Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 57 Soap and Studying

During the chat, Lai Shangrong learned that the Queen's family had been royal merchants for generations, and now they specialized in selling silk produced by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and excess ginseng from the Guangzhou Division.

So he struck while the iron was hot and smiled at Prince Zhongshun and Uncle Tian Guo, "There is another way for students to earn money. I wonder if the prince and uncle Guo are interested!"

"Oh? Come and listen!"

Both of them were interested.

"The student has loved to study some strange and obscene techniques since he was a child, and accidentally came up with something more suitable for cleaning than soap locust and fragrant soap."

Lai Shangrong is naturally talking about soap.

In fact, many people have misunderstandings about soap. They think that they can make a lot of money by making soap by traveling to ancient times. This is actually a big mistake.

Chinese people have had a small-scale peasant economy mentality since ancient times. In the folk world, women would use fabrics to the maximum extent. The husband's worn-out clothes would be remade for his son to wear, and the son's worn-out clothes would be used to hold the soles of shoes.They use these products to the extreme. They feel that time, comfort, and physical strength are all free, and they would not be willing to spend them even if they have money.

Soap is indeed more effective than saponins and saponins, but asking ordinary people to give up free saponins and spend money to buy soap is no different from dreaming.

Just like the joke about going to Africa to sell cotton clothes in the previous life, you will only lose everything.

Furthermore, both animal fats and vegetable oils were luxuries in ancient times. Because ordinary people did not have the smell of meat all year round, they used oils to make up for it.

Therefore, the cost of soap is not only not low, but also beyond the imagination of modern people.

But just because ordinary people don't use it doesn't mean they can't make money. Those noble families don't care about spending more money.

This is also the reason why Lai Shangrong wants to cooperate with King Zhongshun and Tian Guojiu.

Those who can afford soap are at least wealthy families. Although he has a name with the emperor now, no one may covet this industry, but the publicity work is not easy to do.

If he wants to open up the upper-level market, with his current identity and contacts, he must either cooperate with the Jia family, or only have the two in front of him.

King Zhongshun and Uncle Tian Guo are undoubtedly more suitable in this regard. As long as they make soap and send some to the palace for the emperor and queen to use, the publicity effect will not only sweep the country, but at least the entire capital will flock to it.

Moreover, King Zhongshun is in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Uncle Tian Guo is an imperial merchant, so there is no need to worry about the store.

The two of them didn't pay much attention to it at first, but it wasn't until Lai Shangrong described the propaganda methods in detail that they became interested.

It was immediately decided that the three of them would form a partnership, with Lai Shangrong taking [-]% ​​of the shares using the soap recipe, and King Zhongshun and Tian Guojiu each holding [-]%.

In fact, according to the two people's original intention, Tian Guojiu was responsible for production and had a monopoly of [-]%, and King Zhongshun and Lai Shangrong each had [-]%. However, he declined and did not dare to compete with the prince, so he reduced himself to [-]%.

…………

Rongfu, Li Wan's courtyard.

Li Wan was sitting upright on the kang, immersed in some acupuncture work, when he suddenly saw maid Suyun running in in a panic.

"Grandma! My wife just ordered Jin Chuan to pass the message. Uncle Lai from the school told the master to teach the errand, so that my brother doesn't have to go to school for a while, saying that he will wait for the master to find another teacher before arranging the start of school."

"What?" Li Wan asked with a look of astonishment on his face: "Then the misunderstanding has been resolved, isn't it? Didn't it mean that the Lai family had made great contributions, so why did they suddenly stop teaching?" The day before yesterday, Jia She and Jia Zhen went to the Lai family to force him into the palace. She was also worried about this, but when the wind changed suddenly at night, the Lai family seemed to be a great hero to the family, so she took her heart back.

"I also asked Jin Chuan, and he said that Uncle Lai has made great achievements this time. Even the emperor has made some Jinshi. I'm afraid he will be made an official in the near future. Now even Butler Lai has received grace and released his status."

"Ah!~"

Li Wan exclaimed when he heard this, with a sad look on his face.

"Studying is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. This year, the school has finally become more peaceful. Why should it stop again! Classes are supposed to be suspended for one month in the first month, so don't we have to stop for more than two months?"

Su Yun also said worriedly: "I'm afraid it won't last more than two months. Isn't this year a break until March? I asked Uncle Lai to start school!"

"Alas! Lan'er's studies have just improved. Now I just want Lan'er to make progress. Why are there so many setbacks? Why are we two so miserable!"

"Grandma! Let me tell you, we might as well learn from Grandma Xiaorong of Dongfu and ask my brother to become Master Lai as his master."

"This...I'm afraid this is inappropriate!"

"Grandma is too cautious. Now that the Lai family is no longer in charge of the house, what else do you have to avoid? Normally you don't fight or rob, but now it's just for your brother, so why should you be afraid of suspicion?"

The reason why Suyun said this was true and selfish.

The servants of the Jia Mansion have always had a rich heart and an eye for respectability. Although Li Wan is the eldest grandmother of the second room in the Rong Mansion, she has never been welcomed by Mrs. Wang. In addition, she has always been silent about what is going on outside the window. The maids in the house were all cautious.

In the past, even if Suyun had wanted to encourage Li Wan to show her favor to the Lai family, she would not have agreed due to her character. Now that the Lai family is no longer in charge and Jia Lan has an excuse, this is a perfect opportunity.

Although the Lai family is no longer in charge of the house, the extremely thin camel is bigger than a horse, not to mention that this camel is not thin but actually stronger.

In addition, since he is no longer in charge of the house, his status becomes even more detached.

As long as Lai Shangrong accepts Jia Lan as his disciple and lets out a little bit of news, the master and servant will at least be able to live more comfortably in the house from now on.

Seeing that Li Wan was still hesitating, he encouraged him: "I heard that not only did the wife send the jade bracelet, but the master also received him alone in the side hall yesterday. The master and his wife both thought highly of him and said that they would be promoted to an official position. In the future, I can’t say that I can still help my brother.”

Li Wan shook his head and said: "He is just an official. Even if he becomes an official, he will not be in the mainstream. How can he help Brother Lang!"

Su Yun said anxiously: "Grandma, if you don't think about yourself, you should think about Lange'er! No one in the house can see it now. The old lady and the madam only have Second Master Bao in their hearts. As the eldest son, Lange'er My grandson, how could any serious person be as serious as those cats and dogs? In the future, it’s okay if you don’t expect to have such a huge family property in this country, but if you don’t have any hope in the imperial examination, I’m afraid it will not be as good as ringing in the future. Third Master."

This sentence was like the straw that broke the camel's back. She seemed not to fight for it, but in fact she placed all her hopes on Jialan.

Although he had made up his mind to let Jialan become his disciple, he still had to worry about gains and losses.

"You said he won't refuse to accept Lan'er as his disciple, right?"

"Is it possible that grandma is confused? His family received the grace of the family and got out of the family. Even though he himself has made contributions, it is because of the recommendation of the master. The right way is not to look at the face of the monk to look at the face of the Buddha. Even if he If you don't look at your face, how can you not give the master face?"

Seeing that Su Yun's analysis was clear and logical, Li Wan felt relieved and immediately discussed with Su Yun about becoming a disciple.

(End of this chapter)