Chun Nuan shared her idea with Chun Ning.
"Sister, this is great, we can give it a try."
"But you need to go and talk to shopkeepers one by one."
This was not a small task. Chun Ning, being so young and inexperienced, was tasked with negotiating and convincing the pharmacy shopkeepers to sell the ointment, which wasn’t easy.
"Sister, I can try."
Chun Ning knew that his future success wasn’t in the imperial exams, but in becoming a wealthy merchant, so he was mentally prepared to venture into the business world.
He thought of the saying, "A scholar is useless in practical matters," after studying for so many years, it was indeed hard to let go of pride.
But when the responsibility is looming, what does pride mean?
Chun Nuan planned to produce two hundred bottles of frostbite ointment, and every family member who could help was pitching in.
Small ceramic jars labeled "Doctor Xiao" were arranged on the desk, and Chun Nuan silently pledged in her heart, "Grandfather, your granddaughter will definitely pass down these secret recipes generation after generation to benefit more people."
"Sister, I’ll take ten bottles of frostbite ointment to those pharmacy shopkeepers."
"Alright, go ahead, be careful, and also..." After some thought, Chun Nuan shared potential scenarios he might face.
"Sister, I understand, getting rejected is the norm, after all, no one knows how good our frostbite ointment is." Chun Ning said, "I will find a way to sell as much as possible."
The most difficult part was determining the appropriate price for the frostbite ointment.
If priced too high, no one would buy it. Moreover, people who could afford it wouldn’t need the ointment as they had stoves and silver-coal briquettes, preventing frostbite, while those who suffered couldn’t afford it.
"Alright, off you go."
As expected, Chun Ning’s first stop was to recommend the product to the Hundred Herbs Hall.
Watching Chun Ning leave, Chun Nuan suddenly thought of someone who could help with the recommendation.
She took two bottles and went to find Uncle Luo.
"Chun Nuan, you’ve come at the right time, I was just about to see you to buy some medicinal wine." Uncle Luo said, "Once winter arrives, the damp and chilly weather intensifies many of the brothers’ pains, and some have frostbite on their hands, feet, and ears. It’s the chronic ailment left from years of towing ropes—such a curse."
"Uncle Luo, you can get the medicinal wine from my home, and this is frostbite ointment." Chun Nuan said, "Previously, we didn’t consider that this group might need it more, so we used small ceramic jars which increased costs. However, you can let them try it out first, and if it works, then they can buy it."
"How much for a bottle?"
"I’ve calculated, at least one tael of silver per bottle."
The pricing was indeed difficult to determine; at one tael of silver per bottle, the rope-workers would rather endure frostbite than spend that amount.
That was a tael of silver, and how long would it take to earn that? They had families to support; frostbite wouldn’t kill, but lacking silver to sustain a family could lead to starvation.
"It is a bit pricey." Uncle Luo pondered, "Could it be like medicinal wine, charging per person treated?"
"Yes, but you’ll have to decide for yourself."
It not only needed to cover the frostbite ointment cost, but he also needed to earn a bit.
"Alright, I understand, I’ll handle it based on the situation." Uncle Luo had no doubt about the effectiveness of Chun Nuan’s ointment. As he looked at the charming and clever ceramic jar, he read the words: "Doctor Xiao."
"Yes, Doctor Xiao." Chun Nuan said, "In the future, any medicinal wine or ointment we sell separately from the Xiao family will be labeled Doctor Xiao to prevent counterfeiting."
"Are you also going to sell medicinal wine?"
"Chun Ning wants to venture into the medicinal business."
Uncle Luo thought it through and understood the key: the Xiao family wasn’t an ordinary farming family; Doctor Xiao had headed the Imperial Hospital for two generations. The Xiao family owned secret recipes, and selling ointments was indeed fitting.
"The Hundred Herbs Hall will likely be the first to sell it, right?"
"Probably." Chun Nuan replied, "But I’ve analyzed it, and it shouldn’t greatly affect your business."
Uncle Luo also understood, those who sought his treatment were brotherly friends or relatives introduced by friends, generally summed up in one word: impoverished.
Those who could afford medicine from the Hundred Herbs Hall wouldn’t seek him, an amateur; they had the means to see consulting physicians.
Uncle Luo was delighted to get Chun Nuan’s frostbite ointment, knowing it meant an additional source of income.
At the Hundred Herbs Hall, Chun Ning entered with the frostbite ointment.
"Young man, are you here for a consultation or to get some medicine?"
Doctor Chen, not recognizing Chun Ning at first glance, as he was old.
"Doctor Chen, this is Mr. Chun Ning from the Xiao family." Fusheng quickly explained, thinking to himself how poor Mr. Chen’s eyesight was; in a few years, this young man would be his uncle-in-law: "Mr. Chun Ning, please sit, please sit."