Chapter 528 - Chapter 528: Chapter 515: Soap (1/2)

Chapter 528: Chapter 515: Soap

“If you want to eat it, I can stew a pot for you,” Zhuang Qingning said with a smile, “However, I didn’t buy this lard for cooking.”

“Then what did you buy it for?” Zhuang Qingsui asked with some confusion.

Isn’t lard just for eating?

“I plan to make some soap with it,” Zhuang Qingning replied with a smile.

“What… is soap?”

“Soap is a small square or round piece that you rub when washing your hands or face. It produces some foam that cleans the dirt off your hands and face,” Zhuang Qingning explained broadly.

“Oh…” Zhuang Qingsui blinked thoughtfully, “I understand what you’re saying sister, but isn’t lard an oily substance that is hard to wash off? Are you sure this soap you’re making can clean our hands and faces?”

“Well…”

Zhuang Qingning couldn’t explain the chemical reactions involved to Zhuang Qingsui, so instead she said, “One has to see to believe. We’ll know by tomorrow, won’t we?”

“Indeed, I’m eager to see this amazing soap you’re making tomorrow…”

And so, the next day, Zhuang Qingning followed a soap recipe, step by step, cooking and stirring lard, wood ash, and table salt, before allowing it to cool and settle, finally resulting in a large chunk of pale yellow solid.

“Is this soap?” Zhuang Qingsui examined it closely for a while, poking it to gauge its texture. After determining that it had a good texture, she stroked it with her hand.

“It feels smooth and quite comfortable to touch.”

Zhuang Qingsui looked up at Zhuang Qingning with a smile, “I wonder if it’s as magical as you say it is, able to wash off dirt.”

“That’s easy to know, just try it,” Zhuang Qingning said, then went into the kitchen. When she came back out, her hands were coated in black soot and some grease.

After rinsing her hands in a basin of clean water, she was able to clean the soot off her palms, but they still looked oily and dirty.

Zhuang Qingning, however, took a small piece of soap she had cut from the large chunk, wetted it slightly, and rubbed it.

Gradually, small soft white bubbles started forming on her initially black hands.

Zhuang Qingsui gave a surprised “Ah”, and before she could express her astonishment for long, Zhuang Qingning had already rinsed the soap away in the basin, leaving her hands clean and white.

“It indeed washes very clean,” Zhuang Qingsui marveled, gripping Zhuang Qingning’s hand in surprise, “Not only is it clean, but it isn’t oily at all.”

“But it’s strange that the soap was made from lard, which is very oily. How can it clean so well and not be oily at all after it’s been made?”