Jiang Ergou’s heart was slightly shaken.
He had heard of “soap” before. He only knew it was something used by wealthy families, yet this aunt was actually making it right in front of him, completely unguarded.
And from what he had just seen, the process was surprisingly simple. Even his grandmother, despite her poor eyesight, could probably manage it by feel.
More importantly, the wage she offered was high. If he could earn twenty copper coins a day, their lives would improve significantly. Maybe in the future, he could even save enough to treat his grandmother’s eyes.
He was tempted—but also worried that her requirements might be too strict. If he failed, it might end up dragging his grandmother into trouble as well.
So he asked directly, “Auntie, how many pieces of soap do you need per day?”
Hua Wanxi pointed at five wooden buckets in the corner—already filled from three entire storage boxes of soap scraps.
“About these five buckets a day. Sometimes a little more, sometimes less. Once you finish, you can rest. If you can’t finish in one day, you can continue the next. The daily pay of twenty copper coins will still be given in full.”
“Alright! I’ll do it!”
Compared to working in the fields or climbing mountains to gather firewood, this was practically effortless.
“Good. You can teach your grandmother how to do it. If anything is unclear, ask me. But I have one condition—you cannot tell anyone about this, and no outsider is allowed to see you making it. This is my secret recipe. Can you do that?”
Hua Wanxi looked him straight in the eyes, her tone firm and unquestionable.
“Don’t worry, Auntie. We absolutely won’t tell anyone, and we won’t let anyone see it!”
Jiang Ergou usually kept to himself, and his grandmother rarely left the house. As long as the door was closed, no one would think about them at all.
Hua Wanxi smiled faintly. “Good. Take these buckets and tools back with you. I’ll pay you when you return them tomorrow with the finished work.”
Jiang Ergou carried everything home in three trips, deliberately avoiding people along the way so no one saw him.
Hua Wanxi nodded inwardly. Careful and cautious—good.
Once the door closed, she let out a breath of relief. Finally, she had help.
From now on, she wouldn’t have to work herself to exhaustion anymore. She only needed to scrape about forty pieces of soap a day.
Her hands were now fast and efficient. No need for finesse—she simply cut directly with a knife. In half an hour, she could finish everything.
In the afternoon, she continued cooking. Thinking that the journey during the escape from famine would likely be hot with little appetite for meat, she prepared several cold dishes.
She blanched vegetables, drained them, added minced ginger, garlic, scallions, salt, then poured hot oil over them. Finally, she mixed in vinegar and sesame oil. The aroma was intense—refreshing and appetizing even in summer.
The next day at noon, after lunch, Jiang Ergou came to deliver the goods.
The five buckets were neatly filled with finished soap, already dried. He must have worked late into the night.
Hua Wanxi nodded in satisfaction. “Well done.”
She handed him twenty copper coins and asked, “How is your grandmother? Is she adapting well?”
At this, Jiang Ergou looked a little happy.
After he brought the buckets home last night, he told his grandmother he had found work—good pay and no need to go out. She had been very happy.
And when she learned she could also help, she became even happier.
She had lived alone in darkness for many years, speaking only occasionally with her grandson. Deep inside, she felt lonely and useless, often in low spirits. If it weren’t for her grandson still being young, she might have already wanted to follow her husband.
Now, however, she could earn money too, and her grandson stayed by her side. She felt she still had value—life suddenly felt more bearable.
“Thank you, Auntie! She can do it! In fact, she’s even better than me!” Jiang Ergou said with a rare smile.
Although her eyesight was poor, his grandmother was extremely quick with her hands. She didn’t even need to see—just feeling around, pressing and shaping, and a piece of soap was done in no time. It even looked like she had become younger.
Seeing him smile, Hua Wanxi also felt relieved. At least he looked more like a child now.
“Good. Same amount today—five buckets. Take them back.”
“Yes, Auntie!”
With help, the soap production stabilized. As New Year approached, Jiang Ergou and his family helped her earn over a hundred taels of silver per day, and the money she had spent earlier began to fill back up again.
On the eve of New Year, after Jiang Ergou delivered the goods, Hua Wanxi did not give him more scraps. Instead, she gave him a day off.
She handed him a bag of candies, a bag of pastries, and a bar of soap.
“Tomorrow is New Year’s. Take a day off and celebrate properly. This is your New Year gift.”
Jiang Ergou, now much more cheerful than before, tried to refuse.
“Auntie, I can’t take this! You already pay me so much every day!”
Without hesitation, Hua Wanxi pressed it into his hands.
“You must take it. This is a New Year gift from your boss. If you refuse, does that mean you don’t acknowledge me as your boss?”
“I do! I do! I’ll take it!” he quickly said, frightened of her stern tone. Then he grinned and ran off.
Hua Wanxi shook her head with a smile. “So easy to scare.”
She also gave herself a day off.
She cleaned the house thoroughly. The place was old and shabby, so there wasn’t much to decorate. She washed the bedding, cleaned inside and outside, and even cleaned the ox shed. After feeding the ox, there was little else to do.
She placed some candies in a plate on the table for decoration.
The two babies lay on the bed babbling, touching each other’s hands and laughing.
She shook a rattle to amuse them. Their eyes followed the sound and movement closely, even trying to grab it.
“Da Bao!”
“Ah!”
“Xiao Bao!”
“Ah! Ah!”
Sometimes both responded to the wrong name, sometimes both answered at once.
They were already two months old—it was time to give them names.