With a capable assistant pulling her along, Jiang Zhi walked the rest of the mountain path with less effort and quickened her pace.
Just as they climbed to the top of Old Cloud Cliff, they heard a cheer from above: "Auntie and Errui are back!"
The sudden sound startled Jiang Zhi. She looked up and saw Xiao Man squatting on a tree branch not far away, waving at her.
The moon had already risen, and his figure, dark and bulging, resembled a large monkey.
"Xiaoman, you're really scary! No wonder Peppa Pig didn't react!" Jiang Zhi patted her chest, both angry and amused.
Beside her, the little wild boar stood obediently without moving. If it had been a stranger, Peppa would have already darted out.
Xiaoman chuckled and nimbly climbed down the tree: "My grandpa told me to come out and see if you've returned yet."
Xiaoman and his grandfather went home after swearing at someone in the morning, and everyone wanted to hear what happened next.
The steaming hot food was served, and everyone sat around it, eating and chatting.
Today, Xiaoman was a little tired after walking up and down the mountain. He wanted to drink something to relieve his fatigue, and at that moment, a cup of medicinal wine was placed on the table.
He took a sip, squinted, and frowned as he savored the taste of the wine before asking, "Second Aunt, did that good-for-nothing Xu Changming make things difficult for you again?"
Jiang Zhi laughed and said, "No, he can't flip it over by himself."
Grandma Xiaoman scolded from the side, "Knowing full well that it's a thankless task, he refuses to do it and even gets in the way of others doing it. He's a monster!"
"snort!"
Xiaoman stared wide-eyed and said without hesitation, "If he tries to act weird again, he'll behave after three days of starvation."
One person's opposition was no big deal; everyone quickly forgot about Xu Changming.
There's really nothing to gain by being the village chief of a village with only twenty households.
Jiang Zhi became the village chief not to control anyone, but simply to avoid being controlled by others.
The hilltop they live on now is not actually their own property; it is currently government property.
There's a saying, "If the people don't complain, the officials won't investigate." Now, things are fine, but the fear is that if you do a good job clearing land and planting crops, someone else might take it all back with just a word.
Jiang Zhi also has thirty acres of land at the foot of the mountain. If she wants to make something out of it, she will need a long-term contract for its operation.
If someone else gets their hands on you, they'll cause trouble every few days.
That's what a toad is like—it doesn't bite or hurt people, but it exhausts all its energy just trying to figure out human nature.
Grandpa Xiaoman said, "I looked around the village and among the families who came back, Xu Changming is the only one with thin eyelids and a long mouth. He's only good at talking a lot."
The other families are reasonable enough not to disobey..."
“Those few outsider families are also small in number and need to rely on you. As long as you give them some benefits, they will be loyal to you in the future.”
His trip down the mountain was not only to suppress those who might act strangely due to their age, but also to help check what kind of vicious people were among the newcomers.
As people get older, they become more perceptive. Grandpa Xiaoman mingled in the crowd and listened to everyone talking, gaining a general understanding of the situation.
Jiang Zhi nodded: "Yes, they also want to help a crazy scholar, and I agreed. I will help his family buy some grain when I go to buy grain the day after tomorrow."
The outsiders wanted to help, and Jiang Zhi wanted to help too, but they couldn't do it openly. Having one more educated person in the village would bring many benefits.
Regardless of whether we can open a school for the children in the future, the sound of Xia Xiucai reading the Analects every morning is better than listening to those who beat chickens and curse dogs.
When the topic of buying grain came up, Xu Dazhu, who was eating at the same table, said, "Auntie, the medicine powder has been sealed and is in a wooden box. Chunfeng, bring the wooden box over here."
Chunfeng hurriedly put down her bowl and carried out the wooden box she had traded for straw sandals from the corner of the room.
Jiang Zhi opened the wooden box and saw that it contained neatly arranged bamboo tubes, with the openings sealed with cut oiled paper and heated over a fire.
"Auntie, there are two hundred bamboo tubes in total! Each one has been weighed out using a small scale." Xu Dazhu picked up the bamboo tubes and handed them to Jiang Zhi.
These bamboo tubes, each about the thickness of a finger, were carefully selected and are generally the same size.
The bamboo tubes are placed in a kiln to remove moisture, and then polished with horsetail grass.
The tube is smooth and bright yellow, with a carved leaf and the character "Jiang" on it.
Looking at the engraving, Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "Da Zhu really put his heart into it!"
Xu Dazhu said, "We'll carve these medicines so that people at the pharmacy will know they belong to my aunt."
This is what Jiang Zhi wants to exchange for money.
Although the anti-inflammatory tablets made from ground ivy were appreciated by Magistrate Zhang, who even said he would make more and develop them in the name of the government.
Jiang Zhi didn't disbelieve Zhang Zheng and Xiang Dejin's words; it was just that matters involving the government couldn't be decided by individuals alone, and couldn't be accomplished without several years of "research and investigation."
Furthermore, Zhang Zheng's official duties are numerous and he handles urgent matters urgently and deferred matters slowly, so pharmaceutical manufacturing would definitely be the last priority.
But merchants are different. They are driven by profit like flies to filth, and once they discover something, they will do everything they can to get it.
Upon returning from Lihua Town, Jiang Zhi immediately thought of doing business with Baicaotang.
The first one is Banlangen granules, which can be called a "miracle drug".
This local coffee accompanies everyone throughout their lives. You can drink a packet when you have a headache, a packet when you have a fever, a packet when you're in a bad mood, or even a packet when you're craving something sweet.
It cures all diseases; its efficacy goes beyond that of medicine.
Although it's often referred to as a "miracle drug" with a hint of sarcasm, its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiviral effects are undeniable, and its role in treating infectious diseases cannot be denied.
Now, Jiang Zhi is preparing to make this "miracle drug".
[Prescription source: Tianjin Xianfeng Traditional Chinese Medicine Factory]
Ingredients: Isatis root, starch, powdered sugar, pineapple flavoring
Jiangzhi doesn't use any artificial flavorings, but it does contain brown sugar. Only pampered modern people would pick and choose the flavor of medicine when they're sick.
After returning from Lihua Town, she began making medicine.
The dug-up Isatis root is dried, crushed, and then repeatedly boiled using a hot soaking method to extract the medicinal juice. The juice is then concentrated into a paste, mixed with starch and sugar, stirred, and sieved.
Next, Xiaoman, an experienced "group sieving expert," used a small winnowing basket to shake the semi-dry powder into granules, and then spread them out on a sieve lined with cotton cloth to dry.
Xu Dazhu also uses beautiful bamboo tubes to package the items, ensuring they are convenient to use.
Although the small workshops have outdated processes and substandard hygiene conditions, they use high-quality ingredients.
Just like the food my mother cooks at home. It doesn't have a health certificate or a hygiene certificate, and it's common for it to contain bugs and hair, but it doesn't cause diarrhea and keeps the family healthy.
As long as Banlangen granules have a market, then Yimucao granules, Xiakucao granules, loquat leaf granules will follow...
Everyone was filled with anticipation as they looked at the box of small, exquisite bamboo tubes.
Having seen the pills before, these powdered medicines no longer surprised them, especially since they had made them themselves.
Everyone has drunk this medicine powder before. Just a small pinch, mixed with boiling water, makes a bowl of steaming hot medicine. Even Nini can drink it.
If it were really sold for money as Errui's mother said, wouldn't the whole mountain be covered in silver?
Jiang Zhi didn't say anything more; everything would have to wait until they went to town the day after tomorrow to find out.
"Xiaoman and Errui will come with me the day after tomorrow. Bring all the straw sandals and hemp thread you want to sell!"
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