Chapter 198 But it's deadly.
Ryan and Spencer stared blankly at the three wooden boxes that had been placed back on the table.
"Don't tell me these are hundred-year-old wild ginseng again?" Ryan gasped.
A hundred-year-old wild ginseng is incredibly important to a pharmacy. It's the kind of thing that can uphold the reputation of a pharmacy. Besides having skilled doctors, a pharmacy needs quality medicinal ingredients. Without them, even the best doctors can't work miracles. For a pharmacy like 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy,' which has been around for a century, their stock of hundred-year-old wild ginseng has long been used up, leaving only a few slices. These precious slices have saved many lives, pulling people back from the brink of death.
But today, four fresh wild ginseng plants appeared, which was a shock to the Zhang family.
"Yes, they are all over a hundred years old," Henry said, pushing the boxes toward them.
"This..." Ryan was at a loss for words and quickly pulled the boxes over to examine them. He confirmed that they were indeed around two hundred years old.
"Did you find a place where wild ginseng seeds fall?" Ryan speculated.
"Maybe! I like adventures and know a bit about herbs. Who knew I'd find four wild ginseng plants in the same place?" Henry shrugged, looking as if he didn't want to be so lucky.
"..." Spencer felt a bit of a toothache. If it weren't for his good upbringing, he might have punched this smug young man.
"Are you planning to sell them all?" Ryan asked seriously. If he could buy them all, it would secure 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy' for the next fifty years.
"No, no. I can sell one more to you, but I want to discuss something with you about the other two," Henry said, pushing one of the boxes aside.
"Go ahead," Ryan nodded, regaining his usual composure.
"I'd like to ask you, Ryan, to make one of these wild ginseng into a medicinal product, like Dan Shen Bao Xin Wan or Jiu Xin Wan," Henry requested.
He wasn't confident, but he had heard that Ryan's pharmaceutical skills were renowned in the traditional Chinese medicine community, a fact he discovered while browsing forums.
"Sure, making medicine with hundred-year-old wild ginseng is an honor," Ryan said humbly. "So, what do you want to do with the remaining one?"
"For the remaining one, I'd like to use part of it as a fee for making the medicine, and I'd like to exchange the rest for some of your prescriptions," Henry said quickly, seeing the change in the Zhang family's expressions. "Just some basic ones, like for treating colds, fevers, and injuries, not the secret recipes of 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy.'"
Ryan frowned and said, "I don't quite understand. Although our basic prescriptions are better than average, is it really worth exchanging a hundred-year-old wild ginseng for them?"
Basic prescriptions are general ones, like for colds and fevers, which anyone can get from a pharmacy. However, the recovery time might be slower. Traditional Chinese medicine doctors improve upon these basic prescriptions because each patient's condition is different.
Of course, the basic prescriptions of 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy' have been improved over generations by the Zhang family and are better than those circulating online.
"I'm an outdoor survival enthusiast. Sometimes I stay in the wild for long periods. With some basic prescription knowledge, I can treat minor injuries and illnesses myself," Henry said casually.
Well, that was all made up. The whole outdoor survival thing was a lie. His main goal in coming to 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy' today was to get the basic prescriptions. Winter was coming in the other world, and with their medical technology, a simple cold or fever could be fatal.
Moreover, the plan for the herb garden needed to start. With the knowledge from the prescriptions, he could buy some herb seeds to plant in the other world.
People go through various illnesses from birth to old age, and a minor illness could lead to premature death. Henry didn't want his territory's commoners to die from a simple cold or fever. More importantly, he wanted to prevent epidemics. Some diseases could destroy a territory in no time, and that would be an invisible war.
Ryan was silent for a moment before nodding and saying to Spencer, "Go get a copy of the basic prescriptions."
"..." Spencer opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by a glare from Ryan. He obediently went to get the basic prescriptions.
The basic prescriptions were quickly brought over. It was an A4-sized booklet with six Chinese characters on the cover: Zhang Family Basic Prescriptions.
"Here, these are the prescriptions you wanted," Ryan said calmly, placing the booklet in front of Henry. "If you want to study medicine, you need to research the pharmacology yourself. Basic prescriptions aren't very effective for serious illnesses."
"Understood," Henry nodded. He was a bit surprised by Ryan's openness. There was no old-fashioned attitude of "my family's secrets are not for outsiders."
He had also learned that the current generation of 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy' had taken on apprentices, indicating a slow reform.
"The total price for the two wild ginsengs is seven million," Spencer began to calculate the price.
"Make it eight million," Ryan suddenly said.
"This..." Spencer was stunned. What was his father up to, giving an extra million for no reason?
"The prescriptions aren't worth that much," Ryan said as he got up and slowly returned to the back room.
To him, it was just a basic prescription book. If it weren't for the family business of 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy,' he would have published it long ago. The last two generations of the family had been living off the old reputation without any progress. If there was nothing left to rely on, maybe they would learn to improve themselves.
Everything depends on people. If the descendants don't make progress, even the best prescriptions will be eliminated by ever-changing diseases. Viruses evolve too.
Perhaps this was the wisdom of Ryan in his old age. As people get older, they tend to see things more clearly.
Henry quietly put the basic prescriptions into his backpack. After receiving the transfer confirmation, he left his phone number, waiting for 'Emerald Cloud Pharmacy' to notify him when the medicine was ready.
