Since the decision had been made to dig a well for irrigating the farmland, Chen Lan no longer hesitated. She immediately got up to find Uncle De, who was watering the corn in the cornfield. From a distance, she saw Uncle De standing in the cornfield with a long water pipe, watering the corn planted yesterday.
Chen Lan walked over and told Uncle De about digging a well for irrigation. Uncle De had no objections, but they discussed where to dig the well for irrigating the crops. Chen Lan didn't understand farming.
Seeing Chen Lan’s lack of understanding, Uncle De said, “Xiao Lan, go and call Uncle Fu here. We two will discuss how to dig this irrigation well.”
Chen Lan happily went to find Uncle Fu, who was helping with building the house. From afar, Chen Lan saw Uncle Fu helping by handing things over at the construction site. Chen Lan called out, “Uncle Fu, could you come here for a moment? Uncle De and I need to talk to you about something.”
Uncle Fu put down the things he was holding, patted the dust off his clothes, and hurried over, asking, “Xiao Lan, what is it you need me for?”
Chen Lan said, “Uncle De and I are discussing digging a well for crop irrigation, but I don’t know much about farming, so Uncle De asked me to come and find you to discuss it.”
After listening to Chen Lan, Uncle Fu walked along, saying, “Regarding digging a well for the house, I’ve heard from the older generation that there are many things to consider. Digging a well for the house is not something you can do casually; it concerns the family’s fortune. As for wells for irrigating farmland, I haven’t heard of any taboos. As long as it’s convenient for irrigating crops, just pick a spot in the middle of all the fields that is convenient for irrigation. You’re planning to plant rice next year, aren’t you? Digging the well closer to the rice paddies will be more convenient for planting rice, as rice fields require a lot of water.”
Chen Lan and Uncle Fu walked and talked, and soon they reached the potato field. Uncle De was still watering the potatoes. Seeing Chen Lan and Uncle Fu approaching, he quickly turned off the water pump and walked towards them.
The three of them came to a shaded area under some trees, found a place with stones, and sat down to discuss. The first thing to discuss was the matter of irrigating the crops.
Uncle Fu reiterated his thoughts that he had just shared with Chen Lan. Uncle Fu further explained, “My point is, since there aren’t so many rules about digging wells for crop irrigation, let’s do whatever is convenient! Since Xiao Lan is planting rice next year, let’s dig the well closer to the rice paddies so that it’s convenient to use water when irrigating them.”
Uncle De nodded and said, “Uncle Fu, I agree with what you said. For irrigating crops, convenience and saving trouble are what we aim for.”
I have a few ideas to add. My idea is, “We’ve only talked about watering. I think drainage is equally important. Since we are going to grow crops, we must consider drainage. Otherwise, if there’s a sudden heavy rain, the crops can easily get waterlogged. It’s even more crucial to have good drainage for planting rice.”
Chen Lan nodded and said, “Uncle Fu and Uncle De, what you both said makes sense. Anyway, I don’t really understand. The matter of digging irrigation wells and digging drainage ditches for the farmland will be left to you two. When you’ve decided on the locations for digging the well and digging the drainage ditches, just let me know, and I’ll prepare the materials and tools for you.”
Now, let’s talk about digging a well at home. What are the considerations?
Uncle De first said, “There are some considerations for the location of the well. The location of the well is like building a house, facing south with the back to the north. The location of the well greatly affects the family’s fortune. Choosing the wrong direction and surrounding environment can lead to bad results and even affect the family’s fortune.”
Uncle Fu continued, “I’ve heard from the older generation that a well should never be dug directly in the center behind the house, nor at the place where the dragon enters the cave, as this would block the family’s vital energy. You can’t dig a well in front of the main door, nor can you have a well behind the master’s bedroom. The well must not be adjacent to the kitchen. Water in the well belongs to Yin, and fire in the stove belongs to Yang. As the saying goes, water and fire are incompatible, and Yin and Yang are in opposition.”
Uncle De continued, “The ancients had the saying ‘the left is the Azure Dragon, the right is the White Tiger.’ The Azure Dragon belongs to Yang, and the White Tiger belongs to Yin. Digging the well on the left side of the residence, where Yang energy is more abundant. Remember not to dig the well in the Zi, Wu, Mao, or You positions of the house, which are the four cardinal directions.”
Uncle Fu added, “The soil around the well must be kept clean and not be polluted by anything dirty. If there is no vegetation in a place, you cannot dig a well there, as it may be toxic, and the well water is also likely to be toxic.”
Chen Lan nodded and asked, “Uncle Fu, Uncle De, how will we know if the well water we dig is drinkable?” Sudan Novel Network.
Uncle De said, “There are indeed some folk methods from the older generation.
Of course, the first thing is to observe if the color of the well water is normal. The color of the water is very important; it must be colorless, transparent, and free of impurities.
Secondly, smell it with your nose. Well water should not have any strange odor.
Finally, take a cup of well water and boil it. Put it in a bowl. If the family has better conditions, use the soap we use. Cut the soap into small pieces and put them into the bowl. Let the soap dissolve completely. After the solution cools down, if it is a translucent liquid, it means the water is drinkable. If there is undissolved matter on the surface of the water after cooling, it means the water is not drinkable.”
Chen Lan thought about it. To be more sure, buying some pH test strips from the system to test the pH of the water would be more reliable. If the pH of the water is between 6 and 8, it means the well water is drinkable.
You can also buy some sodium hydroxide solution from the system specifically for testing. Just add a few drops of sodium hydroxide solution to a bowl of water. If precipitation occurs in the water, it means the water is not drinkable.
Thinking of this, Chen Lan said to Uncle Fu and Uncle De, “Uncle Fu, Uncle De, digging wells for crop irrigation and digging wells for drinking water are both digging wells. So, I won’t bother you twice. The matter of digging irrigation wells and drinking water wells will be left to you two uncles. As I said before, when you’ve decided on the location, let me know, and I’ll prepare the materials and tools for digging. As for the manpower needed for digging, you two uncles will have to find it yourselves.”
Uncle Fu and Uncle De smiled and nodded helplessly, agreeing.
Seeing that the well-digging matter was settled, Chen Lan decided that if any problems arose, they would deal with them then. Since there was nothing else for her to do here, she said goodbye to Uncle Fu and Uncle De and left.
Chen Lan habitually checked the system time. Well! It was still early, only a little past 9:30 in the morning. Chen Lan wanted to go and check the place where she had put the solar power generation equipment yesterday, the place on the opposite mountain where she had smelled sulfur, to take a closer look.
As Chen Lan thought of this, she immediately turned and walked towards the foot of the opposite mountain.