Chapter 27: Jade Rabbit Opens a New Store. This man is unmoved? Even if he refuses to...
The man wasn't wearing a clerical robe for this visit, but rather the usual upper-class attire, though he managed to create an unusual aesthetic. He had already removed his black wool coat in the hallway, leaving behind a matching short-collared tuxedo and a white shirt. He was tall and slender, with an air of elegance.
He leaned against the balcony wall, staring straight at somewhere outside the house, without responding to Alice's words. His eyes looked dazed and lucid at the same time, and he looked particularly easy to bully.
Alice extended her index finger and gently poked the man's shoulder, but he didn't move or react in the slightest.
Really drunk? They were playing drinking games at the table. Aside from her deliberately reciting those few ambiguous lines that only the two of them understood, he would respond with a retort, secretly competing with her. The others basically automatically admitted defeat and drank a penalty glass, considered the one who drank the most.
She raised her hand again and pressed her fingers into the middle of his cheek, forcing a dimple into his now expressionless face.
When she moved her fingers elsewhere, the man finally lowered his eyes slightly, looked at his left cheek where the dimple had just been poked, and reached out to intercept her index finger that was about to place on his lips.
"Miss Alice, what are you doing?" His tone was calm, yet there was an inexplicable sense of innocent confusion.
"You're not drunk?" Alice was a little surprised.
"Of course not."
"Then why did you come upstairs with me?" She was puzzled. Considering his coldness in front of the old Countess of Camden, she thought he would not talk to her tonight unless necessary, let alone come to this third-floor studio balcony with her alone.
After waiting for a long time, I heard the man's confused and slurred voice slowly reply, "I knew Miss Alice wouldn't give up without this gift tonight. I have to know what it is before I can refuse."
She could see that although Adrian Moran was still conscious, his senses were somewhat dulled by the influence of alcohol, so his reactions to the outside world had also become much slower.
The man closed his eyes, forced himself to stay alert, and then continued, "Now, Miss, you can announce the answer."
"Mr. Rector, I want to open a pharmacy in the Tzu Chi Hall of your district church."
Ignoring her new name, Adrian Moran took two seconds to respond: "Miss Alice, are you drunk or am I? You weren't drinking when you said this yesterday, right? Are you sure this can be called a gift?"
In recent months, the man's sharp tongue has become a conditioned reflex. Although he no longer needs to go to social places to be noticed, he has not completely recovered, not to mention that his brain is now corroded by alcohol and he acts entirely on intuition.
He even mocked himself: "Or do you think too highly of my wallet? You actually think I can afford the medicine costs of the entire parish of believers, which are calculated in pounds per piece?"
His words weren't clear, but the self-deprecation was palpable. He didn't doubt the value of the medicine Alice was offering. After all, he had personally experienced its effectiveness many times, and it was his own wallet that was being left wanting.
"Of course you can afford it," Alice said, unconcerned, offering a reason the man couldn't refuse. "Only a penny for a dose. Isn't that a gift?"
The man thought he was drunk, unable to think or process information properly. "One penny?"
"Sir, you heard correctly. This expense is affordable for ordinary people. If you really need it, you can use the donations your parish receives to supplement the expenses without much pressure. I heard from John that you allocate a sum of money every year for the Tzu Chi Hall's daily medical expenses."
"What about you, Miss Alice? Selling medicine worth several pounds for a penny? The price difference isn't just a few times, it's hundreds of times." The man sobered up a little and said seriously, "Even if you've made some money these days, I'm afraid you can't afford this huge expense. Not to mention, you just bought a new house."
He glanced around. While the house wasn't exquisite in every detail, it was furnished with considerable care, a significant expense. There were also the two servants and the cook I met tonight; their salaries were part of my ongoing expenses. The young lady before me was perhaps overthinking philanthropy.
"Mr. Adrian, are you worried about me?" It was rare to see a man express his concern so directly.
"Miss, could you please take care of the most important issue right now?" The man was so angry that he was half sober.
Alice shrugged. "Very well, sir, you are such a worrywart. The medicine I sell for a penny is certainly not the kind of medicine you see in shops selling to the upper classes. It's specifically for the poor people living in and around the Tzu Chi Hall, who need it most for acute illnesses, such as this recent epidemic."
"Epidemic..." The man was a little concerned, but puzzled. "I've never seen medicine sold for a penny before."
"This is my own business," Alice joked. "I can't just allow you to do good deeds and not let the rest of us participate. I've already thought of a name for the store: Oriental Alice 1 Penny Tzu Chi Pharmacy. This should be considered a gift, and it's also thanks to your kindness in helping me find Lydia a few days ago, right?"
"No, this is far more than the help I provided that day. Besides, back then I was... offering help as a friend, not expecting anything in return. The meal you and your family invited me to was enough." The man paused for a moment before continuing, "Now, I can never repay you with anything like this."
"In that case, Mr. Adrian, it's you who should thank me instead." Alice spoke in a lively tone, but the ending tone seemed to carry endless affection.
Hearing the obvious teasing in the young lady's words, the gentleman being thanked suddenly felt no resentment. He looked up at her, and after a moment, he said solemnly, "Miss, the merciful Lord will bless you with a smooth life."
"This is what I wanted to do myself. What does it have to do with your Lord? Sir, you know I never believe in these things." Alice said casually, twisting her hair with her fingers.
"As the Rector of Soho, I thank you for your kindness on behalf of all the believers." The man lowered his eyes for a moment and changed his tone.
Alice still shook her head: "Sir, I don't care about your status in the church, nor do I want anyone else's gratitude."
"Then... as Adrian Moran, I thank Miss Alice for her kindness." Her voice softened involuntarily. "You have such great kindness, yet you still care about my insignificant gratitude?"
The man would rather not hear the sound of his heart beating at this moment than not know what answer to wait for and his body reacts spontaneously.
"It's not insignificant. I've already told you the thanks I want, sir." As she spoke, Alice moved closer and, taking advantage of the man's unpreparedness, covered his rosy lips with a gentle kiss.
"Of course, I would be happier if you were willing to move into this house I have carefully decorated right now." She whispered this in the man's ear, and her warm and moist breath kissed his ear, causing him to shudder, but she left leisurely.
The man was left standing on the balcony, touching his lips, for a long time without moving, until the old Countess of Camden sent someone to call him away.
The young lady didn't know how to deal with it, so she came to him again the next day to discuss the details of the Tzu Chi pharmacy, and agreed to use his diocese as the pilot area.
The man seemed even more drunk today than he did last night. He was distracted frequently and she had to call him several times to wake him up before they could continue their discussion.
In the end, the two agreed to open a store in only one of the Tzu Chi churches in a parish, and they chose the parish cathedral church, where the Tzu Chi hall was the largest, could accommodate the most homeless people, and was more convenient for those in need to get medicine.
Alice had originally planned to ask Uncle Gardner to contact the construction team that had renovated his Bond Street pharmacy to set up a small shop in the church. However, Adrian Moran said, "The people in the Tzu Chi Church are more or less able to do some work. Many have lost their ability to work due to illness, or have suffered unspeakable suffering and are just living from day to day. Miss Alice, you just need to prepare some construction materials and tools."
Alice agreed. After all, a pharmacy in a Tzu Chi hall didn't need to be elaborately decorated; it just needed to function as a basic store.
After the two of them agreed on the other details, Adrian Moran, the parish rector, took Miss Kindness to choose a good location and gave her the space in the middle facing the main entrance of the Tzu Chi Hall.
"Mr. Moran." As he entered, the people who had been taken in greeted him respectfully. Many people saw the lady beside him and greeted her warmly: "Miss Alice, long time no see." She had often come here for a while before proposing, delivering medicine and treating illnesses, and they had become familiar with each other.
"Everyone, many of you have received medicine from Miss Alice. She will officially open a 1-penny pharmacy in our Tzu Chi Hall. For just 1 penny, you can get a dose of life-saving medicine. In addition to cash, the store also allows work-for-work compensation. A list of work needed for the day will be posted outside the store every day, and everyone will line up in order to claim it."
The first job was assigned to build a small shop at the Tzu Chi Hall. After receiving their tools, they set about constructing it in full swing. Adrian Moran, acting as the parish rector, took Alice with him to inform the parish priests of the matter one by one and to arrange for the subsequent distribution of medicine.
A week later, the first Oriental Alice 1 Penny Tzu Chi Pharmacy opened in St. George's Church.
There was no elaborate opening ceremony, and no one was invited to attend. Amidst the cheers and attention of the Tzu Chi Hall staff, church clergy, and employees, the shop opened its doors to welcome customers.
Although the shop is much simpler overall and the entire structure is made of wood, it has everything it needs, and the unusual little shop sign is still the same rabbit pounding medicine and stepping on the moon.
Stepping into the store, it is about 800 square feet, just enough space for several rows of shelves, a counter and a few chairs.
There's no need for a reception area like the Bond Street shops, and the people picking up their medicine don't have the time for one. They're all struggling to make ends meet, and they just need more time to work and earn money. As for the Tzu Chi residents themselves, they can stay anywhere, sit or lie down, and they're not picky about where to stay.
She posted the list of tasks to be done today on a specially made small wooden sign and hung it up. Soon, a long line formed.
Alice accepted the first five people and confirmed that they all claimed to be able to complete the assigned work. She then briefly explained what they were to do and asked them to go to their posts to do the work.
The shop was filled with the fragrance of mugwort, which cleared away the mixed and stuffy air in the Tzu Chi Hall.
The outermost shelves held Quhan Pills, made with herbs like elderberry, also native to the UK. Each bottle contained nine pills. While not as potent as Xiaofengsanxue Pills, they were nonetheless effective for this epidemic. Further down the shelf, Huizhuan Yiqi Pills for cholera and Rongjue Ca Tu San for carbuncles were also stocked, along with other emergency remedies.
The first wave of medicine was distributed to the workers who set up the shop. They worked for three to five days, and their daily wages were recorded as one penny, which could be redeemed for a medicine. Since the epidemic was still raging, almost everyone got a cold-repelling pill. Later, the medicine was sold to people who came from other parts of the Soho parish.
Now that she was in charge of the new shop, the original Bond Street shop was handed over to Elizabeth. The lease of the upstairs apartment had not yet ended, and Elizabeth had sometimes stayed there recently.
Alice looked at the business performance of the new store on the first day and found it was quite good. In addition to the thirty or so doses of medicine sold as compensation for work, another fifty or sixty doses were sold. Although there was a slight loss, the total price was only a few shillings. As long as Elizabeth sold a dose of the refreshing ointment, or even just the much cheaper special Chinese herbal tea, the loss could be earned back.
She was concentrating on calculating the profits and losses, but she also noticed that a certain parish rector was watching her from a distance.
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