In Nanjing in the sixth year of Wanli, soap is probably the most fashionable commodity in Nanjing. The soap sought after by women has attracted the attention of merchants of all sizes in Nanjing, and many businessmen have also been eyeing the production of soap while they are trying their best to buy more goods.

Everyone knows what it means to make soap.

But how exactly is soap made?

This is obviously a secret, and even though they know that it is a secret, it is inevitable that some businessmen will do everything possible to get a glimpse of it.

The stone-paved path is lined with spotted bamboos and other trees, and the flower ponds below those trees are planted with many unknown flowers and plants, all kinds of flowers dot the grass, and butterflies dance in the bushes. Further on, there is a small blue lake, with rockeries in the lake, and a few weeping willows clinging to the lakeside, dancing slightly in the wind.

The elegant scenery is locked behind the door by the towering courtyard wall. Behind the door is a small building with a corner and cornices on the opposite side of the lake. A white-bearded old man walked to the front of the building and said to Yahuan, who was standing at the door.

"Xing'er, may I ask if the eldest lady is included? Can you pass it on for me? ”

Xing'er frowned slightly, glanced upstairs, and said.

"Steward Tang, the eldest lady is reading a book in the room, and it's not convenient to go in and disturb it now."

"Yes, yes, then wait a minute."

Tang Runze nodded slightly, and then stood in front of the door. He knew that the eldest lady was not allowed to disturb anyone when she was reading.

"What is Miss reading?"

"It's the books that the Western monk brought, and the writing is like a ghost drawing."

Apple next to Apricot follows suit.

"No, I really don't know, how can Miss be so interested in the knowledge of foreigners, and the writing is like a ghost drawing, which makes people unable to understand. Steward Tang, don't you say? ”

As soon as Xiao Yahuan asked, Tang Runze smiled.

"This Westerner's knowledge also has their outstanding points, and the young lady reads the foreigner's book, and she also chooses the good and learns!" "Steward Tang, look at what you said, the Westerners are a group of barbarians, who look like monsters, what can they learn?"

"It's just that, all of them have long red hair and blue eyes, and their skin is white like a dead person, and they are uneducated at first glance, I really don't know why Miss values those ......."

When the two little girls chattered, a clear and delicate voice came out of the building, and the delicate voice carried a unique charm, stirring the softest string in people's hearts.

"Xiao Xing, Xiao Apple, you two, usually let you read more books, but you don't want to read, even if it is a barbarian, there are merits, not to mention the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, "Hufu Riding and Shooting", it is the world-famous Songjiang cloth, of course, it is also Huang Daopo when she was in Hainan, learned from the local natives......"

"Ah, Miss!"

The two exclaimed.

"Did you hear it all?"

"Of course, you two are chattering like two sparrows, and I can't read the book."

The woman in the building said.

"I'm sorry, miss, we didn't mean to......"

The two hurriedly argued.

There was another coquettish laugh from the building.

"Okay, I didn't say what I want to do with you, Steward Tang should be in a hurry, you can come in......"

"Yes, miss."

The two responded in unison, and Tang Runze followed the two maids into the house.

When you enter the door, you will be greeted by two rows of huge bookshelves, occupying the walls on both sides, on which are neatly placed all kinds of books, no less than thousands. In the center is a long and wide mahogany desk, and the Zhengde stove on the table exudes a faint sandalwood fragrance.

Wisps of sunlight reflected into the study from the clear window, and on the beauty couch under the clear window, a woman in a pink Confucian dress was sitting lazily on the couch, the sun shining on the long satin hair, exuding a dazzling luster.

Tang Ziqi, who was lying on the beauty couch, was holding a book in his hand, and when he saw Tang Runze coming in, he asked with a smile.

"Steward Tang, but what's the matter?"

"Back to the eldest lady, it's like this, a new gadget has recently started to be fashionable in Nanjing, I don't know if the eldest lady has heard of soap."

"Soap?"

Seeing that the eldest lady had a suspicious look on her face, Tang Runze said.

"It is the thing that a woman uses to wash her clothes, which is like a soap horn, and when she washes her clothes, it is very clean. Now it is quite popular with women in Nanjing, and even in short supply. ”

As he spoke, Tang Runze took out a piece of soap and handed it to Yahuan on the side.

"Oh? Is it? ”

Tang Ziqi's eyebrows raised slightly, put the book on the table, took the soap, and said suspiciously.

"This is soap?"

"Yes, Miss, this thing is very clean for laundry, you can wash your clothes with a gentle rub, and if your hands are covered with oil, you can easily wash it with it......"

Looking at the soap in his hand, the soap was yellow, about half a catty, and he smelled it before he got it to his nose, and the slightly irritating taste made Tang Ziqi's brows frown.

“…… This soap is produced by the unity soap factory, this workshop is in the outer city, I have inquired, although the factory is in the name of a Fengyang man named Shi Yiwen, but the place was bought by the Song family before, so it is estimated that this factory is still the Song family. ”

"The Song family."

Looking at Steward Tang, Tang Ziqi said again.

"Are you saying that this soap was made by the Song family? When did they take their eyes on such worthless gadgets? ”

"If you go back to the eldest lady, it should be the Song family. This soap is worthless, and there are more people available, so it is naturally a big business. ”

"Soap?"

Tang Ziqi said.

"You're saying this soap is very popular right now?"

"That's true, eldest lady, although soap is still priceless for fifteen wen per piece, it is still sought after by women in the market. I instructed people to inquire, and most of the things that the Song family sent to the factory were oil, including lard, butter, soybean oil, cotton oil and other oils, no less than 10,000 catties a day, so I guess this should be made of oil, but how is this oil made of soap? I really can't guess it. ”

"Made of oil?"

Looking at Tang Runze's thoughtful and meditative appearance, Tang Ziqi seemed to remember something, got up and walked to the bookshelf and pointed at the books on the shelf, and after a while, she found the book from it, and after turning dozens of pages, she smiled.

"There it is!"

Holding the book, Tang Ziqi smiled proudly.

"I thought it was something new, but I made it for a long time, but it was just "SOAP" (1), which was made with oil and burnt plant ash. ”

"Miss, do you mean that in this Westerner's book, there is a way to make soap?"

Tang Runze looked at the book in the eldest lady's hand in surprise.

"Yes, yes, but it is certain that the Song family must have changed its formula, look at this soap ......"

Picking up the piece of soap, Tang Ziqi said.

"Light yellow and whitish, you can't see a trace of ash, and it's definitely not grass ash ......"

Again, putting the soap on the tip of his nose and enduring the pungent taste, Tang Ziqi sniffed it, and then handed it to Tang Runze and said.

"Steward Tang, what do you smell like? What else does it taste like besides that weird aroma? ”

Taking the soap from the eldest lady's hand, Tang Runze sniffed it carefully, and then frowned and said.

"Miss, this taste is a little familiar...... Yes, yes......"

Suddenly, Tang Runze's eyes suddenly lit up, and he looked at the eldest lady and said.

"This soap must have been mixed with alkali!"

(1) One of the legends of the invention of soap was invented by women who washed clothes in a river under a mountain called Sapo in Rome. These women found that if they washed their clothes at a specific time and in a specific place, they would wash them cleaner than usual. This was due to the fact that wood ash and animal fat, which were used as sacrifices, flowed into the river along with the rainwater at the temple on the hill, forming a liquid soap that made it easier for women to do their laundry. So the origin of the name SOAP is derived from the name of this hill SAPO.