Qian Xiao poured the water from the buckets onto the ground. The two large buckets of water were completely useless; carrying water like this was probably just for peace of mind.
"Sir, if things continue like this, won't this year's harvest be terrible?"
Old Qian wiped the sweat from his face and sighed, "If this continues, it won't just be a poor harvest, it could be a complete crop failure. It's been spring and there's hardly any rain, and the rain has been so light that it barely wets the ground before it stops."
Their family doesn't lack food, but there are so many people in the village. It's not enough for just their family to have enough to eat. They can't just stand by and watch the villagers starve to death.
"Erdan's here? You should go home and rest. We can do this." Qian Erbao saw his eldest niece when he came back with water. His eldest niece couldn't do this kind of work; it was the most tiring job.
"Second Uncle, I came to deliver water and also asked you to come back and help me. I've finished the blueprints and was thinking of making a small one to see if it works. I don't know any carpentry."
Qian Erbao looked at the field. He wanted to help his niece, but the key question was how to do the work.
Old Man Qian waved his hand: "Second brother, you and Erdan go back and help. There are still so many people here. With you, they can do so much more work."
Since his father had spoken, Qian Erbao stopped hesitating: "Okay, then Dad, I'll go back with Erdan."
"Why are you dawdling? Hurry up and go back. Erdan, just put the water under that tree."
"Hey, sir, take it easy. Take a break when you're tired."
"I know, I know, why are you getting more and more long-winded, girl?" Old Man Qian waved his hand impatiently.
Well, they think she talks too much, so she'll just stop talking and drag her second uncle home.
Don't let Qian Erbao's quiet demeanor fool you; he's a man of great talent. He's been learning carpentry from the villagers for two years. While others are still apprentices, his second uncle is already making quite decent furniture.
However, business was not allowed in those days, so my second uncle usually only did the household chores he needed and rarely helped others.
Qian Xiao gestured, and Qian Erbao could understand. Before the sun had even set, the old man arrived. When the old man came over, Qian Xiao was directing his second uncle to complete the final installation.
The old man immediately noticed the waterwheel model, about half a meter tall, in Qian Erbao's hand: "Is this really made?"
It actually worked! I thought this girl was just bragging. It looks pretty much like what I remember seeing, but I don't know if it will work.
"Grandpa, it's perfect that you're here too. Why don't we go to the riverbank and give it a try?" No amount of words can compare to seeing it for yourself.
"Let's go, let's give it a try. If it really works, Baozhu will give you a reward."
The Baozhu the old man mentioned is the village chief, Qian Baozhu. Oh, right, he's called the brigade leader now. Their village is big enough that they can form a brigade directly.
When the three of them arrived at the river, the people carrying water were still working. When they saw the old man coming over, the young people greeted him.
"Grandpa, what brings you here?"
"Grandpa, if you need anything, just call out. How far is it from here?"
"Uncle, what brings you here? Is something the matter?"
The old man waved his hand, and the chattering people stopped talking: "You all go about your business. Erdan, try making a small waterwheel and see if it works. If it does, we'll make a big one standing in the river, so everyone won't have to carry water under the scorching sun every day."
"Huh? What did you say, old man? A waterwheel, what's that?"
“I know, I know. This thing is used a lot in the south. We don’t have it here. It can bring water up from the river. The water level in our river is too low to bring water up, so we have to carry water like this.”
“As long as we have a waterwheel, the water can be drawn up by itself, and we won’t have to carry water like this anymore. Why didn’t we think of this method sooner? Our river is deep and won’t dry up anytime soon. As long as we can draw water, our crops can be saved.”
"Really? There's such a useful thing? It's that thing Erbao is holding? It's so small, what good can it do?"
"Didn't you hear what the old man said? This is a small one to try out. If it works well, then we'll make a bigger one. If we make a big one and it doesn't work, wouldn't that be a waste of effort?"
"Ah! You can do that? That's a good idea."
Regardless of what others said, Qian Xiao and Qian Erbao went to the riverbank and placed the waterwheel in the shallowest part of the river. Even in the shallowest part, the waterwheel was submerged. In the end, they had no choice but to prop up the waterwheel.
And you know what? Qian Xiao's data was accurate, and Qian Erbao's craftsmanship was impeccable. The waterwheel started spinning as soon as it touched the water, and because the water flow was quite rapid, it spun quite fast.
When the water tank of the water truck rotates to a certain point, it will pour out the water that has been brought in by the truck. Qian Xiao smiled happily as he watched. This time, the water truck gave him a greater sense of accomplishment than the last time he repaired the radio. Perhaps it was because it could help more people?
Indeed, she, a child raised under the red flag, is well-suited to be a selfless citizen; she's truly remarkable.
"It moved, it moved, it really moved."
"My god, this thing can actually get water out of the container?"
“Yes, as long as we pour the water directly into the ditch we made before, the water will flow into the fields on its own, and we won’t have to carry water so hard every day.”
They could draw water directly from the river into the ditch, but they had tried it before. The ditch was too long, wasting water and effort, and it didn't achieve the desired effect. In the end, they had to carry the water back and forth by themselves.
"It seems that people do need to be educated. Look at us, we've been farming all our lives, how come we never thought of such a good method?"
"That's not all, but how can a little girl actually make a name for herself in school?"
"You, the leaders of the National People's Congress have said that men and women are the same. So what if she's a girl? Girls can be successful too."
"That's right. Look at Erdan, she's a girl, but she's so capable. The other high school students in our village are all boys, so why didn't they come up with such a good idea? I think being smart has little to do with being a boy or a girl."
"Hey, I was just saying. I was just thinking about getting my granddaughter to go to school too."
“Go, when I get back I’ll send my granddaughter to school too. The tuition isn’t expensive, we can always scrape together the money.”
Qian Xiao didn't have time to listen to what the villagers were saying. She didn't care about any of it. Whether others said good things or bad things about her, it wouldn't hurt her. As long as it wasn't too outrageous, she could just pretend she didn't hear it.
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