Font Size:
Wei Lan grew more and more excited as she thought about it, her eyes sparkling as she proposed, “Ming Yi-ge, I have an idea!”
Ming Yi raised an eyebrow, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. He wondered what kind of scheme this girl was plotting now.
Wei Lan spoke earnestly, “Sweet potatoes are drought-resistant, can grow in poor soil, and have an extremely high yield. If we can promote them as a staple food replacement, we might be able to lower the production cost of medical alcohol!”
After a moment of contemplation, Ming Yi turned to Licorice and asked, “Where did you dig up these sweet potatoes?”
Licorice scratched his head. “I found them in the mountains, far from here. Should I go back and dig up more?”
Ming Yi waved his hand lightly and said calmly, “No need to go to such trouble. I’ll speak with the medicinal herb merchant—if sweet potatoes exist in Guangdong and Guangxi, he should be able to get some for us. We’ll start with small-scale trials. As long as we don’t take up good farmland or interfere with rice cultivation, these sweet potatoes should be able to take root here.”
After finalizing their sweet potato cultivation plan, Wei Lan and Ming Yi continued their herbal medicine inspection.
Among the medicinal herbs—Astragalus, Angelica, Atractylodes, Bitter Orange, and Aged Tangerine Peel—Astragalus stood out for its exceptional quality. One particular Lingzhi mushroom was especially eye-catching, with a kidney-shaped cap, reddish-brown gloss, and a sturdy side-growing stalk, making it an extremely rare find. Naturally, Astragalus received the highest payment.
In the following days, Wei Lan and Ming Yi busied themselves with preparations for the grand opening of the second branch of Wei Min Pharmacy. They carefully selected a shop on the bustling street where Lao Tang Restaurant was located. The high foot traffic and vibrant business atmosphere made it an ideal location for a pharmacy.
On opening day, a bright red banner hung at the entrance of Wei Min Pharmacy’s second branch, boldly announcing:
“Wei Min Pharmacy & Lao Tang Restaurant Jointly Present: Ba Zhen Cake!”
Under the sunlight, the banner stood out vividly, quickly attracting the attention of passersby.
To most people, Lao Tang Restaurant was a high-end establishment, a place they could only admire from afar but seldom afford to dine in. In contrast, the pharmacy was an accessible and affordable place they could enter freely.
Wei Lan keenly grasped this psychological contrast and cleverly combined the strengths of both businesses to create this unique Ba Zhen Cake.
In less than fifteen minutes, all 100 prepared portions of Ba Zhen Cake were sold out.
Customers praised it enthusiastically, giving it a thumbs-up:
“This Ba Zhen Cake is amazing! It has Lao Tang Restaurant’s quality and Wei Min Pharmacy’s health benefits—eating it gives us peace of mind!”
Standing on the second floor of Lao Tang Restaurant, Tang Xue gazed out the window, watching the lively crowd in front of the pharmacy. Ming Yi and Shun Xing were busy greeting and serving customers.
She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Lan-meimei, your marketing skills are truly impressive. I must learn from you!”
Wei Lan smiled. “Jiejie, you’re too kind. I just learned this from others. This collaboration was only successful because of your strong support and help.”
Tang Xue and Wei Lan exchanged knowing smiles. They both understood that this partnership had been a great success—business at the pharmacy would flourish, and Lao Tang Restaurant’s reputation would also soar.
Tang Xue said, “From now on, we should collaborate more. By combining our strengths, we can create even more remarkable products.”
Wei Lan nodded in agreement. “Absolutely! Food and medicine have always been closely linked. Many herbs are both ingredients and medicines, making it hard to separate them completely. This collaboration is just the beginning—there will be plenty of opportunities to work together in the future.”
After a brief pause, Wei Lan’s expression turned serious. She asked in a low voice, “But… this Ba Zhen Cake recipe comes from Mr. Chen Shigong’s Orthodox Manual of External Medicine. If we sell it, would we be accused of copyright infringement?”
Tang Xue looked puzzled. “Copyright infringement? What does that mean?”
Wei Lan explained, “It means using someone else’s invention for profit without giving them any benefit. It’s like picking fruit from someone else’s tree and selling it without sharing the earnings with the tree’s owner. That would be disrespecting their hard work.”
Tang Xue nodded thoughtfully. “I see. That’s similar to the ‘Reproduction Prohibited’ notice printed in bookstores—it’s the same principle. But in most cases, it comes down to personal conscience. Very few people actually follow the rules strictly.”
After a moment, she asked, “Is Mr. Chen Shigong still alive?”
Wei Lan sighed regretfully. “Unfortunately, he has passed away. His Orthodox Manual of External Medicine is an incredible book. The Ba Zhen Cake recipe in it is particularly impressive. I really wish I could thank him in person.”
Tang Xue reassured her, “Although Mr. Chen is no longer with us, his wisdom and work still live on. How about this—we set aside a portion of the profits and, when we find his descendants, we share it with them.”
Wei Lan looked up, a relieved smile appearing on her face. “That way, we can honor his contributions and respect his intellectual legacy.” She nodded firmly. “Let’s do it that way!”
After further discussion, Wei Lan and Tang Xue finalized the profit-sharing arrangement and documented their agreement. The contract not only detailed the division of earnings but also specifically allocated a portion of the proceeds as a royalty payment for Chen Shigong’s descendants to express gratitude and respect.
Later, Wei Lan returned to the clinic, barely picking up a teacup for a sip when Li Renxin hurriedly rushed in.
“Doctor Wei! A patient has a severely infected toe. The medical books say amputation is necessary, but I’ve never performed one before. Could you demonstrate it for me?”
Wei Lan’s brows furrowed. “Amputation? Take me to see him immediately.”
She quickly followed Li Renxin into the surgery room.
Inside, a fisherman sat on a long bench, his foot wrapped in tattered cloth. His face was pale, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Wei Lan knelt beside him, carefully peeling away the cloth. A pungent, foul odor filled the air—the fisherman’s toe had turned black and necrotic.
She frowned and asked, “How did this happen?”
The fisherman groaned, “I stepped on a fishing hook while fishing a few days ago. I came here to get it treated, but then I didn’t pay much attention to it. Doctor… why does my toe look so terrifying now?”
Upon inspecting the wound, Wei Lan noticed clear signs of tissue necrosis and swelling. She turned to Li Renxin and asked, “What alcohol concentration did you use to clean the wound before?”
Li Renxin looked embarrassed. “Just regular liquor… I didn’t check the concentration.”
Wei Lan sighed. No wonder. Low-concentration alcohol isn’t enough to disinfect properly, leading to worsening infection.
She turned to the fisherman and asked gently, “Is your toe in severe pain?”
The fisherman clenched his jaw, nodding. “Yes… but I can endure it.”
Wei Lan sighed inwardly. This man was clearly tough, but his condition was critical. She stood up and said to Li Renxin, “Prepare for surgery immediately.”
Li Renxin nodded and quickly gathered the surgical tools.
As Wei Lan prepared for the procedure, she couldn’t help but think—producing medical-grade alcohol was now an urgent matter. The sooner they could mass-produce it with sweet potatoes, the better.