<h4>Chapter 46</h4>


    With the deed in hand, the auspicious day had arrived.


    Da Zhuang led over ten vigers to the site of Li Yao''s new home, ready to start digging the foundation.


    The propitious moment hade.


    After Li Yao dug the first spadeful, Da Zhuang led everyone to get busy.


    For Li Yao''s family to build such a big house, Wang Jiafu as the vige chief would definitelye to take a look. Li Yao also had a lot that she needed the vige chief''s help with.


    "I''ve already talked with the people firing the green bricks. In a few more days, they''ll be able to start delivering them," said the vige chief. "Since you need a lot, I got them to give you a discount, at two cents per brick. It''ll save quite a bit when calcted."


    "Thank you for going through the trouble."


    This vige chief really knew how to manage things.


    "We''re all one family, no need to stand on ceremony," said Wang Jiafu with a soft sigh as he looked at the dozens of busy vigers. "These dozen or so are lucky to be helping build your house. Your family is also providing meals, so they can earn a bit to buy food and provide for their families. But other families... Ah, I''m afraid they won''t be able to make it through this winter. Don''t even think about next year — they''ll probably all have to flee the famine. Not many will be left in the vige."


    Seeing his worried expression, Li Yao silently shook her head.


    It was said that those who live on a mountain live off the mountain.


    Therge mountain behind He Wan Vige was filled with unknown resources. It was just that people''s horizons were limited and they didn''t know any better for now.


    "Vige Chief, it''s not that difficult."


    "Ah?"


    Wang Jiafu''s eyes widened.


    With over a thousand vigers, they needed at least a few hundred catties of grain per day. How could this not be difficult?


    The fields were cracked and seeds sown would be wasted. How could this not be difficult?


    "I have a way for everyone to be able to nt grain."


    "Really?" Wang Jiafu couldn''t help his heart from racing. "What method do you have?"


    "It still relies on digging wells."


    The northern winters were dry enough. If each vige dug a well, it would ensure there was water for sowing in early spring.


    With He Wan Vige backed by such arge mountain range, there definitely wouldn''t be ack of groundwater either. Using it to irrigate thousands of mu should be no problem.


    "Vige Chief, if you believe me, then gather the vigers. We can start work today. My family''s Da Zhuang doesn''t have time or manpower to spare, so I''ll provide the funds to reinforce the well." Li Yao said, "If you don''t believe me, then forget I mentioned it."


    "I believe you!"


    They had reached this point. Even if he didn''t believe, he had to give it a try.


    What if it did work?


    So the vige chief immediately returned home and climbed up the big tree in his yard. He cleared his throat and started yelling.


    "Everyone listen up! Send someone to my home right away for an important discussion!"


    "Every household must send someone!"


    ...


    Before long, someone from every household had arrived.


    But when they heard it was about digging a well and relying on well water to grow grain, not a single person believed it.


    "A single well''s worth of water is probably not even enough to water one mu ofnd."


    "That''s right, we can''t exactly dig a well by every plot ofnd."


    "This Li Yao must be struck with foolishness again to think of such a rotten idea."


    "Who are you calling foolish?" Wang Xueshi immediately yelled when she heard this. "You''re so smart, yet still poor enough to eat chaff!"


    "Alright, stop arguing and listen to me!"


    The vige chief quieted everyone down and said, "Digging the well this time requires money if you have it,bor if you can provide it, but it is not mandatory. If you are willing to contribute either,e join. If not, that is fine too. However, after the well is dug, families who did not participate in digging the well cannot use the well water! Is that clear?"


    As vige chief, Wang Jiafu still held considerable prestige in He Wan Vige.


    With his statement, the previously disgruntled vigers all shut their mouths and stopped speaking.


    "Our family agrees to dig the well."


    At this time, Wang Yuancai stood up.


    He was the vige chief''s eldest son. His family ran a stewed food stall and owed Li Yao a huge favor, so he had to be the first to stand up and support Auntie Li''s and his father''s decision.


    "Our family will naturally participate," Wang Xueshi quickly followed, representing the Wang family ancestral home. This was the daughter-inw''s idea, so she had to show her support.


    Fang Mingchuan soon also said, "The Fang family also agrees."


    In He Wan Vige, the Fang family was arge n. As the patriarch, Fang Mingchuan also held significant sway.


    With the Wang and the Fang families banding together, they now represented over half of He Wan Vige.


    The remaining were all lesser families and households who mostly followed the greater flow.


    "Thankless work," Zhu Yougui said impatiently. "You all can do as you please. I certainly won''t go!"


    "Anyone else not participating?" Wang Jiafu asked.


    The crowd nced at each other, but no one else spoke up.


    And so, only Zhu Yougui''s family would not join the well digging effort.


    Wang Jiafu had already expected this result and could not be bothered to deal with thatzy Zhu Yougui.


    "Then it''s decided. Everyone gather at my home this afternoon and we''ll start work today."


    ...


    Wang Jiafu called Li Yao over to personally select a location.


    The well should not be too far from the fields, but also could not be too close to the river beach. So Li Yao selected an open spot not far from the vige entrance.


    "How wide should the well mouth be?"


    "Best if it''s 6 zhang." [1 zhang = 3.33 meters]


    The two hundred some people simultaneously gasped.


    A 20 meter wide well, how could that still be called a well?


    No wonder it required the strength of the entire vige. If only a few people or a few dozen worked on it, it would probably take them until next year to finish.


    "Alright, let''s get to work!"


    With twenty to thirty people able to stand and freely move about in a space of 20 meters, and everyone determined to see this through, they made significant progress in just three short days. They started setting up supports outside the well to use arge lever to haul out earth and rocks.


    On the fourth day in the evening, they reached the firstyer of red stone. That night they reached the secondyer, and there was already a lot of water.


    They had assumed this would be enough, but Li Yao did not let them stop.


    The well depth was not even 10 meters yet at this point, far from enough.


    "Keep going."


    If Li Yao said to keep going, then they would keep going.


    After continuously working another two days and nights, they finally reached the sixthyer of red stone, and the depth exceeded 20 meters. Li Yao felt this was about right.


    There was a huge amount of groundwater now that they could barely keep up with baling it out.


    Plus without advanced machinery, it would be extremely difficult and dangerous to dig any deeper.


    Next was reinforcing the well.


    Ideally they should userge stone bs for a well this big, but there was no time to obtain those. The green bricks Li Yao had ordered happened to arrive, so she had them brought directly to the well to be used first.


    The vige chief was knowledgeable about this and had prepared ked lime, glutinous rice, and fine sand ahead of time to make thick mortar. They used the green bricks to line the well walls from the bottom upyer byyer.


    To make it convenient for future ess, they also built stairs into the well walls, allowing easy ess to the well bottom at any time for drawing water or installing a water wheel.


    Outside the well opening, they also built the walls over a meter high to prevent people or livestock from identally falling in.


    After finishing reinforcing the well, they still needed to continuously bail out the well water to allow the walls to dry.


    Of course Li Yao did not need to worry about these matters. She was with He Xiaoya, looking forward to the gosling hatching from its egg.