Li Zheng’s eyes lit up. “Da Shan’s Mother, that’s an excellent idea. I’ll go up the mountain right away.”
“Wait, don’t rush,” Cheng Loanloan quickly interjected. “The crucial issue right now is getting the water down. Finding stones to line the channels can wait until winter when people have more free time.”
“You’re right, you’re right!” Li Zheng sat back down, asking curiously, “Da Shan’s Mother, how do you know so much?”
Cheng Loanloan coughed awkwardly. “I used to live with my maternal grandparents. My maternal grandfather was an experienced farmer. Whenever there was heavy rain, he would dig ditches to divert the water. I just learned by imitating him.”
The original owner’s biological mother, Old Madam Cheng, came from another town to Chen Jia Village. Later, she married from Chen Jia Village to Da He Village. Her maternal grandparents, whom she spoke of, had probably passed away many years ago. By talking in circles like this, no matter what happened in the future, she could blame it on her maternal grandparents, without worrying about being discovered by others.
As the two were talking, Zhao Qian’gen ran over, panting, “Uncle Li Zheng, this is bad! The people from Gui Hua Village are here again.”
Li Zheng frowned, then let out a cold laugh. “This mountain belongs to Da He Village, so the water on the mountain is naturally ours too. Besides, this mountain is closer to Da He Village. We’ve already gathered four or five hundred people to dig the channels. The Li Zheng of Gui Hua Village has done many despicable things over the years. The people in their village won’t willingly go up the mountain to dig ditches.”
Although he said that, Li Zheng still decided to go up the mountain.
When Cheng Loanloan returned home, Wu Huiniang had already made many cornmeal cakes with wild vegetables and buckwheat, placing them on the table. Half a bird’s egg was tucked inside each cake.
She carried two baskets of cakes up the mountain. Two-thirds of the way there, she saw her two sons vigorously digging ditches with farm tools, drenched in sweat from exhaustion, without even time to wipe it away. They didn’t even notice her arrival.
Cheng Loanloan didn’t disturb them. She just sat by the side and waited for a while. Then, when it was time for a shift change, Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou were relieved and were preparing to rest.
“Mother, you’re here?” Zhao Dashan wiped his sweat. “The sun has already set, why is it still so hot?”
Zhao Ergou glanced at the sky. “I wonder if we’ll continue working tonight. We should still go back and rest a bit…”
Before he could finish speaking, a man of about forty beside him loudly said, “Of course we’ll keep digging!”
“Li Zheng said about two and a half days, so we’ll work here all night. At most, by tomorrow evening, we’ll have dug to the foot of the mountain.”
“The rice in the fields can’t wait. If we can speed it up, don’t be lazy.”
Li Zheng walked over with his hands clasped behind his back. “We can’t work day and night; it will exhaust everyone. But there’s no sun at night, so working will be a bit more comfortable. So, we’ll work through the night tonight, everyone rests well tomorrow morning, and then we’ll continue in the afternoon…”
The crowd worked even more enthusiastically, and in a short while, they had dug many more zhang.
Cheng Loanloan pulled her two sons to a large rock and sat down, taking two portions of cornmeal cakes from her basket and handing them over. “Eat your fill first, then go back to work.”
Actually, the taste of cornmeal cakes made from wild vegetables and buckwheat wasn't very good, but with the addition of bird eggs in the middle, it was nothing short of a delicacy. Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou squinted their eyes, looking utterly blissful.
The people working nearby glanced over, dying of envy.
They worked here all day, yet their mothers and wives at home couldn't even bring them a sip of water!
Everyone said that Zhao Dashao's wife often abused her children, but just look at them, do they look abused? It made them want to be Zhao Dashao's wife's children!