Volume 6, Chapter 3: First Day of Work (1/2)

After Maomao told him that she had found a new doctor, Sazen displayed a look of intense relief.

“This is so much better. I thought I would be looking after the store alone again.”

Since he gave her such an impression, Maomao was going to give him a sharp retort: “I can do this on my own!”, but well, let’s just leave it.

The few days after the exam were peaceful. It was the most gracious thing—the half-month where she did nothing aside from studying for the exams had nothing aside from suffering.

Maomao was satisfied tending the fields and compounding medicine after a long time.

A couple of days later, while she thought that it should be about time for her to get a notice of her results, the letter she received was exactly what she had been expecting.

“I wonder if anyone failed this,” the madam said, having asked Maomao what kind of questions appeared in the exam.

Though it was difficult to get full marks, the passing mark was apparently around sixty percent. Even Maomao, who had crammed, got over eighty percent, so the girls who normally study as much as possible to become court ladies probably wouldn’t fail. There were a few questions on doctor’s knowledge and technical stuff; they were all things you would understand if you give it some thought.

“That’s said by people who know. Granny. Maomao.”

It was Pairin, who showed her face, looking really slovenly. Perhaps having gotten a customer yesterday, her skin was very glossy. The customer must have been sucked up like dried goods when he returned. The beauty, not yet in decline despite being long past her thirties, was also rumoured to be a master in bedroom arts. She was the oldest among the courtesans of Rokushoukan.

“Just the simple act of thinking about it hurts my head. I try to learn it, but it doesn’t even get into my head from the start.”

People have their strength and weaknesses. It’s normal that you can somehow get it if you put in some effort, but there are things that can’t be settled with the word effort alone.

Pairin-neechan can’t write characters properly. When she tries, it would end up reflected like a mirror image. The madam had tried to fix it many times, but her habit couldn’t be fixed, so every time someone had to be around to correct it for her.

Instead, she was a dancer that no one can hold a candle to, even in the pleasure district.

“It’s fine that you passed this, but what are you going to do about it? Any recommended outfits?” the madam asked.

“Wouldn’t they prepare that part for me?” Maomao had no intentions of relying on others. Even before the day of the exam, she only got Gaoshun’s messenger to deliver her stationery and a set of clothes to wear. Apparently, he had also wanted to drop her off, but that was somewhat of a bother, so she ignored that. Thanks to that, she ended up eating lunch with Kokuyou in women’s clothes, though.

The pass notice wrote that they would be conducting an interview. It will be held the day after tomorrow in one area within the imperial court. Along with the letter, there was a wooden tag branded with a flower mark. That would have to be the proof of passage.

Maomao gave a hmmm, setting the pass notice on the medicine shelf, and started to crush medicinal herbs in the mortar.

The day after tomorrow, Maomao arrived at the designated place. She was standing before a building that employed a lot of civil officials. It was also close to the medical office.

Would the number of successful applicants who gathered for the interview be around eighty percent of the examinees? When she heard that the passing rate was eighty percent, Maomao was relieved that she hadn’t failed. At the same time, she belatedly understood Jinshi’s and Gaoshun’s surprise when she failed her previous exam.

Most of them were around fifteen to sixteen years of age. There were several who were over twenty, but Maomao felt that their eyes were blazing strangely. The reason for that needn’t much thought to be understood. Court ladies were here to seek their future husbands. They would get more impatient the older they were.

(I think that it’s ideal to become a mother when you’re over twenty, though.)

It isn’t really strange to marry and have a child at fourteen-fifteen, but their bodies aren’t fully grown yet. For some people, there is also the case where they haven’t gotten their menarche yet. Considering how the monthly cycle stabilises a couple of years after their first period, which is when their bodies are completely grown, it isn’t good to marry when you’re too young.

(It’s difficult to give birth unless your pelvis is fully grown.)

Maomao felt her own hips. She had no desire to grow anymore, but if she were to give birth, she had to gain some weight. There are also cases where childbirth goes hand in hand with death.