The men, who had firmly believed that their women were merely dreaming, were utterly stunned when the carriage drivers arrived as promised.
One of the serfs, who happened to know one of the drivers, stepped forward and asked, "Tom, aren't you supposed to be transporting goods for the shops in town? What are you doing here?"
Tom, the driver, beamed with joy as he replied, "The Earl has hired us! We'll be making two trips a day to ferry people from your village back and forth. The rest of the time, we'll be delivering goods for His Lordship. The pay is quite generous!"
These drivers were freemen, and working for the Earl not only provided them with a stable income compared to working for merchants, but the wages were also higher. Naturally, they were thrilled.
Another driver chimed in with a smile, "That's right! And if we're at the castle during lunch, we get to eat bean stew with meat flavoring along with everyone else. Even in town, we can eat with the workers. Can you find anyone else as generous as our kind Earl?"
The serfs working at the castle could enjoy bean stew made with bones, and the food in town was no less impressive. The workers in town occasionally had stew with bits of offal—sheep or pig intestines. No one knew how the women in charge of cooking managed it, but the offal tasted surprisingly good, nothing like the unpleasant offal they had eaten before.
Hearing that the castle served bone-based bean stew to the women, the men were utterly shocked.
"Is the Earl really that generous? Can so many people eat like that?"
"Of course," Tom puffed out his chest. Recently, thanks to having a full meal every day, his family had been able to save on their midday meals, allowing them to increase the portion size for dinner. He had even started to develop a bit of a belly. "I heard it's because the Earl is planning to open a meat sauce factory. They'll be slaughtering several pigs and sheep every day, and the bones aren't of much use, so the generous Earl is giving them to his people."
The meat sauce factory hadn't been established yet. However, the castle's chef, Bob, had been tasked with training workers to make meat sauce, which required a lot of meat. Naturally, this also left behind a significant amount of bones that the castle couldn't consume, so they decided to give them to the workers as a bonus.
As for where the workers came from—remember when Butler Barton mentioned buying servants from the neighboring county? Well, Felix had intercepted ten of those servants before they could even start their duties and sent them off to make meat sauce instead, much to the butler's dismay.
But there was no other way. The meat sauce recipe had to be protected, and having servants who had signed contracts with the Earl handle the production was the safest option. Even so, the seasoning part of the recipe remained in the hands of Chef Bob, who had worked at the castle for over a decade. He would prepare the necessary seasonings and then hand them over to the new servants to cook. While adding all the seasonings at once (except for ginger and garlic) did somewhat affect the flavor of the meat sauce, it significantly improved the recipe's secrecy.
The meat sauce produced during these practice sessions wasn't wasted either. It was all packed into wide-mouthed glass jars, sealed with wooden stoppers, and then heated in a steamer. Afterward, the stoppers were tightened, and the jars were sealed with wax. Treated this way, the meat sauce could be stored in a cool, ventilated place for two to three months, even in the heat of summer. In winter, it could last even longer.
This batch of meat sauce was intended for trial sales. They couldn't rely solely on Claude as a business partner. Both Felix and Wei Wei agreed that it would be best to have their trade caravan. So, they selected a few clever and articulate servants from the castle and planned to send them to the nearest major city with the meat sauce and a batch of freshly made pasta to start a business.
While Felix was busy organizing the trade caravan, Wei Wei was occupied with teaching people how to make malt sugar.
To turn lemon pulp into lemon jam, a large amount of sugar or honey was required. Since neither was readily available—and even if they were, it would be too wasteful—Wei Wei came up with the idea of making malt lemon jam, using malt sugar as a substitute for honey and sugar. Although malt sugar was less sweet, in this sugar-scarce era, its flavor was more than enough to win over people who rarely ate sweets.
Making malt sugar was simple, and the kitchen staff learned it after just one demonstration. When the first batch was ready, Wei Wei let everyone who had helped taste a bit. Only then did they truly believe that malt could indeed be turned into sugar.
"I never thought wheat could be turned into sugar. Wei Wei, your country is truly amazing."
Even Felix, who had snuck away from his busy schedule to see the results, couldn't resist trying some malt sugar, licking it off a stick like Wei Wei had shown him. Dolores, who had been circling the pot, drawn by the sweet aroma, was even more eager to try.
Both siblings had a sweet tooth.
Wei Wei tasted a bit herself. "It's alright. The sweetness of malt sugar is still a bit low. If we had sugar beets or sugarcane, I could make better sugar."
Of course, her seed collection included sugar beets and sugarcane, but the quantities were limited. There was no way they could use them for sugar production this year. Besides, Sardinson wasn't suitable for growing sugarcane. The sugarcane she had planted grew slowly and thin, rendering even the best seeds useless. Sugar beets, however, had a slight chance of success.
"Sugar beets? I think a few regions west of Pradi grow them, but they're used as vegetables. Can they be used to make sugar?"
Wei Wei was initially excited to hear that Pradi had sugar beets, but when she learned that the growing regions were in the western part of the empire, her enthusiasm waned. Sardinson was in the southeastern part of the Pradi Empire, quite far from the west.
"They can be used to make sugar. If we could grow them in Sardinson, selling sugar alone could make you rich overnight."
Felix, thinking about the current price of sugar, was immediately tempted. "I'll send someone to buy some seeds. We'll plant them next year!"
But that was a matter for next year. For now, they would have to make do with malt sugar.
With malt sugar available, Wei Wei no longer needed to handle the lemon jam herself. European cooks were no strangers to making jam. Besides Chef Bob, several of the kitchen servants were quite skilled at it.
When the latest batch of lemon essential oil was distilled, diluted with an infection source, and bottled for delivery to the capital, Claude's trade caravan brought the first batch of dried flowers.
These dried flowers were mainly roses and lavender, the most commonly used plants for essential oils. As soon as the shipment arrived, Wei Wei eagerly took some to Roger to borrow the distiller and make new essential oils. This time, she also managed to obtain a byproduct—hydrosol, which could be used as a substitute for toner.
Wei Wei has already developed a variety of skincare and cosmetic products. For example, besides the initial rouge made from roses, she later used safflower, the most common ingredient for rouge, to create new shades of rouge according to ancient Chinese recipes. The colors ranged from vibrant reds to soft pinks, perfect for use as eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick.
As for skincare products, while she couldn't make serums or lotions, she had managed to recreate ancient face creams by substituting unavailable ingredients with others. After testing, she found that they had excellent moisturizing and whitening effects. Since the ingredients were all-natural, they were suitable for all skin types and didn't cause allergies. The only downside was that they were quite expensive, making them inaccessible to ordinary people.
As for toner, she had been using previously collected loofah water. However, the supply was limited, and it wouldn't last her and Dolores until next year's loofah harvest. With hydrosol, they could use it as a substitute for toner. Moreover, hydrosol could be consumed directly or used to make face masks, making it incredibly versatile!
The only downside was that hydrosol distilled from dried flowers lacked some of the nutrients found in hydrosol made from fresh flowers, making it slightly inferior.
Aside from hydrosol, Wei Wei intended to keep the other skincare and cosmetic products for herself and her close circle. She wasn't planning to sell them as commodities just yet. After all, Sardinson was so busy with numerous profitable projects, and they were constantly short on manpower. The cosmetics business could wait until later.
Hydrosol, on the other hand, was a byproduct of distilling flower-based essential oils. Since they couldn't use it all themselves, it would be a waste not to sell it.
After confirming in the alchemy lab that the distilled hydrosol was safe for consumption and use, the dried flowers could be put into production. However, with only one distiller available and currently being used for lemon essential oil, flower-based essential oils would have to wait until new distillers were made.
In fact, after commissioning the first distiller, Felix had spent a sum of money to recruit the blacksmith who made it, along with his apprentices. These individuals were now in Sardinson, leading a group of newly hired blacksmiths in making distillers for Felix.
They didn't need to make distillers as large as the one in the castle. Smaller ones would suffice, and making several would allow for division of labor, speeding up production. In the future, they could also be used for distilling different types of essential oils.
Not long after Claude's men delivered the dried flowers, Claude himself returned to Sardinson. This time, he brought good news: the pasta had become a hit in the capital, with many people loving this simple, easy-to-make, and delicious food.
The batch of goods Claude had taken back was nearly sold out, so he had come to negotiate a long-term trade agreement with Felix.
Additionally, since Felix had promised to consider a partnership with Claude once the dried flowers arrived, Claude was determined to do his utmost to persuade Felix this time.
To show his sincerity, Claude not only brought a shipment of wheat but also offered a contract to sell wheat to Sardinson at a price 20% lower than the market rate. Of course, the condition was that Sardinson's pasta production would prioritize supplying him.
Sardinson was indeed short on wheat. While they had a good harvest this year and had enough food, most of the wheat had been used to make pasta for profit. If they wanted to continue this business, besides increasing wheat production in Sardinson, purchasing wheat from other regions was a viable option.
Felix had recently considered buying wheat from the lords of neighboring counties. Compared to commoners, nobles hoarded the most grain.
However, he had little contact with the nobles of other counties. Now that he needed to buy grain, he would likely have to visit them in person, but he simply didn't have the time.
Claude's contract couldn't have come at a better time.
When Felix saw the highly favorable contract, he didn't immediately accept it. Instead, he asked, "Shipping from the capital would be too slow. Can you guarantee a steady supply of wheat?"
Claude nodded with a hint of pride, "Of course. As a competent merchant, I have business connections in many regions of Pradi. You can rest assured."
Felix nodded but added, "We can prioritize supplying you with pasta, but we'll need to set a limit on the quantity."
Claude had already heard about Felix forming a trade caravan and sending people to other counties to sell pasta. He knew he couldn't monopolize the business and hadn't intended to.
The pasta business was indeed profitable, but given Sardinson's current production scale, pasta production would soon no longer be exclusive. Monopolizing it was unrealistic.
Instead, Claude was more interested in the sales rights for perfume.
After some back-and-forth, they settled on a quantity of pasta that satisfied both parties.
Then came the main event: the sales rights for perfume.
Claude was confident. From the start of the conversation, he felt that Felix was likely to agree to the partnership.
Felix did agree. He promised to sell a batch of perfume to Claude, on the condition that Claude couldn't sell it in the capital.
Felix intended to handle the perfume business in the capital himself, so he couldn't relinquish that market.
In addition to the price, Felix offered a favorable discount. Depending on the type, the most abundantly produced lemon essential oil could be sold to Claude for 60 gold coins per bottle. The rarer flower-based essential oils, with rose essential oil being the most expensive, would cost 90 gold coins per bottle, while others ranged from 70 to 90 gold coins.
Claude thought he had misheard, "...My Lord, are you sure this price is a discount?"
"Yes, it's quite favorable."
Claude swallowed hard, "Then, is a bottle the size of a beer?"
Felix: "Of course not. A bottle is 30 milliliters, our standard measurement."
Claude was furious, "My Lord, are you joking? You sell essential oil for two gold coins a bottle to the public, but you're charging me at least sixty gold coins per bottle?"
Perhaps his assumption was wrong. This Earl had no intention of partnering with him.
"No, I think you've misunderstood," Felix gestured for him to calm down. "We've adjusted the price of essential oil. Two gold coins are no longer the current price. Also, I assume you haven't seen the latest batch of lemon essential oil sent from Sardinson to the capital?"
Claude, suppressing his anger, nodded, "Yes, I happened to pass your convoy on the road."
"The new batch of essential oil is highly concentrated. Previously, we produced low-concentration essential oil that could be used directly. However, the new essential oil is highly concentrated and must be diluted before use. Now, just six drops can dilute to the equivalent of an entire bottle of the previous low-concentration oil. One bottle of high-concentration essential oil can produce a hundred bottles of low-concentration oil, with no loss in effectiveness." Felix spread his hands, "So, as I said, this price is truly favorable."
If it weren't for the fact that Claude was a good partner, Felix wouldn't have been so generous.
Indeed, by this standard, even the most expensive rose essential oil would net Claude a profit of ten gold coins per bottle. Given the current shortage in the essential oil market, Felix was essentially handing him money.
Of course, Sardinson stood to gain the most.
Since the essential oil concentration had increased, they no longer needed to buy olive oil for dilution—that could be left to the customers—reducing costs even further.
Claude calmed down, "If what you say is true, then it is indeed favorable. But is the new essential oil better than the old one?"
"Of course," Felix produced two prepared bottles of essential oil and pushed them toward Claude. "You can smell them for yourself."
Claude carefully opened the bottles and sniffed them one after the other. The scent was unique, with a sweet floral aroma. Both bottles had the same scent, but one was lighter while the other was more concentrated. Upon closer inspection, the lighter bottle had a faint hint of olive oil, while the other did not.
He quickly realized, "The old essential oil was diluted with olive oil?"
Felix nodded, "Yes. Of course, other plant-based oils can also be used. If you're interested, I have a list you can look at."
He carefully retrieved a piece of parchment from a drawer and handed it to Claude.
Claude glanced at the handwriting. It was not Felix's. The script was elegant and distinctive, unmistakably written by a woman.
Claude had a vague idea of who the writer might be, but he kept the thought to himself and focused on the list.
Jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, grape seed oil, rosehip oil... All were oils that could nourish the skin, but many were products from other countries and were difficult to obtain in large quantities. In comparison, olive oil was the most convenient.
Below the list of base oils were the dilution standards for essential oils. Felix had mentioned a 1% standard for common use, but for full-body or facial massages, a 3% concentration was most effective, though prolonged use was not recommended. Additionally, there were detailed descriptions of various essential oils and their effects, making it a comprehensive guide.
This was originally a user manual written by Wei Wei, primarily to introduce customers to the new high-concentration essential oils and their usage. Felix had copied it and sent it with the delivery team to the capital. This copy was his keepsake, much like the list of dried flowers Wei Wei had provided earlier. Both had become part of his private collection.
These were items written by Wei Wei herself. How could he bear to part with them? Allowing Claude a glimpse was already a significant gesture of goodwill.
Claude still had some doubts about the effectiveness of the essential oils, but Felix assured him that this could be written into the contract. If it turned out that Felix's claims were false, he would compensate Claude out of his pocket.
Only then did Claude's friendly merchant smile return.
In the end, Claude and Felix signed the first batch of the essential oil business, with Claude purchasing one hundred bottles of lemon essential oil and twenty bottles of other flower-based essential oils.
There was no other way. Even though Claude had brought a considerable amount of dried flowers, the production of flower-based essential oils was still limited. Especially since the capital favored these types, they were already struggling to meet demand. Allocating this amount to Claude was already a significant gesture.
Just these essential oils would cost Claude over ten thousand gold coins.
It was practically robbery!
Yet both the robber and the robbed were in good spirits.
Of course, Claude didn't carry that much gold with him, but he had brought something else.
"My Lord, would you accept a bill of exchange from the Pradi Royal Bank?"
The term "bank" might sound modern, but its history in Europe dates back to 2000 BC, around the time of the Xia Dynasty in China when Yu the Great's father failed to control the floods.
During that era, some temples in Western Europe began offering services similar to banking, such as storing gold and silver, issuing loans, and collecting interest. These were the earliest forms of banks.
Over time, the first formal bank was established in 1171, and banks began to appear in various European countries. Of course, these banks were privately owned, and primarily engaged in deposit and loan services, often with usurious interest rates.
The capital of the Pradi Empire had several such usurious banks, the most famous and influential being the Pradi Royal Bank, jointly established by the royal family and the church. It was the oldest and most reputable, having operated without incident for nearly a century since the empire's founding. Nobles and merchants alike preferred to conduct their business there.
Of course, they weren't foolish enough to store all their wealth in the bank. Most people still prefer to keep their money themselves. However, merchants would exchange bills of exchange at the bank when traveling for business. While there was a fee, it was much safer than carrying large sums of money around.
This time, Claude had brought several bills of exchange to Sardinson, intending to use them for payment.
Felix, having lived in the capital for many years, was no less familiar with it than Claude. He knew that bills of exchange from the Pradi Royal Bank were accepted nationwide, so he readily agreed to the payment method.
Claude handed over bills of one thousand gold coins each. He likely hadn't anticipated that this business venture would cost so much. After giving Felix all the bills, he still had to pay some gold coins to settle the full amount. This meant he wouldn't be able to bring back any local specialties on his return journey. However, considering the immense profits the essential oils would bring, this minor inconvenience was nothing.
After Claude left, Wei Wei emerged from a secret room hidden behind a bookshelf.
"Having me in a place like this, aren't you afraid I'll empty your treasure trove?"
Castles always had secret passages, and studies were no exception, often hiding secret rooms.
This study was located on the fifth floor of the castle, adjacent to the master bedroom. It was the private domain of each Earl, off-limits to servants and even the lady of the house without permission. For within the study lay the secret passage to the castle's treasury.
This was a secret unknown to even the Earl's wives, but Felix had shared it with Wei Wei.
To facilitate Wei Wei's eavesdropping on his conversation with Claude, Felix had moved the meeting from his usual study on the fourth floor to this Earl's private study on the fifth floor and allowed Wei Wei into the secret room.
This was the highest level of trust Felix could offer.
Now that Wei Wei knew how to access the secret room and lived on the fifth floor, she could, if she wished, enter the Williams family treasury at any time and take the wealth accumulated over generations.
To this, Felix simply waved the stack of bills of exchange in his hand.
"My dear Wei Wei, to me, you are my most precious treasure, in every sense of the word."