Female-to-male: I live on farming

The key to making soap is to collect fats or animal and vegetable oils. According to current conditions, the most suitable choice is animal fat, that is, lard.

This thing is easy to buy and can be found everywhere, and Pei Xiu is really useful. Qin Ke only needs to give orders and doesn't have to worry about anything else. Pei Xiu can do it all.

"Yes, mix the wood ash with water to produce an alkaline solution." Qin Ke stood aside and gave instructions with his arms folded across his chest.

"Alkaline solution? What is it?" Pei Xiu was puzzled.

"Uh..." Qin Ke, who habitually spoke words from his previous life, rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and explained: "Well, in short, alkaline solution is a liquid with better cleaning ability. It can dissolve oil stains and can be used to make soap."

As for the definition of alkaline solution and the explanation of pH value, they were not clearly explained. Without the corresponding foundation, they had no way to understand it.

However, Pei Xiu didn't have to figure out what alkaline solution was. She just needed to understand its effects.

"The next step is to mix this alkaline solution with the oil?"

"Yes," Qin Ke nodded and replied, "After the lard is melted, slowly add it to the wood ash solution, stirring as you add it."

"The mold you mentioned before is ready." Pei Xiu said as he ordered someone to bring the mold up.

The mold is a wooden rectangular shape, which is perfect for large-scale soap making, and it is simple and easy to make.

As they were talking, the mixed liquid had already been poured into the prepared mold, and all that was left was to wait for it to solidify and take shape.

"By the way, how is the mold of the pattern I drew before being made?"

"Because the patterns are complicated, the production is a bit slow, but some are already made. Do you want to try it?" Pei Xiu asked.

When Qin Ke arranged people to make molds, he also drew some patterns and asked them to make them according to the drawings. Different from ordinary rectangular molds, the mold on the drawing was small and exquisite, and had a slightly oval shape. It was obviously a mold for a single soap.

"Let's try it and see how it works. There's some mixed liquid left here." Qin Ke couldn't wait to see if he could make the kind of soap that is common in later generations.

Pei Xiu arranged for people to do so.

"Okay, now we just need to wait for the soap to solidify, then cut it into blocks, and let it dry for a few weeks, and it's done." Qin Ke clapped his hands.

Pei Xiu only needs to keep an eye on the rest of the matters such as recruiting personnel and purchasing raw materials. Qin Ke only needs to ask about the progress occasionally and then keep an eye on the construction process of the Construction Company.

However, it is already June and potatoes have begun to mature. Qin Ke still needs to bring the Minister of Agriculture and the governors of the Ministry of Agriculture to guide the people in purchasing potatoes.

Qin Ke discovered the joy of delegating power. Now he only needs to arrange the specific matters, and the people in charge of each part will naturally get things done.

The potato seeds that were previously distributed by the government office needed to be returned by the people in due quantity after they harvested them, and then the government office would distribute them again.

At this time, the people had already witnessed the amazing yield of potatoes, and that there were many ways to prepare and eat them, which were easy to fill the stomach. So when the government issued a notice encouraging the people to plant a second round of potatoes, everyone scrambled to get them.

Since they couldn't get the potatoes for seeds from Sinons, they went to buy them from the people who had planted them before.

Qin Ke estimated that under this form, potatoes would soon be able to circulate in the market, and the planting pattern would no longer require control and guidance from above, agricultural production efficiency would also be improved, and economic development would be promoted.

After finishing this, the first batch of soap was ready.

"Is this the soap?" Jinyang held a palm-sized piece of soap in his hand. The soap was oval, smooth and round, like a carefully carved jade.

Gu Lanxi grabbed her hand and sniffed it, with a hint of surprise in her tone: "It actually emits a faint fragrance from the surface."

Jinyang also smelled the fragrance it exuded. After concentrating on smelling it for a while, he said, "The fragrance is faint and elegant, it is the fragrance of magnolia."

"Your Highness is wise. It is the fragrance of magnolia. The soap in front of Your Highness and the master of the family is a high-end product of the soap factory - scented soap. In addition to its exquisite style, it also contains spices. The fragrance is light, but it can last long in the air." Pei Xiu, who was standing in front of the two of them, reported with his head down.

"Oh?" Gu Lanxi raised an eyebrow and asked, "That is to say, they can be divided into different varieties according to their fragrance."

"That's right, and according to Qin Sinong, we can also provide special customization and design a special logo for the mansion for exclusive use."

"Qin Ke has so many ideas. He designs and produces different products for different classes." Gu Lanxi said as he prepared to try the effect of the soap himself.

With fingers as white as scallions, she slowly rolled up her snow-white sleeves, revealing her fair wrists. After soaking them in clean water, she held the soap in her hands and rubbed them gently.

As she rubbed, delicate foam emerged. The foam was soft and rich, as light as clouds, and carried an elegant floral scent.

"The effect is really good." After rinsing off the foam, Gu Lanxi looked at her own slender white fingers and praised.

"Let me take a look." Jin Yang smiled as he held her bony fingers, put them under his nose and sniffed them, then kissed them on his lips, and said with a smile, "They are white and soft, as smooth as sheep fat, and really excellent."

Feeling the touch of her fingers, Gu Lanxi glared at her and pulled her hand back.

She doesn't even look at the occasion. They are clearly discussing soap, but look what she is talking about.

Pei Xiu lowered his head, his eyes fell on his toes, his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, not daring to make a sound.

"Okay, you go down first." Jinyang knew that Gu Lanxi was shy, so he waved his hand.

The study became quiet again. The two people were only a few inches apart. They could touch each other with just a raise of their hands. An ambiguous atmosphere flowed between them.

Jinyang gently held her hand again.

Gu Lanxi pretended to pull her hand back, but the force was extremely slight.

Of course Jinyang noticed that she was just pretending. A smile appeared in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows. His eyes fell on her earlobe, which was a little pink, and he leaned over.

"Your Highness, there is news from the capital."

Her lips were just a few millimeters away from her delicate earlobe when she was suddenly interrupted by a sound coming from outside the study.

"Hey," he stood up, his face calm again, pursed his lips, and said, "Come in!"

However, the visitor obviously did not expect that the head of the Gu family was also here. He glanced in the direction of Gu Lanxi with some hesitation, and obviously did not know how to start the conversation.

Jin Yang was already unhappy at being interrupted. Seeing him like this, his tone became a little colder: "What's the matter? Tell me now!"

"…Your Highness, the spies in the capital reported that His Majesty intends to select a consort for you."