Chapter One: Brothers

  Spring forest flowers are more charming, spring birds have more sorrowful intentions.

  The spring breeze is gentle and blows open my embroidered robe.

  Climb up to the cool pavilion in the morning and sleep by the orchid pond at night

  Riding on the moon and picking lotus flowers, getting lotus seeds every night.

  Looking up at the paulownia tree, the paulownia flowers are especially pitiful

  May heaven be free from frost and snow, and the plum blossoms bloom for a thousand years.

  Thick ice is three feet deep, and pure snow covers a thousand miles.

  My heart is like a pine tree, your feelings are like what?

  Early spring morning still has a few degrees of cold air, thin fog floats in the northwest border of Dayuan State's largest city 'Guihuacheng', milky white fog trembles lightly in the morning wind, if you listen carefully, it seems to hear the whispers of the world's most beautiful woman.

  The broad bluestone road of Guihua City was filled with dew, and the streets looked very clean. A few chickens and ducks walked through the streets, shaking their bodies. A black dog followed behind them, its ears drooping and tail tucked in, sneaking along stealthily. Suddenly, the black dog perked up its ears, shivered slightly, and suddenly took off running, tearing through the thin fog like a gust of wind, disappearing at the end of the street.

  A small, delicate gate on the side of the road suddenly swung open, and a soft, coquettish voice came from inside: "Master Lin, don't forget to come visit me next time"

  A young man, over six feet tall, with a pale complexion and disheveled hair, wearing a large red cloak with silver bamboo leaves, walked out of the door with trembling legs. A faint smile appeared on his pale face with a hint of green, and he turned around to wave goodbye: "Remember, remember, heh heh, little Jiao'er, next time be sure to bring your sister along, I'll take care of her too."

  The still somewhat handsome face wore a thick, lewd smile. The young man's hand was groping the girl who was seeing him off, while he rummaged through his pocket and pulled out a silver ingot, which he hurled at the black dog that had already disappeared into the fog at the end of the street. He cursed loudly: "Damn dog, you're bringing bad luck to Master again! Next time, I'll definitely beat you to death!"

  The young man coughed a few times and spat out a thick, yellowish phlegm onto the clean bluestone ground. He then whispered to the girl beside him for a while before releasing her with a smile. As he walked towards a lacquered carriage at the street corner, he dug into his ears and loudly called out: "Old Three, Old Three, wake up! Take Young Master back home!"

  Just then, a song came from afar.

  The singing voice is so charming and moving, with endless emotions and feelings. Listening to the ups and downs of the melody, it seems like nearly a hundred young girls are singing together in unison.

  A disheveled big man poked his head out of the lacquer carriage, tilted his head and looked at the young man for a few moments, yawned and asked: "Young master, are we going back now? Don't go to Ji Wei Zhai to have some snacks?"

  The young man pulled out a 7-inch-long folding fan from his waistband, slapped it on the palm of his hand with force, and shouted angrily: "Shut up! Listen, what's that noise?"

  "In the spring forest, flowers are blooming and birds are singing with sorrow. The gentle breeze blows, opening my silk dress..."

  The crisp and melodious singing voice drew closer, and the faint sound of silk and bamboo instruments also floated over with the morning breeze.

  The mist in the sky suddenly dispersed, and on the eastern city wall, a red sun suddenly rose, pouring that crimson sunlight generously all over the sky and earth.

  Just like the sudden burst of sunlight filling the sky, the originally empty streets of Guihua City were suddenly packed with people. Heads crowded together, people squeezed and pushed each other, leaving only a narrow path in the middle of the main road running north-south through the city. Groups of robust men wearing red clothes and red flowers on their chests appeared out of nowhere, holding bright red wooden clubs, desperately pushing the crowds back to clear the road as much as possible.

  The young master was almost trampled by the crowd and fell to the ground. He let out a loud shriek, hastily jumped onto the carriage, and hid inside. It wasn't until after a while that he cautiously poked his head out of the window. He looked around, glancing at the red-clad guards, then quickly used his fan to tap on Old Three's head, shouting: "Old Three, what's going on? Is there something exciting happening in this city that I, Lin, don't know about?"

  Squatting on the carriage shaft, Lao San stared blankly in the direction of the South City Gate, then turned around with a silly grin and said: "Young Master, you've been cooped up in 'Fengyun Residence' for two days, how did you know about the news that just spread yesterday? Our Guihua City Wang family has formed an alliance through marriage with the Zhang family of Guiying City to the southeast."

  "Climb up the cool pavilion in the morning and sleep by the orchid pond at night. Take a boat to pick lotus flowers under the moonlight, and get lotus seeds every night."

  The singing voice was getting closer and closer, "dang, dang, dang", the muffled sound of the opening gong also came from the south gate.

  Lin Dashi was stunned for a while, and with a forceful flick of his fan, he knocked on his brow, furrowed his eyebrows and said: "The Wang family? Is Wang Erlang getting married? He was still competing with me in the same room at Fengyunju yesterday, how can he get married today?" He cursed in a low voice: "You're really ungrateful, Wang Erlang! You didn't even inform your brothers about such a big thing as getting married. You deserve to be impotent! But it's strange, why are they sending the bride so early in the morning? Isn't it customary for us in the northwest to send the bride at noon?"

  Lao San looked at Lin Da Shao with a silly expression and chuckled, shaking his head vigorously.

  "Idiot!" Lin Da shouted in anger, and with a burst of fiery temper, he kicked Lao San off the carriage.

  Lao San slowly got up from the ground and obediently squatted under the cart shaft. The blue-flowered horse pulling the cart gave Lao San a cold glance, suddenly twitched its tail, and swept it over Lao San's head.

  "Looking up at the paulownia tree, the paulownia flowers are particularly pitiful. I wish the sky would be free of frost and snow, and the phoenix would unfold its thousand-year-old [beauty]."

  The singing is getting closer. The streets in the distance are crowded with people, and a group of onlookers can be heard making a loud commotion.

  In the midst of deafening firecracker explosions, a young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes, yet with two deep eye sockets and dark circles under his eyes, apparently exhausted from overexertion, was surrounded by a group of red-clad servants, riding a majestic white horse, dashing towards the south gate. The young man looked around in confusion, left and right, then suddenly saw Lin Dashi sticking out half of his body from a carriage on the side of the road, and hastily called out: "Lin Yao, Lin Dashi, I...I...how did I suddenly end up getting married?"

  Lin Dashi opened his mouth, wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, and stared blankly at the young man being surrounded by a group of fierce-looking family guards rushing away.

  "How was I supposed to know you were getting married? You didn't even tell me, how could I have known? Am I your father?"

  He coughed violently several times, and Lin Dashi spat out a mouthful of thick phlegm with a hint of blood on the ground. He furrowed his brow, extended three fingers to feel his left wrist pulse with his right hand, and his cheek suddenly twitched violently: "It's bad, winter didn't store up energy, yang energy is too deficient, and now that it's spring, an internal abscess is going to burst. If that old guy finds out, there'll be another round of trouble."

  "Three feet of frost and snow, a thousand miles of pure white. My heart is like a pine tree, but what can compare to your feelings?"

  The singing grew louder, and twelve servants could be seen carrying a six-foot-square purple gold gong on a pole, beating it with a "dang, dang, dang" sound, their faces full of joy as they approached.

  Behind the twelve leading men, a team of maids followed, holding palace lanterns and carrying incense burners. The palace lanterns were lit with deep-sea mermaid oil, and the incense burners burned the finest dragon's brain incense. Even at a distance of hundreds of feet, the fragrance was almost enough to knock Lin Dashi off his feet. As the maids walked slowly, they sang in unison, their enchanting voices coming from their small mouths.

  "Wow, what a big show! Returning to the Wang family, returning to the Zhang family, what a show!" Lin Dashi used his strength to open the folding fan and fanned himself several times, then hastily threw the fan into the car compartment. He busily called Lao San to be his stepping stone, and he stepped on Lao San's body to climb onto the roof of the carriage, standing still and staring in the direction of the South Gate.

  Pairs of house servants and maids walked by, followed by groups of guards wearing brocade clothes with long knives at their waists. The wedding procession had nearly a thousand people! Next came thirty or so red-clad house servants surrounding the second young master of the Wang family, who was running excitedly with a dull expression on his face, muttering to himself. Behind them was a large red sedan chair carried by thirty-two girls in colorful clothes.

  The sedan chair was about ten feet long and wide, with four pillars carved with flowers and birds supporting a three-tiered glass roof. Countless pearls the size of thumbs were strung together to form a curtain that hung down from all sides of the sedan chair. Through the beaded curtains, one could see a young girl dressed in pink gauze sitting quietly inside the sedan chair, her face hidden behind a veil made of purple pearls the size of sesame seeds, making it impossible for outsiders to see her face through the layers of beads and veils.

  Standing on the top of the car shed, Lin Dashi waved his hands and feet, staring at the sedan chair for a while. He suddenly whistled loudly and shouted towards the sedan chair: "Hey, little girl, lift up your curtain!"

  In the northwest dialect of Dàyuán, 'lián er' has a different meaning, referring to a woman's brassiere. Lín Dà Shào wanting the girl inside the sedan chair to lift her 'lián er' means he wants to see her breasts!

  The guards standing beside the carriage glared furiously at Lin Dashi, and several of them in golden robes were about to come over and give him a good beating. However, some red-clad guards hastily pulled them back, whispering something in their ears. The golden-robed guards looked stunned, gazing at Lin Dashi with surprise, before retreating back to the carriage with a huff.

  Seeing the girl in the carriage not moving at all, as if she hadn't heard his shouting, Lin Da Shao couldn't help but shake his head and sigh softly: "What an icy little madam. Never mind, Wang Er and I are sworn brothers, his wife is no different from my own. I'll have a chance to see her face eventually."

  Lowering his head and pondering for a moment, Lin Dashi slapped his palm and sighed: "This matter is quite mysterious. The Qing Dynasty sent the relatives early, and Wang Er himself didn't even know he was getting married. It's really strange. Why don't we go to his house for a wedding feast? However, that old thing at home is really hateful. Not having returned home for two days, I'm afraid I'll have to endure another scolding."

  He let out a sigh, subconsciously rubbed his own butt, and Lin Dashi sat down on the car shed with a bored expression, lazily shouting: "Old Three, drive back."

  Lao San, with a foolish grin, responded with a "yes" and hastily climbed onto the cart shaft. With a gentle flick of the whip, the horse obediently took a step forward, heading north along the main street.

  The crowd of onlookers on the road gradually dispersed, with countless people sighing in admiration. Indeed, this was a union between the two wealthiest families in the northwest region. Who had ever seen such grandeur and spectacle?

  This grand occasion of sending off relatives is enough for the people of Guihua City to be delighted and talk about it for half a year.

  The northwestern counties of Dayuan State were never a bustling place to begin with, and the common people had always been laid-back. Moreover, in these chaotic times, everyone lived with the fear of not knowing what would happen from one day to the next. Today's lively and festive scene was enough to dispel the unease in their hearts - if even wealthy families could still hold such grand weddings, perhaps this peaceful era could continue for a while longer.

  The lacquer carriage turned for a while on the main street and arrived at a big street in the northwest corner of Guihua City.

  This street is three zhang wide and over a hundred zhang long. On the west side of the street, there are rows of shops with all kinds of businesses. The east side of the street, however, is entirely occupied by a huge pharmacy called Hui Chun Tang. The entire length of the street is lined with the storefronts of this pharmacy. From far away, a strong medicinal aroma wafts through the air, invigorating one's spirit.

  The main hall of Hui Chun Tang is nearly sixty feet high and over two hundred feet wide, with eight thick black sandalwood pillars, each about three feet in diameter, firmly supporting the massive hall. On the lintel above the main hall's entrance, a large, dark-lacquered wooden signboard bears three gold-painted characters: Hui Chun Tang. Despite its worn and faded appearance, this signboard, combined with the dimly lit and somewhat dilapidated main hall, exudes an aura of serenity and concentration.

  Lin Dashao jumped down from the horse carriage, walked up the steps in front of the main hall with a gloomy face. He stood at the entrance of the main hall and beckoned to a doctor who was writing a prescription inside the hall. The doctor was taken aback, quickly put down his pen with a smile, and respectfully walked to Lin Dashao's side, asking in a low voice: "Young Master, you're back?"

  The doctor with a hint of goat whiskers smiled kindly, but deep in his eyes, he hid a faint sense of helplessness and a slight disdain.

  Lin Dashi cautiously looked into the depths of the main hall for a while, then lowered his voice and asked: "Hu Zhutie, where is the old man?"

  "Hu Zhu Tie stroked his whiskers and said with a smile: 'The master of the Wang family has arrived, he's talking to the old master in the back.'"

  Lin Dashi was stunned for a moment and asked in surprise, "Wang Er is getting married today, the wedding procession just passed by, why did Old Man Wang come to our shop now?"

  With a light flick of the folding fan, Lin Dashi opened it and fanned himself a few times with a carefree air. He then instructed in a low voice, "If Old Master has something to attend to, that's good. Hmm, help me get a few ingots of 'Purple Plum Harmony Sun Pill'."

  "Zi Mei He Yang Dan?" Hu Zhute was taken aback, instinctively glancing at Lin Dashi's lower body, then looking again at his pale and slightly greenish face, and couldn't help but smile wryly: "Young Master, Zi Mei He Yang Dan is a restricted medicine that requires the old master to personally approve its release. Even in a year, our Huichuntang can only produce about 180 pills of Zi Mei He Yang Dan."

  "Tell you to go and you'll go, why so much fuss?!" Lin Dashi suddenly burst into anger: "Want Grandpa to sign a check? How can some people easily take medicine from the warehouse?! Ah?!"

  To the left of Huichuntang's main hall is a row of pharmacies. At this time, more than 200 apprentices are busy inside the pharmacy, some are dispensing medicine according to prescriptions, some are helping people prepare their medication, and others are guarding a row of stoves, assisting in the on-site decoction of certain precious medicinal soups that require precise control over the fire. The long benches around the walls of the pharmacy are filled with people of all shapes and sizes, beautiful and ugly, noble and humble. These people, regardless of their background or status, sit obediently on the benches, chatting idly with those beside them.

  A youth, barely fifteen or sixteen years old and less than five feet tall, was supporting an elderly woman who looked frail as they walked out of the pharmacy. As he supported the elderly woman's walk, he smiled and said: "Don't worry, grandma, with these three prescriptions, your grandson's illness will definitely be cured."

  The young man had a likable face. His round and baby-like face was still slightly chubby, with delicate and fair skin, a pair of slender eyebrows that flew straight to the temples, and a pair of big eyes that seemed like two black gemstones soaked in white silver, exuding an inexplicable aura that was captivating. Adding to that his high nose bridge and rosy lips, as well as his clear air and the fragrance of medicine that surrounded him, it was hard not to be pleased with him.

  The old woman trembled and bowed repeatedly to the young man, who was busy helping her up. The old woman gently wiped the young man's face with her hand and choked back tears as she said: "Young master, you are all good people! If it weren't for you waiving my family's medical expenses, my grandson... Waaah, waaah! Good people live long lives, good people have many blessings! Young master, heaven will bless you, and in the future, you will certainly be harmonious with your wife, have many children and grandchildren, and enjoy a life of wealth and prosperity."

  The most moving words made the young man grin from ear to ear, his face red and not knowing what to say. He saw off the old woman, stood on the steps and looked at her back for a while, before lightly sighing and clapping his hands with joy, then was about to enter the main hall. Then, he saw Lin Dashi standing by the door of the main hall with an unhappy face.

  "Lin Xiao, you're quite good at using our Lin family's money to accumulate virtue for yourself!" Lin Dashi's face twitched, and he swung his folding fan like a windmill.

  Young Lin Xiao's face changed, his originally joyful face suddenly became stiff and rigid. His body trembled slightly as he hastily clasped his fists together and bowed to Lin Dashi, saying "Big Brother."

  "Stop it!" Lin Dashi slapped a folding fan on Lin Xiao's head, sneering: "I, Lin Yao, don't dare have such a 'capable' brother who can 'inherit the Lin family business'...!"

  Lin Yao leaned in close to Lin Xiao's ear, his face looking unpleasant, and cursed in a low voice: "You little bastard, you're just a wild woman's illegitimate child! You think you can inherit Huichuntang? Go ahead and dream your foolish dreams!"

  He snorted, Lin Yao stood up straight, looked at Lin Xiao with a smug expression, and walked into the main hall with an air of complacency.

  As soon as he entered the main hall, Lin Yao, full of confidence and pride, turned his head back to shout at Hu Zhute: "Hurry up and get me 'Zi Mei He Yang Dan'!"

  Hu Zhu Tie helplessly looked at Lin Xiao.

  Lin Xiao's mouth twitched and he lowered his head to calculate for a while. He lightly drew three fingers behind him, signaling to Hu Zhuti.

  Hu Zhutie's heart ached violently, three pieces of 'Purple Plum Harmony Sun Post'! Young Master is really too cruel.

  He lowered his head, Hu Zhute shook his head and quickly ran towards the medicine warehouse behind the pharmacy.

  Lin Xiao glanced at Lin Yao, who was swaying as he walked into the inner hall, and let out a sigh. He too felt somewhat disheartened and walked back to the pharmacy.

  Sitting cross-legged in front of a mortar, Lin Xiao picked up a pestle and started pounding the medicine with a "ding-ding-dang" sound.

  In the depths of the backyard of Hui Chun Tang, there was a loud reading sound coming from afar. It was the children apprentices collected by Hui Chun Tang who were reciting various medicinal songs.

  Listening to these medicinal ballads, Lin Xiao's face, which had been stuffy and gloomy at first, gradually revealed a smile again.