Governor Duan asked when seeing off the guests, "Lord Zhou, when do you plan to depart? We would like to send you off when the time comes."

Manbao smiled and replied, "We will leave early the day after tomorrow."

Governor Duan was surprised at the quick departure. After a moment of pause, he said, "Then tomorrow, I will host a farewell banquet at Laike Building, inviting Deputy Chief Duan to join us."

Manbao gently declined, saying that they needed to prepare luggage tomorrow and purchase some items. Since the farewells were just about eating and drinking, and they were not lacking funds for a meal, it was unnecessary to attend as they were not familiar with each other.

Zhou Man decisively refused, and since their communication today was smooth, Governor Duan realized she wasn’t being disrespectful but simply uninterested in such formalities. Therefore, he didn’t insist and smiled as he saw them off.

However, the next day, he sent two baskets of naan bread to the station, along with two cured lamb legs.

Manbao and company weren’t very interested in the lamb legs, as on the grasslands, they didn’t lack lamb meat. Even if it was hard to find nomads for a long time, they could hunt wild sheep, and with Keke around, they could always find sheep.

But they were fond of the naan bread sent, with the quantity being substantial enough to fill two large baskets rather than a small bamboo basket to be placed on the dining table.

Inside was cushioned with white hemp cloth, with the made naans stacked layer by layer inside the basket. Once the linen was closed, the hot air couldn’t escape temporarily, and they were still steaming when delivered to the station.

Manbao couldn’t resist taking one laden with black sesame seeds to taste.

One naan was as big as Manbao’s head, enough for two meals, clearly showing Governor Duan’s sincerity.

Therefore, Manbao earnestly wrote down two medicinal recipes and handed them to the servant, saying, "These are two prescriptions for medicinal wine. Liangzhou is bitterly cold; these wine recipes can dispel coldness. But be cautious, the herbs need to be prepared at the pharmacy and cannot be processed at home, as improper processing can be toxic."

The servant noted the words and then took the prescriptions back to the master.

Governor Duan spent a long time examining the wine prescription, and afterwards said to Deputy Chief Duan, "This Lord Zhou is an intriguing person."

Deputy Chief Duan did not understand where the intrigue lay.

Governor Duan, stroking his beard, smiled, "Tomorrow request a day off from the academy again, and accompany me personally to send them off."

Seeing his son still hadn’t understood, Governor Duan pointed at the two prescriptions and said, "Such prescriptions are family treasures. If a household has such a prescription, it won’t worry about livelihood, yet she gave it away for two baskets of naan bread..."

This shows it isn’t an equal exchange but an emotional one. Since the other party has feelings, he, of course, needs to reciprocate. Governor Duan said, "Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for them to be escorted out of Liangzhou."

Bai Shan hadn’t expected Manbao to give the prescriptions directly, and couldn’t help asking, "Why so generous?"

The prescriptions held by doctors are significant. Typically, for common illnesses, the prescriptions can be given, but in more remote areas, doctors are cautious about giving away prescriptions. Except for affluent families where the prescription must be left, other patients don’t get the recipe but only coded instructions for the pharmacy apprentices.

In major cities like Yizhou City and the capital, they are indifferent to sharing common prescriptions and avoid unnecessary disputes, hence patients are allowed to take the prescription.

But certain prescriptions, even in the Imperial Hospital, aren’t given easily, particularly such complete recipes.

Ointments, pills, and medicinal wines are recipes that can be mass-produced and sold, hence often kept as secrets by individuals rather than shared.

Even the Imperial Hospital has numerous ointments and pill recipes kept in the archives, accessible only to doctors of a certain rank.

Forget Bai Shan, even doctors’ assistants and junior imperial doctors cannot access them.

Manbao casually waved, "I observed yesterday; not only does Old Madam Duan have rheumatism, but Governor Duan has it too. A few days ago, I was at the pharmacy with Liru, though I didn’t diagnose anyone by pulse, I overheard some patients describe their ailments. Many have rheumatism. I was already hesitating whether to give them the prescription, now it doesn’t hurt to use it for goodwill."

Bai Shan then asked, "Does this medicinal wine have a good effect on dispelling dampness?" 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

"It mainly dispels coldness," Manbao said. "It’s very cold here; during winter and spring, coldness encroaches, so drinking a little medicinal wine can counteract the cold."

Bai Shan reached out and said, "Give me a copy."

Manbao went to grind ink and write for him, curiously asking, "What do you want it for?"

"If it’s to benefit the people of Liangzhou, why only give it to the Governor’s House?"

Manbao paused and said to him, "You intend to spread it? That’s impossible."

Despite saying this, she still wrote down the prescription, and said, "This prescription includes two toxic herbs requiring special preparation to remove toxicity. It’s challenging for the average person to process it well, so I don’t distribute it."

Ordinary people might dig up herbs, wash them, and soak them, which would be tantamount to suicide.

She gave it to the Governor’s House because they have the capability to prepare the proper medicinal wine and can pass on the prescription to households capable of making it correctly.

She said, "This must be circulated within a small scale."

"Who said?" Bai Shan said, "Pharmacies can surely prepare the proper medicinal wine, right?"

He said, "I’ll sell the prescription to the pharmacy later, and they can sell the finished wine."

Manbao: "...You’re thinking too much."

Bai Shan: "Is this prescription generally available in your doctors’ circles, and other pharmacies have it too?"

"No, this prescription is something I found in the Imperial Hospital. There are similar ones outside, but they aren’t exactly the same." She added, "This one is milder."

"Then that’s great, just wait for the money."

Manbao hesitated to speak, but seeing Bai Shan in high spirits, she simply didn’t stop him and went with him to the pharmacy, though she didn’t go inside, letting him and Daji go. Meanwhile, she sat at a stall nearby, ordered a bowl of noodles, eating while waiting.

Not long after, Bai Shan came out with a smile with Daji, bid farewell to the shopkeeper seeing them off, and headed straight towards Manbao.

Manbao hadn’t finished her bowl of noodles yet, looked up at him, "Out so soon?"

Bai Shan sat across from her, asked Daji, "Daji, want some noodles?"

Daji declined, not understanding why the masters had such an appetite. Not long ago, they had lunch while strolling the street. Returning to the station, they shared a naan among a few. How come they wanted noodles again so soon?

Manbao seemed to notice Daji’s confusion and said to him, "We’re growing, you see, aren’t we getting taller recently?"

Bai Shan was immediately distracted, "We’ve grown taller?"

Manbao affirmed with a nod, "Indeed, we’ve grown taller."

Only then did Daji take note, it seemed that the Young Master and Miss Man had indeed grown a bit taller, even the Master’s son had grown.