Chapter 350 - The Foshan Journey (Part 3)

A clerk guided them through the central hall. Inside, the large courtyard contained three rows of two-story buildings connected by covered walkways that provided shelter from rain and sun. The rooms were arranged by floor in neat, orderly rows. This novel layout amazed Yang Shixiang, though for Liu San and Huang Tianyu it was nothing new—the blueprints had most likely been designed by someone from the construction company.

The premium suites—the so-called "Heaven" rooms—were located in the rearmost building. Each was a full suite with not just a bedroom but an attached servant's quarters. Large windows let in abundant light. By the standards of this era, the furniture and furnishings could be called comfortable and hygienic.

Gao Di and Chen Tong set down the luggage and busied themselves laying out the bedding—inns in this era did not provide it; guests had to bring their own. The attendant bustled about, bringing hot water for washing up and serving tea. He made small talk, asking about their origins and destinations. Liu San gave perfunctory answers. After everyone had washed up and was resting with their tea, the attendant brought in candlesticks and candles, then asked how they wanted dinner arranged.

"Have the inn prepare dinner," Liu San said, producing a small piece of silver weighing about two qian. "That should cover wine and dishes."

"Yes, I'll arrange it right away!"

"No hurry. First bring us some appetizers and a few pots of yellow wine. Is there a bathhouse nearby?"

"Yes, yes—our inn has its own bathhouse attached. It's not crowded, and the water is clean. Just bring your room key and you won't be charged extra."

Liu San's party had been cooped up on the boat for days, travel-worn and weary. Hearing that the inn had an attached bathhouse, they all went to bathe. Returning refreshed while it was still early, Liu San gave the two boys leave to go sightseeing in the city, knowing Gao Di was from Guangzhou.

The three men were in a relaxed mood. They called for eight small dishes and a pot of yellow wine from the attendant and drank leisurely while discussing pharmaceutical business. When the topic turned to drug markets, Yang Shixiang shared what he had seen and heard during a trip to the Qizhou drug market with his father in his youth.

The Qizhou drug market—located in present-day Anguo County, Hebei—was itself a remote, inaccessible place with poor transportation, and wasn't even a production base for medicinal herbs. Yet drug merchants from all over the country used it as their trading center. The market had existed in embryonic form since the Song dynasty, and by the Wanli era had become the largest herbal medicine distribution center north of the Yangtze. By the Qing dynasty it would reach its peak, carrying on for over five hundred years—a rather remarkable phenomenon.

"...It's not as strange as it sounds," Yang Shixiang explained. "Qizhou is the birthplace of the 'Medicine King.' Everyone says the hometown of the Medicine King is especially efficacious. Herbs that haven't passed through Qizhou lack their proper essence; if they're weak or lacking in potency, once they reach Qizhou, the potency becomes rich and full."

Liu San thought: So there's that belief too. Yang Shixiang continued, "Drug merchants from all directions gather at the Qizhou market, with herbs from north and south all available there—truly a magnificent sight." He shook his head with feeling. "There must be over a thousand market brokers just helping to negotiate deals! There are thirteen guilds of drug merchants; the Capital Guild alone has over three hundred establishments coming to trade at the market."

"What's the Capital Guild?"

Yang Shixiang explained: Because so many merchants came from different regions to trade, guilds were organized by geography to mediate disputes between merchants from different areas and handle other external matters. The number of guilds varied, but thirteen were permanent fixtures. Each specialized in different products. For instance, the Shandong Guild dealt specifically in scorpions, donkey-hide gelatin, trichosanthes, and tree peony bark; the Shanxi Guild specialized in antelope horn, wolfberry, Sichuan fritillary, coltsfoot, and fennel. If you wanted a particular item, you went directly to the relevant guild—you could virtually always find exactly what you needed. Extremely convenient.

Liu San's curiosity was thoroughly piqued. How many rare herbs had he only heard of but never seen? This drug market sounded like a holy land for anyone studying Chinese medicine. However, with Huang Taiji about to launch his raids, Hebei wouldn't be safe for a while. He could only suppress his eager impatience.

"In the early days when my father first opened shop in Lingao, he also went to the drug market several times. Later he stopped going. In all of Qiongzhou Prefecture, no shop can afford to go to the market—" Yang Shixiang sighed again, looking quite dejected.

Seeing the mood turning gloomy, Huang Tianyu changed the subject to discuss what good merchandise might be found in Foshan. His cover identity was a traveling merchant planning to procure goods there.

"Foshan is called one of the Four Great Towns of the realm, and has no shortage of fine goods," Yang Shixiang said. "The most famous are ceramics, Xiangyun silk, and bronze ware."

Huang Tianyu knew about ceramics and silk, but bronze ware was something he was hearing about for the first time. Upon closer inquiry, it turned out Foshan was also famous for its foundry work. Bronze casting was highly developed there, with Buddhist statues, incense burners, and similar items used throughout Guangdong, Fujian, and even as far as Nan Zhili mostly produced there. The town also produced large quantities of bronze and iron cannons.

With a developed casting industry, there would naturally be many foundry workers. Huang Tianyu decided that besides recruiting ceramic workers this trip, he would also need to bring back a batch of foundry workers—the Industry Committee was short on precisely such skilled native workers.

Yang Shixiang added that besides these, Foshan's Chinese medicine industry was also quite developed. There were seven or eight prominent major pharmaceutical firms that manufactured and sold various prepared medicines. Liu San decided to buy samples of each upon arrival. For those that proved truly effective, he would obtain the formulas by whatever means necessary.

While they were talking, the door curtain suddenly parted and someone asked, "Would the gentlemen like to hear some songs?"

The voice was quite clear and sweet, though with the slightly strained accent of a Cantonese person speaking Mandarin. Liu San looked up to see a young woman of about twenty, clutching ivory clappers. She wore a green jacket and floral skirt with a silk sash at her waist, her hair styled in a Paojia bun. Though her eyes weren't large, they sparkled with flirtatious charm when she glanced about—quite alluring.

Behind her followed a middle-aged woman carrying a folding fan.

Huang Tianyu said impatiently, "No, no."

"We're just travelers seeking some entertainment—what's the harm?" Yang Shixiang seemed rather experienced in these matters. He beckoned, "Come in!"

The young woman smiled prettily, waved to the older woman behind her, and entered alone, performing a curtsy. "May I ask the gentleman's name?"

"My surname is Yang." Yang Shixiang asked her, "What's your name?"

"Your servant is Shucui." Shucui curtsied again. Her nimble eyes swept quickly over the three men's faces, then she lowered her head, her long lashes fluttering. This inadvertently coy and affectionate manner made all three men's hearts stir.

It was Liu San who recovered first. "Since you're here, sing us a few songs."

"Yes. What would the gentleman like to hear?"

Liu San and Huang Tianyu looked at each other blankly—they knew nothing about this sort of thing. It was Yang Shixiang who beckoned, had the older woman bring over the song menu, and selected a few pieces.

Shucui lightly tapped her clappers, and from her vermillion lips came words that were indescribably beautiful and lingering. Only... they couldn't understand a single word! Presumably it was all about love and longing, sweet nothings between men and women. Yang Shixiang fared somewhat better, but Liu San and Huang Tianyu were both men long-deprived of female company. How could they withstand such teasing? After several cups of yellow wine, they felt increasingly flushed and heated.

Yang Shixiang leaned toward Liu San's ear. "What do you think, Doctor Liu—are you satisfied?"

"Hmm, hmm!" Liu San had already inspected Shucui thoroughly from head to toe. He nodded his approval.

"Shall I have her attend you in your room tonight?"

"Well—" Liu San's heart stirred. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. But thinking about the people at Bairen General Hospital currently getting injections in their posteriors, he couldn't help feeling hesitant. Shucui was a woman of the pleasure quarters. If she was carrying something unclean, wouldn't that be a disaster? Then thinking about his wife Wu Yunhua's temper when she flew into a rage, his ardor cooled considerably—more than half his enthusiasm evaporated.

Just as he hesitated, Huang Tianyu whispered, "I have condoms."

Liu San glared at him fiercely. Now the woman would go to Huang instead—when he'd packed for the trip, he hadn't had such foresight, and certainly hadn't dared openly bring condoms. His queen-like wife's discipline was nothing to trifle with.

"She's yours then," he said to Huang Tianyu in Mandarin.

"I'll lend you one..."

Liu San was momentarily moved. Though he and this fellow surnamed Huang were time-travel companions, they weren't particularly close. Yet he was willing to be so generous—condoms weren't something you could buy casually or use freely these days. Everyone used their personal stash brought from the future.

"It's fine. We're all brothers here, and besides, these things don't last forever if you save them too long."

Yang Shixiang, seeing them whispering, assumed they were bothered by having only one woman. He quickly said, "I'll have Shucui bring another girl in a moment."

By now Liu San had cast aside his reservations. He nodded.

Yang Shixiang said to Shucui, "You go out for now. I'll have the attendant call for you shortly, and bring along another young lady."

"Yes, thank you, Master Yang." Shucui's voice was silky smooth. "Your servant has a newly arrived sister. The gentleman is sure to be pleased." With a demure smile, she curtsied again and lifted the curtain as she departed.

The three men exchanged knowing glances, all perfectly aware of each other's thoughts. They continued drinking, chatting, and joking until the lamps were lit, when Yang Shixiang finally sent the attendant to fetch Shucui.

The curtain hook rattled as Shucui floated in gracefully, followed by another young girl. She wore a sky-blue silk jacket, tightly fitted at the waist, with a lotus-root-colored skirt below that swayed like willows in the wind.

Only she looked rather young—slender and petite, with large eyes dominating a melon-seed face and large dark pupils that gave her an honest, innocent appearance. Her jet-black hair was adorned with a kingfisher-feather silver hairpin plus a few fresh seasonal flowers, looking somewhat mismatched.

Damn, how old is this girl? She looked like a textbook example of a loli. Huang Tianyu thought she resembled the first-year middle schoolers at the affiliated school near his old workplace—and underdeveloped ones at that.

The old society was truly sinful. Still, the girl wasn't bad-looking. At least her complexion was much fairer than the locals they'd seen in Lingao.

"Your servant Qianqian greets the two gentlemen." The girl stepped forward and executed a curtsy.

"Serve these gentlemen well!" Yang Shixiang admonished her, then rose and excused himself.