Chapter 1636 - 596: The Fake True Daughter (Part 17)_2

Everyone also came to know one thing—

This Medicinal Food Restaurant is backed by Lady Wei.

Anyone who can make a living on the streets of the Capital City, even if he’s just the lowest little thug, has sharp eyes for people.

When it comes to someone they can’t afford to offend, they absolutely wouldn’t dare provoke them lightly.

With Lady Wei "standing on the stage" for her, not a single person dared come cause trouble at He Tiantian’s Medicinal Food Restaurant.

She was a single woman living in the back courtyard, yet there weren’t any hooligans or ruffians climbing over the walls in the middle of the night.

He Tiantian wasn’t really afraid of that sort of thing, but as long as such trouble could be avoided, it was best avoided.

Rather than waste time dealing with scum, wouldn’t it be better for He Tiantian to spend more time studying prescriptions and take in a few more abandoned infants and women who’d been repudiated and had nowhere to go?!

"Oh right, during the Lower Yuan Festival Qingyun Temple will be holding a fasting and purification retreat. All the Noble in the Capital City will go to Qingyun Temple—do you want to join the bustle?"

Hearing He Tiantian’s words, Lady Wei felt deeply soothed.

However, instead of exchanging that kind of "endless back-and-forth" thanks, she tactfully shifted the topic.

He Tiantian’s gaze flashed. Here it comes!

"What fasting and purification? Is it some sort of ceremony of the Taoist Temple?"

He Tiantian pretended not to understand and asked curiously.

"You can call it a kind of ceremony. It was originally for memorial rites and prayers, and then the Eldest Princess An Le took a liking to it, so it turned into a grand event of the Capital City!"

"Every year at the Lower Yuan Festival, the Noble in the Capital City all go to Qingyun Temple to bathe, observe a vegetarian fast, and then attend the blessing assembly personally presided over by the temple master."

"...Of course, it’s not that only Noble can take part in the fast and purification; ordinary poor folk can also get a bit of the Taoist Ancestor’s good fortune."

"On the last day of the fasting retreat each year, the temple master hands out the Taoist Temple’s secret Medicine Soup as charity."

"In the bitter winter cold, there are especially many people who catch cold or have lung coughs. Qingyun Temple’s Medicine Soup for treating wind-cold is absolutely first-rate..."

Of course, the Noble don’t care for this sort of medicine; they have even better, gentler remedies.

But for poor commoners, it is lifesaving medicine.

It’s just that this medicine is limited and hard to come by; it can only be given out as charity during those few days of the Lower Yuan Festival fasting retreat each year!

So not only do the power-holders of the Capital City like to go to Qingyun Temple to pray, the ordinary folk in the surrounding areas are all eagerly waiting for this day too.

"You should go. Even if you’re not interested in the blessing assembly, you can still go join the fun!"

"During those few days, Qingyun Temple is practically as lively as the Lantern Festival on the Upper Yuan!"

Lady Wei urged He Tiantian with all her might.

He Tiantian wasn’t really interested in just joining the crowd for fun.

She guessed that the Ma Family might be planning something at Qingyun Temple, but she could already roughly infer how things would play out.

While she was curious about the precise details, it wasn’t to the point of having to see them with her own eyes.

Anyway, with this "bestie" Lady Wei around, she could always learn the latest Eight Trigrams of the Capital City from her mouth.

However, the Medicine Soup that Lady Wei mentioned from Qingyun Temple did pique He Tiantian’s interest.

"That ’Medicine Soup’ can’t be what I’m thinking of, can it?"

He Tiantian pondered inwardly.

Because she had this question, He Tiantian went along with Lady Wei’s invitation. "Is it really that lively? Ah, then I really must go and take a look!"

"Second Young Madam, thank you so much. If it weren’t for you, I’d truly be stumbling around blind in the Capital City, not knowing anything!"

He Tiantian thanked her and flattered her in turn, and the smile at Lady Wei’s lips grew even more pronounced.

"You, you’re good in every way, it’s just that you’re too polite!"

Lady Wei put on a mock-displeased air and said intimately to He Tiantian, "From now on you’re not allowed to treat me like an outsider. I’m a few years older than you—just call me ’older sister.’"

Apart from genuinely feeling grateful, Lady Wei cozying up to He Tiantian like this also carried the intention of drawing her in and strengthening ties.

The future prosperity of Prince Dongchang’s Mansion all depends on this person.

Also, although "He Dian" isn’t some Divine Doctor, the remedies she has on hand are truly miraculous.

Who knows when in the future Lady Wei might have to ask favors of her again.

Faced with such a lifesaving "Miracle Man," Lady Wei really wanted to become "good sisters" with her.

"Then, then I’ll be reaching above my station!"

Since Lady Wei was sincere about building a good relationship, He Tiantian naturally wouldn’t refuse. She feigned shyness and said that line.

Then, as if she’d summoned up all her courage, she called out to Lady Wei, "Sister Wei!"

"Yes!" Lady Wei answered joyfully, "Now that’s more like it! From now on, you’re not allowed to treat me like an outsider anymore!"

Though Lady Wei said she didn’t want He Tiantian to treat her like an outsider, when she left she still had her maid tuck a small box into He Tiantian’s hands.

Inside the box was a full set of red-gold hair ornaments inlaid with rubies, and underneath lay a stack of silver notes, each with a face value of hundred taels of Silver.