The trials of the qu辕犁 (quyuan plow) and the waterwheel were very successful. Because of this, Lin Tian instructed the craftsmen to quickly produce the quyuan plows.
It was almost time for the busy farming season, and if the quyuan plows weren't made quickly, they might miss the peak period for farming.
Therefore, the matter of making waterwheels was temporarily put aside.
The craftsmen's focus remained on producing the quyuan plows.
Furthermore, the production of the quyuan plow was much simpler than that of the waterwheel.
As a result, in a short period, the craftsmen produced a large number of quyuan plows.
After these quyuan plows were made, the first thing Lin Tian did was distribute them to the common people.
His distribution of plows was entirely free of charge.
Each household was given one plow.
This undertaking was not only massive, but the financial expenditure was also immense.
Even though each family only received one plow, the distribution situation was entirely different.
The financial expenditure required was undoubtedly astronomical.
Fortunately, Lin Tian had acquired not only a vast amount of wealth from his trip to Dongying, but also a large quantity of timber.
Therefore, he could afford such an expenditure.
The distribution of the quyuan plows sparked heated discussions among countless common people.
"Are they really giving plows away for free? Is there such a good thing?"
"Before, we had to buy our own plows. Even then, we only managed to buy one after three years. Now, His Highness the Crown Prince is so generous as to give every household a plow?"
"Since His Highness the Crown Prince said so, he will definitely give every family a plow. I must say, His Highness the Crown Prince is benevolent!"
Previous dynasties, while enacting benevolent policies for the common people, such as tax reductions or exemptions, had never directly given items to every common person.
Especially when the common people thought about how these plows, unlike taxes, were not something they already owned, it made them even happier.
To receive an extra plow during the busy farming season was something they found incredibly joyful.
However, when they saw the quyuan plows, they felt something was amiss.
"Isn't this plow a bit small?"
"I think so too. My previous plow was much bigger than this. Will it be difficult to use when it's this small?"
"Who cares if it's easy to use or not? My family didn't have a plow before, and now we do, so I'll use this!"
"Then, then I'll stick with my old plow. My old plow is a bit longer and easier to use!"
At this time, many people had not yet used a quyuan plow and could only judge its usability based on their existing experience.
In their experience, the longer the plow, the more convenient it was to use and the deeper it could till the soil.
As for the small and short quyuan plow, it resembled a toy compared to the longer plows, and its usability was not strong.
Because of this, many common people, after receiving the quyuan plows, chose to continue using their own plows instead of the quyuan plows.
Only those who did not own a plow chose to use the quyuan plows.
As a result, the joy in the hearts of the common people was significantly diminished.
It wasn't until the actual busy farming season arrived that they realized the difference.
"Huh! Old Huang, why are you home so early? Did your plow break, and you've come back to borrow one?"
"My plow broke? How could my good plow break? It's not that my plow broke, it's that I finished plowing that piece of land. I'm just tidying up and getting ready to move to the next plot!"
"What? You finished plowing that piece of land? How is that possible? I've only plowed half of mine. How could you be finished? Did you hire someone to help you plow?"
"It's so busy now, where would I find someone to help plow? Besides, hiring someone to plow isn't free! I plowed that entire plot myself!"
"I used this quyuan plow, and plowing is just so fast. For land similar to yours, I finished it in just a few minutes!"
"Alright, I won't chat with you any longer, I'm off to plow the next piece of land!"
With that, the farmer named Old Huang, a smile on his face, shouldered the quyuan plow and headed towards his next plot of land.
He left behind another farmer, filled with confusion.
He still found it hard to believe.
The quyuan plow clearly looked smaller than his long plow, so how could it plow faster?
However, before he could voice his doubts, he saw another person carrying a quyuan plow walk past his field.
This made him even more astonished.
"Brother Li, you... you've finished plowing your land too?"
"Finished! This quyuan plow is incredibly easy to use. In just half a day, my land is plowed!"
"This truly lives up to being something from His Highness the Crown Prince. It's indeed a good thing!"
As he said this, the commoner's face clearly showed happiness and satisfaction.
His expression made it obvious at a glance that he had gotten an incredible bargain.
Because of this, the commoner who watched the two men leave became even more perplexed.
"Could it be that the quyuan plow really plows faster?"
"No, I have to go get it and try it! If it plows faster, it will save me a lot of effort!"
With this thought, this commoner stopped plowing and went straight home to fetch the quyuan plow he had put away.
Then, shouldering the quyuan plow, he went to his field.
After he secured the quyuan plow, his miraculous journey began.
He gently urged his draft ox, and immediately, the ox, pulling the plow, began to till the soil.
Logically, for draft oxen to pull a plow and till the soil requires immense strength.
And the plowing season is also the most arduous time for draft oxen.
However, at this moment, the draft ox did not seem to be exerting itself at all.
It merely walked forward gently, easily pulling the quyuan plow.
Such a scene was truly unbelievable for commoners accustomed to plowing with long plows.
More importantly, the land tilled by the quyuan plow was wide and deep, fully meeting the standards for cultivation.
When turning, it could easily complete the turn without any manipulation from them.
This feeling of plowing was truly effortless and labor-saving.
At this moment, he immediately understood why they could plow so quickly.
"What His Highness the Crown Prince gave us is simply too good! It easily plows the land!"
"With this treasure, who would still use those old and difficult-to-use long plows!"
After experiencing the ease of use of the quyuan plow, this commoner was immediately captivated by it.
He had already made up his mind to use the quyuan plow from now on, and would never use the difficult-to-use long plow again, even if it meant death.
And there were many commoners who shared his sentiment.
As the busy farming season arrived, everyone immediately understood the practical advantages of the quyuan plow.