Chapter 18 Soap Making
When Chen Ting saw several unfamiliar maids guarding the door of his room, he paused and remembered that he was already married. Although he did not slept with his wife last night, he was no longer the only one in this courtyard... His room and his couch would be filled with the scent of another person.
"General, the lady is taking a nap." Wutong lowered his eyes and said respectfully, "Should we go wake her up?"
Chen Ting strode into the house: "No need."
The wedding quilt and red candles in the bridal chamber had not yet been removed. A petite beauty with snow-white skin and beautiful face curled up on a small couch inlaid with gold-threaded Epiphyllums. The afternoon was hot and stuffy. When Chen Ting went in, Nanny Liang was fanning Shen Wangshu. Even so, the person on the couch was still sleeping soundly with sweat dripping down her face. Her hair was wet and stuck to her temples, looking both beautiful and pitiful.
When Nanny Liang saw Chen Ting, she hurriedly bowed. The man waved his hand, motioning her to leave, and Nanny Liang retreated quietly.
Only the couple were left in the room. The smell of the soothing incense made people feel stuffy. Chen Ting stood in front of the couch and looked at her quietly for a while. Without Nanny Liang fanning her, the beauty's thin eyebrows immediately frowned slightly, and she looked like she was sleeping very uneasily.
Chen Ting said "she's being coquettish" in his heart, but his body somehow picked up the fan that Nanny Liang had put down, and took over her position to continue fanning Shen Wangshu.
Seeing that she was sleeping peacefully, he suddenly realized what he was doing and stopped moving his hands.
...Is he here to serve this troublesome woman of unknown identity? He is here to investigate and question! Why are you still doing the work of a servant?
Chen Ting immediately put down his fan and sat aside to drink tea.
When Shen Wangshu woke up sweating profusely, Nanny Liang was no longer beside her. She sat up with a dry mouth and murmured in a low voice: "I really can't live a day without air conditioning..."
“What is an empty strip?” The man’s voice came suddenly, and Shen Wangshu was startled: “…Husband?”
She put on her clothes and got off the bed, and saw Chen Ting sitting alone at a table not far away. She didn't know how long he had been there, and he didn't say a word.
People who practice martial arts have better hearing than ordinary people. Chen Ting heard clearly what Shen Wangshu complained about without warning. He didn't know what the "empty strip" his wife was talking about, but the absence of this thing seemed to make her very distressed.
"What is the empty strip?" Chen Ting asked again: "Without it, you can't live a good life in the mansion? Where can I find it?"
He looked very serious, but Shen Wangshu didn't know how to explain. She was afraid that she would never be able to go back to the modern world. Even if Chen Ting was willing to search the whole world for her, he couldn't find an air conditioner.
"Nothing, it's just that the weather is too hot. I just dreamed that I was roasted on a fire." Shen Wangshu joked with him and skipped the topic: "Where is Nanny Liang?"
Fortunately, Nanny Liang fanned her before she went to bed, otherwise she would not have been able to sleep at all.
Shen Wangshu wanted to take a bath, but he didn't see Nanny Liang, so he asked.
Chen Ting thought she was blaming him for driving Nanny Liang away. No one was waiting for her so she got so hot. He felt guilty, but his face was stern and he spoke in a very tough tone: "Without Nanny Liang, can you not do anything? It's me you see when you wake up, but you open your mouth to look for Nanny Liang."
"......" What's going on?
Shen Wangshu looked at him in surprise and opened his mouth: “Husband, I’m just a little hot, I want to ask Nanny Liang to call for some water to bathe… Do you want to do it for me?”
Chen Ting suddenly turned off the engine, turned around and walked out: "I'll go call someone, you wait."
“It’s inexplicable.” Shen Wangshu looked at the man’s tall back and complained in a low voice.
*
There were few entertainment facilities in ancient times, and the days were long and the nights were short in summer. Shen Wangshu clearly felt that a long time had passed. When he asked, it was only the afternoon, and there were still two hours before dark.
She asked Wutong to find some books to read. Medical books would be the best, but if not, other books would be fine, such as official history, policy essays, vernacular novels, travel notes, whatever was available.
Wutong said in embarrassment: "All the books are in the study. If Madam wants to read them, it is better to ask the general first."
Mei Xue also said bluntly: "Madam, you'd better not overestimate yourself. If you enter the study without permission and lose some maps or military books, we will lose more than ten heads."
Although her words were unpleasant to hear, Shen Wangshu knew that she was right. Chen Ting was a general guarding the border, and there must be a lot of confidential documents in his study. If he just threw any one of them and blamed it on himself, he would be charged with treason and collaborating with the enemy.
Shen Wangshu didn't want to challenge his limits, so he decided to find a chance to ask Chen Ting later.
Come to think of it, this guy was embarrassed and left by her just now, and no one knew where he went. However, it was good enough to just sit there without having to stare at him in the room - besides, she could do other things.
Shen Wangshu was a typical science student when she was in school. In addition to the soap she wanted to make before, she also had a lot of chemical formulas in her mind. Are you afraid that she would be troubled by it?
The soapberry bath beans and the like used by ordinary people here have average cleaning effects and a bland smell, while the rose dew and autumn water dew used by wealthy families smell good but are flashy and not practical. Shen Wangshu has been here for several months and there has not been a single day when he washed his face with a fresh feel, so he decided to make the soap today.
"Taohong, go find me some wood ash," Shen Wangshu ordered, "and go to the kitchen to get a piece of lard. It doesn't have to be too big, just a small piece will do... Forget it, I'll go there myself."
Animal fats need to be refined, the ratio of wood ash to water must also be paid attention to, and the practical operations of extracting alkaline liquid have to be done by her own, and no one else can do it for her. Shen Wangshu decided to try it herself first, and if successful, she would write out the formula and let her subordinates do it.
Although everyone didn't understand what was going on, they had to obey their master's orders, so they followed her to the kitchen.
As for making soap, any time traveler with a little knowledge should be able to do it - not only is the success rate high, but you can use it yourself or sell the formula to make money, it's really a profitable business.
Shen Wangshu had done this experiment once when he was in high school, and he remembered exactly what to add, so he was not unfamiliar with it.
Madam suddenly visited the kitchen, and the maids and servants inside came to greet her in shock, saying in panic, "Greetings, Madam. If you want to eat anything, just send someone to tell you. There's no need to come here in person, where the smoke and cooking oil will fumigate you."
Shen Wangshu gently told them not to be nervous: "It's just a small thing, you all should leave... leave one person who can make a fire."
A dark-skinned woman stayed behind and said, "My name is Zhao. Madam, please give me your orders."
Shen Wangshu didn't know how to use ancient pots and stoves, but it would be much easier if someone could control the heat.
Before rolling up her sleeves to work, she asked Wutong to find some molds and put them in to cool and solidify after they were done.
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