NCCnovel Chapter 371: Newly Made Pills, Remarkably Effective
Chapter 371: Newly Made Pills, Remarkably Effective
Every morning, the sunlight lazily shines on the old signboard of the clinic, but it cannot add any vitality to this desolate place.
Often, an entire day would pass without the clinic's doors being opened by any patient. Even when passersby did occasionally walk by, they would hurry away as if they had seen a plague god.
On this day, Fang Xiaoxiao sat behind the counter, looking at the empty street outside the door, her brows furrowed into a small mountain, her eyes full of worry.
She turned to Fang Rourou, who was arranging medicinal herbs, and said, "Sister Rourou, the clinic's business is so bad. How can this continue?"
Fang Rourou stopped what she was doing, looked up, and wore a helpless, bitter smile that she was used to.
She sighed softly, her voice tinged with weariness: "Xiao Xiao, I've been in this clinic for so long, I'm used to this kind of scene, I'm already used to it."
Fang Xiaoxiao's gaze instantly hardened. She stood up abruptly, clenching her fists tightly, as if she had made a firm decision: "Sister Rou Rou, we can't go on like this. I'll think of a way. I'm sure I can bring this clinic back to life!"
Looking at Fang Xiaoxiao's determined expression, Fang Rourou forced a smile and softly replied, "Okay."
But her heart felt as if a huge rock was pressing down on it, incredibly heavy.
She knew that the clinic's predicament had been going on for a long time, and that changing it would be no easy task. She even felt that this was just Fang Xiaoxiao's momentary enthusiasm and that it was impossible to achieve.
After much deliberation, Fang Xiaoxiao decided to start with the pills.
She first stepped into the warehouse filled with medicinal herbs. The warehouse was filled with a rich aroma of herbs, and sunlight shone through the narrow window gaps, forming golden beams that illuminated the dust particles dancing in the air.
Fang Xiaoxiao held a yellowed and somewhat worn medical book in her hand, her expression focused and absorbed.
Her brows furrowed at times, as if she were pondering the profound pharmacology in the book; at other times, they relaxed, as if she had found inspiration in the dense text. Her lips moved slightly as she murmured, "This medicine is mild and may be the main ingredient in the pills, but if the dosage is not right, it may have the opposite effect."
She carefully put down her medical book and, like a butterfly flitting among flowers, began to select from the mountain of medicinal herbs.
Each time she picks up a medicinal herb, she first gently smells it, savoring its unique aroma to determine its quality; then she carefully observes its color and texture to ensure there are no flaws.
After selecting the necessary medicinal herbs, Fang Xiaoxiao laboriously picked them up and strode confidently to the somewhat simple hut in the backyard. Inside, various processing tools were arranged in a neat and orderly fashion.
She first filled a basin with clean water and carefully washed the herbs, her earnestness as if she were handling the most precious treasures in the world. Then, she picked up an extremely sharp knife and, with swift and precise strokes, cut the herbs into even pieces. Her eyes were focused and sharp, each cut accurate and decisive.
The next step is to grind the medicinal materials.
Fang Xiaoxiao carefully placed the chopped medicinal herbs into a heavy stone mortar, gripped the huge pestle tightly with both hands, and ground them forcefully, again and again.
Sweat dripped down her fair forehead like beads from a broken string, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. She just gritted her teeth and focused intently on grinding.
"It must be ground finely enough so that the medicinal effects can be fully realized."
Fang Xiaoxiao was panting heavily as she encouraged herself.
After grinding the medicinal herbs, Fang Xiaoxiao began to concentrate on preparing the pill formula.
Her eyes were focused and cautious as she carefully mixed various medicinal powders together in precise proportions using a small weight, following the instructions in the medical book.
Her movements were gentle and steady, as if she were engaged in a delicate artistic creation.
Then, she slowly added an appropriate amount of honey and water, and kneaded it continuously with her fair yet strong hands.
The pill gradually took shape in her hands, her eyes revealing anticipation and nervousness.
"The proportions must be perfect, or all our efforts will be wasted." Fang Xiaoxiao's heart raced with each movement of her hands.
After careful kneading, smooth, round pills finally took shape. Fang Xiaoxiao gently placed them one by one into a bamboo tray lined with clean gauze, her movements as delicate as if she were placing precious pearls.
Next came the final drying process. Fang Xiaoxiao carefully placed the bamboo tray into a specially made drying oven, meticulously adjusting the temperature and time. She stood guard beside the oven, her eyes fixed intently, even unconsciously lowering her breathing, afraid that the slightest mistake would affect the quality of the pills.
Finally, after a long wait, the first batch of pills was completed.
Fang Xiaoxiao couldn't wait to pick up a pill and examine it carefully in her palm. Her focused gaze seemed to see through every single texture of the pill.
When she saw that the color and shape of the pills met her expectations, a radiant smile bloomed on her face.
"I hope these pills can be a turning point for the clinic." Fang Xiaoxiao clasped her hands together and prayed silently.
She happily and carefully packaged the pills, then neatly arranged them on the counter of the clinic.
Fang Rourou watched Fang Xiaoxiao bustling around, feeling both touched and worried.
"Xiao Xiao, you've worked so hard for so long. But can this pill really change the situation?" Fang Rourou couldn't help but ask softly.
Fang Xiaoxiao raised her head, her gaze firm as a star, and said confidently, "Sister Rou Rou, you have to believe me. As long as our pills are made with high-quality ingredients and have significant effects, we will definitely be able to attract patients."
In the days that followed, Fang Xiaoxiao and Fang Rourou waited expectantly at the clinic every day for the patients to arrive.
One day passed, then two, and the clinic remained deserted.
Fang Xiaoxiao began to get anxious. She paced back and forth in the clinic, constantly thinking about the problem.
"Could it be that our publicity wasn't effective enough? Or is it that people don't trust the new pills enough?" Fang Xiaoxiao muttered to herself.
She decided to stop sitting idly by and personally go out into the streets to promote her pills.
Holding some sample pills, Fang Xiaoxiao stood on the bustling street and mustered her courage to shout, "Fellow villagers, these are newly made pills from our clinic. They are very effective. Don't miss them if you pass by!"
However, most pedestrians only glanced at her briefly before quickening their pace and leaving with suspicious looks on their faces.
Fang Xiaoxiao's heart was filled with disappointment, and her originally expectant eyes gradually dimmed.
Just when she felt utterly desperate, an elderly man with white hair, leaning on a cane, slowly walked over.