Preparing to Open for Business
At this point, everything that could be done had been completed, leaving only time for the investments to bear fruit. If everything went according to plan, the Hall of Lu Yue would be ready to open its doors within three to six months.
Dr. Chen Luxian dedicated every moment to developing medical equipment, extracting medicines, training his four young maids as nurses, and studying the medical practices of this era. Most importantly, he immersed himself in martial arts training and explored the mysterious power known as qi energy.
The books that the original body owner had secretly taken from the family library and Luxian had brought with him when he moved to the back residence contained knowledge about something called healing qi. Coming from the modern world, Luxian didn’t fully understand how it worked and spent a great deal of time studying it earnestly.
On top of this, he trained rigorously to achieve his dream of becoming a legendary martial artist. With so many dreams and goals, he had plenty to keep himself busy. Fortunately, ever since he had taken over this body, the cruel stepmother and her troublesome children hadn’t dared to interfere with him. Perhaps this was thanks to General Chen temporarily staying at the estate while his troops were on leave.
Three months passed, and it was time to inspect the progress of the Hall of Lu Yue. Chen Luxian had commissioned a large, intricately designed restaurant sign that drew attention from far and wide. For the past three months, locals had been curious about the renovations. Many wondered who would be foolish enough to invest in a failing business in such an obscure location.
Now, in addition to the sign hanging above the tavern’s door, another sign jutted out from the building’s facade. Its beautiful and striking design caught the eye from as far away as the marketplace entrance.
Initially, Luxian had hoped to find a better location, but since this was the best available, he had to make do. Using a large, eye-catching sign to compensate for the poor location was a clever solution.
When Chen Luxian arrived, the carpenter immediately came out to greet him.
“What do you think, sir? We’re now finishing up the final touches. If there are no further adjustments, the establishment could be ready to open in three days,” the carpenter reported.
“There’s no rush. I plan to officially open the restaurant at the end of the month anyway,” Luxian replied.
“Understood, sir. Please feel free to inspect the premises.”
Luxian walked through the building, from the first floor to the fourth, feeling very satisfied with the results. He had even designed a secret room for underground activities like intelligence trading. The secret room had well-ventilated partitions and a layout that prioritized privacy, with screens separating clients and informants. The secret room occupied one-fifth of the first floor, while the remaining space served as the main dining area for the restaurant.
All meals would be prepared in the kitchen located behind the main building of the Hall of Lu Yue. This left enough space in the dining area for 20 family-sized tables.
Additionally, there was a buffet area, which he called the “self-service station”, inspired by modern buffet restaurants. The station would offer a rotating selection of seasonal dishes, with the menu changing daily based on available ingredients. Customers could pay 100 copper coins for entry to the self-service station, allowing them to take and eat as much as they wanted. However, they would be required to finish their food within one hour. Any leftovers would result in a fine twice the cost of their meal. This chapter was taken from novelping dot com without permission.
Of course, alongside these modern adaptations, Luxian ensured that the Hall of Lu Yue retained a traditional aspect to cater to nobles and wealthy patrons. Private dining rooms, available only through reservation, offered privacy and were conveniently located near the performance stage. These rooms featured movable screens that could be opened for an unobstructed view of the entertainment.
At the center of the dining area was a circular performance stage surrounded by 20 dining tables, with the private dining rooms situated to the right of the stage.
The combination of innovation and tradition made the Hall of Lu Yue a truly unique establishment, blending modern concepts with the elegance of the past.
Performances at the Hall of Lu Yue would rotate daily, depending on the performers’ availability. These included instruments like guqin, guzheng, konghou, pipa, and flute, as well as traditional dances. Performances would only take place during the hour of You to the hour of Hai[1] , while food service would continue during other hours. The Hall of Lu Yue had no fixed opening or closing times—it operated continuously for all twenty-four hours of the day and night. Guests could visit whenever they pleased, as hunger didn’t follow a schedule. In the Kingdom of Da Qi, where there were no restrictions on nighttime activities, the entertainment districts were lively around the clock. Opening a business that operated for all twenty-four hours was unprecedented and highly innovative.
This convenience naturally intrigued people. The more novel an idea, the more it drew attention, making it a key selling point.
The second floor of the Hall of Lu Yue was divided between workers’ quarters and Luxian’s luxurious private residence. If his future patients needed to stay overnight, they would be accommodated on the upper floors, keeping things organized and separated. This setup also allowed workers to move easily between the first and second floors.
Luxian’s private room on the second floor was inspired by his home in the modern world, complete with an ornate ceiling candelabra resembling a chandelier. Why go to such lengths? It was simply because he liked it. The decor was purely for his personal satisfaction. After all, once the hall was completed, he would be managing it himself, so it had to surpass the grandiosity of his residence in the Chen family estate.
The third and fourth floors were designated as the main clinic. Luxian ordered the original staircase, which connected the tavern’s interior, to be removed and replaced with a new entrance at the back of the Hall of Lu Yue. Both stairs and ramps were built to accommodate wheelchairs and patient beds.
Speaking of patient beds and wheelchairs, Dr. Chen had spent the past three months finding the right craftsman to produce them. The carpenter he found was the capital’s top carriage maker, typically catering exclusively to nobility. With the help of Servant Zhu, Luxian finally secured a meeting. The carpenter, intrigued by the unique designs for the wheeled chairs and beds, accepted the job.
A week earlier, Luxian had inspected the finished items and confirmed they could substitute for hospital furniture. However, since he lacked proper storage space, he had paid for the items and left them at the workshop for now.
Luxian also instructed workers to build separate bathrooms for guests next to the tavern. Two large bathing areas were constructed: one as a communal bath for patients’ families or workers and the other as a private bath for Luxian himself.
The stone mason managed to create functional toilets with underground waste pits, which Luxian intended to use for making fertilizer. This preventive measure was meant to avoid future issues like blocked toilets.
“I’m very satisfied with your work,” Luxian told the workers. “I’ll reward each of you with an additional five tales of silver. Once you finish the final touches in three days, distribute it among yourselves. As for the private matters of this hall, I believe I don’t need to say much—you know what should and shouldn’t be spoken of, don’t you?”
“Of course, sir. Please rest assured,” the head worker replied hurriedly. He knew better than to discuss the secret rooms or the hall’s unusual features. Talking about it would only make people think he was mad—or worse, invite danger from his employer. The extra pay from this generous Young Master was already more than enough. Visit novelping(.)com for the full chapter.
After leaving the Hall of Lu Yue, Dr. Chen Luxian stopped by the herbal shop to inspect the goods and finalize the delivery schedule for the hall. Once the arrangements were made, he headed west of the city, arriving at a modest wooden house.
This was the home of the blacksmith.
“Young Master, you’ve come at just the right time! I was just wondering how I might find you. Come, come, take a look at my work!” the blacksmith exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement and pride. He waved eagerly at Luxian, who was standing under an umbrella held by one of his maids.
Dr. Chen walked around, inspecting the medical tools that had taken three months to craft. He was thoroughly pleased with the results—everything was made exactly as he had envisioned. After testing their functionality and confirming that they worked almost as effectively as modern medical equipment—at about 90% of the capability—he was even more satisfied.
“You’ve done an excellent job,” Luxian praised.
“Thank you, Young Master! I poured my heart and soul into crafting every piece,” the blacksmith replied, grinning widely with pride.
“Good. In that case, I’d like you to make a second set of all these tools. Also, create ten additional syringes and ten blood-drawing needles. There’s no rush for this order—once it’s complete, deliver it to the Hall of Lu Yue. When you arrive, leave the items in the back of the shop and speak to the proprietress there.”
“Yes, Young Master,” the blacksmith replied respectfully.
Luxian then took out a banknote worth 30 taels of silver and handed it to the blacksmith.
“Young Master... this is too much...”
“It’s fine. Consider it an advance payment for the next order,” Luxian said casually.
“Thank you very much, Young Master!” The blacksmith accepted the banknote hesitantly but couldn’t hide his joy.
“Mm,” Luxian responded with a slight smile before turning to return to the Chen estate.
[1] The hour of Hai refers to 9:00 PM – 10:59 PM.