Inside were small granules of powdered medicine—they all exuded the scent of herbs, familiar scents at that.
He eyed them for a long time before sighing, "Using this method is indeed a lot more convenient, and it seems to use less medicine too."
"Indeed, it reduces waste."
Jin Zijin also took a look, his medical knowledge not extensive, knowing only the basics. After examining, he said, "It’s good, but it might be difficult to determine the correct dosage for patients with complex conditions."
Gu Youyou smiled, then produced some small paper packets and said, "I have taken that into consideration, so these small packets are not mixed; they contain the powdered form of a single herb. Not all medicines are suitable for grinding into powder, so we will continue to prescribe the formulas we’re currently using."
They stared at it for a while, then nodded to each other.
Jin Zijin said, "According to you, a lot of medicines could be processed into elixir pills. Youyou could prepare the prescriptions for common ailments, and I could refine those medicines into elixir pills."
Gu Youyou, whose modern family ran quite a few pharmaceutical factories, had never actually owned an alchemy furnace, and she hadn’t expected Jin Zijin to have this skill.
Yue Rujing laughed heartily, a face brimming with pride: "My senior brother’s medical skills may not be the best, but he’s really good at alchemy and drawing talismans; leaving it to him is definitely the right choice."
Believing in his ability to make elixir pills she did, but what was this about drawing talismans?
Seeing the newly established revolutionary camaraderie was not yet solid, and since her comrades were brimming with confidence, she couldn’t bear to say anything discouraging, and so, reluctantly, she nodded in agreement.
Having discussed things thoroughly, Yue Rujing, in a very lavish manner, said, "I’ll take care of the silver. Gu, you determine what kind of people and tools are needed, and I’ll have someone find them and make them."
Gu Youyou grinned and replied, "That’s exactly what I was thinking. But for now, you’ll need to find a suitable place; my backyard simply won’t do."
"No problem, I’ll buy the house."
Gu Youyou cheerfully handed over her meticulously drawn blueprints to Yue Rujing.
She ostentatiously recruited Yue Rujing into the fold and announced their status as fellow disciples, directly silencing those other medical establishments that were trying to edge out Jisheng Hall and had already begun to set traps for it secretly.
Who would dare provoke someone associated with the Marquis Residence if they wanted to survive in Lingnan?
Gu Youyou had not originally planned to do so; with her own abilities, she had been more than capable of dealing with the other longstanding medical establishments. However, Jin Zijin’s act of stealing letters reminded her that she was short on time and needed not to get entangled with inconsequential people. She aimed to properly establish Jisheng Hall before she left Lingnan, so that when she eventually went to Beijing, she would have some leverage.
Two-thirds of the workers Gu Youyou hired were women, to which Yue Rujing reacted with bewilderment, "Why hire so many women? Grinding medicine requires strength; wouldn’t it be better to hire some robust men? They could also serve as guards in case of theft."
Gu Youyou shot him a look and said, "You seem to understand efficient use, but women tend to be more meticulous. They’re not for grinding medicine; they’re for packaging it. Are the small medicine scales I ordered ready? If they’re about ready, we can start training them."
"Training?" Yue Rujing frowned, "You mean ’starting work’?"
"Your head is full of strange terms."
With Yue Rujing’s backing, setting things up was done with considerable efficiency.
In less than three months, everything was ready, except for the training Gu Youyou needed to provide.
The house was located in a large estate behind Gu Youyou’s residence, whose owner had moved out long ago. Initially, when they went to see it, it seemed like a sizable property, but it was desolate due to being uninhabited for a long time.