If I’ve learned anything in following this series for five months, it’s not let its moods deceive me. Light-hearted eps usually end up heavy and dark, and seemingly random developments usually turn out to be plot-critical. Even knowing this intellectually, it’s hard not to slip. I certainly found myself musing on how the recent serious tone had given way to this amusing side story about Lihaku and his (probably hopeless) obsession with Pairin. But there are no coincidences in Kusuriya no Hitorigoto, to the point where it stretches credulity (which is doubly interesting given that the series itself addresses the matter of coincidence).
We start out with an even more side-y story, with Maomao helping (well, forcing) the quack doctor to clean the apothecary. He’s as close to a pure comic relief character as the show has had so far, a seemingly quite benign if hapless figure. We learn far more about him than we ever had before, namely that his family is in the paper business and lost most of their wealth when the previous emperor forbade the cutting of trees (really?). He volunteered to come to the palace (in his older sister’s wake) and become a eunuch so as to spare his younger sister from being sold into service – a rather noble act it must be said, much to Maomao’s surprise.
Chekov rules the roost with The Apothecary Diaries, so this whole paper thing will almost certainly reveal its significance beyond this detour sooner or later. Maomao actually tries to help Q.D. figure out the reason why his family’s business is in trouble himself (thinking of his pride), but in the end she basically has to spell it out for him. Basically an altruistic act for her, which is somewhat of a rarity, though again I do expect it will have some deeper import eventually.
The main thrust of the episode is the rumor (teased last week) that one of Verdigris’ three princesses is about to be bought out. Lihaku is madly in love with Pairin as we know, and (incorrectly) worries that it could be her. He comes to Xiaomao for help, starting with the simple question of just how much it would cost to do that. It’s a lot – at least 10,000 silver, which is roughly ten times Lihaku’s salary. Beyond that is the matter of whether she’d even entertain the idea, and that’s where things get genuinely silly. Nevertheless I don’t doubt Xiaomao’s sincerity in trying to figure out if Big Sis would go for this guy, and then trying to grease the wheels when she decides she might.
Maomao’s total blind spot about anything Jinshi-related is slightly irritating for me at this point, as it really stretches credulity. To depict her as both impossibly smart about everything else and impossibly dumb about him is a bit much for me. She of course has no clue of why he’s upset at walking in on her checking out Lihaku’s near-naked form (and asking him to remove the “near”). If Xiaomao has any genuine interest in matters erotic – as in, ever feels actual attraction to anyone male or female – she’s revealed no hints of it. But she does love Pairin (and apparently remembers being nursed by her as a baby – not the only infant memory she has), and figures the well-placed and earnest (and hunky) Lihaku might be a good match.
Jinshi offering the lad 20K silver for his bid was certainly interesting. He obviously has ulterior motives, which we can certainly speculate on. Lihaku reveals a good bit of integrity and more than a little smarts too in refusing the offer, which is incredibly sus in the first place. The whole buyout turns out to be a complete red herring where Pairin and Lihaku are concerned, which is the most Kusuriya thing ever. But the truth of it is (typically) more important to the plot, since Lakan is the one apparently making the offer (for Maomao’s dying mother?). We’ve finally teased out the confirmation that Lakan is Maomao’s father, but broadly speaking the mystery around him has probably dragged on too long – it’s time to take things to the next level with that character.
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