As Qi Huan arrived at the tavern, she decided to check the accounts for the past few days. Mr. Xu was a meticulous man, and every day's income and expenses were recorded clearly in the ledger.
It was so detailed that even when Heizi occasionally came to the tavern to eat a few meat bones, it was meticulously documented under Qi Huan's account.
Qi Huan nodded in approval. Keeping personal and business affairs separate was the proper way. Then, to her surprise, she noticed that among the daily income entries, there were: Chen Jinyou's Tender Braised Pork, one portion; Chen Jinyou's Tender Braised Pork, one takeout portion...
At this frequency, she would have to issue him a VIP card and give him a 20% discount.
"System, do I have any special paper materials in my space? I want to make a few VIP cards that are difficult to counterfeit."
"How about delivery boxes?"
"That'll work, reusing waste materials. Just send them to me when I get home."
After her conversation with the System, Qi Huan raised her eyes and was startled to find a kind-looking Xu Nanny standing before her, accompanied by two graceful maidservants.
They had walked so quietly that, coupled with Qi Huan's conversation with the System, she had not noticed their sudden appearance.
Seeing Qi Huan close the ledger, the Xu Nanny in the lead inquired softly, "Miss, may I ask if the tavern's owner, Miss Qi, is present?"
"She is."
Xu Nanny's eyes suddenly brightened. "May I trouble you, miss, to convey my request to see Miss Qi?"
"Certainly."
Qi Huan gave a gentle smile and said with a melodious laugh, "You have already met her. I am the Miss Qi you mentioned."
Gazing at the bright-eyed, fair-skinned young lady before her, Xu Nanny studied her features, trying to find traces of her own young mistress.
After a few moments of scrutiny, she couldn't help but marvel at how much Qi Huan had grown, perfectly embodying the best qualities of her parents. With limpid eyes, a delicate peach-blossom face, exquisite features, and a graceful bearing, she was a true beauty.
Xu Nanny promptly led the two maidservants, Ruo Lan and Ruo Zhu, in a respectful bow. "We pay our respects to you, Miss. This servant is the nanny attending your paternal grandmother, Old Lady Song. You may address me as Xu Nanny."
"Please do not be surprised, Miss. Originally, Old Lady Song had sent more than just the three of us to escort you. However, the journey was long and arduous, and some fell ill and passed away along the way, while others remained behind to recuperate. In the end, only the three of us managed to reach Mo County."
Thinking of her young mistress, tears welled up in Xu Nanny's eyes, and her voice trembled with sobs. "Who could have imagined that our young mistress and Second Young Master would have parted from this world over a year ago? Such good people, how could they have simply vanished like that?"
"That dreadful plague truly has no discernment. If it was hungry, why didn't it devour some wicked souls instead? Why did it have to take the lives of my kind young mistress and Second Young Master, who devoted themselves to healing the sick and helping the world?"
Xu Nanny wiped away her tears and gazed at Qi Huan with heartfelt sympathy. "Poor Miss, how have you managed to endure this past year?"
"Nanny, do not worry. I have fared reasonably well. This is not an appropriate place for conversation. Shall we move to a private room upstairs?"
"Yes, yes."
Xu Nanny stepped back and followed Qi Huan to a private room on the second floor, with the two maidservants, Ruo Lan and Ruo Zhu, trailing behind, each carrying a large bundle.
A charcoal brazier warmed the room, enveloping them in a cozy warmth. A slight crack in the window allowed for ventilation.
Qi Huan walked to the table and poured a few cups of hot tea, inviting them to be seated.
"No, no," Xu Nanny promptly declined. "There is a distinction between master and servant. We servants will stand and speak."
Seeing their deeply ingrained sense of propriety, Qi Huan did not insist.
In dealing with others, one should not force one's own opinions onto them under the guise of doing them a favor. Respecting their wishes would make them feel more at ease.
Skipping over this topic, she shifted the conversation and politely inquired about the elderly members of the Song family.
After Xu Nanny conveyed their greetings and well-wishes, she gestured to Ruo Lan and Ruo Zhu to present the bundles they were carrying.
"Hearing that Mo County is bitterly cold, Old Lady Song provided ample funds and instructed this servant to ensure that suitable warm clothing was prepared for the young mistress, Second Young Master, and you, Miss. Once spring arrives and the weather warms, we can then set off on our journey. Miss, please take a look and let us know if the colors, fabrics, and styles meet your approval."
Xu Nanny had an excellent eye. After examining the clothing, Qi Huan nodded in sincere appreciation. "Thank you, Grandmother, and you as well, Nanny, for your efforts. I am very pleased with these."
Delighted by her approval, Xu Nanny's smile broadened, causing the wrinkles around her eyes to crinkle together. However, her smile faded slightly as she thought of the young mistress and Second Young Master.
"...Alas."
"May I ask where the young mistress and Second Young Master are buried? This servant would like to pay respects and make offerings."
"And perhaps burn some of these clothes for them, so they may remain warm in the afterlife."
"It will soon be midday. After we have eaten, I will take you to their resting place this afternoon."
"Thank you, Miss."
After their exchange, a silence fell over the private room.
Xu Nanny surveyed the surroundings, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion.
"Miss, I have heard... that this tavern was established by you?"
"Yes."
"Miss is truly intelligent and gifted in earning a livelihood."
Perceiving the confusion in her eyes, Qi Huan knew it would be futile to invoke her father, Qi's name, as Xu Nanny might be even more familiar with him than Qi Huan herself.
She could only respond, "I had a fortuitous encounter."
Little did she expect that her words would greatly alarm Xu Nanny.
"Miss, you must not carelessly utter your grandfather's personal name!"
After a moment's reflection, Qi Huan finally recalled from the original owner's fragmented memories that her grandfather's name was Qi Yu.
During her silence, Xu Nanny had already composed herself and gently admonished, "The Li Country governs through filial piety. This servant knows that Miss misspoke out of momentary carelessness. However, upon your return to the capital, you should exercise greater caution in front of others."
"Physician Qi was truly an extraordinary figure. In the entire Li Country, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone as skilled as him. Although he was not adept at pulse diagnosis, he possessed many strange instruments and highly effective medicines."
"Unfortunately, at that time, he was vying for the position of vice Director alongside the younger brother of the Lord Director."
Xu Nanny sighed softly, implying without directly stating that there were suspicious circumstances surrounding Qi Yu's case.
Alas, the Qi family lacked deep roots, and the Song family held little sway, coupled with the convincing evidence against him. Ultimately, Physician Qi was stripped of his position and exiled.
The late Emperor abhorred corruption and dealt with it severely. Furthermore, the Emperor had enjoyed robust health throughout his reign and had little need to experience Physician Qi's talents firsthand. With a stroke of his brush, a talented individual was banished into exile.
As Xu Nanny recalled the past, she couldn't help but sigh.
Yet when she looked at Qi Huan, there was a hint of relief in her eyes.
"Your cousin must have decent medical skills, right? ...Why don't you open a medical clinic, but instead run a tavern?"
"My family did have some handwritten medical books, but I couldn't read them. On the other hand, I accidentally obtained some cooking recipes which I could understand."
Qi Huan continued to fabricate her story.
Xu Nanny believed her.
In her perception, learning cooking was much simpler than learning medicine. No wonder her cousin opened a tavern instead of a medical clinic.
But the Second Young Master's illness...
Xu Nanny was not entirely convinced as she asked further, "I heard that your uncle left you quite a few things. Were these from Physician Qi passed down to your uncle, and then to you?"
"Yes." Qi Huan readily agreed to this ready-made excuse.
"Then... did your uncle leave any medicine or prescriptions for curing lung consumption?"
Xu Nanny looked at her with hope in her eyes. Before being exiled, her master had once cured a patient with lung consumption, gaining great fame among the commoners.
But who could have thought the Second Young Master would later contract this fatal disease when he was still in his mother's womb at that time.
