CHAPTER 39: SU CHEN AND WU TONG

"Since everyone seems to be in the mood,

"Allow me to share a poem my friend had come up with." Liu Shi Shi walked up the stage and said.

The other patrons didn’t think much of it.

They shook their heads at her, thought that she was insecure that she had to come up with a ’friend’ so that they wouldn’t chastise her if they didn’t think much about her poem.

Most of them had done something similar once in their life.

They only hoped that Liu Shi Shi would get it over and done with quickly.

It was getting old for them after so many disappointments.

Nothing was able to satisfy them after Lin Xuan Qi recited his poem.

And all of them thought this would be another one of those disappointments.

Liu Shi Shi saw their response, and she gave out a grin.

She didn’t wait any longer and cleared her throat.

"Had life remained like the first embrace...."

After she recited the first sentence, the other patrons stopped what they were doing.

All these young masters were hooked immediately by the first opening line like her.

She proceeded to recite the remaining lines.

"No autumn winds would mar its grace.

"A faithful heart so soon estranged,

"They call it fate that a heart has changed.

"At Lishan’s height, by midnight rain,

"Her tears fell soft yet voiced no pain.

"O faithless lord in robes so bright,

"We dreamed of wings that shared one flight."

The patrons nodded their heads as Liu Shi Shi recited every sentence.

Their minds couldn’t help but be engrossed with the opening line.

If Liu Shi Shi had only recited the opening line, she was confident that these young masters would be begging her to continue the poem.

She would be doing so if Lin Xuan Qi had decided to cliffhang her with the opening line.

The mumbling sounds of the young masters reciting the opening lines proved her right.

They couldn’t let go of how good the opening was.

Some of the young masters quickly asked their servants to get them brush and paper so that they could write it down.

They knew this was close to the poem Lin Xuan Qi had recited previously, and they wanted to be the first to let the others in their circle of young masters know.

Some were in awe and started to give their praise to Liu Shi Shi.

They had ignored what she had mentioned about the poem written by her friend.

"Young master, that was marvelous."

"It is an honor to be able to hear it."

"I agree. If only the other guy was around."

"Here’s a toast to you."

They lamented the fact that Lin Xuan Qi wasn’t around to maybe have a challenge with the young master on the stage.

Liu Shi Shi smirked at them, thinking about how they would feel if they knew that the poem was from the same person.

However, she wasn’t about to let them know.

It would be more fun if they didn’t know and let it fester until she had the chance to tell them the truth.

...

Next day.

Lin Xuan Qi woke up and had breakfast as usual.

He went to the lab immediately after he was done.

The water from the ashes of the crop stalks was now settled with the sediment settled to the bottom.

Using the liquid at the top, he poured it into the lard oil.

After which, he pounded some salt he took from the kitchen into finer grains and put them into the lard oil.

Then, he started stirring.

Lin Xuan Qi got excited when he saw the lard oil change color, and it started the saponification process.

Zhi Yong, who was by his side, couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw what happened.

It got even more unbelievable as the more Lin Xuan Qi stirred, the lard oil turned into something like mud, a state that was neither solid nor liquid.

When Lin Xuan Qi felt that it was good enough, he poured it into a few cups he had taken from the mansion.

He was pretty pleased at how it turned out to be.

"Zhi Yong, watch these and let them cool for three days. Don’t let anyone know what I’ve done or come into the lab."

"I will do so," Zhi Yong said and thumped his chest.

Lin Xuan Qi nodded his head and left.

He was already thinking of how to sell the soap if he succeeded.

It would be a hot item considering that there wasn’t anything like it right now in Da Qian Dynasty.

Maybe he could target the young mistresses and ladies.

He could put in flowers, mint, or something that smelt nice, package it well, and get someone to introduce it to the young mistress circles.

And for that, he had someone in mind.

...

Su Clan.

Two middle-aged men were sitting opposite each other with a cup of wine in their hands.

One of them, with a thin moustache, twitched his mouth and grumbled.

"I can’t believe it, Wu Tong.

"That Hun Xiong Kun seems to have been able to supply the rice for Lee Zhen Ren’s birthday celebration.

"Worse, he had employed guards, and it’s not so convenient to make too much of a splash now that the date of celebration is getting near.

"Everyone is looking at Hong Feng City."

Wu Tong, who was with a long beard, downed the cup of wine he had in his hand and said, "Su Chen, guess we might have to find another location for the rice shop, unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Instead of Hun Xiong Kun, we can find the person that is supplying the rice to him," Wu Tong said.

"That’s a good idea! How many men should I send to threaten him?" Su Chen said and stood up excitedly.

Wu Tong frowned and shook his head at Su Chen.

He thought that Su Chen should’ve matured and mellowed by now.

Seems like there’s no easy way to take out the young master out of someone.

"There’s more ways than to beat someone up..." Wu Tong said and stroked his beard.