Pharmacist Penumbra (Draft)

Chapter 3: Slight Medical Mishap

General Fan escorted Ying Yue into a spare doctor's office. The different smells and scents of individual herbs assaulted her nostril, but it was a feeling she gladly welcomed. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of drawers and drawers of herbs.

She composed herself, as she coughed. Preparing certain roots, buds and leaves, but she couldn't reach a certain row of herbs. "Could you grabbed this, this and this drawer?" asked Ying Yue, politely.

As he went to grab the drawers, "How are you able to distinguish each herb despite only being in this room for the first time?" asked General Fan.

"I lived in apothecary my entire life, so I have memorised each and every one of herbs scent, shape and properties," replied Ying Yue, as she pushed the herbs around and grabbed a satisfactory sized amount if the herbs. She then creates 5 combinations of herbs, making them so them to his convenience and to his need. "These are tea combinations, the first bag is for when you have a restless mind, the second bag is for mental fatigue, the third bag is for a nauseous or upset stomach, the fourth bag is for a headache and the last one is for when you are in an irritable mood. Please take the first one or second one depending on your situation and infuse with boiling water for only 5-10 minute no more no less if you wish for the full effect." instructed Ying Yue.

"You are quite considerate. If you go out of your way to help someone," commented General Fan.

"You flatter me, General Fan," remarked Ying Yue.

"Please call me Long Fan," he said. As Ying Yue smiled in response.

"Well I would like to be on good terms with the people that I will be seeing often, and that includes Long Fan," said Ying Yue.

Ying Yue worked in the doctor's office, as she tried again to reach for another item in the drawer. Long Fan would always reached for anything Ying Yue needs in the top shelf. "Long Fan don't you have important business to attend to then to be here?" questioned Ying Yue, as she hustled around with the General watching her every move. Then the doors to the doctor's office slammed open, as a beautiful looking eunuch but it was twisted into an angry look.

"Long Fan, come back to do you duties!" yelled the eunuch. The General rushed to the window, but was barred by three other soldiers. As Long Fan was dragged off by the three soldiers like a ragdoll.

"Please forget this ever happened. My name is Ming Su, that pathetic excuse of a General." spat out Ming Su. Probably annoyed at the sheer amount of times the General ran away from his duties. Ming Su bowed before walking out if the office, as Ying Yue grabbed milk, butter, sugar, honey, alcohol and herb oils.

The three other maids were peeking from a corner. "What is she making?" asked Li Hua.

"Maybe she's making a snack?" questioned Li Lian. Then an unnoticed angry Li Ju.

"Get back to work!" yelled Li Ju, as all the three maid scampered back to their designated chores.

After Ying Yue was done, there were small dried fruit coated in chocolate. And bread pieces coated in chocolate.

When she was younger, Ying Yue and the prostitutes had very good relationship. "Hey Yue'er this is a treat given to me by a client. How's it taste? Good? It's called chocolate." she said. Ying Yue's cheeks we're flushed and her eyes kind of misty. She was drunk.

They later found out it was an aphrodisiac. "What on Earth did you give me?!" yelled the prostitutes, hugging Ying Yue tightly. As the old hag owning the red light brothel was holding a broom and hit the client.

"You are banned to come here." declared the old hag.

The chocolate had been memorised and was still quite delicious. She was quite the foodie and had a good food memory. As she grabbed the tray of the chocolate soaked bread and left it to harden, walking to do the laundry to kill some time.

As she went back to check back on the chocolate, but Ming Su and Li Ju had sort of strange expression. Looking at the source, the three maid Li Hua, Li Mei and Li Lian were huddled together. They were breathing irregularly and seemed to be drunk. "What us the meaning of this?!" yelled Li Ju.

When Ying Yue checked the tray there was three of the chocolate treat gone and the got mess of the three girls. "They must have mistaken these as treats. I may have knocked about a bottle of strong liquor into the mixture by accident." muttered Ying Yue.

When the chocolate pieces presented to Consort Ming. "Was this the medication meant for General Fan?" asked the curious Consort.

"No I've already given the medication to General Fan when he was sent back to work." replied Ying Yue.

"The what's this for?" asked Ming Su, pointing at the chocolate treats.

"My snacks." stated Ying Yue bluntly, as all the adults in the room stared at her in bewilderment. "I have a resistances against alcohol and drugs, so it doesn't affect me in anyway." reassured Ying Yue.

Alcohol was also considered a sort of medicine and medicine was very effective for those with weak against alcohol and other drugs.

As she laid in the fluffy bed that night, just as she was about to slip into unconsciousness she felt a soft kiss against her own lips but she couldn't open her already heavy eyes.