Chapter 124

124 Developing the Field

Old Hu thought to himself, Miss Li doesn’t look like she’s talking nonsense. It’s just that she hasn’t seen that terraced field with her own eyes. This is the last chance for the Hu family to make a comeback.

Seeing Old Hu’s hesitation, Li Yu said to him, “Old man, discuss with everyone. If you decide to develop a terraced field, look for me at my house.”

“Miss Li, can you stay in the village for a moment? I’ll reply to you after discussing it with everyone.” Old Hu begged.

Li Yu nodded. “Alright, go discuss it! I’ll look around here.”

Er Ya brought the food container up the hill. “Are you hungry, Miss?”

Li Yu nodded. “I’m a little hungry. You’re hungry, right? Let’s eat first.”

Er Ya chuckled. “I’m a little hungry. I don’t think they know we’re going to have lunch, so I brought the lunch box up.”

Er Ya opened the food box and the two of them ate the dry food prepared by Auntie He. There were pancakes with pickled vegetables and pumpkin buns. The food box was filled.

Old Hu walked to the villagers waiting at the side and told them what Li Yu had said. He looked at them and asked, “Miss Li has already thought of a way for us. She also said that she does not have full confidence we can succeed. What are your thoughts? Share them.”

Everyone discussed animatedly. Most of them said, “Just give it a try! It’s a Hail Mary effort, to begin with. It’s just a bit of effort. If it works, everyone won’t have to leave their hometown.”

Some were unwilling to waste their energy. “If we work for nothing and still have to worry, it’s better to sleep at home.”

Old Hu took a look and realized that most of the villagers were willing to give it a try. The ones who were unwilling were those who usually liked to play tricks.

Old Hu looked at them and said earnestly, “The opportunity is right in front of us. Our Hu Village can’t just sneak around and live a hungry life. Our descendants will look down on us. Even if we die, we won’t have the face to meet our ancestors. I’ve decided to learn from Miss Li, those who agree can stand on my left and those who disagree, on my right.”

More than twenty families stood on the left, and only three stood on the right. Old Hu looked at the men from the three families and said, “Hu Chun, your brothers don’t plan to develop the land, right?”

Hu Chun cupped his hands. “Great-uncle, we plan to take a look at Tongzhou City and make a living there.”

Old Hu nodded. “Alright, since you’ve thought it through, I won’t keep you. If you can’t survive, remember to come back.”

“Yes, Uncle. We’re leaving.” The three Hu brothers turned and walked down the hill to the village.

Old Hu said to the twenty or so families who stayed behind, “Have you all thought it through? Even if we don’t succeed, we won’t blame Miss Li. I’ll tell Miss Li.”

Everyone replied in unison, “Uncle, don’t worry. At most, we’ll spend some effort.”

Old Hu looked at them and nodded in relief. He turned around and walked toward Li Yu.

Li Yu looked at Old Hu and waited for his reply. Old Hu bowed to Li Yu and said, “Miss Li, we’re willing to try. Even if we don’t succeed, we won’t blame you.”

Li Yu looked at Old Hu. “Alright, then let’s drive on the hill that you’re on first. We have to choose a place with a gentle slope and build it. After choosing, we have to follow the terrain. Just like the ladder path you dug, we’ll drive from the top to the bottom.”

Seeing that Li Yu had immediately made the arrangements, Old Hu was confident. “Alright, we’ll go down now. We’ll take the hoe and weapons to that hill.”

“Alright.” Li Yu smiled and agreed. She brought Er Ya and Old Hu down the hill. When the villagers brought hoes and machetes and walked towards the barren hill, the bruised men from Hu Village also came. Those who could work came to the hill.

When the women saw Li Yu, they bowed with a red face before turning around and running toward the desolate hill. Everyone held hoes and sickles and started fighting with their machetes.

Li Yu and Old Hu walked to the hill and looked around. Old Hu pointed at the hill in front of them. “Miss Li, these used to be planted with sorghum and beans. They were abandoned in the past two years.”

Li Yu smiled and said, “If you open up all these lands, won’t everyone have food to eat?”

When Old Hu heard this, he began to worry again. “Miss, we need water to grow rice and wheat. Once the river changes, we won’t be able to survive without water and crops nearby!”

Li Yu pointed at the hill with the hidden ravine and smiled. “You don’t have to worry. As long as you draw the water from the hidden ravine over, the irrigation problem will be solved.”

When Old Hu heard this, he looked at the hill with the dark ditch and then at the hill in front of him. He looked at Li Yu in confusion and couldn’t understand how water could be led from that hill to this hill. “Do you mean to cut open that dark ditch? Even if you cut open the dark ditch, it will only lead to the bottom!”

Li Yu smiled. “There’s no need to dig a dark ditch. You can get someone to cut some bamboo or big trees. It’s better to use bamboo! Open up the bamboo and build a water bridge to draw the water here. Find a low-lying area at the top of the hill and dig a pond to store the water. You can also bring the water to the village. It’ll be much more convenient for you to consume water in the future.”

Old Hu thought for a while and understood the mystery. He happily bowed to Li Yu. Li Yu hurriedly dodged. “Old man, you can’t...”

Old Hu wiped his face and said solemnly to Li Yu, “Miss Li, you’re the benefactor of my Hu family. In the future, if you need my Hu family, I won’t hesitate to go through fire and water for you.”

Li Yu blushed and said, “Old man, you’re being too serious. I just know a little more than you. Besides, I only provided a way. You have to implement the details yourself.”

Old Hu looked at Li Yu in shame. “Miss, you changed the fate of our Hu family with a word, and it was after we did something wrong to you. If you hadn’t asked me that day if I should let my descendants steal, I would have continued to be confused. Miss Li, thank you!”

Li Yu blushed as she recalled that she just couldn’t stand them back then. All of them were tall and strong, but they did those sneaky things. She only said a few words. She didn’t expect Old Hu to wake up. She had done a good deed!

A hundred people worked hard on the slope. They cut down the bushes and uprooted them. The vines and weeds burned on the slope. The older villagers were all veterans. They followed Li Yu’s instructions and dug along the terrain. It didn’t take long for them to open up a layer. Li Yu asked them to build a field with stones and clay and continue to build a second layer.

After doing one level, everyone understood. The more they worked, the more comfortable it became. Li Yu stayed in Hu Village until the end of the day before bidding farewell to the villagers and going home.