"Village chief, we're easily taken seriously by what you're saying. If we don't get to live in a brick house, this old lady will just stay at your doorstep!" An old lady said with a smile, clearly not believing it.
Everyone thought that their families struggled to even have enough to eat, so how could they possibly dream of living in such a nice house?
They glared angrily at the village chief, saying, "That joke isn't funny at all!"
The village chief was both amused and exasperated, but their reaction was similar to his own when he first heard the news.
He laughed and said, "Why not? The most important thing in making bricks is the technology. Our Comrade Qin can help the brick factory improve its technology, so why can't he lead us to make bricks and build houses?"
"However, making bricks requires digging soil. There are only sixty or seventy households in our village. How many bricks can we use? But don't be envious of this technique and say we won't teach you."
"If all the mountains in Luofeng Village are dug up to make bricks for building houses, it's the same as destroying our courtyard walls..."
"As long as we all work hard and make bricks, we'll prioritize building sheds for poultry and livestock. Once the busy farming season is over next year, we'll divide the bricks according to the centimeter mark and build houses!"
Everyone's hearts are burning with excitement. That's right, what they lack is bricks. If they could make them, why couldn't they build houses!
"Village chief, Comrade Qin, whatever you say, we'll do!"
They all stood up and shouted loudly.
The elderly men and women couldn't help but wipe away their tears. They were all so old, and they never imagined that even with their legs half buried in the ground, they would still have hope of living in brick and tile houses.
After they calmed down, the village chief talked about how Ke Qingyi would lead everyone to dig canals together with other villages under the commune to benefit everyone.
Hearing that there would be steamed buns made from three kinds of flour, the elderly were all eager to sign up.
The village chief stood to the side and waved to Ke Qingyi.
Ke Laosi rubbed his hands together, his legs trembling.
"Dad, you've only just taken the first step. There will be many more opportunities like this in the future. Will you be shy every time?" Ke Meiyu said with a smile as she pushed her father out.
Ke Laosi leaned back, unable to take the first step no matter what he did.
Grandma Ke glared at him and said, "Bao'er, we've paved the way for you to step on, why can't you take a step?" With that, the old lady kicked him away.
Ke Laosi dared not defy his mother. He stumbled along with the force of her movements, and amidst the laughter of the crowd, he patted the dirt off his back and solemnly stepped forward.
He first bowed deeply to everyone, saying, "Fellow villagers, I am very happy to stand here and lead you in building the canal!"
“Everyone here is an experienced farmer and knows very well how important irrigation is. In the past, we used to carry water on shoulder poles or oxcarts, making trip after trip. In years when water was scarce, we even had conflicts with people from other villages.”
"Building a canal is a huge project. It's going to stretch from our Banshan Reservoir all the way to the Xilan River, which is three kilometers away. And the canal can't be too shallow or too narrow. It has to be designed with different elevations so that the water can flow from top to bottom..."
"There are many intricacies involved, and it's okay if we don't understand them. My son-in-law, Xiao Qin, has already connected with civil engineering students at the Provincial University of Science and Technology. They will guide us in the construction..."
Once the conversation started, Ke Laosi was no longer nervous.
He had just been forced into this situation today, and ever since he learned about it, he had been pondering it. When he got home, he asked his father, Old Xue, and several elders in the village, and he managed to get a rough idea of what was going on, but it was enough to impress everyone.
“We will build it together with the villagers from other villages and communes. Each village will only be responsible for the section of the canal that flows through its own village. After the canal is built, it will not only facilitate the rotation of water for irrigation, but also allow people to adopt sections of the canal to raise fish, shrimp and crabs on a regular basis…”
The villagers regard the land as their lifeline, and they do not feel that building canals is less important than building brick houses.
They listened attentively, nodding emphatically in agreement from time to time.
"We absolutely must repair it! Even if we don't have any steamed buns to eat, we'll still respond enthusiastically!"
"Crops need water, and irrigating them is more tiring than harvesting them. It takes all day and night without stopping. Why not just endure the hardship and get it done right the first time, saving so much effort later?"
The matter was explained simply, and everyone agreed.
Next, it was time for Qin Yuanjiu and Ke Qingyi to muster their troops.
Everyone who was idle at home, regardless of age or gender, was assigned a task, with tasks ranging from light to heavy, making the best use of everyone's abilities!
Ke Meiyu took the initiative to take care of the children aged two to four in the village, which was equivalent to running a childcare class.
Ke's mother led a group of her close friends to take charge of providing meals for the workers building the canal.
Grandma Ke was in charge of cooking for Ke Meiyu and all the children.
Grandpa Ke also took on the task of collecting and storing tools and making records.
The Ke brothers were half helping Qin Yuanjiu and half running errands for their father.
This was the first time the entire village had been so bustling with activity in the dead of winter!
Despite their busy schedules, the Ke family members couldn't neglect their studies and exercise. They could only squeeze in time in the mornings and evenings to learn as much as they could.
Old Xue and Old Zhao were also involved in different tasks: one helped coordinate brick-making and house construction, while the other helped lead students in surveying, digging ditches, and building canals!
Back in her own little home, Ke Meiyu stood with her hands behind her back and tilted her head to look at Qin Yuanjiu.
Qin Yuanjiu calmly washed his face and hands with warm water, and after comfortably drying them, he glanced over and asked, "What are you looking at? Don't you recognize me?"
Ke Meiyu chuckled and said, "I really don't recognize him anymore. Comrade Qin is becoming more and more great, leading the whole village to prosperity!"
"I wonder if this will be written in your file?"
However, she ultimately felt that she was not suited to build the canal, so she simply handed the matter over to her father.
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