Chapter 2 Well Drilling

The mountains in the afternoon were still bleak, and Zhang Xiaohua was still enthusiastic. But the progress of reclamation in the afternoon was not as smooth as in the morning. There are many rocks in the wasteland, many of which are buried in the ground. It is not an easy task to dig up the ground and pry up the big rocks. It was just a few rocks, but his hand was injured first, the tiger's mouth was cracked, and it was blowing in the cold wind, and he felt a burst of pain.

After all, he is still a young man.

Looking back at the wasteland where she had been busy all day, Zhang Xiaohua carried the hoe and the water jar, although she was a little bit reluctant, and walked back. It's getting late, if you don't leave, father and brother will come to look for her, and grandma will be worried.

There is a distance between the wasteland and home, otherwise there would be no need for my mother to come over to deliver meals at noon. Walking on the rugged mountain road home, although Zhang Xiaohua lost her physical strength, she was in a wonderful mood. The progress of land reclamation was not fast, and her father had already reminded her that if it could be done in a few days, the village would have been full The fields on the hillside were opened. This is just the beginning. In the future, we need to cultivate carefully, sow seeds, water, etc. There are many troubles. Suddenly, Xiaohua thought of something, water it! ! ! Yes, the hillside is so high, so far away from the river in the village, how should the water be made, and there are no springs around? Why didn't I think of it earlier? This...how should this be done? Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaohua couldn't help speeding up her pace and ran home.

When I walked into the village, it was already dark, and there were still many urchins playing and laughing in the village. Seeing Xiaohua carrying a hoe, some familiar villagers stopped Xiaohua to ask him about the land reclamation. answer. It seems that opening up wasteland on the hillside is also a matter of great concern to the villagers who do not have enough rations. However, Xiao Hua was also very absent-minded. Everyone thought he was tired, so they didn't ask in detail, and Xiao Hua rushed home.

Zhang Xiaohua's home is at the south end of the village, and from the point of view of Feng Shui, it is the place where the wind and water flow. However, the area is not small. Thanks to Zhang Cai's efforts, there is even a small courtyard. The wall of the small courtyard is not high, and it is built with yellow mud, and the inside can be seen from the outside. Through the fence gate from a distance, Zhang Xiaohua saw her grandmother leaning on a cane. Because her eyes couldn't see, grandma didn't go out very often. Now she was holding on to the fence gate, presumably to remember her youngest grandson. Hearing the sound of approaching footsteps, grandma smiled, "Xiaohua, you're back~, are you tired today?" Zhang Xiaohua ran a few steps, entered the door, put down the hoe and water pot, and supported grandma She quickly replied: "I'm not tired, grandma, it's not like I haven't done farm work before." The grandma held Zhang Xiaohua's hand in relief, and said, "Our little flower is already an adult, and grandma has forgotten it!" The hand happened to touch the place where Zhang Xiaohua's tiger's mouth was broken. Zhang Xiaohua took a breath of cold air in pain. Although she didn't cry out, her grandma heard it and said loudly: "Xiaocai, hurry up and see the child." Zhang Xiaohua In fact, my father just came back and was cleaning in the yard. When he heard the voice of his mother-in-law, he sensed it, took a closer look, and said:

"It's okay, mother, Xiao Hua worked too hard, and her hand cracked, it will be fine in a few days."

Grandma said, "Why don't you go to Lao Chen in the village to get some medicine for the child?"

While talking, Guo Sufei came out with things from the house, and casually said to Zhang Xiaohua's grandmother: "No need, mother, didn't Xiaohu use it last time, there are still some left, and I will paint it on when Xiaohua sleeps at night." A little bit, I think tomorrow will be better. Mother, you feel like going back to the house, it’s cold and the wind is picking up, I’ll bring you the food later. Xiaohua, help your grandma back to the house.”

Zhang Xiaohua carefully sent grandma back to the house, and put her anxiety about watering to the back of her mind.

After dinner, my parents weaved baskets under Dou Da's oil lamp, and the three brothers Zhang Xiaohua also helped. Only then did Zhang Cai ask Zhang Xiaohua about the land reclamation situation. Zhang Xiaohua also came one by one, and Zhang Cai said:

"It's really slow for you alone. Waiting for Xiaohu to help Xiaolong clear the land on the other side of the river will not make the difference.

I'll go over and help you. "

Zhang Xiaolong also said: "Don't worry, Xiaohua, I'm done with my work, and my father and I will go to help, and we will finish it before winter."

Zhang Xiaohua said: "Why am I in such a hurry? Didn't my father say that you need to be careful when opening up wasteland? Slow down, open more carefully, and grow crops later. It will grow well." At this point, he thought of it About watering, I quickly asked his father: "Dad, I just remembered halfway through the road. The hillside is so high and there are no springs nearby. How will the crops be watered in the future?"

Zhang Cai stopped what he was doing and said, "It's hard for you to think of this, what do you think should be done?"

Zhang Xiaohua looked at her two brothers begging for help and said, "Our land is watered, and the hillside is so far away and high, so we can't carry water, can we?"

Zhang Cai smiled and said, "Xiao Hua, what's behind our slope?"

Zhang Xiaohua thought for a while and said, "Isn't there a deep hole in the back?"

"Yes, right there, it's a small nest where three hillsides are squeezed together. We can dig a well there, and then we will go from the well to the whole trail in the field. We can drink water and irrigate the fields." Zhang Cai said with confidence.

"It seems that you have planned a long time ago." Guo Sufei smiled and praised her man.

"Then, father, when will we dig the well?" Zhang Xiaohua asked impatiently.

"Let's wait until the ground is leveled. Before winter, before the ground freezes, let's ask the people in the neighboring village who can dig wells to help us, and we'll do it!" Zhang Cai finished and started to work .

After getting a satisfactory answer, Zhang Xiaohua was finally relieved, and the family was busy with the work in hand. After doing it for a while, Zhang Xiaohua was obviously exhausted and her eyes were blurred. Guo Sufei distressed him and asked him to go to bed first, Zhang Xiaohua agreed, walked to the kang of the three brothers, threw herself into the old quilt, and fell asleep, even her mother painted her own hands at night. Medicine does not know.

A busy day has passed in such a hurry.

In the next few days, Zhang Xiaohua could bear her temper, and just focused on leveling her land, and didn't worry about watering any more. That night, Zhang Xiaohua finished cleaning up the weeds, smashed the big soil bumps, and was about to call it a day and go home. On the way, Zhang Xiaohua couldn't bear it anymore, and she couldn't help thinking secretly, seeing her own slope turned into a flat farmland, It is only a matter of careful plowing to sow the seeds, but when will the well be opened.

When he just turned the hillside, he saw a few wooden frames rising from the deep recess below the slope. Zhang Xiaohua hurried over and took a look. As expected, a circular platform was flattened at the bottom of the pit, with a circular wooden board on it. Six long wooden sticks were placed around the board, and the bottom was inserted deeply into the pit. In the soil, the top is built into a tower shape. Zhang Xiaohua was so happy that she almost jumped up, and ran down the hillside at a trot, to the bottom of the wooden frame. There was no one at the moment, and she probably went to rest after setting up the airs. Zhang Xiaohua patted here and there, feeling there. It was very strange. With these few airs, a deep well could be drilled? When Zhang Xiaohua was feeling strange, someone called him from above:

"Xiaohua, where are you?" The voice was the second brother Xiaohu. Xiao Hua quickly replied:

"I'm here, second brother, come and see, we are going to dig a well."

Zhang Xiaohu also slipped down the slope, grabbed Zhang Xiaohua and said, "Okay, I know, I and my elder brother helped get these things here in the afternoon, and my elder brother said he would give you a surprise, so he didn't tell you. Right now, Mom and Dad are waiting for you to go back. Let's go quickly."

The two brothers ran back home.

The dining table was already set up in the hut at home, and there were father and elder brother sitting beside the table, but there were no other unknown people. Zhang Xiaohua couldn't help asking, "Father, where is the well digger?" Zhang Cai said with a smile, " They have all gone back, our family doesn’t have much money, and we agreed with them to only eat lunch and not at night, and our family members also need to help, so that the wages can be reduced.” Zhang Xiaohua responded , I went out to help my mother prepare dinner.

After dinner in the evening, Zhang Cai assigned tasks to everyone in the family. The three brothers Zhang Xiaohua, of course, helped on the spot. Xiaohua's mother was in charge of cooking and delivering the meals. In short, except for Xiaohua's grandmother, the whole family has to do it. Of course, grandma has to look after the house and is busy feeding the chickens.

In the early morning of the next day, Zhang Xiaohua got up early, and drove her two elder brothers on a kang to dig a well together. But Zhang Xiaohua's mother insisted that they have something to eat before leaving, saying that Zhang Xiaohua's father had already gone first, besides, it was the time agreed with them, and there was no one, and the three of them would not fight. Well, it’s no use going there. Zhang Xiaohua had no choice but to accompany them to finish breakfast, and when they came out to the hillside, the sun had already risen.

Seeing that several people were already busy in the mountain nest, Zhang Cai hurriedly called them over to help, and moved some of the excavated stones and soil clods to the side, so everyone started working in full swing.

After working like this for a few days, Zhang Xiaohua discovered that digging a well is also a very simple matter. It just needs to find a place and dig down. However, finding a good location and ensuring that the dug place does not collapse are necessary Only experience can make it. For example, this wooden frame is necessary. Otherwise, people will dig deeper and deeper. How can the soil be transported up from the ground, and how can people come up? However, when it comes to the location, Zhang Cai was lucky. The family negotiated the location to be close to the field, but he didn't expect to be able to get water. The master who dug the well was searched all over the mountains and plains, and finally settled in this place. It is said that there may be a spring below, try to dig it out, if you dig out it is a sweet mountain spring, it is not as suitable for watering the ground as eating it yourself. Hearing this, Zhang Cai took it as a deaf ear. How can he carry water so far away from home? Could it be possible to pick a few buckets from here every day and go home to cook?

The days of drilling the wells passed day by day. The wells were getting deeper and deeper, but the difficulties were also increasing, and the progress slowed down significantly. Because it was dug from the low-lying places on several hillsides, a lot of stones would be dug out from it from time to time, but fortunately none of them were too large, and the so-called large-scale stones were not encountered, otherwise, this well would still be If there is no digging, it will be abandoned.

After a few more days, perhaps Zhang Cai's luck had run out, and the well drilling finally ran into big trouble.

At noon that day, Zhang Xiaohua went down to the well and picked up the hoe and began to dig the soil. Unexpectedly, she hit a hard stone at the first stroke, which made Zhang Xiaohua's hands numb. According to previous experience, Zhang Xiaohua I chose a place farther away from before, and hoeed again, with a sound of "Dang~~", it was obviously that stone again, Zhang Xiaohua couldn't help feeling a little flustered, and hoeed several times along the sides of the well, without exception, It's all stone! Zhang Xiaohua pulled the rope tied around her waist, had someone pull him up, and told her father about the matter with a sullen face. Zhang Cai and the well-drillers also went down to watch, but they were silent when they came up. The person who drilled the well discussed with Zhang Cai that other people should go to the side to rest first, and then come to help after lunch, and finally confirm whether it is a big stone or a layer of stones.

Seeing that everyone dispersed, sitting and resting on the ground, only Zhang Xiaohua looked at the undrilled well, and felt uneasy. She was really afraid that it was a layer of rocks and could not dig further down. Many days of hard work were in vain. , Maybe the well can't be drilled yet. Zhang Xiaohua asked Zhang Xiaolong to put him at the bottom of the well again, and dug again without giving up.