A Day and a Night, Plus Half a Day

After a day and a night, plus half a day, the laborers made their way from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain.

A half-meter-wide canal stretched from the mountains to the fields, weaving its way into every household’s rice paddies.

The village chief led a group up the mountain.

At the starting point of the canal, there was still a palm’s width of earth separating it from the water source.

The most crucial strike of the hoe was naturally reserved for the village chief of Dahe Village.

It felt like a solemn and sacred ritual.

Raising his hoe high, with all eyes on him, he swung it down hard.

The soil here was soft, requiring little effort.

With a single strike, the gap was opened.

Water surged from underground, rushing rapidly down the canal toward the fields.

Children cheered and chased after the flowing water down the mountain, but no one could outrun it.

In just moments, the water had reached the foot of the mountain.

Countless farmers watched in anticipation.

Under the scorching sun, the spring water shimmered, its dazzling reflections piercing the eye.

Like a silver dragon.

Like hope bursting forth, rolling in waves.

The canal was only half a meter wide, yet in their eyes, it seemed magnified—like the vast ocean surging forward.

Tears welled up in the eyes of the elderly villagers.

“There’s really water!”

“The water is here!”

“The rice is saved!”

“No one will starve!”

Water flowed into the rice paddies along the canal.

The cracked, yellow earth opened its mouth, greedily swallowing every drop.

The dry fields drank desperately, absorbing the precious water.

The moment the water touched the parched land, it was instantly swallowed, yet more and more kept flowing in.

The withered rice plants, as if infused with hope, swayed in the scorching sun and the summer breeze.

The farmers standing on the field ridges cried tears of joy.

Taking advantage of the moment, Zhang Wulai, the village rogue, secretly dug a gap in his own field’s ridge, letting the water rush into his paddies.

Some people noticed, but in such a moment of excitement, no one wanted to be the first to confront Zhang Wulai, that shameless scoundrel.

Besides, his son, Zhang Dagang, had contributed to the canal digging.

Though not as strong as the other men, the child had done his best…

They were all from the same village, and no one wanted to make a scene.

Just as everyone was celebrating, a discordant voice rang out.

“Damn! There really is water flowing down!”

The villagers turned and saw a few people from Guihua Village had somehow mingled into the crowd. One of them even spat into the canal.

That was the last straw.

Even old Granny Zhu, who was in her seventies and usually walked with a wobble, suddenly sprang up and slapped the spitting man on the back of the head.

She scolded him fiercely, “Spit in the water again, and I dare you to try me!”

The man was furious. “You damn old hag! How dare you hit me? I’ll beat you to—”

Before he could finish, he felt countless icy stares stabbing at him.

He looked up to see dozens of strong men surrounding him, their muscular bodies stacked together like an imposing mountain.

Swallowing his words, the man turned and ran for his life.

The other Guihua villagers quickly followed, disappearing at the village entrance in no time.

Only then did the village chief clasp his hands behind his back and stroll down with a serious expression.

“We must be wary of those Guihua bastards,” he said. “They’d have no qualms about poisoning the water.”

Cheng Wanwan spoke up, “I think the patrol team needs to stay active, permanently. We need to protect the water in the mountains, protect the rice in the fields, and protect every household’s food supply.”

Some people had previously thought setting up a patrol was unnecessary.

But after witnessing the Guihua villagers openly trespassing and spitting into the canal, everyone was furious.

The idea of forming a permanent patrol team was met with unanimous support.

With nearly the entire village present—including all able-bodied men—it took no time to assign daily patrol shifts.

Meanwhile, the water in the fields was gradually rising.

A shallow layer of water reflected the greenish-yellow rice stalks, the blue sky, the blazing sun—and the many people standing on the ridges.

Like a breeze clearing away the heavy clouds that had loomed over Dahe Village for two months, the atmosphere was suddenly light and full of joy.

Granny Zhu grabbed Cheng Wanwan’s hand. “Wanwan, it’s all thanks to you! Without you, this old woman would’ve starved this year!”

The village chief’s wife wiped her reddened eyes. “Wanwan, I misunderstood you before. Now I realize—you’re a good person. You didn’t hide the bamboo shoot discovery, and you didn’t hoard the water. You’re such a kind person… How could someone like you be widowed so young?”

Aunt Wang chimed in, “Wanwan, my brother back home lost his wife. He’s thirty-four this year, a hardworking farmer. If you have time tomorrow, I…”

Zhao Granny, standing in the crowd, looked complicated.

Her eldest son had only died last year, and now someone was already trying to matchmake his widow.

Wanwan wasn’t perfect, but she was still part of the Zhao family.

If she remarried, she’d have nothing to do with them anymore…

A warm-hearted woman patted her chest. “Your mother-in-law is an understanding woman. She won’t stop you from remarrying. And your four sons? They won’t dare object.”

She added excitedly, “Without Sister Zhao, we wouldn’t have found the bamboo shoots or built the canal. Finding her a husband is the least we can do!”

Cheng Wanwan: “…”

Thank you, but could you please not act like matchmakers?!

She forced a smile. “I’m doing just fine on my own… Anyway, now that we have water, I was thinking of planting some vegetables in my yard. Does anyone have seeds to spare?”

Aunt Wang responded, “I have some cabbage seeds. I’ll share some with you later.”

The village chief’s wife added, “Do you like celery? I have some you can take.”

The topic successfully shifted. Cheng Wanwan let out a sigh of relief.

She also managed to collect seeds for cabbage, celery, water spinach, winter melon, chives, and beans—vegetables suited for summer planting.

Due to the drought, few villagers had grown vegetables this year. Now that she brought it up, many decided to sow their own as well.

By autumn and winter, they’d have fresh food to eat.

She smiled and thanked everyone, but in her mind, she was already thinking—right now, there were no chili peppers, tomatoes, cauliflower, onions, or potatoes…

So many delicious dishes were missing!

Just as she was deep in thought, a shadow loomed over her.

She looked up and saw Zhao Fugui standing beside her, grinning.

“Sister-in-law Zhao, my family has all kinds of seeds. Why don’t you come over and take a look? You can have anything you want…”

As he spoke, he leaned in closer.

The ridge was crowded with people, and no one noticed his approach.

Cheng Wanwan instinctively stepped back—but her foot slipped.

She nearly fell into the water-filled paddy field…

Zhao Fugui was close enough to reach out and grab her—