This afternoon, my brother asked, “Why don’t you mass-produce moxa sticks? Why don’t you sell those popular items that others are selling so well?” He also strongly urged me to produce this and that, and gave me a lot of suggestions.
Dear brother, don’t worry—I’ve thought about all the things you mentioned a long time ago. Many of these issues are rooted in objective reality. If I explained it all, you’d probably understand it better than anyone else. Why don’t I invest in fancy packaging for my moxa sticks? Why don’t I mass-produce them? Why do I have so few product varieties? Why…?
Those are great questions, and you’re absolutely right. If I spent more effort on presentation and packaging, customers might indeed be impressed at first glance and fall in love with the product immediately. But I’ve been practicing moxibustion for seven years now. People who’ve truly experienced moxibustion care more about the therapeutic sensation than the appearance. Knowledgeable users aren’t so superficial. I’m not after love at first sight—I’m after something that grows over time. The more someone understands moxibustion, the more likely they are to appreciate my products.
Of course, it’s best when something looks great and works well too. That’s not impossible—after all, my husband and I had a bit of “love at first sight” ourselves (slightly off-topic, I know). But the point is: I’m building a long-term business. I’m not planning to disappear after two or three years.
Let me give you an example: Dad grows vegetables himself, using little to no pesticides. Some of them never even grow fully and get eaten by bugs. Even the mature ones look far from perfect. The tomatoes don’t look bright red or shiny like the ones in stores, but their taste is amazing. The eggplants and cucumbers may not be uniformly shaped, but when you eat them, they taste exactly the way they should. Then there are the free-range chickens—not as big or plump as feedlot chickens, but the flavor is simply unforgettable. It’s like some girls who look stunning with makeup on—after they take it off, it’s a whole different story. Li Yugang in full makeup can look more glamorous than many women!
I don’t want to spend too much on packaging and trendy variations. To ensure high-quality moxa, I have to let the mugwort leaves age naturally. Storing aged mugwort for several years isn’t something a basic warehouse can handle. It needs protection from water, humidity, fire, and more. I’ve visited other moxa processing plants—many process the leaves as soon as they’re harvested. They don’t need warehouses. At most, they’ll store the leaves until winter. The longer you store the leaves, the more they lose weight—over 10% per year. But from the start, I aimed to make truly aged moxa floss. That’s why I didn’t start selling the mugwort harvested in 2009 until 2011. The moxa from 2010 is only now being sold widely.
To store leaves for years without spoilage, the warehouse must be properly built—well-ventilated, fireproof, moisture-proof. You’ve seen my warehouse—it’s self-built, not rented. We’ve also put a lot of effort into the mugwort purchasing process. The leaves must be fully dried. I remember in 2010, some investors in Anguo, Hebei, tried to corner the market, buying up large quantities of mugwort. Some places were even packaging wet, green leaves. This only leads to fermentation, mold, and spoilage. Sure enough, many of those investors suffered massive losses when prices collapsed in 2011.
To ensure high-quality mugwort, we’ve learned from experience and improved over time. After 2012, many problems were eliminated. Still, around the Dragon Boat Festival every year, I feel incredibly anxious. For the sake of long-term development, I keep investing even when there’s little profit and few products to sell. Around this time last year, I couldn’t sleep for over a month. I needed money to expand the warehouse and purchase more leaves, but had few products available to generate income. You saw how worn out I looked—that was the toughest time since starting this business.
Thankfully, last winter, returning customers began buying in large quantities and recommending me to others. I finally reached a point where the business could sustain itself, though things are still tight. No matter what equipment I invest in next, the foundation must be stable—I need to ensure that I have enough high-quality raw material so I won’t run out just when the brand starts gaining recognition.
Yes, other manufacturers might make beautiful-looking moxa, with great packaging. But few have their own floss-processing plants. Many shops simply buy moxa floss from others, with no idea how old it is. Processing factories don’t face end consumers directly—they only care about getting paid. Some try to cover up poor aging by increasing the fluffiness of the floss or claiming it’s been aged for years. They’ll do anything to make it look good. That’s why one of my customers once said, “Your 5:1 moxa from 2009 is better than the 30:1 moxa I bought elsewhere.” Why? Because only people who’ve used it extensively, who know what to look for, can feel the difference.
In short, I’ve spent all the money on warehouse construction and proper leaf aging—because I want trustworthy, high-quality moxa floss. That’s why I haven’t focused on flashy packaging or gimmicks. From a consumer’s perspective, this is the most genuine value. I once said, “I don’t expect everyone to become my customer—only those who truly understand moxibustion.” What others do is their business—we stick to our principles. And I’m proud that even without fancy packaging, and even with occasional imperfections, my customers feel reassured. Their feedback is incredibly positive.
If I were just chasing short-term profit, I could’ve sold all my inventory. Just yesterday, a client asked to buy five tons of premium moxa floss. I could’ve processed all the leaves and made a nice chunk of money. But can I really do that? I have my own brand. I’m in this for the long haul. So I must resist temptation and stay patient—for a better future, and for a marketplace that still has real, high-quality moxa sticks.