Grain Rain is the peak flood season, where every moment is worth a thousand gold.
...
Qiantang City.
A steady drizzle fell.
A handsome man holding an oil-paper umbrella walked slowly down the road, cradling an oil-paper package in his right arm. He seemed particularly protective of it, carefully avoiding the hurried passersby to prevent even a single drop of rain from splashing onto it. A carriage suddenly rushed past him, kicking up muddy water, but with a mere flick of his sleeve, the man effortlessly deflected the filth away.
From the red pavilion beside the street, a window opened. A woman waving a crimson handkerchief gazed down at the passing man, her voice dripping with honeyed allure: "My lord, the wind is strong and the rain is cold—won't you come up and rest awhile?"
The man tilted his umbrella slightly upward, glancing at her before shaking his head with a faint smile. "No need. I must hurry home, or I'll be scolded again."
The woman froze for a moment upon seeing his face. Then, hearing his polite yet distant tone, she inexplicably flushed, her heartbeat quickening.
He was more beautiful than she was.
Her earlier call now felt less like a seduction and more like she was the one taking liberties.
"Sister Peony, why is your face so red?" A woman in red leaned over curiously, peering at the man below. "What kind of young gentleman could leave our Sister Peony speechless?"
But the man had already lowered his umbrella again. Though his steps were slow, his figure moved with uncanny swiftness, reaching the end of the long street in mere moments.
The red-clad woman sighed wistfully. "What an unromantic fellow."
The one called Sister Peony touched her burning cheeks. "Yet just standing there, he exudes romance."
"I'm back." The man stopped before a grand mansion and pushed open the gate.
As the doors swung wide, the scent of medicinal herbs mingled with the fragrance of spring rain greeted him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, inhaling deeply.
But his moment of bliss was short-lived—the oil-paper package in his right arm was abruptly snatched away.
"You're finally back! Did it get wet?" A woman in white medical robes asked urgently.
The handsome man nodded. "Don't worry, I took great care with these herbs."
Yet the herbs, still wrapped in the oil-paper, were immediately tossed back to him. The woman paid them no mind, instead pulling out the still-warm Osmanthus Cake from the package. Chewing happily, she grinned. "Excellent! It's still hot this time. So delicious, so good!"
The man chuckled helplessly and stepped past her, heading inside—only to pause in surprise. "Why are there even more people today?"
"Grain Rain in spring, wind stirs the heart, illnesses flare up?" The white-robed woman replied between bites of cake, her tone indifferent.
"What kind of illness?" the man asked.
"Love sickness!" she declared, swallowing the last of the Osmanthus Cake with an impatient huff.These two individuals were none other than the former Su Family's Umbrella Ghost, Su Muyu, and Bai Hehuai, the successor of Medicine King Valley. After that fateful night, Su Muyu and Bai Hehuai had come together to this Qiantang City, moving into the grand residence Su Changhe had prepared for them long in advance. Bai Hehuai opened a Medicine Manor here, and upon arrival, she cured the strange illness of Lord Li, a wealthy magnate of Qiantang City, instantly gaining fame and attracting a steady stream of patients seeking treatment. Su Muyu, acting as Bai Hehuai's assistant, busied himself with tasks like purchasing and brewing medicine. Standing side by side, ordinary people naturally praised them as a perfect match. However, Bai Hehuai and Su Muyu quickly dismissed such notions: they were merely good friends who had come to Qiantang City to make a living together.
Among those who heard their explanation was the youngest daughter of Lord Li's household, named Li Chuanhua.
She wasted no time spreading this news throughout Qiantang City.
Consequently, the Medicine Manor was soon overrun by nearly half the unmarried young women of the city.
"What seems to be the problem?" Bai Hehuai sighed as she sat back on the long bench in the hall, casually taking the pulse of the woman beside her. The woman's face was flushed, her eyes bright—she appeared perfectly healthy, except her pulse was indeed beating faster than normal.
Ah... that was because she couldn't stop staring at Su Muyu.
"What's the problem?" Bai Hehuai repeated more firmly.
The woman snapped out of her daze and laughed awkwardly. "Well, I wouldn't be here if I knew what was wrong..."
"Ten taels of silver, and I'll have him personally brew your medicine—how about that?" Bai Hehuai winked at the woman and lowered her voice.
The woman blinked. "And... what medicine would that be?"
"One liang of isatis root. Su Muyu, brew this for the young lady." Bai Hehuai swiftly penned a prescription with flourish and handed it to the woman. "Ten taels."
"One liang of isatis root for ten taels?" The woman gasped.
"If you went to Springview Pavilion and chatted with one of those pretty boys, it'd cost you thirty taels, wouldn't it? And could any of them compare to half his looks?" Bai Hehuai retrieved the prescription. "If you don't want it, I'll give it to someone else."
"I want it, I want it!" The woman snatched back the prescription and eagerly rushed to the corner. "Pretty boy—I mean, Young Master Su, please brew this for me."
Su Muyu offered her a faint smile and nodded. "Just a moment."
Bai Hehuai yawned. "Next."
"I'll pay a hundred taels to have him sleep with me!" A burly woman plopped down and slapped a banknote on the table.
"We don't offer that service!" Bai Hehuai smacked the table angrily. "At most, he can feed you the medicine—two hundred taels!"
"Deal!" the woman agreed heartily.
"Isn't this Qiantang City? Why are there people from Zhongzhou here..." Bai Hehuai covered her face with her hands. "Heavens above."
By sunset, the last of the patients had finally left the Medicine Manor. Bai Hehuai collapsed onto the bench, utterly exhausted, while Su Muyu, who had been busy all day, continued sorting the remaining herbs without a trace of fatigue.
"Aren't you tired? Why not rest for a bit?" Bai Hehuai asked Su Muyu.
Su Muyu shook his head with a smile. "It's fine. Just brewing some medicine—compared to the things I used to do, this is much easier.""I see you're enjoying yourself. How does it feel to have your arms around both of them?" Bai Hehuai teased. "Who would've thought that in Qiantang City, we'd earn our keep not through my medical skills, but your good looks. Tsk tsk."
"It is quite enjoyable," Su Muyu nodded.
Bai Hehuai made a surprised sound. "I never took you for this type of person."
"I'm enjoying this peaceful, ordinary life," Su Muyu said with a smile, wiping sweat from his forehead. "It feels like every day we do the same things and say the same words, yet I truly feel alive in these moments."
Bai Hehuai was taken aback and turned her head away. "If you say so."
As they spoke, a white pigeon landed on the eaves.
Su Muyu set down the medicinal herbs. "You must be hungry. I'll cook."
Bai Hehuai shuddered and slid right off the bench. "N-no need... I'm... not hungry!"
"How could you not be after working all day? I asked Wang Jie from the neighboring house today—my dish yesterday was missing a seasoning. I'll improve it this time." Su Muyu headed straight for the kitchen.
"Ah!" Bai Hehuai let out a miserable groan.
OpenNovel