Thinking of this, she calmed down a bit and started helping Shen Qinghe check the things he had packed with Gu Shi. After Zhou Xiucai next door finished packing, she saw them off to the door.
Meanwhile, inside the county government office, Wang Xian and Song Wanyin fell silent.
On the table was a letter from Song Wanyin's father. The letter mentioned that Wang Xian's achievements had been reported and that, barring any unforeseen circumstances, he would be promoted from magistrate of Qingshi County to prefect of Pingyang Prefecture within a year.
Although Pingyang County was only a lower county and the rank of the prefect was only sixth grade, it was a huge leap for a seventh-grade county magistrate. Ordinary people would only be transferred to a position of the same grade after their term was over. However, Wang Xian was promoted to prefect after only three years as a county magistrate, which was obviously inseparable from the intervention of Song Wanyin's father.
However, this letter made both Song Wanyin and Wang Xian uneasy. Song Wanyin broke the silence first, her tone filled with resentment: "What kind of things has my father done! The fertilizer formula was clearly Zhaozhao's idea, so how come she only got five hundred taels of silver in the end, and all the credit went to you?"
Wang Xian was also quite embarrassed. "I didn't expect my father-in-law to do this. When I reported this matter to him, I specifically noted Meng Niangzi's name, thinking that I could ask for some reward for her. I didn't expect my father-in-law to give most of the credit to me."
Song Wanyin felt both guilty and helpless. "I was originally planning to congratulate Zhao Zhao properly after this matter was over, but now I'm too ashamed to even go to her."
Seeing this, Wang Xian felt a little guilty. He gently held Song Wanyin's hand and comforted her, "My lady, we are sorry for what happened to Madam Meng. Don't worry, I will take good care of her in the future and do my best to make up for it."
Song Wanyin sighed and nodded: "That's the only way."
***
Because of the revamped gift boxes, Treasure Pavilion's business was booming, and some merchants began to complain, "Madam He, these things are just too hard to buy! I've been waiting for days, but I still couldn't snag a single set. This won't do! If I don't have some new items when I go back, how am I supposed to do business?"
Their complaints were simply a ploy to get something good out of He Jianxia. After all, they came here to buy things from the Treasure Pavilion, so they had plenty of time to haggle with them.
Seeing this, He Jianxia looked troubled. "Sigh, please don't say anything more. I really have no choice. Our manager is keeping a close eye on these gift boxes. She writes all the notes she puts in the boxes every day by hand. No one else can fake it. I really don't have a single box left."
Upon hearing this, the merchant's eyes darted around. He leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "So, are all the slips of paper in your lottery box used up every day?"
He Jianxia shook his head: "That's not necessarily true. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't."
Upon hearing this, the merchant immediately seized the opportunity, "That's settled then! You must have slipped some notes in there, but before they're found, my dear sister, please give me a few sets. I promise I won't treat you unfairly."
He Jianxia shuddered at his words and quickly waved her hand, "Stop, stop, stop! What are you saying? How many do we sell in a day? Do you think we'd give you a few more sets? We don't have that many!"
The man's eyes flashed. "So, from what you're saying, moving one or two sets is still possible?"
He Jianxia slapped her forehead in feigned annoyance, looking as if she had just realized she had said the wrong thing: "Oh well, since you've asked me, I can't not tell you. I do have two sets, but..."
"But what? Tell me quickly! Once I get the item, I'll definitely give you a nice gift and won't treat you unfairly!"
"No, no, no, if our shopkeeper finds out I'm accepting gifts, he'll kick me out! It's just that the shopkeeper instructed me to sell that batch of Poria cocos toothpaste. I've been busy with this matter these past few days, and it's really giving me a headache."
The man immediately understood, "Hey, this is no big deal! I'll take as many as you have!"
He Jianxia's eyes lit up. "There are a hundred in total. You're willing to take them all?"
The merchant nodded without hesitation. He often resold items from the Treasure Pavilion and had already accumulated a considerable network of connections.
Those important people are all waiting for the new stuff, how could he dare to try and fool them with old stuff? If someone brings back a "renewed gift box" before him this time, wouldn't it make him look incompetent?
These limited-edition items are sure to please the wealthy and powerful. If you bring one back and the person is so pleased, they might reward you with a gold leaf. What do the other toothpastes that came with it matter then?
Seeing that the deal was done, He Jianxia smiled with satisfaction and quickly led the merchants to the backyard to get their goods.
The "renewal gift boxes" given to the customers were not drawn from a lottery box, but rather an extra allowance that Meng Zhao gave to each of the employees, allowing them to maximize profits.
***
That day, Meng Zhao was teaching the children new calculation formulas in the courtyard when there was a knock on the door. Meng Zhao went to open the door and found it was Doctor Wang and his apprentice from Huichuntang.
"Madam Meng, I apologize for disturbing you." Doctor Wang smiled and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Dr. Wang, what brings you here today? Please come in and have a seat." Meng Zhao greeted the two with a smile.
"Madam Meng, I have already tested the jar of alcohol you gave Shize last time on many animals and people. Wounds wiped with alcohol have indeed greatly reduced the chance of rotting. Even if some wounds still rot, we can reduce the possibility of secondary rotting by wiping the knives with alcohol before scraping off the rotten flesh. The effect is really unexpectedly good!"
He then frowned, "It's a pity that it was used up too quickly. There was a little left, but when I checked today, it was all gone."
Meng Zhao then realized what had happened, patted his forehead, and said, "It's my fault. I forgot to tell you that the seal must be tightly closed with alcohol, otherwise it will leak out."
Li Shize suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! No wonder we were so careful every time we used it, making sure the lid was tightly closed. But last time we weren't paying attention, and it was gone."
Meng Zhao continued, "Not only that, alcohol must never come into contact with fire, otherwise it is very easy to ignite."
The two doctors nodded. They knew that alcohol could fuel fires, and given its potent nature, they had taken precautions. The room where they kept the alcohol had never seen a flame before.
Doctor Wang pondered for a moment, then asked, "Madam Meng, alcohol is indeed a good thing. I wonder how you plan to sell it?"
This problem put Meng Zhao in a bit of a bind. She bought the raw liquor for making alcohol from the market. A jar cost fifty or sixty coins, and she bought three jars in total. After two distillations, only a little over half a jar remained.
All told, the cost of a single jar of alcohol is nearly 200 wen, and when you add the manpower and resources required for the distillation process, the cost is indeed not low.
The reason why wine is so expensive is ultimately due to low grain production. The grain produced is just enough to satisfy everyone's basic needs, so there is no surplus grain to brew wine. Therefore, whenever there is a famine, the imperial court will issue an order to prohibit the brewing and sale of wine.
"A jar of alcohol would cost over three hundred coins if you wanted to buy it."
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