Siheyuan: I am protecting Shazhu, who dares to object?

In the 60s, relying on the weather for food was still the norm in rural areas. Although Cuigu Village has developed in all aspects over the years, the problem of water shortage for irrigation in the dry season and fear of floods destroying crops in the rainy season has always been like two huge stones weighing on Wang Dashan's heart.

He knew very well that if he wanted to truly stabilize the village's agricultural production, water conservancy construction would be a difficult problem that must be overcome.

Early in the morning, just after daybreak, Wang Dashan gathered several experienced old farmers and young and strong men in the village to the threshing ground at the entrance of the village.

Everyone was bleary-eyed, but looking at Wang Dashan's serious expression, they knew that there must be something important to discuss, and they instantly became much more awake.

Wang Dashan cleared his throat and said loudly: "Fellow villagers, everyone can see the changes in Cuigu Village in recent years, but the harvest of crops still depends on the will of God. When it is dry, we can only watch the crops wilt due to lack of water; when it is flooded, we can only watch the water wash the land into a mess. I think we have to build water conservancy projects and solve the water problem. Only then can we really ensure a stable harvest in the future regardless of drought or flood."

An old farmer frowned, took a puff of his pipe, and said slowly: "Dashan, building water conservancy is not an easy task. It will take a lot of manpower and resources. Is it possible in our village with the conditions?"

Wang Dashan looked at everyone with a firm gaze and said, "Uncle, I know it's difficult, but we have to do it no matter how difficult it is. If we don't do it, our crops will never be guaranteed, and how can we live a stable life? We can start with a small water conservancy project, dig a few irrigation ditches, and then build a small dam to store rainwater and use it slowly."

After hearing this, the young men were eager to try it out.

One of them, Zhuzi, said loudly, "Uncle Dashan, just tell us what to do. We will listen to you and use whatever strength we have."

Wang Dashan smiled, patted Zhuzi on the shoulder and said, "Good boy, it's good to have this spirit. Let's divide into several groups. Experienced old farmers will lead the young people. One group will be responsible for surveying the terrain to see how to dig the ditch and where to divert the water; one group will prepare tools, such as hoes and shovels, so as not to be left without tools when the time comes to work; and another group will follow me to the town to inquire and see if we can apply for some material support. After all, the workload is not small."

They acted immediately and everyone went their separate ways.

Wang Dashan took a few villagers to the town. Along the way, everyone felt a little nervous.

When he arrived at the town's water conservancy department, Wang Dashan found the person in charge and said sincerely, "Leader, we are from Cuigu Village. As you know, agricultural production in our village has been affected by drought and floods, and the harvest is unstable. We want to build water conservancy ourselves, but the conditions in the village are limited. Can you please give us some cement, stone materials, etc. to help us?"

The person in charge looked at Wang Dashan and his team, and was moved by their determination. He said, "Your Cuigu Village has a good idea. You want to be self-reliant in construction. Let me try my best to coordinate some supplies for you, but the quantity may be limited. You still have to find ways to overcome the difficulties on your own."

Wang Dashan quickly thanked him: "Thank you so much, leader. Your words have given us more motivation. We will definitely work hard and live up to your support."

Back in the village, the team responsible for surveying the terrain had already come up with a preliminary plan.

Old farmer Zhang held the blueprint and said to Wang Dashan, "Dashan, we've seen a plan to divert water from the hillside at the east end of the village, dig a few ditches along the farmland, and build a dam in the depression at the west end of the village to catch the rainwater. What do you think of this plan?"

Wang Dashan looked at the blueprint carefully, nodded from time to time and said, "Uncle Zhang, you have a lot of experience, it looks quite reasonable. But we still have to walk around the site more to see if there is anything missing. This water conservancy project cannot tolerate any carelessness."

The team that prepared the tools also collected all the usable hoes and shovels, and asked the village blacksmith to make a few new ones. Although simple, they were sturdy and durable.

Everything was ready, and on the day when construction officially started, almost all the men, women, and children in the village came to the construction site.

Wang Dashan stood on a high place, holding a loud speaker and shouting: "Fellow villagers, today we will start to repair the water conservancy project. This is a major event related to the future of our village. Everyone, work hard for our own good life and for our future generations to have a good harvest. Let's do it!"

Everyone shouted slogans and worked enthusiastically.

The young men were strong and they picked up their hoes and started digging the soil, throwing shovelfuls of soil aside. The women were not idle either, helping to transport the dug soil to a distant place and chatting about family matters while working.

"Aunt, now that we have repaired the water conservancy project, we won't have to worry about not having water for our crops anymore, right?"

"Of course, Uncle Dashan's idea is great, we have to do it well."

But when the project was halfway through, we encountered difficulties.

When they dug into a hard soil layer, the hoe only splashed a few sparks and the progress suddenly slowed down.

Everyone was a little anxious. Zhuzi wiped the sweat off his face and said to Wang Dashan, "Uncle Dashan, what should we do? The soil is as hard as rock and we can't dig it."

Wang Dashan squatted down, looked at the soil layer carefully, and said after thinking for a moment: "Don't be afraid, we can drill holes with steel drills and then blast them with explosives. It should be able to be blown open, but we have to be careful. Safety first."

So, several experienced villagers operated carefully, and with a few muffled sounds, the hard soil layer was finally blown up. Everyone cheered and continued to dig the ditch with great enthusiasm.

While the dam was being repaired, there was another heavy rain.

Wang Dashan looked at the rain and felt anxious, worried that the newly built dam foundation would be washed away.

He put on his raincoat and ran to the construction site, shouting as he ran: "Everyone, go to the dam and check it out. We can't let the water damage it."

Villagers rushed to the scene and worked together to reinforce the dam foundation with sandbags. Rain mixed with sweat flowed down everyone's cheeks, but no one backed down.

After several months of hard work, the irrigation ditch was finally dug and the water storage dam was repaired.

Looking at the clear water flowing into the fields through the ditches, the villagers' faces were filled with joyful smiles.

An old lady smiled and said to Wang Dashan: "Dashan, it's all thanks to you. Look at the water, it's so clear. Our crops will surely grow well in the future, and we won't have to worry about drought or flood anymore."

Wang Dashan looked at the scene in front of him with great satisfaction. He said, "Auntie, this is the result of everyone's joint efforts. We must maintain these water conservancy facilities in the future so that they can continue to benefit our village."