The Apothecary Diaries - Volume 13 - Chapter 10

Chapter 10: En’en and the Love Chat

Maomao and En’en were shown to Sanfan’s room, which was quite large for a servant’s quarters. As far as En’en could tell, in Lakan’s household there were ordinary servants and not-so-ordinary servants. The ordinary servants were mostly people who had been brought in by Lahan. The not-so-ordinary ones were the people Lakan himself had accumulated from here, there, and everywhere.

The man known as the Strategist was perfectly average in terms of his looks and physical abilities—perhaps even a bit below average, it was safe to say. He was of medium height and build, had eyes like a fox’s, and an unpleasant grin. The only really distinctive thing about him was the foreign monocle that he wore. Officially he was a soldier, but he lacked any muscle to speak of. Nor did he have any stamina. He couldn’t hold his liquor, and he could barely survive a trip on any kind of moving vehicle. Apparently he had spent time in I-sei Province long ago, and he could at least ride a horse. He seemed every inch a useless lout who’d gotten his position purely thanks to his bloodline.

At least, that was what people had thought of him until a little over ten years ago. Then, for some reason, Lakan had wrested the family headship from his father to become the leader of the La clan. After that, opinions of him changed completely.

Lakan himself, when alone, was an inveterate dullard—but he absolutely excelled at making use of other people. Nobody was a better overseer of people then he was.

Lakan could see a person’s particular qualities and talents at a glance, and somehow he was also able to see straight through people’s lies. He would draw out those who were not blessed with excellent superiors and curry favor with them, while hostile forces he would destroy from within. Those who opposed him found themselves exiled if they were lucky, and executed if they weren’t.

At present, there was no one in the court who dared to stand against him.

The servants brought in by such a man were never going to be completely ordinary—and Sanfan, who had joined Lakan about five years ago now, was one of them. She was a little short for a man, but a bit tall for a woman—about the same height as Yao. She was a woman, but typically wore male attire.

“Lady Maomao, En’en. You must excuse me for summoning you,” Sanfan said, the slightest of smiles on her handsome face.

“What do you want with us?” Maomao asked, and she sounded very annoyed.

“I simply wanted to welcome our honored guests and—”

“We can do without the playacting. Could you do us a favor and get to the point?” En’en broke in, cutting to the chase. Maomao nodded vigorously; she had been about to say the same thing.

Cleverly, Sanfan had put out tea and rice crackers—she, too, knew Maomao’s preferences, it seemed.

“Very well. Let me be direct.” Sanfan looked at En’en. “This is about your Yao.”

“‘My Yao’? Well, aren’t we feeling very familiar?” En’en wasn’t about to put up with hearing Sanfan refer to Yao like that.

“Are you suggesting that because she’s Vice Minister Lu’s niece, I should refer to her as ‘the young mistress’? From my investigations, I’m aware that Yao shuns her uncle’s reflected glory. Taken purely on her own terms, she’s just another lady of the court, isn’t she? Is she so distinguished that I should afford her a title of honor?”

That slight smile played across Sanfan’s face again, but it didn’t reach her eyes. No matter how you sliced them, those were fighting words.

Just as En’en had looked into Sanfan, Sanfan had done the same for En’en and Yao. She must have researched Maomao’s background as well, because the tea snacks were crunchy, salty rice crackers, exactly the kind Maomao liked. She munched happily on them.

“Are you trying to start something?” En’en demanded.

“Nothing of the sort. I only called you here because I thought talking might be to our mutual benefit.”

“And how is that?”

“It’s your mutual benefit, so this doesn’t involve me, right? Can I go home?” Maomao asked, looking for any excuse to get out of there, but En’en grabbed her wrist again.

“Sanfan. What is this mutual benefit, exactly?”

“I’m glad you asked. It’s my opinion that nobody stands to gain from you and Yao staying at this house any longer. I urge you to go somewhere else—and as it happens, I’ve found the perfect place. My understanding is that you’ve long since vacated your dormitory, is that correct?”

Sanfan took out a piece of paper on which blueprints were drawn. The place was bigger than the room En’en and Yao occupied now; there were more ovens in the kitchen, and a well nearby.

“This residence is in a nice, safe area near the market. It’s close to your place of employment, and believe it or not, the rent is only—”

The number of fingers she held up certainly represented an excellent deal. It wasn’t En’en but Maomao whose eyes started to shine and whose fingers flexed excitedly. “Think of the medicines I could make with all that space...” (The dormitory was not suited to the processing of medicinal herbs.)

“I grant it seems like a good place,” En’en said.

“Doesn’t it, though? How about it? You could move in immediately.”

“Much as I’d love to jump at the chance, I have a question. What’s so bad about us staying right where we are?”

“Well, aren’t we suspicious? I’m only suggesting that people may look askance at a young lady of fine breeding taking up residence in a man’s house for so long.”

“I take your point. Coming from anyone else, I would assume you suggested this idea out of concern for Lady Yao.” En’en stared hard at Sanfan.

Maomao frowned, her brow knitting, and she nudged her companion. “En’en,” she whispered.

“Yes, Maomao? What is it?” En’en whispered back.

“Maybe you should just go ahead and take her suggestion. It is an excellent place. I don’t think she’s trying to con you. What don’t you like about it?”

“What don’t I like? Why don’t we start with the distinct sense that Sanfan looks down on my mistress?”

Sanfan certainly felt no special affection for Yao; that much was obvious in her attitude, and En’en didn’t like it.

“Oh, please. You’re imagining things,” said Maomao, hoping to coax En’en into taking the deal so she could go home already.

“I am most certainly not,” En’en said, and now she looked directly at Sanfan. “As I said, Sanfan, I agree that it’s a good offer, but is it made out of concern for Lady Yao?”

Sanfan answered with a wide grin, “No. It’s made out of concern for Master Lahan.”

“Master Lahan?” En’en said. She’d known perfectly well that Sanfan hadn’t been thinking about Yao, but hearing it put so starkly left her at a bit of a loss for how to respond.

En’en considered the situation: True, from her perspective, Sanfan’s suggestion wasn’t a bad one. But it came with a distinct lack of respect for Yao. What did that represent?

Sanfan said, “To be quite honest, I’d be curious to know how a young woman of marriageable age justifies moving into a young man’s house, no matter how much she may resent her uncle’s attempts to arrange a match. Particularly considering that that meddlesome uncle is currently far away to the west, with no indication of when he will return. I simply don’t know where she finds the nerve to stick around.”

Just as En’en began to really bristle, Maomao nudged her again. “En’en, is it possible that you actually agree with Sanfan’s suggestion as such, but because it comes from Sanfan, you can’t bring yourself to simply say yes?”

“No. Nothing of the sort,” En’en said—but it took her a long moment to say it. Maomao could be remarkably perceptive about what other people were thinking and feeling. En’en just wished she would have picked a different time to activate that ability. Where was it when En’en needed it?

“You’re frowning very, very hard right now, En’en. And your face is twitching.” Maomao was giving En’en a scowl of her own.

“You’re imagining things,” En’en said. “I don’t have any particular objections to her idea.”

“Then hurry up and say yes. Not to mention, that’ll solve the problem you were asking me about.”

She was right—but it didn’t feel right.

“Hrm... I’d have to ask my mistress what she thinks,” said En’en. There was no telling how Yao might react if she learned En’en had summarily moved them out of the mansion. She might not speak to her for three days.

“At the end of the day, Yao really has you wrapped around her little finger, doesn’t she?” Maomao grumbled.

“Are you done with your little huddle?” Sanfan asked.

“I can’t say yes or no to moving out until I’ve consulted with my mistress,” En’en informed her.

“No?” Sanfan tilted her head, puzzled. “Here I thought I’d found an offer that fit all the conditions for your ideal place you described to Sifan and the others.”

En’en was getting angry at the sense that Sanfan was controlling this conversation. “Let me ask you something, then,” she said. “Why are you so eager to get us, and especially my young mistress Yao, out of this house? Perhaps you would be so kind as to enlighten me?”

En’en was feeling petty; she thought Sanfan was hiding something and wanted to see her squirm a bit.

Sanfan’s expression never shifted, however, as she declared, “I am deeply in love with Master Lahan. I would and will do anything for him. So when some misguided, wet-behind-the-ears little girl shows up and tries to make herself his wife just by moving in, what can I call her but a hindrance?”

“Who’s a wet-behind-the-ears little—” En’en was leaning forward when it happened.

“Pbbbbbt!”

The glittering wad of spit came from Maomao. It was filthy, and En’en unconsciously took a half step back.

“Pardon me very much,” Maomao said.

“Not at all...” Tea and bits of rice cracker clung to Sanfan’s face.

“Sanfan, are you insane?” Maomao asked.

“And what would cause you to question my sanity?” she replied, dabbing at her cheek with a handkerchief.

“Tousle-glasses, that’s what! He only ever thinks about making money, he never lets a relationship go too far, and speaking of women, he’s specifically said that he thinks widows are perfect—like the piece of trash that he is. He’s got completely average looks, but if the numbers were lovely enough, he’d be asking whether he could have a child with another man. And on top of all that, anyone who did marry him, I guarantee, would find that freak strategist came with him!”

Maomao’s analysis was accurate, if rather cruel.

“I know all that. I also know that he’ll cut loose anyone and everyone he must to achieve his goals, and that when it comes to those he doesn’t get along with, he’ll make sure they find themselves between a rock and a hard place without ever getting his own hands dirty or leaving any evidence. I know his athletic abilities are abysmal, that he can’t ride a horse or shoot an arrow. He’s all brains and no...anything else.”

Maomao threw her hands in the air, disbelieving. “Then you see what a worthless guy he is!” Her reaction was so over-the-top that En’en’s fury at Yao being called a little girl seemed slightly less absurd in comparison.

It was then that Sanfan blushed, just faintly. “I realize that Master Lahan may not appear to be such a wonderful person, but nonetheless, he was the one who gave me the opportunity to live like myself. He doesn’t twist his thinking just because something is beautiful.”

With apologies to Sanfan, who was clearly in the flush of maidenly love, En’en couldn’t bring herself to think well of Lahan.

Maomao, feeling like she wanted to throw up, gave Sanfan a very serious look. “However highly you may esteem Lahan, Sanfan, he’s a piece of trash. My guess is that just when you think you’ve both had fun and it’s time to seal the deal, he’ll suddenly marry the young daughter of some fine family, as if all your flirting together meant nothing to him. Then he’ll at least pretend to create a perfectly decent family. That guy is no good, I’m telling you. Most of all, I think you would find it hard to become the mistress of this household in your current situation. Remember, you’d be a daughter-in-law to...you know! You understand? A sweet-toothed freak of an old man would be part of the deal, no question.”

Maomao was merciless, but when one got right down to it, what she was saying was indeed very true.

“I’m more than aware of that, believe me. And they may call me Number Three, but I would be perfectly happy to be Master Lahan’s number two. However, I would want the future mistress of this household to be someone I wanted to support.”

At that, En’en and Maomao were both struck dumb; they shared a look. Sanfan was further gone than they had thought. Did Lahan realize he had allowed a woman of such dangerous ideals so close at hand?

“Come on, just call it quits! There are so many men out there who are much, much better than Lahan!”

“I’m afraid, Lady Maomao, that there aren’t that many who are willing to think like he does.”

“Sanfan, you may not match my Mistress Yao, but you’re very capable. You’ve just got tunnel vision right now. Try to be rational!”

“Any man who would choose a woman on such narrow-minded criteria as whether she’s capable is a man I’m not interested in to begin with.”

“I’m telling you, that guy is definitely all about looks. He can say what he wants about numbers, but he loves a pretty face! You’ve got to face reality!” Maomao shook Sanfan by the shoulders.

En’en could at least halfway understand Maomao’s feelings. Why that bespectacled loser should be so popular with the ladies, she couldn’t begin to guess. Some men just seemed to attract women, even when you would think they wouldn’t. Perhaps Lahan had simply been born under such a star.

That was bad: She wanted to hurry and get out of such a dangerous man’s house. Much as she resented it, En’en found herself thinking that maybe she should take Sanfan up on her offer and move out of here. If there was a one in a million, or even a one in ten million, chance that the unthinkable might happen, what would she do?

If Yao really were in love with Lahan...

“Argh! No no no no no!”

“En’en, you’re looking very out of character,” Maomao jibed, but En’en didn’t have time to find the perfect retort. The fear of that which must never be was growing steadily within her—and the problem didn’t seem likely to be solved for some time.

En’en spent the rest of her day off worrying, with no relief in sight.