Lin He thought that Uncle Wen, as a businessman, had indeed hit the nail on the head immediately: “The difference is quite significant. This laundry soap cannot be used to wash the body or face; it’s strictly for clothes, similar to soapwort at this time, but much better. The previous batch of scented soap could be used for bathing or washing clothes, but it wasn't as effective for laundry as this dedicated laundry soap. There’s also a big difference in price. The raw materials for this laundry soap are cheaper, and the production process is simpler, so I’ve priced it very affordably at only fifty wen a piece, and each piece is quite large. I’ll show one to Uncle Wen later so you can see.”

Uncle Wen listened to Lin He, considering that if this were true, the laundry soap would be affordable for ordinary families—a genuinely good item. However, Uncle Wen had another matter he wished to discuss with Lin He: “He’er, I have no doubt that anything you produce is good, but I have an idea I’d like to consult you about.”

Lin He looked at Uncle Wen, waiting for him to continue. Uncle Wen said, “You’ve already produced several different items, and the sales have been quite good. I’m thinking that in the future, we should set aside a dedicated counter in our Cai Die Xuan solely for selling your products. You need to give your items a brand name so that when people see that name, they instantly recognize it as yours. This will certainly benefit you when you create new products down the line.”

Lin He understood Uncle Wen’s general meaning upon hearing this. She thought businessmen truly had minds that moved faster than average people. This was essentially equivalent to the dedicated cosmetics counters in her previous life, set up within large department stores, where each brand had its own section. Upon entering the store, one could easily find the desired counter and the product they sought. This was indeed a superior method to opening her own dedicated shop; it sounded much classier, too.

Lin He smiled and said, “Uncle Wen’s proposal is excellent. I will go home to think about a brand name and also review these products to see what improvements might be needed.”

Uncle Wen nodded and replied, “Also, my Cai Die Xuan has branches in many locations. I was thinking of placing these special counters in every one of those branches. However, I worry that your production capacity might become an issue. Can you see a way to resolve that?”

Lin He hadn't expected Uncle Wen to hold her products in such high regard, being willing to sell them in so many different places. But at this stage, production volume was certainly a problem. Her household only had a few people; even working every day, they could probably only supply two or three stores. If things proceeded as Uncle Wen suggested, her home situation would likely require a significant reorganization.

Thinking this through, Lin He told Uncle Wen, “Uncle Wen, your suggestion is wonderful, but currently, we cannot meet the demand for a large quantity. My household is small right now. If we consider the volume Cai Die Xuan sells in a month, I fear we could only supply two or perhaps three shops. I was thinking perhaps we could wait a few months, allow me time to prepare at home, and then scale up production.”

Uncle Wen pondered this and said, “Yes, that’s what I considered initially, which is why I’m concerned about that issue. How about this: I will start setting up the three nearby stores first. We can gradually expand later, and we can observe the sales performance then. Delivery to the shops nearby will also be simpler; I can arrange direct transport without too much trouble.”

This was precisely Lin He’s concern. If the locations were too far, transportation would become problematic. She couldn't move the soap production elsewhere, and she couldn't be away from home for too long herself, nor did she have personnel to send. Furthermore, if the scale became too large all at once, her capital would be limited. Handling just two or three locations, however, was manageable.

Lin He agreed to Uncle Wen’s proposal. Uncle Wen then told Lin He to return home and prepare thoroughly, adding that if they were setting up a dedicated counter, Lin He would need to think carefully about how to design it. After agreeing on these general matters, she said she would return immediately to finalize things and come back in a few days.

Lin He and Ziqing and Ziyu left Cai Die Xuan. Er Niu had brought them, but Lin He anticipated a long discussion and had sent him back early. She planned to rent an ox cart to return, but after waiting a long time, no ox carts passed by. She assumed there were fewer ox carts because it wasn't a market day. There were many horse-drawn carriages, however. After waiting in vain for an ox cart, Lin He finally had no choice but to rent a horse carriage.

The price difference between renting a horse carriage and an ox cart was staggering, which pained Lin He considerably. A return trip by ox cart would have cost only twenty wen, but the horse carriage cost Lin He four hundred wen. Lin He resolved that once she found someone who could drive, she absolutely had to buy a horse carriage.

Yet, sitting in the horse carriage, Lin He conceded that while the rental fee was high, the comfort level was significantly better. The carriage interior was far more spacious, furnished with padding and curtains made of very fine silk. Most importantly, the horse carriage was much faster. A journey that took an hour or two by ox cart was completed in less than half an hour by horse carriage. This would save a substantial amount of time on longer trips.

Upon returning home, Lin He immediately sequestered herself in a room to crunch numbers. Uncle Wen’s proposal was incredibly appealing. Having dedicated counters, potentially in multiple locations, gave Lin He a great sense of accomplishment. To have people everywhere using things she created was something most people only dreamed of—and something Lin He certainly desired.

However, Lin He knew she currently lacked the capacity. Both financially and in terms of manpower, she wasn't supported. To achieve what Uncle Wen described would likely require establishing a small factory at home. Building a factory and hiring staff demanded significant capital, which she didn't possess at the moment. She planned to prepare slowly once funds allowed.

For now, she needed to focus on the quantity for those initial three stores Uncle Wen mentioned. Even with her current space and personnel, it seemed insufficient. The good news was that the product variety was limited, and with summer approaching, the fragrant balm production would soon cease, making current production manageable—but it would require daily effort.

Lin He calculated that the earnings from Hehe Cai Doll and Cai Die Xuan over the last few months amounted to a few hundred taels. If she had to produce daily, a large portion would need to be allocated to purchasing materials, money that couldn't be touched yet. Lin He had hoped to divert some funds; the ointment workshop in the back courtyard was too small—too many people would make it impossible to move, and there was hardly any space to store raw materials or finished soap. She would likely need to build an extension, but her current funds wouldn't cover construction. Lin He added up the figures repeatedly, growing slightly frustrated by the familiar lament: why was there never quite enough money when it was needed?

Never mind that for now, Lin He decided she must first devise a brand name, as Uncle Wen suggested. Since it would be a dedicated counter, she also needed to think carefully about the cabinet design—it should look elegant, ideally grand and upscale like those dedicated counters from her previous life.