When Qin Yihuai came out again, he was holding cinnabar and a writing brush.
He found an unassuming tree stump to sit on and waved for Ye Zhinan to come over.
He drew a few circles on the drawing with the cinnabar.
"The so - called greenhouse you mentioned requires a kind of cloth that is both light - transmitting and heat - retaining, and can be airtight. Do you have any similar materials at hand?"
His fingertips traced over the blueprint, and there were problems in more or less all the circled positions.
"In terms of the fixing method, traditional techniques may not meet your requirements. Have you come up with a solution?"
The successive questions made Ye Zhinan even more flustered.
She only had a rough idea in her mind and rushed to discuss it with him.
Unexpectedly, in his eyes, it was just an unrealistic fantasy.
Qin Yihuai pursed his lips. Seeing that she didn't seem to respond, he stood up and returned the drawing to her.
"The idea is good, but it still needs improvement. Otherwise, even if you manage to deceive me, you won't be able to convince others."
"I'm not trying to deceive you..."
Ye Zhinan's voice was muffled, as if she was holding back her tears.
Qin Yihuai paused for a moment but didn't turn back. He still faced away from her.
"Then prove it to me."
Ye Zhinan stubbornly raised her head and only then realized that the person had already walked far away.
"Don't worry. I'm sure I can make it!"
For several days in a row, Ye Zhinan worked during the day and studied her greenhouse technology at night.
There were indeed plastic films and nails in the space, but she didn't know how to explain their origin if she took them out.
If she wanted the greenhouse technology to be free of future troubles, she could only use local materials and find substitutes.
"The cost of silk is too high. Although it is light - transmitting, its air - tightness is not strong. Ordinary cloth is thick, but..."
Ye Zhinan was cutting vegetables while muttering to herself.
She had thought about it for several days but still couldn't find a solution. She also asked around among her neighbors during work but made no progress.
Was there really no perfect substitute in this era?
"What are you muttering about? Qingfeng is here. Hurry up and go greet him."
Han Xiangmei came in and pulled Ye Zhinan out.
She liked Zhao Qingfeng more and more and wished he could become her son - in - law.
But...
She glanced at her absent - minded daughter beside her and felt annoyed.
Ye Shenyan and herself were both reasonable people. How could they have such a muddle - headed daughter?
"Your mother has been through it all. Qingfeng is especially nice to you. You should keep it in mind."
Ye Zhinan nodded helplessly. Of course, she remembered.
As long as Zhao Qingfeng sent something over, she would find an excuse to return the favor the next day.
She even found it annoying, but unexpectedly, he still came to visit from time to time.
"I heard from Aunt Ye that you've been looking for something recently. Could you tell me about it?"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Qingfeng changed the topic and brought up the matter that had been bothering Ye Zhinan.
At the mention of the greenhouse, Ye Zhinan's eyes instantly lit up.
She almost forgot that Zhao Qingfeng had once served in the Ministry of Revenue. He must know something about it.
"I want something that is both light - transmitting and air - tight, which can be built over the crops to keep them warm."
She looked straight at him with expectation in her eyes.
Zhao Qingfeng blushed deeply and even stuttered when he spoke.
"I once saw in the capital... that the palace used silk coated with white wax to wrap fresh flowers and trees. I think the principle is the same."
White wax?
Why didn't she think of it!
The light - transmitting property must not be as good as that of plastic, but it was the best substitute she could think of for the time being.
"Do you have anything that can replace silk?"
The cost of silk was too high. Moreover, it was cold and frozen in the northern border, and there were no conditions for sericulture.
Even the wealthy rarely wore clothes made of silk. It would be too extravagant to use it for farming.
"My mother used to know the weaving technique. Maybe she has a way."
Ye Zhinan immediately felt hopeful and told Zhao Qingfeng to remember to ask at home.
Seeing her smile, for some reason, Zhao Qingfeng also felt happy.
With a solution to the material - sourcing problem, Ye Zhinan felt much lighter.
She patted Zhao Qingfeng on the shoulder and joked.
"I'm not a tigress. I don't eat people. Don't be nervous."
With her eyes curving, she thought Zhao Qingfeng would relax, but unexpectedly, his face turned even redder.
Ye Zhinan sighed. What was wrong with him?
...
"I heard that Inspector Qin had an argument with the supervisor, and he even got beaten for this."
Ye Zhinan seemed to be working on the surface, but in fact, her ears were almost stretched to the other people's mouths.
She had been out of touch with the outside world recently and had no time to care about Qin Yihuai.
Now that she thought about it, she really hadn't seen him for some time.
During the break, Chen Zhenhai secretly came up to her and greeted her in a low voice.
He was short and walked as quietly as a cat, which gave her a start.
"You're a supervisor. Next time, you can just call me openly. Don't scare me like this."
Although Ye Zhinan was joking, her heart was pounding.
Chen Zhenhai coming to find her was mostly related to Qin Yihuai.
She suppressed the smile on her face and quietly waited for him to speak.
"The boss got beaten. I don't know what kind of skills the person who beat him had, but the wounds on his body just won't scab."
Ye Zhinan resisted the urge and took out a medicine bottle from her body and stuffed it into his hand.
"Apply it every two hours. It has the effect of reducing inflammation and relieving pain. I'll check it carefully when I go there tonight."
After seeing Chen Zhenhai off, Ye Zhinan was about to pick up the hoe and continue working.
She turned around and met Han Xiangmei's eyes, and suddenly felt a little guilty.
When she got home from work in the evening, Ye Zhinan quickly cleaned up the dishes and bowls and coaxed the whole family to go to bed.
Fortunately, Han Xiangmei didn't ask too much. It seemed that she hadn't heard about what happened during the day.
The night was quiet outside. Ye Zhinan leaned against the window and listened carefully for a while. When she finally heard the snoring of her father and brother, she grabbed her medicine bag and rushed out.
But as soon as she stepped out, she saw Han Xiangmei sitting in the corner of the yard waiting for her.
Sure enough, the old ginger was spicier...
"I can't sleep at night, so I came out for some fresh air. It's getting colder at night. You should go back quickly too."
The more Ye Zhinan spoke, the more guilty she felt. In the end, she didn't even dare to raise her head.
"Are you really just out for some fresh air?"
Han Xiangmei's eyes lingered on Ye Zhinan. Knowing that she couldn't hide it anymore, Ye Zhinan gritted her teeth and told the truth.
"A junior official beside Inspector Qin came to me and said that the wounds on his body hadn't healed for a long time and it might be life - threatening."
She deliberately exaggerated the situation in order to arouse Han Xiangmei's sympathy.
Han Xiangmei looked cold, but in fact, she was kind - hearted.
She just did things silently without letting others notice.
But this time, she pulled a straight face and directly bolted the door.
"If it's life - threatening, then go and invite a doctor. You've only learned a little. Don't delay him."
Ye Zhinan was extremely anxious. She had read about a similar situation in medical books before.
If she went too late, Qin Yihuai might really lose his life.
After all, he had been kind to the Ye family.