Chapter 3080 Secret Recipe
The medical office was filled with a strong medicinal aroma that lingered for two days. Not to mention, the nearby villagers actually thought it smelled good after smelling it so often.
As more and more medicinal materials were processed, and the three doctors occasionally went to the front to examine patients with Zhou Man, they gradually realized that something was wrong.
Doctor Tian picked up the ephedra in the dustpan and asked numbly, "Is this also used to make wound medicine?"
Hu Dalang, who had brought him the method for processing ephedra, said with a bewildered look, "I don't know. My master just told me to give you the herbs and the prescription, and told me to just follow the recipe."
Doctor Tian took the prescription, waved at him and left. He turned to Doctor Shao and said, "Judging from the herbs we've processed over the past two days, Master Zhou's wound medicine is quite complex."
Doctor Shao also shook his head and laughed, "Never mind, who doesn't have a secret recipe? We're not real apprentices, so you can't teach us the recipe for a finished medicine."
Ready-made medicines and decoctions are different. If the latter can still be taught, the former is completely a secret of each family.
Zhou Man was teaching Wen Tiandong how to make medicine. "The Imperial Medical Bureau has distributed the prescription to the medical bureaus in various places. You must learn how to make it. The medical bureau is constantly spending money. Even His Majesty and the Crown Prince can't afford our expenses, so we have to find a way to make money from other sources."
She said, "Selling patent medicines, especially cooperating with the military, is the most important thing."
Wen Tiandong frowned while wearing a mask. "But aren't there some of our classmates in the military now? They can do it themselves."
"How many people are there?" Zhou Man said, "The Imperial Medical Bureau has currently approved the distribution of five prescriptions for ready-made medicines. They are all readily available and quite effective. There are few Chinese medicine practitioners in the army right now, so relying solely on them to produce and supply the army with ready-made medicines is impossible, not even within three years."
Zhou Man's eyes sparkled. She said, "Lord Luo and I have privately calculated that the market for finished medicines is huge. Especially with the severe shortage of doctors, many people will buy finished medicines for emergencies. Even if we lose the military orders in the future, we can still make a lot of money just from the civilian market."
Wen Tiandong: "Where in the world are there so many medicinal herbs?"
Zhou Man said, "Lord Luo once served as an official in Lingnan. Medicinal herbs are abundant there, and many mountain people make a living by picking them. He has already contacted them in Lingnan. They will find a way to open up medicinal fields, or directly sow seeds in the mountains to ensure the continued growth of medicinal herbs, so that they can be picked every year."
Wen Tiandong widened his eyes, obviously not expecting that the gentleman and the others had even discussed this.
Zhou Man said, "It takes time for medicinal herbs to grow. If they don't grow old enough, their efficacy will be greatly reduced. They also have requirements for soil fertility; it can't be too poor or too fertile. Especially for some medicinal herbs that currently only grow wild, they are difficult to cultivate artificially. So we have to find a way to plant more of them in their original ecological environment. Although they are still wild, they are guided by human intervention, so they can be considered semi-wild."
In order to prevent medicinal herbs from occupying farmland, Zhou Man and Lord Luo discussed this and both agreed that it would be sufficient to directly expand the growth of the herbs in their growth environment. For some medicinal herbs that can already be grown by humans, such as ginger, yam, and red dates, they can be promoted among the people. For other herbs that are still mainly wild, their seeds can be directly spread throughout the mountains to expand their original growth. In time, farmers can simply go up the mountain to pick them. Such herbs are considered semi-wild.
Wen Tiandong swallowed and looked at Zhou Man blankly.
Zhou Man looked up and smiled at him, then asked, "Why, are you surprised?"
Wen Tiandong lowered his eyes and said, "When we were in school, the teachers and students argued about this, and the students also discussed it. Because the establishment of local medical offices would inevitably increase the demand for medicinal materials, the teachers and students were worried that the prices of medicinal materials would increase. People who couldn't afford medical treatment would become even more unable to afford it, and those who could afford it would be even more unable to see a doctor because of the increased prices."
Zhou Man asked, "Have the prices of medicinal herbs increased now?"
Wen Tiandong recalled the purchase order Mr. Qian had submitted a few days ago and said, "Except for a few herbs that saw a slight price increase, the prices of other herbs have remained mostly the same. Some have even dropped in price. This seems normal."
"It's normal," Zhou Man said. "I've compared the prices of medicinal materials in Qingzhou over the past two years. This year's fluctuations are all within the normal range. The prices haven't increased due to the opening of the medical office."
She said, "I don't know what the future holds, but we can't let the possibility of price increases prevent us from doing anything. We should be working to benefit the people. If we're worried about adverse consequences, then we should strive to make it a positive outcome. If you're worried about the price of herbs going up if the hospital prescribes too many, then we should try to diversify the herbs and ensure that we have more on the market. Wouldn't that prevent prices from going up?"
"You've discussed it for so long, but you still haven't come to a conclusion, right?" Zhou Man said, "So we have to do it. Only by doing it can we know right from wrong. We tried our best, even if we were wrong in the end."
Then do you have a clear conscience?
"Then change it," she said with a resolute expression, "You've already taken the wrong path. If you turn back and start over, your chances of success will be higher."
Wen Tiandong: "...Sir, you are very perseverant."
Zhou Man patted his shoulder and said, "Don't be afraid of failure. Come on, make the medicine for wounds. Mix it up, and I'll have Hu Xiaomei and the others come in and fill the bottles. General Qibi is still waiting for us to deliver the medicine."
Wen Tiandong exhaled and nodded in agreement, "Has there been another war recently?"
"There haven't been any major battles, but there have been occasional clashes. They also need training, so injuries are common," Zhou Man said. "Besides, it's been cold lately, so I've made them some remedies for colds. This time, let them experience the magic of our medicines."
Wen Tiandong nodded. While preparing the medicine according to Zhou Man's instructions, he couldn't help but ask, "Your Excellency seems to be getting along well with Lord Luo?"
Zhou Man habitually turned her head and glanced outside, confirming that no one was outside. Then she remembered that this was Qingzhou, and she was surrounded by her people. She sighed and said, "Mr. Xiao is a good man, but he is too conventional in the construction of the medical department. Lord Luo is different. He is as ambitious as I am."
Zhou Man said, "I mentioned the idea of promoting the cultivation of medicinal herbs to Xiao Yuanzheng a few years ago. Xiao Yuanzheng only submitted a petition once, but the Ministry of Revenue rejected it on the grounds that it might seize farmland, and the matter was dropped. However, this time, Lord Luo directly contacted the provincial governors and county magistrates in various places. Currently, not only Lingnan, but even Yongzhou has begun to tentatively plant some medicinal herbs."
Wen Tiandong, who was caught off guard by the conflict between his teacher and his immediate superior, said:
See you at 10pm
(End of this chapter)
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