E18 - Lakan

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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    The Apothecary Diaries
SIGN    This story is a work of fiction. The names of all of the characters, organizations, and so on
     are imaginary. It also bears no connection to any specific real-life events.
[01:33] Jinshi
    How does one decrease
    the value of a courtesan?
[01:36] Maomao
    A pregnancy would reduce it to nearly nothing.
[01:49] Maomao
    Is that the place you're looking for?
[01:56] Maomao
    Now, if you'll excuse me.
[02:06] Jinshi
    You're leaving now?
[02:08] Maomao
    Me going in there would ruin all
    the work we put into your disguise.
[02:12] Jinshi
    Right...
[02:14] Maomao
    Goodbye.
[02:23] Maomao
    It's fine. I pulled it off
    with no apparent emotion.
[02:36] Maomao
    Enjoy yourself tonight, good sir.
[03:03] Maomao
    A dream of the past...
[03:05] Maomao
    Or rather, from when I was a baby.
SIGN    Episode 18: Lakan
[03:12] Maomao
    I bet it's because I talked about it.
[03:15] Luomen
    Good morning.
[03:18] Maomao
    Morning, Dad.
[03:22] Luomen
    What are your plans for today?
[03:24] Maomao
    Nothing.
[03:26] Luomen
    If you're not busy, can you
    pay a visit to the Verdigris House?
[03:32] Maomao
    Sure.
[03:38] Ukyou
    Hmm? Hey, Maomao. Are you off work?
[03:43] Maomao
    I got a vacation.
[03:47] Ukyou
    You're at the apothecary even on your off day?
[03:51] Maomao
    Just passing by. It's not
    the main reason why I'm here.
[03:54] Old Lady
    Hold it, Pairin!
[03:56] Pairin
    Haven't we discussed this enough by now?
[03:58] Pairin
    Oh? Maomao!
[04:06] Pairin
    Good to see you back!
[04:08] Maomao
    You're suffocating me, Pairin.
[04:10] Pairin
    I'm the one suffocating from our
    old granny nagging me all the time.
[04:13] Old Lady
    I'm not done with you!
    You have to choose one or the other!
[04:17] Pairin
    Really?
[04:18] Maomao
    I don't know what this is about, but it
    looks like Pairin has a lot on her plate, too.
[04:18] Pairin
    Granny, you're so persistent.
[04:20] Old Lady
    It's your fault for not making
     up your mind. Now decide!
[04:23] Old Lady
    Besides, you're the one that's making me
    bring these offers to you by hanging around!
[04:27] Pairin
    I didn't ask! You're always so pushy!
[04:29] Maomao
    Sneak, sneak, sneak.
[04:30] Old Lady
    What do you mean, pushy?!
[04:33] Old Lady
    Hmm? Was Maomao here?
[04:36] Ukyou
    She's been here for a little while.
[04:38] Pairin
    Is she going to the annex?
[04:56] Maomao
    Good morning.
[05:00] Maomao
    She used to hatefully chase me out,
[05:04] Maomao
    but I guess she doesn't
    have the energy anymore.
[05:07] Maomao
    Or perhaps she's forgotten
    how to talk entirely.
[05:11] Maomao
    With her illness worsening,
    her memories are in shreds.
[05:22] Maomao
    Dad's medicine works well, but at this point,
    it won't even provide temporary relief.
[05:28] Maomao
    Still, giving her the medicine is
    the only treatment we can think of.
[05:36] Ukyou
    That customer is back again.
[05:41] Old Lady
    He's got a good nose on him.
[05:44] Old Lady
    Get Meimei in here.
[05:48] Maomao
    The Verdigris House is now
    a reputable establishment,
[05:52] Maomao
    but a decade or so ago,
    it used to operate in shame.
[05:56] Maomao
    This courtesan served
    customers during that era,
[06:00] Maomao
    and was unlucky enough
    to catch syphilis as a result.
[06:06] Maomao
    By the time Dad came to the Verdigris
    House, the illness was in incubation.
[06:13] Maomao
    If he'd known about the illness,
    he might have been able to treat her,
[06:16] Maomao
    but nobody trusted a eunuch
    who suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
[06:26] Maomao
    She had to serve customers.
    There was no other way to live.
[06:28] Maomao
    That was the law of the courtesan.
[06:31] Maomao
    A few years later, when
    the rashes started to reappear,
[06:35] Maomao
    the sores spread almost instantly.
[06:41] Maomao
    Since then, this woman has
    been locked up in this annex,
[06:45] Maomao
    out of sight of the customers.
[06:48] Maomao
    It's quite generous. Courtesans who can't work
    are usually just thrown out into a ditch.
[06:57] Maomao
    This room's pretty stuffy.
    Maybe I'll burn some incense, too.
[07:20] Maomao
    What is it?
[07:21] Servant Girl
    Big Sis told me the weirdo
    with the monocle is here,
[07:26] Servant Girl
    so you shouldn't go out there for now.
[07:29] Maomao
    Right, got it.
[07:42] Maomao
    As long as I stay put, that man
    won't come out here.
[07:46] Maomao
    A long-time customer of the
    Verdigris House, an old acquaintance...
[08:09] Maomao
    Stupid woman.
[08:23] Meimei
    Thanks for being so patient.
     That guy's gone now.
[08:26] Maomao
    Meimei, did you spend time with him?
[08:29] Meimei
    Who else can?
[08:31] Meimei
    Oh, I'm glad Big Sis seems
    to be doing well today.
[08:36] Meimei
    Maomao, you're getting that offer again.
[08:42] Maomao
    I don't see how you put up with him, Sis.
[08:44] Meimei
    It's not so bad. The old lady
    doesn't care as long as he pays up.
[08:49] Maomao
    That's probably why she keeps
    wanting to make me a courtesan.
[08:53] Maomao
    If I didn't have my job,
    I might have been sold off by now.
[08:58] Meimei
    It's a really good deal, from where I'm standing.
[09:01] Meimei
    Do you know how rare it is for
    a courtesan to get everything they want?
[09:06] Maomao
    Since our old lady would easily
    let the weight of silver overrule that.
[09:11] Meimei
    Who can blame her? She's saving up
    for her boat fare to heaven.
[09:18] Meimei
    I'm getting older now.
    I should start taking this seriously.
[09:22] Maomao
    She's not even thirty yet, but as a courtesan,
    that's retirement age already.
[09:28] Maomao
    Why not strike out on your own?
[09:32] Meimei
    Just a while longer.
[09:40] Meimei
    I'll keep working here for just a while longer.
[09:45] Maomao
    I don't know what's going
    through Meimei's mind.
[09:50] Maomao
    It's not a rabbit hole I want to delve into.
[09:52] Maomao
    If it's what everyone knows as love,
[10:05] Maomao
    that's an emotion I'm sure I left behind,
    in the womb of the woman who birthed me.
[10:14] Meimei
    Let me scrub your back.
    Haven't done that in ages.
[10:16] Maomao
    Huh? No thanks.
[10:18] Meimei
    Come on, come on.
[10:22] Pairin
    Yeah, it's been a while!
[10:24] Joka
    Let her do it.
[10:26] Joka
    You're going to be gone again
    for a while, right?
[10:29] Maomao
    Huh?
[10:31] Meimei
    I'm doing this as a freebie, so you have
    to help me find good customers, okay?
[10:51] Jinshi
    I didn't expect the meeting place to
    offer services like in the pleasure district.
[10:56] Jinshi
    That wasn't what I was there for.
[11:13] Jinshi
    Apothecary, do you have a moment?
[11:16] Maomao
    Yes.
[11:17] Jinshi
    Share this with Suiren.
    It's a souvenir from a weirdo.
[11:23] Maomao
    From a weirdo? Thank you.
[11:27] Jinshi
    Yeah.
[11:28] Maomao
    Well then, I'm getting back to work.
[11:39] Suiren
    Oh, dear.
[11:44] Suiren
    We're having a vegetarian dinner today,
[11:46] Suiren
    so Xiaomao, don't eat
    any meat or fish, all right?
[11:52] Suiren
    You're taking a break, but don't
    completely lose consciousness.
[11:57] Maomao
    Right, vegetarian!
[11:59] Maomao
    Dammit, I thought working
    would get my mind off of it.
[12:07] Suiren
    Also.
[12:10] Suiren
    No more hiding weird plants in the warehouse.
[12:14] Maomao
    Yikes. She's sharp.
[12:16] Suiren
    If you can't find anywhere to put it,
[12:18] Suiren
    why don't you ask Master Jinshi to
    let you use one of the vacant rooms?
[12:23] Maomao
    No, I can't use a noble person's
    home as a medicine cabinet.
[12:27] Suiren
    Xiaomao, you appear apathetic,
[12:30] Suiren
    but you're actually very keen when it
    comes to knowing where you stand.
[12:33] Maomao
    I am of lowly birth. It's a small
    miracle that I'm even here.
[12:40] Suiren
    Perhaps.
[12:42] Suiren
    But remember, just because
    a person is of noble birth
[12:45] Suiren
    doesn't make them inherently
    different from the start.
[12:49] Suiren
    Nobody knows how a person's
    life can twist and turn.
[12:54] Suiren
    Separating everything based only on
    status can lead to missed opportunities.
[12:59] Maomao
    Really?
[13:00] Suiren
    Yes, really.
[13:02] Suiren
    Now, back to work.
    Can you run an errand for me?
[13:07] Maomao
    Excuse me!
[13:09] Maomao
    I've come to pick up some medicine!
[13:11] Doctor
    Yes, wait just a moment.
[13:20] Maomao
    This is nothing like the rear palace pharmacy
    that the quack doctor was running!
[13:24] Maomao
    This place is close to the military,
    so they must get a lot of injuries.
[13:29] Maomao
    Ah, this smell that leaves
    a bitter taste in my mouth...
[13:34] Maomao
    I wonder what they have
    in the medicine cabinets?
[13:37] Maomao
    I'd love to rummage through this whole place...
[13:41] Maomao
    No. I must control myself!
[13:44] Suirei
    What are you doing?
[13:49] Maomao
    She's that...
[13:52] Maomao
    Just waiting for some medicine.
[13:56] Doctor
    Suirei!
[13:59] Suirei
    You're here.
[14:01] Suirei
    I'm here to resupply
    the medicines at the guardhouse.
[14:03] Doctor
    Right.
[14:09] Maomao
    The guardhouse?
[14:11] Doctor
    How are you? I'm fine.
[14:11] Maomao
    Come to think of it, the last time
    I saw her was near the military wing.
[14:16] Maomao
    She must smell like herbs
    because she works there.
[14:24] Maomao
    I wonder why she seems to dislike me.
[14:27] Doctor
    Is there anything else you need?
[14:29] Suirei
    No, nothing else.
[14:33] Doctor
    A court lady shouldn't be doing this...
[14:37] Doctor
    F-Forget I said anything!
    You need medicine, right?!
[14:47] Maomao
    I wonder what kind of medicine this is.
[14:53] Maomao
    Lick!
[14:55] Maomao
    Potato flour?
[14:57] Maomao
    This is for Master Jinshi, right?
[15:00] Maomao
    Thinking about it, Master Jinshi
    is pretty mysterious.
[15:04] Maomao
    Not just the work he gets
    assigned every few weeks,
[15:09] Maomao
    but taking long baths the day before,
[15:12] Maomao
    and burning incense before leaving...
[15:15] Maomao
    The vegetarian food, too.
[15:17] Maomao
    It's like a purification ceremony.
[15:19] Maomao
    Are eunuchs allowed to
    perform ceremonial rites?
[15:22] Maomao
    It's not out of place for a noble to do that,
[15:25] Maomao
    but if he's of such high rank,
    why is he a eunuch?
[15:29] Maomao
    Was he also made a eunuch by the unilateral
    decision of the previous empress dowager?
[15:36] Maomao
    Like my dad?
[15:39] Jinshi
    The girl's adopted father
    is a eunuch and former doctor.
[15:43] Gaoshun
    If she studied under a former doctor,
    it explains why she's so knowledgeable, but...
[15:49] Gaoshun
    A eunuch?
[15:50] Jinshi
    Yes.
[15:52] Gaoshun
    Did we ever have such a skilled
    doctor among the eunuchs?
[16:02] Lakan
    Pardon me.
[16:07] Lakan
    Shall we pick up the discussion
    from the other day?
[16:18] Jinshi
    It seems you played quite a few dirty tricks.
[16:22] Lakan
    How rude! I don't want to
    hear that from a thief.
[16:27] Lakan
    I spent a decade convincing that old madam,
[16:32] Lakan
    and you stole her out from under my nose.
[16:36] Jinshi
    So you want your prize returned?
[16:39] Lakan
    No, I'll pay whatever you ask.
[16:42] Lakan
    I'm not keen on repeating my past mistakes.
[16:46] Jinshi
    And if I refuse?
[16:48] Lakan
    Then there's nothing I can do, is there?
[16:52] Lakan
    You can count on one hand the number of 
    people who can defy someone as high up as you.
[16:59] Jinshi
    As I thought, he does know who I really am.
[17:02] Lakan
    I'm just concerned about what 
    my daughter would think, is all.
[17:09] Jinshi
    Ugh. So that's really what it is.
[17:16] Jinshi
    I don't want to admit it,
[17:18] Jinshi
    but Lakan is Maomao's father by blood.
[17:30] Lakan
    Could you just let her know
    I'll be visiting her sometime?
[17:36] Lakan
    Bye, now.
[17:46] Jinshi
    Apothecary.
[17:48] Maomao
    Yes.
[17:50] Jinshi
    There's an official who wants
    to meet you sometime soon.
[17:53] Maomao
    Who is he?
[17:55] Jinshi
    It's the weirdo I've been telling
    you about. His name is Lakan—
[18:06] Jinshi
    I'll turn him down somehow.
[18:09] Maomao
    Thank you. I'll get back to work now.
[18:17] Jinshi
    I've never seen her make a face like that.
[18:21] Jinshi
    And I never want to see it again.
[18:26] Maomao
    So, he found out.
[18:45] Maomao
    This smell...
[18:46] Maomao
    It's an herb garden!
[18:48] Maomao
    Here! And there! And there, too!
[18:53] Suirei
    You again?
[19:00] Maomao
    Oh, no. This is way too suspicious.
[19:03] Maomao
    Don't worry. I haven't taken anything yet.
[19:06] Suirei
    Is it safe to assume
    from the dirt on your hands
[19:10] Suirei
    that you were just about to?
[19:16] Suirei
    I'm not trying to punish you.
[19:19] Suirei
    This is an unofficial garden, anyway.
[19:21] Suirei
    But the doctors know about this place too,
[19:24] Suirei
    so I'd advise against frequent visits.
[19:27] Maomao
    Are you in charge of this place?
[19:30] Suirei
    Who knows? I'm just allowed
    to plant what I want here.
[19:35] Maomao
    She's pulling up the weeds.
[19:39] Maomao
    Suirei, I think her name was?
[19:42] Maomao
    Not that I'm one to talk,
    but she doesn't seem very excitable.
[19:49] Maomao
    What are you planting?
[19:56] Suirei
    A medicine to resurrect someone.
[19:59] Maomao
    Is that...?!
[20:01] Maomao
    A medicine that can bring
    the dead back to life...
[20:04] Maomao
    If such a thing exists,
    I want it more than anything!
[20:10] Suirei
    Just kidding.
[20:12] Maomao
    A joke...
[20:13] Suirei
    I heard you're an apothecary.
    Just how good are you?
[20:20] Maomao
    I don't know.
[20:27] Suirei
    A little while from now, I'll be
    planting some morning glories here.
[20:42] Suirei
    Goodbye.
SIGN    Next Time
[22:46] Narrator
    Next time: "Chance or
    Something More."
SIGN    Episode 19: Chance or Something More