Chapter 3
Shen Yu immediately turned around and greeted the guest: "Need a meal or a room?"
The boy wore a faded coarse cloth shirt with frayed cuffs. He looked up from the price list, cleared his throat, and said, "I'll stay here, but I'll eat something first."
"Please sit here. What would you like to eat?"
"...Give me a bowl of vegetarian noodles!"
Shen Yu lifted the curtain and entered the backyard, where Yao Liuliu was playing with Maiya.
"Is there work to be done? Should you do it or should I?"
"Just make a bowl of noodles, it's something I can do easily." Shen Yu washed her hands and instructed her, "Go upstairs and see if that south-facing room is clean. A little guest came and even brought a sword."
These are the rules they set for the inn.
Anyone who brought weapons had to have a special spot set up at the head of their bed in the room.
Some people are insecure and even want to sleep with weapons. We arranged it in advance to save them the trouble of messing it up themselves.
"A little guest? How little? Is he good-looking? Better-looking than Qiu Chiyan?" Yao Liuliu became interested.
"Go to the front hall and see for yourself."
Shen Yu took out a large bowl, which was larger than a regular bowl for serving noodles.
While waiting for the water to boil, she started sifting the cooked noodles again.
In the copper pot simmering gently beside her was the goat milk she had cooked over a low flame the night before; the skin on the surface was so thin that it was translucent.
She quickly removed the cherry pits, then scooped out cheese, coating the cherry flesh with a milky white. The coated cherries were then rolled in flour and placed in a copper pot lined with fine sand to simmer slowly.
Once the batter turns light yellow, remove the cherries from the water.
Drizzle with honey, sprinkle with chopped walnuts, and your cherry yogurt is ready. The pasta is also cooked to perfection.
The little customer saw a bowl of noodles bigger than his face, accompanied by an exquisitely crafted pastry. Startled, he waved his hand and quickly distanced himself, saying, "I didn't want this!"
“Every guest gets a sample today.” Shen Yu pushed the cherry cheese closer, smiling with her eyes crinkling.
Seeing this, the boy stopped refusing, obediently thanked him, and immediately buried his head in his food and began to eat heartily.
Shen Yu hopped over to Qiu Chiyan's side and gave him the rest of the snacks.
However, Qiu Chiyan reached out and stopped her in a secluded corner behind the counter, whispering, "That new kid might not be able to afford the room."
How did you know?
"He just shook his money bag. Putting aside how shrunken the bag looked, you could tell from the sound that there were only a few copper coins inside, and not many real coins."
Shen Yu's eyes suddenly lit up: "You can identify money by its sound? I've practiced for a long time but still can't identify them all."
A wave of eager envy washed over him, making Qiu Chiyan a little embarrassed: "I used to handle cases involving counterfeit money, and during that time I even dreamed about the clinking of coins. The shopkeeper hasn't been in business for very long yet; with a few more years of practice, he'll naturally pick it up."
Shen Yu kept urging him to talk more, completely disregarding whether the young customer had enough money. He had to remind her a second time to keep this in mind.
"It's alright." Shen Yu didn't care at all. "Eating and sleeping are the two most important things in a person's life. As for whether he will pay or not, and how he will do it, let's talk about that after he has eaten and slept well."
Qiu Chiyan nodded slightly. Although he was not a mature manager in terms of business acumen, he was a kind and understanding person.
He glanced at the cherry onions beside him and silently picked up a piece as well.
It must be said that the young shopkeeper is quite skilled in cooking; she can even make the most mundane hospital meals look amazing.
Just as I was about to put the snack in my mouth, the wind chimes at the door rang, and a familiar figure stepped into the inn.
The older brother who came to study medicine is named Zhao Yong. He came back early today; he usually doesn't come back for dinner until dusk.
He bowed to Chen Yu as usual, greeted him, went up a few steps, but then suddenly turned around and walked back to Qiu Chiyan.
"Brother...you broke your leg?"
The opening remarks were both direct and abrupt.
Qiu Chiyan was leaning on his crutches, his posture quite obvious, but he still politely replied, "I fell by accident."
"Then, let me take a look?"
Zhao Yong's suggestion was tinged with nervousness, his dark hands constantly rubbing his short jacket.
"Okay, thank you for your help."
Qiu Chiyan was still thinking about how to get to know Zhao Yong without affecting Shen Yu's business.
He delivered himself to our door today.
Unable to hide his emotions, Zhao Yong's eyes were filled with excitement. He boldly rolled up his sleeves and placed his fingers on Zhao Yong's pulse.
With a serious expression, he tried his best to imitate the tone of a proper doctor: "Your pulse is floating and weak, which means that your bones have been fundamentally damaged, and your qi and blood are also depleted. I heard from books that 'falls and injuries to the bones will inevitably deplete vital energy.' Your cun pulse is slow, which means that cold has accumulated at the fracture site. You need to quickly decoct a few doses of warming and tonifying medicine to protect your yang qi!"
Qiu Chiyan had no idea that he had become as weak as a withered leaf in the wind.
Before he could speak, Shen Yu jumped in, saying with great certainty, "A bone fracture is caused by local blood stasis, and the pulse should be rapid, deep, and weak in the affected area. You're just reciting from books without understanding the context; that's just mechanical application! Moreover, trying to treat the injury before the blood stasis has dissipated is like closing the door to let the enemy in. Waiting for the cold to seal the wound and the blood vessels to become blocked will lead to serious problems. In the early stages of a bone fracture, the priority is to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and only then should you use warming and tonifying methods."
Her string of words left Zhao Yong completely bewildered. He scratched his head and muttered to himself, "Did I touch the wrong thing? But it does seem like it..."
"Like what?" Qiu Chiyan asked in return.
“The example I learned was a slow pulse at the cun position. My master said that it was called ‘floating and weak,’ so we need to replenish qi and blood and warm yang qi.”
"A slow pulse at the cun position usually indicates weakness in the heart and lungs, and has little to do with the bones. Moreover..."
Before she could finish speaking, Qiu Chiyan gently pressed her hand down. Shen Yu paused for a moment, then immediately fell silent.
He then slowly guided Zhao Yong: "Do you remember what prescription your master gave that patient?"
Zhao Yong was an honest man, and he tried hard to recall: "There was astragalus, codonopsis, atractylodes macrocephala, dried tangerine peel, ginger, and licorice?"
These are all common medicines for replenishing qi and strengthening the spleen. Although Qiu Chiyan does not understand medicine, he has heard of a few of them.
Zhao Yong repeatedly asked Qiu Chiyan about his feelings, which seemed to differ somewhat from his diagnosis.
His attempt to start was unsuccessful, and he was naturally frustrated. He muttered to himself as he went upstairs and never came down again.
Qiu Chiyan looked thoughtful, his fingers unconsciously tapping the edge of the table. Chen Yu leaned closer and asked softly, "Can I speak now?"
"...I'm so sorry, shopkeeper, I just..." He then came to his senses and realized that his hand was still on the back of her hand. He suddenly let go and almost lost his balance.
"It's nothing, it's nothing." Shen Yu never cared about such taboos between men and women. In comparison, she was more interested in the case that Qiu Chiyan was investigating, even though he never said much and would only squeeze out half a sentence when asked.
"The prescription he mentioned is just a perfectly normal Qi-boosting and mind-awakening decoction. So... you're investigating counterfeit drugs?"
"...?"
Qiu Chiyan did not respond, but the surprise and wariness in his eyes revealed the answer.
Shen Yu was a little proud and explained, "You were looking at the prescription for delirium a couple of days ago, and you're paying extra attention to it today. So, either it's related to the doctor, or there's something wrong with the medicine itself."
Qiu Chiyan already felt that with his own people here, it would be difficult to keep it from Shen Yu, but it was only a matter of time, so he told her everything: "Recently, strange things have been frequently reported in the capital. People from high-ranking families have inexplicably lost their minds. In the end, it turned out that someone was secretly selling hallucinogenic drugs, exclusively for the pleasure of the powerful and wealthy. But as more cases were reported, local government offices discovered that similar cases also occurred among ordinary people, only the dosage was small and the effects were short-lived, often mistaken for fatigue and easily forgotten. The key is that this drug... although it seems harmless, it can actually remain in the body for a long time. If someone is weak, a single dose might be fatal."
"Eh...?"
Shen Yu had never heard of such a thing before in Sanhe Town.
The townspeople were restless because of the rumors of the Hundred Gates Sacrifice, and everyone was holding their breath to prepare for two battles. Such a state of mental confusion was almost unheard of.
She blinked, her eyes shining like a spring stream: "So you think there's something wrong with that quack doctor? Can I go?"
"...No need to trouble the shopkeeper, just let Zhao Ze and the others investigate."
Qiu Chiyan knew in his heart that this case of the illusion drug involved a wide range of people, almost spreading throughout the country. The person behind it probably had connections everywhere. He was just a constable who was temporarily avoiding the limelight. Now he was even struggling to keep his own safety, so he dared not involve outsiders.
But Shen Yu's demeanor suggests that she'd go wherever there's trouble.
Qiu Chiyan coughed lightly twice, his expression becoming more serious: "Manager, you must not investigate alone. The inn is the eyes and ears, well-informed and convenient, but this matter is not ordinary. You should know from my current appearance that the other party intends to kill me, not just simply drive me away. If you get into trouble because of me, I will be in grave danger."
"Alright, alright, I was just asking." Shen Yu disliked these kinds of overly formal statements that made things sound like the sky was falling, and immediately waved her hand to interrupt, "But it's related to medicine..."
"I will definitely learn more from the shopkeeper."
Shen Yu was satisfied again, like a cat being stroked.
The little guests over there had also finished eating and drinking and went upstairs.
A moment later, Yao Liuliu quietly peeked out from the stairs, looking shifty and sneaky.
Shen Yu was very familiar with her appearance; she must have seen something interesting.
She poured her a cup of tea in advance.
"Do you know what I saw?" Yao Liuli tilted her head back and downed her tea. She lowered her voice and said excitedly, "The person who just went upstairs accidentally dropped his bundle, and I saw a corner of the oil paper from Yanyu Pavilion sticking out! That kid is really something."
"What is Yanyu Pavilion...?" Qiu Chiyan asked, noticing the sudden change in their expressions.
"You haven't heard of such a famous fireworks location?" Yao Liuliu was starting to doubt the professionalism of this Six Doors constable, who hadn't even bothered to find out about such a landmark place beforehand.
"The largest brothel in Sanhe Town, you can't even get in without spending a hundred taels of silver." Shen Yu seemed a little regretful, as if she was lamenting something.
Qiu Chiyan understood, but given the boy's financial resources, it was clear he couldn't get in.
However, this little incident was quickly put aside, and no one intended to delve into the private affairs of a stranger.
But the calm did not last long.
That afternoon, the inn was deserted, with only the sound of the bamboo bell at the door ringing crisply in the wind. Gong Er and Yao Liuliu had gone out to buy things, leaving only Chen Yu in the shop, who was slowly sweeping the dust off the floor with a broom in hand.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from the doorway.
The young man pushed open the door and entered, his head bowed low, his eyebrows obscuring half his face. He barely looked at anyone in the shop, and his steps were disordered yet extremely fast as he headed straight upstairs.
He walked very fast. Shen Yu only glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and seemed to catch a glimpse of something. Not quite sure, she subconsciously looked at Qiu Chiyan.
A short while later, the boy jogged down again.
As he brushed past Shen Yu, Shen Yu suddenly turned around, grabbed his arm, twisted it behind his back, and dragged him directly into the backyard.
Seeing that something was wrong, Qiu Chiyan quickly followed.
As soon as the curtain was lifted, the boy was seen with his wrists locked and unable to move, glaring at Shen Yu with resentment in his eyes, while Maiya was holding a short, broken knife and making incessant noises.
The boy's face was bruised and swollen.
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