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When the huge waterwheel was erected, the people cheered.
Once installed, the waterwheel designed by Du Yuhan can be operated manually, or automatically with the help of water power if there is water flowing in the river.
However, when there is little water flow, manual labor is required.
Du Yuhan could have designed a waterwheel powered by livestock, but nowadays livestock are mainly used for plowing, are few in number, and are more precious than people. So she didn't design a waterwheel powered by oxen or horses.
After the waterwheel was installed, Du Yuhan instructed several young men to step on the foot pedals of the waterwheel as she showed them, and the huge, wheel-like waterwheel began to turn.
The water bucket at the top of the spokes is filled with water and gradually moves from a lower position to a higher position. Then it tilts, and the water in the bucket naturally flows into the aqueduct and then into the newly dug irrigation canal. The water flows little by little along the canal into the nearest opened field.
The waterwheel was undoubtedly a success. Many children and adults ran after the water, and cheered again as they watched it flow into the fields.
The cheers were enthusiastic; everyone had witnessed the results firsthand. The waterwheel could now irrigate the fields, and as long as the river didn't dry up, they could use the river water to irrigate their land, eliminating the need to carry water bucket by bucket. This saved them a lot of trouble.
Actually, the waterwheel has been known for a long time, but many people have forgotten about it. Moreover, it's not commonly used in the north, so few people remember it. Even if they did remember, they wouldn't know how to make it.
Many villagers scrambled to get on the waterwheel and try to operate it by stepping on the pedals.
From now on, everyone will have to take turns operating this waterwheel. In order to save time, we need to keep the waterwheel running day and night, and try to irrigate all the fields in Laohewan Village as soon as possible.
Everyone is working hard to speed up the progress of the irrigation ditches in the fields that are not yet in place, so that all the fields can be irrigated.
With such a severe drought, the river is much less water than last year, and everyone is afraid that the river will dry up. Now, the more acres of land they can irrigate, the more grain they can produce, and the more food they can eat.
Gu Qishen was very pleased with the results and said, "Today's trip has truly been worthwhile. We've discovered such a great method for irrigating farmland. Actually, I had also thought of this method, but there were no successful examples in City C. Seeing that you've succeeded here has given me a lot of confidence."
Du Yuhan said, "I remembered the waterwheel because Laohewan Village is close to the river. If there is no water source nearby, it will be useless."
Gu Qishen said, "Yes, many places simply don't have water sources. Water conservancy construction is a long and arduous task."
The weather was starting to warm up, and Du Yuhan told Liang Shouzhen that the fields needed to be plowed to prevent pests and diseases and increase yields.
Actually, it would be better to plow the fields several times. Plowing in winter can freeze and kill some insect eggs, but where can we find that now? It is obviously not possible to rely on manpower alone.
Liang Shouzhen now completely believed Du Yuhan's words. He immediately ordered a village cadre to organize a group of people to start turning over the land, starting with the fields closest to the river, and also to prepare the land for irrigation.
The irrigation ditches will be dug shallower this year and gradually deepened later. After all, this is a huge project, and the few hundred people in the village can't finish it this year. We can only dig shallower ones first, starting with the fields closer to the river.
Every bit of grain they can harvest is a victory, as long as no one in their village starves to death.
Seeing that the villagers were turning the soil by hand, Du Yuhan sighed, "If only we could use machines to turn the soil, it would not only be more efficient, but the soil would also be turned deeper."
Gu Qishen, who was standing nearby, listened to Du Yuhan's words and said, "Are you talking about using tractors to turn the soil with machinery?"
Our country has long been exploring agricultural mechanization. However, due to limited technical capabilities, the tractors produced have a relatively high failure rate. Furthermore, not many people know how to repair these tractors, so finding someone to fix them after a breakdown is a hassle.
Du Yuhan said, "Doesn't our city C have a tractor factory? We can have the factory prioritize supplying the city. If every village had a tractor, along with specialized agricultural implements, the villagers' farming efficiency would greatly increase. If the tractor breaks down, it's not a problem; we can just repair it promptly."
During the planting season, tractor factories can organize a unified repair team to go to villages and repair tractors that have broken down. After the planting season, these tractors are not used as much. They will only become busy again during the harvest season.
This also allows us to identify the reasons why tow trucks are prone to malfunction and improve the technology.
Gu Qishen's eyes lit up when he heard Du Yuhan's words, and he smiled and said, "Your idea is good. As long as we finish cultivating the fields in time and don't miss the season, it will be a great victory."
"But our city's tractor factory isn't very large; it simply can't supply enough tractors to all these villages."
Du Yuhan smiled and said, "These tractors were definitely purchased by the village and are collective property. However, some villages may not be willing to buy them or may not be able to afford them, which is beyond our control. It's a matter for the villages that didn't buy tractors to realize the benefits of using machinery and then want to buy them later."
If there's really not enough supply, then we'll set quotas for each township. That should make it manageable.
Gu Qishen nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. However, as far as I know, the agricultural implements that come with the tractor are not very good and need to be improved."
Du Yuhan said, "I do have some ideas in mind. I'll draw up some blueprints for you when we get back, and you can take them to the tractor factory workers to see if they're usable."
Gu Qishen was very interested in Du Yuhan's words. Perhaps Du Yuhan could give him a surprise. Hadn't he already given him a surprise?
Gu Qishen said, "Then I'll wait to see your blueprints. If it's feasible, I'll make the decision to grant Laohewan Village a special permit for a tractor. All the machinery produced can be tested in Laohewan Village first."
Upon hearing this, Du Yuhan laughed and said, "Then it's settled. Laohewan Village will be the first experimental site."
Liang Shouzheng, who was listening nearby, was overjoyed. He knew that Du Yuhan must be confident in drawing up usable blueprints, otherwise she wouldn't have said that.
This way, their village could get a special permit for a tractor, along with matching agricultural implements. Du Yuhan is truly a lucky star for their village.
He'll have to talk to some of the village officials later and make sure they take good care of Du Yuhan and try to keep her in Laohewan Village as long as possible.
Du Yuhan had earned several degrees in her previous life. Although she hadn't studied mechanics professionally, she still had some basic knowledge.
During this time, she asked her grandson, Du Zhuoyuan, to find her many books, materials, and lecture videos on mechanics, and she is currently learning professional knowledge related to mechanics.
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