Li Lanzhen is leaving.
Manager Hua and Han Minghai cannot leave the capital for the time being.
This time, taking advantage of the turmoil in the imperial court, Manager Hua also bought a lot of shops and estates.
The five-courtyard house that Li Lanzhen didn't like was bought by Manager Hua.
Manager Hua needs to stay and manage all the businesses in the purchased estate and shops before he can return to Youzhou City.
Han Minghai has been busy these past few days, leaving early and returning late, and has been nowhere to be seen.
The shop hasn't been rented out yet; he's currently busy tidying up the three-courtyard house.
Li Lanzhen asked him to improve the toilet and living room.
They also demanded that he install a kang (a heated brick bed) in his bedroom.
Winters are very cold in Beijing, and she's afraid of the cold if she lives here.
Li Lanzhen was also unwilling to put a charcoal brazier in the house, as burning charcoal was relatively expensive, and charcoal was divided into three grades.
Li Lanzhen disliked second-grade carbon, which produced a lot of smoke, let alone third-grade carbon.
Then you can only buy the best quality silver wire charcoal.
Although she was not short of money, Li Lanzhen did not want to waste it on this.
Let Han Minghai build a kang (heated brick bed) in her room; it's comfortable to sleep on a kang in winter.
They live in their own houses and decide what to do with them. If needed, they'll build a kang (heated brick bed); if not, they'll sleep on a bed.
There's also that desolate manor. Last time, he and Li Lanzhen discussed waiting until Han Zhaoxiong arrived before starting to clean up the manor.
But Han Minghai couldn't wait a moment longer.
He followed Manager Hua to several brokerage firms and bought more than 100 people.
Almost all of them were brought to that manor as families.
They temporarily found a responsible person and asked them to repair the roads, their own houses, and the large courtyard where the host family lived.
Also inspect the walls surrounding the estate, and repair all the collapsed sections.
Xue Bao also found Li Lanzhen and said that he had more than 20 soldiers who were wounded and left the army during the last Jinwang siege and rebellion, and he wanted to settle them in that manor.
Li Lanzhen learned about the situation of these wounded soldiers and found that their physical injuries were not very serious.
Half of them don't live near the capital.
Moreover, none of them wanted to return to their hometowns.
So Li Lanzhen agreed.
After Xue Bao contacted these people, he handed them over to Han Minghai.
Han Minghai also took them to the large estate and settled them down there.
Of course, grains and vegetables were also sent to them.
It took Han Minghai nearly ten days to settle things at the large manor.
He turned around and began to tidy up the shops and house.
Han Minghai and the others kept trying to persuade Li Lanzhen not to leave in such a hurry.
Let's wait a while longer and then leave with them.
But Li Lanzhen insisted on going back.
Unable to dissuade her, Xue Laohu found the largest security escort agency in the capital, "Weiyuan Security Escort Agency".
After paying 20 taels of silver to Weiyuan Escort Agency, they guaranteed to safely transport Li Lanzhen and Han Yibai from the capital to Youzhou City.
Han Minghai selected two relatively strong men from among the veterans who were not hindered in their movement to drive the carriage for Li Lanzhen.
Li Lanzhen and Han Yibo rode in the same carriage. This time when they came to the capital, Li Lanzhen did not bring Granny Hua or any maids. Only the grandmother and grandson came with Manager Hua and Han Minghai.
There was also a car fully loaded with things bought in Beijing.
Of course, half of it was given by the Crown Prince and Princess Linglong.
The rest were bought by Xue Laohu, Han Mingxiang, and Han Yuemei.
Clothes, food, toys, books, writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones—everything is available.
We set off that morning, and the sun was shining brightly.
After bidding farewell to her children, grandchildren, and several in-laws in the capital, Li Lanzhen, holding a tearful Han Yibo, boarded the carriage and set off.
The carriage swayed and rocked, and Han Yibo remained nestled in Li Lanzhen's arms, not in high spirits.
The little one doesn't know how to make a choice.
She wanted to stay in the capital with her brothers, but she couldn't bear to leave her grandmother.
She wanted to go back to Peach Blossom Spring with her grandmother, but she couldn't bear to leave her brothers, uncles, and aunts in the capital.
Once he left the gate tower of the capital, he had absolutely no interest in looking at it anymore.
Then he sighed, clapped his hands, and looked up at Li Lanzhen.
"Oh, Grandma, why do people have to make choices? It's so hard."
Li Lanzhen tightened her grip on his arm.
She lowered her head and kissed the top of his head.
"Yes, from the moment a person is born and becomes aware of things until they grow old, they are constantly making choices."
For example, when you're eating, what do you want to eat? That's also a choice.
Now that you're in school, should you study hard or go out and play for a day? This is another choice.
And also, when our Yibai grows up, what kind of wife will he choose to marry?
"Hehehe, Grandma, you're not allowed to say anymore."
Han Yibo reached out and covered Li Lanzhen's mouth.
"Alright, Yibai, don't worry anymore. Transportation from Youzhou City to the capital is very convenient."
Grandma can bring you here every year, okay?
"Okay, Grandma, but I miss Daddy, Mommy, and my brother."
Grandma, will you take me to the southwestern border to see Daddy, Mommy, and my brother?
Li Lanzhen didn't immediately agree and remained silent for a while.
"Okay, next year we'll pick a time and Grandma will take you to see your dad, mom, and brother, okay?"
Han Yibo was so happy he wanted to jump for joy. I raised my hands and yelled.
He rolled off Li Lanzhen's arms, knelt on the bench in the carriage, and lifted the curtain to look outside.
Following the Weiyuan Escort Agency, they always had a fixed inn to stay at each night, so Li Lanzhen didn't have to worry about that.
She only needed to take care of Han Yibo and the two retired soldiers who drove the horse-drawn carriages.
Perhaps it was because Emperor Jingyuan was good at governing the country, or perhaps it was because he had just experienced the incident of the Jin king besieging the capital and forcing him to abdicate.
Anyway, the journey was peaceful and uneventful; we didn't even encounter any robbers.
Five days later, at noon, they arrived at Youzhou City.
“Madam Li, we shall take our leave now. There is also our Weiyuan Escort Agency in Youzhou City. If you are transporting goods or leading people, you can go to them. Here is a token for you. Just take this to them if you need anything.”
Zhao the镖师 had heard from Xue Laohu that this woman was no ordinary woman.
She was personally bestowed the title of "Yiren" by the Emperor. It's best to cultivate a good relationship with her.
Li Lanzhen took a very inconspicuous wooden plaque, with the words "Weiyuan" engraved on one side and an eagle with outstretched wings on the other.
"Master Zhao, thank you very much. I will come to your escort agency if I need anything. I wish you a safe journey!"
After parting ways with the Weiyuan Escort Agency's caravan, Li Lanzhen took two carriages and went to the Sifang Restaurant.
She went to the back courtyard of Sifang Restaurant, and the waiter immediately opened the back door, letting two carriages in.
After they came in, they washed up and went to the dining hall on the first floor of Sifang Restaurant.
"Auntie, you've come back from the capital? You must be tired from your journey. What would you like to eat?" The waiter greeted Li Lanzhen and the others warmly.
"It's alright. I came with the Weiyuan Escort Agency, so I didn't suffer too much."
"Give us five bowls of rice, two jin of braised beef, a roast chicken, a drunken goose, pork rib and white radish soup, scrambled eggs with chives, and eggplant with sesame oil."
"Alright, Auntie, please have a seat. The food will be served shortly."
The dish of braised eggplant with tiger-skin chili peppers was something Li Lanzhen made once at the Peach Blossom Spring Canteen, and it just so happened that Manager Hua got to eat it.
He immediately asked for the recipe and even offered to buy it for her.
Li Lanzhen declined, saying it was just a simple recipe and not worth the trouble; she suggested that Manager Hua use it directly.
This simple dish appeared on the tables of Sifang Restaurant, and it was a must-order dish at every table.
Soon the food was served, but the waiter stood to the side without coming down. Li Lanzhen saw that he seemed to want to say something, but then remained silent.
"Brother, what do you want to tell me?"
"Auntie, the furniture store, the general store, and the Wangwang embroidery store—these three stores have all run into some trouble these past few days."
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