Chapter 5

If Xiaquan Village does not divert water, there is no way to farm.

However, the villages downstream cannot force Xiaquan Village to release water, or they too will find it difficult to farm.

Many villages have to carry water from the Juma River, which is dozens of miles away. The closest is about ten miles, and the farthest is nearly thirty miles.

Bai Minghe was puzzled: "Why don't they dig wells?"

"Every village has wells, but the well water is extremely scarce in spring. The deepest well has been dug to a depth of fifty feet. Normally, the water is enough for daily use, but it is far from sufficient for spring irrigation. Every year, many wells run dry, and each village has to spend a great deal of effort to find suitable locations to dig new wells."

A young man added, "Brother Bai, this area is mountainous, and digging wells is very difficult due to the rocks."

It truly is a dead end.

Analyzing with modern knowledge, Bai Minghe thought that the water level changes and other natural factors over the past twenty years might have turned this place into a water-scarce area. Thirty-two villages, not too large, but not too small.

Everyone's gaze was focused on Bai Minghe, who had spoken with great confidence.

This problem has not been solved by many prefectural governors and county magistrates. Several canals have been dug, but in spring, the water level of the Juma River is low. Due to the terrain, two-thirds of the canals are on rock, not soil. To lower the canals further would require a huge amount of human and material resources, which even the entire prefecture of Zhuo could not afford.

Every spring, the county of Laishui sends people to monitor the water diversion with the eight village heads. How much water Xiaquan Village diverts and releases. This has barely prevented conflicts in recent years, but the resentment against Xiaquan Village has grown.

Especially in the past two years, the water level of the Juma River in spring has dropped even further, exacerbating the conflict.

The county magistrate of Laishui dare not say that he can completely suppress the water disputes among the thirty-two villages this year.

"Please forgive my ignorance, if everyone is short of water and the county magistrate regulates it, why did someone tell me that the hatred is not due to conflicts? Is there another reason?" Bai Minghe asked again.

"There is. Seven years ago, during the summer floods, Xiaquan Village built a dike over ten feet high. It accidentally flooded the two downstream villages, causing them to lose their entire harvest. If Xiaquan Village is not at fault, it is because they were protecting their own fields. If they are at fault, it is because they protected their own fields at the expense of others. Although it happened only once, it marked the beginning of the real enmity. Before that, there was still some understanding."

Bai Minghe really didn't know what to say.

When Lord Lu raised his cup to drink, the young man who spoke earlier added, "Brother Bai, it's not that no one has thought of a solution. A former county magistrate once designed a lake to store water. However, after calculations, the lake would need to be extremely deep and large. Not only would the project be difficult to complete, but the occupation of farmland alone would be a major obstacle. That's why Uncle San said it's unsolvable."

Bai Minghe thought of some solutions.

But upon further analysis, none of them seemed feasible.

The first was water storage and regulation, which the fellow scholar had mentioned. It was not possible.

Then Bai Minghe thought about relocating the people, but in ancient times, people would only consider moving if they were truly desperate.

The last solution was to consider digging deeper wells.

But upon further thought, this was not modern times. A fifty-foot deep well was already very difficult, and he had no guarantee that the well would produce water.

Speaking of the Lu family, they had a lot of land, most of which was near Zhuo, so the water shortage was not a major issue. The small amount of land without water, even if it reduced the harvest by hundreds or thousands of acres, was not a life-threatening matter for the Lu family.

Compared to the problem of the thirty-two villages, it was not a big deal.

The Lu family, being a large and influential family, did not want to get involved in the water disputes of the thirty-two villages. So, they were content with a yield of one or two stones per acre in the fields near the thirty-two villages.

"I, Bai Minghe from Guanzhong, am well-read and loyal, and I value integrity in my dealings. Since I said I would not participate in the imperial examination if I did not solve this problem, I will definitely find a solution. For now, I will pledge a treasure to borrow one hundred stones of grain, and when I return the grain, I will redeem it with interest."

Bai Minghe was determined, confident that he could find a solution.

At the same time, he had a legitimate reason to avoid the imperial examination.

Bai Minghe knew that with his current abilities, he would not even understand the questions, let alone answer them.

But more importantly, Bai Minghe had confidence in himself and was responsible for his words. That's what a true man does.

"Fine, lend it to him!" The old matriarch thought that a scholar had pledged his future on this matter. The Lu family, both emotionally and logically, could not refuse to help, and they had to give an account to the twenty-eight villages.

"Mr. Bai, there's no need to pledge a treasure. A written promise will suffice!" Lord Lu was a generous man.

Bai Minghe still took out his bronze mirror and asked a servant to present it to the old matriarch, saying, "This item will stay with the old matriarch for a while, as a token of gratitude from a junior to a senior."

Do you like it? Is there a woman who doesn't like mirrors? Especially in the sunlight, the reflection in the mirror is like a fairy.

When shown to several distinguished men of the Lu family, they all exclaimed in amazement, confirming that it was indeed a treasure.

"Thank you, old matriarch. This item will stay in the Lu residence for three months, and Mr. Bai can come to retrieve it regardless of whether the grain is repaid or not." The old matriarch nodded to Lord Lu, "Third son, send the grain to Xiaquan Village and send people to inform the other villages. This matter, the Lu family must help and must lend."

Bai Minghe took a deep breath and bowed again, "I have one more request!"

"Speak, say whatever you need!" The old matriarch was smiling, holding the bronze mirror.

"Request the Lu family to use less fireworks and lend the excess to me after the New Year. It might be useful for mountain excavation." Bai Minghe knew that no matter what method he used, having some gunpowder would always be helpful.

Unexpectedly, Lord Lu laughed, "Mr. Bai, rest assured. If you can truly solve the problem of the thirty-two villages, even if the Lu family doesn't have enough gunpowder, I will help you obtain some from the Ministry of Works."

The grain was delivered to Xiaquan Village, and many uninvited guests also arrived.

In the village temple, the elders were inside, and the younger ones were outside. Upon seeing the grain carts, Uncle Sun naturally led people to welcome them, while the senior elders brought Bai Minghe into the Sun family temple.

At this moment, the small temple was crowded with no fewer than fifty people.

"Scholar, I am..." The oldest one introduced himself and then introduced the others. Bai Minghe's head ached; there were eight village heads, or clan leaders, or village chiefs, from the thirty-two villages. In short, everyone involved in the deadlock was present.

It seemed that they had all rushed to Xiaquan Village because of the message from the Lu family.

After the introductions, everyone bowed to Bai Minghe. Bai Minghe quickly bowed deeply in return, "Elders, you are showing respect to a junior, which will shorten my life. Please don't."

The leading elder stepped forward and bowed again, "Mr. Bai, I have a few words. Mr. Bai has come forward to solve the current problem for Xiaquan Village. Even though we are not on good terms with Xiaquan Village, we must praise Mr. Bai for his great righteousness."

Bai Minghe was startled. Hearing the praise, he did not feel happy but rather took a deep breath.

First praise, then kill? Bai Minghe was a bit nervous.

He continued to listen, not speaking, just smiling slightly.

The old man continued, "I am also well-read and have a degree as a scholar. Unfortunately, I could not advance further, but I am a man of manners and virtue. Mr. Bai is going to the capital for the imperial examination and could have left with his wife. The thirty-two villages have nothing to do with Mr. Bai."

Bai Minghe was not eighteen; in his previous life, he had lived to thirty and experienced countless business battles.

Don't ask what Bai Minghe did in his previous life; ask what he didn't do. He had sold pancakes and tried every profession, meeting countless people.

This old scholar was trying to put him in a difficult position, to see how he would be forced.

Sure enough, the old scholar continued, "According to the Lu family, Mr. Bai has pledged not to participate in the imperial examination until the problem of the thirty-two villages is solved. I boldly ask Mr. Bai to retract this statement. The imperial examination is a path to success, and many people in the Ming Dynasty aspire to it. You cannot give it up!"

The main act had begun.

Bai Minghe thought, this old man really has ill intentions.

He must be resentful because I solved the grain crisis for Xiaquan Village.

If I insist now, I will be making a public statement in front of countless people. If I break my word, it will tarnish my future career. But if I persist and succeed, it will be a great deed for the thirty-two villages.

If I fail, this old scholar will tell the world that Mr. Bai meddled in something he shouldn't have, getting himself into trouble. Without the necessary skills, one should not take on such a task.

In the future, if the twenty-eight villages take extreme actions against Xiaquan Village, no one will come to mediate.

Relocating Xiaquan Village is the ultimate goal of the twenty-eight villages. The old men had discussed this before coming to Xiaquan Village, aiming to make Bai Minghe back down. They wanted to use his reputation and sense of duty to force him to achieve their goal.

But for Xiaquan Village, leaving their homeland is difficult.

In the Ming Dynasty, who would leave their home unless forced to? There are ancestors here!

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