Chapter 383: Women Love It Like Mad
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Bai Wutong and Cui Lingyi walked to the market’s trading area. Everyone were setting up their stalls.
Most people were selling the local produce they had farmed in their free time. There were duck eggs, seaweed, seafood, hunted prey, wild fruits, wild vegetables, chives and cabbages planted by their families, handicrafts, and so on.
The local produce was rich. Bai Wutong’s horizons were broadened at the market when she discovered many strange wild fruits.
There were more than a dozen types of fruits she had never seen before. Bai Wutong even accidentally discovered lemons.
The lemon was placed in the corner. It looked golden and quite appetizing, but no one patronized the store.
As the lemons were too sour, when everyone first discovered the lemons and smelled the fragrance, they thought that the taste was definitely not bad.
In the end, when they took a bite, everyone’s teeth almost fell out because of the sourness.
Even though the entire lemon tree was filled with fruits, everyone could not be bothered to pick them after tasting them.
The villagers of Youjia village had seen Bai Wutong use green oranges to brew tea. Since others did not pick them, they picked a large pile of the fruit and cut them into lemon slices.
They poured hot water over the lemon slices, added honey and white sugar, and added some mint. It actually tasted nicer than Bai Wutong’s green orange tea.
Everyone was full of confidence as they brought their items to the market to sell.
Unfortunately, lemon water was delicious, but it would be too expensive with honey and sugar.
Drinking the lemon water only had a refreshing taste, so it was better to drink a cup of tea.
Everyone had so many lemons. Apart from people from wealthy families, almost no one patronized the store.
How refreshing it would be to be able to drink a gla.s.s of cold lemonade in the summer!
Moreover, with a large number of lemons, it could replace the lime as the ingredient for the special Phoenix Tail Wine and produce a large amount of Phoenix Tail Wine.
In addition, lemons had many uses. Not only could they be used as an ingredient to develop perfume, skincare, incense and candle spray, but they could also be made into edible lemon essence and processed into various lemon-flavored candy snacks and drinks.
In daily life, lemon could be used to remove stench and make lemon chicken feet. In modern times, it was an extremely popular gourmet dish.
Zhao Lanzhi, who was searching for spices in the market, also saw the lemons.
She picked up the lemon and sniffed it. She was immediately attracted by its unique fragrance.
It smelled so good. She would definitely be able to make a fragrant flower dew.
Zhao Lanzhi smiled brightly and asked, “Auntie, what effect does this fruit have?”
Not everyone was a local, so there were frequent incidents of people being poisoned after accidentally eating local food. Bai Wutong set a rule that if they sold food that they had never seen before in the market, they had to be tested by the doctors before they could sell it.
Naturally, everyone also learned about the effect of lemons.
The villager chuckled and said, “The doctor said that it can promote digestion, relieve heat, improve skin texture, has a rich fragrance and can prevent aging!” “If I tell others this, they’ll think I’m exaggerating!”
Lemons actually had so many benefits. While Zhao Lanzhi was happy, she immediately said, “Then Auntie, help me pack a few of them!”
She knew that stretch marks often appeared on a pregnant woman’s stomach and was about to research a skincare solution that could prevent stretch marks for Bai Wutong to use.
“Lanzhi!”
Zhao Lanzhi turned around and saw Bai Wutong and Cui Lingyi. She immediately bowed. “Greetings, Great Empress and Teacher.”
“No need for formalities.”
Zhao Lanzhi stood up, took out two porcelain bottles, and handed them to Bai Wutong and Cui Lingyi. She said happily, “Great Empress, this is the powder I specially developed.”
Bai Wutong and Cui Lingyi opened the exquisite porcelain jar, dipped a little and smeared it on their hands.
It was delicate and breathable, and the color had a natural glow.
Bai Wutong was a little surprised. This was very close to modern-day foundation. “This isn’t powder made of rice noodles, right?”
Cui Lingyi also said curiously, “This is the first time I’ve seen such a delicate powder.”
She was the one who taught Zhao Lanzhi how to make makeup and flower dew. Now, she had far surpa.s.sed Cui Lingyi. Other than the texture of the powder and the elegant fragrance, it was not inferior to a flower dew at all.
Zhao Lanzhi took out a gray rock from her bag and said excitedly, “When local men look for a partner, they will apply a red decoration on their faces. I realized that they used this rock as the raw material, so I ground this rock into fine powder and made it into powder to try. I didn’t expect the effect to be especially good!”
“Not only is the makeup lasting, but the coverage is also very effective!”
Bai Wutong took the rock and looked at it. It was indeed the raw material for modern-day cosmetics—talc.u.m.
Talc.u.m was one of the softest stones in the world. It was soft and delicate and could develop all kinds of makeup.
Bai Wutong praised, “The texture of this powder is very good. It’s very delicate, and the color suits me very well. Thank you.”
Cui Lingyi smiled and said, “The student surpa.s.ses the master. I like it very much too. I’ll use it tomorrow.”
After being praised by Bai Wutong and Cui Lingyi, Zhao Lanzhi’s eyes flickered. “I’ll make this powder into a convenient makeup box when I get back!”
Bai Wutong smiled and said, “If it’s being sold, it should be very popular. You can go to Qin Xiao’s design studio and ask him to help you design it.”
Qin Xiao’s products would definitely be top-notch!
Zhao Lanzhi was a little embarra.s.sed. “Will it be very troublesome for Young Master Qin?”
Bai Wutong shook her head. “Even if Qin Xiao doesn’t have time, there are still others in the studio. The rouge and cosmetics you make are all very good. You can consider creating a makeup workshop. There will be frequent opportunities to cooperate in the future.”
“A makeup workshop?”
Zhao Lanzhi asked timidly, “Can I do it?”
She was not knowledgeable and her arithmetic was average. She did not dare to imagine that she could open a workshop. Moreover, opening a workshop required money and manpower. It was impossible for the rouge powder she developed to win a patent award.
Bai Wutong smiled and said, “Of course you can. Auntie Yang can even be the director of the food factory. You’re young and studious. If there’s anything you don’t understand, feel free to consult the officials of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.”
Zhao Lanzhi said frankly, “Even if I can do it, I don’t have the money. Moreover, opening a workshop will affect my time studying cosmetics. Let’s forget it!”
In modern times, cosmetics were already an indispensable part of the global industry.
The women loved it like crazy. They would lay their hands on cosmetics even if they cut off their hands every day. The men could only hit against the wall hard, as tears flowed from their wallets.
The cost of cosmetics was low, and the profits were huge. Moreover, women’s money was the easiest to earn. If it was done well, the annual tax would also be a huge revenue.
Bai Wutong smiled and said, “I’ve said it before. Any product that is commercial and can bring value to the economy can receive a patent award.”
“If you find it troublesome to open a workshop, you can hand it over to the Imperial Court and receive your regular dividends.”
“But I feel that the cosmetics you make has a bright future. Not only will it be popular with our commoners, but also in Ling Kingdom and even overseas.”
“If you want to keep the product in your hands and update and improve it at any time, you can find a few partners if you don’t have enough funds. Firstly, there will be someone to help you manage the workshop. Secondly, you will have the rights in the workshop while continuing your research..”