The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty (ENGLISH TRANSLATION)

CH 5

Once the name ‘Rejuvenation Hall’ was heard, it was bound to be an apothecary. The overwhelming majority of apothecaries in the capital weren’t called Rejuvenation Hall, though, but something like Kindness Hall. All that identicalness made people think that they were all owned by the same person.

The Rejuvenation Hall located at Tangxibai Street was a household-name store. Among the ten or so ‘Rejuvenation Halls’ in the capital, this was the one with the most flourishing public reputation. However, in this particular age, there was no such thing as intellectual property rights, so after this Rejuvenation Hall’s name came into success, other apothecaries successively followed suit, taking on the same name, while the one on Tangxibai could do nothing about it.

Business at the Hall wasn’t bad, with all the people coming and going that were getting prescriptions written and drugs made up. Not only was the medicine here widely known, but even the physicians seated in it were famed, typically getting a line of people out the door just for a visit to them.

However, it was raining today, and the patients were quite a bit lacking. Not a lot of people were coming for medicine, even. His work finished for a spell, the young fellow Gao Yazi was right in the middle of being bored when he saw someone outside put away his umbrella, leave it at the entrance, wipe the rain off his clothes, then walk inside.

Despite his back being to the light, a crow-black color could faintly be seen suffusing the rainwater-damp hair hanging beside his face. His jade everyday clothes drifted to and fro with the wind, making him unfettered and stylish.

Gao Yazi had been an apprentice at this apothecary for three years and had seen an uncountable amount of people, but he had never seen such a good-looking one before. He couldn’t resist staring fixedly at him for half the day — until the other walked over and knocked on the counter in front of him. Only then did he snap out of it, face flushing thoroughly red. “What can I help you with, customer?”

The other man was nice to look at, and even his smile was gentle and elegant. Gao Yazi could read, but he hadn’t read many classic books, so he couldn’t think of any nice-sounding adjectives. He only thought that this person was akin to the drizzle outside — a coolness that brushed past the face, sweeping away the stuffy heat of early summer to make one quite comfortable.

“I’m looking for Shopkeep Liu. Is he here?” the other asked.

“That’s unfortunate. He just left,” Gao Yazi answered.

The one that was standing in Rejuvenation Hall and talking with Gao Yazi right now was, of course, Tang Fan. Hearing that the shopkeeper was out, the space between his brows couldn’t help but scrunch, and he immediately questioned, “Before he went, did he ever say when he would come back?”

The young man thought back for a time. “Right before he did, he said he would only return by noon. What is your respected name? If you have something you need and it isn’t critical, it’d be better to talk to me about it. I’ll convey it later on for you so you won’t need to make a trip again!”

He was an eloquent speaker, talented in stepping forth for social interactions. It was no wonder that he was so young, yet could work by himself at the Hall.

Tang Fan smiled. “My surname is Tang. I have nothing to do right now, so I’ll just wait for him here. Would that be okay, or no?”

Nice-looking people always had an unfair advantage; if he was swapped out for someone with a crooked nose and bulging eyes, Gao Yazi might not be so cordial, but Tang Fan saying so made him answer in haste. “Of course it is! Have a bit of a sit for now, Mister Tang!”

After that, he poured him tea himself and brought it over. He could be described as ‘excessively kissing up to him’.

The tea wasn’t great, but Tang Fan nevertheless accepted his enthusiasm, slightly nodding at him with a smile. Gao Yazi suddenly felt like he was about to float to ascension.