"Old woman, I was wrong. This is my fault, and I will change."
"Hmph, that's more like it."
Qiao Lian'er came out of the room: "Grandma, which ones should we keep at home?"
She heard what the two elders had said. Yes, she had to do it. She was determined and confident. Only by being bold, meticulous, and willing to take risks could she achieve great things.
Grandma Qiao thought for a moment and said, "We two old folks will stay and take care of the house. Lian'er, you stay too. Let them all go down into the river."
Because the paddy fields are frequently affected by floods, they have to go into the fields to drain the water. Both she and her husband have leg ailments, and they can't stand being in the river for too long.
Lian'er is quick-witted; keeping her at home will make things easier to handle.
In this way, they would also be in charge of cooking, and once the work in the river was finished, the second wife would take turns finishing the remaining days.
Qiao Lian'er went to Wang Xiucai's place and reported the names of the three of them. Everyone else would have to be called out by name.
The men returned as the sun dipped below the horizon.
"There wasn't much work today; we only earned a few hundred coins together," said Boss Qiao, shaking his head.
"You don't need to go tomorrow. Everyone should go to the riverbed to dredge sediment." Old Man Qiao explained the situation to everyone.
"Wow, digging a canal, that's a feat!" Da Yong said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "It can also save paddy fields and crops. We have to put in the strength of the Qiao family."
“Yes, our Qiao family should be seen by the villagers. When everyone works together, the Qiao family is the most capable,” Da Cheng said.
Everyone realized that the initial method wasn't perfect, but what was Lian'er's fault? It's just that other ideas were added later.
Moreover, everyone didn't want to put any pressure on Qiao Lian'er, and they understood that she had no other choice but to take a risky approach at the beginning in order to save Qiao Yunni.
Qiao Lian'er felt a warmth in her heart. She had been questioned by the villagers, and the Song family had taken advantage of her vulnerability, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, eager to crawl out when she was even slightly weak. But the Qiao family members were all so kind, and she was afraid that she would overthink things.
I really want to hide in my room and cry.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, every household took basins, buckets, and baskets to the riverbed. Some carried shovels and hoes, and others pushed wheelbarrows and carts to dig diversion channels. It was a grand and impressive procession.
The riverbank was packed with a sea of people.
It was a rare sight to see so many people gathered together to work. Someone started singing, and the songs echoed among the mountains, powerful and energetic, sometimes accompanied by bursts of laughter.
Those who passed through Datian Village couldn't help but stop in their tracks.
"What are you all doing gathered together like this in your village?"
"We're dredging the riverbed. A bridge is being built above, and the riverbed is being deepened below for flood control and disaster relief. We also need to open a diversion channel to divert floodwaters to low-lying areas and then drain them into the gaps."
“That sounds like a good idea. Your village is ravaged by floods every year. Hopefully, we can prevent the flood this year.”
Although there is sediment in the river, there are still quite a few stones, and those with strong bodies are responsible for moving the stones.
Seeing that Qiao Yunni was trying to move a large rock, Qin Bu quickly walked over.
"Put it down quickly, this is such a big rock, you can't move it."
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