Chapter 14: Aphrodisiac – The Final Hour Approaches

When Lin Xihe stepped into the herbal shop, a breeze happened to pass under the eaves, causing the bronze wind chimes to ring out a series of clear notes.

The sharp-eyed shop assistant behind the counter noticed the customer’s superior fabric and exquisite embroidery stitches, quickly lifting the curtain to go to the back hall. The shopkeeper was busy in the cellar preparing medicinal wine when he heard the words “distinguished guest,” immediately dropping his work and emerging with a deer penis in hand.

Upon realizing it was a young lady, the shopkeeper’s hand froze, and he hurriedly hid the object behind his back.

“What would the young lady like to select?”

The shopkeeper stepped aside to reveal the view. The back shelves displayed various delicate porcelain bottles containing elegant items for women’s chambers such as incense, floral teas, and pearl powder. Many young ladies from official families in Shengjing City loved shopping here.

Yet Lin Xihe asked, “Shopkeeper, where are the tonic medicines?”

The shopkeeper’s face instantly broke into a bright smile—a truly distinguished guest indeed!

While leading her to the tonic medicine section, he secretly rejoiced: a big business deal has arrived!

A single ginseng root on the shelf was worth a whole silver ingot—truly, three years without business, but one deal sustains for three years!

Unexpectedly, Lin Xihe’s gaze swept past those precious medicinal materials as she stated bluntly, “Shopkeeper, do you have anything more potent?”

Understanding her meaning, the shopkeeper hurriedly pulled open a rosewood drawer, introducing several rare items one by one: “Wild ginseng from beyond the Great Wall, hundred-year-old purple lingzhi mushrooms…”

To his surprise, this young lady showed no reaction in her eyes and brows, as if everything he mentioned was utterly common.

The shopkeeper clasped his hands and bowed: “This humble Zhao is dull-witted, please enlighten me clearly, young lady.”

Lin Xihe’s cheeks still faintly flushed, but her words struck like a thunderbolt: “Medicine for men… for that aspect. Don’t think you can fob me off with ordinary goods.”

“…”

She lifted her chin and asked, “Shopkeeper, what treasures are you hiding?”

The deer penis was purchased by Lin Xihe.

She spent all the silver in her embroidered purse—money she had squeezed out of her cheap younger brother.

Before leaving, being the good elder sister, she didn’t forget to get a bottle of Qingxin Pills for her brother. Barefoot doctor Lin Xihe diagnosed Lin Pinyan with childhood hyperactivity disorder. With ancient medical standards being what they were, she’d barely treat him.

At the same hour, in the bustling market square.

Qingwu went straight to the falconry shop.

These shopkeepers who dealt with cat fights and cockfights were acquainted with all the officials and wealthy families in the city, possessing extensive information. The young lady’s pitch-black bird, Que Er, had a green silk ribbon tied to its leg inscribed with “Beloved Pet of the Lin Family’s Legitimate Daughter.” If it had fallen into their hands, there would surely be news.

Wen Qi had just finished posting the “Hefty Reward for Beloved Bird” notices and was about to go ask at the falconry shop when he immediately bumped into Miss Lin’s chief maid. Tsk, hadn’t seen her for a few days, and this girl had rounded out yet again.

The two had known each other since childhood. Wen Qi’s mother had favored Qingwu, but his father had reservations because of her enormous appetite—such an eating daughter-in-law might eat the family into poverty.

The marriage arrangement ultimately came to nothing.

Ever since their masters became adversaries, the two of them had also become like enemies.

Wen Qi: “Where are you going?”

Qingwu: “No obligation to inform you.”

Actually, she had spotted Wen Qi posting notices from afar and had just thought to lift her skirts and avoid him.

Who knew Wen Qi would leap forward, snatch the notice before her, and stuff it into his mouth along with the half-dried paste.

Qingwu shot him the biggest glare of her life, cursing in retaliation: “Whatever your young master is looking for, he won’t find it, won’t find it, won’t find it…”

The Emerald Phoenix was actually found by someone related to the Wen family!

Mo Hu kept scratching the ground with his front paws, barking incessantly at a wild cat in the tree.

The wild cat lay on its back, a black feather stuck to the corner of its mouth.

This is what happened: After Emerald Phoenix left Wen Zhixu, it didn’t return to Tinghe Courtyard but roamed outside all night.

During the first half of the night, it pondered its avian life with its underdeveloped cerebellum: it shouldn’t have abandoned Wen Zhixu.

In all fairness, Wen Zhixu had treated it quite well. The birdcage it lived in was more luxurious than that of the parrot belonging to the upstart Cheng Yuanwai in the capital, which could talk.

In the latter half of the night, its thoughts underwent a dramatic shift!

Wen Zhixu was rigid and dull, nowhere near as fascinating as Lin Xihe. The vibrant and lively Lin Xihe knew many peculiar languages and was the one who taught it to say “Black.”

She even praised it: “Our Bu Bu is the smartest crow in the entire universe!”

Well, whether it was a crow or what “the universe” even meant—why should a little bird dwell on such matters? For now, it only cared that the name “Emerald Phoenix” sounded rustic and provincial, while a name like “Bu Bu” was playful and adorable!

The parrot at Cheng Yuanwai’s residence, clad in colorful feathers, was called “Coco.”

That bird chirped incessantly every day: “Coco~ Coco~”

In truth, Cheng Yuanwai suffered from asthma and coughed chronically. That flirtatious little creature was merely imitating its owner’s cough.

Bu Bu made up its mind: it would fly back to Tinghe Courtyard.

Unfortunately, on its way to seek out Lin Xihe, it was attacked by a wild cat.

Well, it might, perhaps, be dying.

.

Ever since Wen Zhixu moved to Yinquan Pavilion, the maids and Housekeepers from the former madam’s quarters had been reassigned to other courtyards.

The place was deserted.

Mo Hu climbed up a tree, startling a wild cat on it—who knew dogs could climb trees? The cat loosened its grip, and a black bird fluttered its wings as it fell.

With its owner’s bird injured, Mo Hu was at a loss and kept digging at the ground with its front paws.

Perseverance pays off. In less than half an hour, it had dug a tunnel under the wall…

Upon hearing from Qingwu that there was no news from the eagle shop, Lin Xihe felt disheartened. If this were modern times, she would have posted a missing bird notice on Xiaohongshu long ago. Then again, perhaps Bu Bu had returned to the wild?

That might be for the best.

Lin Xihe strolled into the backyard, where the crabapple blossoms were in full bloom.

The hem of her water-colored dress swayed gently with each step, like spring water rippled by a soft breeze.

Suddenly, a dark shadow darted out from the base of the wall.

Startled, she halted and looked down to find a small black dog, its fur glossy under the sun. The dog circled her affectionately.

“Xiao Hei?” Lin Xihe tentatively called out.

Mo Hu let out a cheerful sound: “Woof!”

They had shared buns fed to them by Wen Zhixu, forging a revolutionary friendship born of enduring hunger together.

Mo Hu kept looking back as if leading the way. Lin Xihe lifted her skirt and, with her silk-stockinged toes, kicked aside the lush green grass as she hurried forward.

Qingwu chased after her with embroidered shoes in hand: “Miss, put on your shoes!”

A breeze swept through the courtyard, shaking a shower of blossoms from the tree. Lin Xihe caught sight of a small, motionless, silent lump under the tree.

“Bu Bu?” She nearly threw herself to her knees. “What’s wrong with you?”

The bird’s feathers were damp. She gently touched it, and when she withdrew her hand, her fingertips were stained with a warm, sticky fluid.

Blood.

Lin Xihe panicked: “The imperial physician, quickly, fetch the imperial physician!”

“…”

To be honest, if this were the imperial palace, the imperial physician who treated the emperor and his consorts would probably abandon his career on the spot upon discovering that the emergency case was a bird.

.

Housekeeper Wang could hardly conceal her delight: “I heard the young miss is severely injured!”

She had informants in the laundry area, and a laundry maid told her that several blood-stained towels had been sent from Tinghe Courtyard.

Min Shi was overjoyed. After compensating Wen Country Duke Manor so much money and being punished with house arrest by Lin Zhaoheng, the gloom in her chest vanished completely. This good news was enough to keep her happy for a whole month!

“Dead?” Min Shi boldly pressed for confirmation.

Reports from informants kept coming: Qian Daifu had entered the manor.

Another servant reported that Qian Daifu’s medical apprentices and pharmacy assistants had also arrived at the manor.

Such a grand arrangement.

Min Shi and her daughter Lin Zhirou exchanged knowing glances across the room.

It must be the King of Hell coming to claim Lin Xihe. Those few days when she was active must have been her final rally before death, and now her time was truly up.

Lin Zhirou: “Then can I marry the Second Young Master?”

Thinking again of the money she had spent repairing the Wen Manor, the preserved fruit in Lin Zhirou’s mouth lost its flavor. “If I had known this would happen, I wouldn’t have given that money. What a total loss.”

Min Shi laughed at her daughter’s short-sightedness: “Using your money to repair the residence for you and your future husband – what’s wrong with that? With such limited vision, how will you become the mistress of the Wen family in the future?”

.

Qian Daifu had lost count of how many times he had treated Lin Xihe. When Lin Xihe nearly drowned as a child, she lay unconscious for months before waking up dull-witted.

The little girl who never spoke back then was now looking at him with clear eyes: “Doctor Qian, all living beings are equal. Bu Bu is my treasure, please treat her well! Money is not an issue.”

At worst, she could “borrow” more from her cheap younger brother.

Doctor? Qian Daifu paused for a moment in silence, then instructed his apprentice to open the medicine chest.

On Que Er’s soft right abdomen were two distinct bite marks, apparently from a wild cat. Although the blood had coagulated, the injury remained serious.

Even the most famous physician in the capital would sometimes find himself powerless.

Qian Daifu had never treated birds or animals before. In this situation, he couldn’t apply acupuncture, nor could he check a pulse.

Understanding his dilemma, Lin Xihe quickly said: “Doctor Qian, just think of yourself as a veterinarian.”

“…”

In the corner, the pharmacy assistant angrily pounded herbs. His master’s lifelong reputation was being tarnished like this!

But then Qian Daifu reconsidered – he had personally witnessed this child recover from her dull-witted state. His heart softened, and his slight displeasure dissipated. Composing himself, he carefully explained how to administer the medicine.

“Wound cleaning medicine, twice daily.”

“This prescription is for internal use to clear heat.”

Lin Xihe listened attentively and even inquired about the dosage.

While their master was explaining specialized knowledge, the medical apprentice and pharmacy assistant glanced at Lin Xihe with identical expressions of disdain. She was just a woman – what could she possibly understand about medical principles?

With other patients waiting at the medical clinic, Qian Daifu couldn’t stay long.

“Miss Lin, have you remembered everything?”

Lin Xihe: “I’ve remembered. The wound cleaning medicine is for sterilization. That herbal medicine is to prevent infection, right?”

“Sterilization, infection.” Several new wrinkles formed in Qian Daifu’s brain as the renowned physician with decades of experience tried to connect with Lin Xihe. “This ‘sterilization’ – I’m not quite familiar with it. Does ‘infection’ mean evil qi invading the human body?”

Lin Xihe scratched her head. How could she, a modern academic underachiever, explain medical knowledge to ancient people?

The soul artist Lin Xihe picked up a brush, and several plump, grimacing bacteria came to life on the paper.

“These are germ monsters,” she explained to Qian Daifu, seeing that Bu Bu’s condition was relatively stable. “If Bu Bu’s wound becomes red, swollen, and suppurates, it’s these invisible little monsters causing trouble!”

Qian Daifu examined the hairy germ monsters on the paper, each brandishing a trident. Initially astonished, he soon stroked his beard and laughed heartily: “Marvelous! Miss Lin ‘uses form to illustrate principles,’ depicting the formless evil toxins so vividly. This old man is truly impressed!”

Lin Xihe: “…” She had merely drawn illustrations from the children’s bacteria picture book she’d seen in kindergarten—how could this possibly work?!

Seeing his master humbly seeking guidance from that woman, the medicine-copying apprentice felt a surge of irrational anger, his grip tightening abruptly around the writing brush.

A mere stray creature, how dare she trouble his master? He’d deliberately omit one crucial medicinal ingredient while copying the prescription!

.

Wen Zhixu returned to the estate and happened to spot Mo Hu darting out from the corner of the wall. The dog’s eyes met its master’s.

Guilt. Palpitations. It clamped its tail between its legs.

“Mo Hu.” Wen Zhixu crouched down, and the dog reflexively rubbed against the back of his knees.

Wen Zhixu keenly caught a faint scent of traditional medicine.

“Where have you been?”

Wen Hongyuan enjoyed robust health, and among the many people in the Wen estate, no one was ill. Where could this medicinal smell have come from?

The dog froze, ceasing all movement.

Wen Zhixu knew this behavior all too well.

“Did you steal food?”

“Did you chew something up?”

Or perhaps.

Wen Zhixu hurried to the study to check around—his revered teacher Xie Yan’s precious calligraphy remained intact.

Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, voices suddenly arose from the backyard—

“How did Xiao Hei disappear in the blink of an eye?”

“Xiao Hei? Xiao Hei!”

“Hey, what’s that over there!”

Wen Zhixu softened his footsteps, following the sounds as he moved slowly along the courtyard wall. Behind an inconspicuous corner, he located the source of the voices.

At the base of the wall, a freshly dug dog hole stood out starkly, the soil still moist and paw prints scattered chaotically.

Wen Zhixu lowered himself, pressing his cheek to the ground until his gaze aligned with the opening of the hole.

Unexpectedly, on the other side of the hole, another pair of eyes was also peering through—their gazes suddenly met!