Chapter 73: The Magical Wheat Harvester

With the completion of the greenhouse, the wheat in the fields was finally ripe as well.

The wheat ripened even later than Wei Renshi had anticipated, likely due to the lack of effective fertilizer and the fact that these were not the improved varieties of later generations, resulting in a longer growth cycle.

Harvesting wheat had always been a major event in the village—the gathering of grain was the happiest time of year for the villagers. Even in the face of having to pay rent and taxes, with little left for themselves, they could not hide their joy at the harvest.

Neighboring families in the village would work together: today, everyone would help harvest your wheat; tomorrow, all would gather at my fields. They lent each other a hand, helping to cut the wheat in turn.

Speed was essential in wheat harvesting, as there were only a few days in which the work could be done.

As the saying went, harvesting wheat was like fighting a fire—there could be no delay.

If harvested too early, the wheat would not be fully ripe; but if they were slow and delayed by a few days, once the wheat fully matured, it would begin to shatter. The stalks dried quickly at maturity, the awns crisped in the sun, and with a single gust of wind, the grains would fall to the ground, resulting in much loss.

It was crucial to seize the few days when the wheat was ripe but not yet overripe, and finish the harvest in one go.

“At the very latest, the day after tomorrow we must begin harvesting,” Elder Zheng said solemnly, gazing at the golden wheat in the fields. “It would be best if every household could finish in three days. While the rains have not yet come, we must thresh and winnow the wheat, dry it, and store it away! Zhang Si’er, take a few men to the threshing ground and clear away any clutter. Liu Shitou, go around the village and give notice—those who need to hire help should do so, and everyone should make their preparations. At first light the day after tomorrow, we begin harvesting. Time is of the essence.”

As Elder Zheng directed the labor, Wei Renshi stood by, watching with a smile.

This was, without a doubt, the most important event of the year. Wei Renshi had never seen the villagers conduct any affair with such gravity.

Once everyone had gone off to fulfill Elder Zheng’s instructions, leaving him alone, Wei Renshi stepped forward with a smile. “Uncle Zheng, how much wheat can you harvest in a day by yourself?”

“With a sickle in hand, I can manage a bit over two acres in a day. If I grit my teeth and push myself, I might make it to three,” Elder Zheng replied, a hint of pride lifting his chin.

Wei Renshi was genuinely surprised. In later times, when he returned to help his grandmother’s family with the harvest, the most skilled villagers using sickles could barely manage two acres in a day.

In many remote mountain areas of later years, the fields were scattered in patches along the slopes, with only a narrow footpath winding between them. Mechanical harvesters couldn’t reach these places.

When it came time to harvest, people still had to rely on manual labor, employing traditional methods.

So, although Wei Renshi could not claim to be an expert, he had helped his grandmother harvest wheat every year—until both his grandparents had passed away.

“You’re no match for me, Uncle Zheng!” Wei Renshi laughed. “I can harvest six acres in a single day.”

Elder Zheng grinned knowingly, assuming Wei Renshi was joking.

But as he continued to smile, Wei Renshi’s laughter faded.

Elder Zheng looked at him intently, his smile slipping away. “Are you not joking, young master Wei?”

“Harvesting wheat is no trivial matter. Why would I jest?” Wei Renshi replied earnestly.

Elder Zheng’s astonishment deepened, his expression incredulous. Suddenly, a thought struck him. “Could it be that you’ve invented another new farming tool?”

A smile returned to Wei Renshi’s face. Seeing this, Elder Zheng’s heart leapt—he could almost hear it pounding in his chest.

Wei Renshi asked, “Uncle Zheng, have you ever heard of the ‘reaper scoop’?”

Just as he suspected!

Elder Zheng felt his heart skip a beat. “Reaper scoop… what is that?”

Wei Renshi was inwardly pleased by the response; it confirmed his hunch.

The “reaper scoop” was a tool for harvesting wheat, made from woven bamboo, rope, a blade, and a handle. Its shape was like an upright dustpan with a right-angle handle, but at the base of the “dustpan” was a razor-sharp blade over two feet long. Using the reaper scoop required holding the handle in one hand, the rope in the other, and swinging it in a wide arc. With each swing, it could cut down four rows of wheat, the stalks caught by the bamboo and gathered into a neat bundle.

There were many theories about when this “miracle tool” for harvesting appeared before the age of mechanization—some said the Yuan or Ming dynasties, others claimed the late Qing, and there were even legends attributing it to Zhuge Liang, though that was unlikely. Since Wei Renshi could not be sure, he needed to ask Elder Zheng if he had ever seen one.

Since Elder Zheng had never heard of it, it was clear that this “miracle reaping tool” had not yet emerged.

With that assurance, Wei Renshi continued, “It’s a farm tool for harvesting wheat. Once you get the hang of it, it’s much faster than a sickle. Someone as strong as you, Uncle Zheng, could easily cut seven or eight acres a day—perhaps ten, if you really pushed yourself.”

“What?!” Elder Zheng was startled. “Such a thing exists?”

“It didn’t before, but now it does,” Wei Renshi said with a smile. “A few days ago, seeing the wheat was nearly ripe, I made a few reaper scoops in anticipation. Would you care to take a look?”

“Let’s go!” Elder Zheng exclaimed, seizing Wei Renshi and heading straight for his home.

“It’s not at my house,” Wei Renshi said. “It’s at the distillery.”

They arrived at the distillery, where the reaper scoops Wei Renshi had made were stored.

“This is it?” Elder Zheng asked, eyeing the contraption. “It looks rather odd.”

“Allow me to demonstrate,” Wei Renshi offered.

He glanced around, then found a patch overgrown with weeds, waist-high and dense—much like a field of wheat.

“Watch closely, Uncle Zheng,” Wei Renshi said. He gripped the handle with one hand, the rope with the other, and swung forcefully from right to left. Instantly, the thick weeds were sliced clean at the root, caught by the bamboo scoop and flung into a bundle by sheer momentum.

With a single sweep, a large swath was cut.

Wei Renshi staggered, nearly losing his balance, but Elder Zheng caught him just in time.

“I’m not strong enough, and my height makes it hard to control,” Wei Renshi admitted, setting the reaper scoop down. “Uncle Zheng, give it a try.”

Eagerly, Elder Zheng took the tool and mimicked Wei Renshi’s motions. At first, he struggled, but after a little practice, he quickly got the hang of it.

“Young master Wei, is this tool easy to make?” Elder Zheng asked, his eyes shining with excitement.

“See for yourself!” Wei Renshi replied with a smile. “The long blade is the only tricky part.”

“Wonderful!” Elder Zheng exclaimed, rubbing his hands in anticipation. “Let’s do it—let’s make them now! I’ll gather the villagers and see who wants one; we can all make them together!”