Chapter 15: The Value of Magic Honey
A warm sensation radiated from Hua Mi's stomach and quickly spread throughout his body.
His body felt cozy, like being wrapped in a fluffy cloud, and his mind and body surrendered to this pleasant feeling.
Hua Mi let out a yawn, suddenly feeling very tired and wanting nothing more than to sleep.
Although he was exhausted, his brain was still functional, and he made a guess based on the current situation.
"This sudden drowsiness is quite unusual... Could it be that this Moon Slumber Flower honey has a special sedative effect?"
According to his alchemical notes, Moon Slumber Flowers were not only used to neutralize some potent magical drugs but also served as a fundamental ingredient in sleep-inducing magical potions.
From this deduction, it was highly likely that the honey he collected from the Moon Slumber Flowers possessed the sleep-inducing properties of these flowers.
While there were claims that drinking honey before bedtime could aid in sleep, the effectiveness was marginal at best, and it might be more of a placebo effect.
However, this Moon Slumber Flower honey was undeniably a potent sleep aid.
Hua Mi realized that this drowsiness was not irresistible; he could stay awake if he wanted. It was merely a sleep aid, not a full-on hypnotic.
This distinction was crucial because if it were a hypnotic, he wouldn't dare to sell it on Earth.
Just imagine, young people drinking honey water in the morning before school or work, hoping to boost their energy, only to fall asleep instead. That would be a disaster.
Hua Mi reclined on a chair, intending to take a short nap, but he hadn't expected that as soon as he closed his eyes, he wouldn't want to open them.
This feeling of drowsiness was too enchanting, too enjoyable.
"Fine, it's still early. I'll just sleep for an hour."
Hua Mi gave in to the drowsiness, closed his eyes, and drifted into slumber.
...
Hua Mi dared to claim that he hadn't experienced such high-quality sleep since he could remember. Even though the reclining chair wasn't the most comfortable place to sleep, he slept soundly for several hours.
When he awoke, it was already dark outside, but he felt refreshed and full of energy.
During the day, while collecting honey, he had to process a considerable amount of honeycomb, which was physically demanding. However, after this nap, it felt like he had been rejuvenated.
He felt neither tired nor fatigued; in fact, he felt like he could run a marathon.
He was a bit hungry, though.
"With these effects... This honey could easily be classified as 'extraordinary' rather than just 'premium'."
Wasn't this much more effective than sleeping pills? Plus, there were no side effects. Quality sleep was the most crucial factor.
The moonlight was particularly bright that night. With abundant energy and vitality, Hua Mi decided to start bottling the honey while the moon was still high in the sky.
He had a machine for this task, making the process relatively automated, and he only had to perform a few simple operations.
The quantity turned out to be as he had estimated, exactly 518 bottles.
Hua Mi took one box of 500 bottles for sale and reserved the remaining 18 bottles for his seven little companions.
He was determined to bring them into his fold and have them work for him.
Regarding the process of listing the honey for sale, even though Hua Yu Town was somewhat desolate, being a well-known honey-producing town still came with certain privileges.
For example, exemption from inspection.
Exemption from inspection didn't mean no inspection at all. It meant that inspections could be carried out locally in the town's testing facilities, which was efficient.
Of course, these privileges came with responsibilities. If there were any food safety issues, the entire town would be affected.
Thus, Hua Yu Town had always placed great emphasis on safety and quality. Even if the industry was declining, they couldn't afford to cut corners on safety.
Hua Mi didn't need to worry about production permits; he could simply use the ones issued under Hua Yu Town's name.
If everything went smoothly, he could potentially have the Moon Slumber Flower honey listed for sale by the next day or, at most, the day after.
Early the next morning, Hua Mi sent a sample of the honey to a laboratory for quality testing.
To be honest, he was a bit anxious about the results. He wanted to know if the sleep-inducing effect of the Moon Slumber Flower honey was solely due to magical properties or if it contained some other components.
If it was the latter, selling it might be complicated and not as straightforward as he had hoped.
The test results came out quickly, and they showed the typical components found in regular honey, such as fructose and glucose.
The Brix level was at the maximum, 42.
Hua Mi breathed a sigh of relief. It appeared that the magical element was responsible for the sleep-inducing effect, and it couldn't be detected by Earthly instruments.
It was ready for sale!
The honey was packaged in standard 500-gram containers, bearing a prominent label: "100% Pure Natural Honey, 0 Additives!"
This was Hua Yu Town's signature style.
The ingredient list was simple: Honey.
Standard compliance: GB14963.
Production license number: XXXXXXXX.
Production address: Hua Yu Town, 363 Chu Mu Street, Qingyun Province.
Contact number: 1XXXXXXXXXX.
The production address and contact number were clearly displayed to ensure that they could reach him promptly in case of any issues. This information was essential for any legitimate honey product.
Hua Mi had already planned the slogans for his online store page. He wanted to highlight the honey's uniqueness, particularly its sleep-inducing effect. To attract customers, he didn't hesitate to exaggerate a little.
For example, he might say, "A small sip before bedtime guarantees falling asleep within 5 minutes, or your money back in full."
No honey vendor would dare make such bold claims, but Hua Mi did.
Do you understand the value of magic honey?
As for the price, he decided to start with the highest tier in his store, selling each bottle for 300 yuan. Once his reputation grew, he could reevaluate and adjust the pricing accordingly.
With the Earth-related tasks completed, it was already afternoon.
Hua Mi returned to the otherworld and set up a sign in his flower field, as a signal for the little purple-haired girl.
He had expected that she might not show up immediately and thought it might take a few days.
However, to his surprise, she arrived in the evening, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun.
She didn't appear openly but rather in a covert manner, believing that the alchemist hadn't noticed her.
Avoiding the swarm of bees, she hid behind a tree, peeking cautiously.
Hua Mi had actually spotted her using his peripheral vision but didn't reveal it.
"This little one... Does she intend to visit and savor the honey every day? Quite the foodie, it seems."
Although he joked, Hua Mi was genuinely pleased with her presence.
He stood up, retrieved a jar of honey, sat down on a rattan chair, and theatrically sniffed it.
"Oh, what a delightful honey. This is the correct way to use nectar. Those Pikergs have no idea; it's such a waste."
He spoke as though reciting lines in a play, and after that, he took a spoonful and savored it, showing an expression of pure enjoyment.
The little purple-haired girl had been watching curiously and expectantly, hiding behind a leaf. However, as she heard his words, her hands landed on her hips, and her cheeks puffed up in indignation.
Hua Mi's words had an element of provocation to them, and the naive flower spirit had fallen into his trap.
"Oh, my goodness, I almost forgot—I have something to do. My memory can be so unreliable."
With those words, he placed the honey on a bamboo table and didn't bother sealing it. He got up and headed back to his wooden cottage.
The little purple-haired girl waited for a while, but when Hua Mi didn't return, she fumed.
"It's not at all like he said... Nobody understands nectar better than us!"
She was about to express her frustration when a sweet scent wafted through the air.
Instinctively, she sniffed, and her lips moistened involuntarily.