Li Ying sat down in the elegant room of Deji Tang with Mianmian in her arms. Du Zhong got straight to the point. "Madam Li, I wonder how much you're asking for the recipe for making Penfu Glue?"
"One hundred taels of silver."
As soon as Li Ying said this, Granny Sun was startled and gave a little shudder.
One hundred taels? That was more silver than many people could earn in a lifetime!
Du Zhong also hesitated for a moment.
"Madam Li, your asking price is a bit too high."
Li Ying remained calm and said indifferently, "To make Penfu Glue, it must go through nine extractions and nine roastings. Skimming the foam, making it bead up, removing the oil, hanging like a monkey, boiling in the pot, waking up the wine, and making it hang like a flag. It takes nine days and nine nights to produce the glue. Then it has to go through slicing, stewing the glue, and moving the boxes, a total of ninety-nine processes. If anything goes wrong in any step, all previous efforts will be in vain."
Her tone was as calm as autumn water. "Shopkeeper, you can try the processes I've described yourself, and then you'll know if this one hundred taels of silver is worth it."
Du Zhong frowned deeply.
He had never heard of these processes Li Ying mentioned.
But she seemed so serious that she didn't seem to be just talking nonsense.
He took a deep breath and then slowly said, "Madam Li's words sound rather mysterious. Words alone aren't proof. And if we follow your instructions, there are quite a few variables in making this Penfu Glue, and it's inevitable that we might fail at the last moment... How about we both make a concession?"
"I'll first buy the recipe for the Penfu Glue with fifty taels of silver. After the first batch of Penfu Glue is shipped out, I'll make up the rest of the payment. How about that?"
Li Ying silently admired the shrewdness of the pharmacy shopkeeper in her heart.
However, when she set the price at one hundred taels, she had already left room for negotiation and price reduction. The shopkeeper's proposal was still within her acceptable range.
"However, I have another condition. I'll personally oversee the glue - making process. My daughter is still in swaddling clothes, and I'll have to trouble Granny Sun to take care of her. She suffers from gout every day. I need your doctors to treat her for free until she's cured. Otherwise, I'll be distracted while making the glue."
Only then did Granny Sun understand why Li Ying had insisted on bringing her along.
This child knew that she couldn't afford to see a doctor or buy medicine, and had actually done so much for her!
The pharmacy did have a doctor on duty every day. Du Zhong just thought for a moment and then readily agreed.
The two of them slapped hands to seal the deal, and a clerk brought over a contract.
Looking at the fresh ink on the document and the flimsy fifty - tael silver note, Li Ying felt more at ease.
"Shopkeeper, the donkeys used for the Nine - Dynasty Tribute Glue should be tall and strong, at least six - year - old black - haired donkeys. The water used must be well water from the junction of two mountain ranges, rich in minerals. This water is hard to come by, so there's no need to rush. Just send someone to inform me when you're ready with the donkey skins."
Hearing her words, the apprentice who had scoffed at her the other day pursed his lips and stood beside Du Zhong, muttering.
"Master, you've probably been taken for a ride! It seems that all this talk about the so - called Nine - Dynasty Tribute Glue is just empty talk! You've spent a hundred taels on this. You're going to lose all your money!"
Du Zhong frowned and scolded, "Watch your mouth! You ignorant thing!"
Granny Sun had gone with the doctor for acupuncture and probably wouldn't be back for a while.
Li Ying wasn't angry after hearing the clerk's words. She wrote out the complete recipe for making Penfu Glue, then stood up and said with a smile, "Shopkeeper Du, now that we're business partners, I naturally can't just watch you lose money. I can't just give you empty promises either."
"I have another recipe for Solid Yuan Paste. Once it's made, it's soft and delicious. It will surely make the women in the town rush to buy it. Consider it a gift for you."
As she spoke, she gently crushed the prepared Penfu Glue and poured in yellow rice wine.
"Yellow rice wine can be used as a guide. It can promote blood circulation, nourish the blood, remove the fishy smell from the glue, and preserve it."
While the Penfu Glue was slowly melting in the yellow rice wine, she weighed out some rock sugar, crushed it into small pieces, and poured it into a casserole. She simmered it over low heat until, when she lifted the spatula, the glue formed an inverted triangle on it.
"This is called 'hanging the flag'. When it reaches this stage, we can add the auxiliary ingredients."
Li Ying instructed and neatly poured the pitted and diced dried red dates into the casserole, stirred them evenly, and then added the roasted mountain walnuts and wolfberries.
Finally, she was surprised to find that there was quite a bit of black sesame in this small pharmacy.
It seemed that the "boss" behind Shopkeeper Du was indeed a capable expert.
Li Ying didn't ask any questions. She simply took the roasted black sesame and mixed it in. After mixing it well, she quickly transferred it to a large tray while it was still hot and rolled it into a square and flat shape.
After it cooled, she cut it into two - inch - square pieces and handed them to Du Zhong.
"Red dates can tonify the middle and benefit qi. Wolfberries can promote blood circulation and maintain vitality. Walnuts can warm the lungs and relieve asthma. Black sesame can tonify the liver and qi. They're most suitable to be eaten with the blood - enriching and yin - nourishing Penfu Glue. My Beauty and Health - Boosting Solid Yuan Paste, if eaten regularly every day, can blacken hair, brighten eyes, and make one look as rosy as a peach. What do you think, Shopkeeper Du?"
Du Zhong took the shiny black Solid Yuan Paste. Before he even took a bite, he smelled a rich and oily fragrance.
The red dates were sweet but not cloying. The walnuts and sesame filled his mouth with their oily aroma. He couldn't taste the medicinal smell of the Penfu Glue at all. It was as if he was just tasting a delicate tea snack.
"According to my recipe, one catty of Penfu Glue can make six catties of Solid Yuan Paste. Eating one piece a day only costs about a dozen copper coins. You don't have to be wealthy. Even an ordinary woman can afford it if she tightens her belt a bit."
Li Ying spoke calmly. Du Zhong did some mental calculations. At first, he was still a bit skeptical, but now, he was completely convinced!
Did Little Madam Li have such grand ambitions?
She wanted to integrate Penfu Glue into the daily diet of every woman in the town!
You know, in their shop, the ordinary - quality Penfu Glue only cost four taels of silver, which wasn't a big deal for many wealthy families in the town.
However, this stuff had a very strong strange smell and had to be taken with yellow rice wine. Most women couldn't hold their liquor, and few were willing to swallow this so - called tonic every day while pinching their noses.
Li Ying's Beauty and Health - Boosting Solid Yuan Paste was soft and sweet. Even he, a man who didn't like sweet food, couldn't help but praise it as delicious. The female customers would surely rush to buy it and empty their purses willingly!
Du Zhong immediately felt a deep sense of respect.
Just then, Granny Sun finished her treatment and walked out from behind the screen, carrying several packs of medicinal herbs. Du Zhong personally escorted Li Ying and the two children to the shop door and ordered someone to prepare a carriage.
"Thank you for your guidance, Madam Li!"
This young lady had only just arrived, but she already had such abilities. The "Nine - Dynasty Tribute Glue" she mentioned might not be just a fantasy!
If the pharmacy's business could really make a comeback with the opportunity of this Penfu Glue and gain the boss's favor, maybe...
Du Zhong watched the carriage disappear into the distance and tightly clenched his fists.