On this day, a series of mishaps occurred in the village.
Xu Gensheng and Xu Genbao were out collecting medicinal herbs and not in the village, so Jiang Zhi, who was in Pingchuan County, didn't know about it.
The deceased must be respected, and in the sweltering summer heat, the body cannot remain unburied; burial must be carried out immediately.
The mosquito coil workshop stopped production to help with the funeral arrangements. Liu and Qin led the women in making mourning cloths and paper flowers.
Two years ago, I died and was buried in a random grave outside, which was out of necessity. Now, I need to arrange for my burial to be peaceful.
Xiaoman and his group arranged for some people to go to town to invite a geomancer to look at the burial site, determine the date, and dig the burial pit, while the others carried out the coffins they had prepared in advance and searched for cypress and pine branches.
Also, we need to quickly notify Xu Gensheng and Village Chief Jiang to come back!
The Huang and Xie families, those newly arrived refugees, couldn't help and were still working on repairing the house.
At this time in Pingchuan County, Jiang Zhi handed over the prescription to Magistrate Zhang and then went to a private room in a restaurant with Xiang Dejin and Wu Hongmao to celebrate.
The first reason was to help Xiaoman recover from her injuries, and the second was to help the two of them obtain official positions in the county government.
Originally, Xiang Dejin said there was no need to spend money; he could just prepare the dishes at home and set up a table in the yard.
Jiang Zhi disagreed.
Dejin's wife is pregnant. Although there is a cook to prepare the food, it is still annoying for him to eat, drink, and make noise with a group of people, and the smell of alcohol is overwhelming. It is better for him to enjoy himself outside.
In the restaurant, the waiters and waiters kept calling Errui and Xiaoman "Sir," making them blush, but they never stopped smiling.
Although their positions were nominal, in the eyes of ordinary people, they would be considered government officials in the future.
Jiang Zhi went along, ate only a little food and wine, and then left the table to leave the men alone.
She couldn't find peace and quiet while drinking tea in the adjacent pavilion when suddenly the Huo family steward arrived uninvited.
Upon seeing Jiang Zhi leisurely drinking tea, Steward Huo immediately sat down in the seat next to her and said, "Village Chief Jiang, if there is anything I have done wrong, please speak frankly!"
Jiang Zhi asked in surprise, "Manager Huo, what are you saying? There's nothing wrong with you at all?"
Manager Huo gave a forced smile and chuckled twice: "Hehe, when the Second Miss was at home, Village Chief Jiang sent over some new medicines, and our two families have had a pleasant cooperation."
But now... look, as soon as the second young lady left, you handed over the prepared medicine to the county government.
"Sigh, if Village Chief Jiang has any complaints, he can speak up and we can discuss it!"
There's a saying that a business should only have two partners. The industry takes such sudden changes in partners very seriously, and there always needs to be a plausible reason.
Jiang Zhi raised an eyebrow. The Huo family's people in the county government were still in place. The news had only been out for an hour when Steward Huo came looking for them.
Jiang Zhi had her own reasons for not handing over the Euphorbia humifusa tablets to the Huo family pharmacy.
The "righteous and awe-inspiring" words she spoke to Magistrate Zhang were also true.
After observing him for some time, I've come to realize that Magistrate Zhang is genuinely working for the benefit of the people, and in a way, he's just like me, who wants fame and fortune.
The Huo family are, after all, businessmen who prioritize profit. Giving them the new drug formula would surely bring them a considerable sum of money.
Just like Banlangen granules and Yimucao granules, they are all sold here to rich people who over-treat minor illnesses, so they don't care if they are a little expensive.
Each item costs a dozen or so coins, and a day's supply can easily amount to forty or fifty coins.
Poor people don't drink powdered medicine; they always seek out folk remedies, or they let minor illnesses heal until they get better, or major illnesses drag on until they die.
Summer is a season of frequent outbreaks of diarrhea and enteritis. In an environment where medical resources are scarce, these effective medications cannot be solely driven by profit.
Everyone is busy making money; it would be foolish not to try and earn it.
But a gentleman loves wealth, but he acquires it in a proper way.
Making money from the rich and saving the lives of refugees—this money isn't hard to come by.
Jiang Zhi smiled at Manager Huo, who was still waiting for her answer: "Manager Huo is overthinking it. We are cooperating very well, and there is nothing to be dissatisfied with."
The recipe was originally proposed by Magistrate Zhang, and I figured out how to make it. Now that the finished product is complete, it naturally needs to be handed over to the magistrate for his disposal.
"Oh? I see! This is from Magistrate Zhang!"
Manager Huo felt slightly relieved. If the recipe really came from Magistrate Zhang, then the Huo family indeed couldn't interfere.
But he was still not sure if the Jiang family had changed their allegiance.
Half an hour ago, an acquaintance in the county government office told me that the Jiang family of Qingquanwan Pharmacy had sent some medicine to the county magistrate.
The county magistrate hired two men brought by Jiang, a move that greatly worried Steward Huo.
If Jiang were to pass on the medicine-making method to someone else, there would inevitably be some back and forth.
The incense, mosquito repellent, and several powdered products are selling well right now, and he doesn't want to cause any trouble, but he still has to ask, "What are Village Chief Jiang's plans for the future?"
At that moment, the people at the banquet next to them were drinking happily. Xiaoman was being urged to drink by Xiang Dejin and others with a smile: "Xiaoman, you're getting engaged too, why didn't you give your brothers a heads-up beforehand! Back in the second year of the Lunar New Year, you kept saying that marriage was still a long way off."
Xiaoman's face turned bright red, whether from the alcohol or shyness, and a few pimples were about to pop out: "I was injured a while ago, and Tao'er took good care of me. My grandparents thought this marriage was suitable, so I... I think it's good too."
Then came a burst of laughter.
Jiang Zhi listened to the commotion and laughed, "Manager Huo, no matter what, if people want to live comfortably, making money is still the most important thing. If I come up with a new way to make money in the future, I will still consider the Huo family first."
Steward Huo smiled with satisfaction: "With Village Chief Jiang's words, I am relieved! Today, since your son has been granted an official position, I should also go and offer him a toast!"
That's a beautifully said thing. Jiang Zhi smiled and led him into the banquet, where dishes and wine were served. In the private room, there was another round of congratulations!
Time flies, and the sun begins to set.
At Xiang Dejin's house, Jiang Zhi was helping the cook make hangover soup in the kitchen.
There's no way we can go back to Xujia Village today. Errui and Xiaoman got completely drunk at noon and are still fast asleep.
Xiang Dejin and the others went to work in a drunken stupor at noon, and it was time for them to finish their shift soon.
Suddenly, Dejin's wife came over and called to her, "Auntie, a constable from the county government is looking for you!"
Jiang Zhi laughed and said, "Magistrate Zhang is really impatient. He just got the formula and he's already talking about other things!"
However, when Jiang Zhi arrived at the county government office, she did not see Magistrate Zhang, but only the county assistant in charge of the security of Pingchuan County, and a dirty, disheveled man in a cage placed in a corner.
"Village Chief Jiang, this man was sent from Xu Family Village. His name is Yang Laosan. He tried to abduct your maid, so the villagers sent him here."
Pingchuan County Magistrate was a very serious and upright person, and he spoke in a flat voice at this moment.
Jiang Zhi was surprised: when she abducted Tan Shi, Yang Laosan was dissatisfied and thought it would take at least half a year or a year before he could come to Xujia Village to ask her for her back.
Unexpectedly, Yang Laosan was very efficient; he came looking for people in less than a month.
However, he looked too disheveled, as if he had fallen into a cesspool and been splashed with water. He was still soaking wet.
"Your Excellency, what's going on with this Yang Laosan?" Jiang Zhi raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose, trying to block out the stench.
The county magistrate, as expected of someone who frequently faces bloody scenes, seemed unaffected by the stench and said calmly, "This scoundrel caused trouble in Xu Family Village, was tortured with needles, and then fell into a latrine. He was just washed off."
Jiang Zhi's expression froze: Needle torture, a latrine! If she doesn't get treatment in this sweltering summer heat, she'll definitely get infected!
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