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

Ji Yongling smiled and said, "Uncle Suozi, don't be in such a hurry! This year, each family didn't plant a lot of castor beans, and it's cold today, so the rotting won't smell too bad. If you really find the smell unpleasant, you can dig a pit in the field next door and carry water from the pond to rot the beans. Besides, the water in the pond can be drained and cleaned before it snows in winter, so it won't delay the water storage next year."

Niu Suozi thought for a moment and nodded, "That's a good idea!"

"Besides, we used to twist and turn hemp rope on our legs, making nine, six, or three strands of hemp rope into one. It was not only laborious, but the rope was also not tight and easily came undone. In order to make our rope more tightly bound, my dad, my grandpa, and I specially made several sets of tools that can bind any number of strands!"

As Ji Yongling spoke, he pointed to a heavy object placed against the big locust tree.

Everyone looked in the direction Ji Yongling was pointing.

It was a piece of wood that looked like a rake, except that it had a handle-like thing at one end.

"What is this?" Baldy Guang had already stepped forward, picked up the rope-making machine, and looked at it from both sides.

"This is a hand-cranked rope-making machine, also called a rope machine. Just crank the handle to turn the rope wheel, and you can twist the rope together," Ji Yongling explained.

In fact, the hand-cranked rope-making machine that she asked Ji Manchuan to make was the same semi-automatic rope-making machine that was common in rural areas in the 1970s and 1980s.

The rope-making process primarily utilizes the lever principle; as the handle is cranked, several strands of rope twist together. Because the area where the force is reduced is aided by the rotational motion, the energy consumption during the manufacturing process is decreased.

Although it cannot compare to a multi-strand twisting and rope-making machine driven by a steam engine, this primitive, rudimentary machine is simple to operate and highly efficient. One person can crank it by hand, while several others help to straighten the rope, and several strands of hemp rope can be made together. It is especially convenient and faster than hand-twisting for making thicker hemp rope.

Previously, Ji Yongling often saw Yang Shi and Old Master Ji sitting on the threshold or kang (a heated brick bed) twisting hemp rope whenever they had free time, and she had memorized those movements.

Before each rope-making process, Grandpa Ji and Madam Yang would divide the hemp into two strands, hold the hemp head with one hand, and rub it with their palm on their calves to tighten it. When they reached the lower end, they would release the hemp, and the tightened strands would naturally twist together.

They rubbed and added the hemp fibers, varying the coarseness of each fiber, until they had rubbed it to a length of five or six feet, or even more than ten feet, before stopping.

Primitive labor is strenuous, mentally taxing, and harmful to health.

Twisting hemp rope is an especially strenuous task, because the person twisting the hemp rope has to use their legs and hands to exert force. Sometimes, Grandpa Ji's rough calves would become red and swollen from rubbing, and even his palms would bleed.

Meng Wenping, the deaf grandmother's son, also curiously examined the rope-making machine and asked, "Yonglingwa, how do you use this thing? Is it easy to learn?"

Ji Yongling smiled and said, "This rope-making machine isn't difficult to use, but it takes a few people to work together. Here's what I was thinking: our village didn't plant many castor beans this year, so let's try making some castor bean rope first."

Let's compare the quality and durability of the hemp rope made from castor stalks to that made from hemp stalks. If the castor rope is good, our village will have another source of income. If the castor rope isn't good, we can switch to growing hemp and making hemp rope!

The bald man next to him put down the rope-making machine, tugged at one of his trouser legs which was higher than the other, and said, "Could you lend us your rope-making machine?"

“Yes, we can lend it! It was made for everyone to use! This thing is sturdy and won’t break easily!” Ji Yongling affirmed.

Baldy shook his head and said, "You're all young and inexperienced! You kids can't make decisions for yourselves. I still need to ask your grandpa and dad! Only when they agree will it count!"

Grandpa Ji, who had been silent until now, stood up and said, "What Yonglingwa said is exactly what his father and I meant. We've already discussed this; everyone will take turns using the rope-making machine. If you make a lot of rope later, you can each get your own!"

"Alright, I'll borrow it first. Don't any of you try to take it from me!" Baldy grinned smugly.

Niu Li glared at him and couldn't help but say, "You're always in such a hurry, always rushing ahead of everything! We haven't even gotten started yet, and you're already afraid you'll miss out on any benefits!"

"What? You're not going to take advantage of this? I'm not some melon seed! If you want it, you can take it too!" The bald man said nonchalantly, tilting his head.

Niu Lizheng rolled his eyes and stopped talking.

Baldy rubbed his hands together and asked Ji Yongling, "Will you buy the hemp rope we make? You're already buying castor beans, so why not buy the rope too? If we sell it in large quantities, dealers will be willing to buy it!"

The deaf old woman, holding the shoe sole she had prepared for Maihua to use as a maidservant, slapped the bald man's bare arm with the sole and said disdainfully, "You're never satisfied, you can never have enough! Do you even have enough hemp rope in your own room? You just want Yonglingwa to take it!"

The bald man just blew on his lips and said, "I don't have a solution either! My kid's getting married, and it's going to cost a fortune! As his father, I have to come up with a solution from all over the place!"

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business!" Niu Lizheng interrupted Baldy Guang.

Baldy was about to argue a bit more when Ji Yongling said, "I'll buy all the hemp ropes you make! But let me make this clear first: I'll definitely pay less than what you get at the market. And the hemp ropes I buy must meet my requirements!"

The quantity of thick strands and thin strands, as well as their tightness, must all be specified. I won't accept a single strand that doesn't meet my requirements! You can choose for yourselves—whether you want to give them to me or take them to the market to sell yourself.”

As soon as Ji Yongling said this, the people below started to make their own plans.

If I sell them myself at the market, I'll definitely make more money, but I'm not sure if I'll even sell them. If I hand them over to Ji Yongling, although the price will be cheaper and the requirements will be more stringent, it will save me a lot of trouble and worry.

"Furthermore—" Ji Yongling continued, watching the villagers below discuss amongst themselves, "This castor bean rope is the first one made in our Niujiazhuang. I personally hope that we can all make this rope well and make a name for ourselves! In the future, whenever people mention castor bean rope, they will immediately think of our Niujiazhuang products! Whenever people talk about Niujiazhuang rope, they will praise it, not criticize it!"

"Good!" Niu Lizheng led the applause. "We are all from Niujiazhuang. If Niujiazhuang loses face, then we all lose face! If Niujiazhuang becomes famous, then we all stand tall! Anyone who dares to ruin our village's reputation can pack their bags and leave!"

"Good, good, good! Yongling is doing all this for the good of our village! When people are united, they can move mountains! As long as everyone in our village works together, how can we not have a good life in the future?" Niu Suozi said excitedly.

"Ahem—" Liu Lu, who hadn't uttered a sound, stood up, head held high, hands behind his back, and said in a bossy manner, "If you ask me, we should set a unified standard for our village! We should measure the castor behemoth ropes, whether they're thick or thin! That way, we won't ruin the reputation of our Niujiazhuang village, and we won't waste Yonglingwa's hard work."

“Yes, yes, yes, we can’t ruin our village’s reputation, and we can’t let Yonglingwa’s efforts be in vain. I agree!” Meng Wenping, the deaf grandmother’s son, shouted.

Ji Manqing, who had been watching from the corner, nudged Ji Manchuan with his elbow and said smugly, "Third Brother, I feel like the girls in our house are more capable and ambitious than the boys!"

Ji Manchuan, beaming with pride, raised his chin and said arrogantly, "Then you should take a look at who gave birth to him!"

Ji Manqing pouted: "Third Brother, there's no point in you saying that!"