Yaelle carefully observed the matchmaker. From the moment they met, he had behaved properly. He simply sat there, listing the man's strengths and dowry, and his gaze stayed respectful and calm.
He seemed like a trustworthy matchmaker, so she wanted him to keep an eye out for someone suitable for her brother. People in this profession usually had more resources. Matchmaker Xu had a good impression of Yaelle.
In the past, whenever he visited noble homes to propose matches, no noblewoman had ever treated him so politely. Some looked down on him, others nitpicked the men he mentioned. Even those who were satisfied usually only cared about the dowry and acted like marrying them was a favor.
Generally, if a good man proposed with a rich dowry, most noblewomen wouldn't refuse unless they truly disliked him. Otherwise, they'd agree just for the money. Having another husband meant more people to serve her.
The entire dowry belonged to the wife, and if she didn't like the man, she could simply ignore him. She didn't even need to bear his children. The man couldn't force her either.
So for Yaelle to show such respect to a main husband before marriage was rare and admirable. "This young man is actually quite good. His character is decent and his family background is excellent."
"If he can't be the main husband, he could at least be a secondary one. The dowry is generous. Would you like to reconsider?"
Matchmaker Xu felt it was a pity. This young man was indeed outstanding. He was good-looking, wealthy, and said to have fallen for Yaelle's talent and character.
"No need to reconsider. I'll still be in mourning until September, and I need to prepare the wedding for my main husband first." She paused. "It'll be at least half a year before I can think about a secondary husband. I really shouldn't delay that young man any further."
She had heard he was already eighteen. She couldn't risk making him wait too long. "Alright then. I'll pass on your decision."
"As for your brother's matter, I'll look into it carefully and get back to you later." "Sounds good. Thank you, Matchmaker Xu."
"It's not urgent. We still have a few months. My brother's dowry is generous too—two restaurants, two grain shops, and two estates."
"The silver prepared as dowry won't be lacking either. If things work out, I'll make sure to give you a big red envelope." Matchmaker Xu agreed with a cheerful smile.
The two exchanged compliments and then said their goodbyes. After seeing him off, Yaelle went to Michael's courtyard. When he finished his work, they sat down to eat together.
"Why are you eating in my courtyard today? Usually, I go looking for you. What's going on? Got something to say?" Michael saw through her little thoughts at a glance.
"There is something. A matchmaker came by today to talk about a proposal." Yaelle lowered her head slightly.
"I'm already engaged, so I turned it down. But the matchmaker seemed reliable, not the kind who sweet-talks both sides and takes advantage. So I asked him to help find you a good wife."
As she spoke, she fiddled with her fingers and looked a little guilty. She hadn't asked Michael for his opinion first. Would he be angry?
"Hey, you've got some nerve. Now you feel guilty, huh?" Michael raised an eyebrow. "Why didn't you ask me before doing this?"
"I forgot. Besides, I just asked him to look around, not make any decisions. You still have to give the final word."
"I just thought you're not getting any younger. You're always busy and barely have time. How could you ever find me a sister-in-law like that?"
"You already said it, so let's leave it at that. I'll need to see the person first before deciding. Next time, ask me before doing anything."
"Got it. You're the best, Michael." Yaelle said with a playful grin.
The two of them finished dinner together and then went back to their own rooms to rest.
The next day, the shop assistant Assistant Liam rushed over to the residence. Seeing that he was sweating all over, Yaelle poured him a glass of water and told him to speak slowly. It turned out that the soap had become a huge hit after a few days of promotion and trial runs, and sales were going really well.
The entire stock was sold out yesterday, and there were still many customers asking for it today. The shopkeeper asked me to come check if there was any stock left and bring some back to help out.
Yaelle took him to the back room to check and found that over the past six or seven days, more than five thousand bars had finished solidifying. She immediately arranged for people to unmold and cut them, and by the time everything was done, it was already lunchtime.
As for Assistant Liam, once two hundred bars were unmolded, she let him take those back to the store first.
After lunch, Yaelle asked Attendant Sam to load the unmolded soaps onto the carriage and deliver them to the store. She also told the two people making soap to check every day which ones had solidified and unmold and cut them in time.
The next morning, Assistant Liam rushed over again. A boss from the capital had come to inspect the local shops, and after seeing it at a relative's place and finding it great, he asked the price. When he found out it was only five coins, he immediately sensed a business opportunity.
He directly bought two thousand bars without even haggling, paying full price. He also said that if sales go well, he would buy long-term. His shops are everywhere, and as long as the product is good, there's no worry about sales.
He even asked if the recipe was for sale, saying the price was negotiable.
"Go back and tell that boss that we can't supply in large quantities right now. Because raw materials are limited, we're only producing about eight hundred bars a day. Bulk supply will have to wait until we secure more materials, which can be discussed later.
But the recipe is passed down in the family, from women only, not to men, and it's not for sale."
Selling it was out of the question. She hadn't told anyone, so probably no one else could figure it out anyway.
Who would think that greasy lard could make something with such strong cleaning power?
She'd heard that soap was invented when a foreign chef accidentally knocked over a pot of grease into some plant ash. They tossed the greasy ash outside the kitchen, and when they went back to wash their hands, they found them especially clean. When King Ulysses heard about it, he had the chef make greasy ash cakes for the guests to use.
That story gave Yaelle some inspiration. She'd only been making it for fun before, to pass the time and sell a little in her own shop. Now she was thinking maybe she could open a workshop and do wholesale. Producing in batches would be faster and easier than selling little by little in the shop, and it would make more money.
This could work, but the issue of oil was a big one. She had to think of another solution. So she called Attendant Sam and Attendant Sean and brought most of the house guards. Yaelle changed into practical clothes and planned to explore the nearby mountain.
The carriage traveled for over an hour before reaching the foot of the mountain. Since it couldn't go up, they had to stop it and go on foot. Two guards led the way, Attendant Sam and Attendant Sean stayed close to Yaelle in the middle, and the others followed behind.
As she walked, she studied the surrounding plants. The temperature at the end of May was very comfortable, and the scenery was beautiful. Even the air seemed fresher. It truly felt like a natural oxygen bar.
Not long into the walk, following a familiar scent, Yaelle found a lush patch of honeysuckle. She was thrilled. Honeysuckle could be used in medicine and also brewed into tea with honey or rock sugar, which noblewomen would surely love.
She immediately asked the others to help pick it. Luckily, she had come prepared, hoping to find some treasures in the mountains that ancient people hadn't discovered. She'd told Attendant Sam to bring several burlap sacks.