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hekates-corner · 5 months

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Apothecary Diaries | WN Translation | Arc 9 - Chapter 4

Hi, whichever way you found this: Welcome!

For a number of reasons, I ended up here - I relay all that happens in the chapters, playing wine-aunt, as I translate to the best of my abilities.

So, be warned: All the spoilers are down below. If you'd like spoilers, but less? My dm's/asks are open!

If you'd like to start at the beginning you can find Chapter 1 here | Masterlist here.

We finally get some Jinshi and Maomao this chapter.

Chapter 4

The chapter opens with Maomao wondering what’s wrong. They got a housecall.

The medical staff had been split into three places, the main residence, a villa/annex and another one.

Maomao was in a villa/annex.. but since this is about Jinshi, she was expecting him to be in the public office building or at the main residence.

Jinshi thanks the quack for his continued support - he greets them with a soft/warm smile. The room they are in now had to be the most luxurious of the house. The fluffy carpet is made with plenty of wool, woven with detailed patterns like never seen before. The curtains probably made of silk, giving off a cool sheen as they swayed.

There were large grapes covered with condensation, indicating that they were well chilled - if you took a bite, the sweet juice would fill your mouth.

Maomao then wonders if he/they’d mind if she took a bite/look.. but Narrator-Mao knows that unfortunately her current task isn’t being a poison detector. That’s what Taomei (Gaoshuns wife) is now tasked with, as she’s serving as Jinshis lady-in-waiting/maid.

“Noisy” Chue doesn’t seem to be around either and her husband likely wouldn’t be found for a while until/unless he got used to his new surroundings. I think the next line if her not being able to spot Basen still.

Someone says hello - it’s probably the quack, who is noted by Narrator-Mao to be shaking as per usual when doing his little bit of a check-up.

Tianyu is absent. They didn’t need that many medics then and there and Narrator-Mao notes that it would actually be bad because it would just make the quacks lack of skills even more glaring.

She also notes that with Tianyu’s strange intuition, there’s no way he wouldn’t notice. He hadn’t brought it up so far but she’s unsure if that’s because he’s sensing something and being nice, or if he’s pretty much waiting for his chance to cozy up to Jinshi, preparing a convincing reason for now.

Thinking that it didn’t matter either way in her mind, as narrator she knows she has something to do. The question of why Jinshi was in the villa being one thing for sure (I also got that that’s not important either, but I’m leaning towards she’s more wise than that). She’s honestly just glad he’s not in the same house as Lakan.

The quack then says that they should head back or tells Maomao that he’ll head back first - he calls her miss/little girl btw. Maomao gives back a simple “Understood/Got it”. He heads “home” without question, Lihaku follows him.

Jinshi now starts sparkling a little more - don’t ask me, he just gets more elegant and sparkly. He asks Suiren to “Please prepare the tea.” and she replies with the usual pleasantry of seeing right to it.

Meanwhile Maomao’s like… packing her stuff to get ready to nope out - but Suiren’s already there like “here you go” with a chair, so Maomao sits down obediently. Like she expected, she wasn’t bold enough to just reach for the grapes, so she asks Suiren if she could pack her some as “souvenir”.

I think it’s Suiren who then inquires if she’s gotten used to her new workplace yet.. but Maomao can only give a “People don’t change, they just get used to the environment” back.

It’s an honest reply. She also wants to see more of the medicine that Saito(?) has to offer. Now, she not only has the quack, Lihaku and Tianyu looking out for some, but also Lahan’s brother.

She had prepared a lot of medicine for motion sickness, since they were traveling by boat - but the one thing she was lacking a surprising amount was antipyretics.

Given that they took the southern route, it was just as hot as in midsummer - meaning, on board the ship a lot of patients suffered from fever due to poor ventilation. Conditions similar to heat stroke, where it’s almost better to give water than medicine.. but it’s thought that in reality, the cause is that while Maomao was away… the quack diagnosed someone with a cold and gave them the meds.

The medicine prescribed by the quack tasted bad, but somehow the patient got it down with enough water and it somehow seemed to have worked in the end. Maomao thinks that Guen just has great luck - as always.

She heard that one of the doctors, a higher up, will take care of the missing amount of meds, before thinking that she wants to tag along.. but she has other things to do.

We then get a funny lil interaction between Maomao and Jinshi. Maomao(?) says that there’s a potato farmer here, that he’s a messenger from Lahan.

Narrator-Mao thinks that if they manage to plant potatoes here, they could export to Nishi-Shū. However, Jinshi is like “I heard that the potato farmer…. is Maomao’s cousin.” and Maomao doesn’t miss a beat “He’s a stranger.”

After that firm declaration, she says something along the lines of “It’s true that he’s here. I thought someone with more character would come, but what can I say.” and Jinshi’s like “He’s normal/ordinary, isn’t he?”

And she’s like “He’s ordinary.” Clearly Jinshi seems to share the same opinion about Lahan’s brother as… everyone outside of Lihaku.

Narrator-Mao also notes though that, if his existence is already know, then word sure traveled quick.

She then brings up that she wants to go to a rural village, but that she needs permission and he’s like.. “that would be helpful, but what about your job as medic” and she explains that she’ll be reassigned and since Tianyu came around it should be fine.

Narrator her thinks his work is reliable enough and that his character is the only issue.

Jinshi says either that it’s a great help since they were having quite some trouble in that area - or that he can help her, they were having trouble in that area.

Maomao tilts her head and is like “There’s a problem?”. Jinshi looks at her, then spreads out a map of a province with ink circles all over it.

Maomao goes “... that is..?” and Jinshi’s like “it's a rural area.” and Maomao’s like “... it's small, considering the size of Saito(?), after all.” (our girl back with her sizes)

Narrator-Mao understands that there's a lot of dead land, due to the seasons, so less fields make sense.

Jinshi then goes “And-” and Maomao(?) gently gives him the brush - he draws another large circle on the map. He tells her that the new circle is grazing land and says the name of the area.

Narrator-Mao then explains that grazing means letting livestock roam free and assumes that in Saito(?) they probably wouldn't have cows but instead goats and sheep.

Jinshi then explains that they don't have settlements per se, but wandering shepherds and Maomao basically replies with a “Makes sense.” - it sounds more like she's trying to clear her head than add something to a convo she doesn't know much about.

He then inquires if she remembers the extermination of locusts they had talked about before and she lists off some of the things he made happen as precaution - namely, not hunting certain birds, promoting consumption of insects and spreading the knowledge on how to make bug repellent to rural areas.

Narrator-Mao then adds that she had also wrecked her brain about it, coming up with as many pesticides made from local ingredients as possible.

But then Jinshi kinda connects the dots for her and is like “Well.. that's at least what they do in Li.. but…” and his tone isn't great. And suddenly Narrator-Mao feels like she understands Jinshi's miscalculations.

She says that, even if you're a farmer, you're only working on your own fields and that's solely where you'd be using pesticides. Jinshi replies that she's right.

Narrator-Mao then sums it up for us that any area with vast grasslands wouldn't get treated. There's no way that farmers can do that much.. not to forget that the messages wouldn't have reached the roaming folk in the first place, more than likely. She thinks “even if..” and as narrator concludes that there's no way they'd spray pesticides on fields livestock eats from - nor would they kill off locusts one by one.

There’s a moment of silence as they both understand that the locusts that aren’t taken out will multiply in numbers many times over. But Maomao tilts her head again and says “Excuse me. Last year, there was a small-scale locust attack in the western part of Li - but did that include the are around Saito(?)?” and Jinshi says that no such reports came in.

He now also looks visibly suspicious of it all and says something along the lines of that it’s true that the area around Saito(?) is centered around trade, so there’s few crops being planted hence the impact of crop damage would be little.

Maomao concludes that due to that it wouldn’t be strange, right? Narrator-Mao then thinks back to the previous fall, when Jinshi sent her the hundreds of “harrassment locusts” (you know, the scene where only Maomao was hype but meanwhile everyone around Jinshi thought he was nuts for sending her like 300 locusts, saying that any young woman would think of it as harrassment?).

Back then, Lahan hinted that the flying locusts might have come from “Hokuaren”, aka the rural area that Jinshi drew the big circle around earlier. Narrator-Mao also adds that the prefecture is the closest.

She then speculates in her thoughts if the locusts didn’t just so happen upon them - or - were they maybe just hiding it?

Maomao looks at Jinshi (precisely his face), but instead of panicked his face was calm - it seemed as if he was just reaffirming information he already knew.

She feels her heart groan/like she’s screaming on the inside as it dawns on her, in her mind “Was it Empress Gyokuyous brother?”.

The man that rules Saito(?) on behalf of his absent father. It seems that there’s something going on between him and the empress, even though he acts like it’s not the case but Narrator-Mao concludes that it has nothing to do with a simple apothecary.

Narrator-Mao then wonders if this has anything to do with Rikuson being all muddy from a trip to the countryside.. For some reason, it’s bothering her but despite the whole idea making her head spin the longer she thinks about it - she’d feel bad if the situation didn’t get resolved.

We then get another exchange between her and Jinshi, where she asks if it’s alright if she heads to the countryside the next day. Jinshi repeats that while it would be helpful, what her excuse is going to be and she questions if wanting to buy and collect medicine/ingredients for medicine isn’t enough. Jinshi then says he’ll go with that, but if she speaks of countryside - where exactly is she heading.

NarratorMao considers that, looking at the map, starting at the closest point would be the best but she has another idea…… and she brings up that Rikuson-sama is there and she’d like to go to the places he’s went to.

Jinshi, surprisingly, accepts that with a “... Okay. Let’s make the arrangements.”

Maomao thanks him.

The chapter ends with her bowing - as a narrator telling us that she doesn’t think she’ll be able to relax for a while.

| Notes & Chapter 5

Just a few things this time.

The part where Maomao thinks about the province, I had originally left out the name since it's kinda difficult - if you've noticed in the anime, even professional translators can't make up their minds about names with Lihaku vs Rihaku being a prime example. For readability and to follow along more easily I've switched it with my usual result now.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter where we’ve finally got some Mao/Jin interactions again! The next two chapters belong together!

If you'd like to get notified when an update drops, I'm up to tag or send dm's - just let me know!

#kusuriya no hitorigoto #the apothecary diaries #hekates apothecary

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hekates-corner · 4 months

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Apothecary Diaries | WN Translation | Arc 9 - Chapter 20

Hi and welcome!

For a number of reasons I ended up here. I go about translating to the best of my abilities, relaying all that happens in the chapters - pretty much playing wine-aunt.

So, be warned that all the spoilers are down below. Want some but not all? My dm's/asks are open!

New here or missed a part? Check out the Masterlist.

Enjoy & please take a look at the notes, if you're caught up!

Chapter 20 | A Twisted Past

Maomao checks with Kurumu: So you know the wind reading clan?

The self-proclaimed “beautiful girl” crossed her arms and grunted “Hmm/Well”.

Kurumu: I know, or rather, that’s what my great-grandfather used to call it when he was still living in the grasslands. Well, I only know very little/not much about it either, I’ve only asked my grandmother a few times.

Maomao: Can you tell us as much as you know?

Kurumu: Eh, what should I do?

Narrator-Mao notes that as she made a bad move, Kurumu got carried away.

Kurumu: I can’t say it’s free but/though

Grinning, Kurumu asks for money.

Taomei: Hehe, do you want to get turned in by/to the officials?

Eyes reminiscent of a bird of prey flashed behind Kurumu. Taomei looks on with a smile. Narrator-Mao notes that.. for some reason, the unrelated Basen cowered and the owl was trembling, its wings ruffled.

Kurumu’s face twitched.

As expected, Taomei is a scary wife who puts Gaoshun in place.

Maomao deliberately clears her throat.

Maomao(?): …… I think we’re making a concession here. You answer the questions. I won’t expose you to the officials. Also, depending on what you do in the future—

Taomei: Right, we can also discuss what to do with this owl

Taomei continues Maomao’s answer.

Kurumu: Understood. (it’s short and rushed, fitting for being gaslit like this). What I heard from grandma was that a long time ago, a nomadic family was hunted by slaves. I heard that most of the people who were hunted were killed, the women were taken as wives and the children were sold as slaves.

Narrator-Mao’s like “that’s info even I know”.. however, there is one thing that’s bothering her.

Maomao: I heard that the wind reading clan uses birds. Does this mean that the method of incubating and raising bird eggs has never ceased?

Kurumu: That’s it. Ah, that was a bad thing to say. The wind reading clan was destroyed. The divided half

Maomao: Half?

Maomao and the others stare at Kurumu.

Kurumu: That’s right. They must’ve been going around the grasslands for some kind of festival or something. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to move in parts, rather than all at once. There was also a means of communication using birds.

Maomao nods, saying that’s certainly true.

Maomao: But what happened to the remaining half? It seems that the wind reading clan is thought to have disappeared. Was the festival not continued?

Kurumu: Yes/Hmm. I don’t really understand/get it. Apparently my great-grandfather was one of the surviving members of the family, but he died when grandma was about ten years old. Granny said that he had taught her a lot about birds, but he was no longer grazing and was living in the city. However, there was a regular customer who would buy the pigeons he raised, so he didn’t have to worry about food/eating them.

Maomao: A regular?

Kurumu: Well, I was told that he must be some kind of big name, but I haven’t heard any details about him. I mean, even grandma didn’t seem to know much about it.

Everyone falls silent at Kurumus testimony.

Kurumu: Huh? Did I say something weird?

Maomao?: No, thank you very much.

As narrator she goes on ask-stating if that’s what’s meant with a horse coming from a gourd, which is a literal translation from a saying about a joke/something very unexpected actually coming true. But then she argues that she’d assumed it could be somewhat related to the wind reading clan, it just got to the core of it all more than she expected.

Kurumu: Compromise. Can I take this one home? I found a place that looked like a good spot for releasing (owly).

Maomao(?) asks if she’s actually going to let owly go if they hand owly over and Kurumu explains that that’s what she’d intended to do and what she’d been taught by her grandmother.

Maomao makes eye contact with Taomei. Taomei nodded quietly, so Maomao handed the cage containing owly over to Kurumu. Kurumu smiled broadly.

Maomao: May I ask you one more question?

Kurumu: What is it?

Now that the bird had been returned, Kurumu seemed to be in a good mood, saying this with her teeth showing.

Maomao: You said that your father and Gyokuou-sama’s mother are related, but is it okay to assume that your mother is also part of the wind reading clan?

Kurumu: I can’t say for sure, but…… She seemed to like birds and was used to handling them.

Narrator-Mao notes that if Gyokuou’s mother is from the wind-reader clan, there would be various connections.

Going on to think: I got some useful information though

However, Narrator-Mao’s like.. if they believe Kurumu’s story, several contradictions will appear.

Maomao thinks: If the wind-reading clan had not perished, perhaps they could’ve continued the festival even after that.

Which would mean they’d have to question what the meaning of what Nenshin, who’d become a serf, was doing actually was.

And why did the wind-reader clan become extinct?

Narrator-Mao thinks that a strange/suspicious point just appeared.

In her mind, concluding that one possible possibility is…

Maybe they pretended the wind reading clan was destroyed and used their abilities for something else. (also got that they destroyed them to use their abilities)

“The faster information is transmitted, the stronger it is” - she points out in her head.

Once you surround them with the fact that they perished, there’s many ways to use them. This isn’t strange, considering that Kurumu’s grandmother was already living in the city. It also makes sense that Kurumu’s great-grandfather passed away so early.

Maomao goes on thinking, about great-grandpa’s premature death, that once the technique has been passed down - those who know the past are in the way. (because they know too much)

Kurumu: Hey. Nee-chan. Can I go home now?

Maomao startles as Kurumu pokes her. She seemed to be in deep thought.

Maomao: Sorry. Could you please give me/us your contact information? I might also be able to introduce a customer who also wants a small bird.

Kurumu: …… Eh, I’m kind of scared

Narrator-Mao notes that Kurumu doesn’t seem to be fooled by her fake smile. (Maybe) There was a look on Maomao’s face as if she was going to let a valuable source of information escape.

Taomei: Hehe. I(?) would never do anything terrible to a child. Hey/Listen, could you please introduce me to your father?

Taomei’s eyes light up.

Kurumu reacted timidly, nodding.

Mind-Mao’s like: She’s just too strong

Going on as narrator: Even though she’s a different type from Suiren and the Madam (granny from Verdigris)

Mind-Mao thinks that it’s quiet around her/that it’s no wonder everyone around her (Taomei) is so quiet.

Chue is not as bubbly/outspoken as usual and Basen has a selfless look on his face, one that resembles Gaoshun. Maomao wonders if this is how today’s Gaoshun was created.

Once Kurumu was sent home with a/her servant, Taomei looks at Maomao.

Taomei: From the look on your face it seems like you’ve come up with a few things.

Narrator-Mao notes that this seems to be a polite way of saying: If you know something, tell me.

Maomao: This is just my assumption and it may be (wild and?) absurd

Recently, Maomao has had some antipathy with her adoptive father, Luomen, but she is basically faithful to his teachings. She doesn’t intend to judge things based on speculation without evidence.

Taomei: But my-, our master isn’t looking for a definite conclusion every single time/for every single thing. He’s a master of taking everything into his own hands, but could you please speak with him once so that we can plan for possible future countermeasures?

Taomei looks at Maomao with the eyes of a bird of prey.

Maomao?: Well then—

Maomao opens her mouth to tell Taomei to tell Jinshi her story.

Taomei: No, please meet and talk with him directly.

Maomao: I don’t think there’s a problem with talking about it here

As narrator Maomao doesn’t think that Taomei would twist around the speculations she told her.

Taomei: No. Sometimes I need a distraction

Maomao: Huh?

Maomao could only narrow her eyes at Maomao, who gave her a slightly mischievous smile

Notes

This shit’s getting wild xD

– Please note that this was originally Arc 10. I wrongly assumed since it's going to be LN 10 it would line up, but it was brought to my attention that 2 of the arcs are split up due to how long they are. It doesn't change much per se, since it's still future LN V10, but I'm sticking to the promised honesty, if I get something wrong somewhere. I've gone ahead and renumbered all the posts by now.

– A bird of prey is a bird like an eagle/hawk that kills and eats other birds/animals

– The line about the horse and the gourd was an actual chain of kanji. You can google it and it'll come up: hyōtankarakoma xD

– Which, btw is unrelated, but Basen’s often coming up in translators as “Horse flash” which is always funny. Taomei is peach(es)

– The “selfless” expression mentioned from Basen towards the end is “muga no kyouchi”, a state of self actualization. It’s a state where a person has surpassed his/her limit and starts to copy and execute techniques that he/she has seen/experienced in a random pattern. And yes, this is part of Prince of Tennis xD

– One of the only things I don’t know this time is who’s servant Kurumu leaves with.

– I most often got that sometimes Taomei (aka “I” not “you”) needs a distraction, which.. She's a married wife, with grown kids, her husband in tow - I did get it a minimal amount that sometimes “you” need a distraction, but with Maomao’s reaction and Taomei’s mischievous smile.. 6 and 9 is a number once added up that equals yoga between the sheets.

– I also got it a couple of times that Taomei has a couple of potential clients that could want birds from Kurumu’s dad, but for now I settled on one (Jinshi, the obvious target)

I hope you enjoyed. Buckle up, this is going somewhere. I just love that Taomei is domming anyone and everyone like they’re all just clay in the palm of her hands. Stay safe and I’ll see you soon!

#kusuriya no hitorigoto #the apothecary diaries #hekates apothecary

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