Jinshi and Maomao Short Stories Collection

Stop the thief! Part 1

This is still a short story, but I can already see that it'll get longer than I thought, so I decided to split it up into two parts. I did announce that I would write only short drabbles for now, but somehow that plan didn't work out 😂

Summary:
Our apothecary Maomao decides to stea- *cough* “borrow” an apple from the fruit orchard. However, that doesn't go exactly as planned…

The apothecary Maomao, who had recently been “lent” to Lady Gyokuyou by her current employer Jinshi in order to work as a lady-in-waiting for the once again pregnant consort, was walking through the Inner Palace with a neutral expression on her face and without a care in the world. Neither the other palace ladies nor the eunuchs were paying any attention to the petite young woman, but Maomao was more than alright with it.

After a while, she took her hands out of her sleeves and stretched her arms for a moment, trying to get rid of the light sluggishness she had earned from sitting under the sun together with Xiaolan just now. Armed with sweets, the apothecary had left the Jade Pavilion that day and met with her favorite chatterbox in order to hear the latest news about the palace from her. And now she was on her way back from that meeting.

A small, almost non-visible smile flashed across Maomao’s face as she thought about the lively younger girl. Normally, she found people, who talked too much, extremely annoying, but to her own surprise, Maomao determined that she didn’t even mind Xiaolan’s talkativeness that much. Was that how it felt like to have a friend?

That was what the apothecary, who had never experienced anything like that before, was musing about on her way.

Finally, Maomao gave a big yawn and put her arms down again. Instantly forgetting all her pondering about friendship and such things, when something in particular caught her eye. Her face was brightened up by the same ecstatic expression the other palace ladies put on whenever they spotted Jinshi.

However, the reason for Maomao’s elation was not the beautiful overseer of the Inner Palace (but of course not), but the violet flowers that were calmly growing along the way.

“Lavender!” Maomao gasped as if she had discovered a rare treasure and immediately threw herself with shining eyes and reddened cheeks at the poor, defenseless plants, just like a hungry cat running towards its food bowl. Inhaling the lavender’s pleasant smell, she started to eagerly pluck off the flowers’ heads until both of her hands were full.

A few eunuchs who were carrying buckets of water, looked into her direction with surprise, but Maomao couldn’t care less about that. They could stare all they wanted, she wasn’t doing anything forbidden (this time)!

“This plant has a calming effect, is antipyretic and aids with digestive problems,” she muttered with a smile while pulling a piece of cord out of her clothes in order to tie her pickings together and stuff them into one of her sleeves. “Too bad I don’t have any basket right now, otherwise I would have been able to take more with me. But whatever, then I’ll just come back some other time.”

Right next to the lavender, the apothecary also spotted some lovage which she would have loved to pluck a few leaves from as well, but since it had an antispasmodic effect and could cause premature labor, she preferred to keep her hands off it. She couldn’t allow a plant like that near the pregnant Consort Gyokuyou.

Having memorized the lavender’s location, the apothecary finally resumed her way. With slight reluctance though, but it was still alright, since the plants would hardly run away in the meantime.

And before returning to the Jade Pavilion, Maomao decided to make a “detour” and briefly visit the imperial fruit orchard in order to help herself to a “snack”. Since she currently didn’t have that much to do as the consort’s lady-in-waiting and especially poison tester, there was no need to hurry.