Daily life of farming and supporting a family on the ancient Loess Plateau

Ji Yongling laughed and said, "Dad, you're someone who taught yourself to make wind-blown bamboo slats, can't you have a little more confidence in your skills? This thing is much simpler than a wind-blown bamboo slat, it won't be difficult for you, it's just that we need to go to the bamboo craftsman to buy some bamboo strips."

Ji Manchuan thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Let's make a blade first and try it out, otherwise it'll be a waste if we can't use it."

Seeing that the father and daughter had reached an agreement, the blacksmith said, "Then you pay a deposit, and I will prepare the materials and try my best to make it for you as soon as possible."

After Ji Yongling and the blacksmith agreed on the details and price of the blades they wanted, Ji Manchuan bought two more ordinary sickle blades before the two left the blacksmith's shop.

When the father and daughter arrived home, Yang had just returned from the fields, still holding a handful of lemongrass. Seeing some bamboo strips on the mule cart, she asked, "What are you two doing with these bamboo strips? Are you going to waste something again?"

Ji Manchuan smiled and said, "Mother, look at what you're saying. When have we ever wasted anything? Ling'er said she'd make you a sickle for harvesting wheat, so your back won't hurt when you're squatting to harvest wheat."

Yang glared at Ji Yongling: "What scythes and sickles? You're just wasting money again. My back is fine. We farmers aren't that delicate. During the wheat harvest, I just tie a wooden board around my waist to keep it straight."

Ji Yongling suddenly realized that Mrs. Yang and Old Master Ji were getting old, suffering from degenerative joint disease, and having worked hard all their lives, backaches and pains were common occurrences for them. Since he was Liu Apo's "disciple," could he perhaps make some pain-relieving pills or plasters for the two elderly people?

When she was in school, the first time she attended a traditional Chinese medicine class, the teacher mentioned "Gui Fu Di Huang Wan" (桂附地黄丸). In her haste, she didn't know how to write it, so she wrote "Gui Fu Di Wang Wan" (贵妇帝王丸). She thought to herself that the name of this medicine was really domineering, and it sounded like it was for emperors and concubines. She decided to write it down in a notebook, as she would need it if she traveled back in time.

Later, period dramas about palace intrigue became popular, and after watching two episodes, she felt she wouldn't survive past the first one.

She joked with her roommate and best friend Chen Nianqiu, who majored in Traditional Chinese Medicine, "What if the lab explodes one day and we travel back to ancient times? You TCM students can become imperial physicians, serving the emperor and empress. You can give this concubine some medicine and that concubine some poison. You'll never have to worry about food or drink."

If someone like me, trained in Western medicine, were to transmigrate back to this world, I'd probably be beaten to death by officials, doused with chicken blood and excrement, tied to stones and drowned in a river, or burned alive. These feudal remnants are terrifying.

At the time, Chen Nianqiu said, "I'll take you to audit a traditional Chinese medicine lab class. You'll only learn how to make pills and plasters. If we time travel, I'll become an imperial physician, and you can sell miracle pills and plasters. We'll combine traditional Chinese and Western medicine, and work together as officials and merchants to make a fortune, becoming richer than a country."

And so, she followed Chen Nianqiu to attend many TCM experimental classes and made a lot of good things, such as Viola yedoensis ointment and anti-inflammatory tinea ointment, which she could easily master.

Later, Chen Nianqiu was noticed by her professors because of her strong hands-on skills and joined the research group as an undergraduate to do odd jobs. Whenever she had free time, she would hang out with Chen Nianqiu in the traditional Chinese medicine laboratory, making medicines, visiting Chinese medicine bases, and even acting as a guinea pig, helping them taste and apply the homemade medicines.

The other roommates' favorite items were the various free and useful ointments, powders, and cosmetics that she and Chen Nianqiu brought back from the lab.

Later, when she was a graduate student, she shared a dormitory with Chen Nianqiu. The two would discuss things every day and often joke, "Western medicine treats the symptoms, while traditional Chinese medicine treats the root cause; combining Chinese and Western medicine can create a complete solution."

Time has passed, things have changed, but the people and events of that year seem like they happened just yesterday…

Seeing that Ji Yongling was lost in thought again, Yang called out, "Ling'er, what are you daydreaming about again? If you don't like it, I'll ask your Uncle Liu Lü to draw another talisman for you."

Ji Yongling's thoughts drifted back to reality. She had a plan in mind and said to Yang Shi with a smile, "Grandma, I'm fine. I was just thinking about getting you some nice things in a while. Don't worry, this money won't be wasted."

Yang shook her head uncomfortably and said, "You spend all day in the kiln, doing somersaults in those piles of herbs, doing all sorts of strange things. Aren't you afraid of getting dizzy and disoriented?"

As she spoke, she sighed again, "It's almost time to harvest the wheat, and all the medicinal herbs in the ditch have been dug up. There's nothing left to dig up. I don't know if we can still do this medicinal herb business in the future."

Ji Manchuan comforted her, saying, "Mom, what are you afraid of? We didn't do this in previous years, and we still got by. At worst, we'll just tighten our belts and spend less."

Yang sighed helplessly, "That's the only way."

Ji Yongling also comforted Yang, saying, "Grandma, the wild herbs in the ditch are always limited. Next spring, we'll start planting herbs, and we'll make sure we can continue to earn money."

"Really? Don't lie to this old woman." Madam Yang said with a smile that made her eyes almost invisible.

After speaking with Yang, Ji Yongling and his daughter went to the cave dwelling where they worked as carpenters.

She first briefly described the general shape and size of the scythe, and then drew the shape on the ground. Ji Manchuan took a look and roughly knew how to do it. He and Ji Yongling discussed it while building a semi-circular frame.

Then, under Ji Yongling's guidance, bamboo strips were used to weave a large bamboo basket in a net-like pattern on the frame. A long wooden handle was then attached to the right side, and a wooden handle was attached to the left side. Thin hemp rope was used to connect the basket to the long blade. Although the blade was not yet attached, the basic scythe was completed.

Ji Manchuan stood up, took the sickle to the yard, held one handle in each hand, swung it a couple of times in the air, shook his head and said, "This thing is too heavy. A woman or a child definitely can't swing it. I don't know if it can be used to cut wheat."

Remembering what the tour guide had said, Ji Yongling said, "Dad, this scythe is a bit strenuous to use, but once you get the hang of it, you can harvest wheat very quickly, and you can harvest several acres a day."

Ji Manchuan seemed somewhat skeptical. Looking at the sickle in his hand, he said, "Cutting grass in the south is different from cutting wheat here. We'll have to try it to know. Besides, this thing has a blade; if you don't swing it properly, you might cut yourself."

Ji Yongling nodded and said, "Yes, Dad. I need to practice. It takes skill to use this sickle and to maintain balance."

At this moment, Ji Manqing came over wiping his sweat and said, "What are you two up to again?"

Before Ji Manchuan could answer, Ji Manqing had already taken the sickle from Ji Manchuan's hand and asked, "What is this thing? It looks like a big winnowing basket. Are you using it to catch fish? The small fish in the ditch are only the size of a booger. This winnowing basket has too big a hole. If you put it in the basket, you won't even be able to scoop up a stone."

Ji Manchuan said disdainfully, "This is for harvesting wheat. If you don't know what it is, don't sit here fanning yourself and making sarcastic remarks."

"Harvesting wheat? How do you harvest it?" As he spoke, Ji Manqing steadied the handle of the sickle with his right hand, bent over slightly, used his legs to exert force, and pulled hard on the leather strap of the sickle to the left with his left hand, looking like he was really harvesting wheat.

Ji Yongling exclaimed, "Fourth Uncle, it has to be you! It's your first time handling this scythe, and you've managed to wield it quite skillfully."