The heartbreaking love story between Lakan and Maomao's mother has finally been revealed, and with Lakan receiving a bag of fingers by the end of the episode, many are wondering if Maomao lost her finger in The Apothecary Diaries.
Spoiler Warning: This article contains spoilers from The Apothecary Diaries episode 23, so proceed with caution.
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Has Maomao Lost Her Finger in the Apothecary Diaries Episode 23?
Maomao did not lose any of her fingers, but she did lose a small portion of her left pinky finger, which explains why she was seen consciously looking at it while thinking about love and how it should make a woman beautiful in previous episodes of The Apothecary Diaries.
Her deformed left pinky finger is difficult to notice, especially for anime viewers who are unaware of her story. It also doesn't help that the animation made it appear that nothing was wrong with Maomao's pinky finger, as her fingers look normal most of the time.
Still, prior episodes of The Apothecary Diaries, particularly the first and third, hinted that something was wrong with Maomao's finger, but viewers just didn't think much of it.
How Did Maomao Lose a Part of Her Finger?
Maomao lost a portion of her pinky finger as a result of finger slicing, also known as finger shortening and finger cutting in certain translations, when she was just a defenseless little child, as implied in The Apothecary Diaries episode 23.
This painful act was common as a curse, suggesting that Maomao's mother, Fengxian, cursed Lakan for failing to keep his promise to her. After all, Lakan was expected to visit Fengxian six months after studying overseas, but he only returned home three years later.
Fengxian's finger was also severed and sent to Lakan, along with the many letters she penned before losing her status as a courtesan in the Verdigris House.
When a courtesan dishonors her brothel by becoming pregnant, her trust and value fall apart, and like a nighthawk, she welcomes customers of all kinds until she becomes ill, as Fengxian experienced.
If Lakan had not been so shortsighted, he would have been able to protect Fengxian and Maomao not only from the vultures but also from his ruthless father.
What are your thoughts on the act of finger-cutting? Do you feel bad about Maomao and Fengxian? Let us know in the comments below!
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