Chapter 36 Dizziness

  Deng Zixuan laughed and said, "Sheng brother, I'm talking about three sets of mechanical equipment!" "Zixuan younger brother, you are really clever! I admit defeat. However, the next step is up to you, we need to expedite the process of investing in stocks." Sheng Huai Xuan's praise was already getting annoying. Deng Zixuan responded with a hint, "Sheng brother, machine factories are the ancestors of real industry!" "Ancestors?" Sheng Huai Xuan didn't understand.

  "What is the ancestor of the nose, once the machine factory is built, it will drive other industries to prosper. For example, we can produce steam engines, textile machinery to build textile factories, and shipbuilding equipment. In short, we have established a machine factory, and more factories will appear in the future. Later, steel mills...". Deng Zixuan was somewhat intoxicated with himself. Sheng Huaixuan seemed to be listening to heavenly books: "Okay! Let me calm down for a while, let's go back and chat about wine!"

  On the wine table, Deng Zixuan was blowing his top off, and Sheng Huai Xuan listened with a dazed expression. Suddenly, Sheng Huai Xuan got up from his seat, as if conjuring magic, and pulled out three incense sticks. Just as Deng Zixuan was in a daze, Sheng Huai Xuan lit the incense and knelt down on the ground, saying: "Brother Zixuan, Heaven is above, I, Sheng Huai Xuan, swear to be brothers with you for this life and the next!" Deng Zixuan hastily knelt down opposite him, saying: "Brother Sheng's kindness is overwhelming, I am willing to become sworn brothers with Brother Sheng, and will never betray this oath in this lifetime!"

  After the three incense sticks were burned, Deng Zixuan's legs had already gone numb. "Younger brother, please get up!" Sheng Huaxuan sincerely helped Deng Zixuan to his feet. "Older brother, please take a seat! Let us drink together again!" In an instant, the expressions of both men changed. After two consecutive cups of wine, Deng Zixuan said: "Older brother, the foreigners' machines will probably arrive next year, so we must seize the opportunity to build the factory and other facilities, this cannot be delayed."

  "Brother, you can rest assured! I'll take care of this matter. I want to choose a good location at the Songjiang Prefecture dock, but I'll have to trouble your esteemed residence for an extended period." "Elder brother, why don't you just stay here? This is my temporary abode, and it's convenient for me to come into the city to see you. Or should we bring your wife over as well?" "Wouldn't that be improper?"

  Deng Zixuan chuckled and said, "A husband and wife living apart is immoral and goes against human nature!" "What a strange argument! What's wrong with living apart?" Deng Zixuan smiled slyly. "I understand now, my younger brother is indeed clever. Alright, I'll bring your wife here. Why don't you just stay in the city and not return to the manor? We can be together every day, isn't that wonderful!"

  "Brother, to be honest, the whole family relies on me!" Deng Zixuan made a helpless gesture. "Younger brother! The matter of entering the stock is all up to you!" "Don't worry! It will be settled within two days!" On the third day, Deng Zixuan directly invested 1 million silver coins, stunning Sheng Huai Xuan. Then, Deng Zixuan held a show for entering the stock, but in fact, everyone present was just a prop to cover up for him. He knew how important the machine factory was, so he would not let any idle people join. The so-called grassroots investment was only him alone, and the other few who seemed to be investors were just doing it for Deng Zixuan's sake.

  Deng Zixuan told Sheng Huai Xuan before he left that he would come back in half a month and give him a big surprise, and asked Sheng Huai Xuan to find a place near Songjiang Wharf, preferably a ready-made house. Sheng Huai Xuan saw the departing figures of Deng Zixuan and his wife, somewhat mysterious and unclear about what it meant, but he knew that following his brother's instructions would definitely bring gains.

  Deng Zixuan returned to the Rose Manor the next day and taught the children a lesson in the morning. In the afternoon, a servant rushed back from town with a horse-drawn carriage and informed him that he had bought what was needed. Deng Zixuan was overjoyed when he heard the news and immediately ordered Zhang, the butler, to prepare a quiet room. An hour later, Deng Zixuan led Wan'er, Biying, and Danxia to the room. "What's this thing on the ground?" Biying asked in surprise. "Keep it a secret for now, just remember not to get too excited when I figure it out!" Deng Zixuan said with a smile.

  "Uncle is at it again, making a fuss over some new trick. Miss, we're exhausted!" Danxia pouted. "Husband! What are you up to?" Wanyu was perplexed. "I told you it's a secret, and when the time comes, I'll give you a big surprise! Wanyu, doesn't our house have rose incense?" "What do you want the incense for?" "Don't ask if we have any or not!" Wanyu smiled: "Rose Manor may not have anything else, but who would believe it if we didn't have incense? Every year, the servants make a large quantity of incense to repel mosquitoes. Danxia, go get the incense."

  "Also, I need flour and sugar!" Deng Zixuan ordered, and Wan'er let Biying go get them. Then Deng Zixuan had the house servant bring over a crucible, an alcohol lamp, measuring instruments, and scales. Before long, everything was ready. Deng Zixuan said: "Wan'er, take out your pen and record the data, Biying and Danxia listen to my instructions!" First, Deng Zixuan weighed out a certain amount of sodium carbonate that he had bought back and had Wan'er write it down, then put the sodium carbonate in the crucible and added a certain proportion of water. He heated it until the sodium carbonate dissolved.

  After the pure alkali melted, it was poured into a small basin. Then, vegetable oil was added to the beaker and heated. Next, Deng Zixuan asked Biying to find a piece of white cloth. After the vegetable oil boiled, it was filtered with the white cloth repeatedly for two times, making the vegetable oil bright white. The next step was simple: flour, sugar, vegetable oil, and rose fragrance were added into the pure alkali in proportion and stirred into a porridge-like consistency. Finally, Deng Zixuan shaped the mixture into an oval shape by hand and placed it on a wine lamp to dry.

  Wan'er, Biying, and Danxia were spinning around in circles, finally staring at the wine lamp with wide eyes. As the drying process progressed, a fragrant aroma wafted up. "Brother-in-law, are you making pastries?" "My saliva is about to flow out!" Biying and Danxia chimed in. "If you eat this thing, it'll burn a big hole in your stomach!" Deng Zixuan threatened. Biying and Danxia were startled by his words. About an hour later, something white, oily, shiny, and fragrant appeared before their eyes.

  Deng Zixuan asked Danxia to fetch a basin of water, and after the water was brought over, Deng Zixuan began washing his hands with soap. "Husband, I understand! You're making fragrant soap!" Yuanyu exclaimed. "That's right! It's fragrant soap, and I'm officially naming it Rose Soap. Yuanyu, you try it!" Afterwards, Yuanyu and the maidservant made a big fuss, washing their faces three times in one breath with the soap, and were overjoyed to the point of being beside themselves. Seeing the three women making such a commotion, Deng Zixuan felt even more accomplished.

  "What are your orders, sir?" Zhang the steward stood before him with utmost respect. "Clean out the warehouse on the east side, then find masons and carpenters to work according to this blueprint." Deng Zi Xuan pointed at the blueprint and explained in detail where to build a stove platform for large pots, where to make wooden frames, etc. Finally, he said: "Also, procure the things I need. And recruit all the female tenants from the estate to work, tell them they'll get paid every month." Although Zhang the steward was confused, he had to carry out his master's orders.

  A few days later, the soap workshop was completed. "Wan'er, making soap is not difficult, from now on this soap workshop will be handed over to you, I'll come to assist you." Deng Zixuan said with a smile. "Husband, I've never done it before, afraid of messing up!" Wan'er felt a bit nervous and excited at the same time. "No one is good at it from the start, everything is difficult at the beginning, just follow the method I taught you and do it boldly! Ask me anytime if you don't understand!" Wan'er nodded.

  The lady was a bit shy on her first day of taking office, looking at the group of women in front of her seemed particularly tense. Deng Zixuan stood aside and nodded encouragingly, and Yuanyu took a deep breath: "Ladies, we are all women, but women also have a pair of hardworking hands. Today, this workshop is up to us, we want to let men see that women can also earn money to support their families." "Listen to the young lady's orders!" The women became excited. Deng Zixuan saw Yuanyu play her role very well and left with peace of mind.

  10 days later, the first batch of soap was made. Yuanner's heart is very delicate, from a woman's perspective, she made the soap into different shapes through wooden molds, and rose soap was born. On this day, Gao Fu and his wife came to watch specifically, "Haha! My daughter actually has such skills, it seems that my ancestors' tombs are emitting auspicious smoke!" "If I may say so, it's all thanks to the young master, just look at how happy Yuanner is now!" "You're right, we've got a golden son-in-law, and I can rest assured to hand over the estate to him..."

  In front of the gate of Dengzi Xuan's mansion in Shanghai, Sheng Huai Xuan and his wife stood at the door to welcome him. They saw two carriages stopped in front of the gate, and Dengzi Xuan personally helped Wen Er down from the carriage. This move made Sheng Huai Xuan and his two wives envious. "Brother, you didn't stay at home for a few more days, why did you come back so soon?" Dengzi Xuan smiled. "Younger brother, you boasted that you would give me a big surprise within half a month, do you think I could stay at home? I took it seriously, not as a joke!"

  "Brother, when have you ever joked around!" Then Sheng Huai Xuan introduced his wife. The ladies met and were especially affectionate and warm, the atmosphere was joyful and harmonious. Deng Zi Xuan ordered the boxes from the carriage to be brought directly into the living room. As Sheng Huai Xuan looked on in confusion, Deng Zi Xuan's figure entered the courtyard. Upon entering the living room, a servant opened one of the boxes, releasing a faint fragrance that touched their hearts.

  Wan'er took out a piece of soap and said, "Two sisters-in-law, this is the scented soap that my husband and I made. We'd like to give it to you as a small token of our appreciation!" Mrs. Sheng Huaixuan and the concubine took it in their hands, examined it carefully, and then put it under their noses to smell. Without saying a word, Mrs. Sheng wanted to try it out, and soon the ladies and the maidservants chattered away as they left. Sheng Huaxuan picked up a piece of scented soap and examined it, saying, "Younger brother, is this the surprise you were talking about?"

  "Brother! This is rose soap, it's smooth to use and has strong cleaning power. Long-term use also has beauty benefits. This is a high-end soap that can't be compared to ordinary soap. If this soap were to be presented to the Forbidden City and gain their approval, brother should know its secrets!" Shen Huai Xuan's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Deng Zi Xuan continued: "Currently, my rose garden soap workshop has started production. Brother promised that all the profit from the produced soap will be sold to you at a low price. The external sales pricing will be decided by brother, this is the surprise I'm giving to brother."

  The female family members returned, and the scene suddenly became lively. Mrs. Sheng and the concubine couldn't stop praising Xiang's daughter-in-law, excitedly gesturing wildly. "Younger brother, I know your intentions, but as an older brother, I don't know what to say is good!" "From now on, younger brother's matters are my matters!" Interests tied two unrelated people closely together.

  This was for his own benefit, Sheng Huai Xuan was eager to take action. He clearly knew that his younger brother had almost given the soap factory to him, and he wouldn't make a mistake about this point. Such benefits couldn't be enjoyed alone, so on the second day, Sheng Huai Xuan took more than ten boxes of soap to Tianjin. Before leaving, Sheng Huai Xuan asked him to take care of the construction of the factory building. Deng Zi Xuan was secretly delighted, and he could reorganize the layout of the machine factory, which would bring many benefits in secret after this.

  After a while, Sheng Huai Xuan arrived in Tianjin. The Governor of Zhili Province, Li Hongzhang, personally welcomed him at the gate: "Huai Xuan! Have you brought me good news again? Don't answer me in a hurry, I'll tell you two pieces of good news first. Firstly, the Empress Dowager is very satisfied with the special supply of matches and requires long-term supply. Secondly, regarding the establishment of the Qing Dynasty Machinery Factory, the Empress Dowager has given you special praise and awarded you a fourth-rank official hat with a peacock feather." "Thank you for the Empress Dowager's favor, thank you for your kindness, sir!" Sheng Huai Xuan bowed slightly.

  Li Hongzhang's face lit up with joy, saying: "Zuo Zongtang has Hu Xueyan, and I have a talented person, heaven is helping me too! Brother Huaixuan, please sit down!" But Huaixuan did not sit down, saying: "Sir, Hu Xueyan sent some rare treasures to the palace, I think you can't bear to be outdone, bring them up here!" Then, a box was brought up by the servants, and as soon as it was opened, the whole room was filled with fragrance.

  Sheng Huai Xuan picked up a piece of soap and said, "This is the rose soap produced by my family workshop. Not only does it have a captivating fragrance, but it also has beauty-enhancing effects. Currently, there is no such soap in the Qing Dynasty, please try it, sir!" Li Hongzhang took the soap to the water basin and began washing his hands. A little later, Li Hongzhang gazed at the soap and shouted, "Please come over, ladies and young misses..."

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