land reclamation

The work of clearing land is more difficult than imagined.

Chen Bozhou came to the wasteland before dawn carrying a hoe and a shovel, and found that Yunwu had arrived first and was squatting on the ground using branches to draw the route of the water diversion channel.

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the ends of his hair were wet with dew. His focused profile looked particularly gentle in the morning light.

"Why are you here so early?" Chen Bozhou put down his tools and walked over to him.

Yunwu looked up and pointed at the map on the ground. "I've calculated that diverting water from upstream would require digging a canal about three hundred steps long. If it were just the two of us, it would take seven or eight days at the fastest, or ten days at the slowest."

Chen Bozhou looked at the detailed road map on the ground. It even clearly marked where to dig deeper and where to build embankments. He couldn't help but admire it: "You are so thoughtful."

"Let's start work early and finish it before the spring plowing. We can also plant a crop of beans to fertilize the fields." Yunwu stood up, picked up the shovel brought by Chen Bozhou, chose a marked location, and dug with a shovel, turning over the oily black soil.

Not to be outdone, Chen Bozhou picked up his hoe and started digging nearby. He was strong, and each blow of the hoe could turn over large clods of earth, making him much more efficient than Yunwu.

But within half an hour, he discovered that Yunwu's method was more clever. He only targeted the areas with soft soil and avoided rocks and tree roots. Although it seemed slow, it was actually steady and saved a lot of effort.

"Your method is good." Chen Bozhou wiped his sweat and adjusted his method like Yunwu.

Yun Wu hummed softly, and his men continued: "Opening up new land cannot rely solely on strength, you must know how to go with the flow."

As the sun rose higher, both of them were sweating.

Chen Bozhou simply took off his shirt, his bronze skin glowing with health in the sun. Yunwu glanced at him, then quickly looked away, her ears slightly red, and she continued to work.

"Let's take a break." Chen Bozhou poured a bowl of water from the water bag he brought and handed it to Yunwu first.

Yunwu took it and sipped it. His cheeks were flushed from the work, and fine beads of sweat slid down his thin jaw. Chen Bozhou looked at his sweat-soaked forehead and suddenly felt his heart beating faster.

"Your hand..." Yunwu suddenly noticed the blisters on Chen Bozhou's palm.

Chen Bozhou waved his hands nonchalantly: "It's okay, it will be fine after a while."

Yunwu put down the bowl and took out a small porcelain bottle from his cloth bag. He poured out some green ointment, took Chen Bozhou's hand, and gently applied it to the blisters. His fingertips were slightly cool, and his movements were gentle. The ointment was indeed much more comfortable after it was applied.

"Thank you." Chen Bozhou looked at Yunwu's drooping eyelashes and felt warm in his heart.

After a short break, the two men resumed their work. This time, Chen Bozhou had learned his lesson, no longer resorting to brute force. Instead, he carefully observed Yunwu's movements, learning how to conserve energy and identify soil textures. Yunwu would occasionally offer guidance, his tone calm but always to the point.

At noon, Grandma Yun brought lunch in a basket. Seeing the canal dug by the two teenagers, her eyes were filled with satisfaction.

"Grandma, why are you here?" Yunwu hurried forward to take the basket.

"I'll bring you some food." Grandma Yun looked at Chen Bozhou lovingly, "Bozhou, you must be tired too, right? Take a rest and eat something."

In the basket were coarse flour pancakes and a can of wild vegetable soup. Although simple, they were fragrant. Shen Bozhou was already hungry. He took the pancakes and ate them in big mouthfuls, praising them repeatedly: "Grandma's pancakes are so delicious!"

Grandma Yun smiled so hard that the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes deepened. "If you like, eat more. There's more in the pot."

After dinner, Grandma Yun did not leave immediately. Instead, she walked around the wasteland with her crutches, grabbing a handful of soil from time to time to examine it carefully, and then looked at the water source in the distance.

"The piece of land Wu'er chose is indeed good." She said to Shen Bozhou, "This child has always had a unique vision for land since she was young. Unfortunately..."

She hesitated to speak and sighed softly. Chen Bozhou knew that she was thinking of the difficult situation of the Yun family, and hurriedly said: "Grandma, don't worry, I am here to help Yunwu open up this piece of land!"

Grandma Yun looked at him with a complicated expression, and finally nodded: "Good boy, thank you for your hard work."

The afternoon's labor was even more arduous. The sun was scorching, and their clothes kept getting wet and then dry. Several blisters formed on Chen Bozhou's palms, but he remained silent, gritting his teeth and persevering.

Yunwu saw this and forced him to rest twice and reapply medicine to him.

"Remember to wear gloves tomorrow." Yunwu said softly.

Chen Bozhou grinned: "I'll listen to you."

By sunset, they had dug about fifty steps of the canal. Looking at the project taking shape, the two men smiled at each other, each seeing a sense of accomplishment in the other's eyes.

"At this rate, it will be completed in less than ten days." Shen Bozhou said excitedly.

Yunwu shook his head. "It gets harder the further we go. The soil in front is loose, and the back is close to the rocky beach, so it's hard to dig."

"What are you afraid of? I'm here!" Chen Bozhou patted his chest. "I can chisel away even the hardest stone!"

When he packed up his tools and headed home, Chen Bozhou realized his entire body was aching, especially his hands. But as he looked at Yunwu's thin, straight back as she walked ahead of him, he felt it was all worth it.

Over the next few days, the two worked from sunrise to sunset. The canal stretched inch by inch, and the wasteland was reclaimed bit by bit. Chen Bozhou learned to identify soil textures and how to apply force skillfully. The blisters on his hands gradually wore into thick calluses.

Yunwu began to talk more and more, and occasionally, during breaks from work, she would point to a plant and tell Chen Bozhou its medicinal value.

That day, the canal reached the rocky beach, and just as Yunwu had predicted, progress slowed down. Shen Bozhou hammered and chiseled the rocks, his knuckles numb from the shock.

"Let me try." Yunwu took the hammer, carefully observed the texture of the rock, found a few key points, and gently tapped. With a single "click," the rock cracked, much more efficiently than Shen Bozhou's brute force.

"Amazing!" Chen Bozhou exclaimed sincerely, "How come you know everything?"

Yunwu pursed her lips slightly: "If you often walk in the mountains, you must understand something."

Just then, they heard voices in the distance. Looking up, they saw several villagers standing on the slope, pointing and commenting on their project.

"See, I said that the kid from the Shen family was fascinated by the kid from the Yun family. Now, he's working as a laborer for someone else!" A shrill voice floated over. It was Aunt Wang, the famous gossipwoman in the village.

"Tsk tsk, he doesn't want to be the village chief's son anymore, but comes here to open up wasteland. What's the point?" another echoed.

Chen Bozhou's face darkened and he was about to stand up to argue, but Yun Wu grabbed his sleeve.

"Let them say whatever they want." Yunwu lowered his head and continued to work, his voice calm, but Chen Bozhou noticed that his fingertips were slightly white.

"Why do they say that to you!" Chen Bozhou was still angry.

Yunwu shook her head: "I'm used to it."

These three words, spoken so casually, made Chen Bozhou's heart clench. He suddenly understood why Yun Wu always kept to himself. It wasn't because he was naturally solitary, but because he was deeply hurt by these gossips.

After that, Chen Bozhou worked even harder, as if he wanted to prove something to everyone. Yunwu saw it all, wanting to say something but holding back.

On the evening of the seventh day, the canal was finally dug through. When the stream from upstream gurgled along the newly dug channel and flooded the newly reclaimed fields, the two young men were so excited that they were speechless.

The clear stream shone golden in the setting sun, nourishing the dark, oily soil. Yunwu squatted down, scooped up a handful of water, his eyes gleaming with a rare brilliance.

"Success!" Chen Bozhou cheered and couldn't help but hug Yunwu and spin around.

Yunwu was startled by his sudden action, but did not struggle, only her ears turned red. Chen Bozhou realized that he had lost his composure and quickly put him down, scratching his head and grinning: "I'm so happy..."

"Yeah." Yunwu responded softly, lowered her head to straighten her wrinkled collar, but the corners of her mouth rose slightly.

At this moment, all the hard work and gossip were worth it.

On the way back, Chen Bozhou enthusiastically planned what to plant next. Yunwu listened quietly, occasionally adding a few words.

When they were almost at the Yun family, Yun Wu suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Bozhou very seriously: "Thank you for these days."

"What are you thanking me for? I did this voluntarily." Chen Bozhou said with a smile.

Yunwu took out a small cloth bag from her bosom: "This is for you."

Chen Bozhou opened it and found a pair of finely sewn cloth gloves with thickened palms.

"When did you do it?" Chen Bozhou was surprised and happy.

"At night," Yunwu whispered, "try to see if it fits."

Chen Bozhou put on the gloves, which were the perfect size, soft and comfortable. "It fits perfectly! Thank you, Yunwu!"

Yunwu looked at his joyful expression and a smile appeared in her eyes: "Tomorrow, let's start preparing the land."

"Okay!" Chen Bozhou nodded vigorously.

Watching Yunwu walk into the house, Chen Bozhou stroked his gloves, his heart filled with warmth. He knew that this piece of wasteland they had reclaimed together would not only produce a bountiful harvest, but was also quietly nurturing something even more precious.

And all this has just begun.