Chapter 59 Chapter 59 At this time, Shen, who had already stored food...
Chen Xuan, who had already stored up food at this time, no longer cared about the locust plague, but instead thought about how to make soap.
Da Jin did not have soap base at that time, but in fact it already had soap. However, soap was quite expensive, costing at least one hundred coins per piece. Only wealthy families could afford it, while ordinary poor people could only afford bath beans and soap nuts.
There are two kinds of soaps sold on the market in Dajin. One is made from alkaline water burned from wood ash. It is gray and turbid in color and not very good-looking. A piece is sold for only one hundred coins.
Another type is made of pure alkali produced in the Alkali Lake and is transparent in color. The price was also much more expensive, costing five hundred coins per piece, and only very wealthy families would afford it.
Chen Xuan wanted to open a beauty and skin care shop and do business with women and men, and the first thing he thought of was the soap business.
The soap making method is simple and there are many ways to create it. Just package it well and you can sell it at a high price.
In the modern world, there are all kinds of facial soaps, essential oil soaps, flower soaps, and shampoo soaps. You can make a fortune by picking out any one of them and selling it to the guys and girls on the Gold-Throwing Street.
Thinking of this, Chen Xuan bought back a lot of spices, as well as Polygonum multiflorum that can make hair black and some herbs that can make the skin white and tender.
Including the most popular essential oils on the market in Dajin, such as osmanthus oil and gardenia oil, and then closed the door and began to tinker with the process of making soap.
Shen Xuan was still in middle school when he learned the process of making soap in the modern world. If I try to tinker with it now, I've already forgotten most of it. I didn’t know the ratio and failed several times in a row.
He wanted to make high-end soap, so he gave up using cheap wood ash and chose pure alkali, which was expensive in Dajin but had better effects.
Fortunately, the soap-making process is relatively simple. After trying and groping for half a month and using up ten kilograms of pure alkali, Shen Xuan finally made a transparent soap with an osmanthus scent based on his memory.
This soap is golden and clear in color, with a fragrant osmanthus scent. With the formula of this soap, Shen Xuan replaced some essential oils and spices in the same way, and indeed made a lot of soaps with different scents and colors.
Shen Xuan's homemade soap had always been done quietly in the backyard after going to the theater Xianwei during the day. Apart from Jinzhi and Jingui who helped cover for him, no one in the Shen family knew about it for the time being.
In fact, when everyone saw Shen Xuan mixing oils, herbs, and spices, they thought he was developing some kind of food.
Until Shen Xuan distributed crude soap to several servants and asked them to use it for bathing. Only a few servants realized that what Shen Xuan made was not food, but soap with a special fragrance.
"These soaps smell so good and look so precious." The guests were very surprised. They each picked out several soaps with different scents. At that time, they used a soap with gardenia scent to wash their hands.
Qingkang and Qingping were born into farming families and had never seen soap. When they first saw this fragrant, transparent, block-like object that could be used for washing, they were reluctant to use it.
Shengfu and Shengcai had seen the world before and knew about things like soap.
However, the soap in their master's house was used by the masters before. How could servants like them enjoy it? I didn’t expect that after following Shen Xuan, I would use this special soap, which is better than the transparent soap that the young master used before!
"Brother Chen, this soap is not cheap, right? Can you just give it to us?" Shengcai couldn't help but ask.
"It's okay, it's just a sample." Shen Xuan said casually. He made these soaps casually using bamboo tubes as molds. The shapes are not very pretty, but they are fine for personal use, but cannot be sold as commodities.
In order to sell these soaps, they need good packaging.
Thinking of this, Shen Xuan went to find a carpenter and asked him to make some molds of different shapes according to his requirements.
These molds are either square or round, and are carved with different patterns. The patterns include osmanthus, gardenia, jasmine and even Polygonum multiflorum.
The only thing in common is that the word "Xuan" is engraved on the bottom, which can be regarded as an advertisement for his own product.
Chen Xuan made a set of such molds for one type of soap, and it took him seven full days to complete the carving.
After everything was done, Shen Xuan remade a batch of different soaps based on different molds.
This time, the osmanthus soap is square, and the golden transparent soap body is carved with three-dimensional patterns of osmanthus patterns. The jasmine soap is oval in shape and a light translucent green.
Soaps with other scents also correspond to different soap bodies and colors. Among them, the soap body of Gardenia is white, while the soap body of Polygonum multiflorum is translucent dark brown.
Shen Xuan just took these soaps out of the mold and stunned Jin Gui and Jin Zhi's eyes. Even though they had been in the Marquis' Mansion for so many years and had seen many rare things, they had never seen such beautiful soap.
"This soap is really beautiful." Jinzhi sighed, "My sister served Madam Wen in the Marquis's Mansion. The soap she used was coconut oil soap bought from Southeast Asia. She said it was worth one tael of silver each and treated it like a treasure. Compared to the soap you made, Brother Shen, it's still far inferior!"
Jingui also said, "Yes, I put the osmanthus soap I got last time in the closet. The clothes in the whole closet are all fumigated with a layer of osmanthus scent, which is comparable to the finest spices in Baihuatang."
Shen Xuan took out the mulberry paper he had bought earlier and cut it into a square piece. Wrap a piece of soap in a paper bag, fold it, and then tie a knot with a straw rope.
The packaged soap was delicate and beautiful. Shen Xuan took out a seal, pressed golden ink on it, and stamped the bottom of the packaged soap.
Jin Gui took a closer look and saw that it was the word "Osmanthus", which Shen Xuan had taught him before.
"Brother Chen, do the words on these seals correspond to soaps of different flavors?" Jingui asked immediately.
"That's right." Shen Xuan nodded and said, "You can follow my example and help me pack up the rest."
"Yes." Jinzhi and Jingui responded quickly and carefully cut paper to wrap the soap that had been demoulded. Jingui could already recognize some words. After Shen Xuan taught them for a while, he let them go about their business.
Shen Xuan took out the bamboo box that he had prepared long ago and put the soaps of various flavors into the grids of the bamboo box one by one. There was also a word "Xuan" as big as an egg printed on the lid of the bamboo box. It was also written by Shen Xuan himself in advance and a seal was carved by someone.
As the spring examination approached, Xue Fenglin was busy quoting scriptures and discussing classics with his classmates in the Imperial College every day. Shen Xuan didn't feel comfortable disturbing him for such a small matter, so he designed a slender and exquisite artistic font. Although it is not as calligraphy-like as Xue Fenglin's, it also meets the needs of beauty products.
Shen Xuan took the box and went to the Jinning Palace.
Since their last meeting in the paddock, the Princess of Jinning County has been quite impressed with Shen Xuan and has sent him invitations to visit her home many times.
Shen Xuan was busy making soap before and declined several times. Now that the soap is ready, there is no need to refuse.
When they arrived at the Jinning Prince's Mansion, the people in the mansion treated Chen Xuan very politely and led him directly to the main hall for receiving guests.
Prince Jinning has a good relationship with his princess and has no concubines. The two of them had only one son and one brother. As the youngest brother, Princess Jinning was naturally their treasure.
The fact that Shen Xuan saved the Princess of Jinning last time could not be hidden from the Prince and Princess of Jinning.
Therefore, they had a very good impression of Shen Xuan. When they heard that Shen Xuan was coming, Princess Jinning came out to receive him in person to express her gratitude to Shen Xuan for saving her child.
Princess Jinning did not attend the last Chongyang Banquet of the Ye family, and this was the first time Shen Xuan met the princess.
The servant of the palace had just brought a cup of tea, and before Shen Xuan had time to take a sip, he saw Princess Jinning and Jin Shiyue coming out.
Shen Xuan quickly stood up and performed a grand ceremony of audience. The princess helped him up personally with a kind look on her face, and asked Shen Xuan questions in a very friendly manner, without any intention of looking down on him because of his low status.
After the princess spoke a few words, she beckoned the maid beside her, held up a tray and said, "Thank you, Brother Chen, for saving my Yue'er from the lake last time. I have no way to repay such a great favor. This little thing will be considered a gift to you."
The maid lifted the silk handkerchief on the tray, and Shen Xuan discovered that there was a set of accessories suitable for a boy neatly placed underneath. There are jade pendants, crowns, hairpins, beads and other items, all made of the finest cat's-eye stone with intricate carvings. They are obviously gifts from the emperor and must be worth a lot of money.
"This... this gift is too expensive." Shen Xuan declined quickly.
"What is this little thing worth compared to my son's life?" Princess Jinning said, "Brother Chen, don't push it anymore. Otherwise, it will be bad."
When Shen Xuan heard this, he knew it was not a good idea to refuse any more, so after expressing his gratitude, he gladly accepted it. Then he took out the bamboo box he had brought with him and said:
"This is my first visit. I didn't know the princess would prepare a generous gift. I only brought a small gift. I hope the princess and the county lady will not despise it."
"You actually brought something with you? Let me see what it is?" Jin Shiyue was curious when she saw the bamboo box that Shen Xuan brought.
He saw the word "Xuan" printed on the box, but for a moment he did not associate it with Chen Xuan's name. Instead, he thought it was a new snack from a restaurant in Beijing, so he immediately opened the lid to take a look.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the bamboo lid was opened, a fragrant aroma emanated from the box.
The rich scents of many flowers mixed together to emit a special rich aroma, filling the entire reception hall with fragrance.
"Are these spices?" Jin Shiyue took out a paper bag with some curiosity and saw the word "Jasmine" printed on it.
"It's soap. You can use it for bathing and washing your face." Shen Xuan said.
"Soap? Scented soap? This is the first time I've heard of it." Jin Shiyue found it fresh and interesting, so she immediately opened a paper package to take a look.
Unexpectedly, when I opened the paper package, what was inside was not a square or round soap body like ordinary soap, but a translucent soap body with exquisite patterns and beautiful colors, like a handicraft.
"Wow... this soap is so exquisite." When Jin Shiyue saw the soap, her eyes lit up and she exclaimed in amazement.
He immediately brought the soap to Princess Jinning and showed it to her carefully.
Even a woman like Princess Jinning, who had seen many royal items in the palace, was surprised when she saw the soap made by Shen Xuan for the first time.
"I've never seen such soap in the palace." Princess Jinning couldn't help but say.
Shen Xuan didn't expect that a knowledgeable lady like Princess Jinning would speak so highly of his soap. After thinking for a while, he said to the princess, "These soaps have several flavors. I chose one as well. There is also a shampoo soap with Polygonum multiflorum. It is made with Polygonum multiflorum juice and is said to make hair darker and more shiny."
"Let me take a look?" Jin Shiyue became interested as soon as she heard it, and found the piece of Polygonum multiflorum shampoo soap and opened it to take a look.
This soap is dark brown in color and not as fragrant as other flower-scented soaps. Instead, it has a cool, herbal scent that is very natural and pleasant.
When Shen Xuan was making this soap, he added some lemongrass and lemon spices to cover up the medicinal smell of Polygonum multiflorum.
Although the smell of these two spices is not strong, they are fresh and pleasant.
Princess Jinning asked Jin Shiyue to show her the piece of Polygonum multiflorum soap, and then she put it close to her nose and smelled it. Then she said, "Yue'er, your hair has gradually turned white these days, so I'll take this soap and use it."
As soon as Shen Xuan saw it, he knew that she had taken a fancy to this soap. Looking at the happy expressions of Princess Jinning and Jin Shiyue, he also had some thoughts in his mind.
He actually had his own selfish motives when he brought these soaps.
Chen Xuan wanted to open a beauty shop on Zhijin Street in advance, but he didn't have enough funds, so he thought of coming to win over Jin Shiyue, asking him to invest a little and then share the profits with him.
However, after seeing that his soap was so popular in front of a noble lady like Princess Jinning, Shen Xuan suddenly changed his mind.
It was such a good business, a business that was sure to make money, but he didn't want to share the profits with anyone. If we have to divide it, it should be among our own family members. After all, good things should be kept within the family.
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