Chapter 149: The matter has become serious, and the county magistrate is approached
"you……"
Duan Youfu was furious, but when he met the fierce gazes of Ling Yun and He Changgui, he had to swallow back the rest of his words.
"If you don't know, shut up."
Xiao Ying showed a hint of disgust. It was a waste of time to argue with such a person.
"Madam Xiao, do you have any good ideas?"
Chen Jie tried to smooth things over. In fact, he had the same concern, which was that the dealer would not be able to hold on until that time.
Xiao Ying said, "We can use waterwheels. Let's buy a few waterwheels to divert water, ensure a continuous flow, and then deepen the river at the same time."
Duan Youfu wanted to make some sarcastic remarks when he heard this, but he did not say anything in the end due to Ling Yun's intimidation.
"That's a good idea." Chen Jie's eyes lit up, but he quickly added, "But waterwheels are expensive. We need money to buy one."
He smiled bitterly and thought that digging a canal would be enough. Each family would provide one person, which would cost several hundred yuan. They would have to bring their own food. It would be nothing more than taking some time.
But buying a waterwheel is different. A waterwheel costs dozens or even hundreds of taels of silver, and the villagers may not be willing to pay that much money.
And now that the water level is lower, we need a large water truck to pump water up, which will also ensure that the water flow will not be cut off as the water level continues to drop.
Large water trucks are even more expensive. If you want to supply water to several villages, you need at least five or six water trucks, right?
The more Chen Jie thought about it, the more worried he became, and he felt that this matter was becoming more difficult.
Duan Youfu sneered repeatedly and simply kept silent.
Xiao Ying said, "I can personally fund the purchase of a waterwheel, and the rest depends on everyone."
Hope immediately rose in everyone's heart when they heard this, and many of them exclaimed in admiration at Madam Xiao's generosity.
Chen Jie also felt admiration. With Madam Xiao taking the lead, there seemed to be some hope for this matter.
No matter what, they have to try it first.
The next day, Chen Jie took Duan Youfu to see the mayor. Liu Cong frowned when he heard it, thinking that this matter might be difficult to handle.
But no matter how difficult it is, there is still hope. What could be more difficult than watching crops die of drought?
He immediately sent someone to call the headmen of several villages downstream to discuss the matter. The river flowed through seven or eight villages, and the water flow became smaller and smaller as it went further down, finally forming a large pond.
The bad thing is that the last two villages do not belong to Hongye Town, so Liu Cong can only call the headmen of the first few villages.
Unexpectedly, after the situation was explained, two villagers immediately expressed their opposition.
One only agreed to dig a canal, while the other was unwilling to do either.
The other two also hesitated, watching the direction of the wind.
"There are two other villages downstream that also use this river. Why don't we ask them to build a canal and buy water trucks? We're not being taken advantage of."
"That's right! If they have the guts, they should ask them to help dig a canal and buy a water truck. Why should they just sit back and reap the benefits?"
"If you ask me, we should just cut off the river and stop them from using the water."
"Ahem... Life is already tough, so how can we have extra money to buy a water truck?"
Chen Jie was furious when he heard this and asked sullenly, "So you'd rather have a drought and a total crop failure than contribute money and effort?"
The two village heads sneered, "If you have the nerve to yell at us, why not get the two villages downstream to contribute money and manpower as well?"
"Yes, as long as they agree, we will agree."
This is certain that Chen Jie has no other choice.
But this was exactly what Chen Jie wanted, and he planned to report the matter to the county magistrate.
He knew very well that it was impossible to organize the group by himself and others, and that the county had to put pressure on them.
"That's what you said!"
The two village heads looked at each other and suddenly felt a little guilty. Could this guy really have a solution?
The next day, Chen Jie went to the county.
He was still a little nervous about taking the initiative to find the new county magistrate. He had only met the magistrate once after he took office, and that was when he summoned all the village heads to meet him shortly after taking office.
He looks young, gentle and elegant, but he is from the capital after all. I heard that he is a relative of Prime Minister Ning.
Such a person is completely out of his reach. If he doesn't agree to dig the canal, that would be bad.
But thinking of Madam Xiao's solemn promise, he decided to believe her once.
When he arrived at the county government office and stated his purpose, he was invited in very quickly, which made him flattered.
When the former county magistrate Qian Qingrong was still in office, he ignored these village heads and the most he could see was the county magistrate.
It seems that this new county magistrate is indeed different.
"Are you Chen Jie, the head of Chenjia Village? I heard you have something important to report."
Just as I was daydreaming, I heard Ning Yuanze ask gently.
Chen Jie immediately came to his senses and said respectfully, "Greetings, sir. I am Chen Jie, the head of Chenjia Village. I came here today to ask for your help on an important matter."
"Let's sit down and talk. Someone, bring some tea."
Chen Jie's favorable impression grew even stronger, and the tension in his heart eased a lot.
Only after the maid left did Chen Jie explain the situation.
Ning Yuanze listened very carefully, sometimes showing worry, sometimes nodding repeatedly, and sometimes showing approval.
"I've also been troubled by the drought lately, and I didn't expect you to find a solution on your own. Were all these ideas you mentioned from that woman named Xiao Ying?"
He was in a complicated mood. That person had made the county town extremely lively in the past few days. Ding Fang and Zhou Yanqing had lost face and were too embarrassed to stay, so they left in disgrace yesterday.
However, Zhou Yanqing still brought a group of prisoners from the Zhou family with him, determined to rescue the person.
He had no right to interfere with the Dali Temple's verdict, so it was good that the Zhou family was taken away. He felt much more at peace today.
Originally, because of this incident, I became more wary of Xiao Ying, thinking that she was too cruel and vicious. But when she dug a canal and bought a water truck, I could see that she was really thinking about the people. What a strange person.
But if you think about it carefully, the whole thing was forced upon Xiao Ying by the Zhou family, who were too bullying. Xiao Ying was just forced to fight back.
Although the method was a bit cruel, otherwise, the Zhou family would have been torn apart and the whole family would have died at the hands of bandits.
Thinking of this, his resistance to Xiao Ying eased a little.
Chen Jie was unaware of the twists and turns in his mind and answered honestly, "Yes, it was Madam Xiao who suggested it. Madam Xiao was even willing to buy a waterwheel herself. She's a kind-hearted person."
Ning Yuanze was stunned. It seemed that Xiao Ying had a very high status in the hearts of the villagers.
Yes, I heard that because of the spicy sesame oil, she helped the entire Chenjia Village make money. She is indeed a kind-hearted person.
"This matter benefits both the country and the people. I have no reason to refuse. Don't worry, I will handle the rest."
Chen Jie was overjoyed and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.
"On behalf of the people of Chenjia Village, I would like to thank the County Magistrate for his great kindness."
"Hurry up and get up! Your words make me ashamed. These are all your ideas. I am just following the trend."
Ning Yuanze's handsome face turned red, and he immediately ordered several other village heads to be gathered. Chen Jie was waiting there happily.
With Ning Yuanze's order, the other village heads naturally did not dare to disobey, and the two village heads who did not belong to Hongye Village also agreed.
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