Day 1704 /Morning

I started to notice the stark differences between this world and the one I once knew. There were so many things that people here could benefit from, things we took for granted in my former world.

Toothpaste, for instance, was non-existent here. People cleaned their teeth using a mixture of salt and charcoal, a far cry from the minty fresh toothpaste I was used to. I found myself missing the cool, refreshing feeling of brushing my teeth with a good quality toothpaste.

The fields, too, were not irrigated properly. The farmers relied heavily on the rain, and during dry spells, the crops suffered. Compared to my former world where automated irrigation systems ensured a consistent water supply, the situation here was primitive.

The soap was another issue. It was coarse and harsh on the skin, nothing like the gentle, fragrant soaps I was familiar with. And there was no shampoo, people washed their hair with soap, leaving it dry and brittle.

The more I observed, the more I realized there was a real opportunity here. I could use my knowledge of these products to create better versions here. Not only would it improve people's lives, but it could also provide a source of income for my family.

I decided to approach this as I would any other project, one step at a time. First, I began collecting the necessary materials to make toothpaste.

I knew wood ash could serve as a substitute for baking soda since it's rich in potassium. So, I started collecting the remnants from our fireplace, grinding it down into a fine powder. The trick was to do it little by little, so it wouldn't draw much attention.

Salt was easy. We had a good stock of it in our kitchen. For the herbs, I started helping more in our home's little garden, taking care of the mint, clove, and cinnamon plants. My parents were pleased with my sudden interest in gardening.

The oil was the least of my worries. Our village was known for its sunflower fields, and we always had a surplus of sunflower oil.

The next challenge was combining everything without raising eyebrows. I decided to present it as an experiment for a new type of cleaning agent. After all, it was not entirely false. I was creating something to clean, just not the usual pots and pans.

The result was a paste somewhat similar to the toothpaste I remembered. I tested it out myself first, making sure it was safe. It was strange, the taste was not exactly pleasant, but it left a clean feeling in my mouth. It was a start, at least.

Over the next hours, I tweaked the recipe, adjusting the proportions of the ingredients until I was satisfied. The final product was a far cry from the commercial toothpaste I was used to, but it was a suitable substitute given what I had to work with.

As I was busily brushing my teeth with the homemade paste, I heard a soft knock on the door. Turning, I saw my mother's blonde curls framing her curious face as she peered into the bathroom.

"What on earth are you doing, Lilly?" she inquired, her blue eyes wide with curiosity.

My mouth full of the pasty concoction, I could only offer her a broad, if slightly foamy, smile in response.

Once I managed to rinse and spit, I chuckled. "Just a little experiment, mother," I explained, still grinning.

"An experiment?" she echoed, one eyebrow arching upwards in a question.

"Yep, a new kind of... cleaner," I affirmed, deciding to keep the true nature of my invention to myself for now.

Her laughter filled the room, warm and light. "My Lilly, always full of surprises," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Having rinsed the last of the paste from my mouth, I moved closer to her, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Smell this, mother," I said, blowing a gust of minty fresh breath in her direction.

She recoiled playfully, her nose scrunching up in surprise. "Well, that's certainly... refreshing," she said, a lighthearted chuckle tinging her words.

With a proud smirk, I pulled back my lips to reveal my teeth, now gleaming white and clean.

Mother's curiosity piqued, she peered at me. "What exactly did you make, Lilly?"

I had to be cautious with my explanation. I didn't want to reveal too much about my past. "I mixed some wood ash we had from the fireplace, a bit of salt, and a few crushed herbs and some sunflower oil," I began, deliberately keeping the explanation simple.

"And you think it'll clean... pots and pans?" she asked, sounding skeptical but intrigued.

"Something like that," I said with a nonchalant shrug, deciding to keep the mystery alive. "It certainly cleaned something already," I added, flashing her another proud smile.

"Come on, try it too!" I urged, pointing to the jar of my homemade concoction. Seeing her quizzical look, I added, "I call it 'mouth soap'." The name seemed fitting enough - simple and indicative of its purpose. I watched her, eager to see her reaction.

A moment of silence stretched out between us as mother eyed the little jar, then me, then back to the jar again. She seemed to be considering whether to engage in my peculiar experiment or not.

"Mouth soap?" she repeated, sounding amused. "Well, that's a curious name."

I nodded, my excitement barely contained. "Trust me, mother. It works! I promise."

Rolling her eyes good-naturedly, she reached for the jar. Uncapping it, she sniffed the contents. "This certainly smells... interesting," she said, her nose wrinkling slightly. But she didn't back down. Picking up a small stick, she scooped a little of the paste and cautiously applied it to her teeth.

As she started brushing, her eyes widened in surprise. "This is... not bad," she admitted, her voice muffled from the 'mouth soap'.

I couldn't contain my grin. "Told you so, mother!"

She chuckled, shaking her head, and continued to brush. After rinsing, she looked at me, her eyes sparkling. "Well, I think you might be onto something here."

Mother rinsed out her mouth, her face reflecting a mix of surprise and curiosity. She ran her tongue over her teeth, seeming to consider the sensation. "Well, that's... different," she finally said, her eyebrows knitting together thoughtfully.

She moved closer to the mirror, inspecting her teeth closely. Slowly, a smile spread across her face. "They do feel cleaner," she admitted, looking at me through the mirror. Her eyes were bright, and I could see a spark of excitement in them.

"You know," she began, turning to face me, "this isn't half bad. It's an unusual taste, but it does leave my mouth feeling fresh."

A proud grin stretched across my face. Her approval was more than I could have hoped for. It was the validation I needed to continue my experiments, to keep pushing the boundaries of what was possible here in this world.

"So, when do we start using this 'mouth soap' regularly?" she asked, her eyes twinkling with amusement and a newfound enthusiasm.

"I think it's better than what we used before, no?" I asked, raising an eyebrow and watching her closely for her reaction.

Mother paused, her gaze drifting to the old jar of store-bought toothpaste on the bathroom shelf. She seemed to be weighing the two options in her mind.

"You know," she began, her voice thoughtful, "It certainly is different, and not in a bad way. It's... refreshing, and my teeth do feel incredibly clean." She turned to me, a soft smile playing on her lips. "I think you might be onto something here."

A wave of relief washed over me. It was one thing to believe in my creation myself, but having someone else, especially mother, acknowledge its potential was a whole different level of validation.

"You always surprise me," she added, her tone warm and proud. "Maybe we should indeed start using your 'mouth soap' regularly."

A mischievous grin spread across my face as a new idea sprung to mind. "What if we sold it?" I suggested, excitement bubbling within me. "And we keep the recipe to ourselves. We could get rich with this."

Mother gave me a stern look, but there was a glimmer of shared excitement in her eyes. "That's a big dream," she said. "But we don't have to keep all the benefits to ourselves."

I blinked, considering her words. She had a point. If my 'mouth soap' became a success, it would be better to share our good fortune. We were part of a community, after all.

"Think about it, Lilly," she continued. "We can employ people from our village. They can help us produce and pack the 'mouth soap'. That way, everyone can benefit from it."

I nodded slowly, understanding her point. I hadn't considered these community aspects before. But I was ready to face the challenge. This was a chance to make a difference, not just for us, but for our entire village. And I was determined to make it happen.

Just as mother finished speaking, the bathroom door creaked open and father came in. His face was flushed and beads of sweat trickled down his forehead from working in the fields.

"Ah, there you are, David," mother greeted, a knowing smile on her lips. "Lilly's made something interesting. You should try it."

David raised his eyebrows questioningly but moved towards us. He took the jar from mother's hand and uncapped it, bringing it to his nose.

"Hmm, it smells... minty," he said, looking at me with curiosity. He took a small amount with a stick and began to brush his teeth.

The look of surprise on his face as he began to brush was priceless. He didn't say a word, but I could tell he was genuinely impressed. After a few moments of vigorous brushing, he spat into the sink and rinsed his mouth.

"Well, I'll be," he said, his voice filled with surprise. He ran his tongue over his teeth, a look of amazement in his eyes. "This is rather good. My mouth feels incredibly fresh, and my teeth... they've never felt cleaner."

He turned to mother, a wide grin on his face. "I think our little genius might be onto something here."

Mother's eyes twinkled with amusement as she looked at father. "David, you won't believe what Lilly suggested we do with this 'mouth soap'."

Father wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his full attention now on mother. "What's that?" he asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

Mother's smile widened. "She suggested we sell it, and keep the recipe to ourselves. Our little inventor here thinks we could get rich with it."

Father laughed heartily at that, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Is that so?" He turned to look at me, a proud smile on his face. "Well, that's a big dream, Lilly. But who knows? Maybe you're right. This 'mouth soap' of yours is definitely something special."

"Well, what do you think?" I asked, looking between both of my parents. "We could give out samples to the villagers and see what they think. If they like it, we could start selling it and maybe even selling it outside of the village."

Father looked thoughtful, scratching his beard. "That's not a bad idea. But we have to be careful. We need to get the village council's approval. They have to check what you've made first."

Mother nodded, her expression serious but supportive. "David's right. We have to do this properly. But it's a wonderful idea, Lilly. And it could be a great opportunity not just for us, but for the entire village."

I nodded, understanding the complexities of the situation. I was eager to move forward, but I also knew the importance of doing things the right way. With my parents' guidance and support, I felt confident about the path ahead.

"Dad, when can we get the village council to check this out?" I asked, barely able to contain my excitement. "I can't wait to show them and get it approved so we can start selling!"

Father chuckled at my enthusiasm, ruffling my hair affectionately. "Easy there, Lilly. We need to plan this out properly. I'll arrange a meeting with the council as soon as I can. But remember, they might have questions and concerns that we need to address. This is a big endeavor and it needs to be handled carefully."

I nodded, my heart still racing with anticipation. The thought of getting the 'mouth soap' approved and possibly even selling it was thrilling. I could hardly wait for the council to see what I had created.

"You've always had a sharp mind, Lilly," father said, peering at the jar of 'mouth soap' with a sense of wonder. "But how did you come up with such an idea? To create a soap for the mouth?"

Mother echoed the sentiment, her eyes reflecting a mix of curiosity and pride. "Indeed, how did this notion take seed in your mind? It's not every day a girl decides to reinvent the way we clean our teeth, especially one as young as you!"

I swallowed, feeling a knot tighten in my stomach. How could I explain my idea without revealing too much about my past life? I needed an explanation that would fit within the confines of a medieval world.

"Well," I started, attempting to sound nonchalant, "I was thinking about how we always have to trade for cleansing herbs for our teeth in the market. And it struck me, why not try to make our own? So I started experimenting with different herbs and minerals until I found a combination that worked."

Mother and father shared a look, seemingly satisfied with my explanation. "Your ingenuity never ceases to amaze us," father said, his eyes twinkling. "This 'mouth soap' of yours might just transform our lives."

I exhaled in relief. They had bought my story. Now, the next step was to get the village council's approval for my creation.