Kusuriya no Hitogoto Season 3 Ep.06 - Maomao, the cat, is back! That's nice!

Episode 6 of Kusuriya no Hitogoto Season 3 moves the setting to the remote village where Guen originated, with Maomao and Jinshi traveling there as "guests" to gather information regarding the famine and the locust plague spreading across the country.

Before setting off, however, Maomao needs to leave the pharmacy in the hands of someone capable of administering at least basic medical treatment to patients. That is why she decides to recruit an assistant to work alongside her. Could this be the beginning of a genuine apprentice for Maomao? He is older than her, but age hardly matters when it comes to medical expertise. Having him there will free Maomao up, allowing her to move around more easily and perhaps stir up even more chaos.

Why is it that Zulin is so much more adorable than Kyou-u? Like it's not even comparable.

Two cats watching each other, it's the beginning of something special. Double Maomao, double the fun.

Oh, and it seems like Zulin is becoming more of a series regular. She has been appearing as a companion to Kyou-u with increasing frequency, and while I still don't particularly care for Kyou-u, Zulin is downright adorable. I wish she could escape that harsh environment and live as a normal girl, but oh well...

Once they arrive at the village, however, matters immediately prove complicated, opening up another mystery for Maomao to unravel. The local landlord has backed the farmers into a corner by suddenly demanding a steep payment out of nowhere, without offering any convincing justification.

That is only the first problem. While most of Guen's relatives are welcoming, there is one who seems angry at the world, and at the end of the episode we see him having a secret rendezvous with a young woman. Is she related to the landlord? If so, that would align with the classic "tragic lovers" trope.

The next episode is titled "The Bet," and the preview shows Jinshi bedridden (likely sick with something) while Maomao actively provokes the landlord into taking a swing at her. Of course, someone intervenes before the blow connects, but the preview hides their face.

Wait, is it going to be about some romance reason again? Who is the woman and why the two seem to act like Romeo and Juliet?

See even Maomao is annoyed by the implications that the scene posed to the following episodes. Solve it Maomao!

Judging by the clothing, it appears to be Jinshi, but wouldn't it be an absolute catastrophe if the landlord actually struck the imperial prince? Naturally, the villagers have no idea who Jinshi truly is, but ignorance won't protect them from imperial law. I still vividly remember the "purge the entire city" threat from Honsuki no Gekokujou, so...