Someone Unexpected | Jinshi x Reader The Apothecary Diaries

Episode 1: The Incident

"Feels to me like your well nourished enough for all three of us." Maomao interjected with an expressionless face.

"Maomao! Y/n!" The three of us turn to see Granny standing by the door we came through earlier, with her smoking pipe in hand.

"If I find you two playing around with the combustibles near the good mahogany again I'll boksho yas" she threatened as she took a breath from her pipe before breathing out smoke, looking back at us with a smirk.

"Or maybe we find another way to have you two pay us back."

After that statement, Maomao and I flinched before stumbling and quickly grabbing our stuff and fleeing for our lives.

"Your medicine's there on the counter Granny!" Maomao exclaimed as we ran out the door past Granny.

"Say hello to your old man for me!" Granny shouted at our retreating forms.

"Will do bye!" I shout back in fear, not far behind Maomao as we ran down the busy street away from the brothel.

"Greedy old hag. Always trying to turn us into some lousy courtesans." Maomao said as we continued to run.

"I couldn't even imagine it." I responded back. I shiver just thinking the thought of it.

-A few minutes later-

As we both moved further out from the Pleasure District, Maomao and I were our way to the herb plot to collect herbs for father. The two of us come here often to pick herb we may or may not need. I also come out here when I want to try and remember anything about what happened to me and my parents. It's a welcoming place to come to at night. It's peaceful silence of night helps me to think of the past events, trying to understand. Whenever I walk back to house, I try to retrace how things happened that night as well, but I usually come up with nothing new.

I was pulled out of my remembrance by Maomao's excited squeals at seeing all the herbs in the field. I giggled at her bright expression as I go to join her in picking plants in the area.

As we were sitting on ground near each other, with Maomao giggling like a toddler on their birthday, three shadows stood in front of us. We looked up to see 3 men with some ropes, laughing and smirking down at us.

'Oh no.'

Before we even knew it, we yelled in surprise as we were bound and hauled away in baskets from the herb field and our hometown.

(Time skip)

The two of us stood looking up into the sky, holding a small basket of clothes in our hands, before I heard Maomao's stomach growl in protest.

"What I wouldn't give for some good meat skewers right about now." Maomao groaned as she thought out loud.

I giggled at her whining before turning to her.

"I'll say. Nothing beats the food back home." I said with a sigh, before walking with Maomao to finish our chores.

"Hopefully dad's eating properly without us around." Maomao said. I just hummed in agreement as we both walked off, getting lost in thought.

3 months had passed since we were sold off to be servants in the palace. Surprisingly, the palace and the brothels aren't that different. Though if given a choice, I'd pick the Verdigris House over the rear palace.

As we were walking, I happened to hear Maomao mumbling to herself. She was probably thinking the same thing as me. Since she grew up more around the Verdigris House. As I thought about home again, I took another look around the rear palace.