The Apothecary Diaries Book 5

Locusts

Morning was a lazy time in the pleasure district. These caged birds had been singing till dawn, and when the customers finally went home, the obsequious masks came off. For the brief time until the sun was high in the sky, they would sleep like logs.

Maomao left her little shack, yawning. In front of her, she could see steam rising from the Verdigris House—the menservants working hard to ready the morning baths, most likely. The chilly air prickled her skin—the sun was late in rising. Her simple cotton overgarment wasn't enough to keep her warm, and she rubbed her hands together, her breath fogging in front of her.

It had been a month since she'd left the rear palace, and the new year's celebrations had subsided. Her old man had stayed at the palace, hence why Maomao was here in the pleasure quarter.

Back in the shack, there was still a child sleeping—and Maomao resolved to leave him that way, knowing it was the only part of the day when he would be quiet. The boy's name was Chou-u; he was a survivor of the otherwise exterminated Shi clan, and currently he was living with Maomao. (Long story.) The little shit supposedly came from a decent background, but Maomao almost found herself wondering whether he was really a son of luxury. He was astonishingly adaptable, to the extent that he could lie there, snoring away, in that drafty old hovel.

Oh yeah, Grams wanted to see me, Maomao thought. She could get some hot water from the Verdigris House while she was at it. In weather like this, you couldn't go bathing in cold water. Shivering, Maomao stopped in front of the well and lowered the bucket, then started hauling it up again.

When she arrived at the Verdigris House, the courtesans had finished their baths and were having the apprentices dry their hair.

"Well, you're early today," said Meimei, her hair still glistening wet. She was one of the establishment's "Three Princesses," and also effectively Maomao's older sister. The most prominent courtesans bathed first, so she was done already.

"Oh, hey, Sis. Do you know where Grams is?"

"The old lady's talking with the owner over there."

"Thanks."

It was the elderly madam who ran the day-to-day affairs of the Verdigris House, but she didn't own the place. The man who did stopped by about once a month to confer with the madam about the brothel, the courtesans, and anything else that might be on his mind. The owner was a man just entering old age, and he was totally overawed by the madam, who had known him since he was young. In fact, a few gossips whispered that he was the child of the madam and the last owner, but nobody knew the truth.

Running a brothel wasn't the man's only concern; he had other, more legitimate businesses as well, and at first glance he looked perfectly ordinary. He was such a soft touch that one wondered if he was really safe being a part of this world—and one worried for the brothel's affairs if the old madam should ever leave them.

"He's not here with another of his bizarre business ideas, is he?"

"Who can say?" Meimei shrugged expansively.

At that exact moment, the madam's voice boomed around the building: "You idiot! You complete, total, utter fool! What do you think you're doing?!"

The sisters looked at each other. "Guess you were right," Meimei said.

"Guess so."

What was the man up to this time?

A few minutes later, the madam emerged from an inner room. The nearly elderly man, looking thoroughly cowed, followed her. Everyone called him Mr. Owner. It was the only way to remember who actually did own the place. Considering the way Mr. Owner was rubbing his head, it looked like he'd gotten a good rap from the madam's knuckles.