My Princess Holds Superpowers

Chapter 79: Do whatever 79 tells you to do.

When Ye Jiu announced that they could finally stop stoking the fire, five bowls were neatly arranged on the stove, each brimming with contents.

Although the bowls contained the same liquid in different proportions and formulations, it was still uncertain whether they would successfully saponify. The real test would be after the liquid solidified.

For now, all they could do was to honestly go back to sleep and wait to assess the results tomorrow.

“Gaosheng, go grab a stool and place it outside the main house’s window. We’ll carry the bowls outside. The colder weather should help them solidify faster,” Ye Jiu instructed.

“Okay.” After being busy for most of the night, Gaosheng didn’t mind doing this extra step and obediently followed Ye Jiu’s instructions.

By the time Ye Jiu finally lay down on the kang bed, his arms felt like they no longer belonged to him.

Although the work wasn’t heavy, it had been incessant, especially straining on his arms, leaving them sore and heavy.

Lying on the kang, Ye Jiu soon fell into a deep sleep.

At dawn, he skipped breakfast and slept straight through to the middle of the day before getting up.

But one couldn’t really blame him for being lazy; he had simply gone to bed too late the night before.

As soon as Ye Jiu got up, he hurried to the window to check on the outcome of the previous night’s work. The soap liquid in all five bowls had solidified.

Gaosheng had participated in making the soap the previous night, so as soon as he saw Ye Jiu peering at the bowls, he crowded in, “Jiujiu, how is it? Did the thing you wanted to make turn out successful?”

All of the soap in the bowls had turned a milky white, even whiter than solidified lard, but the saponified lard solid had none of the greasy appearance.

Ye Jiu reached out and gently touched it. Although the soap liquid had solidified, it was still somewhat soft. He estimated that it would need another couple of days to dry out completely before it took shape.

The five bowls of soap each had different amounts of ingredients. While they all appeared successful at first glance, upon closer inspection, there was one that seemed best, both in terms of color and appearance.

Ye Jiu made a mental note of the recipe for that particular bowl of soap, planning to use this specific formulation for future soap-making.

Ye Jiu scooped out a little bit of soap from the bowl and divided it in half, giving some to Gaosheng, “Gaosheng, wash your hands with this and see how it feels.”

In the kitchen, water was being heated for mixing pig feed. Gaosheng took some with his other hand, poured it into a wooden tub at the door, mixed it with cold water to even out the temperature, and then followed Ye Jiu’s example to wash his hands.

Soap lathered more easily with warm water, and after washing, his hands were squeaky clean and felt refreshing. Gaosheng became excited, “Jiujiu, this stuff is really good! You’re so clever, turning lard into something for washing hands.”

“Indeed.” Though it was no grand achievement, Ye Jiu still felt proud when praised.

Gaosheng remembered how Ye Jiu had sold some medicine for a hundred taels of silver and marveled at how clever and capable his little sister was, no wonder their mother treasured her so much every day.

“Jiujiu, with the world outside so icy and snow-covered, you shouldn’t go out. In a bit, Gaosheng will take this stuff and it will surely sell in town,” Gaosheng said eagerly.

“No rush,” Ye Jiu looked at Gaosheng. “This soap is still a bit soft. It needs to be left here to air-dry for a couple more days until it hardens, and besides, this is just a preliminary experiment. The product has no shape; if we take it out like this, wouldn’t we be devaluing it?”

“So what do you suggest we do? I’ll do whatever you say, Jiujiu. From now on, just tell Gaosheng what to do and I’ll do it,” Ye Gaosheng was now completely and blindly admiring Ye Jiu.