The Heir

Chарtеr 130: Unintеntiоnal Planting Yiеlds Shаde

Thе Li siblings followеd Хi Еr intо thе Хi residenсe.

As outsiders, Zhen Niang аnd оthers nаturallу соuld nоt entеr thе dеlivеrу roоm of the Xi fаmilу. Thеrefore, Zhеn Niang handеd the Eight-Тrеаsurе Zhihоng Рill tо Secоnd Мastеr Хi аnd wrotе down thе сompоsitiоn of thе medicinal ink fоr him, mainly to аllоw Рhysiсian Yao tо bеttеr administеr thе mеdiсinе.

Аfterwаrd, thе siblings werе led bу servants tо wait in thе sidе hаll.

"Sister, саn thаt ink rеally work?" Li Dаlang asked. The Li siblings sаt there drinking teа, but their minds werе not оn thе teа—they were still preoccupied with that piece of medicinal ink.

"As long as it's not a life-or-death situation, it should be effective," Zhen Niang said.

Since ancient times, medicinal ink has existed in folk medicine as a kind of home remedy. Later, when Li Shizhen compiled the Compendium of Materia Medica, medicinal ink was formally classified as a type of medicine.

During the Ming and Qing dynasties, medicinal ink had become a must-have for home and travel. The Eight-Treasure Zhihong Pill existed in previous dynasties, but it was in pill form. With the popularity of medicinal ink during the Ming and Qing dynasties, some ink makers began combining traditional Chinese medicines with medicinal ink, creating specialized products such as the Eight-Treasure Zhihong Ink for treating postpartum hemorrhage, the Eight-Treasure Wanying Lozenge for treating infantile convulsions, and the Eight-Treasure Five-Gall Ink for treating unknown swellings and toxins.

The efficacy of these medicinal inks has been tested through later generations. Even in later times, traditional Chinese medicine shops with centuries-old reputations, such as Tongrentang, still sold medicinal ink.

Of course, whether medicinal ink is useful depends on the actual situation—it is not a panacea.

That is why she wrote down the composition of the medicinal ink for Second Master Xi. Whether to use it and how to use it would ultimately be up to Physician Yao.

As for writing down the composition of the medicinal ink, she was not afraid of others learning it, as the key to medicinal ink lies in its production method. Merely knowing the composition is not enough to produce high-quality medicinal ink.

At this moment, in the delivery room of the Xi residence.

First Master Xi paced back and forth in the outer room, extremely anxious. Inside the room, Physician Yao was performing acupuncture with gold needles to stop the bleeding for Madam Xi.

However, the situation was clearly not optimistic.

Physician Yao frowned deeply. Madam Xi's condition was quite severe. For such heavy bleeding, he was accustomed to using gold needles to stop it. Although the situation had improved slightly after the acupuncture today, it was not under control and could worsen at any time. The main reason was that Madam Xi was quite advanced in age.

"Brother, how is sister-in-law?" At this moment, Xi Er hurried in and asked his elder brother in the outer room.

"Physician Yao is attending to her. The situation is not good," First Master Xi said, taking a deep breath. Physician Yao had already warned him to be mentally prepared. Despite having weathered decades in the business world and experienced all kinds of dangers, his heart seemed to tremble at this moment.

"Brother, I just met the chief manager of Huizhou Li Mo outside. She gave me a piece of medicinal ink, saying it is particularly effective for postpartum hemorrhage. Should we show it to Physician Yao? Li Family Medicinal Ink is quite reputable in the Huizhou area. By the way, when I was in Huizhou, I heard that the sores of Eunuch Yan's daughter were cured with medicinal ink," Xi Er said, taking out the medicinal ink.

Upon hearing this, First Master Xi immediately said, "Regardless of whether it works or not, show it to Physician Yao first."

With that, disregarding propriety, he took the medicinal ink and the paper with the composition from Xi Er and entered the inner room."Doctor Yao, this is Huizhou Li Mo's Eight Treasures Cure Red Ink, highly effective for postpartum hemorrhage and difficult labor. Look, here are the ingredients—can it be used?" Boss Xi wore a tense expression, appearing outwardly calm and composed, but inwardly he was nervous.

Doctor Yao had never heard of Eight Treasures Cure Red Ink, but he was familiar with Eight Treasures Cure Red Pills. The main effect of this medicine was to dissolve and stop bleeding. It also had some efficacy for postpartum hemorrhage, so he took the Medicinal Ink, first sniffing it, then having an inkstone brought over to grind it into Liquid Ink. Doctor Yao dipped a little into his mouth to taste it, then examined the ingredients before nodding: "Alright, this medicine can be used."

With that, he administered a dose to Madam Xi according to the dosage specified in the ingredients. Then, he immediately applied acupuncture needles. With this dual approach, the postpartum hemorrhage was finally stopped.

Not long after, Madam Xi regained consciousness. Though still very weak—largely due to postpartum exhaustion—she let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if she had just circled the gates of hell.

"Good, as long as she recuperates properly from now on, there should be no issues," Doctor Yao said, taking Madam Xi's pulse once more.

"Doctor Yao, you've worked hard," Boss Xi expressed his gratitude profusely.

"It's my line of work, so it's not really hard work. Speaking of which, today was truly fortunate to have this Medicinal Ink. Otherwise, relying solely on my acupuncture needles, I'm afraid I really wouldn't have been able to stop the bleeding," Doctor Yao said, wiping sweat from his brow. The weather was already hot, and the earlier acupuncture session had taken a lot out of him.

Mentioning the Medicinal Ink, Boss Xi quickly called over his second son and asked, "Where is Shopkeeper Li? We must properly thank him."

"Ah, he's in the side hall," the second son replied, then recounted the earlier encounter at the gate.

Upon hearing this, Boss Xi gathered everyone and headed to the side hall.

By then, the Li siblings had been sitting idly in the side hall for over half an hour when they heard footsteps approaching. Soon, more footsteps echoed from outside.

In the hall, Zhen Niang and Li Dalang stood up to greet them.

The second son introduced both parties.

Boss Xi naturally recognized Li Dalang, as he had been coming here almost daily recently. However, Zhen Niang surprised him somewhat—he hadn’t expected the head of Huizhou Li Mo to be a young woman, which was quite rare in the business world.

But precisely because of this, she could not be underestimated. For a woman to lead a business, she must have exceptional qualities.

After the introductions, Zhen Niang also greeted Doctor Yao, who, concerned about matters at the Medicine Hall, took his leave first.

Boss Xi personally escorted him to the gate.

Upon returning, the Xi and Li parties sat down. Boss Xi’s expressions of gratitude need not be repeated. He understood clearly that the Li siblings had come today regarding the tung oil matter. However, while favors were one thing, business still had to follow the rules. He could not easily replace the Bai family’s tung oil.

"Brother Zhenliang, you said you could prove that the Bai family’s tung oil is adulterated. Then show me the proof," Boss Xi said.

"Then please bring some of the Bai family’s tung oil," Li Zhenliang said with a serious expression. In truth, he had brought a little of the Bai family’s tung oil bought from the street, but since this was about proof, it would be fairer for Boss Xi to provide it.

Boss Xi nodded and had someone fetch the Bai family’s tung oil.

Li Zhenliang then proceeded to test it according to the method Zhen Niang had demonstrated the day before.In comparison, the paper coated with the Li family's tung oil also appeared more flexible, while the paper coated with the Bai family's tung oil seemed somewhat brittle, tearing easily with just a slight force.

At this moment, Zhen Niang extended her hand again. She asked a servant for a flint, struck it to light a flame, and first ignited the paper coated with the Li family's tung oil. The scent was pure tung oil. She then lit the other sheet, and indeed, the Bai family's paper emitted a slightly pungent, unpleasant odor mixed with the tung oil scent.

Boss Xi's expression darkened. By now, he understood clearly that the Bai family's tung oil had indeed been adulterated with impurities.

Yesterday, they had wronged this Li Zhenliang.

However, since the Bai family had yet to provide an explanation, he naturally wouldn’t speak too definitively. Therefore, he tactfully avoided mentioning the Bai family's tung oil. But whether from a personal or business perspective, he was determined to secure the Li family’s high-quality tung oil.

As for Li Zhenliang’s insistence today on proving the Bai family’s tung oil was adulterated, it was merely to seek justice for himself. The Bai family’s affairs actually had little to do with him. If not for the Bai family’s manager being so aggressive yesterday, Li Zhenliang, with his honest nature, would not have targeted the Bai family in such a way, doing something that would offend others.

Thus, both parties quickly reached an agreement, and Boss Xi signed a tung oil purchase contract with the Li family on the spot.

Li Dalang was naturally overjoyed. After all, today’s trip had not been in vain. Not only had they achieved the desired outcome, but they had also secured the tung oil purchase contract. Now, he could focus solely on producing tung oil without worrying about sales.

Afterward, the Li siblings stayed for a meal, as it was already noon.

Once the meal was finished, Zhen Niang bid farewell alongside her elder brother and left the Xi residence.

Upon returning home, Huang Shi and Zhao Shi were delighted to hear that the tung oil sales had been secured.

Zhen Niang then went to the front of Ink Manor to check on the day’s business. The sales of Liquid Ink had gradually cooled off in recent days. After all, during this period, everyone’s focus had been on this product. Additionally, since Liquid Ink was still a novelty, ordinary people had readily accepted it for its convenience and affordability, but scholars remained somewhat resistant to it.

Thus, the market for Liquid Ink had now become saturated. As for markets in other regions, the response had not been as swift, and it would take time to gradually expand. Therefore, the slowdown in sales was inevitable, something Zhen Niang was not overly concerned about.

As for mid-to-high-grade inksticks, during this period, thanks to Li Mo donating a batch to the academy, they had indeed started to gain some traction, though growth remained slow.

"Miss Zhen, the mid-to-high-grade inksticks are moving too slowly," Zheng Fuli remarked, approaching with an abacus in hand. It wouldn’t do to continue like this—after all, Liquid Ink was not the mainstream product.

"Since the Gu Yu Mi Ink has been successfully trial-produced, perhaps we could hold an Ink Testing Gathering to build some influence," Zheng Fuli added.

Zhen Niang shook her head. "The effect would be minimal. After all, the Li family has no reputation in Nanjing. Even if we held such a gathering, we wouldn’t be able to invite influential figures. It might even diminish the prestige of Gu Yu Mi Ink, resulting in more losses than gains."

Zhen Niang explained that the bustling scene during the opening had merely been others repaying favors—something that could happen once but not be repeated.Zheng Fuli nodded in agreement with Zhen Niang's words. Indeed, given the reputation of Guyu Mi's great ink, it should be tested by someone of matching prestige. Having just anyone try it would not be appropriate.

As they were speaking, Physician Yao from the neighboring Medicine Hall entered. "Shopkeeper Li, I heard you still have some Medicinal Ink made with plant soot. I'd like to order some Eight-Treasure Red-Curing Pills and plant soot Medicinal Ink for today's use."

"How much do you need, Physician Yao? This Medicinal Ink is just something I dabble with in my spare time, so I don't have much stock," Zhen Niang asked.

"Give me one box of each for now," Physician Yao replied.

Each Li family box contained four ink sticks. The quantity was small, so there was no issue. Zhen Niang then went back to the wooden building to fetch two boxes of Medicinal Ink and sold them to Physician Yao.

To Zhen Niang's surprise, over the following days, quite a few people came one after another to purchase Medicinal Ink. All kinds of Medicinal Ink from the Li family were brought out, and since there wasn't much to begin with, they eventually had to take pre-orders.

Zhen Niang thought it over and realized it must be Boss Xi helping with promotion.

Thus, the sales of the Li family's mid-to-high-end ink, which had long been stagnant, unexpectedly began with Medicinal Ink. Truly, sometimes the flowers you carefully plant fail to bloom, while the willow branches you casually stick in the ground grow into shade.