Chapter 14

Chapter 14

With the matter of the soap neatly resolved, Meng Die felt a profound sense of relief. Several more significant tasks awaited her attention, and she steeled herself for the challenges ahead. The first among these was the celebration of her maternal uncle's birthday – not Meng Die's own uncle, but rather Li Ai's uncle, who was also her mother-in-law, Lady Ning's, elder brother, the Marquis of Yongsu.

Originally, it was not a major milestone birthday according to the age of Duke Yongsu, and such grand celebrations would typically not be held. However, there were several reasons for the grand festivities this year at Duke Yongsu's residence. Firstly, three years ago, the late Duke passed away, and this year marks the end of the mourning period. Secondly, this is the first birthday of the current Duke Yongsu since he succeeded to the title, hence the grand celebration.

As Li Ai was her cousin, it was only proper for him to present a birthday gift, and in his absence, Meng Die naturally took extra care to ensure everything was in order. Apart from that, a few days before Qingming Festival, the elder Marquis of Yongyi was celebrating his birthday. It wasn't a milestone birthday this year, so the marquis' residence wouldn't hold grand festivities; they would simply gather as a family for a lively celebration. Nevertheless, the children and grandchildren were still expected to present their filial gifts.

The final matter at hand was the Qingming Festival ancestor worship. Meng Die didn't manage household affairs, nor was her assistance needed. However, her status had changed this year; she was no longer a daughter of the Meng family but the new bride of Marquis Yongyi.

According to the current customs, during ancestral worship, young women were considered outsiders, destined to belong to another family someday. Hence, they were not required to pay respects to their own ancestors; instead, they would do so after marriage, honoring their husband's lineage.

This year was Meng Die's first time participating in such an event, and she made sure to study the etiquette and rituals beforehand, determined not to make any mistakes.

With these three crucial aspects, she couldn't afford to err. At this moment, she was immensely grateful for her status as the second daughter of the family. After all, with the eldest daughter taking the lead, she only needed to follow suit without causing any mishaps. Aggressively striving for superiority was certainly not in her domain; she preferred to remain calm and composed.

On the fifth day of the third lunar month, Qingming Festival, Meng Die woke up early and changed into her new, plain-colored attire. The sky was still dim when she left the house. Wen Shi had also arisen, and Li Mao, being the eldest son and grandson, had already been gone for two hours.

It wasn't that the Li family's ancestral worship required such an early start. As a family of distinguished merit, their ancestors were founding heroes of the nation. Their forefathers' tombs were situated near the Taizong Qianling Mausoleum, which explained the early departure.

On Qingming Day, not only commoners pay respects to their ancestors, but the emperor also holds a grand ceremony. While common households visit their ancestors' graves, removing weeds, the imperial family doesn't need to do so. However, the emperor still personally attends, symbolically adding a bit of soil to the royal tombs.

As the Li family's ancestors are buried here, they naturally join the emperor's procession to Qianling. This is precisely what distinguishes the noble class – the privilege of frequently accompanying the supreme ruler.

Women have no role in tomb-sweeping, so after sending off their husbands, the noble ladies can rest a while longer. It's only when the Li men return from accompanying the emperor that the family's actual ancestor worship commences.

As a granddaughter-in-law, Meng Die isn't expected to take the lead. She just needs to follow along, prostrate herself, and keep an eye on Wen Shi, assisting her as much as possible.

Ancestor worship is a solemn affair. It involves kneeling and bowing, with no room for entertainment like listening to operas. However, Meng Die speculates that perhaps the ritual itself is physically demanding. After the worship, everyone is exhausted and in need of rest. If they had the energy, they might stage performances recalling the past, such as dramatizing the deeds of the founding emperor or their own ancestors for the younger generations.

Delightful and entertaining, Meng Die thought rebelliously, but nowadays she simply lacked the energy to engage in such activities.

After the Qingming Festival, there were no major events in the Marquis household for the following month. However, Meng Die's soap gained immense popularity and recognition throughout the capital.

When Nurse Fan entered the room with the account book, her face radiated with joy, as if she had been rejuvenated by ten years overnight, as Xue Qing described. Meng Die agreed with Xue Qing, acknowledging that wealth truly brought happiness and vitality, regardless of the world one inhabited.

"Nanny Two," said Nurse Fan, handing the ledger to Meng Die. She then began to speak rapidly, "At first, Liang's side could produce about thirty soaps per day. Initially, both I and Manager Rong were worried that we wouldn't be able to sell them at eight hundred wen each. Indeed, on the first day, none were sold. But several people did ask for samples."

Nurse Fan's eyes sparkled as she continued energetically, "Second Lady's method was brilliant. The next day, those who tried the samples rushed to the shop to buy more soaps. Thirty bars were sold out within half a day. Manager Rong was overjoyed and urged Liang to increase production daily. Now, we can produce a hundred bars every day. Even so, they sell out before lunchtime, sometimes even earlier, vanishing in the morning itself."

"A single bar of soap nets us seven hundred wen after accounting for production costs and labor. If we sell a hundred a day, that's seventy thousand wen, nearly sixty taels of silver." Awestruck, Nanny Fan swallowed hard. "I never realized it until now. This is astonishing. At this rate, by the end of the year, we could earn at least ten thousand taels."

Nanny Fan had seen her share of silver before, but she had never come across such a substantial amount. Ten thousand taels—what was that in comparison? Even the prestigious Meng household, with its second-rank official, could only boast an annual income of fifteen thousand taels.

Lu Wei, who had initially come to observe the spectacle due to Nanny Fan's unusual behavior, had long forgotten her initial motive. So absorbed was she that she pricked her finger with the embroidery needle without noticing, her mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Nanny Fan was right: ignorance was bliss, but the reality was startling. Lu Wei was not fazed, though. When she had set the price at eight hundred wen, she had intended to make a substantial profit. The large sum of silver earned was within her expectations. There was one thing, however, that puzzled her.

Initially, setting the price at eight hundred wen per bar, Meng Die had targeted customers from moderately wealthy families. Such families would never splurge on soaps costing one silver coin each, but they'd certainly be willing to try an eight hundred wen bar, especially since her soap had two distinctive features: its long-lasting fragrance and moisturizing effect comparable to that of a soap cake.

It wasn't suitable for young girls still living at home, but for those about to be married, using it for a while could enhance their complexion and make them exude a pleasant scent. Many moderately wealthy families would likely be willing to spend this money. This was the customer segment Meng Die had in mind.

She had estimated that selling a hundred bars a day would be feasible, but she hadn't expected them to sell out in just half a day. A hundred bars weren't enough – this exceeded her expectations. Although the capital had millions of inhabitants, there couldn't possibly be that many moderately wealthy families, right? A single bar of soap could last two months.

"Why did they sell so quickly? Who bought them?" With questions in mind, Meng Die naturally asked.

"Second Lady, I'm not sure," Nurse Fan whispered. "Nowadays, many families in the capital are merely putting up a show. They'd rather split a single silver coin into halves. Our soap is sufficiently moisturizing and has a nice scent, so many of these pretentious families are willing to buy it secretly, then purchase two soap cakes publicly to save face."

Meng Die paused. She had overlooked this segment of customers. The Meng family had been on an upward trajectory for years, so they didn't need to focus on appearances. As a result, she forgot that the Yi Dynasty had been established for over fifty years, and the hardworking pioneers of that time had mostly passed away.

Now, the heads of households were mainly second-generation (from the Marquis Yongyi's residence), with some even being third-generation (from the Marquis Yongsu's residence). If these successors were unreliable, they could squander their wealth very quickly.

Since she had overlooked a part of the customer base, the initial production plan was surely insufficient. "The soap won't be enough to sell. What did Brother Youliang say?"

Grandma Fan replied, "Youliang plans to build more houses next to the existing ones, and then recruit more people in the manor. That way, producing two hundred bars of soap per day would be no problem. If we continue to expand, Second Aunt will have to start buying more labor."

Meng Die pondered for a while. "Let's start by making two hundred bars for now. If any old customers inquire, tell them that such moisturizing soap is made from rare ingredients, and the proprietor is already trying to source more to increase production as much as possible."

Meng Die looked at Fan Nanny with confusion. "Does Second Aunt refuse to make more soap because she's worried it will only be popular for a short while? In my opinion, there's no need to worry about that. Soap can be stored for a long time. If the sales slow down in the future, we can simply produce less."

Suddenly, Lu Wei's eyes lit up, and she eagerly gestured with her hands. "We could also open small shops in neighboring towns specializing in selling soap. Even if there aren't many wealthy families in those counties, we should still be able to earn a considerable amount of silver each year."

Seeing Lu Wei so animated was a rare sight, and Meng Die couldn't help but laugh. It was a good idea, but unfortunately not suitable for her current situation. "To make soap, we need lard. If we mass-produce soap, the price of lard will rise, making it even more difficult for ordinary people to afford meat. We're not starving and waiting for rice to eat; why should we do something that harms others for our own gain?"

Both Fan Nanny and Lu Wei wore disappointed expressions.

Meng Die tried to reassure them. "There are countless ways to make money. If this doesn't work, we'll find another. Besides, we're already making a profit. With two hundred soaps a day, sold at eight hundred wen each, after deducting the labor costs of one hundred wen, we have a daily income of at least one hundred and ten taels. That's a guaranteed forty thousand taels a year! What more could we possibly want?"

Nanny Fan was well aware that Second Grandma's peculiar remarks from the past had resurfaced, and further persuasion would be futile. She could only depart with regret, her departing figure exuding a hint of desolation.