“What are you making?”
The leisurely nobleman who had the tendency to overwork asked Maomao. She knew that he was tired, but he was truly a hindrance, lying stretched out on his side with that large frame of his.
Maomao added a different medicinal herb to the mortar, turning the mixture a murky green. “Medicine for impotence.”
For some reason, when he heard those words, Jinshi shrunk back.
“What is it?” she asked.
“No-nothing. I was just wondering who it’s for,” Jinshi said.
(Even if you ask who.)
“Rutting gentlemen, of course,” she replied.
“!”
Why did Jinshi bend backwards? Eh, whatever.
Maomao strained the herbs through a cloth and poured the broth into a pot.
Now she had to add water and simmer it on the stove for a while. About half-a-dual-hour on low heat to not let it boil over. When the colour of the broth turns semi-translucent and thickens up, she’ll mix in some honey. Once the stench of herbs dissipates and it turns to a watery starch syrup-like consistency, it’s done.
She covered it with a lid and put it to the side.
(Can’t he go home already?)
The guest can’t be neglected, so Maomao couldn’t possibly leave the pharmacy.
For some reason, Jinshi was sitting on his knees and staring at Maomao. Every now and then his gaze would wander over to that medicine.
(Aahh, I see.)
“Those are for customers who have difficulty. It’s a secret though,” she explained.
Rokushoukan charges not for the number of times but for the length of time.
When it comes to that, well, since there are excessively vigorous customers who finish quickly, so the courtesans would tire quickly too.
Courtesans would find it troubling to continuously exhaust the important goods too. The sensation of getting embraced will worsen, and there were even cases where some did die young when they weren’t given proper rest.
And so, the medicine is watered down in the water pitcher beside the pillow and the courtesans have them hold it in their mouths. Before they get onto the bed, it would be better if they get offered something salty.
If they fill their mouths with the pitcher every time they get it done, its effect will gradually show. No matter how vigorous the person, they won’t have the stamina to go beyond four times.
If it’s no more than three times, it would be within acceptable limits for the courtesans too.
Even if the customers think it’s less than usual, they would be understanding if everyone around them told them that it should still be good enough.
Although, as for high ranking courtesans and above, they’ll put sleeping medicine in the wine without a moment’s delay when an unpleasant customer comes.
Jinshi had a delicate expression.
Was he thinking that he shouldn’t have asked?
(Should I not have told him?)
Maomao looked at the pot on the side, and thought, And I wanted to end this quickly.
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After Jinshi left and the medicine had simmered and cooled down, she was going to take a short nap, when a familiar face showed up.
“Yo, long time no see, lass.”
That excessively vigorous and cheery voice belonged to Rihaku. He was a regular customer to Maomao’s older sister, Pairin.
Normally, he would, without looking at Maomao, be drinking tea with the kamuro to catch a glimpse of Pairin at the entrance of Rokushoukan.
(What happened?)
Rihaku greeted a courtesan and Chou’u as he passed by. Chou’u showed some sort of picture to him, but Rihaku walked past with a snort.
And then, an unusually amiable madam guided him inside a room.
“What on earth happened?”
A nearby courtesan answered Maomao’s question. “That is thanks to tomorrow’s guest.”
Parin’s flaw is her lustfulness, but she is said to be the best dancer in the capital. There are many guests who come without seeking a night with her.
Tomorrow’s customer would be among those people. An elderly man who genuinely enjoys dance.
But well, it would be fine if that was all.
The troublesome thing would be Pairin’s bad habit.
The woman that was born to be a night butterfly would perish without ten partners at night.
One time, the madam had lowered the number of customers to increase Parin’s value.
At the start, Parin took it meekly, but she gradually couldn’t bear with it, even dragging manservants into the bedroom whenever she had the chance, and if that didn’t work, she would seduce courtesans and in the end she tried to lay her hands on the kamuro too.
To the extent that Maomao was almost practically trained in the secret art of the courtesans.
In the end, it was the madam who backed down, and since then Parin was able to regularly rejuvenate herself.
Pairin was incredible, having defeated that crone.
“Because of female virtue, there was no contact. She held it in for a loooong time. The customer is an old man so it’ll be an issue if something happens.”
And so, the choice fell on Rihaku with ridiculous stamina. The large breed dog who regularly brought money over must be the unparalleled prize.
“Whatt. Is that what it is?” Chou’u pouted and leaned against a pillar. “Even though the usual big brother would buy her.”
So what he showed was a pornographic picture modelled after Pairin.
He was just a brat. To think that he would draw such a thing.
And to even have a buyer.
(Next time I’ll have him bathe with the manservants.)
Pampering him since his buttocks would be an easy mark for those interested in young boys was wrong.
Well, it was Pairin-neechan, so she would be the type to strip herself to be drawn.
(I’ll have him put down the brush then.)
A man might be happy, but Parin was old enough to be Chou’u’s mother.
(And what about it?)
Pairin, despite her youthful looks, had already passed the suitable age of being a courtesan. Even though her contract has ended, the reason she stayed at the brothel was that it was her calling, that was all it is.
For the time being, she confiscated the erotic drawing and thought about reporting it to the madam later. The courtesan beside them looked at Chou’u uneasily.
“Don’t tell me, you were forcing a sale of other courtesan’s pictures to other guests like this?”
Chou’e dramatically averted his eyes and whistled.
Maomao dropped a fist on his head for the time being.
“You’re the worst!” the courtesan flushed red and yelled at Chou’u. Even if she was a woman who worked as a prostitute, it would be disgusting to have her naked pictures sold without her knowing.
He was a hopeless brat, but the buyers were buyers.
The brothel sold not art but women.
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.
In the end, I couldn’t take a nap, Maomao thought as she went back to look at the cooled medicine.
(Huh?)
She noticed that the pot was a little different. It was certainly the same kind of pot, but the one Maomao used was a bit worn down.
She lifted the lid. It contained nutritious congee containing medicinal herbs and meat. That other pot containing horny goat weed broth was a product at Rokushoukan for the guests to eat as a tonic.
It was the same medicine, but its effect was a complete opposite to what Maomao made.
“….”
Maomao scratched the back of her head and picked up the pot that was half cooled. If the pot cooled any further, it can’t be served to customers.
In other words, the other thing that was taken away had probably already settled down in a customer’s belly. The lightly sweet stew was surprisingly easy to drink.
(What should I do about this?)
It was a waste, so she decided to take it back to the pharmacy and fill her stomach with it.
If she left it as it is, the kamuro who mistakenly brought it might be disciplined by the madam.
It was just because she was hungry.
In no way was she destroying the evidence.
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.
.
“Come again!”
When Maomao was going to return to her shack, Chou’u, who was pale around the eyes, was doing business with a cowering large breed dog.
(He never learns.)
The madam punished him, and he was completely spirited. It could be said that he was fitting for the pleasure district.
The back view of Rihaku stumbling home with the setting sun in the background was filled with sorrow.
As for what happened, it needn’t be said.
(Let’s make him a special tonic next time.)
Maomao thought such as she felt an unpleasant prick in her chest.
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The next day, three manservants from the Rokushoukan were absent from work. The ones working were somewhat emaciated.
For some reason, that day, medicine for lower back pain sold well.
