Chapter 59: Good Things Don't Come for Free

The Almanac states: "Fifteen days after the Spring Equinox, when the Big Dipper points to Ding, it is Qingming. At this time, all things are clean and clear, as the weather is clear and bright, and all things are visible."

In the first year of the Chongzhen era, after Qingming, the farmers' busy season began. Everywhere on the fields, farmers were seen working with their faces to the earth and backs to the sky. A closer look revealed the worry on their faces. Since May of the previous year, there had been almost no rain. Agriculture in the Ming Dynasty truly depended on the weather. If the heavens were unkind, the people would suffer from hunger.

Upon receiving continuous reports, Sun Guozhen, the governor of Dengzhou and Laizhou, had a large "worry" written on his forehead. His top aide, Mo Tai, rushed into the study, and Sun Guozhen sighed heavily, "What can be done? Since last May, there has been little rain, and the counties under my jurisdiction are all reporting drought."

"According to past practices, we should invite local gentry and wealthy households to raise funds and dig wells to alleviate the drought. If there are displaced people, we should provide porridge for relief. We should also urgently report to the court to request disaster relief funds. It is now the time when the old and new crops do not connect, and any mishandling could lead to widespread displacement in a few months. Master, we must act quickly. Send urgent orders to all prefectures, states, and counties to follow these procedures." Mo Tai, familiar with government affairs and experienced, proposed a solution that was not ideal but practical.

This method had been effective in the past, especially for short-term droughts. The situation in Shandong had always been relatively good, with no major civil unrest during the Chongzhen era, partly due to the region's relative prosperity.

Sun Guozhen, being open to good advice, immediately instructed Mo Tai to proceed accordingly. Before leaving the study, Mo Tai suddenly stopped and said, "Master, do you remember that young divine doctor?" Sun Guozhen certainly remembered. When he had a cold, Mo Tai had sought the doctor's help, and the doctor had thrown him a board of medicine, which he took as directed and was almost fully recovered after two days. Subsequently, news of the short-haired divine doctor in Dengzhou City was constant, making it hard not to know about him. "What's the matter? Has he done something interesting again?"

Mo Tai said seriously, "This time it's not something interesting. Chen Sihua bought an estate from the gentry family Zhang. At the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he generously contributed to the construction of water conservancy projects, the repair of ditches, and the digging of deep wells. Now, in this Dengzhou Prefecture, there is no place without drought, but the people of Zhang's estate do not have to worry about it."

"Oh, is that so?" Sun Guozhen, an experienced official, was well aware of the actions of local gentry. Officials feared natural disasters, but the gentry did not. They could profit from hoarding grain and seizing land, and natural disasters were a good opportunity for them to enrich themselves. Responding to the government's call to contribute money and grain for disaster relief was a mere drop in the bucket for them. Most gentry were never easy to deal with on this issue, being stingy and reluctant to part with their wealth. Yet, they could spend lavishly on entertainment at night.

"Absolutely true. Even the governor of Dengzhou, Wang, mentioned this, sighing that if all the gentry under his jurisdiction were like this, there would be no fear of natural disasters." Mo Tai was also very admiring of this, as such people were rare in the Ming Dynasty. Those gentry who constantly criticized the corruption of the court and the incompetence of the government were extremely reluctant to contribute money and effort when it came to it.

"Given this, I am quite interested in seeing it for myself." Sun Guozhen was a man of action and immediately instructed preparations to be made.

"Master, there's no need to make a big fuss. Just bring a dozen servants and a small sedan chair." Mo Tai advised, as it was now the busy farming season, and making a big show would be more for show than substance, and he might not see what he wanted to see.

"Alright, no sedan chair. Just bring three or five strong men, and we'll ride out, treating it as a spring outing."

With three or five attendants, they rode out of the city and slowly headed southeast along the official road. Along the way, they often saw farmers bent over, carrying buckets and watering the fields with dippers. Sun Guozhen couldn't bear to watch for long. He sighed and ordered them to speed up, heading straight for Zhang's estate.

After traveling about twenty miles, the bumpy road suddenly became neat, with coal slag laid on the ground to level the surface, and ditches dug on both sides. At this point, the village could be seen through the trees, and Sun Guozhen's mood improved with the change in the road.

Looking at the fields by the road, the difference was significant. The irrigation fields by the road had clearly been newly repaired. It was the time for wheat to form ears, and the fields were lush and green. Sun Guozhen dismounted and walked to the edge of the field to examine the wheat ears. Although they were not as full as in a year with favorable weather, they were still quite plump.

Looking ahead, he saw a square structure rising above the ground in the distance, and he couldn't help but wonder what it was. Sun Guozhen decided to investigate and followed the field ridge. It looked close, but it took about three hours to reach the square structure, which was about half a person's height, covered with some material, forming a large, flat water pool, about two meters long and over one meter wide.

He reached in and felt the water, which was icy cold. Sun Guozhen, being well-versed in agriculture, could easily understand the purpose. Well water was not suitable for direct irrigation, and this pool was used to store well water. Why? A couple was carrying water, and upon seeing Sun Guozhen and his group, they simply nodded and smiled, poured the water into the pool, and continued to fetch more.

Sun Guozhen did not disturb them, as it was a busy season, and no one had time for idle talk. Just as he was looking for someone to ask, a series of greetings echoed across the fields: "The master has come! Good day, master! Long live the master! Have you eaten, master?"

The greetings were a bit mixed but very warm. Sun Guozhen followed the voices and saw a young man walking ahead, followed by several people carrying a long pole, the purpose of which was unclear.

"Ge Xiancai, today we'll use your land as an example for everyone. Is that okay?" The young man spoke with a cheerful and clear voice. Sun Guozhen approached and stood ten steps away, smiling at the short-haired man.

The couple who had been carrying water, with faces full of wrinkles from smiling, ran up and loudly responded, "Thank you, master, for the honor. It's not a problem, not at all."

Chen Xie was now very popular wherever he went. Other estates were struggling to find water for irrigation, and several estates had even engaged in armed conflicts over water sources. The people of Zhang's estate had no such worries, as they had many water wheels and could irrigate as long as there was water in the nearby river. For fields further away, the master had a solution.

And now, the divine doctor was here to teach everyone how to irrigate the wheat fields.

"Everyone, pay attention. Fetch water from the well and let it sit in the pool for half a day. Everyone knows how to do this. If anyone says they don't, treat them as a fool." Chen Xie's opening remarks caused a burst of laughter. Dozens of farmers nearby put down their buckets and came to learn the new method.

"Since last May, the heavens have not been kind, and there has been little rain. For us, who depend on the weather, this is a matter of life and death. What can we do? I think we cannot just sit and wait to die. We also cannot only think about the present. If the drought happens again next year, what will we do? Do you see that pool? Do you see the well? These are solutions, but I think they are still too crude. We need a smarter solution. Do you agree?"

Chen Xie's words caused a loud burst of laughter. The divine doctor was approachable and very polite to the farmers. The initial awe had turned into a willingness to get closer to him.

"Look, this is a bamboo pole. Cut off the front part, drill holes through the middle sections, and use a red-hot iron nail to make holes. This is very simple, and anyone can do it, right?" Chen Xie said, and everyone responded in unison, "Right!"

He walked to the water pool and pointed to the outlet pipe, "Do you see this? This is the valve. Turn it in this direction, and the water from the pool will come out. This is the pipe. The water from the pool flows into the bamboo, and the water comes out of the holes in the bamboo, achieving the purpose of irrigation. The advantage of this is that it saves a lot of water. As you all know, the weather is dry, and there is no rain. We have to use it sparingly."

Sun Guozhen watched quietly, observing carefully. He saw the short-haired divine doctor turn the valve, and soon someone shouted, "Water is coming out, water is coming out." Sun Guozhen walked to the edge of the field and saw four men squatting by the ridge, with bamboo poles tied to sticks, lifting the bamboo with little effort. Water was spraying out of the holes in the bamboo, and someone was counting. When they reached 120, they shouted, "Stop."

The valve was closed, and the water stopped. The men carried the bamboo forward, dragging a long tube behind them, the material of which was unknown. They irrigated one ridge, then moved to the next, repeating the process, easily watering the fields. The most difficult part was fetching water from the well to the pool.

Sun Guozhen, being knowledgeable, compared this method to the previous one of carrying buckets and watering the fields with dippers, and found it to be more efficient and less labor-intensive.

At this point, Chen Xie spoke again, "Everyone, listen carefully. Yesterday, you all saw the convenience of the small cart, which can carry 200 pounds with one person. Using it to transport water is much faster than using a pole. If you want a small cart, the tube, and the bamboo, go to Zhang Tietou and register your name. Let me be clear, these good things are not free. You have to work for them. The coal from the coal mine is piled up like a mountain. If you want a cart, help transport the coal. You don't need to do much, just 500 trips, and the small cart, the flexible tube, and the bamboo with holes will be yours."

At this point, Ge Xiancai asked, "Divine doctor, what do you need so much coal for? It's toxic when burned."

Chen Xie walked over with a smile and kicked Ge Xiancai, who fell to the ground. When Sun Guozhen frowned, everyone burst into laughter, showing no anger.

"You know that coal is toxic when burned at home, and I don't know? If you doubt me, a kick is the least I can do." After saying this, everyone burst into laughter again, as if being kicked by Chen Xie was a great honor.

---

End of Chapter 59