Quantum Leap Vol 8 Harris Treaty July 29, 1858

C009 Bricks Making An Appearance

I squatted down and began to lay the bricks the way I liked it to be. It was slanted at 45 degrees instead of laying it like straight across. It was fashioned in a way that it looked like it was thatched on the ground and Hiko-sama like the idea very much.

"The first thing is to mark out the ground right? To make it accessible in the day, the work would be done in the evenings, right up till morning. Let's say 6 pm to 6 am, a 12 hour night shift."

"The pathway would be 6 meters across and it is going to be a straight line. So these people would dig the ground first and compile the mud, soil, sand, water, straw and pine needles first and send it to the Ops Room, right?"

"Next is to flatten the ground of 5 inches deep first, and use a monkey ramp to flatten it. Then lay a thin layer of porous sand on top before laying the bricks according to the design."

"Use porous sand to fill the gaps and then use the end of the monkey ramp wrapped with some gunny sacks and thumped them to be more compact, right?"

"The making of the flexible 'clay' as what I would term it right now would be sent by the cartloads to our Ops Room in the day time and we could just dump it on the first conveyor to let it process on its right?"

"Hahahahaha... Sensei, you could read my mind right now. That's what we need and hope the foreman could have the manpower we need for the building of the paved walkway. Come, help me, Sensei. We load these bricks on the cart and push it out first."

"Those Tanuki would be surprised when we pushed these out. Tomorrow we need to have a netted pallet to bring these out. It's easier for us and there's no need to inventories these."

After placing the bricks in the 2 carts, we logged off from our meditative state and entered our real world. We pushed the carts out and placed it outside the Ops Room. A few Tanuki were curious and approached us but stopped beyond the partition. Upon seeing us push the cart, they immediately offered to help.

"Senpai, what's it this? Is this a new building material?" asked a Tanuki by the name of Coochi. "Ah, Yes... This would be used to pave the roads from our corporation right till the southern gate there. It is used to make sure the roads would never be flooded again."

There were Oohs and Aahs as they held the bricks in their hands and they asked if this could replace masonry.

"It could replace masonry, the stonemasons could be employed to lay these bricks jus like they were to build the half walled ones. It would be sturdier than full wooden panel ones as it's termite free and waterproof."

A lot of Oohs and Aahs afterwards, we had another idea. The Construction for the new residential would take a pause first while new development methods would be implemented. At least from the outermost districts, the houses would have a better outlook and make of bricks, rather than full wood.

Tomorrow it seems that we need to talk to Kayu-San about the housings, and it means we use lesser wood and more of our labour instead.

We left the Tanuki to return to rest while we called one of the guards to relay the message for kayu-San to meet us tomorrow morning, and then to recall back the storekeeper and delivery boys to perform some tasks of making crates and also some netted 2x2 pallets to store these bricks.

The guards nodded their heads and we went back to the garden and took out the sketchpad and write on a new empty page entitled developments around Kitakata Town.

It was already close to 11 pm and Hiko-sama passed me a cup and we "Kanpai" once more and watched the streams of employees reporting to work and reporting off to work, and I saw Izumi waving to me and I gingerly waved back and I felt like there's an intimate spark going on or the effects of the copious cups of yumeshu that had travelled to my body. Hahahaha... Find out soon enough then...!

=*=

Izumi waved her hand when she exited from one of the warehouses and headed straight at me. She made a beeline after telling to Riko that she would be meeting me or else she won't be heading towards me right?

I excused myself from the table and heads towards her, with the cup of yumeshu in my hand. "Is there anything I could help you with Izumi?" I asked as she clasped her hands in front of her and bowed slightly to me.

"Would you be free afterwards? Tomorrow is our off day, you know. I would like to walk with you outside and we could fish together and eat fresh grilled fish. What do you think?"

I looked at her and was wondering she could sleep the whole night and wake up in the late evening as it is their off days and once it is their day off, they would rather eat sleep eat sleep and grow fat? Hahahahaha.

"Oh okie, I go grab my fishing tackle and we could walk there. Is Riko joining us?"

"No, Senpai. She has something else in her mind and would be going out with Enyo and Fujin. She loves the nekomata and asked me to find one here."

"Ah...so Riko is dating with the shy Enyo. Hahahaha." I thought to myself. I chuckled and told Izumi that I would be right back as I need to shower and showed her my hands whose fingernails were covered with mud that looked like shit...!

I playfully clawed at her and she covered her face, thinking why my fingernails were so dirty and muddy. She's never gonna let me stick my finger near her, definitely after looking how gross it was. Hahahaha. She must have thought how a cultured person like me suddenly became like a kid who loves to wallow in mud like a piglet. Hahahaha.

I told her I wash up first then meet her at her doorsteps. She too wanted to wash up and feeling fresh and smelling great for this date. Hahaha. I told Hiko-sama that I and Izumi would be going fishing and eat freshly grilled fish at the riverbanks.

He waved me off and said, "You two have fun. I'd be turning in soon and I'd leave the door slightly ajar. Here, this is for your protection."

Hiko-sama threw a few packets on the table and I thought it was a kind of talisman or something and when I saw it was condoms, I cringed my face and said I don't need these balloons to cover my little soldier.

"Hahahahaha.....I don't want to see little Harunes and little Izumis running around the house very soon. So protection is better, or best is total abstinence. Which is which, you choose."

"By the way, Sensei... Where did you get this Okamoto Condoms from?"

"From your friend la, that Max fellow... He told me to pass to you tonight in case you gonna get frisky and can't resist to let your little soldier enter the cave and fight off that evil dragon by yourself...."

"Hahahahaha....." I picked the condoms and slipped into my secret compartment in the sleeve of my kimono. Not that I'm going to use that at all, but at least I won't hurt anyone's feelings if I were to reject them flatly.

I went to shower and the revitalising, refreshing and invigorating hair shampoo, body soap both combined to give me renewed energy as I hummed to myself and cleaned all the grime from my nails. I even brushed my teeth to feel fresh with its sharp peppermint taste and feel afterwards.

As a guy, we don't normally end up in the shower for more than 15 minutes. A good scrub here and there would suffice and I unleashed a small amount of Fire Release into the tub to warm it up a little and I splashed the water all over my body rinsing out all the suds.

After towelling my hair and my body, I wrapped the towel over my scrawny body and tiptoes to my room where I continued to towel myself dry. I decided to wear a gi tonight so it's more cooling and I don't feel like a drab afterwards. I didn't buy any more kimonos or gis since a few months ago and I felt comfortable in them and I don't feel the need to splurge unnecessary monies on them.

After I had worn my hakama and gi, I took the pocket watch, wound it several times and wear back in my neck like a medallion. The time showed 1120 pm. Since tomorrow is the rest day for all workers, I'd be pretty sure that the river would be teeming with life, in the water as well as its riverbank.

I got my tackles ready and walked out of the door after I hung my damp towel on the clothesline. "Tata...." I waved at Hiko-sama and sauntered at the front door of Jiyu Residence where I sat down and Riko joined me.

"Hi, Senpai... Tomorrow is our rest day. I'm going over to Enyo and spend the night there with Fujin. Fei here is going out too with Kaneko and she said Kaneko has new toys to show to her..."

I was thinking that when Kaneko mentioned he had new toys, it would mean a vibrating dildo or a vibrating horse. Hahahahaha. Wicked... Simply wicked...!!! And Riko ending up staying at Enyo's room... I wonder what she would do to Enyo... Oh, Dear... Would it happen that Enyo would lose his virginity tonight? Hahahahahaha.

Riko waved off to me and heads to Saika's and Enyo's place and had just washed her face instead of showering. Maybe she doesn't do much work and doesn't sweat so much like her sister.

Just then, Izumi came out and greeted me at the doorway. My God..she looked simply stunning...! She had let her hair down instead of bunching it up during work and she smelled terrific. Then I noticed something different about her...her lips was a rosy red in color...must it be that she had taken some rogue from Miko?

"Izumi...you looked... Stunning...! I like the rogue you are wearing and your hair, that exudes the real you was simply captivating..."

I complimented her and she smiled back... Her face radiating under the crescent moon the night. I was thinking about catching fish or capturing my heart? Grilling fish or have me grilled over the fire instead? Hahahaha

"Come, let's go... The fishes are waiting for us. Hehehehe." I said as I picked myself up and walked beside her. She wasn't wearing a hakama but a one-piece kimono and made her walked rather funny. Like a duck waddling as she shuffled her zori on the ground instead of taking long strides as usual.

"Errrr... Izumi... Don't you feel weird walking with that kimono dress? I thought you would be wearing a hakama like me."

"Oh, you don't like it? I could go back and change if you wish me to." she stopped in her tracks and looked at me, her body was c****d sideways as if she wanted to head back and change instead.

"No... No... Not at all. I never expected you to be wearing this though... Maybe you need to loosen this part so you could walk the same speed as I or I'd be shuffling right beside you too, like this..."

I waddled beside her as a duck would and we both laughed and she held my hands and looked at my fingernails. She didn't let go of it and walked hand in hand, waddling like ducks heading to the stream and passing by the pathway that was unfit to be walking in and I remarked to her that this walkway would soon be a thing of the past.