Chapter 66 Opportunity
With full of excitement, Xu Qiang ignored his physical fatigue and started making the first batch of soap.

The raw materials are similar to those used to make shampoo, but there are still some differences in the production process.

The first step was to weigh the ingredients. Xu Qiang took out the 100 kilograms of lard he had bought before from the jar, and then weighed the sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide, essence, salt and water separately. After everything was ready, he lit the stove.

"Uncle, are you going to make shampoo again?"

At this time, Erhu, Liu Jun and Da Hei Niu were all watching at the door of the house, their eyes full of curiosity.

"This time we're making soap." Xu Qiang said with a smile.

"Soap? Uncle, can you make this thing?" Hearing Xu Qiang say this, the three of them were stunned.

In their mind, high-end products like soap are produced by big factories. The fact that soap can be made in such a simple little house really broke their perception.

"Don't just stand there and watch, come and lend a hand!" Xu Qiang consoled them.

"Uh." The three of them finally reacted and came forward to help.

Because it was his first time making soap, Xu Qiang did not use a reactor directly, but still used an iron pot. Only after the process for the first batch of finished products was finalized, would Xu Qiang start using the reactor for mass production.

After the fire in the stove boiled, Xu Qiang instructed the three people to put lard into the pot first. When the solidified lard met the heat, it quickly bloomed. When they felt that the temperature was about the same, Xu Qiang asked them to move the pot to the stove next to it.

It is very difficult to control the temperature using an earthen stove because it is difficult to accurately control the size of the flame. However, Xu Qiang thought of a solution, which is to light three stove mouths on a stove, each of which is a different size, so that the temperature can be controlled to a certain extent.

"Erhu, add alkali to the pot and pour all the lard in... Liujun, stir the lard again, yes, at this speed..."

Like an alchemist with three apprentices, Xu Qiang directed them strictly according to the production process. Seeing that the alkali solution and lard began to emulsify, Xu Qiang immediately instructed the three to add flavors and pigments.

There were three people and three pots. Although it was the first time for them to do this kind of work, it went quite smoothly under Xu Qiang's command.

The last step is to pour the mixed solution into the mold.

The molds Xu Qiang used were made of wood. He had asked a carpenter in the village to make them. The carpenter had made mooncake molds for others before and had excellent carving skills. After charging Xu Qiang 15 yuan for the labor fee, he used fine camphor wood to make three sets of soap molds for Xu Qiang, including his best mooncake shape with petal patterns, as well as the heart shape that Xu Qiang requested and the dog bone mold that imitated the later Safeguard soap.

At this moment, everyone, including Xu Qiang, widened their eyes.

"This...is this enough?"

After seeing the mixed solution finally poured into the mold, Erhu asked in disbelief.

“This thing is so beautiful.”

Seeing the red, green and fragrant soap solution in the mold, Liu Jun couldn't help but admire it.

"It needs to be left for a day to air dry and solidify," said Xu Qiang.

In fact, at this point, Xu Qiang's soap is basically done. It only needs to solidify overnight before it can be used.

"Uncle, where did you learn this skill? Why didn't I realize you had such great abilities before?" Liu Jun asked curiously.

"I also saw it from a book, so reading is still very important." Xu Qiang smiled slightly, and then said: "If you have time in the future, don't just drink and play cards, you should also read books and learn some culture." "Yes, yes, uncle is right!" Erhu echoed from the side.

Erhu now admires Xu Qiang very much. Not only can he refine fertilizers, but he can also make shampoo and soap. This skill is not something that ordinary people can do.

Moreover, the peat field business is getting better and better. Not to mention the ridiculously high salaries and bonuses, the fact that there is meat for every meal is enough to make Erhu follow him wholeheartedly.

"Clean up this place. I have to go back and prepare for the night shift." Xu Qiang said, and turned to leave the workshop...

……

Time passed quickly and it was noon of the next day. Xu Qiang went straight to Wang Yongsheng's dormitory.

"Is this the new soap you were talking about?"

When Wang Yongsheng saw the several soap samples that Xu Qiang brought, his eyes immediately widened.

It was obvious that Wang Yongsheng had never seen such beautiful soap. The color was the same as the previous shampoo, very bright and moist, and the shape was also very pleasing. Whether it was a carved moon cake shape, a heart shape, or a dog bone shape, it would definitely be liked by children and women.

I picked up a piece of soap and smelled it. It felt similar to the previous shampoo, but not exactly the same. The smell of this soap seemed softer and more elegant, and not pungent at all.

With years of experience in selling various small commodities, Wang Yongsheng almost immediately realized that this soap would be a best-seller and become another hot-selling product after shampoo!

"That's right. Last time you gave me 50 yuan for travel expenses, my relative returned to Shanghai that day, and then asked someone to bring a few samples over." Xu Qiang curled his lips and continued, "Anyway, he is worthy of the travel expenses you gave him."

"Then I really have to thank this relative of yours. If he has time, I would like to invite him to dinner..."

"Forget about eating. As long as you can sell the stuff, he can make a small profit."

"That's no problem!" Wang Yongsheng patted his chest and continued, "Don't worry about me selling things. As long as the things are really good, I will sell as many as I can!"

"What if it's shampoo and soap for three thousand yuan? Would you dare to accept it?"

"Three thousand yuan!?" Wang Yongsheng was shocked when he heard the number.

"Yes, that's three thousand yuan." Xu Qiang glanced at Wang Yongsheng and continued, "My relative said that their factory currently has a limited supply of new products, and they may only try to produce the last batch. You won't be able to buy them in the future. He also wants to make more money in the end. If the quantity is too small, it won't be worth running back and forth..."

Xu Qiang was obviously instigating Wang Yongsheng to order more shampoo and soap at one time so that he could collect enough money to sell the tractor before the day after tomorrow.

The reason why the amount was set at 4200 yuan was because Xu Qiang only had more than yuan in cash, and the agreed price of the tractor was yuan, so the gap was exactly yuan.

"Three thousand yuan is a bit too much..." Wang Yongsheng hesitated.

Although Wang Yongsheng is indeed richer than the average person in the factory, he is still far from reaching the threshold of a millionaire. Moreover, with all the expenses he has spent on food and drink over the years, three thousand yuan is probably all he has.

"Great Sage, let me tell you, this opportunity may only come once. If you seize it, you will be able to make a lot of money. As the people in our village say, the bolder you are, the more productive the land will be. You should wait until you are sure to make a profit before you start any business. I guess it won't be your turn..."

(End of this chapter)