Chapter 144: Chapter 71: Favoritism
"Thatâs enough! We canât meddle too much in othersâ affairs. Letâs talk about the soap business, I warn you all, youâve seen how soap is made, itâs not that hard, but donât you dare let it slip. If you do, and people find out, we wonât be able to sell this soap for silver. Especially for the eldest and second branches, you mustnât tell your family. If I find out youâve not listened to me, donât blame me for being harsh."
Mr. Gu looked at Mrs. Fang and He, stern-faced, warning them. With Mrs. Fang, he felt somewhat assured, but with He, who was prone to careless blunders, when her mother came around with a few sweet words, she might let it slip. Mr. Gu glanced at Gu Chengyi, motioning towards He, and Gu Chengyi immediately understood, nodding in acknowledgment.
This time, it was only adults who came to see the soap-making in the kitchen. Children were not allowed in for fear they might talk indiscreetly. Even Gu Wan wasnât let in, and Gu Chenglian and Gu Chengchi, being old enough, were not sent out.
"Dad! Come on now? Weâre not fools! We wouldnât do something like that! And who knows how much this soap can sell for? I heard momâs bath beans sell for three hundred Copper Coins a box! So this soap should definitely be more expensive than bath beans, right?" He, full of Copper Coins and Silver, would never foolishly divulge the money-making business to outsiders, though she subconsciously overlooked her mom and brother.
"Yeah! Dad! Donât worry! I surely wonât mention it to others," Mrs. Fang quickly chimed in.
Her brother from her maiden family was fourteen this year. Actually, their family also did this business, so there was no worry about her brotherâs marriage, and her mother could breathe easy. Unfortunately, such a good business, Mr. Gu wouldnât allow it. Next year, her brother Huai Shan would be fifteen and at conscription age. Where will the family get that much Silver? If thereâs no way out, he can only labor in corvĂ©e, but at least itâs not riverbank construction, just tiring! Life would still be intact.
Mrs. Lv, pondering her maiden familyâs matters, paused in her motions.
"Eldest branch, arenât you pouring? Loafing around here? Itâll set if you keep this up, and you wonât be able to pour!" Mrs. Lv turned, finding Mrs. Fang holding a spoon lost in thought, and immediately flared up.
Mrs. Fang, startled by the scolding from Mrs. Lv, snapped back to reality and transferred the soap liquid into molds.
"Xiao Bao! How do you know how to make this soap? Did you also learn it from books?" On the other side, Gu Chengyi focused on the yellow soap liquid and asked.
"Yeah! Xiao Bao picked up reading and loves books. He saw it in a bookstore," Mr. Gu, hearing Gu Chengyiâs question, hurriedly explained.
Xiao Bao dreamt of Immortals, a matter he didnât want to share with other family members because the children were grown, each harboring their own calculations. Once married, itâs challenging to have unity with parents and siblings. He planned to keep this between him and Mrs. Lv alone, not telling anyone in the family.
Gu Chengyu smirked. Whatâs dad so anxious about? Isnât this as clear as saying thereâs "no three hundred silver left"?
Gu Chengyi looked doubtfully at the jumping-to-answer Mr. Gu. He casually inquired, surprised by such a strong reaction. Was there something he didnât know? Wasnât the soap recipe found in the fifth sonâs book? It couldnât be anything else! Where did it come from?
Could it be an ancestral secret? No, couldnât be! If they had this recipe, wouldnât the family have already utilized it to make silver? No reason to keep it hidden? Gu Chengyi pondered, shook his head, deciding not to dwell further. What does it matter where it came from? As long as this brings silver to the family.
Gu Chengyu wouldnât worry; his second brother would never guess his secret, so whatâs there to rush?
"Dad! Once our house is built, weâll have a dedicated room for soap-making and must prepare a separate large pot just for this," Gu Chengyu envisioned turning a room into a small soap workshop; otherwise, sharing the stove for cooking and soap-making wouldnât work.
"Hmm! Thatâll have to wait until weâve sold some soap, to see if itâs worth the silver." Although Mr. Gu trusted his youngest son, business remained uncertain.
Gu Chengyu had great confidence in his soap, as long as its stain-removing power was strong, the affluent would surely buy it. In the future, adding essential oils, petals, even herbs, would finesse it for selling at a good price, but this needed to progress step by step.
He deliberated for a long time, hesitant to speak. Sneaking a glance at Gu Chengyi, she finally spoke.
"Dad! Our family builds the house, needing workers, why not invite my brother over? He could help, right?" Sheâs considering her home meals, certainly simple, but satisfying, not fancy, yet filling and energizing for work. Better invite her brother, her father died early, leaving just an old mother and brotherâs family, and her lazy brother wouldnât work properly, why not bring him to help, maybe Mr. Gu would pay some wages.
"Your brother? Do you even know what youâre saying? Look at your brother, he canât lift or carry, what can he do? His bulging belly makes turning difficult, you better drop that thought!" Mrs. Lv sneered at Heâs intention to bring her brother. Such a person would expect everyone to serve him.
Mrs. Lv previously paid much attention to the He Familyâs affairs, having seen Heâs brother, who looked just like He, slack and lazy, with a bulkier stature than He.
Mrs. Fang thought if Heâs brother came, sheâd invite her brother too. Huai Shan progressed health-wise over the past two years, willing to work diligently, not asking wages, just hoping her brother could have some hearty meals, but with her mother-in-law refusing, it seemed hopeless.
"Forget your brother, his health canât endure hardship. But the eldestâs Huai Shan, heâs grown now, right? If thereâs no pressing chores at home, let him come help! Weâre short-handed, but if homeâs busy, forget it."
Mr. Gu disregarded his frail nephew; with that physique, who dared let him work? He might collapse before starting. His eldest sonâs family was earnest, and heâd met Mrs. Fangâs brother Huai Shan, a solid lad, albeit slightly young. Asking him to assist was just lending a hand.
Mrs. Fang, having lost hope earlier, hadnât even dared to ask, unexpectedly finding Mr. Gu proposed it first, was overjoyed. Her familyâs short on food, Huai Shan working there couldnât be kept unfed, though wages werenât her wish.
"Old man, her family brother, a small physique, what can he do? Heâs still a kid!" Mrs. Lv protested, not pleased at the idea; might not give wages, but a half-grown lad could eat voraciously.
"Yeah! Dad! Why can sister-in-lawâs Huai Shan come, but not my brother, whoâs your nephew?" He was irritated by Mr. Guâs favoritism; why was he biased towards the eldest daughter-in-law?