Chapter Ten: A Modest Drip Irrigation

In the village, there was a large threshing ground, a wide open space. After noon, the village head summoned all able-bodied men to gather there.

Zheng, the village head, was highly respected in Chang Valley, and many villagers came—not just the younger men, but also the elders who could still work joined in.

Once everyone had arrived, Zheng raised his hand to quiet the crowd and spoke, “The Wei family in our village is well-known for producing talented people. Now, Young Master Wei has shown his ingenuity by inventing a new plow. I’ve used it these past few days, and it’s far more convenient than the old ones—many of you must have heard about it already.”

The villagers murmured in agreement, and Zheng continued, “Now, Young Master Wei has devised another method—a watering mechanism called a drip irrigation system. You don’t need to understand what drip irrigation is, only that once it’s built, we’ll no longer have to carry water to the fields all the time. Water will flow directly into our fields, and if you wish, you can irrigate day and night without pause!”

His words were like cold water poured onto hot oil—the villagers erupted in astonishment.

“No more carrying water?”

“Water flows into the fields on its own?”

“Day and night, nonstop?”

Everyone was amazed.

Zheng went on, “I gathered you here today to talk about this. The watering mechanism is large and needs everyone’s effort. Let me say this first: whoever puts in work and manpower will have the system connected to their fields. Those who shirk or slack off will be left to carry water themselves. But there are no such lazy folk in Chang Valley. Now, let’s divide the tasks.”

Zheng organized the labor: some continued cutting bamboo, others connected bamboo tubes, some dug the reservoir on the hillside, and others laid bamboo pipes from the hillside down into the fields.

Wei Renshi was busy too, running everywhere, explaining and making sure every step was clear and correct—he’d oversee one process, then move on to the next once a few finished products met his approval.

The entire village threw themselves into the task. With so many hands, the reservoir was finished in just one day.

They also fired clay lids to cover the reservoir—once the whole system was complete, the lids would be placed to prevent rapid evaporation and accidental falls.

Following Wei Renshi’s advice, they wove bamboo nets to place at the junctions of the pipes, preventing debris from clogging the bamboo tubes.

On another day, the wide bamboo channel connecting the waterwheel to the reservoir was completed.

Water was lifted by the wheel, pushed up the long channel—its length made the slope gentle, so water could be moved more easily—and flowed into the bamboo conduit. With a slight angle, it then ran into the reservoir on the hillside.

“It’s done! It’s done!” Seeing the reservoir fill, Zheng laughed and slapped his thigh, turning to an elderly man beside him. “Uncle Six, once the mechanism is finished, you must invite your wife back to her family home for a few days.”

Wei Renshi found the remark curious and looked over.

Zheng laughed as Wei Renshi glanced at him. “Uncle Six’s son-in-law works at the county office.”

Uncle Six chuckled, “You want to borrow my son-in-law’s connections? He’s just a bailiff! You, Zheng, are on familiar terms with the county magistrate—do you need him?”

“It’s always good to have proof,” Zheng replied with a smile. “So, will you do it?”

“Of course!” the old man’s face wrinkled with mirth. “If our village has a self-watering mechanism, it’ll be something to brag about! Young Master Wei is truly talented, how did he come up with such an ingenious thing?”

Wei Renshi smiled, “You flatter me.”

The bamboo pipe construction in Chang Valley was in full swing. Once the pipes came down the hillside, they only needed to be propped up with bricks and stones, gradually lowering them, to reach every field in the valley.

The terrain was certainly helping.

There were many fields, so directing the pipes to each one was the hardest part—especially since each pipe in the field needed small holes drilled into it.

The reservoir neared full capacity in just two days, and Zheng had to take a few men to disconnect the channel from the waterwheel.

“If you don’t need to irrigate for a while, just disconnect it like this; reconnect when needed,” Wei Renshi explained. As he spoke, inspiration struck him. “Uncle Zheng, what if we set up more waterwheels and channels, dig more reservoirs, and connect pipes to every household—wouldn’t that mean no one would have to fetch water for their homes?”

Zheng was stunned.

Wei Renshi laughed, treating it as a joke—that would be a much larger project, requiring far more water than the village could manage, and the waterwheels couldn’t lift that much.

Eight days passed in this way. With everyone working together, the pipes finally reached every field in Chang Valley. The valley’s flat terrain made everything easier.

Once more, the channel and waterwheel were joined, and water gradually filled the reservoir on the hillside.

“Connect it!” Wei Renshi ordered.

Several young men quickly attached the pipe to the reservoir’s outlet.

Water flowed through the pipe, draining the reservoir rapidly at first, then slowing as the incoming water from the channel nearly balanced the outflow.

Leaving a few to monitor the process, Wei Renshi ran to the fields.

As he approached, he heard shouts, “Water’s coming out! Water’s coming out!”

He rushed over and saw water seeping from the small holes in the fine bamboo pipe laid across the field, already soaking a wide area.

Because the pipes were laid parallel at nearly one-step intervals, and the holes spaced similarly, the moisture spread evenly across the land.

Wei Renshi ran along the fields, the jubilant cries of “Water’s coming out!” echoing everywhere.

The closer to the hillside, the faster the fields were wetted; those farther away received water more slowly, but still consistently—just a little delay, but it didn’t hinder irrigation.

Moreover, when connecting pipes into the fields, they carved slots to insert bamboo slats to block the flow, acting as valves—if the land was too wet, you could stop the water by sliding in a bamboo piece.

Excellent! Excellent! Wei Renshi stood at the edge of the field, deeply satisfied with his ultra-basic version of a drip irrigation system.