025 Selling medicine
Tan Rou rushed as much as she could and finally finished making the remaining herbs and spices. She carefully packed them neatly in her bag and went out to find a Chinese medicine clinic to inquire about the market price of the herbs.
Tan Rou went to the vicinity of the medicinal herbs market she went to the last time. Usually, there would be a few large Chinese medicine clinics around such markets because it was convenient to purchase the medicinal herbs.
Sure enough, Tan Rou saw a shop with a big and grand entrance.
As soon as Tan Rou walked in, an enthusiastic apprentice came forward to welcome her. “Hello, are you feeling unwell? Today, Doctor Wang’s schedule is already full. I can schedule other doctors for you.”
When Tan Rou heard that, it was only morning, and he was already fully booked for the day. She thought to herself this Doctor Wang must be really good, so she cooperation in mind, “I am not here for a consultation. I just want to have a chat with the doctors here.”
The apprentice was a little puzzled. “You are not here for a consultation? Then there’s no other way. Our doctors are very busy. You have to pay a registration fee before entering.”
Tan Rou asked, “Then how much is the registration fee?”
The apprentice smiled, “Five hundred Yuan.”
“What?” Tan Rou was very surprised. That was daylight robbery. If one could really get a good Chinese medicine practitioner to treat them, the value would naturally be immeasurable. However, the registration fee alone was five hundred Yuan. Isn’t that asking for a little too much?
The apprentice sized up Tan Rou and felt that she probably didn’t have any money. His attitude became a little perfunctory, “Oh, this is how we do things here. Usually, even if you are willing to pay more you might not get a consult with our doctors. Business is just that good.”
Tan Rou frowned. She wasn’t very happy. The words of this apprentice made her feel a little uncomfortable. Opening a clinic was different from other businesses. One shouldn’t measure how good the business of a clinic was.
Seeing that Tan Rou neither paid nor left, the apprentice started to get impatient. “If you have nothing else to do, don’t stand at the door and block the way.”
At this moment, an elderly man came out with a teapot, “What is the ruckus about?”
The apprentice bowed respectfully, “Divine Doctor Wang, this lady does not want to register for treatment. She only said that she wants to see you. I was just talking to her.”
Tan Rou also sized up this so-called Divine Doctor Wang. She couldn’t tell if he was really that capable or not.
Divine Doctor Wang smiled, “Young lady, What do you want?”
Tan Rou nodded politely and said, “I wanted to discuss a collaboration with you. I made this medicine myself. You can take a look. I would like to sell it in your clinic.”
When Tan Rou said this, Doctor Wang’s friendly expression immediately changed. “Nonsense! Chinese medicine is not something that can be casually made for people to eat. Moreover, you are proposing to sell your medicine in my clinic. Is our own medicine there for decoration? We still have to sell yours?”
Tan Rou explained, “No, every medicine is different in its contents and dosage. Every tweak to the medicine also brings about a difference in its effects. I am not trying to steal your business. These are mostly supplementary medicinal herbs. You can take a look and then make a decision.”
There was a lot to know in the realm of Chinese medicine, and every Chinese medicine practitioner had different habits of using the medicine. Therefore, there was no such thing as damaging one’s reputation or stealing their business. It was just a matter of who can more accurately identify the root of the problem and come up with prescriptions that better target the problem.
Divine Doctor Wang looked at Tan Rou with disdain. “Our clinic has to hire several workers to grind medicine every day. There are many people who want a prescription. If we do as you say, we don’t need to do business anymore. You should leave!”
The apprentice also came over and pulled Tan Rou away. “Go, go, go, go, go to another place to sell!”
Obviously, they thought that Tan Rou was a salesman who did not know the trade and only wanted to make money.
Tan Rou sidestepped the apprentice’s hand, “Since we have different opinions and can’t work together, I will take my leave. There’s no need for you to chase me away.”
Walking to the entrance, Tan Rou thought for a moment, then she turned around. “However, I still advise you to make money ethically. Don’t put the cart before the horse and insult the reputation of traditional Chinese medicine. I hope that one day there is no suffering in this world. I would rather have the medicine shelf start collecting dust. You should stay true to yourself and only then you are living up to the expectations of your patients who have so much faith in you.”
Divine Doctor Wang was used to being praised by others every he went. He was so angry that he was stunned when he was suddenly lectured by a little girl.
The apprentice also shouted in exasperation, “Don’t cause trouble here! Who dares to use the medicine you are trying to sell? Just wait for it to rot in your hands!”