Jade Soap

 

“Hey? Chen’s daughter-in-law, what are you holding in your hand?” An elderly ger by the riverside on the outskirts of Fuyang Town asked the young woman who was doing laundry next to him.

 

“Third Uncle, this is soap. My husband just bought it from Ningxia Pavilion yesterday. It’s for our family to wash our faces with.” The young woman boasted secretly.

 

Ancient-style all-natural handmade soap, indeed unpolluted and moisturizing. It’s perfect for washing the face, and Jing Yi guarantees not to deceive consumers.

 

“Oh, this small piece costs three wen, right? I’ve heard about it. My daughter at home has been pestering me for it these days.” In fact, the daughter-in-law had also asked a few times, but this small piece costs three wen. It won’t last long, and who’s so rich to come up with the money easily?

 

“Hey! Third Uncle, this small piece is economical. It can be used for about twenty days by just washing your face every day.”

 

“Besides, I’m using it to wash the clothes of my son and younger brother at home. The shopkeeper said it can kill… kill some kind of bacteria when washing clothes, it keeps the children from getting sick. My mother-in-law said that now that we have this soap, we should let the children use it.”

 

The young daughter-in-law was quick-witted, her voice crisp. Not only did she shut up the elderly ger, but she also aroused curiosity from other couples washing clothes here.

 

Just washing the face can last for about twenty days, and it’s not much more expensive than soapberry. Everyone is thinking that they will go to the store when they have time.

 

Not every household in town has a well, so everyone still gathers by the riverside to wash their clothes. The recent hot topic among those washing clothes by the river is whether you’ve bought soap for your family.

 

“What? You bought a piece of milk soap? Your husband really loves you; that’s great.”

 

“That’s nothing. Chen’s second family in the north alley bought a piece of plum soap for their husband. It’s said that there are real plum flowers in the soap! It’s so beautiful!”

 

“Wow! Really?”

 

In a short period of time, both soap and scented soap became popular in Fuyang Town. It’s not just in ordinary households; even the rich and wealthy families in the town are using them. For them, a few dozen wen for a piece is really cheap, with no pressure at all.

 

What surprised Chuxia and the others was that the few gift boxes that were intended for show in the store were sold out as soon as they were put on display.

 

Later, there were many wealthy families who couldn’t buy the gift boxes, so they sent people to urge for them. On the other hand, the smaller scented soaps were bought by few wealthy people, and most of them were sold to well-off ordinary families.

 

Chuxia was puzzled and went to find Jing Yi.

 

“Xiaxia, when people buy things, they not only pay attention to quality but also pay attention to hierarchy. Things that commoners can afford, no matter how good they are, they may not be cherished.” Jing Yi patiently explained.

 

“Something that is good and cheap, why not use it?” Chuxia, with questioning eyes, asked.

 

“They believe that by setting themselves apart from others, they can demonstrate their status. Even if the price is inflated, they will still pay. They are willing to spend more money to buy something that commoners can’t afford, making them feel it’s more valuable.”

 

Jing Yi explained while gently patting Chuxia’s head, and he taught him with care, “You don’t need to worry about this issue. In another ten days or so, our cold-process soap will be available, which can solve the hierarchy problem.”

 

Chuxia, who was born in the countryside, had never been exposed to higher-class people. He naturally didn’t understand these peculiar principles.

 

But Jing Yi understood. He recalled countless things from his previous life like platinum bags, Maotai liquor, and expensive courses.

 

As he thought about it, he smiled. You’re coming to be fleeced, and I have no concerns.

 

Fifteen days later, the cold-process soap was launched.

 

For this new product, Jing Yi suggested to Chuxia not to promote it extensively because those who can afford it are the ones that matter. Those who are willing to buy will come naturally. Shouting too much and losing the mysterious aspect may make that group of people look down on it.

 

Instead, he suggested starting with a high-status customer who likes to show off. Then, they can wait for the rest. It’s like Jiang Taigong fishing, letting the willing ones come.

 

Fuyang Town is not that big, and the cold-process soap is really good. Chuxia believes that in less than half a month, those high-status customers will have their hands on it.

 

After the guidance of Jing Yi in the past few days, Chuxia already understood the reasoning behind this. Upon hearing Jing Yi’s suggestion, he couldn’t help but nod repeatedly. The couple looked at each other and both revealed the sly smiles of shrewd merchants.

 

Seeing this, Jing Yi’s father and mother, who happened to pass by, quickly shouted, “What are you doing, Jing Yi? Don’t teach Xiaxia to be bad!”

 

Jing Yi: Hehe, it’s too late!

 

“Welcome, honored guest!”

 

With Xiaochen’s greeting, a young girl, accompanied by her maidservant, got out of the sedan and walked into the shop. She was wearing a pale yellow tube top and skirt with embroidered flowers on the hem. She wore a sable cloak on the outside and a green jade concentric knot at her waist.

 

This young girl was beautiful and radiant, with her eyes and mouth slightly upturned, giving off an aura of charm and self-confidence that was not off-putting.

 

“Morning, did the ‘Three Sheep’s Prosperity’ gift sets arrive? If they did, hurry and bring me three boxes for my young lady,” her maidservant, who looked around fourteen or fifteen years old, asked casually.

 

It was easy to see she was the type who carried herself with a high-spirited attitude.

 

“Miss Xing, the ‘gift sets’ have arrived, but there aren’t many left. There are still two sets available right now, and I’ll have them packed for your young lady,” Xiao Chen had received Xing Er’s orders many times before and knew that she had a proud way of speaking, but she was still a good person.

 

“Oh my, how does your shop do business? You don’t even have enough stock!” Xing Er sneakily glanced at her young miss’s expression, then stomped her foot in dissatisfaction, pointing and complaining.

 

“Sorry, sorry,” Xiaochen hurriedly apologized.

 

At this moment, Chuxia, who had been sitting behind the counter, saw that his number one target customer had arrived.

 

He also recognized this young lady. He had heard from others that she was the daughter of the wealthy Li family, one of the top businesses in Fuyang Town. They ran a rice shop, and their business extended to Qingzhou Prefecture. Over several generations, they had accumulated immeasurable wealth.

 

Miss Li had a good heart, but she had a small quirk—she had a high-handed attitude and loved to show off. She would always strive to outdo others, wanting to have everything others had and even more.

 

“Miss Li from the Li family, my apologies for the oversight. I’m Chuxia, the shopkeeper here. How about we take a break in the private room next door? We’ll have your order sent over once it’s ready.” Chuxia walked over with a warm smile and extended the invitation.

 

Miss Li looked at the person who was speaking, and she recognized him. This shop’s owner was also the owner of Jing Yi’s Hotpot Restaurant. Naturally, she wanted to show some respect to him, even though she had an aloof demeanor. She nodded haughtily and had her maidservant help her to the nearby private room.

 

Since the launch of the cold-process soap was approaching, Jing Yi had discussed with Chuxia to make some changes in the store. They retained the counter on the east side but converted the west side into four small private rooms. The dividers were made of bamboo, creating a comfortable and elegant atmosphere with various bamboo plants inside, creating a fresh and pleasant environment.

 

After entering the private room, Miss Li looked around at the room’s decor and nodded in approval. She then sat down at the table, waiting for Chuxia to start the conversation.

 

At this moment, Liu Xiaochen walked in holding two wooden gift sets. One was the “Three Sheep’s Prosperity,” and the other one was of similar size but had even more exquisite craftsmanship than the “Three Sheep’s Prosperity” gift set.

 

Chuxia accepted the two gift sets and placed them on the table. He wasn’t in a hurry and calmly served a cup of tea to Miss Li, saying with concern, “Miss Li, the weather has been dry lately, which can lead to heatiness. This is lotus seed and lily soup, a soothing and cooling dessert. Please enjoy.”

 

Miss Li accepted the cup and placed it on the table without drinking it. She replied lightly, “Thank you, Shopkeeper Lin. It’s indeed easier to get heaty during the winter. At our house, we usually have bird’s nest three times a day. It works quite well.”

 

She then gazed at her fingers, her interest waning.

 

Seeing Miss Li’s reaction and remembering that Chuxia usually gave them two extra bars of soap, Xing Er, the maidservant, glanced at Chuxia and decided to engage in conversation. “Masterr Lin, this winter is really hard to endure. The wind is howling, and our young miss is already more delicate than others. She’s been suffering so much because of this. It breaks my heart.”

 

“I’ve also heard that in the Imperial City, there are precious young ladies who, as soon as winter arrives and the north wind blows, develop red pimples on their faces. It’s really pitiful. They’re like flowers and jade, and the nation’s beauty, but when winter comes, it’s so difficult to endure. Sigh.”

 

After the guidance and training from Jing Yi, Chuxia had learned not to take others’ condescension as a personal slight. He didn’t care at all about Miss Li’s attitude.

 

As the saying goes, love costs money, and if you don’t make friends, as long as it doesn’t hinder making money, it’s fine.

 

When he heard the maid’s complaint, he realized that it was her way of giving him an opening, which he could use for today’s business. He thought that those few bars of soap he gave away weren’t in vain.

 

“I know a bit about this. I went to Qingzhou Prefecture before the New Year and had a chat with the female shopkeeper of Qinglu Pavillion. Due to the winter weather, the skin tends to become dehydrated, which can lead to redness and acne. Besides, the noble ladies in the Imperial City and Qingzhou are quite particular; their clothing must match their makeup. They use a thicker foundation in winter, and if the cleansing is not thorough when removing makeup, it will definitely lead to acne. Over time, it may even leave scars.”

 

“Oh my! What can we do about this?”

 

As soon as they heard that acne could leave scars, both Xing Er and Miss Li were not only anxious but also somewhat frightened.

 

Upon hearing the effectiveness of his words, Chuxia understood that the reputation of Qinglu Pavillion carried significant weight. Also, he realized that the young maid was quite clever, comparing the noblewomen in the Imperial City to Miss Li. It’s no wonder she was the top-ranking first-class maid who could accompany her master when going out.

 

“There is a way to deal with it. As long as you focus on moisturizing and cleansing, you can avoid it.” Chuxia spoke with confidence.

 

He then took out a more exquisitely crafted box than the “Three Sheep’s Prosperity.” When he opened it, it revealed six neatly arranged cold-process soaps. Chuxia introduced, “By a stroke of luck, I was planning to introduce our new product to both of you today—the Jade Soap. Noble ladies from the Imperial City and Qingzhou have been using this new soap to solve various skincare issues.”

 

The previously sold hot-process soaps would generally have a translucent appearance due to the heating process. It had a certain level of transparency that made it look quite bright when colorants were added. In contrast, cold-process soap was different. It had a milky white, non-transparent appearance. Even if colorants were added, it wouldn’t appear very vivid, giving it a moist and jade-like quality.

 

So, from the start, Jing Yi gave the cold-process soap the name “Jade,” which matched the current taste of the nobility, calling it “Jade Soap.” This naming also unified with the Huang family’s intention and status.