Chapter 3: Huichun Hall

Xia Tingning turned her head slightly and lifted a corner of the curtain. She saw people coming and going on the street; it was quite lively.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of a pharmacy of considerable scale.

Xia Tingning lightly lifted her silk skirt with her left hand and rested her right hand on Wanyu's, letting her assist her out of the carriage. Once her feet touched the ground, she looked up to observe this renowned Huichuntang.

It was said that this pharmacy stocked only the finest medicinal ingredients, and almost all the high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital purchased their medicine here.

The pharmacy before her appeared both elegant and grand, truly worthy of being the best pharmacy in the entire capital.

Xia Tingning stepped inside, with Wanyu following closely behind.

As soon as she stepped through the main doors, a thick fragrance of herbs wafted toward her.

Xia Tingning took a deep breath; it was such a nostalgic scent. In her past life, her parents had died early, and her grandfather had raised her all by himself.

Since childhood, she had learned and grown up in this atmosphere swirling with medicinal scents. Her grandfather had been a famous old practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine and doted on her immensely. In her memory, he was always tirelessly teaching her by hand how to identify, prepare, dispense, decoct, and perform acupuncture.

Because she had inherited her grandfather's medical skills, she had chosen the major of medicinal diet nutrition—a field her grandfather was not particularly proficient in—during her university years.

She felt that since she had already studied Chinese medicine, she had to do it to the absolute best of her ability.

Unfortunately, her grandfather passed away when she was sixteen. All he left her was a substantial inheritance and a house full of medical books.

At that moment, a clerk waiting inside hurried forward to greet them, his attitude respectful: "May I ask if the young lady is here for a consultation or to purchase medicine?"

The clerk's appearance interrupted Xia Tingning's reminiscence. She glanced at him and said with a light smile that they were here to purchase medicine.

The past was like smoke; her grandfather surely hoped she could live a happy life.

"This way, please, Miss." Upon hearing this, the clerk respectfully led the way.

Xia Tingning and Wanyu followed the clerk to the medicine cabinets, where they saw an elderly man with white hair methodically organizing the herbs in the drawers.

The clerk stepped forward and called out, "Uncle Chen, this young lady wishes to purchase some medicine."

Uncle Chen hurriedly stopped his work, looked up, and smiled at Xia Tingning, asking kindly, "May I ask which herbs the young lady requires? Do you have a prescription?"

Xia Tingning returned the smile. She always maintained respect for the elderly, especially those who understood medical principles like him. As for the one in the Xia Manor, she chose to ignore his existence entirely.

Xia Tingning tilted her head slightly to signal Wanyu to take out the prescription and hand it to the old man, saying softly, "I must trouble you, Uncle Chen, to prepare a few doses for me according to this prescription."

Uncle Chen reached out to take the prescription from Wanyu. When he heard Xia Tingning's polite and courteous words, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment, looking exceptionally surprised. "You are too kind, Miss. Please wait a moment."

One could not blame him for being so surprised; after all, those who came to Huichuntang to buy medicine were certainly not ordinary commoners. Looking at this young lady's attire, temperament, and bearing, any observant person could tell she was a lady from a prestigious family.

He had worked at Huichuntang for over ten years and had seen many willful and arrogant young ladies, but he had truly never encountered a noble lady who treated people with such ease and humility.

In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the nimble Uncle Chen had prepared the medicine.

Watching him prepare the herbs, Xia Tingning saw that he was steady and precise, not at all like an elderly man in his sixties. It made sense; since he was assigned to the medicine cabinets to serve the powerful and wealthy, he must possess genuine skill.

After receiving the medicine and paying the silver, Xia Tingning finally led Wanyu out of the pharmacy.

As they walked out of the pharmacy doors, Wanyu held the several packets of medicine and said, "This medicine is truly expensive. Just these few packets cost 10 taels of silver!" One had to know that her monthly salary was only one tael; if it were her, she wouldn't know how long she would have to live frugally just to afford these few packets.

Xia Tingning chuckled and said, "Since this is a place where the wealthy of the capital buy their medicine, how could it be cheap?" Moreover, she had looked closely just now; these were indeed top-quality herbs, so it was worth the price.

Walking toward the carriage, Wanyu added, "Miss, it seems it is still early. Why don't we find a place to dine? You left in such a hurry this morning that you didn't even have time for breakfast, only snacking on some fruit on the road."

Xia Tingning thought for a moment. She hadn't noticed before, but now that Wanyu had mentioned it, she did indeed feel a bit hungry.

Now that the medicine was bought, she might as well take the opportunity to taste whether the cuisine at the best restaurant in the capital was truly as good as they said.

In a short while, her own shop and restaurant would be opening, so she needed to have a baseline in her mind.

Before long, Xia Tingning found herself in a private room at the "Zuixiang Restaurant," listening to a waiter recite a long list of dishes without even pausing for breath; he was incredibly practiced. She couldn't help but marvel: the waiters in ancient times were truly different; it was as if the menu were printed in his brain, coming to him the moment he opened his mouth.

Xia Tingning waved her hand to interrupt the waiter, who was about to continue introducing the dishes: "Just bring out whatever your signature dishes are, and brew me a pot of good tea."

The waiter hurriedly agreed with a smile, "Certainly, Miss. Please wait a moment." He stepped back out of the door to head to the kitchen to fetch the food.

Zuixiang Restaurant truly lived up to its reputation as a place only the high-ranking and wealthy could afford; everything Xia Tingning saw upon entering was decorated magnificently.

When she first entered, she saw many elegantly dressed young masters and lords sitting in small groups, chatting and laughing. There were also no shortage of young ladies from prominent families in the restaurant, though most were accompanied by family or traveling with their close female friends.

Someone like Xia Tingning, who came to dine alone with only a maid, was the first. Facing the curious gazes of others, she did not feel timid; she had simply told the waiter she wanted a private room. As for what others thought, why should she care?

Just as Xia Tingning was carefully observing the decor of the private room, the door opened. The waiter, who had been so smooth in reciting the menu, entered with lowered eyes, carrying the dishes. He made several trips until the round table was filled to capacity.

Xia Tingning casually gave him a few pieces of broken silver as a tip, and the waiter immediately bowed and left with a beaming face.

Looking at the dishes that filled the entire table, Xia Tingning couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. Zuixiang Restaurant really had many signature dishes; counting them, there were over twenty. Surely they weren't treating her like a "water fish" to be slaughtered?

Seeing that the dishes were all served, Wanyu instinctively walked to Xia Tingning's side to serve her.

After tasting over a dozen dishes in a row, Xia Tingning felt the flavor was quite good. However, it lacked seasonings and the cooking methods were somewhat singular, making the dishes a bit lackluster. Nevertheless, this greatly increased her confidence in the restaurant she was about to open.

"Miss, please eat more. These aren't cheap at all," Wanyu muttered while continuously placing food into Xia Tingning's bowl.

Looking at her superstitious and fussy manner, Xia Tingning found it somewhat amusing. She gently set down her chopsticks and said, "Stop serving me; I am already full."

"But there are still so many dishes left. What should we do?" Wanyu looked very hesitant.

"It doesn't matter. Have the waiter come over to pack these dishes up so we can take them with us. We'll settle the bill at the same time," Xia Tingning said as she picked up her teacup and took a light sip.

Wanyu nodded in understanding, went to the door to call the waiter to settle the bill, and then instructed him to pack the dishes on the table for them to take back.

Leaving the private room, Xia Tingning was wondering if she should buy something else to bring back for her younger brother.

Ever since coming to the Xia Manor, her brother's life had not been as easy as it was back in Yixing City. That cheap father of hers meddled in everything all day long, forbidding this one thing and that other thing.

Just as Xia Tingning was lost in thought, at the top of the stairs ahead, a waiter was bowing and scraping as he welcomed a woman walking up.

The woman wore a bright red silk skirt, and both her hands were covered in gold and silver bracelets. As she walked, they clattered and jingled loudly, and she was followed by four maidservants for her service.

Xia Tingning only spared her a single glance before withdrawing her gaze; she never paid much attention to irrelevant people.

Unexpectedly, the woman, accompanied by a rhythmic clattering of jewelry, walked straight toward her.