Wei Lian finished washing the breakfast bowls when a faint floral fragrance brushed past her. She paused, turning toward the kitchen corner where the three clay pots sat, cooling since last night. The sunlight filtering through the window lit them perfectly.
The surface of each pot had hardened—
smooth, jelly turned firm, jelly turned soap.
Her heart skipped slightly.
"Already ready?"
She wiped her hands on her apron and walked toward the pots.
The colors were beautiful:
🌸 Rose soap — soft pink
💜 Lavender soap — pale purple
❤️ Hibiscus soap — deep ruby red
Exactly as she had dreamed of in the modern world.
Slowly, she lifted the clay lids and touched the surface—
solid, firm, perfect.
She took a knife and carefully cut each block into neat squares:
30 rose pieces
30 lavender pieces
30 hibiscus pieces
90 soaps total.
Enough to buy grain for a month.
Enough to start a business.
At the bottom of each pot were two small extra pieces.
Six in total.
She placed them aside.
"For us."
One hibiscus for washing hair.
One rose for face.
One lavender for body.
Her daughters would get the same.
She placed three pieces into the cupboard and took the remaining three for use now.
She carried the soaps and a pot of warm water outside near the well.
---
✨ Bath Time With Fresh Soap
Her daughters looked up curiously from where they sat playing with chicks.
"Mama washing?"
"Mama bath?"
"We wash too!"
Wei Lian nodded.
She first dipped the hibiscus soap into the water.
The red foam blossomed instantly like liquid petals.
She gently washed Xinyu's long hair—
the foam turning into silky suds, the scent of hibiscus drifting sweetly.
Xinyu closed her eyes in bliss.
"Mama… soft…"
Then she washed Qingmei's hair.
Then Xiaotang's.
Each girl's hair turned smoother under her fingers, slippery and soft like silk.
Next—rose soap for their faces.
She lathered the pink soap in her hands and rubbed gently on each cheek.
The girls giggled.
"It tickle!"
"Mama pink!"
"Face smell flower!"
Their skin truly brightened—more even, more soft.
Finally—lavender soap for their bodies.
The scent was calming, warm, soothing.
Perfect for children.
After rinsing them, she wrapped each girl in a clean cloth and dried their hair with gentle strokes.
The difference shocked her—
Their hair shined.
Their skin glowed.
Their scent was like flowers.
Soap would sell unbelievably well.
---
✨ Wei Lian's Own Bath
She heated another pot of water, then washed herself.
First hibiscus—
Her hair loosened instantly, turning soft and slippery.
Then rose—
Her face felt clean, soft, not dry at all.
Then lavender—
Her skin felt refreshed, warm, balanced.
She touched her face.
Smooth.
Not oily.
Not dry.
Perfect.
Modern-quality skin in an ancient world.
She couldn't help smiling proudly.
When she finished drying, her hair fell in soft waves down her back.
Healthier than before.
Shiny in the sunlight.
Her daughters stared at her with wide eyes.
"Mama pretty…"
"So pretty…"
"Mama princess…"
She laughed softly and kissed each forehead.
---
✨ Learning Time
She brought out the papers, charcoal pencils, and storybook.
"Alright, write what you remember from our past life. Anything."
The girls sat cross-legged at the table:
Xinyu wrote carefully, remembering alphabets.
Qingmei scribbled uneven lines but tried hard.
Xiaotang drew, then wrote her name proudly in crooked letters.
Wei Lian guided them patiently.
"Good. Again. Slowly. Don't rush."
Their childish souls found learning fun, scribbling happily.
While they worked, Wei Lian turned to the clay soil she had collected.
---
✨ Preparing Soil for Pottery
She poured both the red soil and white soil into a large basket.
Then she placed a strainer over a basin.
With careful movements, she sifted the soil—
removing stones, grass roots, insects, anything impure.
Fine, powder-like soil fell into the basin.
After straining, she poured water over it and let it soak.
The soil absorbed water greedily, swelling slowly.
It needed at least an hour.
So she returned to her daughters.
---
✨ Teaching New Words
She wrote simple characters onto a scrap paper:
Sun
Moon
Water
Flower
Bird
The girls repeated after her, copying the shapes.
Xinyu was the fastest.
Qingmei tried hard and frowned.
Xiaotang asked a million questions but wrote the most neatly.
After an hour, their attention drifted and they ran back to play with the chicks.
Wei Lian didn't mind.
Learning slowly was fine.
They were only three.
---
✨ Clay is Ready
She returned to the basin.
The soil had softened.
Perfect consistency.
She drained the water, letting the soil drip and dry.
Then came the testing part—
She grabbed a handful, squeezed.
It stayed together.
Not too wet, not too dry.
"Perfect."
Her heart excited, she prepared her work space.
---
✨ Molding Pottery
She placed a round flat stone on the ground—
it would serve as her spinning base.
Then she began shaping:
âś” 10 Jars
Small jars for:
• salt
• sugar
• chili sauce
• soy sauce
• spices
• herbs
• oils
• vinegar
• pickles
• dried vegetables
She molded their bodies slowly, smoothing the clay.
âś” 4 Cooking Pots
Deep and round, with thick sturdy bottoms.
âś” 1 Sauce Pan
Shallow, wide, perfect for sautéing.
âś” 8 Plates
Circular, smooth, slightly curved edges.
âś” 8 Bowls
Small, elegant, perfect for soup or rice.
âś” 10 Small Cups
Light, beautiful, easy to grip.
Slow, steady, skilled.
Her hands remembered everything from her modern soap-and-pottery life.
Clay formed beautifully under her fingers.
---
✨ Making the Five-Hole Clay Burner
She looked at the pile of remaining soil and knew exactly what to do.
A new burner was needed—
the old one was broken.
She shaped the base first, wide and strong.
Then she built five round moulds on top.
A five-hole design, inspired by the model like in the image.
Two holes in the front for large pots.
Two smaller ones on the side.
One in the center top.
One stove could cook multiple dishes at once.
She carved an arched opening for firewood.
Smoothed the inside.
Added vents so heat traveled evenly.
Bit by bit, the clay stove took shape.
Strong.
Beautiful.
Efficient.
It would dry by night and be usable tomorrow.
She carefully placed everything—
bowls, plates, jars, pots, stove—
under the bright sun to dry.
---
✨ Afternoon Sun, Sleeping Children
Finally, she washed her hands and looked around.
Her daughters were lying on the warm ground, curled around the chicks, asleep.
All three of them.
Qingmei snored softly.
Xiaotang hugged a chick like a plush toy.
Xinyu had charcoal pencil marks on her cheek.
Wei Lian smiled.
She hadn't realized how much time had passed.
The sun was now high—
it was nearly lunchtime.
She clapped softly.
"Wake up, my dears."
The girls blinked sleepily.
"Mama lunch?"
"Mama pancake?"
"Hungry…"
Since the burner was drying and couldn't be used, she decided on a simple meal.
---
✨ Lunch — Golden Pancakes
She mixed flour with chopped vegetables and a bit of chicken.
Added salt and a dash of chili.
The dough sizzled on the small temporary pan she used.
Golden pancakes cooked quickly, fragrant and crisp.
Her daughters sat eagerly.
"Mama hurry!"
"Pancake!"
"Eat now!"
She served them warm pancakes and they devoured them, crumbs falling everywhere.
Wei Lian ate slowly, watching them with a soft heart.
A peaceful lunch.
A peaceful day.
Outside, the sun shined on drying pottery.
Inside, chicks hopped around the room.
Her daughters giggled with flour on their cheeks.
A home full of life.
A future full of possibilities.
Everything she built today…
was the beginning of something bigger.