Lin Xuan Qi entered the main hall and sat down on the seat that was facing the entrance.
It was his favorite seat as it offered him the best view.
The greenery and path leading to the wooden gates were pleasant to look at. And coupled with the clear blue sky, it made him feel a sense of relief from all the things that were constantly on his mind.
Survival, making the clan more powerful and prosperous, and so much more.
"Guess I’d better have a vacation or something soon," he thought silently to himself.
Being a mere mortal, a break would certainly be good for his peace of mind.
"Master Lin, wait for a moment while we prepare the dinner," Xue Cong said as she poured a cup of tea for Lin Xuan Qi.
He nodded and glanced at her.
She was now looking much more vibrant and healthier than when he saw her.
Her face exuded a shine from her fair and delicate skin.
He wasn’t sure about when she had gotten so much prettier, but one thing for certain was that he didn’t mind the pleasant view.
Much more pleasant than the view he was looking at earlier.
Xue Cong, who wasn’t aware of his gaze, turned around and headed for the kitchen, with Yue Jie and Yue Xin following her.
He wanted to look more closely at Yue Jie and Yue Xin to see if they had gotten healthier than when he had met them initially, but he had to take back his gaze as Old Shao’s face popped into his vision.
"Master Lin, I’ve asked my friends, and they are more than happy to be under your employment," Old Shao bowed and briefed him on what he had done while Lin Xuan Qi was away.
"Great. Ask them to come here tomorrow morning."
Lin Xuan Qi was happy that he would have more woodworking help soon.
"I shall do so now," Old Shao bowed at him and turned around to leave the mansion.
Lin Xuan Qi was glad at Old Shao’s being so enthusiastic in helping him solve his manpower issue.
That motivated him to keep on working towards his goal for the soap business.
"Ah Di, prepare the ink, brush, and paper for me," he said to Ah Di, who was in the main hall.
"Yes, Master Lin," Ah Di bowed at him and walked over to his writing table.
Preparing the ink for writing was a chore.
The ink block had to be ground with water for it to be in a useable state.
That was why the young masters would have a study attendant to help them with the preparation of the ink.
When Ah Di was done with the preparation of the ink, Lin Xuan Qi moved over to his writing table.
He picked up a thin brush from the table, dipped it into the wet ink, and hovered it over the paper laid out in the middle of the table.
Lin Xuan Qi thought for a moment and drew the layout of the two buildings he had designated for the factories.
First, he allocated the areas in the factories.
Storage of the finished product from each process would be out front, making it easy for transportation to the retail store.
The entrance for the raw material would be on the other side of the storage area, so they wouldn’t be jammed up.
From there, the raw materials would have their own storage areas to be stored in while they waited to be processed.
Then, it would be the actual production area.
Areas were marked for fireplaces to be built; most of the processes in making the soap required burning of the lard, sesame seeds, clam shell, and crop stalk.
After that, there were areas required for the interim products to settle overnight.
And for everything to work together, a lot of equipment was missing.
Carts, trolleys, racks, and wooden barrels.
Then there was stuff that the workers would need for them to operate, have their meal, and rest.
That’s where the carpenters would help.
He also began to draft the equipment required for the carpenters to work on.
After he was done, he realized that he might also need some ironsmiths to forge any iron or steel equipment that would be required.
But as of now, he could buy the big woks for all the cooking of the raw materials from the ironsmiths.
He took a step back and marveled at his masterpiece when he was done.
Never would he have thought that his experience working in a factory during his internship would help so much.
"Master Lin," a familiar voice disrupted his thoughts.
It was Sima Long.
"Let him in," Lin Xuan Qi said, and Ah Di quickly went to the wooden gates and opened it.
Sima Long came in with his servant girls, and this time, his wife, Zhang Jie, was also with him.
His tong fang servant girl had to take the backseat, standing behind Sima Long and Zhang Jie.
"It’s great to see you again," Sima Long said with a joyous tone.
He looked to be in a good mood, standing straight with his chest up.
His pace was brisk, and every step exuded confidence.
No longer looking like one of those young masters that looked for fulfillment in the brothels.
"I am glad to see you too. Thanks so much for the help in getting Su Chen and Wu Tong off my back," Lin Xuan Qi bowed to Sima Long.
He was more than grateful for what Sima Long did.
Without Sima Long getting Sima Ye to help, he would have to battle against not only Su Chen and Wu Tong, but also the magistrate.
"We are business partners. Su Chen and Wu Tong having troubles with you is them having troubles with me," Sima Long said.
Zhang Jie, who was standing by the side, covered her mouth with her sleeve and gave a smile.
"Talking about getting people off your back, you’ve caused me many troubles too."
"Many troubles?" Lin Xuan Qi glanced over to Zhang Jie and asked with a frown.