Chapter 65 This business makes me want to do it too.
Looking at the small print on the white bottle, although it was in simplified Chinese characters, Lu Yu could vaguely guess that the medicine was called: Yunnan Baiyao Aerosol.
The back of the bottle lists the main functions and dosage. It specifically states that it is used for sprains and bruises, to reduce swelling and relieve pain.
This reminded him of the pastry packaging that the grocery store had delivered before, which clearly listed the ingredients used in its production.
He originally wanted the kitchen to make a copy, but after asking all the famous chefs in the capital, they all said they didn't know anything called "sodium bicarbonate" or "potassium sorbate" and other strange names.
He had assumed that everything from this shop would have its ingredients clearly labeled, but apart from the name and usage, the crucial ingredients for making the medicine were not mentioned at all on the bottle.
Otherwise, they might have been able to glean some insights from this.
He handed the bottle to Physician Wang, who was standing nearby, and asked, "Can you deduce what medicinal ingredients were used in this medicine based on its smell and effects?"
Physician Wang looked troubled. He leaned closer to smell it again, then dipped a little of the medicine in his fingertip and rubbed it to observe. His brows furrowed more and more tightly.
Finally, he knelt down with a thud.
"Your Highness, please forgive my lack of expertise! This medicine has a peculiar odor and potent properties, and the ingredients used are certainly not ordinary herbs! I cannot determine the composition of this medicine!"
Seeing this, Lu Qian waved his hand and said, "Alright, get up. If it were really that easy to manufacture, the Crown Prince would have already taken action."
The Crown Prince had this thing long before him, and must have consulted the imperial physician long ago.
"Thank you for your mercy, Your Highness!" The imperial physician Wang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and retreated to the side trembling with fear.
Lu Yu took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket.
"This is a drawing I made from memory that night. I've tried my best to recreate the details of the fever reducer bottle, but there may be some discrepancies. Take a look and see if you've seen it before."
Although the lights were bright that night, the bottle was held in the girl's hand the whole time, so he could only vaguely remember what the bottle looked like, and he couldn't make out any of the words on it.
Lu Qian spread out the paper, looked at it several times, and searched for it in his mind.
"This bottle wasn't in the first-aid kit that Miss Jiang took out."
Lu Yu had guessed it too, since he had only suffered external injuries and there was no need to take out this kind of internal medicine.
He then asked, "Now that you've done her a favor, have you decided how you'd like to meet her next time?"
Lu Qian summoned his personal bodyguard, Li Hong, and said, "Li Hong, go to the county town immediately and find a restaurant that is currently open, regardless of size or location. Buy the entire place, including the owner, the staff, the chef, and their signature recipes. Be quick, and the price is negotiable."
"Yes, Your Highness." Li Hong bowed his head in response, then turned and strode out.
Lu Yu asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"That grocery store has too many secrets to uncover in a short time. With this restaurant, I can use the excuse of going to the countryside to collect fresh fruits and vegetables and keep an eye on her shop's activities at any time."
The butler, Afu, who had been listening quietly, stepped forward and asked in a low voice:
"Your Highness, that Xiangbaoge, they suffered a loss today, and I'm afraid they won't let it go easily. Should we send someone to give their master a warning?"
Lu Qian pondered for a while, "No need, let them continue to make trouble. If necessary, we can even give them a push. Once I've won over that girl enough favorably, I'll naturally make my move in the end."
The little Xiangbaoge is nothing to fear, no matter who is behind it. We can take advantage of this situation.
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Early in the morning, the alleys of the capital were abuzz with excitement.
It was still that unassuming Song's Cloth Shop, but it was now packed with ladies and young women dressed in fine silks and satins, crowding the small shop to the point of being impassable.
Hey! Don't push!
"Shopkeeper! Shopkeeper! Leave me ten! Ten lipsticks!"
"Why are you robbing guns? Didn't you hear the shopkeeper say that each person is limited to one?"
Ji Wensheng was once again drawn to the noisy scene. This time, he was smarter and looked down directly from the second-floor window.
It's quiet and peaceful, and you can see everything clearly.
He gently waved his folding fan to create a breeze: "Did Song Qingshan go to get something?"
The old shopkeeper bowed and replied, "Yes, he said goodbye to this old servant before he left. Seeing that the young master was not there, he left behind five lipsticks and more than ten bolts of fine silk, saying that he would give them to the ladies and young misses in the mansion."
Ji Wensheng raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on his lips. "He's alright, at least he's savvy. It wasn't for nothing that I put in this connection for him. Otherwise, a merchant from such a small county would dare to be the first to stick his neck out; he'd probably be devoured without a trace!"
A short while later, the manager of Song's Cloth Shop across the street squeezed out, sweating profusely, and hung the sign that the lipsticks were sold out in a prominent position.
As soon as the sign was put up, the entrance erupted in chaos!
"Huh?! That's it? I just got to the front of the queue!"
"Shopkeeper, you have far too little stock!"
"Knowing that so many of us are waiting to buy, why doesn't the seller stock up on more goods?"
"This is intentional, isn't it? They only sell so little each day, knowing that so many people are queuing up, they're just deliberately keeping people in suspense!"
"Isn't this just deliberately playing a trick on people?"
The Song family manager quickly stepped in to smooth things over, "Ladies and gentlemen! Distinguished guests! Please calm down! We are truly sorry! It's not that our family doesn't want to order more stock, it's just that these lipsticks are not easy to make, and the ingredients are very particular! The manufacturers have also put in a lot of effort to produce just this much, and our family has bought it all! We really have no stock left!"
Seeing that everyone was still excited, he quickly changed the subject and introduced an alternative: "However! Distinguished guests, don't be too disappointed! Our host knows that you are disappointed that you couldn't get the lipstick, so we specially bought a batch of top-quality scented soap from the lipstick manufacturer! This scented soap has a rich and long-lasting fragrance, and the process is unique. It is guaranteed not to disappoint you!"
"To express our apologies, this batch of scented soap from the same source is only two hundred coins each!"
You should know that even the most ordinary scented soap in the capital costs 300 coins, so this price is really a bargain.
It's also the same manufacturer that makes the lipstick, which makes those ladies who can't buy the lipsticks excited.
If you can't get a lipstick, it's not bad to get a scented soap from the same brand!
Since they're from the same manufacturer, the quality shouldn't be too bad.
Seeing that everyone was interested, the shopkeeper added fuel to the fire: "There aren't many scented soaps left, only one hundred in total! First come, first served, while supplies last! Ladies and young ladies, you'd better hurry!"
The ladies, who were just moments before feeling down because they hadn't managed to snag a lipstick, instantly perked up again!
"I want it! I want it!"
"Give me two pieces!"
"It's so cheap, I'll take four yuan, no, five yuan!"
Of all the eight streets in the capital, his business was the most booming.
I didn't know what they sold at first, but after hearing the noise, I couldn't help but go over and take a look.
What amazing things does this shop sell that have attracted so many wealthy women to fight over them?
As I looked around, I couldn't help but join the buying frenzy, afraid of missing out if I was too slow!
Ji Wensheng watched from the second floor with envy. "This business makes me want to do it too."
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