Lately, as the chamber of commerce teams entered various regions, soap gradually appeared in the counties of Guangyuan.
However, the female shopkeepers trained by Tang Xiaobei lacked Jin Feng’s connections and Tang Xiaobei’s own abilities, so promotion progressed far less smoothly than Tang Xiaobei’s efforts in Guangyuan itself.
Still, gold always shines. Through the female shopkeepers’ hard work, soap gradually gained influence among the wealthy families in each county.
People have a herd mentality. Once something gains fame, it becomes much easier to sell.
A few days ago, County Lieutenant Zhao noticed a pleasant jasmine scent on his concubine and asked about it.
Only then did he learn that this soap cost five taels of silver per bar. His concubine had saved her monthly allowance for a long time to buy one.
County Lieutenant Zhao originally thought few would buy such an expensive item, but he underestimated women’s love for fragrances and the competitive spirit among wealthy ladies.
The next day, while handling business in the street, he happened upon a female shopkeeper selling soap. Seeing more than a dozen maidservants queuing to buy, County Lieutenant Zhao could not fathom why anyone would spend so much on something for washing face and body.
Yet it was true. He stood by the roadside for just the time of one cup of tea and watched over sixty boxes of soap sold.
That was more than three hundred taels of silver!
County Lieutenant Zhao’s heart stirred at once.
Several hundred taels in a moment. How much in a day?
In a month?
Upon returning home, he sent people to investigate the soap’s origins.
Unfortunately, to test the female shopkeepers, Tang Xiaobei forbade them from using Jin Feng’s name in Jinchuan. County Lieutenant Zhao only learned that the soap came from a chamber of commerce called Jinchuan, with security provided by a escort agency named Zhenyuan.
He could not discover who stood behind the Jinchuan chamber of commerce.
Just as he considered further measures, he heard Master Peng say the soap was Jin Feng’s creation.
County Lieutenant Zhao’s interest surged. “The soap is Jin Feng’s? Who told you?”
“My lord, a few days ago I went to the county seat on business and visited the pleasure quarters with a friend. I found that the girls there are all using soap now…”
Master Peng said with a smug shake of his head.
But before he finished, County Lieutenant Zhao interrupted impatiently. “I do not want to hear that. Tell me quickly how you know the soap is Jin Feng’s.”
“My lord, this matter has spread throughout Guangyuan…”
Master Peng hurriedly recounted Jin Feng and Tang Xiaobei’s story, and how Tang Xiaobei later sold the soap.
“So Jin Feng went to the county seat for this.”
After Division Master Zhou’s death, County Lieutenant Zhao had more than once coveted Iron Can Mountain’s territory. He had even ambushed Jin Feng at Black Wind Ridge.
When the ambush failed, he worried for days and hid the surviving bandits.
Yet Jin Feng sent no one to investigate, and County Lieutenant Zhao felt relieved for quite some time.
However, fearing Jin Feng might seize evidence, he refrained from sending people to follow and gather news in the county seat. As a result, even when soap entered his household, he remained ignorant of its origins.
County Lieutenant Zhao had felt some envy for the soap, but learning it was Jin Feng’s cooled his enthusiasm by half. Even the bear paws and Golden Moon Pavilion girls lost their appeal.
“This Jin Feng, just selling soap in Guangyuan earns him over a thousand taels a month. Why bother with a textile factory? I truly do not know what he is after.”
Master Zhu said irritably.
“Who would complain about too much money? I hear Xihewan now sends dozens of cartloads of hemp thread to the county seat daily. After all expenses, each cart earns at least one tael of silver. That is dozens of taels a day.”
Master Peng said, “And that is only because Jin Feng pays the female workers high wages. Otherwise, he could earn even more!”
“The textile factory wages are indeed high. I hear some female workers earn over a hundred wen a month.”
“That is the women from Xihewan and Guan Family Village. They receive double pay. Women from other villages get just a few dozen wen a month.”
“A few dozen wen is still not little? The constables at the county office work themselves to death catching thieves for how much a month?”
Master Zhu said, “It is precisely because the wages are high and meals are provided that those lowly commoners flee to Xihewan.”
As they spoke, the conversation returned to the old problem.
Master Peng’s face soured again. “My lord, this cannot continue. You must think of something.”
“Rest easy. I have already sent people to investigate. Jin Feng’s textile factories are nearly fully staffed. The brick firing now is to build dormitories for the textile workers. After these few days, likely no more will go to Xihewan.”
County Lieutenant Zhao said lazily, for the sake of the bear paws and girls.
“No wonder you are not worried, my lord. You already knew.”
“Hmph. Jin Feng is sensible. If he does not stop, I will make him regret it.”
“Enough, Old Peng. Stop boasting. Why did you not say that earlier?”
Master Zhu and Master Peng finally felt the weight lift from their hearts.
The number of people going to Xihewan was still manageable, well within their tolerance.
As long as migration stopped, they could treat those commoners as if they had starved to death.
With their worries gone, the two men let loose completely. The room soon grew chaotic.
They thought the matter settled, but in the following days, they realised they were wrong.
Ever since Jin Feng opened the textile and brick factories in the village, Xihewan villagers became the envy of all surrounding villages.
While other villages worried about tomorrow’s meals, Xihewan villagers could eat meat every few days.
Whenever they went to the market town, butchers knew that any woman dressed as a villager buying meat was surely from Xihewan.
The women would buy meat and carry it proudly. Meeting acquaintances from other villages, they would complain about work being tiring while practically shoving the meat in their faces.
This always left people from other villages green with envy.
As the textile factory expanded, Guan Family Bay joined the ranks. Meat sellers in the town did better business. Previously, hunters with large game like wild boar could only sell in the county seat. In town, they could never sell out.
Now, everything sold in less than a morning.
If anything remained, no matter. They could send it to Xihewan, which bought as much as offered.
Whenever hunters entered the village, textile factory women knew meat was on the menu that day.
Shu region girls have been famed for beauty since ancient times. Previously, they worked the fields and went hungry, leaving them dark and thin.
But once in the textile factory, they never worried about hunger again. Working indoors shielded them from the sun. Those once dark and thin girls now grew fair and plump.
Though many still wore patched clothes, everything was clean. They carried the scent of soap.
No longer could one find a single slovenly girl with lice in her hair at the textile factory.
Girls once considered burdensome and hard to marry became highly sought after once they joined the factory.
Gradually, textile factory women became a scenic attraction in Xihewan. Hunters from other villages timed their visits to sell game during factory shift changes.
Even Jin Feng, when tired from work, would sometimes stroll through the textile factory. For this, Tang Xiaobei once teased him for having desire but lacking courage.
Such provocation Jin Feng could not tolerate. Each time, he responded with actions that left Tang Xiaobei speechless.
No active promotion was needed. The textile factory’s fame had long spread. This explained why it recruited so many female workers in a short time, even drawing people willing to leave home and bring families to Xihewan.
Due to poor communications, even though the textile factory was fully staffed, people kept coming, and the numbers grew daily.
