A hairpin shows favour towards a maid but also coming from a man it can also be an invitation to meet privately because they are interested in marriage, hence everybody is jealous of her lol.
The mushrooms are a delicacy around that time period i think, so finding them is rare certain seasons. Maomao didn't want anyone to know where she got them by revealing her picking spot. That also makes the mushrooms a high ingredient for only nobles to eat, so by making the Quack doctor eat it with her, he then became accomplice to eating them so she can enjoy them as well. Which is why Jinshi wanted some of it to, and Maomao being busted.
I think these mushrooms were a (and still are) a Japanese rare delicacy however most are imported from China where they are not as popular. Highlights in subtle way the anime was created by and for Japanese audience. Check out LibeliumFirefly for a lot more details on how this anime departs from historical Imperial China. I think of this anime as an Isakai that rather than taking place in mythical Medieval Europe uses Imperial China with lots of artistic license. This is fine, but it’s also really interesting to learn about how it is different in many ways.
Mushrooms are mushrooms, why would they be a delicacy? Or rarer then? Historically they have always been a food for the poor because they could just be picked up in the wild and a very good source of protein. Maybe this particular type of mushroom is more special... but I don't see why. She's just being a little greedy and doesn't want to share.
@@Bayard1503 You couldn't be more wrong. Mushrooms are very diverse, and some are extremely hard to forage. There's a reason why truffles and matsutake mushrooms are expensive.
“…. The candy cane plant or sugarstick, Allotropa virgata, parasitizes these mushrooms by deriving nourishment from the fungal mycelia via its root system.[11] These plants can be used to signal hunters of the mushrooms, both human and animal, to the location of the plant’s underground mycelia. Additionally, insects are also known to target these mushrooms as food and a place to lay their eggs, limiting the amount of the mushrooms that can be harvested by human gatherers. Matsutake are hard to find because of their specific growth requirements, the rarity of appropriate forest and terrain, and competition from wild animals such as squirrels, rabbits, and deer for the once-yearly harvest of mushrooms. Domestic production of matsutake in Japan has also been sharply reduced over the latter half of the 20th century due to the pine-killing nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. Uses The annual harvest of matsutake in Japan is now less than 1,000 tons, with the Japanese mushroom supply largely made up by imports from China, Korea, the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and northern Europe.[12] This results in prices in the Japanese market highly dependent on quality, availability, and origin that can range from as high as $1,000 per kilogram ($450 per pound) for domestically harvested matsutake at the beginning of the season to as low as $4.41/kg ($2/lb), though the average value for imported matsutake is about $90/kg ($41/lb).[13] In the 1940s, the abundance of the mushrooms in Japan made them accessible to the general public after long being considered a luxury good, but after the decline of these mushrooms in the region, international trade for them created a fluctuating market that sometimes became very lucrative for the regions of the world that these mushrooms grow in, such as the Yunnan province of Southwest China. Very few countries other than Korea had a preexisting economy for matsutake, and Japanese speculators scoped out regions to market the fungi. Certain regions garner a higher price as well, with regions such as North America seeing a higher price by weight than regions such as those in Southwest China.[citation needed] The price gathered for matsutake in Japan can vary based on the state of the mushroom. Frozen or dried matsutake are less sought after than fresh ones in luxury markets, meaning that the international trade must be done at a quick pace to keep the mushrooms from decaying.[14]…” wikipedia@@Bayard1503
A good discussion of Chinese and Japanese interest in Mushrooms is available from LibeliumDragonfly which also discusses all the released episodes fidelity to Chinese Imperial culture. This is a story primarily for Japanese audience as well as a fiction sort of like lots of Isakai based on Medieval Europe this is an Isakai based on a mythical China. @@Bayard1503
I mean, considering the drama between Maomao and Jinshi is her greatest source of entertainment ever, she can only scold Maomao so much when something like Jinshi giving her a hairpin happens.
As head of Rear Palace he “Should” have ensured the kidnappers really were family and that Empire should have been policing the Pleasure District better (although this latter “should” be outside his responsibility). Maomao understand the limits of power and does not hold him responsible.
My, what a thumbnail you gave for this video! So beautiful. 11:22-11:44 This is, perhaps one of my favourite moments from Kusuriya no Hitorigoto so far, perhaps one of the favourites among all the anime I have watched. Especially when Jinshi gives his hairpin to Maomao, the subtle piano piece gives it so much depth, considering that giving a hairpin to a woman was regarded as a sign of love in Ancient China.
tbf I think (at least by the light novels) it starts to be a bit more clear in vol. 4 & 5 that it's not entirely one-sided, but Maomao is queen of emotional repression and also doesn't want to be too involved in the political mess
@@mel4957 She gets fonder of him but it still feels like it'll be years before we get any kind of display of that. Which kinda gives me the feeling that this will be a very long series. What with it already being 10 volumes. I also kinda expect Maomao to have a kid at some point, what with how much she's talked about wanting to give birth. So with how cold she still is and the end goal being being married to Jinshi and having kids it really seems like we have a long way to go.
@@Irimu_ In order for Maomao to properly fall for Jinshi; I believe what needs to happen (and I know how messed up this sounds but bear with me) is for something really traumatic to happen to her... something that completely shatters the walls surrounding Maomao's heart... because at this present moment; her repressed emotions make her too hard to truly connect with on a deeper level... Major Spoilers below! Imagine someone makes an attempt on Luomen's life back at the capital; upon finding out, she drops everything she's doing and rushes to his side to try and heal him but is unable to save his life... leaving Maomao completely broken, in that instance; even the girls in the Verdigris House might not be able to reach Maomao, given that their initial refusal to listen to Luomen's warnings before her birth is what caused Maomao's biological mother to be ravaged by Syphillis in the first place... which is something she wouldn't normally hold against them but in all honesty; we have never seen Maomao in such a state before and forget letting Lakan near her in this state; that's a recipe for disaster lol... what would happen is that Jinshi will attempt to comfort her, be somewhat amused that she's looking at him "as if she means to kill" and then he'd comment on how brilliant her father was and how awful it was that he was unjustly exiled all those years ago, with Jinshi pointing out that had Luomen not been exiled; she might have been able to live a much more privileged life with her actual parents instead of being forced to live in the slums of the pleasure district, which would illicit a hostile reaction from Maomao, who'd ask why he's insulting her home and her sisters... to which Jinshi would respond by saying "You misunderstand Maomao, the issue isn't that the pleasure district is bad... what I'm saying is that you deserve far better!" He would then state that while she ended up fine in the end; the trauma she endured growing up stunted her mental growth and prevented her from expressing her true feelings, as is evident now, with Luomen's (hypothetical) death... Maomao would then ask if he ever found her expressionless face unnerving, to which Jinshi would state that "it was a nice change of pace, as most girls capitulate from little more than a quick smile from me" but he'd also state that when he looks upon her current state, almost feels relieved; admitting that he hasn't seen her cry even a single tear up until now... Jinshi would then asked if she'd be okay if he held her for a while, in order to comfort her... Maomao would initially scoff at the idea at first, before noticing that Jinshi has stated to cry as well, realising that he's genuinely worried about her wellbeing; she states that she'll allow it "just this one time"... while they're embracing; he'd then acknowledges how much of a burden he has been for her; pointing out not only how inconvenient his eventual engagement to her would be but also that his initial observation of her ability to read/write is what got her roped into all of these situations to begin with... Maomao would insist that it was for the best and that many people were saved because she was recruited but Jinshi would shoot back that it didn't have to be her, and the fact that she alone was able to solve all of the problems that plagued the rear palace at the time is proof that they were not doing our jobs properly, he'd then apologises for their incompetence and insists that if she needs help healing from Luomen's (hypothetical) death; that she is free to lean on him After they end their embrace; Jinshi would then promise to give Luomen a send off deserving of such a fine man... he would then swear on his true name; Ka Zuigetsu, that his name will be carved into the annals of time, so that his efforts will never be forgotten! Maomao, overcome with emotion; would rush over to embrace Jinshi, thanking him for being here for her and then as he walks out of the room to deal with other stuff; she'd whisper "Suddenly, being engaged to him doesn't sound so bad now" Again; ALL of that was hypothetical and may well be totally unrealistic... but it's one of the possible routes they may take
@@deinonychus1948 I know nothing about spoilers regarding the series but I’m just gonna say, trauma doesn’t break down walls. It builds them. She represses her emotions, and extra trauma will make it even harder. To break down walls there needs to be safety, not more danger in the form of trauma. I’m not sure why this needs to be said, it’s like expecting someone to be happy after someone they loved died. If she could learn more about him, relate to him and then slowly open up, that would work. If someone was to hurt her and Jinshi saves her, it wouldn’t help her open up. Maybe she’d become more emotionally attached and dependent on him, but that also isn’t a fully healthy way of handling it as her mental health would get worse.
@@ma.2089 true, but I'm more meaning that considering Maomao's current psyche (event in the latest volume) she isn't too open to showing her repressed emotions... Spoilers Below! and Jinshi can try all he wants to make her love him (he has by now made his feelings known to her already) but I honestly cannot imagine her truly opening up to him in a meaningful way, not how things are right now and considering that we haven't heard from Luomen for a few volumes (due to a difference in location) I worry that we'll get back and they'll go "Uh, Luomen suffered a major stroke a few weeks ago and..." only for Maomao to run to him as fast as she can... I shudder to think of what might happen
Remember that the government just forbid slavery just 5 years ago, right after the current Emperor ascend to his position. Their society still need time to adapt, especially people who make living by slave trading and such. But things will improve alot as the story going, thanks to Jinshi's tirelessly efford.
Matsutake mushrooms only grow on the roots of certain pine trees (that are also popular in gardens. They have a strong pleasing smell and taste, but are only available for a short time during the year. While they aren't as expensive as truffles, a single mushroom can go for as much as $200 US on the Japanese market. So, it is no surprise to a Japanese fan that Maomao would want to keep them secret.
For the mushroom, idk why she tries to keep it a secret. But I think it's because it's because she doesn't want other people to pick the mushroom in the castle, so she has a stock for herself.
5:03 The mushrooms are a pain to find and extremely delicious fresh, so it's a mix of not wanting to share; but also not wanting to be punished for NOT sharing I think.
People don't understand, mushrooms are the greatest food in the world. What else can just be grilled up easily, salted then consumed. There are so many different kinds of mushrooms to. So good
actually she wants to hide the fact that she forages mushrooms...if other people see her eat it in the open area they might imitate her and also try foraging...that's the issue many kinds of mushrooms are poisonous...inexperienced person can mistake edible ones to poisonous ones and got them selves poisoned
I’d forgotten the fallen leaves in this episode. The timeline’s honestly starting to confuse me, with the timespans given, the seasonal cues, and things like Lingli’s growth in later episodes. How long has it been since Maomao came back from the Crystal Pavilion? If the garden party is twice a year and this is her first, was the last one held while she was still doing laundry? EDIT: Rechecking the source… yeah, this is the winter party, and all four top consorts are attending because Gyokuyou and Lihua couldn’t be at the early-spring one due to having given birth recently. (I think Gyokuyou gave birth like three months before, but all right.) So that would’ve been in Maomao’s first couple months at the palace. Still a little unclear on the timing of a lot of things.
Maomao has been at the Rear Garden about 7-8 months at this point. In the first episode we join her in the Garden 3 months in, and she tells us later in the episode that the prince died a month after she gave the information to Gyokuyou. She spent 2 months at the Crystal Pavilion and if you consider prep time for the Garden Party with making the pockets and such probably a couple weeks there. So it's just a question of how long she was at the Jade Pavilion before going to the Crystal.
The aphrosidiac is implied to be related to MaoMao if I recall correctly. Since it was given to the Officer that doesn't like women, it was implied that Jinshi was setting him up because he tried to do the same to him.
Unlike you, I didn't know about Maomao's swallows until they showed it to us) And it sold me the series. I've never had to look worse than I am to keep something bad from happening to me, although I keep that thought in the back of my mind when it comes to choosing clothes. However, I had a similar innocent situation) I always go with either a ponytail or a bun, because I can't stand loose hair. The wind blows it in all directions, it climbs on my face, and my neck is incredibly hot. But one day my mother persuaded me to go to school with loose hair and a middle parting. Later, a classmate with whom I spoke admitted that he thought that a new, beautiful girl had come to school. I know that I don't like loose hair, but wearing it like that is hell for me))) That's how I found myself associating myself with Maomao. It was a cool move by the creators
the reason why maomao eat in the clinic and got the quack involve is because the mushrooms will get him in trouble...if someone sees her eating mushroom they might try to forage for them selves...thats where the problem starts inexperienced person might mistook a poisonous mushroom with with edible one
Maomao is selectively being dense for certain things though, because she doesn't want to dwell on things that don't interest her enough and/or wants to avoid the burden that comes with being knowledgeable about certain things. She is also emotionally dense given her issues with mom.
@@Kaslana_Yumma_423 I'd like to see her watch Konosuba or Slime (I don't remember if she's watched Slime previously) if she's gonna pick up an Isekai. Both have new seasons coming soon
