After putting her granddaughter to sleep, Jiang Yue went to the storage room to check the cut soap flakes on the shelf.
Aside from its ugly appearance, the smell and function are almost identical to what I remember.
"Master, we dared to use a bar of yellow soap to wash the clothes, and the effect was very obvious; the oil stains on the clothes were quickly scrubbed clean!"
As Aunt Ge spoke, she looked at her employer with admiration.
Wood ash and lard, commonplace items, were transformed into soap and hand soap in the hands of the owner. The owner was truly learned and talented!
"It's alright. You take He'er and Hua'er and wrap up these soaps. Give some to Qingsong to take to Jinling, and I'll order some boxes for the rest. I'll have Qingshan deliver them to the local gentry in the surrounding villages as gifts."
Jiang Yue counted the shelves and mentally calculated that there were about three hundred bars of soap, half of which were soaps for shampooing and washing the body, and the other half were soaps for washing clothes.
He promised Qingsong that he would take half of the soap to sell in Jinling, and the other half could be used as a return gift and also serve as free publicity for the soap.
"Yes, Master, don't worry, leave this to us servants."
Aunt Ge readily agreed, as it was their honor to be able to do good deeds for their employer.
After arranging the soap business, Jiang Yue went straight to the village chief's house, where the two chatted for a long time about the soap factory.
Old Qin felt she couldn't be of much help, so she went to make tea, boil water, and prepare dinner.
Zhang Lizheng not only approved of the plan to build a factory in Zhangjiawan, but also said that their village would provide the funds and that Magistrate Jiang would not need to worry about the factory. He only asked that Magistrate Jiang would set aside past grievances and allow the soap factory to be located in Zhangjiawan, so that Zhangjiawan could develop and prosper together.
"Uncle, what do you think of Zhang Lizheng's defection?"
"Alas, he's really unlucky. First, Zhang cooked her mother-in-law to death, making it difficult for girls in Zhangjiawan to find husbands. Then, Zhang Li'er willingly became someone's mistress, someone's concubine..."
Not to mention their reputation is ruined, even their own family can't hold their heads up high anymore..."
The village chief remarked with emotion that Zhangjiawan used to be very prestigious, having produced one Juren (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations) and three Xiucai (successful candidates in the county-level imperial examinations). The dragon lantern festival held every five years originated from Zhangjiawan!
As a result, a bunch of messy things happened last year, tarnishing their reputation. Three years from now, the dragon lantern might just go to their Wu family village!
"We are all in this together, whether we prosper or suffer. Our Wu Family Village owes its current success to your great contributions."
Jiang Yue remarked that this was not flattery, but a heartfelt statement.
"I'm old, and there's not much I can do for the village, but I'm very gratified that Wu Family Village has you, Jiahu, and Daniu..."
The village chief stroked his beard, extremely pleased, and rattled off a list of many of his proudest descendants.
His wife is right. He's getting old and needs to train the next generation of younger people who can shoulder the responsibilities of village chief.
Jiang Yue offered tea instead of wine, saying:
"Wujia Village is fortunate to have you."
"I have successfully completed my mission."
The village chief picked up his teacup, clinked it against his own with a smile, and then drank it all in one gulp.
Every generation has its own mission.
He has already completed his mission. From now on, Wujia Village will rely on these young people, the new generation of leaders, to go further and longer...
Three years later—
Spring blossoms and autumn fruits fill the courtyard with fragrance; we persevere through wind and rain.
With its advantages in agriculture, water conservancy, drought control, and military strength, Tianyao Kingdom surpassed Daqing and became the most powerful country among all the kingdoms.
The people live in peace and contentment, and the country is prosperous and strong.
Liu Shisheng, the former prefect of Anqing Prefecture, was promoted three ranks due to his outstanding political achievements. He is now the governor of Anhui Province, a second-rank official, and is enjoying unparalleled prestige!
Magistrate Zhao of Taohua County has achieved remarkable political achievements in his three years in office and has been granted the title of seventh-rank magistrate by imperial decree!
Having weathered many storms, Wujia Village has become the number one village in the surrounding area!
The village has undergone tremendous changes. The old village chief stepped down three years ago, and Wu Jiahu became the new village chief.
The village school doubled in size, taking in even more students. A new batch of students graduated every two years, and a small number of gifted students were sent by the county magistrate to the county school to study more rigorous academic subjects.
Most children have limited natural talents. After two years of learning to read and write—enough to benefit them for life—they leave school with grateful hearts and return home to help their families escape poverty and achieve prosperity.
Master Liu was no longer able to teach all the children in the four schools by himself, so the village hired another teacher, and the two took turns teaching, which was quite reliable.
Only a small number of talented people have silver, and they are now studying in the county. They can only return to the village on holidays and days off.
Qingyao had no passion for studying. Not only were girls not allowed to go to school, but she also lacked the talent for it.
After graduation, she devoted herself to studying medical books and consulted with her eldest cousin about the customs and practices of pharmacists, hoping that one day she could inherit her grandfather's mantle and become a doctor who could save lives and was well-versed in the classics of medicine.
Xiaoxue's thinking was even simpler: her eldest sister had married well, and her second brother was a scholar. As the younger sister, she couldn't let them down; being literate was better than being blind.
After graduation, instead of bothering her brother-in-law's family to arrange a job for her, she chose to help her mother cultivate medicinal plants, learn about their habits, and experiment with ways to increase yield and productivity...
The old house remains as peaceful as ever. Under the protests of the younger generation, the grandparents have stopped participating in heavy work and farm work, and have started a health and leisure lifestyle.
Now, the elderly couple often take their three great-grandchildren for walks around the village.
Oh, I forgot to mention, my nephew's wife, Xiaodie, had two babies in three years, both boys!
Both my daughter and her husband's eldest daughter were born as girls, and it's only this year, with the older one turning three, that they've started thinking about having a second child...
"Grandma~"
Jiang Yue was resting with her eyes closed on a recliner in the front yard when she heard that sweet, childlike voice calling out, and her heart melted.
"Woof woof woof~"
Xiao Bai, who was lying at the woman's feet with his white belly exposed, suddenly bristled and ran to hide deep in the doghouse.
"Clatter, clatter~"
Several large white geese spread their wings to cover their long necks, and when they saw their little owner, they were so frightened that they ran away in all directions.
"Wan'er, didn't you go fly kites with your great-grandfather and the others?"
Jiang Yue's smile froze. The little guy who came into view looked like he'd fallen into a mud pit, his hands still clutching an eel, and what appeared to be something in his pocket...
"Quack quack quack~"
Frog or toad?
These are all things she's afraid of. Help! Don't come any closer!
"Grandma, Hao Hao, my little brother, stole my kite!"
Ever since Wu Wenwan learned that wontons were for eating, she has forbidden her family from calling her by her nickname.
Although he is only three and a half years old, he is a big shot in the village. Although he is not particularly unreasonable, he is definitely the kind of naughty kid!
"So, you fell into the mud?"
Jiang Yue tentatively asked in return, "If my daughter-in-law saw this, she'd definitely give the little guy a good beating."
"No, I jumped in on my own initiative, it was so shallow."
Wu Wenwan flashed her tiny teeth, her dimples peeking out from her dirty face...
"Naughty."
Jiang Yue was both amused and exasperated. She gestured for her granddaughter to stay still and called for Aunt Ge, who naturally knew how to handle the situation...
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