Chapter 30: The Soap Formula Is Not For Sale

Jiang Yi and Shen Rong had contemplated the potential troubles they might face in the future, yet they currently lacked any effective countermeasures. They understood that only by becoming stronger themselves could they stop worrying about others coming to cause them trouble.

Early the next morning, Jiang Yi loaded the soap onto his mule-drawn cart and headed to Hanyang City. Shen Rong remained at home to sew clothes and guard the house, ensuring that no one would come to sabotage their soap supply while they were away.

Jiang Yi tethered the mule cart next to the Qian Family Silk Shop and walked inside, carrying the paper bags filled with soap. The shopkeeper went to summon Qian Muyun, who arrived accompanied by a tall, sturdy young man.

"You've brought the soap. Many customers were pestering me about it yesterday. I told them it would likely take a few days for the new stock to arrive."

"I am truly sorry! I am late in delivering it. This time, I have only brought one hundred bars of soap and one hundred bottles of perfume."

Qian Muyun was slightly dissatisfied with the quantity. "So little? How long until the next batch of soap can be delivered?"

"It will take about nine days. Zhao Tuo bought some yesterday, and since our workshop is not yet fully built, the quantity that my wife and I can produce is limited." It was necessary to explain to Qian Muyun that they were currently unable to purchase raw materials in bulk, as the Li family of Hanzhou had already bought up most of the animal and vegetable oils from the local shops.

"Let me introduce you. This is my husband, Qin Lu. He currently serves as a ninth-rank military lieutenant."

Jiang Yi sized up Qin Lu, who appeared both imposing and handsome. He stood nearly one point nine meters tall, with sharp, sword-like eyebrows and a square, dignified face. He was indeed a striking man, possessing a distinct aura of masculine strength.

"My name is Jiang Yi," he introduced himself.

"I have seen you a few times, though you may not have noticed me." Qin Lu was not much of a conversationalist; he rarely spoke, fearing that he might offend someone by saying the wrong thing. He was an upright man who tended to be blunt.

Jiang Yi thought about potentially winning Qin Lu over, as his help would be indispensable for taking control of Hanyang City in the future.

"He is a very honest man and not very skilled with words. I hope you will not take offense," Qian Muyun said.

Jiang Yi placed the soap and perfume on the counter for Qian Muyun to inspect. "All the soap and perfume are here. Please, take a look."

Qian Muyun took a bar of soap from the paper bag, gently stroking it with her hand before taking a sniff. The soap emitted a subtle, clean fragrance, and the texture was remarkably delicate.

"This soap is even better than what you gave me last time. The scent is exceptionally pleasant."

"The previous batch was made quite crudely. I have since refined the process and improved the quality of the soap." Jiang Yi was not exaggerating; the product could be continuously improved. In the future, he could even produce custom types of soap to ensure complete customer satisfaction.

Once Qian Muyun confirmed the quality of the soap and perfume, she led Jiang Yi to the second floor for negotiations. Qin Lu remained downstairs, as he understood nothing of merchant affairs and was not worried about his wife being taken advantage of.

In the second-floor office, Qian Muyun took silver and copper coins from a drawer. "According to our previously agreed-upon price, it is fifty wen per bottle of perfume and thirty wen per bar of soap. Since you brought one hundred of each, the total comes to eight guan. Here are five taels of silver and three guan of copper coins. Please count it."

"I sold soap to the Zhao family yesterday for twenty-five wen per bar, and I can offer you that same price."

"You need not offer me a discount. I will buy them at this price; I will still make a higher profit than you," Qian Muyun replied. Even if she sold each bar for fifty wen, there would still be people scrambling to buy them.

A moment later, Jiang Yi finished counting the money. The silver was of high purity, and the copper coins were all present.

A commotion rose from downstairs, and Qian Muyun led Jiang Yi and Shen Rong back down. A crowd of customers stood at the counter, eager to purchase the soap and perfume. The items sold out almost instantly, leaving those who missed out feeling deeply disappointed.

"My apologies, everyone. The store's stock of soap and perfume is sold out. We will post a notice outside when the next shipment arrives," the shopkeeper, Wu Youde, apologized to the customers.

"How many days will we have to wait?" a customer asked.

"About nine days. The quantity is very limited at the moment, so I hope you all understand."

"Please be patient, everyone. Producing this soap is no easy task. I assure you, I want nothing more than for you to be able to buy more of this high-quality soap," Jiang Yi added.

As such a profitable commodity, Qian Muyun naturally wanted as much as possible, but with only Jiang Yi and Shen Rong producing it, their capacity was limited.

"Since you came here today for soap and perfume, we will offer discounts on our clothing and fabrics," Qian Muyun suggested to appease the disappointed crowd.

"You could have your clerks cut square pieces of paper and write numbers on them. The lower the number, the higher the priority for purchasing soap and perfume," Jiang Yi proposed. The numbers that weren't used would not be discarded; they could be used to queue up when the next shipment arrived.

Qian Muyun followed Jiang Yi's suggestion. With customers holding numbers, the shop remained orderly. After a while, the clerks had cut the paper into small squares. Qian Muyun wrote numbers on them with a brush, and once the ink dried, the slips were folded and placed into a large ceramic jar.

"Everyone, these slips contain numbers. Whatever number you draw determines your place in the queue." The customers lined up to draw their numbers, each hoping for the earliest one. After all two hundred slips were drawn, some customers left, while others stayed to browse for clothing and fabrics.

As Jiang Yi left the Qian Family Silk Shop with his earnings, he noticed that the rival Lifei Department Store across the street was having a slow day. Sales of the Li family's soap had plummeted, especially since customers had now experienced a superior product. The owner of the Lifei Department Store had been keeping a close eye on the Qian shop.

Jiang Yi saw a clerk from the Lifei Department Store walking toward him. "Our proprietor invites you to the store for a discussion."

The clerk was polite enough, so Jiang Yi decided to follow him. If they were sincere, he might consider a partnership. However, Jiang Yi suspected they only wanted to buy his formula, and likely at a low price.

The clerk led Jiang Yi to the second floor, where he was ushered into an office. The room was spacious and luxuriously furnished. A young man named Li Dongyang, the main proprietor of the Lifei Department Store, was waiting.

"You must be Jiang Yi. I will be blunt: I want to buy your formula."

"I am sorry, but the soap formula is not for sale. If you are sincere about a partnership, I am happy to sell you the finished soap."

"I only want the formula. I will give you one thousand guan; that is a very fair price." Li Dongyang believed this was a generous offer. If Jiang Yi refused, he would simply ensure his soap could not be sold elsewhere.

"If you have no other ideas for cooperation, then there is no point in us talking."

"Name your price for the formula. As long as it is reasonable, we can trade the formula for the money immediately." Li Dongyang's maximum threshold was two thousand guan, and he hoped Jiang Yi would not be too greedy.

"No matter how much you offer, I will not sell the formula. Your Lifei soap has been passed down for over a hundred years; have you never thought of improving it?" Jiang Yi guessed that Li's descendants had become complacent, sticking to the old formula without strict quality control, which led to a decline in quality and the loss of repeat customers.