Meimei

Meimei (梅梅 (メイメイ) , Meimei^?) is a secondary character in The Apothecary Diaries. She is the second-oldest of the Three Princesses of the Verdigris House and one of Maomao's adoptive sisters.

Appearance

Meimei is a beautiful young woman standing at average height and possesses a well-endowed figure. She has fair skin, dark purple colored hair that falls to mid-back length and is otherwise styled into a side ponytail, leaving a section of her hair to frame one side of her face, whereas the rest of her fringe frame the left side of her face, soft sea-green eyes, and a beauty mark beneath her right eye.

For her outfit, she wears a seafoam green, long sleeved top along with a long royal blue skirt and is usually seen with a coral-colored shawl. For accessories, she wears a gold necklace, pink colored flower earrings, and a magenta-colored flower pin on the left side of her head.

Personality

Meimei is an emotional person who is especially attached to the courtesans of the Verdigris House. Although she is normally kind and gentle, she can short-tempered at times, according to Maomao. Like the other princesses, she became more miserly with age, resembling the Madam.

Abilities

Strategy: Meimei is good at the strategy board games Go and Shogi, which she often plays with her customers. She was taught by Fengxian and Lakan.

Poetry: Meimei's ability to write poetry is another skill she shows to her customers.

Dance: Meimei taught Maomao how to dance as part of her education as a courtesan.^[2]

Background

Meimei was the apprentice to Fengxian, who taught her strategy games. After Fengxian became bedridden and Lakan arrived back to the Royal Capital, she began entertaining Lakan regularly for games and conversations.^[3] When Maomao was born, Meimei helped raise her in behalf of her mentors before Luomen took her in.

Once Lakan was taken to the Verdigris House to choose a courtesan to redeem, Meimei was among those present. Though Lakan moved to choose Meimei, she opened a window to reveal an annex, which housed Fengxian. While Meimei was sad that she had gotten her hopes up to be bought out, she was happy that Fengxian was reunited with her lover.^[3]

There were talks of a customer redeeming Meimei. However, she was displeased by the idea, partially because the man had children and a wife, but mostly because she disliked the idea of no longer seeing the people at Verdigris House. When discussing this topic, Maomao wondered if Meimei still harbored romantic feelings for Lakan, and if she knew that Fengxian had died.^[4]

Meimei was eventually bought out of Verdigris House; not by a client, but by the Emperor's Go Sage. Concerned about Lakan's journey to the Western Province, the Go Sage had asked Lakan if he knew of any other capable players, and Lakan recommended Meimei. After several months of matches, the Go Sage made an offer to buy Meimei's contract and take her on as a student.^[5]

Trivia

• Meimei's name consists of the character "梅", which translates to "Plum".

References