We sat in the garden with the 2 jars of yumeshu and 3 cups and I sipped the drink that Hiko-sama had poured for me as we watched the development of the construction of the house. In fact, we can view the house as nearing its completion except for the spaces for the louvres, windows and main door.
I saw the windows, louvres and main sliding door on a wagon and was expected to see them complete it before they leave the job site. It had been smooth sailing and it was only the 2nd day and generally, it would be the floors, partitions and furnishing next. I could almost expect that the job is completed by tomorrow or the day after.
We saw the foreman and informed him to join us after work for a discussion, as the workers came in pairs to have their mid-afternoon tea break. Work was ongoing continuously and the men that approached the garden to take their break was the ones we spoke to earlier.
"Senior and Young Master, you had asked us about our livelihood earlier, do you have any future plans for us? I heard this house is part of a dwelling and a workshop of some sort."
"Yes, we do. But we will discuss once after we had met with the foreman," answered Hiko-sama with a straight face.
"Ah, Yes... Please forgive us for disrupting your afternoon tea." they bowed low and took the steamer basket, the tray that contains the cups and the kettle and they scooted to their job site and had their break there.
I snickered when they mentioned about our afternoon 'tea' that came from a black jar with a snout and a red paper on its lid.
True to my speculation, the workers began to install the louvres, the sliding windows on both side and the front of the house and lastly the sliding doors. I went over and looked at the quality and it seemed to me of fine materials.
The workers bowed and went to tidy up the place. I also noticed the drainage half-round 4-inch pipe had been installed and a thick wire mesh had covered. It leads outside and disappeared along with the sewage extension pipe.
I returned to the garden and remarked that the house is nearing completion. After the workers had tidied up their workplace, they came forward and took the handcarts and proceeded to the northern gate.
The foreman came over, bowed and sit on one of the stool. "Kayu-San, the house is nearing completion. We are very pleased with your work and performance. I'm sure you would be expecting the balance of the 200 gold coins, right? You did a fine job, we are proud of you."
"Ah... Senior and Young Master, you really praise me too much. I ma merely overseeing the work and never take part in the construction. I just made sure everything is as planned."
"Yes, that's very good that the house now is nearing completion. Once again, we would like to congratulate you and we have another proposal to make."
"Ah? Another proposal for me? I can't wait to hear it."
"Oh, by the way, please... Have a drink first for your job well done on the 2nd day. Kanpai!"
We three clinked our cups and drank up. I also reminded Kayu-san to drink up slowly and he sipped half and places the cup before him.
"So what is the proposal all about?" he asked curiously.
"Normally, how long do you build a barn with just a large sliding door with no windows except for high louvres and an elevated ventilation roof that stretches one end to the other about half of the original roof? What is the estimated cost with just a spare room on one end, and a high staging area on one side of the wall?
"Ah... That would be very simple. It would take at least 2 days and a maximum of 3. Normally barns are packed earth for flooring. Do you want any other plans?"
"I'd prefer it to be cemented and smoothen over with a depth of 1 foot. Simple Reed bamboo roof. High ceiling about 1.5 times of the house."
"Come have a drink first..." Hiko-sama said to Kayu-san as he poured another refill.
"If it is just like that simple, with the same ten men crew, it would just cost 80 gold coins."
"Ah, that's a very good price, Kayu-san. So this barn is considered smaller than your showroom right? I could almost imagine how grand it looked like when all the junk is removed." I added seeing that Kayu-san is already getting intoxicated.
"So my kind Kayu-san, could I ask to borrow a horse-drawn wagon for some time?" I asked and he nodded in agreement. "You can borrow it for as long as you want."
"Since we would be proposing another building, could you provide us with another 2 more stools for the garden furniture? I am sure you have spares right?" I poked the question at him and Hiko-sama invited him to further drink another cup.
"Sure... Just 2 more stools like this? Yes... Yes... I have *hic* the stock for it. I will give you later when I get back to my factory. I will send the delivery boy."he replied and smiled at us.
Before he got drunk any further, I asked Kayu-san to take the blueprint copy of the plan of this plot and a pen. I signalled to Hiko-sama to bring a Scented Soap to sober up this fellow.
Hiko-sama stood and went to the house and took one bar of Scented Soap and returned while Kayu-san returned with his bag and produced the blueprint and a reed pen.
"Here, Kayu-san...what do you think of this soap?" I purposely wanted him to sober up and showed him the soap. He held it up and smelled it and immediately he opened up his eyes and he sort of "neighed" like a horse with his lips.
"It smells great and yes, I did order 20 bars for each scent right?" he said, while he slowly sobered up and felt refreshed by the scent of the soap that had been energised with Psi healing spheres.
"By the way, Kayu-san, there's a total of 24 more fragrances. Would you like to add more? At least it makes you as a big-timer kind of person if you buy all the scents for your wife and mistress. "Yes, Yes... I'm a big-timer..." he drifted off into drunkenness again as he downed his cup.
Hiko-sama was eyeing me and was appalled that just being called a great big-timer ready to impress the women, Kayu-san is prepared to spend 580 bars of soap for 580 gold coins and it was not discounted at all!
"So big-timer would buy all the scents, right? Make you feel mighty..." I poked at Kayu-san's ego again. "So, why don't you draw your planning for the barn here and see if we could compromise."
As soon as I said about the drawings, he sat down and took a straight ruler but crudely marked and prepares his drawing, and at the same time, I pushed the cup away from him so he could concentrate on the work.
He finished with the drawing, with me adding the spare room and discussed him the staging area specifications and lastly the price.
I pushed a cup to him and we clinked together and wrote 60 gold coins on the design and wrote 580 Scented Soap for a total of 580 gold coins."So we settled on the price of 60 coins, would that be OK since we both support each other."
"Yah... Yah... 60 is OK since we would be building you a barn and not a house."
"That's good. So a total of 580 bars of soap for you at 1 gold each and 60 gold coins for the barn. Come and have a drink first and sign your name here." I pushed another cup and he was already half intoxicated and he signed his name on the blueprint. Hiko-sama and I both signed our names below his.
"OK, I go off now ya. *hic* take care. Let me know when the *hic* soap is ready. I pay you the 580 gold coins. And I ask the delivery *boy* send you the stools now." Kayu-San stood up but landed on his butt's again. I took the soap removed the paper and then rubbed on Kayu-san hands.
"Now Kayu-san, your hands are nicely Scented like a perfume. Let me know long it lasts on your hands without washing, OK?" I said with that he held his hands to his nose and he smiled as the smell permeated to his nose and awaken him up. He then stood up slowly and walked unsteadily at first and walked while he kept smelling his hands.
"You are a demon, do you know that?! 580 bars of soap and just like that, plus you yourself gave a discount for the barn as well. A money-making demon and I like it... Hahaha!" guffawed Hiko-sama as the method of persuasion and manipulation by me is truly brutal. More brutal than the killing fields.
The workers returned back close to 6 pm with the 5 handcarts almost filled to the brim. I thanked them and I pressed a silver coin in their hands for their assistance. They thanked, bowed and made their way back to their respective homes.
Hiko-sama poured another cup for me and I said this would be the last one since I had drunk 3 or 4 cups of yumeshu. I had a nagging thought in my mind that I need to clear but I had no idea where to start. I looked at the bad of cement and I think back of the lye mixture that can be easily dissolved in water
I sat there and rested my chin on the table when Hiko-sama looked at me as I was deep in my own thoughts. "What's troubling you, kid? Are your funds running out and need me to withdraw it from the treasury?" Hiko-sama asked.
"It is not about the money, Sensei. I was wondering how they make cement and then the lye that can be dissolved in water. I'm thinking about the lye powder more...Hmm..." I finally said as I can't think of any other ways of how to make a solid, turned powder and then dissolve easily in water.
"It is simple kid, they take some kind of powder-like wheat flour and heat it until it becomes very light and it can be easily dissolved in water. Like the glazing, I used for some of my pottery. I'm not sure what they used but it worked." Hiko-sama explained to me, solving part of the queries.
"Do you have any more of the powdered glazing thing? Can I take a look and please bring me a cup of water." I requested from Hiko-sama as he went into the house to fetch the things.
Hiko-sama returned with a cup of water and the glazing powder. I asked him if it's poisonous and he said he doesn't know because he never tried to consume it.
I removed the paper packet and sniffed at it. Then I pinched it and dropped it into the water and it dissolved before reaching to the bottom of the cup. I dusted it off and put it to my tongue and I can taste something like glue of some sort.
I looked at the texture and it somehow looked familiar but I can't put my finger on it. A delivery boy came with a handcart to deliver the additional stools and left and the sudden appearance of the boy disrupted my train of thoughts.
Sounds of giggling and exclamations of surprise and joys came from a distance and I saw 6 girls running towards us and waving to us with shouts of Senpais and Senseis. I knew they must be thinking that the house is ready.
They bowed deeply to us and immediately opened up the sliding door of their new house and shouted "Tadaima" and some shouted "Okaeri". Giggling and laughter filled the house and soon they came out, closed the sliding door and sat with us at the garden table.
The extra stools came on time and the girls were so excited with the house and I saw that their faces were beaming with exhilaration. "Shh... Shh... Look at Sensei, he doesn't look too happy with all the noises that you make. Quieten down please." I seriously told them and everyone looked at Hiko-sama who had a permanent frown look and at me who was controlling my laughter from within.
"Ahem... Please forgive us to make all of you sit here quietly as we speak. The house is not ready yet, we were afraid that you tumbled inside because there might be some nails or sharp objects that might hurt, you know." I said with concern because we ourselves haven't been inside to look.
"We are sorry, Sensei, Senpai... Because the moment we saw the house, we thought it is complete. We all cannot contain our happiness and joy."
"Nah... Actually, Sensei is fine with you being happy and all. It's just that he simply looks like this since the 1st day I've met him... Something like he has trouble going to the toilet." I laughed and Hiko-sama held me in a headlock and rubbed the top of my head.
I laughed out loud, and the girls realised that I was joking with them, except for playing inside the nearly completed house and we all laughed together.
"Don't worry about Senpai, I will punish him later... Hahahaha" added Hiko-sama as I referred his forever frown look as having constipation.
"Senpai, are you going to bake something? Why do you have the packet of baking powder with you?" Eko asked as she peered at the packet that was on the table.
"BAKING POWDER!!!" That's it, no wonder it looked familiar. It's something like yeast but it leaves a residue but this baking powder... Yes! I've got the final piece of the nagging thought that had been bugging me since I started to do laundry!
How I wished I could hug Eko and plant her a big kiss!
"How do you know its baking powder, Eko?" I asked as I wrapped the small paper package back.
"We herbalist would use baking powder to make herbal paste and pills. So in order to make the paste, we heat up the baking powder in a pan and then mixed the ingredients. Same goes for the pill, after we had made the pill in the mould, we let it sit for a few days to dry."
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"Baking powder is water-soluble and does not contain any smell or colour," Eko explained and my eyes gleamed and grinned and Hiko-sama thought that he could sense a kind of dangerous aura emitting from me.
"Thank you...! Thank you...! Thank you...! Omagai...! You didn't know the answer that you gave me is the solution that I had been thinking all these while as I rubbed my sore knuckles on the washing board every time I do the laundry!"
"We don't quite catch what you mean, Senpai," asked Hanna. "It is OK, you will know it soon," I replied. Hiko-sama was looking at me and was wondering what does baking powder have to do with laundry. This kid is going nuts already.
"Can someone buy for me a packet of 1 kilogram of baking powder now, please?" I said as I placed 2 silver coins on the table. Izumi picked it up and said she will go and buy for me at the confectionery and return immediately. I thanked her and she soon took off.
"How much is the bar of laundry soap? Does anyone know?" I asked around and only Hiko-sama replied saying it costs 1 silver for a long bar of laundry soap. He said the laundry soap has no smell and of the clothes were not dried properly, there would be some kind of smell.
"That's when the clothes are folded. Now it's constantly air-dried by using Hangers." I explained and Riko exclaimed that she saw me taking in the laundry yesterday evening and all looked nice and straight with a hook at the top.
Izumi returned shortly with the packet of baking powder and she was almost out of breath as she ran back as soon as possible. Poor girl!
She returned the change and I placed it back into the coin pouch. I looked at it and said that I'm going to boil some water for tea and attend to something. "Go ahead and order dinner, leave a bowl of something for me," I said and passed the coin pouch for Hiko-sama to settle their dinner for me.
I went to boil some water and then I went to the Realm of Mind and visualised an oven for me on the soap production. I then baked the baking powder on 5 minutes at 180 degrees Celcius and stirred the contents so it won't burn.
I looked around and found a bit of soap that had coagulated and hardened inside the main mixer and I took some and blended it with a few drops of rose Essense. The baking powder that had been baked I set it on top of the oven to cool it and scooped some and mixed it in the blender.
The end product was what I had imagined to be. As the soap was blended into smooth grains and added with the baking powder and drops of rose Essense, I had finally made powder Detergent! Yes...! Another great product for Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha!
"Yeeeaaaahaaawwwww...!" I shouted and I took an onion skin paper and poured the contents from the blender into it and soon I logged off my meditative state and return to the real world.
From my room, I went straight to the kitchen to check the tea and brought 6 cups to the front. I passed the packet to Hiko-sama and he opened it up and the sweet smell of rose permeated to his nose. He held the rough powdery stuff in his hands and felt that it was quite warm.
After settling the drinks I turned to Hiko-sama and told him its for the Seijuro Tumbler and also good for handwashing. Its powdered Detergent I said. Better than the laundry soap bar. Hiko-sama looked at me remarkably and simply said, "You are a wonder, kid!"
"Senpai, what's that? Can we see it too?" Riko asked as she peered at Hiko-sama's hands. "Be careful... Don't let it fall into your drinks." I cautioned Riko as everyone peered at it and saw that it was grainy but smelled wonderful.
"Senpai, what's this? And it smelled like the Karada Soap. Is this for our hair or something?" asked Eko as she pinched the Detergent and held it to her nose to smell.
"It is not for your hair, it's for washing clothes and this will arrive together with 2 new products they would make people happy when doing their laundry very very soon," I explained as the packet of Detergent was passed back to me.
"Oh... Can you tell us more about it?" Fei asked timidly.
"Wait till the product is here and then I will show everyone how to use so that you can help to market the product when the time comes, OK? Even if I tell you about the new products, you won't understand until you see it." I explained in hoping not to dampen their enthusiasm.
"Alright, Sensei... Promise to show us the new product when it comes ok? Said Riko as she clapped her hands in excitement. Her mention of soap for the hair sparked another idea but that would come at a later stage. Settle one matter first, and let it be ongoing to settle another.
It is difficult to think of hair shampoo right now because of several factors: plastic is still non-existent and having a glass bottle in the bathroom with shampoo in your hair and eyes can only spell disaster. And bottles are too time-consuming to manufacture.
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