The Liao Palace Plot: The Female Minister of Works

The success of the pulley model gives Lin Da'e a secret new hobby. In the stillness of the night, she works on the wood by moonlight, trying to improve the design so it turns more smoothly and takes less effort. She even secretly uses a few lengths of sturdy hemp rope to rig up a simple pulley on the crooked willow tree in the laundry bureau's back courtyard, then tries using it to lift a bucket of water. Sure enough, it takes far less effort than lifting it directly.