Chapter 109 Benefiting the Village
In midsummer, Shangyuan is already quite hot in the early morning.
The crops in the farmland on the plateau are growing well, and the green seedlings are like satin. But if you extend your field of view, you can see that there is a clear boundary between the growth of Gu Shu nursery.
This boundary line is either a long and narrow strip, or forms a large circle. The growth within the range is better, while the seedlings outside the boundary have low leaves and narrow leaves, and are obviously stunted.
"On the plateau, a large well can irrigate several hectares of land, and a small well can also irrigate one or two hectares. The amount of water vapor in the ground veins is uneven, and the benefits for the people are also deep and shallow. Over time, rural grievances gather and grievances and fights occur frequently. Therefore, The owner of the canal in my hometown dug the canal to make it smooth and even in volume..."
Wu Jingyi, the head of the Qumeng League, led several pedestrians to the plateau and led them to a section of wells and canals that were already in use. He introduced them in detail to the changes that had been brought to the farm affairs on the plateau after the completion of the wells and canals.
Nearby, villagers are collecting water to irrigate the fields. They use oranges for shallow wells and windlass for deep wells. The water drawn from the wells is then pushed to the fields with wheelbarrows to irrigate the fields and replenish seedlings.
Several passers-by came from other places, and when they saw such a scene of farming, they sighed repeatedly: "The people of Shangyuan are so lucky to have Wu Dudu and other township righteous chiefs to help us by diverting water! We are poor in other places, and our own farming is not prosperous. , Even if you have the intention to help the poor and needy folks, you don’t have the ability.”
"The owner of the canal often says that everything depends on human effort and determination. There are big plans and small constructions. The water conservancy in this township also started from a small place. At first, there were only a few alliance operators in the township, but as the canal construction began , the local people are benefiting, and the nearby counties and towns are unwilling to cooperate with each other, the people will know that they are unjust, and they will be despised by everyone!"
When talking about the development of Qumeng, Wu Jingyi was even more proud. In previous years, he had bravely served as the county governor and felt proud of the township. But now that he is in charge of Qumeng, he is a well-known example of rural justice in the entire Wuxiang County.
In the past, he spent a lot of money to seek power, but not long ago, the state's great minister personally visited his home and told him to choose an outstanding son from a family and respond to the state expansion in the autumn. If he was elected, he could be registered in Daxingtai and wait for an official.
Such social influence and privileges are obviously not something that a township governor can bring.
Every time Wu Jingyi thinks about this event, he feels full of motivation. He feels more and more that following Li Quzhu and working together is a wise choice. According to this momentum, it is very possible for his family to rise to the county surname within two generations!
If it weren't for the fact that the countryside is now hard to call peaceful and the guarantee of force is indispensable, Wu Jingyi would have given up his position as the governor of the township regiment to run the affairs exclusively for Li Tai'an.
After all, if there was a safer and more stable way to rise, who would be willing to throw away his life and blood to gain a future and wealth?
"Excuse me, Master Li Canal, is he in the village? Now that I have entered the village, I hope to visit this young and wise man and ask him some advice on local affairs."
Several outsiders gathered together to discuss, and then another representative was introduced to speak to Wu Jingyi.
After hearing this, Wu Jingyi nodded and smiled: "It's a coincidence that you are here. The owner of the canal is on the plateau inspecting the canal. The specific location is unknown, so we have to visit each place."
"It's nothing. The road to visit a wise man is of course tortuous."
Several people also laughed and said that the first reason they came to the south was to sell a batch of materials to the Qumeng here, and the second reason was to meet the long-famous Shang Yuan Li Lang.
At this time, there were nearly a hundred people scattered in a ravine on the southern slope of Shangyuan. They took out copper basins, pottery pots, cashmere and other objects from the pits scattered around, and inspected and compared them. Ichiban.
"Dig a well here, and water will come out within five feet!"
After reviewing it, a middle-aged man in a linen robe pointed at a three-foot-deep pit in front of the slope and said firmly.
When the people nearby heard this, they didn't question it. They all came here with tools for digging wells and continued digging into the pit.
"Weng Chen, come here and take a rest, thank you for your hard work!"
Li Tai, wearing a plain hakama-pleated suit, stood under the pergola and waved and shouted to the middle-aged man in linen robe.
"It's just a matter of using your eyesight. There's no hard work!"
The middle-aged man surnamed Chen walked towards us. Seeing Li Tai's expression looking a little pale and haggard, he couldn't help but sigh and said, "We all know that our husband has a deep love and righteousness. After the master leaves, we will inevitably be sad." It’s endless. But there are people inside and outside the house who depend on me for a living, so please take care of yourself!”
"Yes, the past is over, but the living still have to work hard. I lost control of my grief before and suddenly felt cold. After a few days of rest, I have recovered. After walking upstream for a while, I broke out in sweat and felt much better."
Although Li Tai was deeply saddened by He Basheng's death, he was not devastated by the sadness. It was just that it rained heavily that day. Later, he participated in He Basheng's funeral as the ceremony officer and groomsman, and a complicated ceremony was carried out. After coming down, Yuezhong suddenly fell ill and rested in the village for many days before regaining some energy.
The middle-aged man in Ma Pao is named Chen Mao, and he is also a member of He Basheng's old tribe. Although he does not look very strange, he has a very remarkable ability to look for water. He had been involved in the construction of wells and canals on the plateau.
Some time ago, Li Tai rarely visited the construction site in person, but he also heard from many people that Chen Mao was very good at finding water, but in the end, he heard nothing. At this time, he found a suitable well after seeing Chen Mao for a short time. I was also very curious about the location.
"How did Chen Weng know which pit could be used to dig a well?"
He fiddled with the tools that the workers had returned to the pergola, and saw that they were just ordinary copper basins and pots mixed with wadding and the like. It was difficult to tell any difference with his naked eyes.
"When marching in the wild, finding water is a major priority. Especially in some remote areas where there is no running water. Without water, you will be dead. This ability to find water is actually simple to say."
Chen Mao walked into the pergola. After seeing Li Tai sit down, he also sat on the wicker chair. He pointed to the vegetation on the plateau and said: "The first point is naturally to look. Where the vegetation is lush, there must be undercurrents underneath it." , if there is no vegetation to be found, you need to dig a cellar, stand in it, and look around with your eyes at dawn. If the water vapor rises and looks like smoke, you can dig deeply. water."
Li Tai listened and nodded. This was within the common sense he understood and was not out of line.
"If it is a hot and dry area where water vapor is not obvious, then you must first dig a three-foot pit, place copper basins, earthen pots, cashmere, etc. in it, wipe it with clear oil, first cover it with hay, and then cover it with fine soil, wait for a day, and then take a look at it. If there is water at the bottom, there must be a spring at the bottom. To get the clay pot, you need to get it no more than three feet away. To get the copper basin, you need to get it no more than five feet away. To get the cashmere, you need to get it from deep."
Chen Mao explained the functions of these utensils again, and then said: "Besides this, there is another way to distinguish fire. Make a fire at the bottom of the pit. If the fire vapor winds up, it will be stagnant by water vapor. If If the fire smoke goes straight up, there must be no water here.”
His explanation was simple and straightforward. After listening to it, Li Tai felt that his knowledge had increased.
He really didn't know there were so many ways to find water sources in the wild before. Although it sounds simple, it is the wisdom of making a living accumulated over the years. He can't help but feel more and more valuable about the talents He Basheng left him.
Digging a well is a tedious and skill-based task. If the initial location is chosen incorrectly, it will be in vain.
The workers took turns extracting baskets of soil from the increasingly deeper shaft. Chen Mao apologized again, walked out of the pergola and squatted aside to carefully inspect the excavated soil, and from time to time gave instructions to strengthen the walls of the shaft.
After more than an hour of this, the excavated soil was already quite wet and clumped into balls. It was obvious that the well would soon be dug with water. When the workers resting around saw this, they all clapped their hands. Mao's eyesight applauded.
After receiving the news, the workers waiting elsewhere also transported up the wooden boards and wedge-shaped bricks that reinforced the bottom of the shaft. As long as the location is chosen correctly, a large well with a depth of several feet can be dug in two or three days. If it is well maintained, it can bring benefits for the next ten years or even longer.
Sitting in the pergola, Li Tai heard the workers cheering each other up, and a smile appeared on his face.
During the recent period, due to He Basheng's death and his own illness, he could not help but feel a lot of sadness and sadness, and his mood was never too high.
But when I feel the vigorous vitality revealed by the simple joyful visions of these villagers in the fields, I also feel a delicate and real sense of existence and accomplishment.
Aging and death happen every day, but as long as you can base yourself on the present and make your actions meaningful, it is not a wasted time.
Even if he is not powerful enough to influence the general trend of the world, at least the lives of the villagers in Sakon have improved due to his efforts, which is something to be proud of.
While he was sighing with emotion, Wu Jingyi had already led several foreigners to come here with sweat on their heads and introduced each other briefly. Li Tai also smiled and nodded to these people.
"Li Lang is not only a righteous young man from the countryside here, but also a talented person from the famous Li family in Longxi. He was rewarded by the Daxingtai and was granted the title of breaking the earth and sealing the country. He also holds an important position in the Taifu!"
Wu Jingyi is now a passionate human trumpet. He is afraid that outsiders will underestimate Li Tai, so he introduces his prominent identity and position in detail.
After the foreigners listened, they were even more in awe of Li Tai. They felt that although this gentleman looked a little weak and sick, he was not as handsome as a mortal.
"The water is coming out, the water is coming out! Thank you Li Lang, there is another beautiful well in the village!"
A burst of warm cheers erupted at the construction site, and soon several people rushed to the pergola to say goodbye, dancing and cheering.
When Li Tai saw this, he also laughed and said: "Today, the people who are digging wells will go to the village to have a meal at night. They will give birth to a lamb and eat all they want!"
When everyone heard this, they cheered louder.
Several outsiders were also infected by this joyful atmosphere, with smiles on their faces, but one couldn't help but approached Wu Jingyi and asked in a low voice: "The village has already spent a lot of money on the construction of fortifications. How can we maintain such luxurious food and drink for the workers for a long time? "
"Of course you can't do it anywhere else, but there is Li Lang in this town!"
Wu Jingyi replied matter-of-factly while grinning and clapping his hands.