Chapter Seven: Lard Soap
In the days that followed, Su Yuan spent his daylight hours chatting idly with the old man, their conversations ranging from the ends of the earth to the affairs of the martial world and the imperial court. The old man seemed to know everything about this dynasty, no matter how trivial. Whenever the topic turned to the nation, the old man’s thoughts aligned perfectly with Su Yuan’s—an egalitarian society appeared to be their ultimate hope.
Many people begin life at a point others can never reach, no matter how hard they strive. Su Yuan felt this keenly. The fate of the common folk was worth less than grass, less than dirt—the old man knew this well.
Late at night, Su Yuan would slip out while the plump woman slept, following the man in black to practice martial arts. For more than ten days, he endured horse stance drills without complaint. Su Yuan understood from a young age that a solid foundation made all learning easier.
One day, as usual, Su Yuan brought several books home from the old man’s place. Perhaps due to his nightly training, he would soak in the wooden tub in the courtyard whenever he returned, scrubbing his body clean. Habitually, he reached out for the soap—but his hand grasped nothing.
Realizing what was missing, Su Yuan leapt out of the tub in excitement. “I’m going to strike it rich!” he cried, “I’m going to strike it rich!” Not bothering to finish his bath, he threw on some clothes and grabbed some lime with a shovel before heading into the kitchen.
He heated pig fat, mixed it with wood ash and lime. After filtering the water infused with wood ash and lime, he combined it with the pig fat, stirring constantly. When cooled and solidified, he obtained a block of pure white lard soap.
Su Yuan didn’t know the precise proportions, so he experimented until he produced a perfect bar of lard soap. He fashioned a rectangular box out of smooth wooden boards to serve as a mold, then sliced the soap into small pieces. Staring at the lard soap before him, Su Yuan felt as though he was gazing at stacks of lottery tickets, each waiting to be cashed.
With money, one can do what they wish.
When the plump woman discovered that much of her pig fat was missing, she grabbed a feather duster and chased Su Yuan, ready to strike. Su Yuan, pride shining on his face, dangled a bar of lard soap in front of her. “My little lady of fortune, get ready to count your money!”
Confronted with something she’d never seen before, the plump woman lowered her guard and tried it on her face. Looking in the bronze mirror, she saw her skin become smooth. She set the mirror down and hugged Su Yuan in delight.
Su Yuan wiped the saliva from his face and began teaching her how to make lard soap, instructing her to keep it secret. The woman was naturally greedy; even without Su Yuan’s warnings, she would never share the recipe. He also told her that adding plant powders could enhance color and fragrance, and that scenic images of the Southern Dynasty could be imprinted on the soap to create a luxury line.
“How much do you plan to sell it for?” Su Yuan probed. The woman replied obsequiously, “Forty coins, how about that?” Forty coins—that was equivalent to twenty yuan, and with current purchasing power, nearly a hundred! Su Yuan cursed the wickedness of capitalism in his heart, then gently persuaded her, “Too cheap won’t do; if you want to raise prices later, customers might be offended. Too expensive is also bad—ordinary folk can’t afford it. I suggest three coins for plain soap, five for colored, and ten for finely crafted bars with scenic prints.”
The woman had hoped to sell it for forty coins and was crestfallen at dropping to three, but had no choice but to follow Su Yuan’s advice.
The next day, Su Yuan returned from the academy to find the plump woman, freshly back from town, sitting beside a table piled high with lard soap, looking worried. Su Yuan was curious—the soap was so cheap and effective, it shouldn’t be unpopular.
The woman explained, “No one’s ever seen this before. They’re afraid to buy it, afraid to use it.”
Su Yuan realized it was simply a lack of trial. He whispered a few words in her ear; the woman looked doubtful. “Will that really work?”
Su Yuan grinned slyly. “If that doesn’t work, nothing will! Ha!”
On the third day, Su Yuan waited for the plump woman to return from town empty-handed. She was dispirited. “As you said, I spent a fortune hiring two pretty girls to try the soap in public, and ran a promotion giving out ten free bars. All my hard-earned money is gone!”
Su Yuan stroked his chin, feigning wisdom. “Everything is under control.”
On the fourth day, Su Yuan saw the plump woman sitting at the table, grinning from ear to ear as she counted piles of copper coins.