ebookland Chapter 125 Improving Farm Implements
Chapter 125 Improving Farm Implements
After Ying Wuyou left, Mo Li, Lü Chen, and Su Yi also departed. The next morning, before dawn, Mo Li shouldered his plow and left home. He walked to the fields outside the city, where he saw many farmers diligently working the land.
Mo Li swayed between the fields carrying a curved plow, attracting the curiosity of the people around him. Soon, more and more people noticed him. Among them was an elderly man who couldn't help but come up and look at the strange thing on Mo Li's shoulder with a puzzled expression, asking, "Young man, what are you carrying? It looks strange."
Hearing the old man's words, Mo Li was overjoyed. Finally, someone had noticed him! He immediately put on a bright smile and replied, "Grandpa, look, this is a curved plow!" As he spoke, he showed the curved plow to the old man.
The old man examined it closely, his eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. He seemed full of questions about this new gadget, yet also felt it might have some special use. Other farmers gathered around, chattering amongst themselves. In no time, the field became bustling with activity.
The old man looked at the curved plow curiously and asked, "What's the use of this thing?" Mo Li explained enthusiastically, "This curved plow is a great thing. It can plow the land efficiently and saves effort! It's much better than an iron plow."
Someone nearby asked, "Really? It's better than an iron plow?"
Mo Li said with a smile, "Of course, this is much less strenuous than using an iron plow."
The old man's eyes flashed with surprise. He stroked his beard, nodded, and said, "Sounds good, young man. Where did you get such a novel gadget?"
Mo Li smiled proudly, "I made it myself, and I wanted to see if there was anything I could improve."
The old man couldn't help but give a thumbs up and exclaimed, "What a clever young man! If this plow can really improve farming efficiency, then it will be a blessing for the people of Qin!"
Encouraged, Mo Li said confidently, "Why don't you give it a try on your land, sir?"
The old man, beaming with joy, readily agreed, "Sure, let's go, I'll take you to my field." Hearing this, everyone eagerly followed the old man and Mo Li to his field. Upon arrival, Mo Li carefully placed the curved plow in the field, then stepped forward and pulled the plow forcefully, while the old man steadily held the plow handle from behind.
After a period of hard work, Mo Li was exhausted and out of breath. He stopped and gasped for air, saying, "Grandpa, don't you have any oxen to help plow the fields? It's too tiring to pull by hand."
Those nearby couldn't help but smile upon hearing this, teasing, "This young man clearly hasn't worked in the fields much; he's already this tired after just a short while."
Mo Li scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly and laughed, "That's true, please excuse my poor performance."
The old man chuckled and replied, "What's so funny? Your plow is a rare find; it tills the land really fast! As for oxen... we don't have any. In our village, only wealthy families can afford oxen. Where would ordinary folks like us get the money to buy oxen?"
The other farmers nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, where would we poor families get cattle?"
Mo Li then smiled and asked the old man, "So, sir, what do you think of this plow? Is there anything else that needs improvement?"
The old man smiled憨厚ly and replied cheerfully, "I think it's pretty good, it's definitely much less strenuous than before. However, I always feel that the plowshare doesn't go deep enough into the soil."
Upon hearing this, Mo Li quickly took out paper and pen and wrote down each of the old man's questions in detail. Afterward, he invited several other villagers to try out the curved plow and asked them about their experience using it.
Finally, he carefully identified many areas that needed further optimization. He worked on this until the sun was almost setting before finally shouldering the curved plow and setting off on his journey home. Back home, Mo Li hurriedly ate a few bites of food before immediately throwing himself back into improving the curved plow.
Meanwhile, Lü Chen and Su Yi did the same, constantly experimenting and improving their water mill and stone mill. After several days of persistent effort, all three finally improved their respective tools to a level that satisfied them.
When Mo Li learned that Lü Chen and Su Yi had successfully completed the improvements to the water mill and stone mill, he immediately sent a messenger to Ying Wuyou, informing her that all the improvements had been successfully completed and that she could inspect them at any time. Upon receiving this good news, Ying Wuyou was overjoyed and hurried to Zhangtai Palace to report this delightful news to the King of Qin.
Inside the Zhangtai Palace, King Qin was sitting at his desk handling state affairs when he suddenly heard light footsteps approaching. He looked up and saw Ying Wuyou running into the hall, her face beaming with joy. King Qin, intrigued, put down the bamboo slips in his hand and asked, "Jiayang, you seem so happy. Has something good happened?"
Ying Wuyou immediately stopped and walked to the King of Qin, bowing respectfully before him. He then excitedly replied, "Your son greets Father! Indeed, I have great news to report to you." The King of Qin frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but he still smiled and gestured for Ying Wuyou to continue: "Oh? What is it that makes my son so happy?"
Ying Wuyou beamed with pride and said impatiently, "Father, I have ordered the making of a curved plow, a water mill, and a stone mill, and they are all now complete!" Upon hearing this, the King of Qin's expression immediately turned serious. He eagerly asked, "A curved plow? What advantages does it have over an iron plow? And what are the water mill and the stone mill?"
Ying Wuyou smiled and patiently explained, "Father, the curved plow is naturally more advanced than the iron plow, and it can greatly improve farming efficiency. The water mill and stone mill are a kind of millstone that can process grains and other food into fine powder for easy consumption."
Hearing this, he sighed softly, "Grinding grain... it seems that there is not much need for our Great Qin!"
Ying Wuyou smiled slightly and replied confidently, "Father, the five grains may not need to be ground into flour, but wheat must be ground into flour."
The King of Qin frowned slightly, his face full of suspicion, and asked, "The wheat yield of my Great Qin is really not high!"
A glint of wisdom flashed in Ying Wuyou's eyes as he patiently explained, "Father, the reason for the low wheat yield is that the planting area is too small. In fact, wheat yields far higher than millet, sorghum, and beans, and it is more filling and better able to resist hunger. The reason why Qin has not been able to cultivate wheat on a large scale is because it is difficult to grind into powder, and its taste is inferior to millet and other grains. But I wonder if Father still remembers the cold chicken noodles I made for you? How did they taste?"
The King of Qin nodded slightly in agreement and praised, "The flavor is delicate and the texture is excellent!"
Taking advantage of the momentum, Ying Wuyou further elaborated: "Father, besides making noodles, wheat can also be used to make steamed buns, dumplings, dumplings, pancakes, and many other delicacies. Pancakes, in particular, have the characteristic of long shelf life, making them far more convenient and practical for soldiers than millet and other grains."