"General, are you sure this road leads to Yongshan County?"
"Yes, we'll reach a village in about half a day."
The two men were talking as they rapidly chopped at the thorny bushes blocking their path with their knives.
The man in the lead wore a half-covering leather mask, revealing only the lower half of his face.
However, even from just the lower half of his face, one could tell that the man was quite handsome, with a high, straight nose and thin, light pink lips that were unconsciously pursed at the moment.
Looking up, you can't see his exact features, but his eyes are unforgettable at first glance.
The man behind him looked very young, not yet twenty, and his face was full of fatigue. Hearing this, he immediately said happily, "Then we can go to the village and get some food..."
Before he could finish speaking, the masked man interrupted him, "No, there is a severe drought, and the people are suffering. We can find some water and food in the mountains. Besides, today is New Year's Eve, so we shouldn't pass through the village to avoid disturbing their celebration."
“But… alright,” the young man said, somewhat discouraged, but he quickly rallied. “The general is right, but I remember that you are also from Yongshan County. Don’t you want to go back to your hometown now that you’re here?”
Upon hearing this, the masked man paused slightly, then stepped forward again, replying calmly, "We have important matters to attend to, so it's not appropriate for us to linger here any longer."
Hometown? He had no memory of it.
As soon as he stepped onto this land, he felt a sense of familiarity. Just like now, he had a gut feeling that there was a valley not far ahead with clean water, but there was also danger there.
"Oh." The young man immediately became dejected when he saw that he did not agree, feeling as if his feet weighed a ton. "Then we'll have to find more water in the mountains to prepare."
He's been chewing on jade tree leaves for two days now, and if he doesn't drink water soon, he'll be steaming all over.
The masked man pointed ahead and said, "There should be a water source over there."
He felt a sense of familiarity with every blade of grass and every tree here, but his mind was completely blank.
"Really?" The young man's eyes widened in surprise. "Then let's go over there right away!"
As he spoke, he ran in front of the masked man.
The two arrived at Wild Boar Plain shortly afterward.
"Hey, General, how come there are still fields here? And crops planted on them!" The young man pointed in surprise at the newly cleared land where crops had been planted.
The masked man's deep eyes stared unblinkingly at everything around him, a feeling that was both familiar and strange.
He looked up at the mountain ridge above and started walking up. "It must have been planted by nearby villagers; there's a water source up there."
As he spoke, he saw section after section of bamboo pipes extending down the mountain, and finally understood how the wasteland here was irrigated.
“General, the people here are so clever! They actually came up with the idea of coming to the mountains to find water and cultivate the land. Look at these bamboo pipes, how exactly do they get water up from the valley?” The young man stood on the mountain ridge in disbelief, looking at everything on both sides of the ridge.
The masked man unconsciously curled his lips into a smile. "They are indeed very clever. Let's go get some water first, and we can come back to ask them for advice another time."
He had already seen the water pump installed on the hillside and confirmed that it was this thing that allowed the water to rise from the lower to the higher ground.
"Alright!" The young man dashed down the valley like a gust of wind, frolicking in the natural lake. "General, look! There's so much water here!"
The masked man looked towards the pool of water, where there were also things used for pumping water.
He walked straight to the pool, filled his water bag with water and drank his fill, then refilled the bag and looked toward the bamboo grove not far away.
"Qin Shen, come here!" the masked man shouted to the young man. "Cut some bamboo, fill bamboo tubes with water, we must get to Yongshan County tonight!"
Qin Shen washed his face and drank a few mouthfuls of water. He was finally not so thirsty anymore. Hearing the shout, he immediately ran over. "Wow, General, how did you know there were bamboos here?"
They hadn't seen any bamboo forest along the way, but they were surprised to find one here.
The masked man didn't reply; he was already deftly chopping bamboo to make bamboo tubes.
The two people in the mountains were still struggling for a sip of water on New Year's Eve, but in Dingshui Village at the foot of the mountain, New Year's Eve was particularly exciting.
This Lunar New Year's Eve, instead of individual family reunions, the entire village of Dingshui celebrated the New Year with a continuous feast.
The dishes were served starting in the late afternoon (Shen Shi), and by the late afternoon (You Shi), everyone was so full that many could barely walk.
Tables and benches were set up inside and outside the ancestral hall, and large torches covered with tung oil were lit everywhere, illuminating the entire village.
After having a few drinks, the men chatted enthusiastically.
The wine was provided by Jiang Qinyu, but she used her previous trip to the prefectural city as an excuse, saying it was what she bought that time. There wasn't much, but it was enough for everyone in the village to have a small cup.
At tonight's New Year's Eve banquet, Jiang Qinyu, Chen Shi, and several others who have made significant contributions to the village are sitting at the table next to Village Chief Li and his group.
Because of his performance over the past few months and his dedication to training everyone, Wang Bo has been accepted by the villagers. Tonight, he sits at the main table and is the most respected young man among the younger generation.
Therefore, Wang Pozi wasn't angry that her family's work points for the day totaled less than those of Old Man Lu and Chen Shi. She sat happily with the other old women, as if she were sitting at the head table.
Village Chief Li had drunk quite a bit, and he was now holding Old Man Lu's hand tightly, saying, "Old Lu! You've really married a good daughter-in-law!"
Old Lu chuckled and agreed.
Village Chief Li continued, "If it weren't for her, would we have the good life we have today? Look at those people in Xiahe Village, they can barely afford grass roots to eat during the New Year, but we have wine and meat, and our children can even learn to read! This life, really, I wouldn't trade it for being an immortal!"
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