In Dahe Village, there were around 400 strong laborers.

A mighty crowd carried shovels, hoes, and other tools as they headed up the mountain.

They started work about ten meters from the water source.

The route had already been planned—first, fifty people were assigned to clear the area by cutting down trees and leveling the ground.

Any large trees were felled, and big rocks were moved away, ensuring the planned path was thoroughly cleaned.

The remaining 300 or so people were divided into two groups, taking turns to dig the canal.

Each pair was responsible for about three meters, gradually working their way down the mountain.

They switched shifts every two hours to prevent exhaustion among the workers.

Meanwhile, the village women carried buckets of water up the mountain, bringing back two buckets at a time.

If used sparingly, it would be enough for a day.

Among the laborers were Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou.

As the women passed by Zhao Ergou, they couldn’t help but stop and joke with him.

“I watched you grow up, Ergou. You used to be such a scruffy little boy, always running around with snot dripping down your nose. But now you’re so smart! You’re bound to have a bright future.”

Zhao Ergou: “…”

Could they stop bringing up his embarrassing childhood? Did he not deserve a little dignity?

“Ergou, are you fifteen or sixteen this year? Have you found a wife yet? Want me to introduce someone for you?”

Zhao Ergou: “…No, no need.”

“My niece is fifteen, and she’s beautiful! I’ll bring her over tomorrow so you can meet her.”

“Your niece is too lazy! My daughter, on the other hand, is hardworking. Ergou, you know her—Cuihua. I’ll have her come over right now—”

Zhao Ergou was stunned by their enthusiasm.

Hadn’t he just made a speech in front of the whole village?

Why was he suddenly so popular?

Awkwardly, he said, “My family is poor. If I get married, my wife would have to sleep on the floor. I don’t want to make any girl suffer, so I’m not considering marriage for now. But thank you, aunties, for thinking of me…”

Hearing this, the overly eager women finally came to their senses.

No matter how smart or promising Ergou was, it wouldn’t change the fact that his mother was Zhao Chengshi!

Even though Zhao Chengshi seemed different from before, everyone in the village knew her reputation for mistreating daughters-in-law. No one wanted their niece or daughter to marry into that household and suffer.

The women carried their water buckets up the mountain. But just as they took a few steps forward, they suddenly noticed some figures sneaking around in the woods.

“Aren’t those people from Guihua Village?!”

“Why are they here again? Are they trying to steal our water?”

“Someone quick, go inform the village chief!”

..

Down in the village, the chief and Cheng Wanwan were discussing matters under the big locust tree.

In the dirt, a winding path was drawn—it was a sketch of the planned canal, marked with various points.

Cheng Wanwan used a stick to draw a line at the top. “We can leave an opening here. Once the rice fields have enough water, we can block the canal with stones. When more water is needed, we just remove the stone.”

The chief nodded repeatedly. “I just wonder how long this canal will last once it’s finished.”

Cheng Wanwan tried to recall what she had learned in her past life and slowly explained, “Once the soil absorbs water, it will become loose over time. Eventually, the canal will fill up with mud, making it unusable. So, what if we line the canal with stones? That way, the soil on the sides won’t erode and block it.”

The chief’s eyes lit up. “That’s a great idea, Dashan’s wife! I should go up the mountain right away.”

“Not so fast,” Cheng Wanwan quickly stopped him. “The most important thing right now is getting the water down. Lining the canal with stones can wait until the winter when farming slows down.”

“You’re right, you’re right,” the chief agreed, sitting back down. Then he asked curiously, “Dashan’s wife, how do you know so much?”

Cheng Wanwan coughed dryly. “I grew up at my maternal grandparents’ home. My grandfather was a seasoned farmer. I remember once during a heavy rainstorm, he dug trenches to drain the water. I just copied what he did.”

Her biological mother, Granny Cheng, had married into Cheng Village from another town, and she herself had married into Dahe Village.

The grandparents she spoke of had long passed away.

With so many layers in between, no one could question her story.

No matter what happened, she could always credit her “grandfather,” and no one would be able to prove otherwise.

..

As they were talking, Zhao Shagen came running over, panting heavily. “Chief! Bad news! The people from Guihua Village are here again!”

The chief frowned, then sneered. “This mountain belongs to Dahe Village, so the water on it naturally belongs to us. Besides, our village gathered over 400 people to dig this canal. The chief of Guihua Village has done plenty of despicable things over the years—there’s no way his people will willingly work for him.”

Even so, the chief decided to go up the mountain to check.

..

Back at home, Cheng Wanwan saw Wu Huiniang had prepared many wild vegetable and buckwheat pancakes, placing them on the table. She had even secretly added half an egg in the middle of each.

Cheng Wanwan took two pancakes up the mountain.

Two-thirds of the way there, she spotted her two sons digging tirelessly, their faces covered in sweat, too focused to even notice her arrival.

She didn’t disturb them and quietly waited on the side. Soon, the workers switched shifts, and Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou finally got to rest.

“Mom, why are you here?” Zhao Dashan wiped his sweat. “The sun’s already down, but it’s still so hot!”

Zhao Ergou glanced at the sky. “I wonder if we’ll keep working through the night or go home to rest…”

Before he could finish, a few men in their forties loudly answered:

“Of course, we’ll keep digging!”

“The chief said we’d finish in two and a half days. If we work through the night, we’ll reach the foot of the mountain by tomorrow night!”

“The rice in the fields can’t wait! The faster we finish, the better! No slacking off!”

The chief arrived with his hands behind his back. “Working nonstop for a whole day and night isn’t good—you’ll wear yourselves out. But at night, without the sun, it’ll be cooler and more comfortable to work. So let’s dig through the night and rest in the morning.”

The villagers were full of enthusiasm. Before long, they had already dug several more meters down the mountain.

Cheng Wanwan pulled her two sons aside and had them sit on a large rock.

She took out the pancakes from her basket and handed them over. “Eat first before you keep working.”

Wild vegetable and buckwheat pancakes weren’t particularly tasty, but with an egg in the middle, they became a rare delicacy.

Zhao Dashan and Zhao Ergou ate with squinted eyes, savoring every bite.

The other workers looked on enviously.

They had been working all day, yet their wives and mothers hadn’t even brought them a sip of water!

People always said that Zhao Dashan’s wife mistreated her sons, but looking at this, did that really seem true?

In fact, some of them were starting to think—maybe being her son wouldn’t be so bad after all!