Chapter 38: The Curved-Beam Plow

Liu Yitiao returned to his room, gazing at the slim booklet in his hand, a faint smile curving his lips.

Now, he had both money and people. All that remained was the curved-shaft plow.

He had already devised a plan for the plow. Thus, today he intended to visit someone—Yuan Fang, who had once treated his ox. Liu Yitiao had never suspected that, besides being a farmer, Yuan Fang was also a carpenter—and not just any carpenter, but a master craftsman. Old Liu had mentioned it in passing: in the neighboring villages, including their own, nearly every practical piece of furniture was crafted by Yuan Fang.

When Yuan Fang had treated his ox, Liu Yitiao had struck up a friendly acquaintance with him. This time, he wanted to take the opportunity to pay his respects and see if Yuan Fang could build a curved-shaft plow based on the drawing he’d brought.

After tidying himself up a bit, Liu Yitiao set out with some gifts, heading for the Yuan residence in Xiae Village.

The door was opened by a middle-aged man, Yuan Fang’s son Yuan Pei, whom Liu Yitiao had met before when he returned their ox. Yuan Pei immediately recognized him and enthusiastically welcomed him inside, calling him “Doctor Liu” as he ushered him in.

Upon entering, Liu Yitiao imitated what Wang Zhihong had done at their house earlier: he first offered incense and a bow to the Yuan family ancestors as a sign of respect.

Once seated in the parlor, Yuan Pei went to fetch his father, while Liu Yitiao took the opportunity to look around at the Yuan family’s furniture: bright red tables and chairs, tall brown doors, all adorned with exquisite open and hidden carvings. Even as a layman in woodworking, Liu Yitiao could sense both robustness and finesse in the craftsmanship—practical yet beautiful. Yuan Fang truly had gifted hands.

“Mr. Liu, I’m sorry for not coming out to greet you sooner,” Yuan Fang said as he hurried from the inner rooms, his clothing not yet fully straightened.

Seeing this, Liu Yitiao felt a touch of warmth and stood up to bow in return. “Uncle Yuan, I’ve come unannounced and disturbed your rest. Please forgive me.”

“Come now, Mr. Liu, there’s no need for such words. I’m delighted you’ve come to my humble home,” Yuan Fang said cheerfully as he led Liu Yitiao to the main hall. “No need for formalities—please, just make yourself comfortable. We’re not sticklers for ceremony here.”

“Yes, Doctor Liu, my father can’t stand all those formalities. In our house, there’s no need to stand on ceremony,” Yuan Pei chimed in.

“In that case, I’ll accept your hospitality,” Liu Yitiao replied, finding a seat and accepting the tea Yuan Pei offered him, taking a sip before setting it aside.

Yuan Fang smiled and nodded. “Mr. Liu, I expect you’ve come on some matter. Please, speak freely. If there’s anything I can help with, I surely will.”

Ever since Liu Yitiao had taken the initiative to return the ox last time, and had also fully refunded the agreed-upon deposit, Yuan Fang had felt grateful. The money itself was of little concern; more important was what it revealed about Liu Yitiao’s character—sincere, honest, and capable. The county’s rapid discovery of a cure for the cattle illness was, as far as Yuan Fang was concerned, thanks to Liu Yitiao. No one else might know, but Yuan Fang could tell: the medicine’s strong garlic and wine scent, just like the concoction in the ox’s mouth, matched the county’s remedy exactly. Even a fool could guess that the recipe had likely come from Liu Yitiao. From then on, Yuan Fang had regarded him as a man worthy of respect.

Seeing Yuan Fang’s directness, Liu Yitiao dispensed with further pleasantries. He drew a sheet of paper from his breast and handed it to Yuan Fang. “Uncle Yuan, please have a look. I happened upon this drawing of a plow—it’s quite different from the common straight-shaft plow, and appears lighter and more convenient to use. I wanted to try making it. You’re an expert in this field—do you think you could craft it according to this design?”

Yuan Fang accepted the drawing and, after a glance, exclaimed in surprise, “Isn’t this a Wei Plow?”

“Hmm? No, wait,” Yuan Fang studied it more closely. “The Wei Plow has a straight shaft, but this one is curved. And the plowshare’s structure seems even more intricate and refined. Interesting…”

Yuan Fang’s words startled Liu Yitiao. A Wei Plow? What was that? Did it resemble the curved-shaft plow so closely? He’d never heard of it before.

“Uncle Yuan, what is a Wei Plow? Does its plowshare resemble this one? Why haven’t I seen anyone use one?” Liu Yitiao asked.

Yuan Fang set the drawing aside and explained, “The Wei Plow is a new type of plow, far easier to use than the current models. A few years back, I tried making one. The lower frame of the Wei Plow is similar to your drawing, both featuring a rotating plow disc for easy maneuvering. The disc sizes differ a bit, though. Upon closer inspection, it seems the Wei Plow lacks some of the features shown here. Interesting—if made, this plow should be even more effective.”

“How to make it… Let’s see, first the upper square frame, then the curved shaft—yes, the curved shaft requires less effort, why hadn’t I thought of that before? Then…” As he spoke, Yuan Fang drifted into a mutter, lost in thought.

Seeing this, Yuan Pei apologized to Liu Yitiao, “Please don’t mind, Doctor Liu. My father always gets like this when he encounters something new. Just ignore him—he’ll come around once he’s thought it through.”

Liu Yitiao smiled understandingly. “No need to worry. Exceptional people do exceptional things; Uncle Yuan’s achievements in carpentry must be due to his focus and dedication.”

Then he turned to Yuan Pei, “With such guidance from your father, I imagine your own woodworking skills are excellent. There are some questions I’d like to ask you.”

Yuan Pei smiled, “Are you asking about the Wei Plow?”

When Liu Yitiao nodded, Yuan Pei explained, “As my father said, the Wei Plow is a new and practical tool, but few can afford to use it. Making one, whether for labor or materials, costs about five strings of silver—almost as much as an ox—so most families can’t afford it. That’s why you haven’t seen many in use.”

“What I find curious, though, is your drawing—it seems even lighter and nimbler than the Wei Plow. Is it a new type of plowshare? Might I ask where you obtained this design?”

At this, Liu Yitiao hesitated and replied, “It involves some private matters, so I must beg your understanding if I can’t say more.”

Yuan Pei smiled reassuringly, “No matter. I was just curious; if it’s inconvenient, we’ll leave it at that. For a good carpenter, a drawing is enough.”

His words delighted Liu Yitiao, who asked eagerly, “So, according to you, this plowshare can be made?”

“I can’t speak for others, but my father—he can definitely make it,” Yuan Pei replied proudly.