81話 貧民街にて
というわけで、利民が言う「アイツ」を訪ねることとなったわけだが。
「この辺だと思うんですけどねぇ」
雨妹は現在、細い路地をキョロキョロしながら歩いていた。
「治安が悪そうな場所だ、あまり長居はしないからな」
その後ろを、立勇が渋い顔をしながらついて来ている。
今雨妹たちがいるのは、佳でも貧しい者たちが住んでいる、いわゆる貧民街の区域であった。
そうやって多少迷いもつつ辿り着いたそこは、一際ボロい家だった。
「......本当にここか?」
「利民様が仰っていた看板がかかっていますし。
雨妹は立勇に応じながら、入口の傾きかけた戸の上を見ると、そこには木の板で「胡の工作室」とある。
利民の話によると、ここにいるのは
雨妹が戸を叩くと、その衝撃で戸がますます傾いてしまい、慌てて直そうとしていると。
「......なんだ、幾ら来ても金なんざねぇぞ」
すると中からそんな男の声が聞こえて来た。
どうやら雨妹たちは借金の取り立てだと思われたようだ。
「私、利民様に紹介されて来たんですけど」
雨妹の呼びかけに、傾いた戸が開く。
そこにいたのはボサボサ頭にヨレヨレの格好をした、中年男であった。
「おう、俺ぁ胡だが。
男が頭を掻きながら、胡散臭そうな目で雨妹たちを見る。
利民を呼び捨てにする様子を見ると、彼と近しい間柄のようだ。
雨妹が屋内の胡の背後を覗き見ると、色々なものがごちゃごちゃに置かれているのがわかる。
それらはなにに使うのかわからないものだったりするのがほとんどだった。
いつも注文通りに作らずに余計な工程を入れるので、首になってしまったそうだ。
それでもここで、懲りずに妙なものを作り続けているのだという。
そんな男だが利民は話をすると結構面白くて、食い詰めないように援助しているのだが。
その金を妙なもの作りにつぎ込んで、いつも貧乏をしているのだそうだ。
――なんていうか、発明家気質なのかな?
前世での知り合いに、似たような知り合いがいた。
こういう人たちは熱中すると他が見えなくなるので、誰かが日常生活を維持してやらなければならないものだったりする。
そんなことを考えていると、ごちゃごちゃの屋内のモノたちの中で、雨妹はとあるモノに目を止める。
大きな車輪が一つ、その後ろに小さめの車輪が二つ並んでいて、それに様々な部品がくっついている。
全てが木製なのだが。
――これって、自転車?
そう、形はいささか歪ながらも、それは自転車に見えた。
いや、正確には三輪車か。
「あの、アレって動くんですか?」
雨妹が指さす先にあるものを見て、胡は「おや?」という顔をする。
あれのどこに人が乗るのだ?」
雨妹の答えに、立勇が横槍を入れる。
「そりゃあ、車輪の上さ」
そう言って胡は示した大きな車輪の上に、木製の小さな箱が簡素に乗せられていた。
決して椅子ではないそれだと、見るからにお尻が痛そうだ。
「人や馬や牛なんかに牽かせるんじゃなくて、乗り手だけで動く車がないもんかと思ってな。
雨妹は自分の目がキラキラ輝いているのが分かる。
これこそ、今回の問題にうってつけのものだ。
違うものを頼もうとしていたのだが、まさか自転車モドキがあるとは考えてもみなかった。
「はいっ!
Chapter 81
And so, it was decided that Yui Mei would visit the guy Li Min mentioned.
"It should be around here."
Yui Mei was currently walking at a narrow alley while looking around her.
"We won't stay here for long. Public order doesn't seem to be that good in here."
Li Yong followed behind her with a grim face.
They were at the border of the slums, home to the good but poor people.
Although they felt doubtful, they finally reached a remarkably dilapidated house.
"Is it really here?"
"There's the signboard that Lord Li Min mentioned, see. Isn't it here, then?"
Yui Mei looked above the slanted door while replying to Li Yong. There was a wooden signboard, and 'Hu's Workshop' was written on it.
The craftsman was named Hu Tian according to Li Min.
Yui Mei knocked on the door. The door leaned further due to the impact, and she hurriedly tried to right it again.
"... Hey, no matter how many times you return, I already told you I don't have money."
A man's voice resounded from inside the house.
He probably thought Yui Mei and Li Yong were here to collect debts.
"Lord Li Min recommended this place, so I came here."
The sagging door opened when Yui Mei called out.
A shabby middle-aged guy with messy hair stood there.
"Yeah, I'm Hu. What did Li Min say?"
He stared suspiciously at Yui Mei and Li Yong while scratching his hair.
He had dropped the honorifics when he talked about Li MIn, so they were probably close to each other.
Yui Mei tried to peek at the interior of the house. She saw several things all jumbled up behind Hu.
She didn't know how to use almost all of the stuff in there.
He would always add a lot of things that were uncalled for without managing to fulfill what was ordered, so he had been fired.
Despite that, he didn't learn from that experience, and he continued to tinker with and create a lot of strange things.
Li Min said that he was an interesting guy, and he supported him so that he won't go broke.
But this guy would invest all his money in making weird stuff, so he ended up destitute.
'Wait, that sounds like he has the characteristics of being an inventor?'
She knew someone similar among her acquaintances in her previous life.
These kinds of people would often be too absorbed in whatever they were enthusiastically doing, forgetting everyone and everything around them. They require a person who would care for their daily necessities.
Yui Mei's gaze wandered around the room while thinking those things, when a certain object suddenly caught her eye among the jumbled things.
It had a huge wheel, and there were two smaller wheels standing side-by-side  behind it, with various parts attached.
It was made entirely from wood.
'Is that a bicycle?'
Indeed, the design was a little crooked, but it did look like a bicycle.
No, it must have been a tricycle, to be precise.
"Excuse me, is that thing working?"
Hu had a puzzled look when Yui Mei pointed to it.
"Vehicle? Where on earth would a person ride on that thing?"
Li Yong butted in when Yui Mei answered.
"You can ride over the wheel."
Hu pointed to it after he said that. There was a wooden box that had been placed simply on top of the bigger wheel.
It wasn't a chair, and it looked painful to sit on.
"I thought that there were no vehicles that people could ride independently, without being pulled by another person, a cow or a horse. Unfortunately, i can't find anyone who can ride it, including me. So yeah, it's a defective product."
Yui Mei's eyes were shining, and she knew that.
She already found the solution to her problem.
She wanted to request another product, but she never expected that she would encounter a pseudo-bicycle.
"Yes! I want to ride that!"
Housekeeper of the Hundred Blossom Palace
百花宮のお掃除係～転生した新米宮女、後宮のお悩み解決します。
https://www.novelupdates.com/series/housekeeper-of-the-hundred-blossom-palace/
Fantasy Romance Shoujo Slice of Life
Adapted to Manga Ancient China Complex Family Relationships Different Social Status Female Protagonist Imperial Harem Love Interest Falls in Love First Reincarnated in Another World Royalty
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4104ev/
黒辺あゆみ