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Gui's hands shaked as he added three droplets of cryo slime's condensate in the concoction; it was the first time he prepared a medication alone without Baizhu’s gentle but firm helping hands; the only medicine he was capable to make by himself was the remedy his Master used and that he quickly learnt to prepare for when the man couldn't do it himself and it didn't count since it was only for him and not for the clients; but anyways, it was Baizhu who thought he was ready for it, so, yes, he could do it.
“They have to be three exact drops: not two, not four, three. Or you'll mess up all the work we've done” his master always instructed him.
“See? It wasn't that hard! You just had to listen to me for once”
Gui sighted of relief when the blend didn't seem frozen like the last times he tried to do it, his Master Baizhu always tried to scold him for not being careful enough, telling him how much ingredients went to waste and how dangerous it would've been for their patients to assume a medicine with the wrong dosage; but the young herbalist always ended up laughing, he didn't mean to, but he always found so funny how his master couldn't act stern even if he tried to: his tone resulting more like a mockery of the way Changsheng used to chide him when he overworked himself than an actual scolding; but however, this time it won't be needed.
“Okay, now, the next thing's easy: put the violetgrass powder- Ah, if you can't find any ask Qiqi! She always keeps some stems for herself, if she doesn't want to give them to you, tell her doctor Baizhu allowed you… Such an amusing little girl!”
Gui huffed a laugh as he put a handful of the powder into the concoction, it was true, the little girl had the tendency to save some stems of violetgrass in her bedroom every time she went to collect them; maybe it was related to a habit of her past life, the one before Bubu Pharmacy, but they could never tell for sure, it's not like she remembered well enough to tell them; he only remembers that he found it out when his Master was having a particularly bad flare up and there wasn't any violetgrass in the pharmacy to concoct his medicine with; upon seeing the herbalist turning the pharmacy upside down in search of the infamous flower the little girl ran to her room and then to the doctor's one, covering the bed with violet grasses, some fresher, some already dry, before running away from the room with a plain 'Get well soon Doctor Bai’; but what he remembers the most is the smile that blossomed on his Master's lips as he grabbed his arm and said with a mirthful laugh: “What would I do without you three here?”.Gui never admitted he asks himself the same question.
“You're almost done: you need a spoonful of cryo Whopperflower’s nectar, remember that it needs to be still cold”
The young man nodded to himself as he poured the content of the little bottle onto the spoon, the liquid was still frigid thanks to a little cryo infused container Baizhu projected years ago now to avoid having to get Qiqi to cool it down everytime; Baizhu had always been like that, the young herbalist thinks, you couldn't tell him that something couldn't be done and that he needed to give up, it wasn't in his book.
“I’m sure you did great! Lastly you have to put one mint leaf to help with the flavor and finally you're done!”
Gui sighted as he finally finished, but some tears stained the large medical book; he read again the last note his Master Baizhu left in the yellowed page before his early passing:
“And remember, even if I can't be there by your side anymore, I will always be proud of you and of how far you've come; there's still a lot you need to learn but even if sadly I can't have the privilege to teach you anymore I'm sure you'll work everything out. Thank you for being my apprentice, my friend and most important part of my family.”