Crossing the farm gate, the whole family reunites in the disaster year

The village head's legs seemed to be twenty years younger. When he reached the mountain spring, he could take a full meter in one step.

Two years ago, someone found him and wanted to introduce a young widow from another village to Cheng Liang. Fortunately, he stopped him, otherwise how would he face the ancestors of Xiahe Village a hundred years later.

I can't wait a hundred years. If it weren't for the Lin family, I would have seen my ancestors this year.

Dazhi was carrying water down the mountain, his feet gripping the ground tightly, afraid that a drop of water would spill.

The water is so clear that just smelling it makes me feel refreshed.

"Dazhi!" Cui Chengliang called him from afar.

"Third brother." Dazhi couldn't help but look happy. He grabbed the shoulder pole with both hands and walked over steadily. "This water is really good. Uncle Lizheng, try it."

The water droplets slid down the barrel and splashed onto the ground, like crystal clear pearls, so precious.

The village head said with a smile, "We'll go up now. You can quickly fetch some water and go home."

"Hey, I'm going to pick it up again later. This water is so good."

Dazhi wanted to praise the water to the sky. He hadn't seen such clear water for a long time. The water from the wells in the village was mixed with yellow mud.

The village head quickened his pace, eager to see the spring with his own eyes.

In a blink of an eye, we arrived outside the chestnut forest.

The village head took a deep breath before stepping in. After walking a few words, he slapped his thigh in pain.

"This...this is all ruined."

The chestnut forest was full of water, with shadows floating in the potholes and the sound of flowing water deep in the forest.

"Did he just run away in vain?" The head of the village was worried.

The villagers were fighting over a bucket of well water, and here, the water just flowed into the woods.

But they didn't have buckets of water, and the buckets would be full in the blink of an eye.

The village head was so anxious that he was spinning around.

Cui Chengliang was silent for a moment and an idea came to his mind.

"Uncle Village Chief, mountain spring water is different from well water. When well water is not being drawn, it stays there quietly, but mountain spring water never stops flowing."

Who says it isn't? If it flows like this for two days and the water runs dry, they will be out of water again.

"It would be great if we could store the water." The village head muttered.

"It's not difficult." Cui Chengliang smiled. "Let's divert the water down there and dig a reservoir so it can be stored."

Before the drought, there was a river in Xiahe Village, but people had no experience in drawing water from the mountains, and he had seen many examples before he traveled through time.

Water intakes are built to bring water into pipes, which are then connected to thousands of households. A hydropower station can also be built in the middle, achieving multiple goals at one stroke.

But the technology is not up to the task at the moment, so we can only take the simplest approach.

"There are many rocks on the mountain. Let's use the rocks to make a ditch, and the water will flow down the mountain along the rocks..."

The village head's eyes widened instantly.

Stones can prevent water from seeping away, and this mountain has plenty of them.

This is a good idea!

The more I thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. I immediately decided to go down the mountain to call for help. This matter should be done as soon as possible. The sooner we do it, the more water we can store.

As soon as I raised my leg, a group of people rushed into the woods.

"Oh my God! It's really water. The ground is covered with water."

"Over there, the village head and his men are over there. Let's go and take a look."

Just as Dazhi said goodbye to the head of the village, he was stopped by the villagers who followed him. Only then did everyone realize that there was water on the mountain.

The clear spring water in the bucket was like jade and gold, and the bright reflection made my eyes burst into tears.

That’s great, they don’t have to worry about water anymore.

A sea of people gathered in front of the stone wall, curiously looking at the water flowing out of the stone. Having lived in the village all their lives, this was the first time they had seen water in a stone.

"With so much water, the crops in the fields can survive and we don't have to worry about what to eat." Some people cried with joy.

The village head frowned and said, "We have nearly a thousand acres of land in our village. How can this little water be enough to irrigate it? I don't even know if it's enough for people to eat."

The scolded man scratched his head and said, "But this water keeps flowing. It's better to use it to irrigate the land than to waste it."

The village head said, "I was just about to call you to discuss this matter. Cheng Liang just suggested a solution: divert the water down the mountain and dig a reservoir to store it. This way, even if the water supply is cut off in the future, we won't be without water."

Villagers, you look at me and I look at you.

That sounds good, but...

Someone at the back of the crowd stood on tiptoe and asked, "How do we get the water down the mountain? The water doesn't understand human language."

The woods were filled with laughter.

"Kneel down, kowtow three times, and call it Grandpa. Maybe it will really follow you."

"Go, go, go, why don't you kowtow."

The head of the village looked unhappy. It was such a late hour and he was still in the mood to joke.

"Be quiet!" The village head told himself not to get angry. It was a good thing that there was water in Xiahe Village. It was a festive day, so he couldn't get angry.

He patiently explained, "The person just asked the right question. Bringing water down the mountain requires everyone's concerted efforts. We've already come up with a preliminary plan. We'll use stones to pave a ditch that will extend all the way down the mountain."

The crowd instantly quieted down and began to calculate silently in their minds.

It takes more than half an hour to walk from the foot of the mountain to here. How much effort would it take to pave a ditch?

Many people began to back out.

It took more than a dozen people ten days to dig the well under the big locust tree, but after only a few days, the water supply is running out.

Don’t be fooled by the strong water flow now. The ditch may not be laid yet and the water supply may be cut off again, making all the efforts in vain.

"Actually, it's not that hard to carry water down."

Looking at the expressions on their faces, you can tell what they are thinking. The village head is a little angry.

"The Chengliang family took great pains to dig this water out, and they told me right away. They didn't ask for anything, even though it was such a big deal. They just wanted to make life easier for Xiahe Village and ensure everyone in Xiahe Village had access to drinking water."

"And the chestnuts. They were found by Cheng Liang's wife, who also had us in mind. You all dig up a lot of wild vegetables, but who ever gave Cheng Liang's wife a bite? We traded chestnuts for food, and carried them home bag by bag. Who ever thought of repaying the favor?"

A voice in the crowd whispered back, "Those...those are all from the mountain..."

The village head glared at him fiercely: "Why didn't you eat before I told you? You don't like the taste of the food anymore."

"The Chengliang family has contributed so much to our village. Although we haven't been educated, we are strong. We must further improve the water source and ensure that the Chengliang family's efforts are not in vain."

Someone said with a bitter face, "Uncle Village Chief, it's not that we don't want to work, but we don't know how much water there is. What if it stops flowing again? Wouldn't it be a waste of effort?"

The village head was stunned by the question and didn't know how to answer.

Cui Chengliang wanted to answer, but suddenly remembered that he was like most people in the village, uneducated and ignorant, so he could not answer this question.

Lin pinched Cui Jingwen, and the pain made him take a big step and stand next to the head of the village.

The village head smiled and said, "Jingwen has read a lot, let him answer it."

Cui Jingwen awkwardly straightened his clothes, quickly organized his words, and answered everyone in a simple and understandable manner.

"...water flows into the ground, it doesn't just disappear, it flows through the soil and eventually flows out again, and as long as we use water, the cycle continues."

The villagers seemed to understand but not quite.

"Uncle Lizheng, I'll do my part."

"If nothing else, I believe what Master Tongsheng says, so count me in!"

Ever since he witnessed Cui Jingwen and Zhao Yougen sparring in court, he has been full of admiration for him. Not to mention anything else, the village head has to kneel when he sees the county magistrate, but he doesn't have to!

With their doubts dispelled, more and more people are willing to contribute.

Who doesn’t want to live a good life and have enough food and drink?

The village head sighed in regret. If he had known that Jingwen’s words were so effective, why would he have wasted so much time talking to him?