【Quick Wear】My Years as a Mother-in-law

The furniture was nice, the bed was soft, and the scenery in the yard was even more beautiful, but Yun Xi just didn't feel comfortable.

Yun Xi couldn't finish reading the novel that she could immerse herself in quickly in the past.

System: "Host, did you remember what Xiao Yueyue said? Do you want to do something?"

Yun Xi tilted her head and looked out the window, analyzing herself carefully. Finally, she admitted, "It's partly because of that, but more because of a lack of security. In modern times, I can stay home peacefully after work because the country is safe and information is developed. But here? I'm completely in the dark."

"Uh, so that's what you're worried about. Actually, you can ask me about that." The system stammered.

Yun Xi's eyes were sharp, "What? You know all this too?"

"Yes, host, you know nothing about my abilities as a system. Not to mention that you want to know the news about Zhao State, I can know any news on this planet." The system quickly felt at ease and complacent.

Yun Xi ignored its thoughts and asked, "Then tell me, is there any hidden crisis in the court today?"

"As for crises, there were some. Every dynasty has its crises, but the power transition between generations in Zhao State was relatively smooth, even though the internal strife was not large-scale. In addition, some of the policies at the time of the founding of the country were very good. Otherwise, the original owner's husband would not have been able to accumulate wealth so quickly. Unfortunately, as the dynasty lasted longer and longer, the drawbacks increased.

The most obvious thing is that wealth is concentrated in the hands of the upper class, and the resources of the lower class are squeezed. They used to be able to pay various taxes, but now they can barely afford it. Correspondingly, the wealth that can reach the national treasury has decreased. Fortunately, there are many merchants and they pay a lot of taxes, so the contradiction has not yet become prominent.

The system kept talking, and Yun Xi felt that it might not be a machine, but a person.

"I understand what you said. The end of each dynasty and the birth of a new one are both processes of resource reorganization. Fortunately, we are now in the early and middle stages of the dynasty, which is quite stable." Yun Xi breathed a sigh of relief and shouted outside, "Xiao Xi, arrange for someone to pay attention to the court bulletins and report to the palace if there is any news."

"Okay, Master, I'll do it right away."

"System, let me first understand the outside world. This small space is bigger than other people's yards, but it's still a small space. Fortunately, I only need to live here for the rest of my life. Oh, and I can open a store. What kind of store do you think I should open?"

Yun Xi suddenly had an idea.

System: "I can give a professional assessment based on the Qi family's situation. Currently, the Qi family can be involved in the textile industry, traveling trade, food and cleaning products, etc."

Yun Xi frowned, "That's all? I know salt, sugar, and minerals can't be touched, but why not grain? Does the Guan family have a monopoly?"

"Almost the same. The Guan family has stronger connections than yours, and they're quite honest when it comes to buying and selling grain. It's not easy to compete with them for the market." The system continued, "Other businesses like seafood, casinos, brothels, livestock trade, and human trafficking all require extensive connections and backing."

The system reminded again, "There are various forces at sea, such as Japanese pirates, sea bandits, Portuguese, etc. Relying solely on fishermen to go out to sea for supply, the output is low and it is impossible to expand."

Yun Xi thought about it and it seemed like this. "There's Caiyige for clothing stores, and their ideas are pretty good. As for food, I think food safety is a big concern. Trading is good, but the risks are high. I could invest in one and try it out. As for cleaning products, do you have the soap formula?"

System: "Yes, I even have the formula for the bath beans on the market. Do you want to get it?"

"Let's do it. I'm free anyway, and I've planted so many flowers at home. It would be a shame if they withered." Yun Xi felt that she was really thrifty.

The system surreptitiously reminded, "Actually, I think you should store more food. Three years from now, there will be a small drought that will last for a year and a half. Food will be in short supply, and the Guan family has made a lot of money. Buy more and sell it in other provinces to make a killing."

"Drought? A year and a half. Have the villagers near Nancheng been displaced?" Yun Xi was shocked.

System: "They were almost displaced, but the imperial court provided disaster relief and stabilized the situation."

"Well, I have an idea."

Yun Xi got busy. She first asked the second housekeeper to find someone who wanted to do business, the third housekeeper to find guards with good martial arts skills to work at home, and finally asked Xiaoxi to take people to the village at the foot of the mountain near South City to collect dried flowers and soapberries at the market price.

Finally, there is lard. Yun Xi gave her three farms a target of raising twenty pigs every year, and there would be rewards for good work. The pork lard that was used before had to be supplied by butchers.

After getting the lard, Yun Xi found some wood ash and started making soap according to the recipe. After three attempts, she succeeded.

The lard supplied by the butcher every day can make about thirty bars of soap. Yun Xi made ten ordinary ones, ten goat milk ones and ten fresh flower ones.

The ordinary ones are not the most ordinary. Yun Xi added soapberry to it, which is mild and non-irritating, and can be washed cleanly. She plans to price it at one tael of silver per piece. Goat milk is not cheap, so the price should be higher, one tael and two cents per piece. Fresh flowers have the lowest cost, eight hundred wen per piece.

Soap needs to be made every day. After seven days, it is placed in a warehouse with suitable temperature and saponified for a month. Then it is considered finished. Therefore, thirty pieces are made every day, and after a month, the output will be thirty pieces every day.

But it was not worth opening a shop for these thirty bars of soap. Yun Xi only had three hundred taels of silver in her pocket, and she bought a small shop of fifty square meters, which looked so shabby to only hold thirty bars of soap.

In this way, Yun Xi started making cosmetics and skin care products, including lip balm, eyebrow powder, makeup powder and facial masks, etc.

After much trouble, only lip balm was difficult to make, so she had to ask a craftsman to make a lip balm box, the modern oval rotating type. The craftsman made it out of bamboo. Yun Xi was overjoyed and asked the craftsman to make more, and she would buy them all.

"System, the lipstick comes in five colors: red, pink, orange, rose, and purple. Eyebrow powder comes in gray, black, and brown. There are three types of concealer powder, suitable for very fair skin, yellowish skin, and brown skin respectively. I feel that without a powder puff, the makeup is very uneven. Everything else is very easy to use, especially the lipstick. I asked for the outer shell to be very short. If I use it every day, I will use up one bottle in three months. What do you think?"

Yun Xi looked at the list and invested another two hundred taels of silver to prepare more goods.

System: "I think making this mask is too much trouble. It's better to use lotion or aloe vera gel. Silk is not in short supply."

"It's indeed troublesome. I plan to only make 90 pieces every month. Only the first three customers who make purchases in the store will have the opportunity to experience this skin care step." Yun Xi explained.

System: "That's a good idea."

"There are still five days left before the next batch of soap is successfully shipped. The store has been renovated, and we need to stock up on more products of all kinds." Yun Xi wrote and drew on the list.