Each year, I intentionally hold back a portion of mugwort leaves for long-term aging, sometimes for several years. I don’t rush to process or sell them. This is how we make real aged moxa floss and aged moxa sticks. I no longer focus on mass production or wholesale. I used to sell moxa floss in bulk, but now, with my own brand and product line, I only produce for our own moxa sticks.
I patiently explained all this, but the customer insisted on a quote. So I simply replied, “I’m really sorry, but if it’s more than a few kilos, I’m not planning to process it—so there’s no need for a quote.”
After I hung up, my partner criticized me: “Why didn’t you just give them a price? You’ve got a customer, and you won’t even try to make the sale? That’s not how business works.” I replied, “If I already decided not to take the order, what’s the point of quoting a price? I said what I meant.” But he kept going—telling me I was too stubborn, that I didn’t know how to talk to customers, that I was letting opportunities slip away.
I cried.
Yes, maybe I’m just not good at business. Since 2009, people have often said I was “abnormal”—turning down orders, storing mugwort year after year, refusing to sell even when prices went up. I’ve had large wholesale orders I turned away. I’ve been broke and still refused to sell my aged moxa. I’d rather borrow money to buy fresh mugwort than sell what I’ve stored. I have four different vintages of mugwort in my warehouse, but only two are on the market. I’ve even turned down people who offered to become distributors.
Some say to just heat the moxa or fumigate it—accelerate the aging artificially. “Isn’t that faster? Why wait all these years and waste time and money?”
It’s hard to explain, especially when my partner scolds me and I feel completely misunderstood. Yes, I admit it—I’m stubborn. Because I want to achieve what others don’t even bother trying. I don’t want to cut corners. I want peace of mind. I want integrity. If that makes me foolish, then so be it.
For You
What has kept me going is one thing: the feeling moxa users get. You can feel the difference the moment you light a stick of aged moxa. There is no trick, no marketing gimmick, that can fake that. I’ve done moxibustion for years—I know that feeling inside and out. That’s why I don’t push ads or hype. I want my product to speak for itself.
Customers who feel it—who benefit from it—come back. They introduce others. They thank me. That’s the kind of feedback I live for.
Six years ago, when I first started moxibustion, people around me mocked it. I kept going. Even through detox symptoms, exhaustion, and emotional lows, I never gave up. I held on to the belief that one day, I would get better—and I did. Now, in my seventh year of moxibustion, my body is much stronger. It was all worth it. That same belief is now what fuels my business.
I’ve poured everything into this—time, energy, money, heart. Though the returns are still modest, the steady stream of customer referrals and support tells me I’m on the right path. Even during the first two years—when I invested but had no product to sell—I kept going. If I got through that, what can’t I get through now?
Sometimes, new customers say things that sting. One said, “I’ll buy a moxa box from you, but can you give me a free box of moxa sticks? They’re cheap anyway.” Another asked, “Do you really have aged mugwort?” I said yes, aged for three years from Qichun. They replied, “But is it truly aged?”
I don’t argue. If they don’t believe me, that’s okay. I just focus on doing what I do right, delivering real, authentic products to those who get it—those I’m meant to serve. I don’t need everyone to be my customer. I let my product win them over.
So yes, I’ll keep walking this path—foolishly, stubbornly, wholeheartedly.
Not just for you. But for me, too.
I’ll give what I can give. As for rewards—they’ll come. Often, they arrive when you least expect them.