Chapter 90 - 89: Far Inferior to Ours (Part 1)

Chapter 90: Chapter 89: Far Inferior to Ours (Part 1)

Cheng Qingqing said with a face full of apprehension, "In this way, I estimate that today the number of people coming to pick up medicine will really decrease significantly...

Jing, should we... should we also lower our prices?"

Jing had previously said she sensed that those big pharmacies were about to take action against them, and Jing was indeed right!

Brother said, Guangming Hall has been selling this kind of medicine since the day before yesterday. They’ve been so focused on their own affairs that they only realized it today.

However, Xu Jing shook her head and said coldly, "We have no advantage in a price war with the big pharmacies. Putting aside other factors, their supply channels and staffing are much more advantageous than ours. Even if they set the price at ten cents for six pills, they might not lose money, but we can’t afford that.

Moreover, even if they sell at a loss, they can make it up elsewhere. If their goal is to suppress us, blindly reducing prices to fight them means falling into their trap."

Cheng Xianbai immediately nodded in agreement, "That’s right, the big pharmacies have long-term cooperation with those herbal merchants, and they purchase in large quantities each time, so their purchase price is much lower than ours. They can afford this price war, but we can’t.

Moreover, they have more people and don’t need to pre-order medicine like us. My patient said Guangming Hall has plenty of medicine; you can buy it as soon as you go there.

In fact, I asked a friend to buy a pack of medicine from Guangming Hall for me this morning. Miss Xu, take a look."

Xu Jing raised an eyebrow slightly, silently admiring Cheng Xianbai’s thoroughness in his actions. She opened the package he handed over and saw six pills inside. Judging by their shape, size, and color, they were indeed not much different from their Atractylodes Qi Pill!

Cheng Qingqing immediately fumed, "Those scoundrels must have bought our medicine to study it!"

Xu Jing said nothing, pinched a pill, smelled it under her nose, and lightly bit it. She couldn’t help but laugh softly, "Indeed, the imitation is quite good; all the necessary herbs are included."

The Cheng Brothers and Sisters grew increasingly anxious as they listened, unable to understand why Xu Jing could still smile.

Xu Jing put down the pill and said calmly, "Knowing which herbs are in a medicine is something any doctor with some skill can do. However, besides knowing what’s in it, one must also know the proportions of each herb, the processing method, and the method of preparation for a medicine.

If any part isn’t perfectly imitated, it can’t be said to be exactly the same, and the efficacy will be worlds apart!

This medicine is not the Atractylodes Qi Pill that our Xinglin Hall sells at all!"

Saying this, Xu Jing lifted the corner of her eye and said indifferently, "It’s far inferior to our medicine."

Not to mention, the Atractylodes Qi Pill that Xinglin Hall sells is her improved version, more effective than the traditional one.

The reason they’ve only managed to produce a small batch of medicine after so long is due to the lack of manpower and because of the many and complicated steps in the preparation process. Xu Jing pursues perfection in any work, unwilling to skip even one step, despite the additional time and labor it might take.

How could this compare to Guangming Hall, which produced a large batch of medicine in just a few days from scratch!

Cheng Xianbai was stunned but still couldn’t rest assured and said, "Even if Guangming Hall’s medicine is less effective than ours, its low price and the fact that it can still treat summer damp-heat means many patients might still choose their medicine..."

"Then let them choose, it’s their money. Whether they want to eat wild herbs or fine chaff, it’s their freedom."

Xu Jing said coolly, "What we need to do is ensure the quality of the medicine we sell, trying not to disappoint those patients who still trust us. As for the rest, we can only let the people choose for themselves.

By the way, did you create the tool I asked you to find an artisan for last time?"

Cheng Xianbai did not expect Xu Jing to change the subject so quickly and said, "I asked on my way home yesterday. The tool will be ready for pickup tomorrow.

But Miss Xu, are we really not going to do anything about Guangming Hall?!"

Xu Jing amusingly raised the corner of her mouth and said, "We can’t really do anything about it. They can imitate the medicine in such a short time, which is their ability. The law doesn’t say only we at Xinglin Hall can sell the Atractylodes Qi Pill.

Instead of getting tangled up in this matter, we should focus on doing our own job well. Tomorrow, I’ll only be in for consultations in the morning. In the afternoon, I’ll head home to research new medicines."

Research new medicines?!

Cheng Qingqing and Cheng Xianbai couldn’t help but be surprised at this, exchanging glances.

Oh my, while Guangming Hall was still thinking of using the Atractylodes Qi Pill to suppress them, Miss Xu was already thinking about developing new medicines.

If word gets out, wouldn’t the head of Guangming Hall be infuriated?

Whether the head of Guangming Hall would be infuriated, they didn’t know; they only knew they were destined to be quite frustrated today.

Originally, one hundred and fifty-six people came to get medicine today, but by the time Xinglin Hall closed, they calculated that only ninety-eight people had come!

Almost half the people were gone!

Cheng Xianbai was so angry his hands were shaking, and he cursed for the millionth time, "Those bastards at Guangming Hall! How come the other big pharmacy, Tianyi Hall, doesn’t do something so shameless? The rumors are true; the Lin Family managing Guangming Hall is truly a bunch of unscrupulous people!"

Hearing Cheng Xianbai mention Tianyi Hall, Xu Jing couldn’t help but recall when Zhou Qi came to see her, warning her to be cautious of Guangming Hall’s Lin Family.

She still didn’t understand Zhou Qi’s purpose in saying that. She didn’t believe Zhou Qi was kind-hearted and just liked meddling in others’ affairs. For someone managing such a large family business, not actively harming others is already considered benevolent, let alone helping others randomly for no reason.

Seeing that today’s accounts were settled, Xu Jing stood up and said, "Mr. Cheng, may I trouble you to inform those who have pre-ordered medicine that we have stock available, and they can come pick it up whenever they like.

I’ll head back now."

Still fuming, Cheng Xianbai wanted to discuss this matter further with Xu Jing, but seeing Xu Jing’s unwillingness to say more, he could only hold his tongue.

Meanwhile, at the Lin Family mansion in Anping County.

"Haha, that little girl who doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth must be dumbfounded! Does she want to fight with our Lin Family? She’s a hundred years too early!"

Lin Chengzhao, sitting in the courtyard, couldn’t help but slap the table and laugh heartily upon hearing the steward’s report.

The manager sitting closest to Lin Chengzhao, a big-bellied man, immediately said, "Such a tiny Xinglin Hall with only one medicine to show for itself, the so-called Atractylodes Qi Pill. Everyone knows selling medicine is the easiest way to make money quickly, much faster than giving consultations.

If we crush their Atractylodes Qi Pill, where will they have any competitiveness left? Now that Huashou Hall has fallen, Guangming Hall will surely take the top spot among the pharmacies in Anping County sooner or later!"

"Ah, Old Yang, what you’re saying isn’t quite right."

A tall and thin manager sitting across from Old Yang immediately disagreed, "Guangming Hall has already secured the top spot among the pharmacies in Anping County! Ever since Zhou Kanghua of Tianyi Hall died three years ago, Tianyi Hall has been diminishing ever since.

The Zhou Family still hopes that Zhou Qi, that snot-nosed kid, can restore the Zhou Family’s former glory, haha, let them keep dreaming!

Another manager said, "However, I’ve noticed that Zhou Qi has been going to the Western Capital all year, seeming as if he intends to revive the branch there.

Moreover, that Seventh Son of the Xiao Family has been in Anping County for quite a while. Aside from visiting Xinglin Hall once to buy medicine, he’s only called a doctor once.

And he called Zhou Qi. If the Zhou Family can latch onto the Seventh Son of the Xiao Family, it may not be impossible for them to revive the branch in the Western Capital!"