CHAPTER 607: CHAPTER 607: THE MEDICINE IS READY

They quickly arrived at the pharmaceutical workshop, where Doctor Wu and Manager Cheng were already waiting. The medicine cabinets and boxes used in Jianghuai and Jiangnan were made in Linhe Prefecture, hence Manager Cheng was in attendance while Manager Zhang did not come.

"Grandpa Wu, Uncle Cheng," Gu Jinli and Gu Dashan entered the guest room, greeting the two God of Wealth, their gaze shifting toward a middle-aged man beside Manager Cheng, presumably the carpenter here to learn how to make toothbrushes.

Indeed, after Doctor Wu nodded, he pointed at the man and said: "This is Master Shi, a master carpenter from the carpentry shop, here to learn making toothbrushes from your father."

Master Shi was somewhat skinny but extremely polite. As soon as Doctor Wu finished speaking, he stepped forward and gave Gu Dashan a formal bow: "Master Gu, truly ingenious work, the toothbrush is very functional, and it truly pairs perfectly with the tooth powder."

They also had used the toothbrush, which wasn’t too intricate, but its brilliance lies in its special usage, more effective in cleaning teeth than fingers or willow twigs.

Moreover, the Dong family mentioned that once they earn silver from making toothbrushes, they would increase their monthly salary, which delighted the carpenters immensely.

Gu Dashan suppressed his nervousness, smiling: "Master Shi, no need for such courtesy, I am not a real carpenter. I just used to do carpentry before, and the toothbrush was also taught by my second daughter. I merely assisted, I am not worthy of the title ’Master’."

Manager Cheng said with a smile, "Though the Gu Family’s daughter tutored it, it’s also your fortune to have such a skilled daughter."

Doctor Wu said: "Let’s not praise back and forth, praising Little Xiao Yu to the skies. Let’s bring out the contract, look it over and if there are no issues, we sign it. The old man doesn’t have all day to spend here."

Upon hearing this, Manager Cheng immediately took out three contracts and handed them to Gu Jinli.

Gu Jinli read the contracts aloud for Gu Dashan to hear.

With a split of thirty to seventy, calculated per piece, Gu Dashan only needed to teach Master Shi, after which he would receive thirty percent of the toothbrush earnings.

After hearing the terms, Gu Dashan was very satisfied: "It’s doable, I’ll sign now."

Taking up a pen, he signed his name on two of the contracts, then pressed his fingerprint.

The contract remained signed with Xuanhu Fang, and Xuanhu Fang would then deal with Yuanzi Pharmacy, maintaining separation.

Doctor Wu signed and pressed his fingerprint, while the contract he signed with Yuanzi Pharmacy was already stamped with the private seal of Yuanzi Pharmacy.

Once he put away the contracts, he said: "Master Shi will stay in your workshop these next few days, arrange a room for him, and after he has learned, he will return to Linhe Prefecture."

He also instructed Gu Dashan: "Teach him quickly, so we can establish the reputation of Gu’s Toothbrush before the new year. Otherwise, if other carpenters make toothbrushes after the new year, they might take over the orthodoxy."

As long as the world knows that the toothbrush was first made by the Gu Family, their goal would be achieved.

Gu Jinli smiled and said: "Rest assured, even if others manage to make toothbrushes, wealthy families would still prefer to buy from pharmacies."

Wealthy families don’t lack money to buy toothbrushes, and since tooth powder is bought from pharmacies, they would perceive the toothbrush as related to medicinal herbs, and hence would not dare be careless and would only buy toothbrushes from pharmacies.

As for those made by other carpenters, unable to enter pharmacies, they could only be sold sporadically to other common folk.

Manager Cheng also nodded in agreement: "What the Gu Family’s daughter said is correct. When the time comes, we will sell both tooth powder and toothbrushes together, not fearing other carpenters taking over the toothbrush business."

Doctor Wu nodded after listening and then stared at Gu Jinli: "What about your Convenient Medicine? There have been many people suffering from colds recently, waiting for your medicine. When exactly can you produce it? You need to produce a batch first, then test it for one or two months. Only if there are no issues can you start selling the Convenient Medicine extensively in February next year."

Doctor Wu is very cautious with medicines. He wouldn’t dare to sell them without testing for a couple of months.

Gu Jinli smiled and said, "Coincidentally, we’ve just produced a batch of a thousand pills, and they haven’t been bottled yet. You can come and take a look, and if you think it’s suitable, we can start bottling and sealing."

Although Brother Qin had returned these past two days and she had taken him to Yanfu Building for a meal and spent some time making delicious food for him, she had been working hard on the Convenient Medicine at other times. She swore she really hadn’t slacked off.

Doctor Wu’s eyes lit up upon hearing this: "You have the final product ready? Then take me to see it quickly."

Gu Jinli laughed and said to Gu Dashan: "Dad, you talk with Manager Cheng, I’ll take Grandpa Wu to the pharmacy to have a look."

Doctor Wu is close to them, so she can take him to see how the Convenient Medicine is made, but since Manager Cheng is from Yuanzi Pharmacy, there’s a separation; she wouldn’t take him.

Gu Dashan said, "Ah, you guys go ahead."

Gu Jinli and Doctor Wu soon arrived at the pharmacy located in the fourth inner yard of the residence.

In that pharmacy, Doctor Dai was busy with several lads knowledgeable in pharmacy. Seeing her arrive, he hurriedly greeted her, asking Gu Jinli, "Young Master, when shall we start bottling? The wax blocks are ready."

Doctor Wu was surprised and asked Gu Jinli, "You’re using wax blocks for the Convenient Medicine? That’s expensive stuff and will increase the cost."

She has always been frugal, creating low-cost products. Now she’s using wax blocks, has the sun risen from the west?

Gu Jinli replied smilingly: "It won’t increase the cost much, the wax blocks are just for sealing the bottle’s mouth, just a loop around it."

And these wax blocks were brought back by Jin’an from the Zheng Family and Shangguan Family, both of whom have candle shops. After they cooperate on making soy sauce, buying wax blocks from these two families’ shops will certainly be much cheaper.

She had calculated the cost earlier; if the cost was too high and unprofitable, she wouldn’t have done it. She isn’t foolish.

"So it’s free stuff. I was saying you are unreasonably frugal, how could you possibly agree to use wax blocks," Doctor Wu said, having already entered the pharmacy, looking at the large pharmacy that had rows of makeshift tables, which were covered with clean cotton cloth, each cloth holding thumb-sized pills wrapped in wax paper.

Doctor Wu walked over to the table, picked up a pill, unwrapped the wax paper, and put it directly into his mouth to chew, causing a strong medicinal taste to rush to his nostrils, making him frown.

Uncle Dai handed him a bowl of warm water: "Rinse your mouth."

The taste of the pill is more intense than liquid medicine, chewing it raw is quite unpleasant.

However, Doctor Wu didn’t drink the water but placed the warm water on the table and unwrapped another pill to dissolve it into the water.

After a while, once the pill was fully dissolved, he looked into the pottery bowl and said, "It’s too weak; the medicinal effect isn’t sufficient."

Gu Jinli explained, "This is made smaller deliberately for easy bottling. Two pills equate to the medicinal effect of one bowl of liquid medicine."

Hearing this, Doctor Wu unwrapped another pill into the bowl, and after it dissolved, he looked at the dark liquid medicine and said, "It’s acceptable, almost like the liquid medicine."

He was very pleased inside. Ever since July when Gu Jinli brought mosquito incense for consignment, he had been waiting for her Convenient Medicine. Now, he finally saw the real product, and it looked quite promising, but he couldn’t praise her. That girl is too arrogant; if he complimented her, she might start flying high.