Two months later, Ella's tiny stall has transformed into the busiest spot in the village market. Her once-quiet operation now hums with constant activity. Customers crowd around, inspecting her growing range of products, while Ella hustles behind the counter, calling out prices and handling orders with the same enthusiasm that started it all.
Her stall, now brimming with goods, showcases not only the original soap and toothbrushes but also new varieties of toothpaste and a wider selection of soaps. Lavender, rose, and citrus-scented bars now sit neatly alongside the original plain soap. The toothbrushes, once simple and functional, now have polished wooden handles, some with delicate engravings, perfect for attracting wealthier customers. And attract them she did.
Ella leaned over her table, smiling brightly at a customer. "You've got to try the citrus soap," she said, holding up a bar. "It's like waking up in a sun-soaked orchard every morning. You'll feel like royalty, I swear."
The woman sniffed the bar and raised her eyebrows. "It smells divine!" she said, adding it to her basket.
Just then, a merchant strode up, holding a leather satchel. "Miss Ella," he began, tipping his hat. "I've come from three towns over, but I'm afraid the nobles there have heard about your wares and are all asking for these... toothbrushes." He pulled one of her engraved ones from his pocket.
Ella grinned. "Tell them to get in line! I've got people here who still need brushing," she joked, wiping her forehead and laughing. "But seriously, I'm doing my best to keep up. I can make more for you next week."
The merchant chuckled. "I'd appreciate it. Might want to think about expanding—this isn't just a village stall anymore."
Ella watched him leave, already thinking about what that might mean. Her operation had grown faster than she'd anticipated.
Flashback
Ella remembered the day one month ago when her stall went from busy to overwhelming. A merchant, much like the one today, had shown up out of the blue and bought every single product she had in stock—soaps, toothbrushes, toothpaste, everything. At first, she was thrilled, but then panic set in as she realized she had nothing left for her regular customers.
That night, she stayed up late making soap, her arms aching from stirring pot after pot, and her mind racing as she mentally mapped out how to triple her production.
"If this keeps up, I'll need a bigger space," she had muttered to herself, her eyes bleary with exhaustion. "Maybe even a shop."
Back to the Present
In the present, things hadn't slowed down. In fact, business was booming even more than she had expected. Ella sold out multiple times over the past month, and now she was juggling merchants, wealthy townsfolk, and the regular villagers who had come to rely on her products.
Another customer handed her a few copper coins in exchange for a bar of soap. Ella smiled as she slid the coins into her pouch. "Thank you! And remember, we're here every week if you need more."
A boy darted through the crowd—Liam, her new helper. He was a 14-year-old from the village who had come to her asking for work to help support his family. He was quick, smart, and already knew how to charm customers as well as she did.
"Miss Ella!" he called, rushing up to her. "We're down to the last few toothbrushes!"
"Already?" she said, blinking in surprise. "Well, looks like we're working late again tonight."
Liam grinned. "I'll get the last of 'em out then!"
Ella watched him disappear into the stall, shaking her head in amazement. Who would've thought a couple of months ago she'd be running a thriving business? She thought back to her early days, just barely scraping by. Now she was on the verge of something even bigger.
As the day wound down, Ella took a moment to sit and count her earnings. She was close—so close to having enough silver to start her dream of opening a proper shop. She had already made 80 silver, with a few extra copper coins here and there. Another month of this, and she'd be at her first gold coin.
She smiled to herself, feeling the weight of the coins in her pouch. "Not bad for soap and toothpaste," she murmured. "Maybe that merchant was right. It's time to think bigger."
Tomorrow, she'd talk to Mr. Wainwright about scaling up production even more. And maybe, just maybe, she'd start experimenting with something new. Shampoo and conditioner? She could practically feel the silver pouring in already.
With that thought, she stood up, waved goodbye to the last few customers, and began packing up her stall. There was still so much more to do, but for tonight, she allowed herself a moment of pride.
After all, this was just the beginning.
The day had been long, and the market square was finally winding down as the last of the villagers headed home with arms full of soap and toothbrushes. Ella leaned against her stall, staring at the empty shelves with a sense of pride. Things had come a long way since her first day of selling. But there was always that nagging voice in the back of her mind—what was next? She couldn't just stop at soap and toothpaste.
Shampoo. Conditioner.
It had been rattling around in her head for days now. Something so simple in her world, but revolutionary here. People washed their hair with harsh soap, if they washed it at all. The idea of smooth, silky hair was foreign to most of the villagers, let alone to the nobles. But if she could give them that—luxurious hair that shined, that felt soft—there was no doubt she could charge a small fortune.
Ella walked over to her tiny home behind the stall and pulled out the scraps of paper where she'd been jotting down ideas. She sat at her rickety table, staring at her scattered notes, her mind spinning with possibilities.
"Soap was easy," she muttered to herself, scribbling down more thoughts. "It's just fat and lye, basically. But shampoo? That's a whole different beast."
She picked up a dried lavender sprig, twirling it between her fingers. "Lavender oil could be a good start," she mused. "Maybe some rosemary... and a bit of mint for freshness. But how do I get it to actually make hair soft?"
Her eyes flickered over to the little bottles of plant-based oils she'd been experimenting with—olive, coconut, almond. None of them were quite right yet, but she was getting close. Mixing soap for hair didn't feel right. No, it needed to be smoother, less drying.
Ella pushed her notes aside and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. "If I can pull this off," she said with a grin, "people will pay through the nose for silky hair." She could practically see it now—noble ladies sending their maids in secret to buy her shampoo, peasants curious about this mysterious concoction that would make their hair shine like the rich folk.
But before she got too far ahead of herself, there was work to be done. First, she needed to figure out the exact recipe. Then, she had to test it. And finally, she had to sell it—convince people that this weird, liquid soap for hair was worth their hard-earned copper.
Ella shuffled through her sketches and notes, deciding to start with something basic. "Shampoo and conditioner. That's how I'll make my fortune," she whispered, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Nobles won't know what hit them."
She started writing out her business plan. The shampoo would be for everyone, but the conditioner—oh, the conditioner would be her secret weapon. The nobility would pay any price if it meant having hair that was softer and shinier than their neighbors. Ella chuckled at the thought of rich women fussing over their new hair care routines, comparing notes on how many drops of conditioner they used.
"Alright, let's break it down," she said, tapping her quill on the paper. "Soap sold like hotcakes, so shampoo should do the same. But I'll need to price it smart. Maybe... 5 copper for a small bottle of shampoo, 7 for the conditioner. I'll make bigger bottles for the nobles—charge them 15 or even 20 copper."
Ella's mind raced, thinking of the possibilities. If she could just get enough customers hooked on the idea of washing their hair with something other than soap, she could be rolling in silver within weeks.
But this would take investment. More bottles, more oils, more ingredients. She'd need to step up production yet again. And that meant more hands. Ella sighed, rubbing her temples. She was close to earning enough to build a proper shop, but the risk was high. If the shampoo didn't sell, she'd be left with a lot of wasted materials and empty pockets.
As the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Liam, her 14-year-old helper, arrived at the stall to help her pack up for the day. He had been a lifesaver these past few weeks, handling the growing crowds and helping her manage the endless tasks that came with running the stall.
"Liam!" Ella called out, waving him over. "I've got an idea."
He raised an eyebrow as he stacked empty crates. "Another one?" he teased. "You're not planning on selling magic potions now, are you?"
Ella grinned. "No, but close. I'm thinking... shampoo. And conditioner. You know, for your hair."
Liam blinked at her, clearly confused. "Shampoo? What's that?"
"It's like soap, but for your hair," she explained, waving her hands excitedly. "But it won't leave your hair all dry and tangled like regular soap. It'll make it soft. Smooth. Shiny."
Liam scratched his head, clearly still not following. "People are gonna pay extra just for that?"
Ella laughed. "You don't know rich people, Liam. They'll pay anything to look better than everyone else. And once the common folk see how nice their hair looks, they'll want it too."
Liam shrugged, still unsure. "Well, I don't know what it is, but if it's anything like the toothbrushes, people are gonna love it."
"That's the spirit!" Ella said, patting him on the back. "We're about to make history."
As the two of them finished packing up the stall, Ella sat down with Liam at her small wooden table, counting the day's earnings. The familiar clink of copper and silver filled the room, but Ella's mind was already on the next big thing.
"I'm close, Liam," she said, stacking the coins. "Almost enough to start building a shop. I just need one more push. And I this might be it."
Liam nodded. "People already love your soap. They trust you. If you say this shampoo thing works, they'll believe you."
Ella smiled. "That's the plan. In two weeks, I'll have the first batch ready. And after that... well, who knows? Maybe we'll even get some of the nobles themselves to come by the stall."
She leaned back in her chair, looking out over the empty market square. Two months ago, she was a nobody in this village. Now, she was on the brink of something huge.
"I'm going to take over this village, Liam," she said, grinning to herself. "One clean head of hair at a time."
And with that, she stared up at the stars, her mind already buzzing with new ideas, new products, and a future filled with silver coins. Shampoo and conditioner were just the beginning—Ella had no intention of stopping until she had her shop, her fortune, and her name on the lips of every noblewoman in the region.