Fortune Across the World

Chapter 30: Laboring Day and Night to Promote the Curved Leaf Plow

That evening, after chatting for a while, the family retired to their rooms. Ding Qiyu sat at her desk, grimacing and clutching her left arm, which ached after a day of overwork. Once the pain subsided, she could focus again. Although moving to the city was now on the agenda, nothing was set in stone. Ding Qiyu couldn't be sure if Aunt He's family would retaliate. Today, she had caught them bullying Lian'er, but what if they came again while she was away? Or worse, what if they came at night to vandalize the house? These possibilities couldn't be ignored.

Ding Qiyu decided to make two miniature crossbows, with fewer arrows, for Aunt He and Lian'er to use for self-defense. The house also needed security measures. Sketching on paper, she drafted a simple security mechanism. Pleased with her idea, she turned off the light and lay down, contemplating the production and sale of the Curved Leaf Plow. Her first goal was to promote it in Hejia Village. She couldn't do it alone, so she planned to enlist Master He, offering him a share of the profits. She would keep the critical data, especially the key points and angles of the plow blade, to herself. The diagram she drew would likely be indecipherable in this world. As for pricing, she would discuss it with Master He. After gaining traction in Hejia Village, Ding Qiyu could introduce the plow to the General's farmers, aiming to build a reputation so all the surrounding farms knew of the Curved Leaf Plow. Timing was crucial, as she wanted to capitalize on the autumn sweet potato planting.

With her plan in mind, Ding Qiyu finally went to sleep, cradling her still-recovering left arm. The next day, during her free time, she crafted two single-chamber, three-arrow crossbows, giving one to Aunt He and one to Lian'er. She carefully explained their use and precautions, insisting they carry them at all times and avoid going out alone. That night, Ding Qiyu calculated the necessary data for her security device, finally resting at dawn. It was her first all-nighter since arriving in this world. With little rest, she groggily got up, remarking, "Truly, 'diligent through the night, ever at work!'" before heading to the city.

Returning from the city, Ding Qiyu visited Master He, sharing her plan for the Curved Leaf Plow. Delighted, Master He agreed immediately, ready to work with his new apprentice and Ding Qiyu to produce the plows. Ding Qiyu divulged the structure and materials for all parts except the blade. Through trial and error, they quickly synchronized their efforts, producing plows at a rapid pace. At this rate, they could make over a dozen plows a day. After agreeing on a price, they promoted the plow at the village entrance with fanfare. Many villagers, already aware of its benefits, eagerly purchased, finding the price reasonable for such convenience. Those who hadn't seen it in action could try it on the spot. Some villagers worried about its durability, prompting Ding Qiyu to demonstrate its resilience by having Master He's apprentice slam it down with a clatter, leaving it unscathed. This reassurance solidified their intent to buy, and Ding Qiyu took orders on the spot, producing based on demand without requiring deposits, expecting most would follow through. Out of sixty households, over thirty ordered, marking a successful start.

But this marked the beginning of Ding Qiyu's late-night work routine. With daytime obligations in the city, her plow-making was confined to evenings and nights. Her proficiency grew rapidly, reducing the time needed to craft a plow blade from a half-day's work to producing four in an hour. She engraved a small feather emblem in the corner of each blade, a unique mark only visible upon close inspection, denoting "Ding Qiyu's creation," ensuring no one could replicate it. The Curved Leaf Plow became her first step toward becoming a master of mechanical arts.

The plows received unanimous praise from villagers, spreading by word of mouth, attracting orders, even from neighboring villages like Liujiacun and Fuze Village. Aunt He and Lian'er, watching Ding Qiyu dive into her work each day without pause, worried about her exhaustion.

One day, unable to bear it, they insisted Ding Qiyu take a break. This reminded her of the security system she had crafted earlier but hadn't installed. Gladly agreeing, she left her workbench to retrieve the components, surprising Aunt He and Lian'er with her compliance. When she returned with another load of wood, they were speechless.

Laying the pieces on the ground, Ding Qiyu cheerfully said, "Don't underestimate this pile of wood. You'll see its magic once installed!"

They watched as she moved around the yard, placing the components in inconspicuous corners, connecting them with fine metal threads nearly invisible to the eye. After half an hour, she finished installing them. Fetching a nearly spoiled sweet potato from the kitchen, she asked Aunt He and Lian'er to lock the house from inside. The door latch was connected to the mechanism, with a metal thread extending outside.

"Open the windows and watch the magic of my security system," Ding Qiyu's confident voice called from outside.

Opening the front room windows, Aunt He and Lian'er saw Ding Qiyu holding the sweet potato, smiling mysteriously. "Watch closely," she said, tossing the potato at a thread.

As it touched the thread, multiple "pops" sounded in the yard, followed by arrows shooting out, reducing the potato to a squished mess.

Satisfied with the outcome, Ding Qiyu turned to the stunned pair, grinning, "What do you think? Impressive, right?"

Recovering, they were full of admiration. Aunt He beamed, "My child is a genius!" pride evident in her voice. Lian'er recalled Ding Qiyu's dream of becoming a master of mechanics, now more convinced it would come true.

Only Ding Qiyu knew that her "genius" was built on years of effort and experience.

Explaining the system's use, Ding Qiyu detailed how she set up two lines of defense with fine, resilient metal threads. Normally, they lay slack, unnoticed, but when the door was latched from inside, they tensed. Each thread connected to a modified crossbow, which emitted a loud "pop" as an alarm when firing. An intruder triggering the lines would almost certainly hit a thread, activating the crossbows to fire at the point of contact. The angle adjustments were precisely calculated, as evidenced by the shredded potato.

Initially considering slingshots, Ding Qiyu opted for crossbows, given Hejia Village's low crime rate, reasoning that any night intruder likely had more than theft in mind. A slingshot might not catch a thief, but crossbows would ensure they couldn't escape quickly. Set low to cause discomfort without permanent harm, the system only activated when the door was latched, ensuring family safety.

With the security system in place, Ding Qiyu felt more at ease about her family's safety, hoping Aunt He's family would heed her warning and stay away. Watching Ding Qiyu return to her woodwork, Aunt He and Lian'er knew they couldn't stop her.

In just a few days, the Curved Leaf Plow gained fame in Hejia Village and nearby areas. Reviewing her inspection list, Ding Qiyu prepared to survey the General's farmlands, bringing a plow to the city. Hejia Village lay south of Xingcheng, while most General's fields were northeast. Visiting the fields, she found a higher ox usage rate than in Hejia Village, thanks to the General's reward system for high yields, boosting farming enthusiasm despite oxless farms being the majority. Contemplating how to modify the plow for ox-drawn use, widening it to cover more ground, she gathered farmer representatives to introduce the Curved Leaf Plow.