Chapter 23: Making Soap

After accompanying Lin Qinshu to select the site, Ning Ye left a marker there to ensure the land would not be repurposed for other uses in the future.

By the time they returned to the manor, Wang Wu and his men had arrived with cart after cart of fatty pork. Buying fat alone was not difficult, but Ning Ye reasoned that once the fat was rendered into oil, the leftovers could be used to improve their own diet and add some much-needed richness to their meals. In the Great Qian Dynasty, oil was primarily extracted from peanuts, and other sources were rarely consumed. Ning Ye had practically bought up all the fatty pork in Qingyuan County, all of it from pigs.

Lin Qinshu asked with curiosity, "Husband, why have you bought so much fat? Even if we eat it, we could never finish all this. Is it for the people we intend to hire later?"

Ning Ye shook his head with a smile. "This stuff has other wondrous uses. Today, I will teach you the proper way to use it."

As for the other ingredients for soap, Ning Ye had already acquired them. Although he lacked seashells, quicklime was readily available and proved even more convenient. The manor was quite spacious, so Ning Ye chose a large room and converted it into a small workshop. He also selected two men to help him; the process was not particularly complex, and these were men he could trust.

Within about two hours, the soap-making process was complete. The rest required cooling, but Ning Ye, being somewhat impatient, placed the mixture into a wooden bucket and lowered it into a deep well to accelerate the process. When he hauled the bucket back up, the soap inside the wooden mold had completely solidified.

Looking at the snow-white soap before her, Lin Qinshu was amazed. "Husband, I have never seen such beautiful soap before."

Ning Ye smiled. "This is not only beautiful, but it is also far superior to regular soap nuts. We can even add fragrance to it later. Do you think it will sell well?"

Lin Qinshu replied earnestly, "The noble families love unique items. If we sell to them, I believe it will sell very well. If we target commoners, however, the price would need to be much lower."

"Ah, as expected of the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, you grasped the crux of the matter instantly. I intend to price it at one tael of silver per bar."

"Husband, isn't that a bit too ambitious? Although this soap is indeed different, if you sell it for so much, I doubt many households will buy it. Perhaps a lower price would be better."

Ning Ye chuckled. "Selling it at that price alone would naturally be difficult, but isn't that why I have you?"

Lin Qinshu immediately understood his intent. "Husband, you want to use me as a gimmick to attract customers? But I am, after all, the daughter of a disgraced official. Is that truly wise?"

Ning Ye spoke with deep sincerity, "This depends entirely on your wishes. If you do not want to do it, I will never force you. But if you are willing, I shall entrust all future business matters to you."

What daughter of a disgraced official? What status concerns? Ning Ye never took such things to heart. He only knew that the woman before him was his wife; he cared for nothing else. If anyone dared to use such matters to maliciously smear her, he would make sure they paid the price.

Lin Qinshu realized that Ning Ye had no intention of using her; he likely only sensed that she felt uncomfortable idling at home and spoke out of care. Being the daughter of the Minister of Revenue, she was no stranger to business; if it came to trade, she was likely more capable than many.

"Husband, I want to help you. No matter the way, I hope to be of service."

Ning Ye gently squeezed her hand. "Actually, I could have someone else do this. I am just worried it might be exhausting for you. Are you truly sure?"

Lin Qinshu nodded firmly. "Husband, I can help you with the business, and I am certain I can do it well. Please, leave it to me."

"In that case, I shall say no more. I have already found a shop in the city. You may go tomorrow. Do not worry about the cost; hire a few more people, and if you feel tired, you must stop."

As for the remaining raw materials, they would be processed in the coming days, ensuring a steady supply of goods. Lin Qinshu found this novel craft fascinating and spent all her time in the small workshop. Meanwhile, Ning Ye went to handle the hiring. Qingyuan County was populous, but it was also a place of mixed characters, and this time, he did not want to just hire anyone to fill the numbers.

He certainly did not want to hire any riffraff to make up the count. When Ning Ye left this time, he rode his horse, and Wang Wu and the others followed, also mounted. After defeating the horse bandits, Ning Ye had seized a significant number of horses.

However, while Ning Ye looked heroic and dashing in the saddle, Wang Wu and the others looked as if they were undergoing torture, as they had never ridden horses before. Beyond those he kept, Ning Ye brought along over twenty horses, intending to give them away as gifts. Keeping so many horses was a massive drain on resources, as their daily feed—especially for potential warhorses—was costly. The surplus was useless to him, so he might as well use them to build social connections. In such a remote region, horses suitable for combat were rare; most were old, sick, or mere pack animals.

The group traveled in a grand procession. The soldiers guarding Qingyuan County already knew them, so Ning Ye’s arrival caused no alarm. He cupped his hands in a salute and asked, "Brother, do you know where Magistrate Lin is? Is it convenient to see him? I have a grand gift to present to him."

"If you are looking for our Magistrate, I can go report it now. Where will you be, Lord Ning?"

"I am here to recruit some refugees for work. Do you know where they are currently gathered?"

"I see. The refugees are currently on the west side. But I must offer a word of caution: Lord Ning, please be careful. These refugees have not been very well-behaved lately."

Ning Ye nodded. "Rest assured, I am going to offer them a way to make a living. There shouldn't be any trouble, and even if there were, a group of refugees cannot harm me."