Qin Mian took the dishware into the kitchen. Coming out, he wiped his hands, took out the blueprint and handed it over to Lei Tie. “This is my drawing of a manual noodle maker.”
A manual noodle maker? Lei Tie looked at the paper doubtfully. First of all, he felt that the strokes were very delicate that he didn’t know what it was drawn with. For the moment, he put his doubts in his heart and looked at the contents of the drawing. This little wife had many doubtful points on him, just like this one.
The drawing was clear, concise and easy to understand.
Qin Mian sat down beside Lei Tie. “Didn’t we go to town yesterday? I found out that most of the noodles in the noodle shops in town are freshly-made, freshly eat, which is very time-consuming. This manual noodle maker can make noodles quickly and store noodles for a long time after they are air-dried. I have two ideas. Either sell this blueprint to a craftsman, or find a craftsman to make noodle makers and sell to taverns and noodle shops. It can be sold for a good price.”
Lei Tie stared at him for a moment and he began to speak but then hesitated. This little wife of his seemed to be in a hurry to make money. His eyes went back to the drawing, a smear of deep pondering streaked across his eyes, “If it’s as you said, why don’t you keep it and run your own noodle shop?”He didn’t expect that this ancient man had such quick thinking. Qin Mian looked at him approvingly, “I think so, too. But we are common people without a backer. Once such a good thing is fancied by powerful and influential people, I’m afraid it will cause trouble.” He also had a lot of money making ideas, not particularly concerned about the noodle maker. At present, the most important thing was to earn enough money to build tile-roofed house with the fastest speed. He didn’t want to live in a thatched cottage.
Lei Tie had a change of heart and changed his opinion, “The price can’t be low.”
“Of course.” Qin Mian nodded affirmatively, “isn’t this new technology anyway? I think so. If I sell the blueprint, I will sell it for 50 silver tael. If I sell the noodle maker, I will sell one noodle maker for 2 silver tael. How is it?”
Lei Tie said: “5 tael.”
Qin Mian couldn’t help laughing. He didn’t expect that Lei Tie was also a man who loved money. When he thought about it carefully, 5 silver tael was equivalent to 5000 yuan in modern times. It shouldn’t be expensive for those noodle shops.
He frowned in some embarrassment. “No matter who it is sold to, it’s better to make a finished product. But if we find a craftsman to do it, won’t they disclose the content of the drawing?”
Lei Tie said in a low voice: “I’ll do it.”Qin Mian looked surprised. “You will do it?”
Lei Tie nodded, “Going to the mountain tomorrow to chop wood.”
Qin Mian was curious about Lei Tie’s experience in the past decade. What’s actually did he experienced? Unlike the country folk, Lei Tie could hunt, read and worked as a carpenter.
Lei Tie stood up. “Go to sleep.”
“Wait.” Qin Mian stopped him and said, “Since I have come up with an idea to make money for our family, shouldn’t you wash the dishware from now on? This family belongs to both of us. I have expended, you should also expend.”
Lei Tie was taken aback and without saying a word, he turned to the kitchen.
Ah, good man. Qin Mian gave his back a thumbs up and followed him in. “There is hot water in the wok. Use the hot water otherwise it won’t be washed clean. After washing, rinse three times. ”
Lei Tie didn’t make a sound, but did as told.
Rest assured, Qin Mian took the mouthwash cup and face cloth to wash up. Before he entered the house, he conveniently collected the clothes on the clothes-drying pole. After a day drying under in the sun, there was a smell of sunshine on the clothes. He folded the clothes and placed them separately; eight pairs of socks were also placed separately, four pairs for each person.
After putting things in order, he climbed onto bed and beat out a yawn.
After a while, Lei Tie came in.
“I made you four pairs of socks, in the trunk.”
“Nn.”
Qin Mian raised his eyebrows. No thanks? He turned over to the wall and was ready to sleep.
“I’ll go up the mountain with you tomorrow.”
“Need to grain-sunning, someone has to keep watch.”
“Don’t worry, I have a way.” Qin Mian composedly said.
Lei Tie didn’t speak. Qin Mian adjusted his sleeping posture and closed his eyes.
In the middle of the night, Qin Mian dreamed of looking for a toilet and he woke up with a start. His underbelly distended. When he was in school, he had a habit of going to the toilet before he took an exam, took a bus/train or went to bed. Otherwise, his mind would be uneasy. He drank too much water in the afternoon and forgot to go to the toilet before he went to bed. Now he was woken up by the urge to pee.
The room was pitch-black. He groped about in the dark as he got up and his hands pressed on a warm and sturdy thing. There was a whiff of heat in his ear, accompanied by a hoarse voice, “Had nightmare?”
Qin Mian then found out that he was holding Lei Tie’s waist and what he pressed on was Lei Tie’s stomach. He quickly withdrawn his hand as his heart beat faster and his tongue tied, “No…. I, that is, I want to go to the lavatory.”
“Don’t move.”
His shoulder was pressed down before he heard a rustling sound. Then he heard a light “zap” and a spark scuttled in the dark. After another sound, the oil lamp was lit by Lei Tie.
Qin Mian jumped out of bed, put on his shoes and rushed out of the room.
Lei Tie heard the door bolt slid away quickly, the corner of his lips drew up an obvious arc but disappeared quickly and then he closed his eyes.
Qin Mian didn’t go to the latrine behind the house but rushed to the edge of the bamboo forest, quickly drained his bladder and then went back to the house at ease. He got on the bed first, then blew out the oil lamp and deliberately lay down next to the edge of the bed.
After falling asleep, he sensed a heat source beside him. He went over it unconsciously and was held by the similarly sound asleep man, who habitually stretched out his arms without realizing it.
