Chapter 87: Glass and Soap

Of course, glass cannot be made merely by melting sand. It is crafted from quartz sand, pure soda ash, feldspar, limestone, and other raw materials, which are blended, melted at high temperatures, homogenized, shaped, and then annealed to form the finished product.

On the whole, these ingredients are not particularly expensive. By controlling output, glass can be sold as a luxury item or artwork. The investment is modest, but the returns are considerable—a truly lucrative business.

Now, Fishhead Town is largely under Fang Yue’s control. With everything in disarray and the finances stretched thin, a significant influx of silver is needed to support its revival. For Fang Yue himself—whether to gain merit points, study martial arts manuals, or simply cover the daily consumption of medicinal resources during training—money is essential.

In short, Fang Yue is in dire need of funds at present. Now that things have settled down, he has placed his plan to establish workshops in Fishhead Town on the agenda.

“Junlin, share your thoughts,” Fang Yue said, handing the glass in his hand to Ren Junlin.

Ren Junlin took the glass, examining it from every angle, unable to hide his fascination. It wasn’t merely the sparkling glass that attracted him, but the vast profits it represented.

“That day when we talked, you mentioned that glass could be shaped in various forms. If we turn it into vases, sculptures, teacups, mirrors, idols, ornaments, and so forth for the upper class and officials, the profit will be staggering,” Ren Junlin remarked.

Fang Yue nodded. Ren Junlin’s ideas matched his own; with glass, he intended to pursue the high-end market, selling it as a luxury item.

Once the glass workshop could mass-produce, he planned to make exquisite bottles for perfume and distilled spirits—two further luxury products. Again, modest investment, substantial profit, enormous potential.

All these were aimed at the upper echelons, earning money from nobles and wealthy families. But Fang Yue also prepared some products for daily use, intending to cater to the common folk, relying on small profits and high sales volume, thus benefiting the people of this world.

“Speaking of glass, Junlin, how is your soap project progressing?”

Reluctantly, Ren Junlin set down the glass and replied, “We’ve begun mass production. I brought some samples.”

He produced a box containing a piece of yellow soap.

“Fang Yue, are you sure you want to sell this soap at a price just above cost? I tried it at home, and it works wonders. Look at my skin—it’s become whiter and smoother,” Ren Junlin said, shaking his plump flesh.

“My wife also used it to wash her face and immediately became fond of it, saying she’d use nothing else from now on. Such a fine product, even if sold at a high price, would have people scrambling to buy it. It could be marketed as a luxury item, just like glass.”

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Hearing this, Qian Dagui and Deng Hetong grew curious about the yellow soap in Ren Junlin’s hand. They fetched water in a wooden basin, tried washing their hands with the soap, and were delighted by the rich foam and comfortable feel afterward, praising it highly and saying it was much better than the old lye soap.

Fang Yue thought for a moment and said, “We can make soap in several grades. You can add petals, fragrances, and so on to produce premium soaps with elegant packaging for wealthy households. Your Ren family should have experience with this. But the ordinary soap should be sold at the price I mentioned, aiming for small profits and large sales.”

Ren Junlin nodded. “All right, let’s do that.”

On these matters, Fang Yue held absolute authority.

“Now, let’s discuss the profit-sharing scheme,” Fang Yue said, looking at everyone.

The group sat around the table, waiting for Fang Yue to speak.

“I provide the formulas and take forty percent of the profits. The manufacturer gets twenty percent. The distributor also gets twenty percent. The remaining twenty percent goes to the town as collective tax revenue.”

Everyone nodded; this arrangement had been agreed upon earlier, and Fang Yue was merely reiterating it.

“The glass-making technique isn’t mature yet, so we can take it slow. To sell it as a luxury item, we need to expand our reach, and sea routes are the best option. But we must first investigate the current situation at sea,” Fang Yue said, turning to Ren Junlin.

Ren Junlin replied, “The pirates of the Eastern Sea have retreated, and the area from here to the waters near Baiquan Prefecture is peaceful again. But our Ren family suffered heavy losses in the invasion; many merchant ships were destroyed or captured. Restoring sea transport will take time.”

Fang Yue said, “Organize a few ships for now, and investigate the situation at sea. Once safety is confirmed, we’ll open the route.”

Ren Junlin nodded. The pirate invasion had left a deep shadow over everyone. The imperial court was no longer reliable; its navy couldn’t be counted on, so the sea was left to their own devices.

Fang Yue turned to Deng Hetong, who had been smiling politely all along. “Mayor Deng, we captured several pirate ships. Let’s refit them as town property and form a fleet in Fishhead Town’s name to participate in the transport and sale of glass and soap. The profit distribution will follow the scheme I just outlined.”

Deng Hetong hadn’t expected to be involved and quickly agreed, nodding vigorously.

Fang Yue shook his head, thinking that Deng Hetong was truly unfit as mayor—too timid and lacking initiative. How could Fishhead Town be safely entrusted to him? While a meek personality is easier to manage, Fang Yue had no need for that. His own martial prowess and reputation were what allowed him to control the town.

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“When a suitable candidate is found, Deng Hetong will be replaced,” Fang Yue decided silently, though he showed nothing outwardly.

He turned to Qian Dagui. “Sea routes can wait, but land routes must not be delayed. Qian Dagui, how are your channels in Half Mountain County?”

Half Mountain County bordered Peace County and was close to Fishhead Town. Crossing the bay from Fishhead Town brought one to Green Fish Town, from which there were two possible directions by land: one toward the county seat of Peace County, and the other toward Half Mountain County.

Qian Dagui traded fish, buying from fishermen and selling not only within the county but also mainly to Half Mountain County, which, lacking access to the sea, depended on outside sources for seafood.

Now that Peace County was ruined and that route was impassable—haunted by monsters and demons, making travel impossible—the only option by land was towards Half Mountain County.

Qian Dagui patted his chest and assured, “Scholar Fang, rest assured. The channels in Half Mountain County are absolutely secure.”

“Good. We’ll start with soap. Junlin, your Ren family will handle production. Qian Dagui, you’ll use your existing channels in Half Mountain County to distribute the goods. Let’s first build our product’s reputation there.”

Ren Junlin and Qian Dagui both agreed.

With the business settled, Fang Yue smiled. “It’s midday—let’s all stay for lunch. I asked Xing’er to prepare some special dishes.”

“Special dishes again? Wonderful!” Ren Junlin’s eyes lit up at the mention, and he nearly drooled in anticipation.

His plump figure betrayed his love for food. On previous visits, Fang Yue had had Xing’er prepare “special dishes,” ones Ren Junlin had never tasted before, and they nearly drove him to tears with their deliciousness.

Braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, eggplant with fish flavor, pickled fish soup, chili fish head, oil-braised prawns, spicy tofu…

These ordinary home-cooked dishes from another world had become, in this world, absolute culinary delights.

This time, Ren Junlin had come with an empty stomach, ready to feast once more.