assistant’s expression shifted. He lowered his voice. “Yes, what kind would you like?”

Zhuo Yifan replied in a clear voice, “Schisandra berries in the mouth, soothe the breath and calm the spirit. I want the kind for making wine.”

The assistant’s face grew more solemn. “We don’t have that kind at the moment. If you truly need it, please go to the accounting room to speak with our shopkeeper.”

“Lead the way.”

The accounting room was behind the counter, through a small, hidden door. Inside, he found Huang Zhen and Sima Qiudao. The three of them knew each other, so there were no pleasantries. They nodded and sat.

Huang Zhen coughed. “Since Young Master Zhuo has arrived…”

Before he could finish, Zhou Zhongjun’s voice erupted from outside. “You’re so stupid! I’ve told you a hundred times, the needles must be washed clean before being soaked in alcohol. You didn’t even wash them! What if the short-hairs find out?”

Huang Zhen and Sima Qiudao knew she was scolding Nan Wan’er again. Since obtaining a primary acupuncturist license, Zhou Zhongjun had hung up her shingle and started practicing. Nan Wan’er now served as her assistant, on top of her cooking and laundry duties.

Zhuo Yifan frowned. Huang Zhen said, “It’s nothing. The short-hairs have many rules here, and it’s very troublesome if you break them…”

Sima Qiudao added, “Though this is our shop, it’s still a public place. It’s not appropriate to just call them ‘short-hairs’ like that.”

Huang Zhen smiled wryly. He clearly had his own complaints about Zhou Zhongjun.

Just as Zhuo Yifan was about to speak, there was another crash from outside, followed by Zhou Zhongjun’s angry shout. “You’ve really learned something since you came out, haven’t you? Learning to throw things!”

Nan Wan’er’s distressed sobs followed. “I didn’t throw it. If you hadn’t pushed me, it wouldn’t have fallen…”

Before they could react, the curtain was flung aside. A “imitation short-hair” girl stormed in. Her long hair was tied back with a ribbon, a sparkling gem flower at her temple. She wore an apple-green dress with a small white collar and a light blue apron.

Zhuo Yifan was startled. How could the assistant be so careless as to let a imitation short-hair just walk in? He looked closer and realized it was Zhou Zhongjun.

It had only been a month since they parted in Guangzhou. How had Abbess Miejing’s disciple changed so much? She was dressed in the shameless attire of a imitation short-hair girl. If the Abbess saw her, she would probably die of rage.

She sat down with a huff. “I can’t do this anymore. I want to go back!”

She then launched into a litany of Nan Wan’er’s faults, from “clumsy” to “disobedient” to “lazy.” She went on for several minutes, clearly intent on teaching her senior sister a lesson.

Then she noticed Zhuo Yifan and abruptly stopped. “Young Master Zhuo is here too.”

Zhuo Yifan nodded with a smile. “I just arrived.” He looked her up and down.

Zhou Zhongjun blushed slightly. “I lost my composure. I’ve made a fool of myself.”

Zhuo Yifan said, “Miss Zhou is straightforward. Though her words may lack gentleness, they come from a sincere heart. We all understand.” He changed the subject. “However, we are now in a den of dragons and tigers. We have come here with the utmost sincerity, to repay the kindness of the court and to relieve the suffering of the people. In our daily interactions, it is best to be harmonious. Even if there are faults, we should inform each other gently. Haste makes waste. We must not hurt our harmony. And just now, you used the word ‘short-hair’ so casually. If someone were to hear it, it would be very inappropriate.”

Sima Qiudao secretly nodded. This Young Master Zhuo has some sense of responsibility. A slippery character like Huang Zhen would have pretended to be deaf. Zhuo Yifan’s words were tactful but firm. He admonished Zhou Zhongjun while also defending Nan Wan’er. A truly golden piece of advice.

Whether it was his words or something else, Zhou Zhongjun lost her earlier vigor. She sat with her head bowed, her face slightly flushed. “Young Master Zhuo is right,” she said in a low voice. “I was too impatient.”

Huang Zhen cursed inwardly. Damn it, what golden advice? It’s all about the face! I’ve said the same things and all I got was a glare and a ‘humph.’

The four of them were lost in their own thoughts. Zhuo Yifan said, “Since Miss Zhou is here, let’s discuss the next steps.”

Zhou Zhongjun quickly stood up. “I’m on duty today. If a patient asks for me and I’m not there, it won’t look good. I’ll go out and see patients first.” Though arrogant, she knew her place. The three men present were the leaders of the operation. She could not participate in the meeting. If word got out, it would make the Hengshan Sect look undisciplined. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand social graces; she just didn’t think them necessary with a “servant” like Nan Wan’er.

Huang Zhen reported on the recent situation. Since his “flirtation” with the female manager, though he had remained “steadfast,” there had been some affectionate moments. Under You Xiu’s “intimate guidance,” the pharmacy had opened smoothly. The certification process had also gone well. Jiao Gongli and Song Shiying had obtained licenses for bone-setting and massage, while Zhou Zhongjun had obtained one for acupuncture. Her performance in the exam was excellent. The chief examiner, knowing she was literate, even suggested she take the B-level literacy exam, go to New Lingao for a crash course, and take the proper traditional Chinese physician’s license exam.

The three of them began to practice medicine, and business was surprisingly good. The medicines were procured from Runshitang, both sliced herbs and prepared medicines. It was difficult to get prepared medicines—they were too popular. So they simply prepared some commonly used medicines themselves. Jiao Gongli and Song Shiying had several proven formulas for treating bruises and injuries, which they made into pills and ointments. Unexpectedly, they sold out as soon as they were launched. The local economy was dominated by mining, and many suffered from musculoskeletal injuries due to heavy labor. The demand for their medicines exceeded the supply. Not only did the naturalized citizens and natives come to buy them, but even the Li people came. The Huang family’s pharmacy quickly became famous, and their consultation business also flourished.

After a month, Huang Zhen checked the accounts. After deducting expenses and taxes, the net profit surprised him. At this rate, he would recoup his investment in less than half a year. Where in the world was there such a profitable business? This Lingao was truly prosperous!

Pharmacies were a highly profitable industry in the Great Ming, but only if you had customers. The poor, when they got sick, could only resign themselves to their fate or drink incense ash. They would not spend money on a doctor. The Huashan Sect had its own pharmacies, but in recent years, with the people of Shaanxi and Shanxi growing poorer, the middle-class and wealthy families who could afford medicine had either been killed, gone bankrupt, or fled. The pharmacy business was getting worse and worse.