Summary
- In The Apothecary Diaries, Maomao's methods of solving mysteries reveal her strong empathy and willingness to break rules, giving her more depth than the common detective archetype.
- The Imperial Chinese setting allows Maomao to alter her findings and hide facts, giving her more agency in her detective work and adding to her characterization.
- Maomao chooses to dispense her own justice, even if it means hiding the facts from the authorities, out of sympathy for disenfranchised women in her era.