Old Hu quickly and enthusiastically said, "Of course there are shops for rent, but what size are you looking for? And where would you prefer it to be located?"
"The bigger the better, and the more central, the better," Wang Dapeng replied readily.
Gu Qingcheng had given him 500 taels of gold when he left, which he hadn't used yet.
Every time they went out, Gu Qingcheng would give them a sum of operating funds, depending on the importance of the mission.
Old Chen, hearing this, chuckled happily, "Don't rush into buying a shop. I'll make some inquiries and find you the best one."
"Alright," Wang Dapeng nodded.
"Brother Wang, Su Ji Medical Hall is the busiest clinic on this island. I know the proprietor. Shall I take you to talk to him?" Old Hu said, looking up at the sign of Su Ji Medical Hall.
"Okay."
Old Hu was indeed an island insider, and he had connections with almost everyone doing big business here. That's what being an intermediary was all about: being diligent, sweet-talking, and thick-skinned. Besides, all merchants needed intermediaries to make introductions and build connections.
The proprietor of Su Ji Medical Hall, holding the pill Wang Dapeng gave him, smelled it, asked about the formula, and, half-believing, only agreed to let Dapeng leave 100 pills and 100 medicinal patches to test their efficacy first.
Wang Dapeng wasn't a smooth talker either. He gave the proprietor as many as he was willing to accept. In any case, he had confidence in Young Master Gu and believed that once people used the medicines from Phoenix Village, they would surely accept the pills produced by Phoenix Pharmaceutical Factory. As for the concerns of shopkeepers like Manager Su, they were not a problem. His focus was now on his own shop. Once he secured a storefront, he could sell the medicines produced by Phoenix Village himself.
The next morning, Old Hu indeed brought good news.
"Brother Wang, what a coincidence! A rice shop opposite Su Ji Medical Hall is about to close due to supply difficulties. The owner is eager to sell. The shop is about the same size as Su Ji's, and he's asking for 2500 taels of silver."
Wang Dapeng's spirits lifted. He took Chen Sheng and Wu Guang to inspect the shop and was very satisfied. This rice shop was directly opposite Su Ji Medical Hall, in the heart of the island's busiest commercial street. People streamed by, exactly the kind of location he was looking for. Due to frequent natural disasters, grain was always in short supply. Many people wanted to buy, but there was no stock, so the owner had no choice but to sell the shop to make up for his losses.
After some negotiation, Wang Dapeng bought the 100-square-meter shop for 2300 taels of silver.
Wang Dapeng considered the matter and decided to divide the shop into two. One half would be a rice shop, dealing in bulk commodities like cloth, cotton, and ironware. The other half would be a pharmacy, primarily selling ready-made medicines from the Phoenix Pharmaceutical Factory.
As a villager of Phoenix Village, Wang Dapeng felt a sense of pride in this chaotic era, seeing other villages displaced and people living precarious lives. This pride stemmed from his identity as a Phoenix Village villager, which made him feel he shouldn't easily compromise with others. He believed the ready-made pills promoted by Young Master Gu were good and refused to let other pharmacies dismiss them. He was also displeased when Manager Su showed such disdain and suspicion when he received the pills. Therefore, he thought it would be better to run his own pharmacy to sell them.
Wang Dapeng readily bought the shop and entrusted Old Hu with the renovation. Old Hu did not disappoint him. In less than seven days, he divided and renovated the shop. Wang Dapeng then selected two crew members from the ship, whom Young Master Gu had always praised as reliable, to stay and manage the shops. Liu Cai became the manager of the pharmacy, and Wu Shui became the manager of the rice shop. He also hired two assistants for each of them.
Half a month later, the Phoenix Village Pharmacy and Rice Shop opened simultaneously. The rice shop mainly sold millet, dried sweet potatoes, sweet potato flour, and cassava flour. The pharmacy mainly sold ready-made medicines from the Phoenix Pharmaceutical Factory.
The business of the rice shop was guaranteed, as long as the supply was sufficient, there would be no shortage of customers. The pharmacy's business, however, also saw a turning point after a significant cold snap.
"Husband, our daughter seems to have a fever. Hurry and take her to the clinic," Zhang Qiulan pleaded, looking at her husband.
But her husband, Wu Juzheng, shook his head and said, "Just have her drink more hot water, boil some ginger soup for her, and let her sweat it out. She'll be fine."
"But she's so young, and the ginger soup is spicy. She won't drink it," Zhang Qiulan said worriedly.
"Sigh, she's just a girl. Look at your second brother, he's not as troublesome. It's just her weak constitution, getting a fever every few days. What kind of mother are you? You haven't taken good care of her!" Wu Juzheng said impatiently, looking at his daughter in his wife's arms, her face flushed with fever.
In Zhang Qiulan's eyes, both her daughter and son were flesh and blood. But in her husband's eyes, there was a difference. If their son had a fever, her husband would definitely take him to the clinic; after all, a son was for continuing the family line and could not be neglected. But this couldn't entirely be blamed on her husband, as life was truly difficult now. Their family used to be small landlords in the village, with over 100 mu of land. Relying on farming and land rentals, they lived quite comfortably. In those days, if such a situation arose, her husband would have unhesitatingly called a doctor to treat their daughter.
But ever since the flood, all their land had been submerged. They had fled to this island and lived in rented accommodation. Without land income, their savings were dwindling, and their lives were getting harder day by day. Her husband had been a pampered young master before, with little ability to cope with natural disasters. He still couldn't let go of his former landlord's pride and refused to do manual labor to earn money.
Zhang Qiulan sighed inwardly. She placed her daughter on the bed, asked her son to look after her, and went out to see if she could find some herbs to reduce fever in the fields. As soon as she stepped out, Zhang Qiulan's feet involuntarily turned towards the pharmacy. She thought she still had a silver hairpin and could sell it to buy medicine for her daughter. With her mind made up, she resolutely set off towards the clinic.
Tea Pavilion Island was truly bustling. In just a few days since she had last been on the street, many new shops had opened. "Oh, there's a Phoenix Pharmacy here, advertising 'good quality and low prices' and specializing in treating colds, fevers, and other ailments." "Huh? What exactly makes it good quality and low priced?" Zhang Qiulan muttered to herself, but she was still swayed by the words "low prices" and walked towards the Phoenix Pharmacy.
Seeing a customer enter, a shop assistant at the Phoenix Pharmacy greeted her, "Madam, are you here to buy medicine? We have meticulously prepared ready-made medicines here. No need to decoct them; just take them directly at home. Very convenient."
Zhang Qiulan described her daughter's symptoms precisely. Liu Cai, the proprietor of the Phoenix Pharmacy, said enthusiastically, "We have a medicine that is exactly for her condition. Buy it and take it for three days. See how it works."
"How much is it?" Zhang Qiulan asked.
"Ten copper coins per pill, two pills a day, for three days. That's 60 copper coins," Liu Cai said.