Xiao Luolan smiled and said, "I'll go find Mrs. Dou later. Do you want to go with me?"
"Go." Xiao Qingxue put the soap mold on the table: "The soap inside is still soft. I think it will take another three days to hard release it. During these three days, we will do other things."
"Okay." Xiao Luolan agreed.
Mrs. Dou was very surprised when she heard Qiao Xin say that Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao were here, because after getting along for such a long time, Mrs. Dou naturally saw that Mrs. Xiao was a gentle and unsociable person, and she was the one who went there every time. Looking for her, why is Mrs. Xiao here today?
"Mrs. Xiao." Mrs. Dou greeted her with a smile: "Why are you here?" Finally, she asked Qiaoxin to go to the kitchen to get a bowl of honey Leng Yuanzi to relieve the heat of Mrs. Xiao.
"Mrs. Dou, I came here to borrow a craftsman from you." Xiao Luolan was pulled into the house by Mrs. Dou and sat on a round stool. The maid in the room had already used a fan to fan the nobleman without the master's instructions.
Hearing Mrs. Xiao's intention, the smile on Mrs. Dou's face became even stronger. She took Mrs. Xiao's hand and walked inside, saying: "Mrs. Xiao, you have found the right person this time. My surname is Wu, and my name is Wu." Wu Luomei, call me Wu Qiniang at home, this area in Youzhou is not very particular about titles, so Mrs. Xiao can call me whatever she wants."
Xiao Luolan also showed a faint smile: "My last name is Xiao and Luolan. Qiniang can call me whatever she wants."
Wu Luomei was happy about the closeness between the two of them. She walked to the dressing table and pointed at the jeweled dowry on it and said, "Mrs. Xiao, see if you like this style. If you like it, I will lend you the craftsman. Since the craftsman was a famous craftsman in the previous dynasty, there is no need to speak of his craftsmanship. Now he is a guest in my house, so you can tell him your requirements as much as you want."
Seeing the dazzling array of carvings on the dowry, Xiao Luolan said, "When I saw these dowry, I knew that the craftsmanship in Qiniang's house was excellent, and this is the master of the house."
Wu Luomei heard Mrs. Xiao's praise of her guest and asked her maid to invite Mr. Fang to come over.
"What does Mrs. Xiao want to do when she wants a craftsman?" Wu Luomei looked at Mrs. Xiao and asked with a smile.
"I want to make something to hold soap." Because it was related to their livelihood, Xiao Luolan said it very seriously.
"What is soap?" Wu Luomei recalled it and felt that she had never heard of it before.
"It has the same function as a bath bean. Adding spices to the soap can turn it into soap for bathing the body, or it can be used alone to wash clothes." Xiao Luolan was actually a little uneasy because she didn't know if this method would work.
"It sounds better than pancreatic pills." Mrs. Dou felt that she understood, and asked curiously: "Can I have a look?"
"It's not done yet, it will take three to five days." Xiao Luolan replied.
While talking, Qiao Xin brought Mrs. Xiao into the room. Xiao Qingxue first wished Mrs. Dou a blessing, and then sat down next to her mother.
"Then I'll take a good look at it when it's done." Mrs. Dou said.
"Madam, Mr. Fang is here."
Mrs. Dou took Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao to the outer hall.
"Mr. Fang, this is Mrs. Xiao. She appreciates your craftsmanship very much and wants you to make something." Mrs. Dou was also very polite to the guests in the house. She first introduced Mrs. Xiao and the others to Mr. Fang.
Mr. Fang bowed his head and said, "I know." Then he looked at Mrs. Xiao, his eyes were slightly lowered and he didn't look directly at her: "Whatever Mrs. Xiao wants to build, just tell me."
"You should follow Mrs. Xiao. I can't explain it clearly here." Mrs. Dou said with a smile.
"only."
Xiao Luolan took her daughter with her, and behind her was Mr. Fang.
When they arrived at the East Pavilion, Xiao Luolan and her daughter described the size and shape to Mr. Fang, and they hoped to carve some patterns on it, such as peonies, peonies, or other auspicious cloud patterns.
After Mr. Fang understood it, he said: "Mrs. Xiao, don't worry, I will give it to you when it is done. If there are any shortcomings, you can just bring it up and I will correct it."
After saying this, he took his leave.
Xiao Luolan watched him go away, and she and her daughter Fangyun went into the small kitchen of Xiyuan in the afternoon, mixed some flower juice, and added milk to the soap, hoping to make different styles. Xiao Qingxue was recording on the side Record the recipe proportions and mixing time of this experiment one by one.
Mrs. Dou was very curious about what Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao made in the small kitchen. The things they often used were pancreatic pills. Ordinary people would use saponins, but they had never used soap. Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao's skin was so white. , could it be the effect of soap? I was really curious inside.
Three days later.
Xiao Luolan looked at the mold that Mr. Fang sent over, which was really unexpected.
"This is so beautiful." Xiao Qingxue picked up the mold and looked at it carefully. It was a small hollow wooden box less than the size of a palm, with a peony pattern carved inside. The outer petals were stretched and blooming, and the green leaves were half hidden and half visible. , the remaining six of the seven wooden boxes are carved with peony, auspicious cloud patterns, and plum orchid and dianthus, all of which are lifelike.
"My dear lady, I praise you very much." Mr. Fang said modestly after hearing the noble man's praise.
After Mr. Fang left, Xiao Luolan looked at these exquisite molds and took the afternoon soap more seriously.
The first batch of mugwort soap had been successfully released from the mold. Perhaps it was because less salt was added, and it was still a little soft. Afterwards, they adjusted it and the soap gradually became harder.
Xiao Luolan was so busy here that she completely forgot about Sect Leader Zhou. When she finished paying Fang Yun the monthly payment on May 12th, she realized that she and her daughter had spent more than a month in this unknown ancient time. It felt like they were in another world. Sect Leader Zhou had never looked for her since Qingfeng Hall, which made Xiao Luolan feel relieved and relaxed. To be honest, she was really afraid of him sometimes.
"Mom, come and take a look." Xiao Qingxue trotted over happily: "The color of the soap this time is so beautiful."
Xiao Luolan followed her daughter and sat under the apricot tree.
I saw a small piece of soap that came out of the mold, with a color like rouge. The peony pattern in the middle seemed to be lifelike and had a light floral fragrance. Next to it were improved mugwort soap, milk soap, rose soap, and original soap.
Xiao Luolan was also very happy. She wrapped it in silk and tied a bow with a ribbon.
Mrs. Dou looked at the soap sent by Mrs. Xiao and touched it with novelty. It felt delicate and silky, and smelled faintly of flowers. It looked much better and smelled better than the pancreatic pills, which were dark and round.
"Mrs. Xiao, Miss Xiao, did you use this to bathe in the past?" asked Mrs. Dou.
Xiao Luolan nodded and said, "I did use it in the past."
"Can I whiten my skin after using it?" Mrs. Dou asked again, slightly embarrassed.
"These have no whitening effect. You have to add some medicinal materials to have some whitening effect." Xiao Qingxue replied.
It seemed to be Madam Xiao's family's secret recipe. As soon as Madam Dou had this idea, she heard Madam Xiao continue to speak.
"If Mrs. Dou wants to whiten her skin, she can collect some white peony root and white peony root..."
"Mrs. Xiao, please stop." Mrs. Dou waved her hand to the maid to leave the house. Seeing that the Xiao family and her daughter were completely invisible to her, she felt happy and said: "Ms. Xiao, you can't tell others the secret of this family's whitening recipe. , I was just asking casually, if there is any whitening soap, I would be very happy if you gave me some."
"Mrs. Dou." Xiao Luolan held Qiniang's hand and became more and more fond of her: "To be honest, I came here today to see you for something."
Wu Luomei was very confused as to whether there was anything else that Mrs. Xiao could not do, but she still held Mrs. Xiao's hand and said kindly: "Mrs. Xiao, please tell me."
"My daughter and I are far away from Chang'an. We want to settle down in Langge in a while, so we want to sell this soap making method. Madam Dou, do you have a merchant you can trust?" Xiao Luolan originally wanted to find the merchant next door, but Firstly, they had no post, so it was inappropriate to go around Mrs. Dou and the others rashly. It would hurt Mrs. Dou and the others' face. Secondly, they had only met Luo Shi once, and they didn't know what his character was like. Mrs. Dou After many years in Taiyang, I still asked her to introduce him.
Wu Luomei thought about it carefully and said: "If you can trust me, I will recommend to you Luo Jinhu, the wealthy businessman next door. He has a good relationship with her husband. Although he is a businessman, he is sophisticated and tactful. Selling to him, you You won’t suffer any loss.”
Mrs. Dou has a little bit of selfishness, so the opportunity to catch up with Mrs. Xiao should be left to Luo Shi who is on the same path as them.
Xiao Luolan said gratefully: "Thank you for your help."
"I will invite them to the mansion to discuss this matter tomorrow." After Mrs. Xiao and the others left, Mrs. Dou asked her maid to prepare hot water for a bath. She used the soap given by Mrs. Xiao. After washing, the fragrance of flowers lingered all over her body. The effect of the lavender treatment was quite good, and I had a good time with my husband at night.
The next day.
Luo Jinhu came to Dou Mansion with his servants. This was the first time he visited Dou Mansion since Lord Jiedushi moved into Dou Mansion.
"Brother Luo, please come in quickly." Dou Haitao led people to the central hall of the front yard. He had already greeted Dou Haitao in advance.
As soon as Luo Jinhu came in, he smiled and bowed his hands to Mrs. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao: "I haven't seen you for a few days, Mrs. Xiao. How is Mrs. Xiao?"
"Everything goes well, Luo Langjun, please take a seat." Seeing Luo Jinhu's friendly face, Xiao Luolan couldn't help but smile.
Luo Jinhu sat opposite Mrs. Xiao, took a sip of tea and said, "Mrs. Xiao, I already know your thoughts. I wonder if I can take a look at this soap first."
Xiao Luolan asked Fangyun to present several soaps of different colors and one original soap.
Luo Jinhu picked up a piece and looked at it carefully, and asked the servant to bring a basin of water to wash his hands, and then wiped them dry with a handkerchief.
Xiao Luolan explained the purpose of soap in detail, and Mrs. Dou also said that it was as effective as lavender.
Luo Jinhu stroked his beard and said, "Mrs. Xiao, how do you want to sell it?"
Xiao Luolan said the price that she had already thought about: "Luo Langjun, I want 10% of the ingredients of the soap sold. I also have other soap formulas in my hand, and I will give them to you as well. After giving this to you, we No more soap making."
Xiao Luolan thought about it carefully, and they only produced a few recipes and no artificial materials from the store. Maybe they would get a lot of money temporarily, but long-term and steady flow is the best and most practical. I don’t know what will happen next. Isn't it too much... Xiao Luolan was worried in her heart, but she didn't show it on her face.
Luo Jinhu pondered for a moment and said: "Mrs. Xiao, you know, I am a businessman, and it is natural for businessmen to pursue profits. What if other big businessmen suppress my other shops because of the profit, or frame me and get me into the Yamen? What to do? These are all things I need to consider."
After hearing this, Xiao Luolan felt that what Luo Jinhu said was wrong. This kind of thing would happen even in modern times.
Dou Haitao almost spit out his tea. He looked at Luo Jinhu strangely. Yes, the merchants he mentioned often encountered him, but this soap was different. The person behind it was Mrs. Xiao. Who was Mrs. Xiao? People from Youzhou Jiedu Envoy! In Youzhou, which dog dares to make up his mind on soap? This Luo Jinhu must be crazy, telling lies with open eyes.
Luo Jinhu said slowly: "So in order to ensure the smooth flow of soap products, Mrs. Xiao, I hope to engrave the word "zhou" on the small corner of the soap. If it can be engraved, I am willing to give you 30% of the profit share of the soap products."
Xiao Luolan was startled.
Dou Haitao understood Luo Jinhu's ultimate goal. The last thing he wanted was to become the Jiedushi Master through Mrs. Xiao.
No matter how high the profit of soap is, it is not as important as having anything to do with Master Jieduzhi.
In particular, the weather was extremely hot, and it had been raining for a month. A drought seemed to be coming. Some grain merchants took the opportunity to hoard grain to sell at a high price, and even secretly released news that a drought was coming, disturbing the hearts of the people in nearby counties and cities. Panicking, this matter was known to Master Jiedushi, and many people's heads had been cut off.
There is still blood at the intersection of the Western Market.
This move made major merchants tense up.
Xiao Luolan understood what Luo Jinhu meant, but she did not agree immediately. After Luo Jinhu left, Xiao Luolan took her daughter back to the East Pavilion and looked at the blazing sun outside, feeling extremely dazzling.
What identity and reason did she use to get Sect Leader Zhou to agree to engrave his surname.
She gave 20% of the 30% profit to Sect Master Zhou, but did Sect Master Zhou like it?
Zhou Xu returned to Dou Mansion in the afternoon, his face was as usual, and he could not see any emotion or anger. He was wearing black light armor. When he was about to take a bath, he found that the pancreatic soap pill he usually used had been replaced by a new one.
He picked it up and called: "Reg."
Reg lowered his head and recounted what Mrs. Xiao had done in the past few days. Even what Luo Jinhu said in the hall was repeated to Lord Jiedushi without missing a word.
Zhou Xu has been very busy these days. By beheading a group of big grain merchants, he secretly packed their grains plus some old grains that Taiyang had stocked in previous years and shipped them out of Youzhou on merchant ships. He also sent some people to secretly Escorting, Zhao Qingshan was afraid that something would go wrong, so he and Wang Fugui followed the boat down the river.
After a hard day's work today, he returned home early. When he heard that the mugwort soap was made and delivered by Mrs. Xiao herself, Zhou Xu immediately laughed. After taking a bath, he went to find Mrs. Xiao.
Xiao Luolan was sitting on the couch in front of the window, embroidering sachets, and wanted to give her daughter different ones to wear in turn.
"Mrs. Xiao." Zhou Xu stood in front of the window, wearing a black robe and a black jade crown. He had rough stubble and slightly frosted temples, but his smile was broad and upright.
"I came here specifically to thank Mrs. Xiao for the mugwort soap." Zhou Xu put the black whip on the window sill and looked at Mrs. Xiao sitting on the beauty's couch.
Xiao Luolan was startled by the sudden appearance of Sect Master Zhou, and then put down the sachet in her hand: "You're welcome, Sect Master Zhou, Qingxue and I have made a lot of this kind of soap. If you want, I can make more." .”
Seeing that Mrs. Xiao was far away from him, Zhou Xu stretched out his long arms and entered the house through the window.
Xiao Luolan resisted the urge to retreat.
"One piece is enough. I'll ask you for it when I finish it." Zhou Xu took the black whip and sat on the couch: "Why is Mrs. Xiao so far away from me? How about just sitting next to me?"
Xiao Luolan sat on the round stool in front of the couch.
"Is this for Miss Xiao?" Zhou Xu knew who it belonged to as soon as he saw the color of the sachet.
Xiao Luolan hummed.
Zhou Xu used some skill to pull Mrs. Xiao to his side. He felt that he and Mrs. Xiao were much closer behind the Qingfeng Hall, so he smiled and said, "Why don't I have a smiling face when I come?"
Xiao Luolan was pressed next to Sect Leader Zhou, her body stiffened and she said, "I, I haven't seen you for a long time."
