Chapter 52: Renhe Hall

Crossing the covered bridge and passing through a vast estate, followed by another street… after nearly half an hour, Lu Man arrived at Changming Street, where the Drunken Spring Pavilion was located.

Feeling a bit excited, even though she only caught a glimpse of the tip of the iceberg in the capital, Lu Man could sense the economic prosperity of this era. The scenery along the way resembled a painting from the “Clear Brightness River” era. It was truly fortunate to have crossed over into such a peaceful and prosperous era. Considering how some story of time travelers end up in war-torn frontiers or chaotic times, facing a life of turmoil and danger, it seemed terrifying.

Moreover, the customs of this era were relatively open-minded, with women engaged in business and strolling the streets without veils.

Thinking about it, would opening a clinic be feasible here? With this goal in mind, Lu Man smiled even more brightly.

The carriage stopped in front of a three-story building, where Xiao Huan and Li Ma alighted first before assisting Lu Man down.

Seeing a dozen guards dismounting and standing nearby, shooing away onlookers while saying, “Stay back, don’t disturb the noble lady.”

She was now considered a “noble lady”!

With Li Ma’s support, Lu Man entered the tavern, where a man in his forties greeted her respectfully. He was the manager of the establishment.

Seated at a table, Lu Man was attended to by the manager, who stood by attentively awaiting her orders. She requested five jars of Xiaochunyang wine and a pot of steamed fish lips. She had inquired from Xiao Huan, who mentioned that Princess Changting particularly enjoyed this dish at the tavern.

Afterward, she perused the menu, overwhelmed by the hundreds of dish names, many of which she had never heard of before. The names sounded pleasant, but she was clueless about most of the dishes. Thankfully, she didn’t cross over to become a farmer or merchant, otherwise, she wouldn’t even be capable of selling the menu.

She also ordered a few dishes like Osmanthus Chicken, a sweet and tender favorite of Princess Changting. Additionally, she requested sixteen Lucky Pigeons, two for each of the children, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth Master, and Jiang Jiu. She instructed the server to pack them separately, two pigeons per package, wrapped in oil paper. She also bought a pack of honeyed walnuts for Jiang Deyu and his siblings.

These dishes were all signature specialties of the tavern.

Lu Man decided to buy for all the children to avoid any conflicts, primarily aiming to get some for Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu. When the dishes were ready and packed, Xiao Huan settled the bill. The guards carried the items, while Li Ma assisted Lu Man as they walked towards the tavern’s main entrance.

As they approached the stairs on the left side of the gate, a person suddenly tumbled down from the staircase.

The unexpected incident shocked Lu Man and the others, freezing them in place. The person landed near Li Ma’s feet, bleeding from a head wound and reaching out to grab her skirt, attempting to stand up, causing Li Ma to scream in fear.

Several guards rushed over to drive the person away, scolding, “You fool, how dare you startle our Third Young Madam, get lost, get lost…”

Observing the man, around thirty years old, looking refined in a gray robe, his forehead and nose bleeding, Lu Man felt concern. She quickly stopped the guards and advised the man, “Sir, hurry to the clinic to get your head bandaged, don’t delay.”

As the man was male, she couldn’t directly assist him.

The man looked at Lu Man, his eyes shimmering with tears, murmuring, “He family, Renhe Hall, Renhe Hall, Renhe Hall.”

Although his voice was faint, Lu Man heard him and assumed he meant to go to the He family’s Renhe Hall clinic. Planning to ask the tavern’s staff to help take him there, she was interrupted by a middle-aged man rushing down the stairs.

Apologizing profusely, he bowed to Lu Man and the others, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m to blame for disturbing you. He’s a friend of mine, I’ll take him away.” He quickly helped the man up and hurriedly dragged him away, muttering, “Oh my, Manager Li, watch where you’re going. Luckily, this noble lady is kind-hearted and let you off. If you met someone less forgiving, your fate would have been sealed…”

The man was assisted and taken away, glancing back at Lu Man before leaving.

Only once she was on the carriage did Lu Man suddenly recall the name “Renhe Hall”, which triggered a faint memory. Upon further reflection, she vaguely remembered Mama Wang mentioning it a few times in the past, but back then, the original Lu Man was too young to pay attention to what Mama Wang said about Renhe Hall.

Considering the man’s appearance, his teary eyes, and his repeated mention of “Renhe Hall,” could it be that those words were intentionally directed at her? Oh, he also mentioned “He family.”

A sudden realization struck Lu Man, perhaps Renhe Hall of the He family had some connection to her birth mother or maternal grandfather. The man deliberately spoke those words to her but couldn’t openly converse due to the presence of others. Hence, he staged the fall down the stairs.

Thinking of the man’s expression towards her and his bleeding forehead and nose, Lu Man’s heart constricted.

She asked Xiao Huan and Li Ma, “Have you heard of Renhe Hall?”

Xiao Huan shook her head, indicating no knowledge.

Li Ma also shook her head, saying, “I haven’t heard of it. But judging by the name, it sounds like a clinic or a pharmacy.”

Lu Man agreed, ancient medical establishments often had unique names, so Renhe Hall was likely either a clinic or a drugstore.

Considering the limited exposure of the two young maids, it was understandable they were unaware of many shops. Lu Man set aside her doubts, planning to inquire further about Renhe Hall later.

Returning to Crane Hall at noon, Princess Changting was pleased to see that Lu Man not only brought back the wine but also purchased food according to her and the children’s preferences, although she hadn’t bought anything for herself.

Princess Changting was even more satisfied, thinking Lu Man showed respect for elders and care for the young. She scolded her gently, “You young people should buy food you like instead of getting so much for us old folks and the youngsters.” She then had the chicken divided and sent to different households, including Lu Man. The items for the children were also distributed, and a serving of stewed sea cucumber with pig tendons was sent for Lu Man.

Li Ma went to deliver the Lucky Pigeons to the siblings. Lu Man specifically instructed not to let Jiang Jiu overeat or consume the fried skin, only having the tender breast and thigh meat.

When Li Ma returned from Qingfeng Courtyard, her expression was not quite right. She informed Lu Man, “Second Young Miss heard that Third Young Madam specially bought them at the tavern, and she was very happy. However, that nursemaid Gu was annoying, constantly saying that Second Young Miss has a weak stomach and shouldn’t eat fried food. I explained that pigeons are nutritious and it’s fine to eat some tender breast and thigh meat. But when I left, she kept implying that we shouldn’t give Second Young Miss food carelessly… What kind of person is she!”