Chapter Five: The Matter of Watering

China has always been a great agricultural nation since ancient times. In a land where “the people regard food as heaven,” the development of agriculture is of paramount importance.

Throughout five thousand years of Chinese civilization, the constant evolution of farming tools has played an indispensable role in the progress of ancient agricultural culture.

“As the saying goes, ‘To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools.’” With proper tools, tasks become much easier and more efficient.

Farming implements not only shortened the labor time for farmers but also greatly increased their work efficiency.

Agricultural tools form an essential part of China’s agricultural heritage.

Moreover, ancient Chinese farm tools have always maintained a leading position, far surpassing those of other regions in the world during the same eras.

The current of Daoyuan Stream was gentle, but the waterwheel—especially the high-speed rotary waterwheel—required the force of rushing water. However, Wei Renshi knew of a type of waterwheel suited for gentle streams.

This waterwheel, when paired with the abundant bamboo growing everywhere in Changgu, convinced Wei Renshi that his idea could be realized, at least in a simplified form.

“Oh?” The village chief, Zheng, was both surprised and intrigued, so he asked, “What solution do you propose, young master?”

“We dig a reservoir on the rear slope to store water, connect sections of bamboo to form pipes, and use a scoop wheel to channel water into the bamboo pipes, storing it on the upper slope,” Wei Renshi explained simply. “The rear slope is higher than all the fields in Changgu. From the reservoir on the upper slope, bamboo pipes can be drawn directly into the fields. The pipes are inserted into the soil near the roots of the crops, with small holes drilled into them, allowing water to seep out and trickle directly into the earth. In this way, there’s no need for manual irrigation; water is delivered naturally, day and night. If irrigation is not needed, the scoop wheel can simply be disconnected from the water-receiving trough.”

“Ah?” The chief opened his mouth, momentarily stunned by the ingenuity of Wei Renshi’s proposal, or perhaps because he did not fully understand.

Wei Renshi knew that seeing is believing, so he said no more. Picking up a hatchet, he walked a short distance, chopped down a few bamboo stalks, and trimmed off the branches. Only then did Xi’er react, quickly running over to help drag the bamboo back.

Looking around, he realized there was no iron rod to clear the bamboo’s nodes, so he simply chopped through the joints, shaved the ends, and inserted one section into another, connecting them into a makeshift pipe.

“What are you making, young master?” the chief inquired.

Wei Renshi smiled but didn’t answer directly. He continued shaping the bamboo, standing three pieces upright and carving small holes in them.

Then he laid a longer piece horizontally, hollowed three holes in it, and inserted the vertical pieces into these openings.

Next, he attached two curved sections to one end of the long bamboo pipe, turning upwards, to allow water to be poured in.

Drawing three shallow ditches in the ground, he explained to the chief, “These would be beside the crops after the fields have been plowed and sown.”

He then fitted the simple bamboo pipes he had made into the ditches. The three upright pieces sat in the three shallow furrows, while the long horizontal one lay parallel to the path by the edge of the field.

He placed a few stones beneath the long pipe to elevate it slightly above the upright ones, forming a shape somewhat like a “three” with the bottom half erased.

“This long one would run along the edge of the field, all the way to the reservoir,” Wei Renshi explained, instructing Xi’er to fetch a ladle of water from the bucket, which he then poured into the long pipe. “This simulates water flowing from the reservoir through the bamboo pipes.”

Soon, water ran into the three short bamboo pipes, seeping out through the small holes and moistening the adjacent soil.

“I understand!” The chief clapped his hands enthusiastically. “I get it now! Young master, what a clever idea!”

It was, after all, a rudimentary drip irrigation system—if one might call it that.

“If this system can be built, there’ll be no need for anyone to haul water from the river to irrigate the fields in the future,” Wei Renshi said with a smile, seeing that the chief had understood.

“A fine thing, truly fine!” The chief rubbed his hands, his eyes shining as he gazed at the simple model on the ground, but then he furrowed his brow and said, “Digging a reservoir on the upper slope is easy enough. We’re not short of bamboo here, and the village isn’t that large, so it wouldn’t be too difficult to set up. But how will we get the water up the slope? The current waterwheel won’t do, and the scoop wheel is even less capable.”

In truth, Fuchang’s terrain was essentially flat, so although Changgu sat slightly higher, it was not by very much. The so-called rear slope was merely the highest point in the village—a modest hill, nothing more.

Bringing the water up wasn’t too difficult.

“The current scoop wheel certainly won’t suffice, but I can improve it. Once modified, it should work,” Wei Renshi replied with a smile. “We’ll just need to find a few wheelwrights and carpenters, and let me direct them.”

The chief hesitated, thinking, “If we truly embark on this project, it will be no small undertaking. Young master Wei, can you really bring water up to the rear slope?”

“I can,” Wei Renshi affirmed, nodding.

“This concerns the whole village, my son—be prudent in your words and actions!” the matron reminded Wei Renshi, hearing his confident reply.

Wei Renshi turned and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Mother. I know what I’m doing.”

The chief remained indecisive.

Wei Renshi’s proposal was excellent, and the model he had just built on the spot, if replicated in the village, would indeed relieve everyone of the arduous task of carrying water for irrigation.

But this would be a major project. If they did it, every household might have to contribute labor. That was not the real concern; the real fear was that if, in the end, the water couldn’t be brought up, the labor would be wasted, the agricultural season delayed, and that would be a grave mistake.

“Uncle Zheng, there’s no need to worry about missing the planting season. As long as there are enough hands, the reservoir and bamboo pipes can be set up quickly. We can first find a few wheelwrights and carpenters to build the improved scoop wheel,” Wei Renshi understood his concerns and continued, “If my improved wheel can bring water up the slope, you’ll have something solid to present to the village. If it fails, treat it as my own experiment; I’ll pay the craftsmen myself, and the village’s agricultural schedule won’t be delayed.”

At these words, Xi’er was startled and quickly glanced at the matron. She frowned slightly, but seeing Wei Renshi’s calm, confident smile, she hesitated but said nothing for the moment.

After a moment’s thought, the chief made a generous gesture and said, “It’s all for the village’s sake. If it truly doesn’t work, I’ll pay the craftsmen myself!”

He finished speaking, but his eyes stole a glance at Madam Wei, which did not escape Wei Renshi’s notice, making him smile quietly to himself.

“Thank you, Chief,” Madam Wei bowed slightly in gratitude.

The chief shook his head, then turned to Wei Renshi, “There’s an old scoop wheel by Daoyuan Stream. If you wish to modify it, you might find it useful. Tomorrow, I’ll call for wheelwrights and carpenters. If this works, it will be a great boon for farming. I’ll personally take you to the county office to report your achievement! Who knows, perhaps the county magistrate will bestow a reward!”

To have such merit recognized would be wonderful—better still if there were a reward of money or grain. With the household in such hardship, finding a way to earn a living and secure provisions was the most urgent task!

“Thank you, Uncle Zheng. If we gain the magistrate’s attention, it will be thanks to your support. I only had the idea—without your backing, nothing could be accomplished.”

Wei Renshi offered a measured compliment, which made the chief burst into hearty laughter. “This is your ingenious idea, young master. I would never claim credit for it.”