Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 183: Chapter 183: Then We Have Enough Money!_1

By the time Xiao Changyi had finished making five scarecrows, An Jing still hadn’t finished her drawing, but Xiao Changyi didn’t disturb her. Instead, he began to heat some water. Both of them hadn’t bathed yet, so they needed to boil some water in preparation.

When the water was boiled, An Jing had also finished her drawing. She had even marked the length, width, and height of each individual part, which explained why it took her so long. Of course, this made it much easier to calculate how much wood and iron were needed.

After Xiao Changyi took a careful look and did some mental calculations, he said, ”We will probably need about twelve taels in total.”

An Jing immediately laughed, ”Then we have enough money!” She had more than sixteen taels on hand at the moment.

”Hmm.”

”So tomorrow, we’ll go find the carpenters and blacksmiths to make the rice-husking machine.”

”Hmm.”

The next morning, An Jing and Xiao Changyi went to the pond to collect duckweed. Then, carrying the duckweed and the five scarecrows, they headed to the paddy field.

After that, An Jing evenly spread the duckweed in the paddy field for the fish to eat, while Xiao Changyi found places to insert the five scarecrows.

The villagers of Jiuping Village who saw what An Jing and Xiao Changyi were doing felt it was rather peculiar, but nobody thought much of it.

However, a few days later, when everyone noticed that there were no birds stealing rice from the field of An Jing and Xiao Changyi, they believed that the scarecrows and duckweed were effective. Subsequently, the villagers started doing the same, scattering duckweed in their fields and placing scarecrows as well.

When An Jing learned that everyone had put scarecrows in their fields and even scattered duckweed evenly, she almost died laughing. ”If you want to place scarecrows, just place scarecrows, why are you scattering duckweed too? I am feeding the fish, alright!”

Of course, all of this happened later.

After feeding the fish with duckweed and setting up the scarecrows, An Jing and Xiao Changyi took the drawings they had prepared the night before to the town to find a blacksmith and a carpenter to make the rice-husking machine.

An Jing had drawn the blueprints in detail the previous night, separating each part of the rice-husking machine. She showed which parts the carpenters would make and which the blacksmith would create. Even though she had drawn a complete rice-husking machine, she tore that part off and kept it at home.

As soon as they arrived at the carpenter’s workshop, An Jing showed the carpenter the drawings of the parts he needed to make. Although the carpenter was puzzled about what An Jing wanted with these assorted pieces, it was a business opportunity that could make money, so he wouldn’t turn it away. He accepted the job and promised to make them according to the blueprints.

They spent 360 coins at the carpenter’s, and then An Jing and Xiao Changyi went to the blacksmith’s workshop.

When the blacksmith saw the drawings An Jing had made, he immediately asked in amazement, ”What are you making these strange things for?” There were four shapes that looked like wheels but weren’t quite wheels because they had teeth on them. How could these possibly roll on the ground?

”We have our uses for them. If you can’t make them, we’ll find someone else,” An Jing didn’t say much.

The blacksmith was in business to make money, and from the blueprints, he could tell this was a significant deal. How could he let An Jing find someone else? Upon hearing her words, he quickly said, ”I can make these.”

Only then did An Jing ask, ”How much will it cost to make these?”

The blacksmith carefully calculated the amount of iron needed for the various parts on the drawing and finally gave an answer, ”Eleven taels and eight hundred coins.”

An Jing looked at her husband with a smile. Her husband’s estimate was indeed impressive; he said it would be around twelve taels, and it really was about twelve taels.

After paying the money and obtaining a receipt from the blacksmith, An Jing and Xiao Changyi left the blacksmith’s workshop.