Extremely tired.
Extremely angry.
At the same time, everyone felt a sense of powerlessness in their hearts.
After working hard for so long and holding so much hope in my heart, everything came to nothing in an instant.
"Everyone, why are you frustrated?!" Li Zheng scolded with a straight face, "You are all the pillars of the family. If you fall, who can the family rely on? Who can we rely on in Dahe Village? When we encounter difficulties, then Just try to find a way to solve the problem! We can’t do anything about the big rocks, but can’t we do something about the trees over there? Let’s all come down together tomorrow and spend three or five days to cut down the trees. I don’t believe we can’t clear the road over there!”
Everyone looked at the ancient forest over there.
The wind blows at night, and the torches illuminate the shadows of the trees. The already tall trees appear even taller, reaching straight into the dark sky.
Everyone fell silent, not because they were frustrated, but because it was too difficult to accomplish. Of course it was possible to chop down trees. It would never be possible in three to five days. It would take at least half a month. After half a month, all the rice would be gone. Is there any point in digging trenches if it’s so dry?
Cheng Wanwan stood by the big rock. At this time, an allusion came to her mind, about Dayu's control of floods.
It was obviously a drought, why did she think of controlling the water?
She remembered that Chinese class, the teacher told them the story of Dayu's flood control in an emotional voice, digging trenches to divert water, which was exactly the same as what they were doing now.
Dayu also seemed to be in trouble, and it seemed to be related to the stone.
Cheng Wanwan tried hard to remember. She was pacing back and forth, stepping on the rocks, and she saw the torch held high.
Some women threw torches casually on the roadside and went over to talk to Li Zheng. There happened to be a stone next to the torch, and the stone was burned red by the fire.
Her eyes suddenly lit up: "Uncle Li Zheng, I know what to do!"
Everyone looked over, some questioning, some mocking, but everyone was extremely tired and no one spoke.
Li Zheng seemed to have grasped a life-saving straw: "Dashan Niang, please speak quickly."
"Dad Ni Loach, Daddy Tiezhu, take all the torches and put them on the big rocks to burn them red." Cheng Wanwan said in an orderly manner, "Send four more people up to pick up a few buckets of water."
The men were too tired to move, and the women took the initiative to take on the responsibility of carrying water.
Five or six women went up the mountain together, and after half an hour, they came down carrying ten buckets of water. At this time, the big stone was burned red, and anyone standing next to it would be covered in sweat.
Cheng Wanwan tested the water temperature with her hands. The spring water in the middle of the night was refreshingly cold and perfect.
She said: "Everyone poured water on the rocks at the same time, and then quickly retreated as far as possible."
"Wow!"
Ten buckets of water were poured on the hot stones at the same time.
Crackling!
The huge stone suddenly made a breaking sound, and four or five cracks appeared in the middle of the unshakable stone.
Everyone had a look of shock on their faces.
The exhausted men were instantly infused with strength, and they turned around to collect firewood: "Do it again!"
Burn the stone, water it, repeat this four times.
The big stone exploded due to thermal expansion and contraction again and again, and turned into small stones. This ditch was just open.
But at this time, it was already the end of the ugly time, and it would be dawn in two hours.
"Everyone, please go back and rest!" Li Zheng said in an excited voice, "We will gather here again after noon tomorrow!"
That night, the exhausted men fell into a deep sleep and didn't get up until the sun rose.
Cheng Wanwan and Wu Huiniang were collecting stone flower seeds in the yard, peeling off the lantern, taking out the seeds and putting them in a basket.
Wu Huiniang was very curious: "Mom, can this thing really be used as a snack?"
Cheng Wanwan glanced at the basket. Two pounds of lanterns can peel out half a pound of stone flower seeds. A total of about five pounds can be obtained here.
She stopped and said, "Soak these peeled seeds in boiled and cooled water for a while."
Wu Huiniang immediately got up and boiled water. After letting it cool, she soaked a small bowl of stone flower seeds.
This thing needs to be soaked for a longer time, and it will be easier to make later. Cheng Wanwan placed the stone flower seeds and got up to prepare lunch for the boys at home. After lunch, he had to go up the mountain to continue digging ditches.
While he was busy, Zhao Sidan's voice came from behind and screamed: "Smelly Dahong, why are you bullying Erhuang!"
Zhao Sidan rushed over and picked up the big rooster that was riding on Erhuang. The big rooster cackled angrily.
Cheng Wanwan: "..."
Great, you personally ruined the chance of an egg turning into a chick.
She put down what she was doing, rescued the big rooster Dahong, and said earnestly: "Sidan, don't you want a chick?"
Zhao Sidan blinked and nodded: "Grandma said a rooster is enough, but Dahong always bullies Dahuang and Erhuang. Mom, let's kill Dahong and make soup..."
His tears flowed down uncontrollably.
The big rooster fluttered and flew away quickly.
Cheng Wanwan was convinced.
She bought the big rooster to hatch chicks. If she wanted to eat it in one bite, why would she spend a huge sum of eighty cash? No, it cost one hundred and sixty cash.
She said angrily: "Dahong is not bullying the hens, he is trying to be friends with the two hens. For example, your second brother and third brother often bully you, but you are not beaten to death. Instead, you are with the second brother and the third brother." The relationship between brothers is very good, is that true?"
Zhao Sidan tilted his little head and said in compromise: "That seems to be the case, then I don't care?"
Cheng Wanwan nodded: "Children, don't worry about this. Let's wait until the chicks are hatched later..."
She looked up and saw four children standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Four little guys of seven or eight years old were walking back and forth, some of them afraid to come in.
Aunt Zhao was so notorious that she even abused her own sons. These children were afraid of being beaten if they came in and asked for eggs.
Cheng Wanwan said: "Four eggs, go to the henhouse and feel for how many eggs there are."
This was Zhao Sidan's favorite job. He immediately ran to touch the chicken coop, and then cried out in surprise: "Mom, there are four more eggs today!"
Cheng Wanwan gave the four eggs to the four little dolls in front of him: "Hold them carefully, don't drop them on the ground and break them."
The four little dolls laughed happily: "Thank you, Aunt Zhao!"
Cheng Wanwan also felt happy. Children are the simplest creatures in the world, and there is no pressure to get along with them.
Wu Huiniang is kneading the dough and rolling it out to make dumplings.
Zhao Sidan dug up a lot of shepherd's purse last night, and today the whole family is eating shepherd's purse dumplings.
The only pity is that there is no pork. If there is a little pork in the shepherd's purse, it will be really delicious.
Cheng Wanwan's desire to make money is getting stronger and stronger. The ice powder must be made as soon as possible. This is something that has a clear path. You can buy whatever you want with the money you earn, and no one can say anything.
In the afternoon, Li Zheng led a large group of people to go up the mountain.
In addition to labor, women in the village also volunteered to help in the mountains. They didn’t have many tools to dig trenches, so they surveyed where there were big rocks in advance, and then used the method last night to blast away the rocks.
Even the children were very enthusiastic. Those who gathered firewood collected firewood, and those who carried water carried water. The progress of their work was much faster.
Cheng Wanwan saw Zhang Dagang among a group of children. The child who wanted to snatch Sidan's rabbit was Zhang Dagang's son.
Zhang Laolai was the only prime-age laborer in the village who was lazy and did not participate in digging ditches. Unexpectedly, his son actually took the initiative to help.
