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Lu Man nodded and ascended the steps into the hall. The hall was spacious, it used to be the reception area for patients and the place where medicines were sold. On either side, there were about a dozen small rooms, likely consultation rooms. The rooms were empty, stripped of everything.
Manager Li explained, “After Mrs. Xiao Chen took over Renhe Hall, she disposed of our belongings, selling what she could. The hall was turned into a fabric store, and these small rooms were rented out as storage. I got rid of all those things…”
Lu Man replied, “Alright, we’ll purchase new ones.”
They then proceeded to the backyard, which had two courtyards. The second courtyard was larger, featuring a pink wall with a moon gate in the center, flanked by four rooms on each side. In the yard stood a camphor tree, some clumps of bamboo, a stone table, and several stone stools.
Passing through the moon gate led to the first courtyard, with a central door flanked by five rooms on either side. To the east were stables and latrines, while to the west were three rooms with two willow trees and a well.
Manager Li introduced that the storage rooms, pharmacy, kitchen, and guest rooms were in the first courtyard, while the second courtyard was where Physician He, late Manager Li, physicians, and pharmacists used to rest. Regretfully, he mentioned, “…all the medical equipment and supplies were gone. Such a pity.”
Lu Man reassured him, “Manager Li, don’t worry. With money, we can buy all these things again.”
Even the items in the rooms in the backyard were discarded by Manager Li, except for one large mahogany bookcase in the western room of the second courtyard. He explained, “This bookcase was crafted by a carpenter at the Master’s request many years ago when I was just a child. Despite being used by Mrs. Xiao Chen, I couldn’t bear to throw it away.”
The bookcase was sizable, occupying half a wall. Its brown paint had discolored and chipped due to its age. Lu Man noticed peculiar carvings on the six doors – not the typical floral or animal motifs but a circle with a four-pointed star inside, a smaller circle in the center, and a smaller four-pointed star within that. The large star was raised, while the small one was indented.
Seeing this design, Lu Man felt a sense of familiarity. Upon closer inspection, she realized that the copper pendant she wore around her neck featured the same pattern. It seemed that the pendant was a gift from He Huang to He Mingzhu, who then passed it on to Lu Man before leaving. Running her fingers over the circles, she opened the heavy doors, finding nothing out of the ordinary inside – just a typical bookcase.
She inquired, “Did my grandfather originally reside in this room?”
Manager Li nodded, “Yes, this room was the Master’s bedroom and study.” Thinking of He Huang, Manager Li’s eyes welled up again as he continued, “The Master was very kind to us, always speaking gently. When he wasn’t at the palace, he would come here. He would always carry candies in his pouch. He would make us recite medical texts, and if we did well, he’d give us candy. Occasionally, he would bring his daughter along, she had a beautiful smile…”
As Manager Li described the benevolent and gentle elderly man, an image of a slender, kind, and scholarly figure appeared in Lu Man’s mind. It was regrettable that she never had the opportunity to interact with such a wonderful elder due to her troubled fate.
Lu Man suddenly remarks”The good die young, while the troublemakers endure for centuries.”
Lu Man sighed lightly and said, “Tidy up this room for me. Leave the cabinet as it is, get a table, a few chairs, and preferably a bed.”
Manager Li inquired, “The cabinet is quite old. Should we repaint it?”
Lu Man shook her head, “No, leave it as it is. Also, lock this room and restrict access to outsiders.”
She then instructed Mama Wang to give five hundred silver taels to Manager Li, asking him to hire two people to manage the yard and handle cleanliness. He was to renovate the shop to resemble its original state, furnish it, and then recruit staff. She officially appointed him as the Manager of Renhe Hall, with a monthly salary of two taels of silver. If the business prospered, she promised a raise.
The small annex that Mrs. Xiao Chen had built was to remain, to be renovated. A door was to be created through the wall connecting it to three rooms of Renhe Hall, which would now serve as an independent gynecology section. Patients visiting for gynecological issues would enter through there.
Lu Man suggested, “Let’s temporarily name this shop… Tongren Hall. Manager Li, have a sign made for it.”
Choosing this name was not to replicate the name of the previous Renhe Hall but to signify a sense of mutual respect and harmony.
Manager Li understood that it was best not to call it “Renhe Hall” anymore to avoid trouble. He nodded in agreement and presented a ledger, explaining, “The previous Little Renhe Hall only sold medicines. Although it didn’t make much profit, with no rent to pay and my connections for supplies, after deducting costs, there’s a surplus. Over the years, a total of 128 taels of silver were earned. After deducting my monthly expenses and the five taels for Little Wang Dou, there’s still 81 taels of silver left. Mrs. Xiao Chen asked several times in previous years, but I told her it wasn’t profitable, just enough for my rent and daily needs, and I didn’t give her any. Originally, I was saving it for Third Young Madam as a dowry, but she got married in haste, and I couldn’t give it to her.”
It was baffling how a grown man managed to live on only 42 taels of silver over more than a decade without a woman to assist with daily living.
Lu Man declined the ledger, stating, “You’ve been through a lot over the years. Keep that silver as a token of my gratitude.” She then had Mama Wang hand him an additional 200 taels of silver.
These funds were a gesture Lu Man had planned to give the manager. Considering the modest shop’s limited profits, it was a practical sum to support Manager Li’s daily life. Even if he received one tael of silver monthly, over thirteen years, it would amount to 156 taels. Adding her thanks for his steadfast loyalty over the years, she decided on a round figure of 200 taels.
Despite Manager Li’s attempts to decline, he was persuaded by Mama Wang. She handed him a parcel containing four sets of silk robes and two jade hairpins from Lu Man, along with two sets of robes, a pair of cotton shoes, and two jars of spicy sauce made by Lu Man.
Touched, Manager Li expressed his gratitude profusely. He accepted the 200 taels and the parcel but insisted on giving the 81 taels of silver back to Mama Wang, emphasizing the distinction between personal relationships and business transactions.
Truly a gentleman. Considering he was a disciple of He Huang, known for his integrity and filial piety, He Huang must have been a person of high moral character.
After the tour, as they stood under the camphor tree in the second courtyard, Lu Man’s emotions were complex. She was delighted to finally have a territory entirely her own to open a clinic she loved. Yet, she felt sorrow for He Huang and He Mingzhu, even though she never met them, she held deep respect and closeness for them. Hoping that He Mingzhu was still alive and could eventually return with those looking for her.