To most people, Xu Errui's request for the government to borrow people to repair civilian houses was quite rude, but Zhao Shuli laughed and agreed: "The post station is well-staffed now, it's no problem to allocate two or three craftsmen, I'll just deduct their wages from the grain payment!"
The government conscripted artisans and laborers for corvée labor free of charge.
It's a good thing that free craftsmen can be exchanged for silver.
Unfortunately, it seems that there are enough people in Xujia Village, otherwise they could have "lent" migrant workers.
Moreover, when he returns to the county government office, he can report back to the county magistrate.
So, the three craftsmen, carrying saws and axes, and Tian Gui and the others carried the timber into the village.
Jiang Zhi's storage room was like an inn, with people coming and going like a revolving lantern.
No sooner had Tian Gui's family left than Xia Xiucai's family moved in.
Jiang Zhi was unaware of the matter of repairing the house for the scholar. A day in advance, she took Xiaoman to Pingchuan County to discuss the plans for the coming year with the Huo family.
Although it was only winter, the wintersweet in Bajun was already in bloom, and flower sellers carrying branches of flowers could be seen all over the streets.
The streets and alleys were once filled with the fragrance of magnolia in summer and the sweet scent of wintersweet in winter.
These flowers, besides adding fragrance, can also be used in medicine.
(Image from the internet) Fresh wintersweet is poisonous and cannot be used to make tea. Dried wintersweet is safe to consume. In summer, it can relieve heat and cough, and improve acne, pimples, and dark spots.
Miss Huo inspected the newly harvested wintersweet blossoms and instructed her assistant to send them to the pharmacy to dry before sending them to other prefectures for sale.
The workers were busy processing various medicinal herbs.
Miss Huo had just finished her business when a servant came to report: Madam Jiang from Xu Family Village has arrived.
Miss Huo has been waiting ever since the message was sent to Madam Jiang to come to the city the day before yesterday.
Finally hearing the news, he hurriedly came out to greet her personally. Upon seeing Jiang Zhi, he immediately smiled and took her hand, saying, "Madam Jiang, as the year draws to a close, I should have visited Xu Family Village, but unfortunately, I was too busy to go. I'll have to trouble you to make the trip again."
Jiang Zhi laughed and said, "It's a good thing you didn't come. The official road is under construction right now, and it's packed with people. Our village is also under construction, and it's a mess everywhere. There's so much to do, so I came out to escape for a while and have some peace and quiet."
Miss Huo knew she was joking: "How many families in the village need to repair their houses? And you, the village chief, have to suffer along with them?"
Through Huo Yanjie, Miss Huo learned that Xu Family Village had been destroyed by bandits and rioters, and later by refugees.
Now all of them are low shacks. If houses were to be built, probably only a handful of families would be converted from shacks.
Jiang Zhi didn't explain, but simply counted on her fingers and said, "Exactly twenty!"
"Twenty families? Madam Jiang subsidized them herself?"
Miss Huo was taken aback. Where would a village of refugees get so much money? Did Madam Jiang take out her hundred taels of silver and the money from selling mosquito coils?
Jiang Zhi smiled and said, "I'm the kind of person who's used to separating public and private matters and doing things according to the rules! If the villagers are short of money, they can only sign a written IOU. Everything can only last if it's done according to the contract!"
Her words were loaded with meaning.
So much time has passed; next year, the drug sales contract I signed with the Huo family should be fulfilled.
The two talked as they entered the study behind the pharmacy; they had a lot to discuss today.
Xiao Man, who had come with him, had already driven the old mule to the county government office; he wanted to visit his sworn brothers.
Also, send some eggs, chickens, rabbits, and various vegetables—things grown on the mountain—to Xiang Dejin, who has settled in the city.
The two won't be back for the time being, so Jiang Zhi has plenty of time to talk things over.
The two sat down, and the waiter brought them tea and lit a charcoal fire in the room to keep them warm.
Miss Huo said with a smile, "Mrs. Jiang, the sales of mosquito coils and mosquito repellent liquid this summer are quite good. It's just a pity that the sales period is short and the quantity is too small. You should prepare more stock next year."
Even if she didn't say it, Jiang Zhi knew about it: "Don't worry, Miss, I have my own arrangements. We will deliver the goods to the store before the wheat harvest."
Mosquito coil production is not difficult, and Jiang Zhi plans to manage it well.
In addition to mobilizing all villagers to process raw materials, she also purchases herbs needed for mosquito coils at each market in Lihua Town.
Hearing that the goods could be prepared and delivered to the store before the wheat harvest, Miss Huo nodded in satisfaction: "Good, I'm relieved to hear Madam Jiang say that! Also, the medicines that Madam Jiang wants to sell can be available next year."
This year, she was able to sell Banlangen granules, mosquito coils, and mosquito repellent liquid. Although she hasn't made much profit yet, she has already seen a promising future in cooperating with the Jiang family.
Although it's sold on behalf of others, it uses the Huo family's sales channels. For Huo family pharmacies, it's also their own new drug, which enhances the Huo family's reputation.
These things had been planned in advance, and as soon as the two brought them up, they came up with a solution.
Jiang Zhi came to the city not only for next year's mosquito coils, but also for other purposes.
In the autumn, the Huo family sent some Ophiopogon japonicus and set up a medicinal herb field in Xujia Village.
The growth cycle of Ophiopogon japonicus is 2-3 years in the south and 3-5 years in the north.
If planted now, the earliest harvest will be around the Qingming Festival the year after next, and there will be no profit during this period.
This was a waste of time for Jiang Zhi.
Since we're going to grow medicinal herbs, we can also grow some short-cycle, quick-profit herbaceous plants, which will also make it easier for me to start making powdered medicine next year.
For example, motherwort, also known as kuncao.
This weed that grows in barren mountains and wild fields is also a traditional Chinese medicine with a wide range of uses.
"The grass stems are square like ephedra, the peanuts bloom between the nodes, the three-angled black leaves resemble mugwort, and the barren slopes and riverbanks are its home."
It is used not only to treat gynecological diseases and menstrual disorders, but also for those with persistent lochia and retained placenta.
Although Tao'er's mother was out of danger by manually removing the placenta, she still had to drink a decoction of motherwort, red dates, and eggs for a period of time after giving birth to clear the blockages in her body.
Motherwort, also known as red wormwood, has the effects of promoting blood circulation and regulating menstruation, promoting diuresis and reducing swelling. It is contraindicated for pregnant women with irregular menstruation.
Motherwort is easy to grow. It is sown in spring and harvested in summer when it is just flowering for the best medicinal effect.
The seeds of Leonurus japonicus have the same medicinal effects and mature at the beginning of winter. Jiang Zhi has already collected them all last month and is just waiting to sow them in the spring.
Jiang Zhi then explained her plans to make motherwort granules and moneywort granules.
The Huo family had learned pharmaceutical preparation methods, so there was no secret to Jiang Zhi making any new granules.
For both companies, the huge, untapped market presented no competition; their only concern was that their own drugs wouldn't be enough, and that other competitors would find out and snatch them away.
Miss Huo said with concern, "I heard Yanjie say that the pharmacies in Pear Blossom Town are not doing well. Uncle Chang is good at doing good deeds, so why don't you let them help you collect herbs!"
Jiang Zhi blinked and smiled, "That's great! I just don't know if Old Manager Huo will agree!"
Although Baicaotang has been helping to relay messages and bring medicine back to the city these days, these are just incidental things and have not involved any money.
Without hesitation, Miss Huo replied, "It's just a small favor, nothing difficult at all!"
Although Baicaotang in Lihua Town is a branch of the Huo family, the medicinal herbs in the shop come from the main branch.
Since Miss Huo, as the person in charge, wanted them to do something, they naturally couldn't refuse.
Jiang Zhi was naturally pleased that Baicaotang was helping to collect the medicine.
In just one year, I could completely clear out all the medicinal herbs around Xujia Village. Even if I planted them all, I still would have to collect them from the surrounding villages.
If we let Manager Huo and the others collect the medicine, they will inevitably become our colleagues. How should we distribute the money?
Faced with Jiang Zhi's question, Miss Huo took out a small abacus, no bigger than the palm of her hand, and started dialing numbers rapidly: "Since you buy a large quantity of mugwort, we can lower the price..."
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