Specifically, it turned out, Maomao was being moved to another office. Her new workplace was the largest medicine-storage area in the palace. When she got there, she found others who had been reassigned as well—mostly the ones she expected.
“I haven’t seen you since...yesterday,” she said.
“No, not since yesterday.”
The other new faces were the three people who looked after the supplies, just like Maomao did: Tall Senior, Short Senior, and Middle-Height Peer.
“I was so sure I’d failed,” Middle-Height Peer said with some amazement. Luomen had criticized his preparation of the medicine during the test the day before.
At exactly the time stipulated on their orders, Luomen walked into the room. An assistant came in beside him, which was at least a sign that they were taking care of him.
“Now then, you’re the ones who passed yesterday’s test. We’re going to have you get right to work.” He set down a formula for a medicine. “For now, I’d like you to make some of this.”
With that, Maomao and the others found themselves furiously mixing herbs together for the next several days.
Grind, grind griiind, thought Maomao. She’d spent so many days mixing medicine that she thought she was going to get calluses from the mortar and pestle.
I mean, it’s okay. I’m having a good time.
The exact composition of what Maomao and the others were being asked to make changed sometimes, but all of the recipes used roughly the same components: antiseptics, drugs to make the blood flow better, and anti-inflammatory agents.
I do wish we could work on a wider variety. That was just her personal desire, however, so she kept it to herself.
“What in the world do you think we’re making?” asked the doctor of average height. He was still young, not much different from Maomao. A few years past twenty, she guessed. He seemed to be from Tianyu’s intake; she sometimes saw them talking together.
“Various ratios of rhubarb root and mu dan pi,” said one of the others. A medicine that would promote blood flow.
Luomen acted as teacher and guide to the three physicians and Maomao; today, he would be coming after stopping by the rear palace’s medical office.
“What’s the other stuff?” asked Middle-Height Peer, who knew the least of any of them, but was at least proactive about it.
“Licorice and garden peony—it must be a decoction of the two,” answered Tall Senior, the taller of the two seniors. Typically, Tall Senior would go out of his way to answer questions, while the more vertically challenged Short Senior would only offer an opinion if something annoyed him.
“I agree,” Maomao said. “It’s a drug to suppress muscle spasms.”
“And pain. It helps with back and abdominal pain,” snapped Short Senior.
“When a patient’s abdomen hurts, it can be used to help figure out exactly where the pain is,” Tall Senior explained.
I thought it had circulatory applications, but it’s a digestive drug?
A draught of rhubarb root and mu dan pi could be helpful in cases of constipation or stomachache and was frequently dispensed to women, as it also helped regulate periods.
Wonder what disease this is? Maomao thought, but she figured that when they saw the patients who were going to take the drug, they would find out.
Meanwhile, Luomen, of course, would not miss this opportunity to help them learn to think for themselves.
No sooner had Luomen finally shown up than he said, “We’ll go to deliver the medicine now. Everyone come with me.” There was a carriage waiting outside; clearly, they were expected to do as they were told.
They rode along for thirty minutes until they arrived at a mansion on the outskirts of the capital. Well, a big house, anyway; it wasn’t really elaborate enough to be called a mansion. It was situated in a residential area, but surrounded by gardens so that no one could see inside.
“Bring the cargo,” Luomen said, and the three physicians did so. There wasn’t that much of it, so Maomao stood with Luomen and helped him to walk. Evidently his assistant wasn’t with him at all times.
Don’t mind us, she thought as she came into the house.
The moment she entered, she caught the distinct aroma of medicine. A man wearing a white apron came out to meet them. “I’ve been waiting for you,” he said.
“I’ve brought the medicine, along with some helpers. I have to explain to them what’s going on, so please, go back to your work.”
“Yes, sir,” the man said and went away.
“Helpers?” Maomao asked. “What does that mean?”
“Just what you think. Or don’t you wish to look after patients?”
“That’s not what I meant,” she said, unsure how she should have asked the question.
Maybe I should have asked why we’re doing this...or who for. She wasn’t sure if it was safe to ask that, however, so she just followed Luomen.
Far inside the house was a room full of cots. The patients were all men, ranging from their teens into their forties. Folding screens had been set up between the beds to give a modicum of privacy. There must have been nurses or caretakers of some kind, because the bedding and the nightclothes the men wore looked clean.
Their pallor is poor, and there are buckets by the beds. Vomiting?
The patients appeared to come from all walks of life. The ones with gnarled hands and legs and tanned skin might be farmers. The ones with knobs on their fingers, maybe scribes. They didn’t seem to have any one thing in common except for their gender.
But then, they’re all taking part in a medical trial.
It meant they weren’t exactly affluent.
There were other people walking around in white aprons—medical personnel, perhaps.
“We brought the medicine,” Luomen said to one of the men who looked like staff.
“Thank you very much.”
“Since we’re here, I thought we might check the stores. All right with you?” Luomen asked.
“Yes, please. If you’d be so kind,” the man replied.
Luomen led Maomao and the others to the place where the medical supplies were kept, next to the galley. Two medicine cabinets sat there, still new.
“I’ll parcel out the medicine. Would you hand it to me?” Luomen asked.
“Yes, sir.”
The medicine was already divided into single doses in paper packets. Luomen proceeded to put them smartly into the cabinet drawers.