It seemed like a simple task in retrospect, but within the context of the Great Cang Kingdom, it became considerably more difficult.
Take, for instance, the most basic element: water.
This was a major undertaking.
The riverbank, over ten meters wide, presented a significant challenge in terms of excavation.
Chen Xiaobei sat by the bank, dipping his feet into the small river. The cool sensation brought a degree of pleasure on this scorching summer day.
His mind was repeatedly calculating how to proceed. His initial idea was to dig a ditch, allowing water to gradually fill the low-lying land he had contracted.
But how to dig it? How deep? And how to dam it once the water was in?
If drought occurred, water would need constant replenishment.
Repeatedly digging a water channel was beyond the capability of one person under the current circumstances.
Chen Xiaobei finally realized he might have underestimated the complexity of the task.
He pondered deeply, recalling scenes from his childhood when his family farmed.
Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
He had an idea.
He remembered when he was young, the well was to the east of the road, and the fields were to the west. When irrigating, villagers would use underground channels.
They would bury some circular cement pipes underground, which could still be walked over from above, and water would flow through them.
Normally, they would block the inlet and outlet with weeds, clearing them when needed.
With this thought, he jumped up.
Although cement pipes were nonexistent in this era, even ceramic ones, there was something available: stones.
If round ones weren't available, a square one built with stones would work just as well.
With this idea, he hurried home and asked Cui Hongyu for writing materials – ink, brush, paper, and inkstone, which were part of her dowry.
After drawing the sketch twice, Chen Xiaobei felt it was taking shape.
Cui Hongyu had been watching him draw, tilting her head, filled with astonishment. Hadn't they said Chen Xiaobei was illiterate since childhood? How could he draw so vividly? And he had even roughly marked dimensions nearby. Although his handwriting wasn't beautiful, it was passable.
This was completely different from the rumors.
After finishing the drawing, Chen Xiaobei admired it, tilting his head. Then, he suddenly realized Cui Hongyu had been watching him the whole time. He smiled sheepishly, "My handwriting is terrible, I've made a fool of myself."
Cui Hongyu quickly shook her head, "No, no, it's just that your drawings are so good. Is there any chance you could teach me how to draw like this?"
Chen Qiao'er, who had been standing behind, jumped several times before she could get a good look at what her brother was holding. She clapped her hands, "Brother draws so well, so well! Qiao'er wants to learn too."
Chen Xiaobei patted his sister's little head, "Alright, wait for me at home with your sister-in-law. I need to go out."
Chen Xiaobei left home and headed directly west. Not far away was Li Dong's house.
Standing at the doorway, he could hear the cry of a baby from inside.
Li Dong's family had welcomed another son. In this era, having a son meant another strong laborer for the family.
Chen Xiaobei called out twice from the doorway, and Li Dong came out from the house.
Seeing it was Chen Xiaobei, he smiled and walked forward, "Brother Xiaobei, please come in and sit down."
Chen Xiaobei nodded and entered. First, he took out two large coins and placed them in Li Dong's hand.
This made Li Dong instantly feel awkward, "No, Brother Xiaobei, just tell me what you need. You..."
"Brother Li Dong, this is a small token of my regard for my nephew. Please don't think it's too little."
Two large coins were not a small amount; in Heitou Village, this was certainly a generous gift.
After much persuasion, Li Dong accepted the two copper coins. After all, it was a significant income for their family.
"Brother Li Dong, I know you're a bricklayer, and I've come to you because I need you to make something for me."
Upon hearing this, Li Dong grinned, "No problem, no problem, as long as I can do it."
As Chen Xiaobei spoke, he took out the drawing he had made.
Looking at the drawing, Li Dong was a bit stunned. He looked at Chen Xiaobei hesitantly, "Who drew this?"
Chen Xiaobei smiled calmly, "Oh, Hongyu helped me draw it. You know I'm illiterate."
Li Dong nodded, "I thought so. Only she could draw such a beautiful picture."
"By the way, where do you need to build this?"
Chen Xiaobei then explained his plan to develop the low-lying land to Li Dong, who looked bewildered.
"Brother Xiaobei, that land costs five large coins per mu. It's not cheap. It's definitely not suitable for growing crops."
"It's okay. Brother, I wasn't planning to grow crops. I want to fill it with water and raise fish."
Raise fish?
Li Dong's eyes widened, "There are so many fish in the river, why would you want to raise them yourself?"
Chen Xiaobei didn't want to argue about this point, "Brother, stop asking so many questions. Just tell me if you can do this job."
Li Dong looked at it and nodded, "Let's go, we'll go to the riverbank and you can tell me exactly what you want to do."
Chen Xiaobei took Li Dong to the spot he had chosen. After some gesturing, he finally made himself understood.
Digging three feet deep. This time, it was literally three feet.
Because the river level would drop significantly during the dry season, Chen Xiaobei decided to be thorough and sink the underground channel three feet down.
After walking back and forth several times, Li Dong presented his construction plan to Xiaobei.
According to Li Dong's plan, they would start by digging from the riverbank, using stones to build about half of it.
Then, they would fill the other side with earth. The inlet would be temporarily blocked.
Afterward, they would work on the other half. Once everything was completed, they would open the inlet.
Chen Xiaobei secretly admired the plan. The wisdom of the working people in this era was already at a high level. This was much safer than simply digging a channel and building it with stones, guaranteeing no risk of the bank collapsing.
"Brother Li Dong, I want to entrust this matter to you. Decide how many people and how much material you need. I only care about the result. Just tell me the cost."
Li Dong tilted his head and thought for a long time, finally scratching his head, "Four people should be enough for two days."
"Alright, then it's four people for two days. I'll pay five copper coins per person per day, and an extra copper coin per day. Take good care of this job for me."
Li Dong's eyes were filled with gratitude. Such good wages, if he didn't do a good job, he would have no face.
Just then, Chen Xiaobei happened to glance back and saw large flocks of birds circling in the sky over Green Ox Mountain in the distance.
The startled birds indicated that something was happening in the woods.
Chen Xiaobei's mind stirred, and he suddenly remembered the tracks he had discovered on the mountain last time.
Could someone else have gone up the mountain again? But villagers entering Green Ox Mountain had to pass by him, and he hadn't seen anyone.