15 Pushing the Cart

The days were busy.

Qin Jin’s refusal of Zhu Erhong’s offer was not an excuse.

It hadn’t rained for several days, and the crops in the fields truly needed watering—a laborious task, entirely reliant on manual labor to fetch water from ditches, ponds, and wells.

Their fields were somewhat far from the well, and without a cart at home, all the watering had to be done by carrying buckets on their shoulders. After several consecutive days, his shoulders ached so much that even removing his shirt became a struggle.

Neither he nor the original owner had ever done such strenuous work before, but now there was no choice but to grit their teeth and persist, earning as much as possible.

He instructed Zhang Qifu to produce three hundred and sixty pounds of tofu pudding every day.

After delivering the tofu pudding once to the old courtyard and to Qin Wen and Qin Li, they refused to accept more; purchased goods couldn’t be eaten every day.

Besides, Qin Jin himself was still in debt.

Ye Miao and Zhao Feng also claimed they didn’t like eating tofu pudding without seasoning, so all the tofu pudding was made into pressed tofu sheets, weighing around seventy-eight pounds.

The weight of the pressed tofu sheets was several times that of the pea cakes, but the sheets always sold out first each day. For rural farmers, snacks were not essential, but everyone who came to the market was willing to spend a few coins to add a new dish to their dinner table.

Sampling usually consumed two or three pounds, with the rest converted into cash, yielding daily profits of around one hundred and thirty wén.

Adding the pea cakes’ one hundred wén, these two small businesses brought in a minimum daily profit of two hundred and thirty wén.

In just a few days, the small money box was nearly full.

With such daily cash inflow, Ye Miao grew more generous.

Eggs had to be purchased, and to avoid gossip, Qin Jin initially intended to buy from his own family, but before he could ask, Shen Yucheng proactively inquired if he needed eggs.

The Zhang family raised many chickens, producing several eggs each day.

Ordinary families would save eggs to sell at the market, but Shen Yucheng did not; he did not rely on eggs for income, and all the eggs went straight to his family’s tables.

But now, relying on pressed tofu sheets, his family did not need to set up a stall outside; the daily income matched what households earned preparing New Year goods in the twelfth lunar month, so how could he not pay attention to Qin Jin and Ye Miao?

Knowing that Ye Miao’s little hens were still far from laying eggs, he offered a special discount on the eggs.

Thus, Ye Miao bought dozens of eggs from Shen Yucheng.

The household’s oil barrel was completely empty, so he bought ten pounds of pork lard in one go. Qin Jin and his father had been working extremely hard lately; meals had to be sufficiently rich in oil or their bodies wouldn’t hold up.

Especially his father, who, while Qin Jin only worked half a day before tiring so much he could barely lift his hand, was out in the fields carrying water buckets all day.

Every evening, Ye Miao would massage his father’s shoulders thoroughly. After massaging his father and tucking him into bed, he would continue to massage Qin Jin.

At first, Qin Jin was somewhat unaccustomed, but his shoulders were indeed uncomfortable, and after just a few presses, he lay face down on the bed, letting Ye Miao proceed.

That night was no different. Once on the bed, he lay down directly.

Ye Miao, originally tidying the clothes box at the foot of the bed, also got on the bed.

He sat directly on Qin Jin’s waist, stretching out his hands to carefully knead the tight, sore muscles.

His strength was neither too heavy nor too light; his soft hands pressed and kneaded the shoulders comfortably. Qin Jin closed his eyes, feeling drowsy.

At that moment, the young husband behind him called softly, “Jin Ge.”

“Hm?” Qin Jin opened his eyes and twisted his head back slightly.

“The double-barrel cart you drew last time—I keep thinking it’s very practical. Why don’t you find a carpenter tomorrow? We’ve earned quite a bit these days; we should be able to afford it,” Ye Miao said.

That double-barrel cart could carry two buckets of water at once, with small wheels that could easily navigate the ridges between fields. Having this cart would save a lot of effort for both his father and Jin Ge.

After all, carrying two buckets by hand or shoulder was the limit, and the cart could carry the same amount at once.

Moreover, the cart’s speed wouldn’t be much slower than walking.

No matter how you looked at it, it was time to get a small cart made.

Qin Jin was somewhat surprised but, considering their situation, nodded after a few seconds. “I’ll go to the county town after lunch tomorrow and take a look.”

“Take Dad with you; he knows the county town well,” Ye Miao added.

“Alright,” Qin Jin agreed. Thinking of Zhao Feng’s recent hard work, he said, “Starting tomorrow, give Dad an extra egg with every meal.”

“Ah?” Ye Miao was surprised, but before he could say anything, Qin Jin added, “Forget it, we all get extra eggs.”

One egg per meal was indeed an improvement from the days just after their wedding, but it wasn’t enough.

It needed to be increased further.

“I don’t need any,” Ye Miao shook his head, already smiling.

“You’re not doing light work either.”

“My work is lighter,” Ye Miao’s smile deepened.

“We’re earning more silver money.”

“But there are more places to spend it. Take this double-barrel cart, for example—it looks simple but will cost at least a hundred or two hundred wén.”

And they needed to make at least two carts: one for his father and one for Jin Ge.

“…”

Qin Jin stretched his big hand back, grabbed Ye Miao’s hand, and pulled him down onto the bed.

Holding him close, looking into those distinct black-and-white eyes, he said helplessly, “It’s not like we’re missing your share. With your appetite, you won’t starve our family.”

Hearing this, Ye Miao laughed, his pupils reflecting the dim light of the oil lamp, beautiful like marbles.

Seeing this, Qin Jin’s big hand brushed the stray hair from Ye Miao’s forehead to the side, revealing those lovely eyes fully.

This gesture was somewhat intimate—something he had never done before. Ye Miao was stunned, staring fixedly at him.

His heart softened, and he couldn’t help but lean in and kiss Ye Miao’s nose tip.

This kiss brought Ye Miao back to his senses. The surprise lasted only a moment before shyness took over. He grabbed Qin Jin’s shirt at his chest, not daring to look at him again.

But inside, he was bubbling with happiness.

On their wedding night, Qin Jin had kissed him, but that was the only night. Now, without any prompting, Qin Jin kissed him again—did this mean Jin Ge liked him a little?

And he should kiss back, right?

Just as he was about to look up at Qin Jin, Qin Jin said, “My shoulders feel better. Let’s get some sleep.”

“…”

Again!

Whenever he wanted to do something, Jin Ge always told him to sleep!

He wasn’t going to sleep. Jin Ge had kissed him—how could he fall asleep now?

He said nothing and watched Qin Jin get up to blow out the oil lamp, then lie back down and hold him. He reached out, feeling for Qin Jin’s face, suppressing the thumping of his heart, and kissed him.

In the darkness, he couldn’t see clearly, but the kiss landed on the face.

Soft lips brushed his mouth; Qin Jin was surprised, but before he could say anything, the kisser slid down, hiding like an ostrich in his arms without moving.

Qin Jin chuckled and held him tight.

He didn’t do anything more; feelings couldn’t be rushed.

The next day, after lunch, Qin Jin and Zhao Feng went to the county town to find a carpenter to make the small cart.

The best carpenter in town was named He, over fifty years old, with rough calloused hands. His family had been carpenters for generations, with a good reputation. Qin Jin took out the rough model he had made and asked if He could make a real one.

Carpenter He examined the model carefully for a long time before nodding. “I’ll give it a try.”

He didn’t make any definite promises.

But those who knew him well understood that if he accepted the job, he was confident.

Qin Jin said, “Uncle He, this cart is designed for people with less strength—women, young husbands, and the elderly. It’s especially convenient for fetching water and buying groceries. If you make a real one, I’m sure people will want to buy it.”

“I don’t ask for much. If more than thirty people buy this cart from you, you’ll make six more carts for me free of charge. How about that?” the carpenter proposed.

If this little cart was truly made and He’s price was reasonable, others would likely want to buy it.

Rural farmers might hesitate to spend the silver, but city dwellers would be willing to buy one.

The county town’s roads were smoother than the countryside’s, making the cart even more useful.

He had thought about sharing profits with the He family, but he couldn’t supervise how many carts were sold, and the He family could easily report any number.

Moreover, there was no patent protection here; other carpenters would likely copy the design.

Considering all this, he made only this one request.

The cart required almost no iron, only wood.

The entire frame was tiny—just a few wooden sticks and two wheels—costing very little, though the initial work was time-consuming and required skill.

If many people bought it, he didn’t mind making some carts for Qin Jin for free.

With the matter settled, Qin Jin and Zhao Feng left He’s house.

Once they were a good distance away, Zhao Feng couldn’t help but praise Qin Jin’s cleverness. He hadn’t thought of that before; this way, they could get several carts for free.

Qin Jin smiled modestly.

In his heart, he prayed that Carpenter He could make a satisfactory product.

Several more days passed. Qin Jin continued setting up his stall and working the fields. Still, no rain fell.

Without rain, in the summer heat, when the last acre was watered, the first acre dried up again.

Besides continuing to water, there was truly no other solution.

However, the daily income eased the fatigue. He had already repaid the silver owed to Wang Xiuqin, and the pressed tofu sheets were gradually gaining a reputation. Each day, as he put down his basket, customers came without him having to shout.

Besides pressed tofu sheets, his fermented tofu was also ready.

The red fermented tofu, tinged with a hint of alcohol, had a unique, rich flavor, perfect with porridge or steamed buns.

Of course, some didn’t like this taste, such as Ye Miao.

He disliked the alcoholic note.

But Qin Lao and Qin Bing all enjoyed it. The Qin family was poor, and the men only bought the cheapest wine during the New Year to savor the flavor. Now, with the subtle wine aroma in the fermented tofu, they were pleasantly surprised.

Having the approval of his own family greatly boosted Qin Jin’s confidence.

He bought thirty pounds of tofu from Zhang Qi, and with his current resources, he could afford the loss. If he couldn’t sell it, his family would eat it.

That day, after selling out the pressed tofu sheets, as he was about to take out his water pouch to drink and rest, someone called from a distance, “Qin Jin!”

The voice was unfamiliar. Looking over, he saw a man pushing a double-barrel cart toward him.

The cart looked peculiar and drew many glances.

He smiled immediately; the visitor was no stranger but the eldest son of Carpenter He.

It seemed the double-barrel cart had pleased the He family; otherwise, they wouldn’t have taken the initiative to bring it over.