"My lady, my lady, Ning family's reply has arrived."
Granny Wu was extremely excited, almost stumbling when she entered the room. If Ziyan hadn't steadied her, she might have fallen.
Li Man'er was reviewing the accounts. Several shops had been taken back and reopened. The business had been average at first, but with the previous foundation, it had improved day by day.
"Is that so? Bring it here for me to see." Li Man'er closed the ledger, asked Ziyan to take it away, and opened the letter handed to her by Granny Wu.
The handwriting on the letter was strong and vigorous, full of character. The concern conveyed between the lines unfolded slowly. Through the paper, Li Man'er seemed to see an elderly man, sitting at his desk and writing to her, tears in his eyes, yet his expression was one of immense relief.
The letter to Li Man'er was from the Ning family's elder, Ning Liancheng. The old man showed no blame in his letter; instead, he comforted her, saying that her past actions were uninhibited and childish ignorance, and it was a great fortune that she could now stop in time.
Li Man'er felt a pang of sadness. The old man's carefulness and overjoyed emotions were palpable on the paper, as if every word, every sentence had been pondered for a moment before being written, lest she be displeased again.
Upon reading the last word, Li Man'er sighed. Ancient people wrote without punctuation marks, which was truly uncomfortable to read.
"Eldest miss, was the reply from the elder or the old master?"
Li Man'er said, "It was from my maternal grandfather himself. He is in good health, and everyone at home is well, except for news of my maternal uncle. My grandfather said he never blamed me and that he might come to the capital to see me during the New Year."
Granny Wu's face showed a flicker of joy, then a frown, and she said with a hint of worry, "The old master is old, and the journey will be arduous; I fear he cannot bear it." In the dead of winter, traveling by boat is difficult, and the land route is long. If there is no snow, it's manageable, but with snow, it becomes even harder to travel.
"Naturally, I cannot let him undertake such a journey. I will write a letter saying that when spring arrives and the flowers bloom, I will return to Jiangnan for a few months. After all, this home will be the same with or without me."
Granny Wu's face lit up like a blooming flower. "Shall we write it now? This old servant will grind ink for you."
As Li Man'er wrote, she said, "My maternal grandfather said he is in good health, but I recall he had a leg ailment that worsened in winter. Has it been cured?"
Ning Daocheng's leg ailment was a lingering issue from his youth when he was a merchant. One year, there was a heavy snowfall, and he was driving a cart northward. He encountered a severe snowstorm, trudging through snowdrifts. By the time he reached the post station, his legs had lost all sensation.
He didn't feel it much when he was young, but as he aged, his legs became unruly.
"How could it be cured! Like Princess Wuyou..." Granny Wu paused, then said, "My lady, you could cure Princess Wuyou's leg ailment, so surely you can cure the old master?"
Li Man'er held the brush, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Without seeing the person, I cannot take his pulse or perform acupuncture. However, I have pills that can dispel cold and relieve pain. If the leg pain becomes unbearable, taking one can provide quick relief. Also, I have a foot soak formula. Use a bucket of hot water, steep the medicinal herbs until the water changes color, and when the water is slightly hot but not scalding, soak your feet for fifteen minutes. Consistent daily application will also be effective."
Granny Wu was overjoyed. "My lady, will you bring medicine to the old master?"
"Yes." Li Man'er wrote a few more lines, then said, "Write down the usage instructions as well, so my maternal grandfather doesn't use it incorrectly."
"Indeed."
Li Man'er wrote for half an hour, finally completing what she needed to say and the instructions for the medicine.
She sealed the letter and said to Granny Wu, "Ask someone to prepare it. The foot soak medicine can be bought anywhere, but the oral pain-relieving pills are difficult to make; I must prepare them myself."
The process of making medicine was not something she feared being learned; after all, the prescription was the key.
A large pot was set up in the courtyard, and the pre-mixed medicinal herbs were put in to boil. The heat needed to be controlled, and the water ratio was also crucial.
Some herbs were added to the pot beforehand, while others were added midway. A wooden stick was used to stir continuously in the pot. The speed should not be too fast, but not too slow either.
Qingping Xuan was filled with smoke. The maids and matrons were all at Li Man'er's beck and call. The process of brewing medicine was monotonous and tiring.
Finally, when the medicine was almost ready, the thick medicinal paste was scooped into containers. Honey was heated, and while still hot, it was mixed with the medicinal paste and stirred vigorously.
"My lady, I've seen pharmacists in pharmacies make medicine by grinding it into powder." Why was your medicine so complicated and laborious?
"How much is powdered medicine worth? My method is to discard the dregs and retain the essence."
Ziyan, not fully understanding, watched the two matrons stir with effort.
Finally, the medicine reached Li Man'er's standard. The remaining steps, she would do herself.
Of course, she did it alone, without any spectators.
Tools could be used for rolling pills, and she had them in her space, but she couldn't bring them out.
The tool for rolling strips consisted of two boards, the bottom one slightly larger, and the top one slender. A suitably sized piece of medicinal paste was placed under the board, pressed and rolled to obtain a round and smooth medicinal strip. Then, a tool with uniform grooves on both the upper and lower boards was used. The corresponding grooves formed a round hole. The process of making pills took only six or seven seconds, by pulling back and forth.
Sealed with beeswax, the task was complete.
Li Man'er went out, put the medicine away, and fell into a deep sleep.
The next day at breakfast, Ziyan was still worried about her.
"My lady, doesn't your hand hurt? How did you roll so many pills yourself?"
Li Man'er didn't know how to explain. Then Lüyī said, "My lady, although I am clumsy, rolling a pill isn't that complicated. Next time there's such a task, you can leave it to me. I'll learn if I don't know how."
Li Man'er couldn't help but smile. She asked Ziyan to bring her the pills she had made for her to see. "With this medicine, once I get the weight, I know if it's too much or too little. Not to say it's exact, but it won't deviate too much. Medicine is different; it concerns people's lives."
The most important thing was that it would take until dawn to roll them one by one.
Just as Muyun finished clearing the table with the young maid, Granny Wu arrived.
"My lady, the messenger has arrived."
Li Man'er said, "If it's just a letter, it can be delivered to the post station. The important thing is the medicine."
In other words, she was asking if the person was reliable.
Granny Wu was silent for a moment. Delivering a letter was reliable, but delivering medicine, no one could guarantee.
"Thank you for your trouble, Granny. Please take it there yourself!"
"This..." Granny Wu was tempted. Her son and grandson were in the Ning family, and she hadn't seen them for many years.