Lu Cijian casually replied, "I went to take care of some things and came back as soon as I was done."
He had planned to wait until he was settled in Qingshi Village before coming up the mountain to take a look. He was a little uneasy, but he didn't expect to run into them as soon as he arrived.
All those worries and anxieties vanished instantly.
He only asked out of curiosity about what happened in the small depression during the months he was away. When he heard that an injured person was found in the depression not long after he left, he immediately frowned.
He breathed a sigh of relief upon learning that they were constables from the government office.
He thought it was because he hadn't dealt with the bandits properly that time.
After chatting for a while, seeing that it was getting late, Old Liu invited everyone to have dinner at his house, and everyone went about their own business.
Gou Sheng and the others were reviewing what Zhang Xiucai had taught them that day.
Jiang Yimian looked at them for a while, her face full of satisfaction. She felt that the children had made great progress. Their originally scrawled handwriting was much better, at least much neater.
She watched for a while longer before going about her own business.
Most of the soaps I made last time have already been cut out and are being dried in a well-ventilated place, but I haven't had time to cut the soap that she painted.
Jiang Yimian placed the long box on the table under the eaves. As soon as she untied the wooden lock that secured the box, a delicate fragrance of camellias wafted out.
She looked at the indistinct pattern on the outer layer, feeling uneasy, unsure if the pattern inside was also indistinct.
If even one thing isn't clear, her whole box of soap will be wasted.
Carefully cutting away the indistinct outer pattern, a lifelike rabbit appeared, its mouth open, eating a red raspberry.
Jiang Yimian's expression brightened with joy, her anxiety instantly subsiding and replaced by happiness. "It's done."
If she took this box of soap out, she wouldn't just sell it for twenty coins; it would start at least at one hundred coins.
The ladies of wealthy families would certainly prefer these patterned soaps to ordinary soaps, as they are both beautiful and effective.
When Lu Cijian arrived, he saw Jiang Yimian grinning foolishly. When his gaze fell on the rabbits on the table, he raised an eyebrow, thinking they were kind of cute.
Seeing the other person staring at the soap on the table, Jiang Yimian said with a hint of pride, "Isn't it beautiful? I drew it."
Lu Cijian curled his lips and stared at Jiang Yimian's fair face, saying, "Yes, beautiful."
Jiang Yimian looked at the soap on the table and was in a good mood. She handed one to Lu Cijian and said with a smile, "Here's one for you, but you'll have to wait a few more days before you can use it."
As he spoke, he placed the remaining soap in a well-ventilated area to air dry.
Actually, she estimated that the saponification reaction was almost complete by the time it was done, but since she hadn't cut it a few days ago, she felt it would be better to let it sit for a few more days.
Lu Cijian stared at the little rabbit on the soap and asked curiously, "What is this?"
Jiang Yimian casually said, "Soap, similar to bath beads, but better to use."
Lu Cijian paused, suppressing his surprise, and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you planning to sell it yourself?"
The bath beads aren't very effective, but the recipe is still kept secret. Shops that have the recipe protect it very closely. If Yi Mian were to sell them like that, it's hard to say whether she would be able to sell them, but she would definitely be targeted.
He dared not imagine how many people would exploit this thing once it spread throughout the Great Jin Dynasty; the people in this small, low-lying area alone could not protect the formula.
Just as I was worrying, I heard Jiang Yimian laugh and say, "Am I that stupid? I cooperate with Huichuntang, supply them with goods, and they sell them themselves."
Putting aside whether she can sell it herself, as a simple peasant girl with no power or influence, having such a lucrative formula will definitely attract envy. But with Huichuntang as her backer, it's a different story.
If anyone wants to make a move against her, they should at least take a look at Huichuntang behind her.
She remembered that Huichuntang not only had shops in the town, but also in the county seat and the prefectural city. Families who could open shops in the prefectural city were not ordinary people.
She won't lose out by cooperating with Huichuntang.
Lu Cijian chuckled; it seemed he had worried unnecessarily.
Indeed, Yi Mian would never recklessly put herself in a dangerous situation; if she did, it would definitely be bait.
*
The next day happened to be market day.
Zhao Dashu got up early and went down the mountain with Erhei and Xiaohei, carrying a lot of konjac tofu.
Because Liu Dayong had to go to the fields to finish up some things, and Gousheng had to learn to read, the task of going to the market fell to the three of them.
Zhao Dashu had been there several times and was very familiar with the town, so he didn't feel anything special. Erhei and Xiaohei, on the other hand, were quite delighted and were very excited along the way.
It wasn't until the stall was set up and many people came to buy things that the two realized it was real. They immediately forgot their surprise and hurriedly started working.
Fortunately, the three brothers often spent time together and had a good understanding of each other, so they quickly got the hang of it and weren't so flustered anymore.
I brought quite a lot of konjac tofu today, and it took me more than an hour to finish making it.
If someone hadn't bought a large bucket of it, they probably would have been busy for a few more quarters of an hour.
Seeing that he had sold out of his goods, Wang Xiaohei breathed a long sigh of relief. "That scared me to death. I almost miscalculated the coins just now."
With so many people around, he couldn't keep up with the calculations. Luckily, he realized it quickly, otherwise he would have lost several copper coins.
Zhao Dashu frowned and thought for a while before saying, "We should also go to Zhang Xiucai's place to learn arithmetic another day, otherwise we'll be the ones who lose out if we make a mistake in the accounts."
Wang Xiaohei nodded repeatedly, deeply recognizing the importance of reading.
As the group was talking and packing up their things, a young man stopped in front of the stall, stared at them for a while without saying a word.
Zhao Dashu assumed the other person was also there to buy konjac, and simply smiled and said, "We've sold out of konjac today. Come back tomorrow."
There's not much going on in the small depression these past few days, so he plans to come back and sell tomorrow. Instead of staying home, he might as well come and earn some more coins.
The young man smiled and waved his hand, saying quickly, "I thought I was seeing things. I'm a shop assistant at Huichuntang. Please tell Miss Jiang to come to Huichuntang tomorrow. I have something important to discuss."
Zhao Dashu immediately realized it was about the soap and nodded quickly, "Okay, I'll tell Sister Mian when I get back."
The young man breathed a sigh of relief, and seeing that the buckets of konjac were empty, he left somewhat dejectedly.
He was also thinking of buying some konjac for the young master to try. He had heard many people mention konjac these past few days, saying that it tasted excellent and was a delicacy.
The young master always seems uncomfortable whenever he comes here, and he's been worrying these past few days about how to help the manager please him.
Hopefully, the young master's mind will be on business, otherwise he'll be the one suffering.
After packing their things, Zhao Dashu and his companions decided not to linger. They went to the pork stall next door, bought some pork fat, and were about to head back when a woman's voice called out to them.
"Hey, wait, wait a minute, you, you guys don't go."
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