Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

65. You Mischievous Little Thing

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Cao Mo told Xiao Yi in full detail what happened in Osmanthus House, and how he embarrassed Lady Lu in front of relatives and friends.

Xiao Yi shook his head resignedly, “You mischievous little thing, at least try to play along with her, she will hate you even more now that you’ve made a fool of her.”

Cao Mo chuckled, a wave of pleasure swept through him as he thought how livid Lady Lu looked when he withdrew her guest room, “Yi, the thing is she hates my guts even thought I don’t do anything, hey, why not actually do something to at least vent my anger?”

Xiao Yi was amused by his wife’s remarks, “Even I was a bit surprised when I saw the actual size of the dishes, it’s quite small. Aren’t you worried about the complaints from the servants who eat the leftovers?”

“Yi, let me ask you a questions, leftovers or their own dishes, which one do you think the servants like to eat?” Cao Mosipped some tea and continued, “You see, now everyone gets to have something they actually like to eat, and there’s no waste due to the large portion size and stuff, why not?”

Xiao Yi pinched Cao Mo’s cheek, “You mischievous little thing, you can always convince me.”

Cao Mo grinned.

After dinner, the two talked about establishing workshops to make soaps, hand cream, lotion and lube. Cao Mo handed a lot of household management matters to Xiao Yi for he needed to follow up the soap business.

“What? You want ask Xiao Cheng to lead a team to make soap? Have you thought this through? They need to go back to Xiaojiaao sooner or later, what if they quit Xiaojiaao after they get this profitable job from you?” Xiao Yi asked with concern.

“Aiya, hubby, just think, they’ve worked for our family country estate since forever, one day they will grow old and weak and cannot do any farm work.” Cao Mo explained, “If they work for me, they will have some skills, they can support their family after they get old, for sure they will be grateful for our family and work even harder.”

“You have a long vision, Mo.” Xiao Yi grabbed Cao Mo into his chest, “You’ve been working so hard for our family, Mo, I’m so lucky to have you.”

“Thank you, my husband. There’s one thing I’ve learned since I was young, those who do not plan for the future will find trouble at their doorstep.”

Xiao Yi asked in surprise, “I cannot believe you’ve read Confucius!”

Cao Mo bit Xiao Yi’s hand gently, “Don’t underestimate me, you! Sadly the thing is, if I do well, people will say the Young Master’s wife is very capable, the Young Master must have educated his wife well, but if I don’t do well, people will say Cao Mo is such a good-for-nothing and they feel sorry for the Young Master. You see, the credit always goes to you, I end up taking all the blame, how are you going to make up to me?”

“You have my heart already, what else do you want?” Xiao Yi asked seriously.

Cao Mo put on a cheeky smile, he went to grab the box where they put money and title deeds documents, “I want these too.”

Xiao Yi smiled, “This can be the the starting capital for your business, and of course you can keep the profit in your own pocket.”

“I need to make a profit for The Communal Treasury first. The thing is, I’m afraid my business will be in someone’s way, let’s say the Lu Family who is doing balm business, I can see people choose our products over theirs. Surely they will look for trouble, I hope His Lordship will defend me.”

“Is that why you wants to cooperate with Third Aunt?” Xiao Yi asked.

“Hehe, Third Aunt has the best network in the capital city, plus he has a lot of friends within the intellectual circle, those refined scholars all look up to him for calligraphy and painting appreciation. He is our gilded signboard.” Cao Mo smiled.

Xiao Yi pulled a long face and looked sideways, “You have been hiding your little scheme from me for so long, I need to punish you.” with that Xiao Yi left a bite mark on Cao Mo’s upper lip.

Cao Mo cuddled Xiao Yi tightly and blew out the candles.

… …

Cao Mo arranged a yard for Xiao Cheng and the team, he made a demonstration for Xiao Cheng and told him he needed to be cautious about the secrecy of the whole procedure.

Xiao Cheng volunteered to cut his tongue to show his loyalty.

Cao Mo stopped him, “I trust you! You don’t need to do this!”

Xiao Cheng shed tears of gratitude, he and his team made a thousand of soaps in different colors.

Cao Mo asked Moqin to customize five thousand wooden boxes for the soaps.

The team toiled for three days and nights, they made three thousand soaps, one hundred bottles of lotions, hand creams, and lubes respectively. The profits could almost patch up the accounts in the Communal Treasury.

Liu Heng came “help” when they moved the products into the other yard, he took away half of the products and sent them to his maiden family and best friends as Spring Festival presents.

It was too late when Cao Mo found this, he recorded this on Lotus House’s account.

Concubine Fang came to the Communal Treasury to pick up gold foil to decorate her presents and she saw the products.

“What are those in the wooden boxes?” asked Concubine Fang, reaching out her hand to touch the boxes.

Lvzhu sneered, “Little Madam, I heard they are called soaps, Young Madam says it’s good for the skin, and they come in different fragrances too. But they are only for the legitimate masters.”

Concubine Fang withdrew her hand with a dry smile, “They do smell very pleasant.”

Cao Mo picked twenty top quality bars to Cunxi Hall, ten for Osmanthus House, ten for Banyan House. He picked some for himself and Xiao Yi’s younger siblings, he rewarded every steward two bars as Spring Festival perks.

Mammy Xia was the steward of Wash and Starch Department, and she was rewarded twenty bars of fragrance-free soap, Cao Mo told her that she would get twenty bars every month to wash the clothes and no need to buy honeylocust any more.

Mammy Xia was loud in her thanks, she felt so elated that Cao Mo valued her job so much.