Chapter 76

Chen Jue paused, touching his belly, because the little one had started drumming inside him again.

Eight months along now, the baby had grown and couldn't turn around as easily anymore, but its limbs were nimble. After every meal, it put on a drum set performance.

If he patted it, thinking it had an audience, it would perform even more enthusiastically.

Once it was born, he'd give it a stack of bowls and plates to bang on.

Maybe it would become a musician someday.

Chen Jue grumbled inwardly as he strolled slowly along this newly cleared path. He'd be walking this road for a long time, wouldn't he?

The two of them ambled along the path, the road long and the night still, giving one the sense that life could settle down here peacefully.

The pharmacy had started production the day after it opened, and Chen Jue had already completed all the preparatory work.

Dextrin wasn't part of this batch of production—he'd already taken care of that himself. It was the secret recipe of the medicine, not to be made public.

Any medicine company needed its own secret recipe to sustain long-term operations.

Though all preparations were done, Chen Jue still needed to keep an eye on things here. The quantity of each pot of boiled medicine was strictly controlled.

This time, the pharmacy didn't just pick strong laborers. Besides three men left to haul herbs and chop medicinal materials, the rest were young men and women.

The remaining tasks were fine work and required year-round commitment. Workers couldn't skip shifts for farm chores, and their families had to support and agree to this. A quarrel between husband and wife couldn't be a reason for the worker to stay home the next day. If someone wanted to quit, they had to give a month's notice, because the pharmacy wouldn't keep spare staff—they didn't have that much money.

So before selecting people, Chen Jue stated these conditions in advance.

The wages weren't low—thirty wen a day per person. That was the wage of a skilled strong laborer.

At that time, many people came to apply. In a few days, the sweet potatoes would be rushed in, and then came the winter months with no work to be had.

Even if wages were paid monthly, they were willing, since the pharmacy was right there and couldn't run away.

Chen Jue's work was like cooking—washing vegetables, chopping, lighting the fire to cook—at most adding the steps of sifting medicine, drying it, and packing it. Or it could be seen as a pastry shop with an extra step of packaging.

They all felt they could do it, but Chen Jue had said each person only needed to handle one step—wasn't that even simpler?

So the young men, women, and matrons all scrambled to volunteer.

"Dalin, Jue Geer—no, Boss Huo, Boss Chen, I can do it! I've been cooking for over twenty years! My three grandsons love my cooking," Aunt Zhao was the first to recommend herself.

Huo Jilin glanced at her and asked quite amiably, "Aunt Zhao, let me ask you a question. If you come to work here, who's watching your three grandsons?"

Aunt Zhao said matter-of-factly, "I'll bring them along. Don't worry, they won't be a bother. They're very well-behaved and obedient."

Huo Jilin said "oh" with no particular expression and continued, "Alright, let me ask you another thing. If you bring the children to the pharmacy and one of them accidentally swallows some medicine while playing and gets poisoned, what then?"

Huo Jilin said it flatly. He wasn't exaggerating—this was a pharmacy, not a pastry shop. Eating a little was fine, but taking medicine could cause problems.

Aunt Zhao's face went a bit pale. She hadn't thought of that. She wanted to say something more about Huo Jilin curing it, but under his calm, cold gaze, it was like her throat was gripped, and she couldn't make a sound for a long while.

Huo Jilin didn't say anything more, only looking calmly at the young men and women who had brought their children.

It wasn't that he didn't want to give these people a chance, but he knew that in this ancient era, married men and women weren't entirely their own masters—much depended on the men of the household. Their most important tasks were bearing children and managing the household.

Children came first. If anything happened to a child, no one could bear the responsibility.

The crowd quieted down.

Huo Jilin didn't directly contradict Aunt Zhao but had made everyone understand the key point through that example.

The Huo family's long-term workers had to be free of any burdens—they couldn't bring children to work. This wasn't like the washing or mending jobs they took, where if they were busy today, they could do it the day after.

Of the two hundred people, a hundred stepped forward—mostly young married women, unmarried daughters, young men, grown men, and a few children under ten.

There were also some women and husbands from larger families where someone else could help watch the children.

Huo Jilin continued screening: "Anyone under thirteen, step back."

In ancient times, people married at fifteen or sixteen, and thirteen counted as adulthood. His pharmacy work wasn't strenuous and could accept older kids—it was easier than working in the fields—but he wouldn't hire child labor.

Another twenty-plus people stepped back.

Huo Jilin continued: "Anyone about to marry and move away, please step back."

He knew several who were getting married soon—Zhou Ying'er and Zhou Jie were marrying out of town before the new year. Those kinds should stay home and prepare their dowries.

"Anyone who is pregnant, step back." Not everyone was like Chen Jue, who knew how to use medicines safely. But many didn't, and if they casually tasted the medicine and something went wrong, he couldn't bear that responsibility either.

Chen Jue stood nearby and saw Zhang Shuier in the crowd holding his child, looking at him as if he wanted to speak but held back. Chen Jue knew he wanted to come—he was a good worker, diligent and clean—but there was nothing to be done; he had a child to care for.

You can't have one at the expense of the other. Everyone knew how important this child was to Zhang Shui after his husband passed. Zhang Shui shouldn't force it.

Once the child was older, or when the village opened a school, it wouldn't be too late for him to come back.

Chen Jue agreed with Huo Jilin's arrangements. Huo Jilin was a businessman, and everything he said made sense. Now that they were opening a pharmacy meant to last, they had to make the rules clear from the start.

Perhaps later, once everyone understood the rules and their children had grown up and didn't need watching, they could come back.

When their pharmacy expanded and needed more people, it could provide more positions for them. But for now, they were just a small workshop.

The pharmacy had five processes: washing herbs, cutting herbs, drying herbs, boiling and sifting medicine, and packing. Each process needed three people, meaning three groups working at the same time. Their custom-made tools were limited—they had only ordered three sets.

These three groups only needed fifteen people.

After Huo Jilin's initial screening, fifty people remained.

Huo Jilin looked at Chen Jue. "Next, choose based on your needs."

Chen Jue's requirements would be higher, since he was the developer of the finished medicines.

Chen Jue nodded and looked at the fifty people who were diligent, of the right age, and in good health. "Please hold out your hands, everyone. Let me see."

He would watch over the entire medicine-making process. They didn't need technical skills, but one thing was very important: they had to pay attention to hygiene—not just clean clothes and hair, but clean hands.

Medicine was meant to cure illness. If the finished medicine wasn't hygienic, that would be adding insult to injury.

They couldn't achieve the disinfection standards of later generations, so they had to be strict at every step.

He'd essentially selected people who were almost obsessive about cleanliness and precision.

Under these strict requirements, in the end only a dozen or so people qualified.

The workers were thus decided. Besides the fifteen workers, there were two managers.

One of them was still Zhou Qingshan. Though his leg could walk now, he couldn't do heavy labor, and his coordination skills during the house-building had been impressive, so Huo Jilin continued to use him.

Most importantly, Zhou Qingshan is loyal and reliable, and he genuinely regards Huo Lin as a brother.

Father and son on the battlefield, brothers when hunting tigers. Whether it was hunting tigers up the mountain or serving as soldiers, the two had shared hardships together—they were practically closer than blood brothers.

So when Huo Jilin chose Zhou Qingshan as manager, none of the villagers objected.

Since the menfolk raised no objections, the lads and the women said nothing either, because compared to dealing directly with Huo Jilin and Chen Jue, they preferred interacting with the gentle and kind Zhou Qingshan.

Zhou Qingzhu continued to assist Chen Jue.

Chen Jue was nearing childbirth and really needed someone to help. Zhou Qingzhu had the best relationship with him, was very clever and quick-witted, and had really picked up Chen Jue's ways, so he stepped up without hesitation to become Chen Jue's assistant.

Once all personnel were confirmed, contracts were signed, followed by pre-job training.

Chen Jue went through the process with them once. Washing and cutting herbs wasn't all that technical.

The only minor protest came when they had to wear the work uniforms.

"This... Jue Geer, isn't this funeral mourning gear?" Zhou Yueya couldn't help but speak up, looking at Chen Jue's outfit.

Chen Jue led by example, wearing white hemp clothes, a white hemp hat covering all his hair.

He looked exactly like someone in mourning.

Zhou Xiuer also said, "Yeah, if my dad found out I was wearing clothes like this, he'd kill me."

Zhou Qingzhu smiled before Chen Jue could say anything: "This is a work uniform, only worn inside the medicine workshop. No one can take it home or wear it for anything else. You take it off before you step out of this room, and you only put it on after washing your hands when you come in. So who would see it?"

Seeing they had fallen silent, Zhou Qingzhu added, "Not everyone gets a work uniform either. Those washing herbs outside and the fire stokers don't have one—only the ones working inside get one."

Working while sitting indoors was really nice—easy and clean. They had never seen such a spacious, bright, clean and snow-white room before.

Looking at the snow-white room and the clean, neat, patch-free new clothes, they were starting to soften. Most importantly, they noticed how good Chen Jue looked in the outfit.

The saying "white makes you look alluring" held true. Once they accepted the clothes psychologically, they saw how elegant Chen Jue appeared, as clean and clear as mountain snow.

They put on the uniforms, and Zhou Qingzhu also briefly explained what to do with their hair, helping each other tuck all their hair up, looking clean and sharp.

The first day ended with everyone getting used to things. In the evening, the workers went home and talked about their day—though of course, no one brought up the funeral clothes, since nobody wanted to get a beating from their old man.

Chen Jue and Huo Jilin also sat at the small heated table, scribbling and sketching, sorting out and solving the problems that came up today.

"Today we only ran five batches. It was a small number, but they all did it according to the requirements, and the medicine is fine. Tomorrow we can brew twenty batches," Chen Jue said.

Huo Jilin tucked a pillow behind his back and told him, "I trust you to handle the medicine. But you need to rest more—look at how big your belly's gotten. Teach Zhou Qingzhu more so he can learn all these herbs by heart as soon as possible."

After Huo Jilin helped Chen Jue lean back against the wall, he underlined Zhou Qingzhu's name on the paper: "Once he's got it down, he can teach the herb washers and cutters one by one. Today went so smoothly because you'd already done all the prep work and sorted all the herbs. This will be the bulk of the work from now on."

Many of the herbs look the same. Chen Jue could still keep an eye on things now, but what would they do when he gave birth? So Zhou Qingzhu had to grow into the role quickly. Even if he couldn't match half of Chen Jue's skill, he needed at least a tenth.

Huo Jilin wasn't worried about what Zhou Qingzhu would do once he learned it. For one thing, Zhou Qingzhu didn't know about the secret dextrin formula.

Even if Zhou Qingzhu eventually set up his own medicine workshop and successfully made medicine, it wouldn't work without a way to sell it.

Finding a market was the hardest part. It wasn't like Zhou Qingzhu selling straw sandals or bamboo hats in town.

In this world, you can sell just about anything, but medicine is the one thing that's hard to sell.

It's been that way in later generations too—which is why pharmaceutical companies in later generations could monopolize the market. Because breaking into a market was hard, but once you did, it was yours for good.

Because medicine is just too special a product.

Chen Jue made a sound of agreement: "I know. I'll teach him as fast as I can. When you go to town, pick me up a copy of 'Compendium of Herbs' from the bookstore. If the bookstore doesn't have it, borrow one from Jishi Hall."

He'd already started teaching Zhou Qingzhu to read. He's a fast learner, and with medical knowledge on top of that, Zhou Qingzhu would improve even faster.

Huo Jilin nodded: "Alright, I'll head into town tomorrow. You want me to pick up anything else to eat?"

Chen Jue looked at him: "Don't bother with food. Just remember to get a quilt."

Stop using the cold as an excuse to sneak into my bed. He wasn't used to sharing a bed with anyone.

"..." Huo Jilin paused.

Did Chen Jue really not want to share a bed with him?

He hadn't done anything—couldn't they just lie there like brothers?

Chen Jue's face was blank. Huo Jilin coughed: "I went to check last time. It's not that I don't want to buy one—they have ready-made clothes, but no quilts."

Chen Jue said, "Oh. Then buy some cotton, and I'll sew one myself."

He was pretty good at sewing.

Huo Jilin ground his teeth secretly, looking at Chen Jue's round belly: "You can't bend over easily in your condition. I'll go look around more tomorrow. Alright, that's enough—time to sleep."

Huo Jilin didn't want to dwell on this topic anymore—it was frustrating.

He put away the paper and pens from the small table, then moved them to the far edge, spread his bedding out in front of Chen Jue, and threw his quilt right on top. Since it was the last time anyway, he might as well be upfront about it.

He genuinely slept next to Chen Jue with no hidden agenda.

Until Chen Jue fell for him, he wouldn't do anything more. He had his principles too.

Chen Jue hadn't expected Huo Jilin to get more brazen each time. He just watched him. Once Huo Jilin was settled, he patted the covers: "Hurry up and get in—it's drafty."

Chen Jue pulled his quilt off: "I don't need you to warm my bed."

Besides, the kang is warm enough now. Huo Jilin should stop coming up with lame excuses.

Huo Jilin hugged his quilt and stared at Chen Jue's peaceful sleeping face, thinking, why haven't I made any progress in the past two weeks?

Why, after sleeping next to Chen Jue for two weeks, hadn't Chen Jue developed any feelings for him at all?

Even if it was just for warming his bed every night at midnight, Chen Jue shouldn't kick him out of the covers so bluntly.

Huo Jilin couldn't figure it out.

In the middle of the night, he instinctively crawled back into Chen Jue's bed. Chen Jue frowned in annoyance but didn't kick him out again.

Maybe because the kang got cold in the middle of the night, he finally felt a little compassion.

Huo Jilin thought drowsily, putting his arm around Chen Jue's waist and falling asleep.