“Jingshan, what do you think of this outfit?”
Zheng Mingjiang wore an improved Hanfu made by No. 82. The color of the fabric was elegant and clear, and various accessories and gadgets also won Zheng Mingjiang's heart. It’s just that the price is outrageous.
A few hundred yuan is certainly nothing to a veteran, but Zheng Mingjiang knew that the clothes were made by Wanzi Pavilion, and the price would have doubled if they put a label on the 82nd. But it was somewhat taboo for her to go to Wanzi Pavilion to buy it in person. After all, most of the customers who come in and out of there are wealthy gentry families.
Hong Huangnan is indeed a profiteer.
"Where's the straw hat you prepared for me?"
"Here it comes!" Jingshan brought over a curtain hat that also came from No. 82 - of course it was also improved. This thing is better than a straw hat. First of all, the hanging gauze curtain can effectively cover the face and neck. It not only blocks the sun, but also repels mosquitoes. Very practical when going out.
She covered herself tightly from the neck down not because she was afraid of not being able to pass the trial, but out of consideration for sun protection and insect protection. It was difficult for her to let go after knowing that she had changed her color number since coming to high school.
"Do you think it's too much for me to go to Foshan wearing this outfit?"
"But, but," Jingshan said seriously, "this outfit is just right for you."
County Magistrate Zhang! What about your sunscreen and DEET production capacity?
The Guangzhou-Sanshui Railway has been planned between Foshan and Guangzhou, but the civil construction of this railway has not yet started, so Zheng Mingjiang has to take a boat to go to Foshan.
At present, passenger and cargo liner services from Guangzhou to Sanshui have been officially opened. The "Huawei Pi" is towed by the 621 tugboat. We depart from the two places every morning and arrive before nightfall. The operator of this route is "Xinli Shipping" which was established just last year.
This shipping company is purely privately owned, and its investors are mainly members of the Federation of Industry and Commerce in Guangzhou, Foshan, Sanshui and other places. Naturally, the company had to pay a high price to obtain the passenger rights of this golden water route. Not only did it have to pay relevant annual fees, but it also had to promise to recruit no less than 50% of the total number of employees from poor households.
Wang Sangou from the General Affairs Department of the municipal government booked a boat ticket for her. The ticket is first class. Zheng Mingjiang has long admired the name of Guangdong's "Huawei Li", and this time he can finally experience it for himself.
This type of ship was originally a wooden structure. For safety reasons, the Hong Kong shipyard changed it to an iron-ribbed wooden shell during construction to strengthen the hull. The "Huawei Pi" is huge in size and looks like a painting boat. The ship has three floors. The upper floor is the dining room, which is the first-class cabin; the middle floor is called the business cabin, which is the second-class cabin; the lower floor and the bow are the cargo holds.
In the old days, this kind of ship was very ornately decorated with carved railings and painted edifices, especially the colored light tubes at the stern, which were particularly eye-catching when lit up at night, hence the name "Flower Tail". The "Huawei Li" in this time and space is not so gorgeous, but the facilities on the ship are also very sophisticated, including luxurious suites, private bathrooms, and a viewing balcony on the top of the ship. It looks like a luxury liner.
The biggest feature of this kind of passenger ship is that it has no unpowered cabin and relies entirely on the tugboat at the front. Therefore, the entire ship sails without noise, vibration, and sails smoothly and steadily. The only disadvantage is that the towing speed is relatively slow. The one-way flight to Sanshui is less than fifty kilometers, but it takes almost ten hours to sail.
Fortunately, Zheng Mingjiang was going to Foshan. The voyage was only 16 kilometers. He set off in the morning and arrived at noon. So Wang Sangou booked a first-class private room for her. There are no beds, but the small private room is quiet and convenient. There is also an attached cabin outside.
At noon, the ship arrived in Foshan. Lin Ziqi, secretary-general of Foshan Development Zone, came to the pier to greet him.
Zheng Mingjiang's purpose of coming was not stated in advance because she felt that this case might involve a wide scope. It may also involve some of the senator's cronies. The secretaries, secretaries, and clerks who surround the elders are also in contact with each other. A elder with a poor sense of confidentiality can easily leak her purpose.
So the reason for her coming to Foshan was simply "to check the medical, health and epidemic prevention situation in Foshan."
Lin Ziqi originally wanted to arrange for Shang Yu to accompany her during the inspection, but Zheng Mingjiang refused. She said that her main purpose in Foshan was to make "secret visits" and her main purpose was to "understand the situation", so she did not want to make too big a showdown. Just ask a naturalized cadre who is familiar with the local situation to accompany you, not a veteran.
When Lin Ziqi heard what she said, she couldn't figure out what kind of medicine she was selling in the gourd, so she arranged for Lin Ming, the chief of social sciences, to accompany her.
Foshan is a famous town in the world, with thousands of fireworks and department stores. Naturally, when Zheng Ming and Jiang came on a business trip, they would stop by and have fun with the people.
"Jingshan, don't just play by yourself, remember to buy something for Xiao Guo."
"Lao Hui Wen said that I spent the chief's money sloppily, that I was not a member of the family but did not know how valuable firewood and rice were, that a piece of thread cost a life, a spoonful of rice requires a hundred whips, and so on."
"He just said that, but he was still very happy when you bought it back."
Lin Ming was full of suspicion. The female senator said she was here to check the medical and health conditions, but she seemed not to care at all. She just wandered around the streets of Foshan and visited many local places of interest. There is no restraint in buying things. I buy everything I see. Within two days, the corridors of the guest house were filled with goods sent from various stores.
Finally on the second day, Mr. Zheng announced that he would visit all the local pharmacies and medical clinics.
"I'm doing a private inspection, so you don't need to make a big fuss. I'll go in and talk to them and check the situation." Zheng Mingjiang instructed, "By the way, do you have a public medical institution here?"
"There is an infirmary that specifically serves naturalized cadres and elders and is not open to the public."
"Where's the medicine?"
"They were assigned by the Provincial and Hong Kong General Hospital," Lin Ming said. "So are the doctors and nurses."
Zheng Mingjiang understood that this health center was actually a branch of the Provincial and Hong Kong General Hospital, and the same channels were used for medication. There was nothing to dig in this clinic. .
“Are there many local pharmacies and medical shops?”
"More, more." Lin Ming nodded repeatedly. Benefiting from the water and land transportation hub and developed handicraft manufacturing here, the local population is large. As the hometown of Lingnan patent medicines, there are eleven large and medium-sized herbal medicine shops and small medicine shops here. , there are more than fifty fixed medicine stalls.
"Let's all go for a walk."
Zheng Mingjiang first went to Yang Run, who had business relations with the Senate. This is currently the largest herbal medicine store in Foshan. Naturally, he was able to achieve the maximum, inseparable from the cooperation of the Senate. The general agent of Runshitang's various special Chinese patent medicines in Guangdong is Yang Runkaitang.
She knew that what was being done here was serious business, and it was unlikely that it would be related to the deceitful Hearthstone, which would ruin the business reputation accumulated over several lifetimes. Moreover, antibiotics are not sold here, nor are they the source of antibiotics. However, she has been in Lingao for a long time and has only dealt with the indigenous people a handful of times. She really wants to experience the elegance of a traditional medicine shop in this time and space.
When the veteran arrived at the store, he naturally alerted the shopkeeper immediately. Zheng Mingjiang stopped the shopkeeper who was about to report to the owner, saying that he was just taking a casual look and did not want to alert the shopkeeper. He also asked about the local Hearthstone Powder.
"This medicine is indeed available on the market!" said the shopkeeper. "It was available more than two years ago, but it was very rare at first and has become more abundant recently."
It seems that my guess is correct. This business has a long history and is no longer a day or two. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be so many versions.
"is that useful?"
"If you say it's useless, you're lying, but that's not the case." The shopkeeper said, "Sometimes, it has miraculous effects. One dose can save people's lives; sometimes it has no effect. When it comes to compatibility, it's vague. , there are quite a lot of medicines needed. Zuo is just the 'top medicine' that the wandering doctors combined."
Although quack doctors are a derogatory term, historically they each had their own unique secret recipes of special medicines, which often had miraculous effects on one or two diseases or injuries, as a call to action.
Obviously, the shopkeeper of Yang Run Kaitang had already analyzed the ingredients of Hearthstone Powder.
"Have you ever sold this medicine?"
"You see, our business is a serious business, and there are no things used by charlatan doctors to deceive people. Let's not talk about the unconscionable money earned. People are waiting to see a doctor. If you can't cure it, just say it can't be cured. Why bother to sell fake medicines and delay others? If you do too many such unethical things, you will be punished." The shopkeeper's words were slow but full of "natural principles and human feelings", which fully reflected his professional characteristics.
"Your store is indeed a long-established store with integrity." Zheng Mingjiang felt that his judgment should be correct. This is not the source of Hearthstone Powder.
Before leaving, she bought some cloves, mugwort leaves, angelica dahurica, perilla leaves, mint, calamus, hyacinth and honeysuckle, and asked her assistant to grind them into powder and make sachets to ward off insects, and give them away after she returned.
The second store she went to was Chen Liji's Foshan branch. Like Yang Runkaitang, the shopkeeper knows about Hearthstone Powder, but does not distribute it himself. And he told Zheng Mingjiang clearly that Hearthstone Powder does have a certain effect.
"Since it works, why don't you sell it?" Zheng Mingjiang was quite surprised. Chen Liji is different from Yang Runkaitang. Chen Liji has been focusing on the business of Chinese patent medicines from the beginning. Therefore, in addition to various self-produced Chinese patent medicines, the counter also sells various patent medicines from other pharmacies, even as far away as Nanjing Shi and Nanjing. Just wait for the medicine to come.
"Although this medicine is effective, its origin is unknown. Small shops are afraid to sell it for fear of damaging the store's signboard!"
Then she visited other large and medium-sized pharmacies, and the shopkeepers and clerks said much the same. Zheng Mingjiang knew that there was little profit here, so he focused his investigation on small drug stores and fixed drug stalls.
Unexpectedly, the first family had a harvest. These small drug stores sell Hearthstone Powder and other magical medicines, not to say they are blatant, but at least they are not shy about it. In addition to Hearthstone Powder, there are also all kinds of strange things with strange names, and there is even the existence of reincarnation medicine, a drug that is unbelievable to Zheng Mingjiang.
