Chapter 42: Backup Plan

When Ji Ze got the item in his hand, he was stunned for a moment, “Why is it so light?”

Ji Duo quietly looked at him without saying a word.

Usually, Ji Ze would never dare to provoke his uncle, but now he was anxious and couldn’t care less, “Aunt should be at home at this time, right?”

Seeing that he was already walking ahead, Ji Duo glanced at him, “Don’t you feel awkward now?”

That glance was inexplicably cold, making Ji Ze subconsciously rub his arm, “After all, it’s the formula Aunt gave me. If I lose it, I’m a sinner.”

“If you lose it, you’re still a sinner.” Ji Duo’s voice didn’t soften at all, making Ji Ze almost return the item to him. Thinking again, he quickly held it tightly, “I’ll be careful.”

What is this? His uncle wasn’t the type to be stingy or have a cleanliness obsession, not letting anyone touch anything.

Ji Ze was a bit curious but didn’t dare to speak or ask, only quietly asking his uncle, “I’ll leave it to you later.”

Ji Duo didn’t respond, his gaze still distant.

When they arrived home, Junzi was talking to Lin Qiao in the yard, holding a square of handmade soap.

“Teacher Lin, I followed your instructions and removed the mold on the second day, then cut it into four pieces. They turned out quite even, right? I just forgot to scrape the edges, so now it’s a bit hard and rough. If it doesn’t work, you can just use it as a decoration. My name is on it.”

Lin Qiao wasn’t surprised that Junzi forgot to scrape the edges. She just didn’t expect Junzi to give her the soap. “Sure.” She smiled as she took it. “This will be my sample from now on, my first student.” She held it up to show.

The side facing up had Junzi’s crooked “Jun” character, which made Junzi a bit embarrassed. “I should have written it better.”

“You can start writing better now.” Lin Qiao encouraged him with a smile, then asked, “You’ll graduate next year. Any plans?”

“What plans could I have? If nothing else, I’ll join the army.” Junzi laughed.

After laughing, he lowered his voice, “Teacher, I haven’t told my mom yet. I want to change my household registration and join the army in the fall.”

“In the fall?”

So, he wasn’t planning to finish his second year of high school? This truly surprised Lin Qiao.

Junzi nodded, “Sun Tiejun and Wang Guoqiang from our class will be old enough in the fall. I want to join them.”

Sun Tiejun and Wang Guoqiang were among the troublemakers in the back row. Due to poor grades, they had repeated a grade, so they were in the same class as Junzi.

“You should discuss it with your parents soon. The earlier you tell them, the earlier you can prepare.” Lin Qiao could only remind him, as it concerned Junzi’s future.

Junzi nodded. Seeing Ji Duo return, he greeted him with a smile and went home.

Holding a package, Ji Ze stood outside the door, surprised by the scene. “Aunt gets along so well with the students.” He remembered Lin Qiao had only been working for a few months, but Junzi’s attitude towards her was both respectful and close. The words slipped out, and he realized he had misspoken. It sounded like Lin Qiao shouldn’t be getting along well with the students.

Lin Qiao didn’t mind, “His family lives next door, so we’re quite familiar.” She then greeted him, “Xiao Ze, you’re here.”

“Yes, I came to help Uncle deliver something.” Ji Ze raised the package, giving the pre-prepared excuse, not knowing why his uncle gave him a meaningful look.

Lin Qiao was also a bit puzzled. What kind of thing needed Ji Ze to deliver it personally? She reached out to take it.

“I’ll do it. It’s something important.” Ji Ze used this as an excuse to get inside, not intending to hand it over so easily.

Just after saying that, his uncle gave him another look, this time with a hint of something unspeakable.

Ji Ze started to feel uneasy. What’s with all these looks? But since he was already here and had said it, seeing Lin Qiao step aside, he immediately carried the package into the living room.

“Where should I put it?” He asked Ji Duo on the surface, but he was actually signaling to him.

Ji Duo originally wanted to take it upstairs directly, but since the package was in his nephew’s hands, he didn’t want him to hold it for even a second longer. He casually pointed to the side of the coffee table.

Ji Ze hesitated and started to put it down slowly. Meanwhile, Ji Duo told Lin Qiao, “One of my friend’s workers ran away.”

Lin Qiao, who had been paying attention to the package, immediately looked back at him. The look was clear: Are you sure you want to say this in front of your nephew?

Ji Duo’s expression didn’t change.

Lin Qiao understood. He probably thought his cover was good enough and didn’t mind his nephew overhearing. After all, he had a “friend.”

She pondered for a moment, “Did the person responsible for making the liquid soap run away?” Otherwise, Ji Duo wouldn’t have mentioned it specifically.

Her reaction was indeed quick.

Ji Ze had never interacted seriously with Lin Qiao before and didn’t know she was like this in private. His movements slowed down, and his ears perked up.

Ji Duo noticed out of the corner of his eye and responded with a calm “Hmm.”

“Then the things I asked your friend to keep separately, he didn’t give them to anyone else, right?” Lin Qiao asked again.

“No.” This time, Ji Duo said a bit more, “He always takes them himself and places them personally.”

“Then what’s there to worry about?” Lin Qiao smiled, placing the handmade soap Junzi gave her on the coffee table, clearly feeling relaxed.

Ji Ze was confused and quickly signaled to his uncle again.

Just as he did, Lin Qiao looked over and asked, “Did you get something in your eye?”

“Ah, yes, a bit.” Ji Ze quickly rubbed his eyes and asked, “Aunt, can I use your kitchen?”

“You can use it.”

Ji Ze immediately rubbed his eyes and went into the kitchen, turning on the faucet to pretend to wash.

Lin Qiao, worried, followed him to the kitchen door, “Don’t rub your eyes with your hands. They’re not clean.”

Ji Ze quickly responded, “Aunt, you can discuss your matters. I can handle it myself.”

But Lin Qiao, being the elder, thought for a moment and still stood by the door. Meanwhile, Ji Duo finally spoke, “That person stole some raw materials when they left.”

“That’s not a problem,” Lin Qiao said. “As long as no one touches what I left, even if they replicate it, it won’t be properly formed.”

The last thing Lin Qiao left was sodium chloride, which is table salt. It might seem unrelated to making liquid soap, but without using the salting-out method to purify the solution and increase its density after saponification, the result would only be soapy water. And clearly, no one would want to buy thin, soapy water.

Ji Ze finally felt relieved and looked up to find his uncle quietly watching him.

Lin Qiao, facing away from the living room, didn’t notice and asked him, “Since you’re here, why not have a meal at home? I’ll go to the cafeteria to get some food.”

Ji Ze, suddenly enlightened, replied, “No, I already ate before coming.”

He insisted he had eaten, showing he was indeed Ji Jun’s son.

“Let’s go to the cafeteria together,” Ji Duo said, glancing at his nephew. He wasn’t necessarily trying to send Ji Ze away, but he was worried his nephew might suddenly volunteer to help him open the package.

Ji Ze couldn’t refuse, so the three of them sat at a table in the cafeteria, with Ji Ze on one side and Ji Duo and Lin Qiao on the other.

It was probably the first time Ji Ze had eaten with so few people, so he felt uneasy but didn’t want to show it. He casually brought up a topic, “Aunt, are you still teaching students to make soap?”

“Yes, just some simple basic soap. It helps them develop hands-on skills and understand what chemistry can do.” Lin Qiao spoke casually, but she didn’t know why the other side suddenly fell silent after asking.

Ji Duo could guess a bit but didn’t point it out. He and Lin Qiao silently finished the meal while Ji Ze was distracted.

After sending off his nephew, Lin Qiao remembered the package, “What’s inside?”

The living room lights were off, and Ji Duo was watching TV. Without turning his head, he replied, “Condoms.” The TV’s light highlighted his handsome profile.

However, Lin Qiao didn’t have time to appreciate it, “Did you ask Sister Yan for them before? No, why did you let Xiao Ze deliver this?”

Wasn’t it awkward? Even someone like her, who didn’t mind awkwardness, felt the urge to curl her toes in embarrassment.

Ji Ze probably didn’t know and said it was something important for his uncle.

Too shocked, Lin Qiao instinctively lowered her voice and moved closer to the man, even though only two people were in the room.

Ji Duo finally paused, looked up at her, and said, “He volunteered to come. Maybe he knows something.”

“What did he know?” Lin Qiao thought carefully and only remembered the incident when Ye Minshu went home to cause trouble. “Is he embarrassed because of his mom?”

Otherwise, why did he look at her strangely in the cafeteria earlier?

Ji Duo didn’t speak, his gaze returning to the TV. He looked serious, with a pen and notebook at hand, ready to take notes. However, if Lin Qiao believed he was really that serious, it would be a joke. The items arrived in just a few days, indicating he had called Ji Yan long ago. Last time, it took over a month for Ji Yan to send them something. Based on that timeline, he probably called shortly after they used five in two days.

This man was genuinely meticulous and prepared for everything. Judging by the size of the package, it seemed like quite a lot was sent. Lin Qiao couldn’t help but think of Ji Ze solemnly delivering the package with both hands.

But Ji Ze was right about one thing: the contents were indeed important, life-saving items…

This time, they didn’t turn on the lights. After watching the news and going upstairs, Ji Duo pushed Lin Qiao to the desk.

Lin Qiao’s hip hit the edge of the desk, and she instinctively supported herself with her hands. Just as she hissed, warm lips landed on her neck from behind. However, the man heard her hiss and pulled her closer by the waist.

Lin Qiao moved away from the desk but got closer to him. Their skin, separated by thin summer clothes, was tightly pressed together, and Lin Qiao almost instantly felt the man’s excitement.

So fast?

Could he have been tense since before they went upstairs…

Just as she thought of this, her chin was turned, and something was thrown onto the desk amidst the entanglement. From the sound, it was unclear how many were taken. Lin Qiao pushed the man during a brief pause, “I think my period is here.”

“Which one?” Almost instantly, Ji Duo stopped, his voice low and tense.

He really could stop on a dime. Lin Qiao couldn’t help but laugh.

This laugh made the man react instantly, pressing her whole body onto the desk. Due to the position, the first round was a bit rushed, and Lin Qiao didn’t get to appreciate the uniform she liked. But Ji Duo clearly didn’t intend to stop tasting the delayed birthday gift. After massaging her calves, which were sore from standing on tiptoe for a long time, he quickly resumed the unfinished business from that day, going for a second round.

This time, Lin Qiao wrinkled his shirt, tore off his epaulets, and even bit his shoulder hard through the uniform.

The next morning, when Ji Duo got up to dress, he frowned slightly as he put on his shirt. Looking at the person on the bed, it was clear she was worse off, with star-like marks from her shoulder to her beautiful back, still not awake.

Remembering the cologne incident, Ji Duo didn’t call anyone, picked up their wrinkled skirts and shirts, and threw them into the washing machine.

When Lin Qiao woke up, the first thing she did was count the trash can. She discovered that the man had previously restrained himself. Oh no, Sister Yan wouldn’t become their exclusive buyer for these things in the future, right?

On the other side, Ji Ze left with mixed feelings. As soon as he returned to the small courtyard he had rented specifically for making liquid soap, he immediately perked up. Noticing that some items were missing, he tried not to touch anything else. Now, he could report the theft to the authorities.

Regardless of the amount stolen or whether it could be used, since the other party had acted, he couldn’t just let it go, right?

Moreover, if he didn’t act frantically to catch the thief, how would the other party believe they had stolen something valuable and invest more in it?

The other party successfully poached his hired person, so they clearly had been watching him for more than just a day or two. Once he reported the theft, the other party would know immediately.

“Dad, I just saw the police go by.” In another courtyard in Yandu, filled with miscellaneous items, a young man in his twenties quietly said to Qin Chuan, who was making soap.

Qin Chuan was a workshop director at the Yandu Soap Factory. Although it seemed like a position of some authority, he was working for the state, earning a fixed salary regardless of how much he produced. After the economic reforms, he didn’t rush to have his high school graduate son join the factory. Instead, he took the factory’s formula and secretly made soap to sell on his own.

They sold quite a bit, even though it was cheaper than the factory’s soap. In half a year, they saved a small amount of money, equivalent to several years’ worth of wages.

Because regular buyers knew their soap was the same as the factory’s but five cents cheaper, they immediately asked if they had liquid soap when it came out. That’s when they realized there was an even more profitable new product.

The father and son studied it for several days and even bought some to examine, but they couldn’t figure out how it was made and had to focus their efforts elsewhere.

Now that someone had run away, the business on the other side stopped for a day and even reported it to the authorities, clearly indicating that the stolen items were important.

His son rubbed his hands, “Should we pay now? That person has been urging us, saying they won’t give the formula without payment.”

“Short-sighted fool, only thinking about money,” Qin Chuan couldn’t help but curse.

But if the other party wasn’t short-sighted, why would they sell the formula? Doing it themselves or partnering with someone else would be more profitable.

Qin Chuan continued making soap and asked his son, “How much does he want?”

“Three hundred. He said the other side sells several barrels a day, so it’s worth the price.”

“Only three hundred, and he sold it?” Qin Chuan didn’t know whether to laugh.

The other side sold several barrels a day, and three hundred could be earned back in less than three days. This person must be brainless, thinking they made a profit by getting a few months’ worth of wages in one go.

Qin Chuan told his son, “Ask him to lower the price by fifty. If he disagrees, let it rot in his hands. No one else recognizes those things; even if they do, they can’t get the materials. He won’t make a cent if he doesn’t sell to us.”

His son conveyed the message, and the other party cursed but still handed over the items and the formula.

Having worked in the factory for many years, Qin Chuan immediately recognized the oil.

However, when he saw the alkali the other party provided, he frowned, “This shape and color don’t look like caustic soda.”

“Doesn’t it?” His son compared it with the caustic soda they used for soap making, and it was indeed different.

“Should we try using caustic soda first?” he asked his father. “After all, it’s all alkali, and maybe it’s similar.”

Qin Chuan didn’t recognize the other party’s material and couldn’t find it easily, so he nodded, “Let’s make a barrel first and see if it works.”

Fortunately, the saponification time for liquid soap wasn’t long. With some patience, they could wait for the results.

While waiting, Ji Ze wasn’t idle either. He conducted background checks on all the hired workers, dismissing anyone with issues or unclear histories. He also provided uniforms for the soap-making workers, requiring everyone to change clothes at the start and end of their shifts.

This made it harder to smuggle items out. The Qin family was relieved they had acted early, as it would have been more difficult now. Because it was harder to act again, the previously obtained items became more valuable. They counted the days, waiting for the saponification to finish.

However, two weeks later, the items were still the same. Qin Chuan’s son scooped some with a ladle, and it was less viscous than soup thickened with starch.

“Isn’t this just soapy water?” He threw the ladle back into the water.

Qin Chuan frowned, “The materials must be wrong. It seems caustic soda doesn’t work.”

“What should we do then? Dad, you don’t even know what he brought. Besides, I think he didn’t store it properly; the stuff was already a bit spoiled when it arrived.”

“I’ll go to the research institute and get it analyzed,” Qin Chuan gritted his teeth.

Getting it analyzed would indeed reveal what it was, but the cost…

His son hesitated to speak.

Qin Chuan knew that if the price wasn’t so high—fifteen hundred—he would have had it analyzed when he got the stuff.

But the other party had already made over a thousand in just a few days. Watching barrels of liquid soap being carried out every day, he saw it all as money. Compared to this loss, spending a bit of money didn’t seem like much, as it could be earned back later.

“We sold quite a bit before, didn’t we?” Qin Chuan made up his mind. “Take it all out, and I’ll negotiate the price with them again.”

The final price was negotiated down to thirteen hundred. The day the Qin family got the results of the analysis, the school had just reopened, and Lin Qiao was called by the guard as soon as she entered.

“Teacher Lin, you have mail.”

Lin Qiao took the letters and found two, one from Liu Yulan and one from the leader’s office. She smiled and thanked the guard, who gave her a thumbs up.

Lin Qiao wasn’t sure if she had seen that newspaper, but the leader’s office letterhead on the envelope indicated she had.

Holding the letters, Lin Qiao was about to report to Vice Principal Qi’s office to see the school’s plans for her when someone called her from behind, “Teacher Lin.”

It was Li Xiaoqiu from Junzi’s class, who handed Lin Qiao a neatly wrapped bar of handmade soap. “This is for you, teacher.”

The girl, her face flushed from running, was nervous that Lin Qiao might not accept it, holding it up with both hands.

Lin Qiao was curious, “Why did you think of giving me this?”

“It’s what everyone in the class thought,” Li Xiaoqiu said softly. “We also agreed to carve our names on it together.”

So Junzi, taking advantage of his proximity, rushed to show off first?

Lin Qiao found it amusing. Seeing the girl’s expectant eyes, she reached out and took it. “Thank you.”

Li Xiaoqiu’s face turned even redder, but another student arrived before she could say anything. “Teacher Lin! Good morning, Teacher Lin!”

Before long, even students who had returned to the classroom to get their books came running out, holding their handmade soap, surrounding Lin Qiao on the playground.

It was rare for a teacher to be so popular among students, especially since Lin Qiao had only been teaching them for two months, not even a full semester.

However, she had truly put her heart into these students. At the end of last semester’s summary meeting, she was specifically praised, and the grades of the two classes she taught improved rapidly. In stark contrast was Teacher Zheng, who was repeatedly criticized for frequent mistakes and needed to improve her teaching quality.

Teacher Zheng had gotten used to being named every year, but in front of Lin Qiao, especially after Lin Qiao was praised, she suddenly felt embarrassed. Seeing Lin Qiao so popular now, she couldn’t help but say, “What’s the use of putting in so much effort? Even if you teach well, they still belong to someone else.”

Although she didn’t name names, the students in Class Four immediately understood.

Several troublemakers’ faces changed instantly, “Who are you? What matters to you if our Teacher Lin puts in the effort?”

When Lin Qiao first came to try out teaching, they booed her fiercely. Now, they were fiercely protective of her, with several tall boys standing before her, ready to fight.

Students were hard to manage these days, and arguments with teachers were common. But it was the first time they argued with one Teacher for another.

Teacher Zheng’s face turned pale, “You don’t have to side with her. Teacher Jiao just came to the school. Don’t be confused about who teaches you.”

Mentioning Teacher Jiao made the students fall silent, though some were still defiant, pulled behind by Lin Qiao.

“I heard Teacher Zheng was found by parents again last semester. Instead of worrying about me being transferred back to the junior high department and taking your job, you should focus on improving your skills.” Lin Qiao, protecting the impulsive students, hit Teacher Zheng’s sore spot with her words. “Who’s afraid of you taking their job?”

At that moment, a tall, thin figure ran over, “Teacher Lin, Principal Zeng wants to see you in his office.”

It was Qi Huaiwen.

The boy was slightly out of breath, his peach blossom eyes coldly scanning the surroundings. Then he added, “Teacher Jiao is also there.”