kingnovel Chapter 149 The Curtain
Chapter 149 The Curtain
The moment the cloth was unfurled, Li Xiaonuan could hardly believe her eyes. She had only rambled on a bit, and the person had woven the pattern she described. Clearly, the wisdom and imagination of the ancients were in no way inferior to those of modern people who consider themselves superior.
"Grandma Fish, could you weave some patterns? For example, these squares, woven into the shape of dahlias, wouldn't that look beautiful? Also, if we add some silk thread to the cotton thread, wouldn't the tent be lighter and more beautiful? If we wove different colored threads together, wouldn't that look great?" Li Xiaonuan suggested enthusiastically.
Grandma Fish laughed heartily, slapping her thigh and saying, "Look at her, this little girl is so imaginative. In just a short while, Xiao Nuan has come up with so many ideas. Alright, Grandma will see how to improve it. But that silk thread is a bit expensive, I'm afraid we can't use it."
"Grandma, do you think anyone would buy these curtains if we made them and tried to sell them?" Li Xiaonuan asked tentatively.
These days, curtains are all very thick and heavy, even those made of silk or gauze. Many people embroider patterns on them for aesthetic purposes, such as designs like "a hundred sons and a thousand grandsons" or "peony and peony blossoms."
Such curtains have very little light transmission and even less breathability. Although wealthy families nowadays use canopy beds and similar structures, a beautiful, light, and breathable thin curtain is still quite appealing.
"This... I doubt anyone will buy it. People prefer to make their own curtains. However, if you really weave a curtain like you described, who knows, someone might be interested," Granny Yu said with a smile.
Su examined the fabric and asked, "Xiao Nuan, do you think a curtain like this, even if hung up, won't block other people's view? It's like a tattered fishing net. Would anyone really buy it?"
Li Xiaonuan pondered for a moment, realizing that such a tent would indeed be difficult for these conservative people to accept. However, there was one place where it might be useful. It's just that such a place was a bit... well, it wasn't easy to mention to these two elders.
“Mother, Mother-in-law, actually, there are places where these kinds of curtains are needed. It’s the kind that…” Li Xiaonuan hesitated before continuing.
Grandma Yu and Madam Su were both impatient people, so they quickly asked, "Where is this place?"
"It's...it's that kind of place." Unable to be direct, Li Xiaonuan felt quite aggrieved. In this day and age, life is so hard for women.
Grandma Yu patted Li Xiaonuan's arm and said, "Hurry up and tell me, where is it?"
Looking at Su's longing eyes, Li Xiaonuan gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, and said, "It's a brothel, isn't it?"
Mrs. Su froze on the spot. Granny Yu also stopped laughing. The two of them looked at Li Xiaonuan with strange expressions.
Li Xiaonuan shifted her body uncomfortably and said, "These days, what can't be said? It's only in places like that that such tents are needed. If you ask me, it's fine for us to use them, as long as we put another thick layer around them."
After hearing this, Su patted Li Xiaonuan on the back: "You've already wrapped yourself in thick cloth, what's the point of having a tent like this? It's not as good as the one you have now."
Li Xiaonuan said nonchalantly, "Who said that thick cloth was covering the tent? It's just a section of the tent that's surrounded by cloth so that outsiders can't see inside. Otherwise, it would be such a waste for us not to use such a beautiful tent ourselves."
After hearing Li Xiaonuan's suggestion, Granny Yu and Madam Su thought the idea was feasible. So, in Granny Yu's room, they had Li Xiaonuan demonstrate how to enclose the area.
Li Xiaonuan looked at Grandma Yu's canopy bed, walked over and gestured for a while, then said, "It's like this, just hang a thick curtain an arm's length away. You can also put a dressing table or something between the curtain and the two ends of the bed. That way, when you go to sleep at night, you can turn on a lamp on the dressing table and still see things clearly from the bed. Also, you won't feel stuffy anymore."
Grandma Yu stepped forward, measured it with her hand, and nodded repeatedly: "Not bad, not bad. This makes the room even prettier. Hahaha, the young people really know how to think things through."
Li Xiaonuan then said proudly, "If you ask me, selling such curtains to wealthy families would work too. They all use canopy beds. As long as the curtains outside the bed are thick, using such curtains inside would be even more beautiful."
Madam Su slapped her thigh and said, "Oh dear, how could we forget about that? Alright, let's make the curtains more beautiful and more transparent and refreshing. When we sell them to those wealthy families, we can make a lot of money."
Grandma Yu chuckled, her lips never closing, and scolded Li Xiaonuan, "This girl, she clearly made up her mind just now, insisting on telling us about that brothel. She almost scared me to death."
Li Xiaonuan smiled sheepishly. She thought to herself, "I didn't think of that much just now. It only suddenly came to mind while we were chatting."
After discussing the target market for the tents, Li Xiaonuan talked to them about the patterns and color schemes. Finally, they discussed the issue of blending silk threads. In Li Xiaonuan's opinion, tents woven entirely from silk threads would be more popular with wealthy families.
However, such tents are not durable and will tear easily if scratched. If a small amount of cotton or hemp thread is added, the tent will be more durable. However, tents with cotton or hemp thread added will have lower visibility.
However, both types of mosquito nets have their advantages. They are not as soft, absorbent, or reflective as cotton nets. Linen nets are more structured and less prone to creases.
After finally finishing their conversation, the moon was already high in the sky. Only then did the three of them remember that they should worship the moon. As they walked out of Granny Yu's room, they saw Zhou Liufeng standing listlessly in the courtyard, gazing wistfully at the moon.
"Liu Fei, why are you back? Did you drink too much, or did your Uncle Li and the others bully you?" Su asked Zhou Liu Fei curiously.
Zhou Liufeng withdrew his gaze and looked back at the three people who had left the room. When his gaze fell on Li Xiaonuan, she suddenly felt a little suffocated. Perhaps, she was thinking of that person again, she thought to herself.
"Auntie, I came back to invite you to go moon-gazing. I heard you two talking, so I waited here for a while." Zhou Liufeng's voice was mellow and clear. Perhaps because he had been drinking, it sounded somewhat alluring and dark.
Li Xiaonuan felt a tremor in her heart as she listened, intoxicated as if she had just drunk fine wine. She couldn't help but laugh at herself, blaming it all on the moonlight being too enchanting.
"Auntie, may I say a few words to Xiao Nuan?" Zhou Liufeng asked, looking at Li Xiao Nuan with unusual seriousness.
Su looked at Li Xiaonuan with concern, about to refuse. Suddenly, Granny Yu pulled her away, saying as she walked, "Liu Fei, don't bully Xiaonuan. Let's talk things out."
After everyone left, Zhou Liufeng turned around, stared at the top of Li Xiaonuan's head, and asked softly, "Little Nuan, why did you refuse to get engaged to me?"