Kusuriya no Hitorigoto - Vol. 8 Ch. 37 - Balsam and Wood Sorrel (Part 1)

[PotatoZero]

@TienYL
He did nothing wrong, at least in regards to Maomao,
Maomao knew he did nothing wrong, but still can't accept him anyway,

 

[Yoshiko09]

this is really sad , this part wasn't included in the webnovel, now I feel really bad for Rakan. I mean in the wb he just appeared creepy but in this one I guess he's just desperate to take back his mistake and make things right. Sadly, it's too late. Mao mao already hates him.

Technically most of the fault lies on Rakan's father for sending him out on that 3 year expedition. But, Mao mao was so little and it must have been a traumatic experience to watch her mother slowly die on the inside, believing to be abandoned by her father and left to rot, so I get why she would hate him. Her distrust in relationships must stem from this incident. Spoiler --->

Spoiler

I also think this is one of the reasons she refuses Jinshi's affection.

Spoiler

Since Feng Shen wasn't introduced in the webnovel much I thought Rakan forced himself on her but it seems they both did love eachother.
Not sure if this count as a spoiler but...I had wondered why the author chose Mao Mao's mother to be alive in the LN while killing her off in the WB but I guess we'll know soon.

 

[gakuenLME]

Holy crap. That was good shit.

 

[vonisme]

@TienYL I believe he left w/o saying a word or stopped writing letters, Feng got depressed and the story goes on

 

[kallymouse]

Damn, I feel bad for the old man

 

[ifarisu]

Alright, another mystery solved. Thank you for the notes in the end, i wont be able to understand this chapter without that ><
Now i wish there will be explanation about Mao Mao dad/Ranka uncle background. Since i believe her dad banished from palace because of baby prince death(which i dont understand why it effect Ranka and he need to go to expedition). Talking about prince, I also wonder about Jinshi background. Still many mysteries wait to be explained ><

 

[Sorilya]

Damn.

 

[cryum]

@TienYL He didn't do anything bad, but did not step in to help when they needed him the most: during an economic recession. Also his efforts made a very bad impression on Maomao, even though she knows they were with good intentions now that she's older.

Now, strictly speaking, the granny is the one most at fault here. The net worth Feng Sheng earned even without being redeemed should have been sufficient to not get the worst customers, but hard times and possibly reputation for pulling the pregnancy pushed that choice. Following the redemption procedure as a single lump sum was also fatal.

Rakan is more at fault than the dad, if only because of how thoroughly he lacked preparation for getting caught in political games and preparing backups for his family. But yes, the dad is a plain petty asshole.

Uncle is also partially at fault. If he wasn't so bad with money, he would have been able to step in. He didn't even manage to get paid for the thing that got him exiled, which would have let them all barely scrape by.

 

[Miv]

Been a long time since a manga has bummed me out this bad.

 

[JonasNow]

So I was like damn that's tough, then I went to read the notes at the end of the chapter and the pinky stuff hit me like a fucking truck. Thank you for the notes, wouldn't have bothered to look for the meaning on my own.

 

[Randomndude01]

@alacaelum I'm not exactly sure since my memory of the past chapters is hazy, someone please correct me if i'm wrong, but I think the Granny misunderstood the situation between Rakan and the mother, I think the Granny thought that Rakan purposefully got her pregnant to lower her price to whisk her off and due to Rakan's overall personality as shrewd, scheming, and overall lack of capabilty to express genuine camaraderie or affection for others, even to his own daughter, I think it's mostly due to misunderstandings causing his repuation with his daughter and her guardians to just plummet, she witnessed her mother slowly rot physically and mentally her whole childhood, and I think she blamed, or implied, her father.

I can't remember if there was any indication that she had ideas of the actual truth, but even if she did, her childhood was in fact harsh and she probably grew up thinking her father was an asshole who got her mother pregnant as a scheme, that's not something that's easy to forget, the feelings of weariness, suspicion, and blame is practically embedded to her and I can't blame her for it.

 

[Nep]

@cryum I... kind of need to correct you on almost everything.

Now, strictly speaking, the granny is the one most at fault here. The net worth Feng Sheng earned even without being redeemed should have been sufficient to not get the worst customers, but hard times and possibly reputation for pulling the pregnancy pushed that choice. Following the redemption procedure as a single lump sum was also fatal.

The granny was at fault for nothing. In those kinds of places, their virginity is their only value. She not only lost it but also had a child so her value dropped to literal nothing. Nobody wants her even for dirt cheap and all that is left for her to do is idle her life away, cursing the man that abandoned her. The fact that she even have a place to stay at was already a charity on the granny's part (considering how much she loves money).

Rakan is more at fault than the dad, if only because of how thoroughly he lacked preparation for getting caught in political games and preparing backups for his family. But yes, the dad is a plain petty asshole.

Rakan was of little fault. In ancient Chinese societies, the words of their superior is law. In the WN (not sure about LN), his father sent him away on an expedition specifically to keep him away from the prostitute (which is considered to be a person of low status, too low for a noble like Rakan). Sending letters is also pretty much impossible considering the time and place. Rakan only managed to come back after his father dies. You could say he chose poorly by saying "half a year" but thats not really his fault.

Uncle is also partially at fault. If he wasn't so bad with money, he would have been able to step in. He didn't even manage to get paid for the thing that got him exiled, which would have let them all barely scrape by.

This one involves spoilers... Sort of. Its a mystery series, the thing was "sort of covered" but not "revealed".
I wouldn't exactly say the Uncle is "bad" with money. I mean, he managed to get enough to get back on his feet in medicinal business (which is not cheap) and then scrape by. And I don't think he can rake in money since his clientele are quite likely not rich. On the other hand, the rich will NOT go to him, because his name is quite likely tainted with infamy of whatever caused him to get exiled. Family? They kicked him out too.
As for what got him exiled...
Spoiler 1. Minor spoilers

Spoiler

Remember the accident where a child died of poison by honey? They pinned it on him because he noticed something else regarding the incident.

Spoiler 2. Major spoilers

Spoiler

He noticed that the baby got swapped. The real baby that died belonged to the previous King.

Now, it doesn't matter whether you read the spoilers but basically, getting off with just exile was getting off EASY. If the Uncle stood out then, both Rakan and Mao mao can kiss their heads goodbye.

 

[alacaelum]

@Randomndude01 I think you are right, now that i organize things in my head all the talk he had with Jinshi about how to lower the price of a courtesan did had a scumbag undertone and that did give the impression that his action to Feng Shen was malicious in nature, and as much a capitalist granny is she does care for her girls a lot, so i can totally see her getting in the way of Rakan to take MaoMao on account of protecting her.

Thank you, the events are still fresh in my mind but i was having difficulty putting them together, now there might be other factors too like MaoMao herself not wanting to go with him, being an oddball herself, and her love for the man that did rise her and teach her pharmacology she didn't have lack of a father figure.

 

[Doutei-Sama]

Huh...so this is why I didn't come to hate him that much...

 

[Doomer]

"i just want to be with my daughter" yet you didn't do shit for years and didn't even buy Feng Shen once you became the head of the house, at that point her price would be free so you could easily "buy" her and make up for what you did but instead you just wallow in your own misery and then demand love from your "daughter" that you never did anything for or tried to help...

 

[lastKANAshimi]

@Doomer

I'm pretty sure he thinks she is dead, from the scene outside the brothel. I mean he was chased away trying to see her

 

[Alicedeleau]

@Doomer It seems like he thought that Feng Shen died...

 

[starlightcitypro]

Mao Mao's mother was beautiful and amazing. Not at all surprising. What a brutal story though...i actually feel bad for her biological dad now.

 

[Confused]

@Doomer even if she was still alive, wasn't she infected with Syphilis, how can you "make up" for the 3 years of suffering and after doing it with so many men. buy her and then have a chat? maybe say, "now, let's live a happy life"?

 

[andyroid]

The previous chapter hits different after you read this one huhuhu