At present, common people thresh grain using wooden pestles and stone mortars, which are representative ancient dehusking tools. When used, the rice is placed into a stone mortar and pounded with a wooden pestle so that the grains separate from their husks.
The structure of the wooden pestle and stone mortar is extremely simple and easy to make—any ordinary craftsman can produce one—but each round of threshing requires a great deal of manpower, and efficiency is extremely low.
This is why, during every autumn harvest, entire families—young and old alike—have to work together until they are utterly exhausted.
Qin Ke recalled that during a company team-building event in his previous life, he had once visited a farmstay to experience rural life. There, he had seen a pedal-powered threshing machine used by farmers in the 1970s. At the time, he found it interesting and even tried it himself.
So that very evening, Qin Ke picked up a charcoal pencil and began sketching on paper again. This time, there were no detailed blueprints from the system; he could only rely on his memory and limited knowledge to design it.
Fortunately, Qin Ke had previously received the detailed schematics for the harvester, and not long ago he had personally followed the craftsmen step by step to build it according to the drawings. This had allowed him to accumulate some experience—after all, knowledge is interconnected.
A pedal-powered threshing machine mainly consists of the following components: a frame, a transmission mechanism, a fan-shaped sieve, a chain-type grain conveyor, an adjustment blade, pedals, and so on.
Qin Ke first drew the frame. The frame is the main body of the threshing machine, responsible for supporting and connecting all parts. Next came the transmission shaft—fortunately, the blacksmith had already made gears during the harvester project, so this should not be a problem…
After washing up, Lu Youqing noticed that the light in the study was still on. While drying her hair, she went inside to take a look. When she pushed the door open, Qin Ke was bent over the desk, absorbed in his work, not even noticing her enter.
Only when he saw her shadow fall across the desk did Qin Ke snap out of his thoughts. He looked up and blinked, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Why are you here?"
Lu Youqing, having just bathed, wore a plain-colored sleeping robe. Her long hair hung loose down her back, still carrying a hint of moisture.
Seeing that Qin Ke was so busy his throat had gone dry, she first turned to pour him a cup of tea and placed it by his hand.
"Drink some water first."
Qin Ke took the cup with one hand, and with the other grasped her wrist, pulling her into his arms with a smooth motion.
Lu Youqing noticed that ever since Qin Ke had returned from prison, he liked launching sudden "attacks" like this. Whenever he had the chance, he would cling to her, looking at her with those pitiful, puppy-like eyes.
Sure enough, he was staring at her again now, speaking in that clingy, spoiled tone.
"Wife… mm, my hand is sore."
Lu Youqing helplessly took the hand he held out to her and gently kneaded it. Her gaze, however, fell on the drawings on the desk.
"Are you designing something again?"
"Yes. The rice has already been harvested, so the next step is threshing. I was thinking about whether we could improve the threshing machine." Qin Ke took a sip of water to moisten his throat.
Lu Youqing extended her slender fingers and tapped lightly on his drawings, pointedly saying,
"This isn't really an improvement—you're redesigning it from scratch."
"My wife is perceptive and wise."
"Enough, don't change the subject again," Lu Youqing said helplessly. She never understood how he managed to flatter people anytime, anywhere, regardless of the situation. "This looks simpler than the harvester."
"Right. This only needs one or two craftsmen to make. Tomorrow I'll ask Sister Pei to find one—two days should be enough."
Lu Youqing shot him a teasing glance.
"You really know how to make use of people."
"Free talent—why wouldn't I use it?" Qin Ke had absolutely no psychological burden about it. Besides, in modern terms, Pei Xiu would be considered an excellent administrative professional.
"You know what it means to ask her to find people, right?"
Qin Ke rubbed his chin against her cool skin and said with his eyes closed,
"We're already tied to the same boat anyway. Might as well make our value even greater. And I can tell—you want to work for the Eldest Princess."
Perhaps at first, Lu Youqing had chosen to study for the imperial examinations simply to gain power and protect themselves. But after meeting the Eldest Princess that day, something about her had changed.
She never said it aloud, but Qin Ke could feel it.
Countless people wanted to serve under the Eldest Princess, but to enter her ranks, one first had to prove their worth.
Maybe Lu Youqing was not yet enough to truly catch her eye, but Qin Ke believed that someone as intelligent as his wife would eventually shine.
"You trust me that much?" Lu Youqing asked softly.
Qin Ke knew little about court politics—he could barely distinguish official ranks—yet he chose to follow her without hesitation.
"Of course," Qin Ke replied immediately.
Lu Youqing smiled with unmistakable relief and joy, tightening her grip on his hand.
With soft fragrance and warmth in his arms, Qin Ke had no interest in drawing any more tedious schematics. He simply carried Lu Youqing back to the bedroom.
Ever since that last time, Qin Ke had practically taken up residence in Lu Youqing's room. She never chased him away, silently allowing him to stay.
At night, however, Qin Ke merely held her and slept obediently, never crossing any boundaries. This was also a crucial period for Lu Youqing's exam preparation, and Qin Ke did not dare do anything reckless. Contraceptive measures in ancient times were limited—if something went wrong, it would be hard to deal with.
After fanning Lu Youqing to sleep with a palm fan, Qin Ke opened the system marketplace in his mind.
Now that the rice harvest was complete, the ten points in his quest log had been credited, and the successful construction of the harvester had earned him another ten points.
Twenty points might not be enough for his long-term plans, but he thought perhaps he could take a bigger step—after all, the system allowed credit.
The next day, Qin Ke went to find Pei Xiu and asked her to help locate two more craftsmen. Pei Xiu merely gave him a curious look, asked nothing, and quietly turned away to make arrangements.
The managers under Gu Lanxi were indeed highly capable. There was no need to wait until the next day—by that afternoon, she had already brought the people to him.
"The lady said these two can stay by your side from now on. Whatever you need done, just tell them directly."
The two men were around twenty years old, a pair of brothers. The slightly heavier one was the elder brother, named Zhang Da; the thinner one was called Zhang Er.
They were very respectful upon meeting Qin Ke. Qin Ke did not bother with pleasantries and immediately had them begin work according to his designs.
After two days of adjustments and revisions, the pedal-powered threshing machine was finally completed.
Li Nanqiao could not wait to try it. She had wanted to touch the harvester that day as well, but could only watch from afar.
This time, with Qin Ke's permission, she eagerly poured the harvested rice into the fan-shaped sieve and, under Qin Ke's guidance, stepped on the pedal to control the speed and direction.
Through high-speed rotation, the grains were separated from the stalks and conveyed to the output chute.
Watching the clean, distinct rice grains pour out of the chute, Pei Xiu—standing quietly in the corner—turned and returned to her room, where she wrote a memorial.
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Currently at chapter 204 for advance chapters
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