Quantum Leap - Vol. 6 Kingdom Building Garnering Wealth

C017 Glazing Powder - Baking Powder Indeed

"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!