Time Travel: The Noble Family
Chapter 394 - 137: Dye Recipe_5

Chapter 394: Chapter 137: Dye Recipe_5

Ruo Lan couldn’t help but say, "Sister, are you joking?" How could there be such a secret recipe, and it ended up in Yueyao’s hands.

Yueyao pulled a thin booklet from her sleeve and handed it to Ruo Lan: "Cousin-in-law, this is the recipe for the dye. If cousin-in-law doesn’t believe it, you can have someone try it first." As for saying something about finding a reliable person to test it and such, Yueyao didn’t bother saying that—she believed Zhuang Ruo Lan knew well enough.

Ruo Lan was somewhat tempted; she had a cloth shop included in her dowry. But this workshop had been losing money every year, and Madam Bao had specifically added it to her wedding list to save face. She had even considered selling it after a while, but if it really worked, that could change everything...

Zhuang Ruo Lan was a rational person, and she immediately suppressed the excitement in her heart. Zhuang Ruo Lan didn’t take the booklet from Yueyao’s hand right away but instead looked at Yueyao and asked, "Sister, where did you get this secret recipe from?" It was necessary to clarify the source of the item to avoid any trouble.

Yueyao was silent for a moment before saying, "Cousin-in-law, rest assured, this secret recipe wasn’t stolen nor was it taken by force. It comes from a legitimate source, so it won’t cause any trouble." Naturally, Yueyao couldn’t tell Ruo Lan that she knew of this recipe from her previous life through Zhou Shu; in those days, Zhou Shu used this method to produce a fabric that brought him enormous profits. She had found it fascinating and used the method to mix paints for her drawings, so she remembered it distinctly.

Ruo Lan really wanted to roll her eyes. She knew perfectly well that the recipe wasn’t stolen or taken by force, as even if Yueyao wanted to steal or snatch it, she couldn’t have outdone others. She was just trying to probe Yueyao, but seeing Yueyao’s expression, she couldn’t discern anything and asked, "Sister, how confident are you?" If what Yueyao said was true and they had this secret recipe, the money would roll in.

Yueyao shook her head with a smile, "I don’t know, I just remembered it because it was such a novel secret formula. Cousin-in-law, just have someone try it, and you’ll quickly know if it works or not." Trying it wouldn’t cost much.

Ruo Lan had grown up by the Duchess’s side, and when she was seven years old, the Duchess had her learn from the Heir’s Wife how to manage a household. The Heir’s Wife had no daughters and doted on her like one, teaching her meticulously by her side.

Over the years, Zhuang Ruo Lan had become extremely proficient in managing affairs and had a talent for stewardship. If Yueyao’s words were true, she naturally knew this would be an extremely lucrative method and asked, "Sister, if this method really works to produce such fabric, do you understand what that means?"

Yueyao, of course, knew and replied smoothly, "It means we can make a lot of money."

Ruo Lan was speechless; of course, making a large profit was normal, but with large profits came high risks. Ruo Lan realized that smart as Yueyao was, she was not particularly adept at managing business affairs or understanding human relationships, nor was she familiar with the outside world: "Yueyao, if it is as you say, it could bring immense profits. You, being so smart, must have heard the saying, ’An innocent may invite trouble by possessing a treasure.’ If this secret recipe is really useful, it will surely become the target of those with ulterior motives. There are many powerful and wealthy people in Capital City, and even as the Duke’s niece, you won’t be able to withstand their greed."

Once Yueyao heard this, she understood: "So what cousin-in-law means is, there will be people eyeing our secret recipe in the future? Just like the lipstick my cousin Yuehuan made, it might not stay safe."

Ruo Lan nodded, happy to be teaching a smart child who understood quickly: "Exactly. However, your cousin’s lipstick formula has already been leaked, and now several stores are selling it." Lipstick can be tricky to make but also easy at the same time. Even if it hadn’t been leaked by Yu Ji, other shops could have developed it from the lipstick’s ingredients.

Yueyao got Ruo Lan’s point—if the recipe wasn’t backed by a strong support, it might not be kept safe. Although her cousin-in-law was the Duke Mansion’s niece, with such huge profits, if she didn’t share a portion with the Duke Mansion, the Duke Mansion would covet it just the same. She said, "Cousin-in-law, once the recipe is given to you, it’s for you to deal with as you please. I have no objections."

Ruo Lan looked at Yueyao as if she were a creature from another world, surprised and said, "Do you realize what you’re saying?"

Yueyao nodded, "I understand. If this method really works, it will eventually bring a generous return. By not asking for anything now, I’m forgoing a significant amount of silver coin."

Ruo Lan was getting puzzled about Yueyao’s train of thought and asked, "If you understand, why don’t you want it?" She had seen many who would turn hostile over money but had never met someone who gave money away yet wanted nothing in return.

Yueyao did not beat around the bush: "Sister, as I said earlier, Uncle and Big Cousin don’t handle business affairs, and my mother has always been worried about Ma’s Mansion becoming destitute. Uncle and Big Cousin are very fond of me; I just hope to be able to do something for them."

Ruo Lan was left speechless. Alright, whether the recipe was useful or not was still unknown, but at the very least, it demonstrated Yueyao’s sense of gratitude, which Ruo Lan appreciated. She said, "Yueyao, if this recipe really works, I didn’t plan on entering it into the public account. I happen to have a fabric shop. Do you understand what I’m saying?" In reality, Zhuang Ruo Lan was also testing the waters. It’s one thing to put it in the public account and quite another not to; if not entered into the public account, it would essentially be her private fortune.

Yueyao knew why Ruo Lan didn’t want to enter it into the public account. People are selfish by nature, and besides her Big Cousin, there was also a second cousin, Ma Yue. When it came to splitting the family assets, aside from the ancestral home and the temple fields, all other properties had to be evenly divided. It would be unfair if Zhuang Ruo Lan’s dowry shop made money that went into the public fund, because after entering the public fund, she would have to give half of her hard-earned money to Ma Yue in the end—nobody would want that. Giving it away could earn her a reputation for generosity, but dividing it with a husband’s half-brother would be foolish.

As if she hadn’t heard Ruo Lan’s implied message, Yueyao said, "Cousin-in-law, I’ve already told you, once the recipe is yours, you can do whatever you want with it."

Ruo Lan saw that Yueyao was feigning ignorance and smiled, nodding in response, "Alright." She was now just hinting at the initial promise to Yueyao. She wasn’t yet certain whether the recipe was truly effective, but if it was, they would make plans then. Of course, she wouldn’t actually utilize the secret recipe without giving Yueyao her share.