Chapter 48: The Liu Family's Plow

The county office paid each night soil collector a monthly wage of eight wen, but after Liu Yitiao took over, he added an extra wen since the waste had to be delivered to his land. That made it nine wen per person. With thirty-eight night soil collectors in the county, Liu Yitiao needed to pay out three hundred forty-two wen each month.

Liu Yitiao did a little calculation in his mind: over the course of a year, he’d have to pay the thirty-eight collectors four strings and one hundred seventy-six wen, and another one hundred fifty-eight farm households nearly nineteen strings, plus the annual taxes to the imperial court. Altogether, his expenses would amount to about thirty strings.

He owned thirty qing of land, with two harvests a year. Each mu could yield forty to forty-five wen, and in a good year, even more. With three thousand mu, the yearly income would be at least one hundred twenty strings. Moreover, the fields would only grow more fertile with the constant nourishment of farm manure, and yields would surely rise in the future. In a couple of years, one hundred eighty strings per mu wouldn’t be out of reach.

One hundred eighty strings may not be a fortune, but it would be enough for Honest Liu to squirrel away over a few decades.

“To sit at home for a year and earn one hundred eighty strings—being a landlord is truly a promising path.” A slow smile curled at the corner of Liu Yitiao’s lips. No wonder so many people aspired to be landlords; the profits hidden in land were indeed impressive, especially in this agrarian age.

After returning from the county office, Liu Yitiao went straight to Yuan Fang’s house in Lower Ear Village.

Now, everything was ready except for the curved-beam plow. Whether or not the plow could be made would determine if his spring tilling could proceed smoothly. Time was running short; in just over a month, when the weather warmed and the ground thawed, it would be time to begin. The weeds had to be cleared from the wasteland, the compacted soil turned, then fertilized and sown. None of this could be done without a proper plowshare.

In the Yuan family’s backyard, Liu Yitiao saw Yuan Fang engrossed in carving the plow frame.

The frame already had its basic form. The beam, body, and handle were all shaped, and Yuan Fang was now working on the most intricate parts of the curved-beam plow: the brace, the guide, and the shaft. These three components set the curved-beam plow apart from all others and were the most difficult to carve. Fitted together just right, they formed a mechanism that allowed manual adjustment of the plowshare’s depth with a single touch.

Liu Yitiao watched from the side. He knew nothing of carpentry, but he had seen a curved-beam plow before. His presence meant he could occasionally offer reminders to Yuan Fang. After all, he was the only person in this era who knew the general structure of this plow.

Yuan Fang did the bulk of the work, with Yuan Pei assisting. There wasn’t much for him to do, so he took on the task of keeping Liu Yitiao company. Liu Yitiao was their patron this time. Though Old Yuan had said he’d make the plow for free, Yuan Pei knew well that the benefits the Yuan family would gain from crafting this plow far exceeded a few coins.

As carpenters who often made furniture and tools for farming households, Yuan Fang and Yuan Pei could immediately see the value of the curved-beam plow. It was a more advanced design than any plow currently in use—ingeniously made, quick in the field, and though its materials and labor cost only twice as much as a regular straight-beam plow, its efficiency was two to three times greater.

If such a plow were put on the market, countless farmers would gladly pay for one. And as the only carpenters capable of making it, the future of the Yuan family was easy to imagine.

Yuan Pei fetched a chair for Liu Yitiao and invited him to sit and watch. Yuan Fang, once at work, would not rest for an hour or two at a stretch. Most people, standing by to observe, would tire quickly.

But Liu Yitiao was no ordinary man—he was a farmer trained in short-range boxing. Standing in horse stance was nothing to him, let alone just standing on solid ground. Besides, letting the elder Yuan Fang and Yuan Pei stand while he sat would be improper, so he shook his head and refused.

Seeing Liu Yitiao’s refusal, Yuan Pei nodded and smiled. “If you don’t wish to sit now, perhaps later when you’re tired. Don’t worry—with my father’s craftsmanship, the Liu plow will soon be finished.”

“Liu plow?” Liu Yitiao was surprised. “When did it get such a name? Why call it that, Uncle Yuan?”

Yuan Pei smiled and explained, “Since no one knows what this plow is, it’s awkward to call it anything. So my father named it after you, Doctor Liu, since you brought the design here. It’s only fitting.”

“I’m not sure that’s appropriate…”

“It’s no matter; it’s just what we call it among ourselves.” Yuan Fang put down his chisel and stood up. “When its true name becomes known, we can change it.”

“Uncle Yuan,” said Liu Yitiao, seeing Yuan Fang pause, stepping forward and offering the chair, “you’ve worked hard—please, take a rest.”

“No need,” Yuan Fang waved him off. “Once I assemble these parts, the frame of the Liu plow will be complete. Soon you’ll see the whole thing.”

“Truly?” Liu Yitiao exclaimed in delight. “Didn’t you say it would take three days? How is it so quick?”

Yuan Pei explained, “Three days was a conservative estimate. Once my father began, he realized the Liu plow’s structure wasn’t as complicated as he thought, so he finished ahead of schedule.”

“Pei’er, fetch the plowshare from the house,” Yuan Fang instructed, then smiled, gesturing to the newly assembled frame. “Doctor Liu, look—this is the skeleton of the Liu plow from your drawing. Once the plowshare and harness are attached, it’ll be ready for the fields.”

“We have an ox and harness at home,” Yuan Fang added confidently. “Once it’s finished, you can try it out here in the backyard. I guarantee the Liu plow will be at least twice as fast as the plows now in use, if not more—certain to meet your needs.”

Liu Yitiao circled the frame twice, inwardly admiring Yuan Fang’s craftsmanship. The plow he had made, both in overall structure and in its smaller pieces, was almost identical to the curved-beam plow Liu remembered. No wonder he was known as the best carpenter in several nearby villages.

He bowed respectfully to Yuan Fang. “Uncle Yuan, your skill is extraordinary. This plow is nearly identical to the drawing—my utmost respect!”

——

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