Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The waterwheel was erected, and the river water flowed into the irrigation channels, temporarily solving the issues in the fields and freeing the villagers from the burden of fetching water, allowing them to engage in other tasks. The Hand Pump Well had been installed; this iron contraption was safer and more convenient than a traditional well, eliminating the risk of someone accidentally falling in. Even children could pump the handle to draw water from the Hand Pump Well. Once the river completely dried up, the villagers would use the Hand Pump Well to draw water and pour it into the nearby irrigation channels, saving them considerable effort.
Watching all this unfold, both the village chief and the villagers wore hopeful smiles.
Like the villagers of Aoyama Village, the Magistrate immediately took action upon returning to the county seat. He first gathered the blacksmiths, showed them a model of the Hand Pump Well, and ordered them to produce a third one within three hours. He then submitted one of the Hand Pump Wells along with documentation to the imperial court. Meanwhile, he arranged for a vigorous promotion of both the waterwheel and Hand Pump Well. Waterwheels were installed wherever there were rivers, and at least one Hand Pump Well was set up in every village, significantly alleviating the county's water shortage and finally providing enough water for irrigation. Some crops had perished due to the previous drought, but sweet potatoes were drought-resistant and had survived almost entirely. Now that they received some irrigation, they all regained vitality. The villagers tended to their sweet potatoes as if caring for children, hoping these crops would become their lifeline in the second half of this year and next.
In the capital city, the emperor was troubled by the drought. When he received the Magistrate's memorial, it perfectly addressed his concerns. The emperor immediately ordered both the Ministry of Revenue and Ministry of Works to implement waterwheels and Hand Pump Wells across Great Zhou within half a month, greatly alleviating the drought problem. The emperor rewarded and praised the Magistrate extensively, promoting him to Prefect. For the first time, Aoyama Village's name appeared before the emperor, who remembered it—fearing reprimand for claiming supernatural origins for items from Aoyama Village, the Magistrate clarified that these innovations were inherited from his ancestors. The emperor bestowed upon Aoyama Village a plaque reading "Virtuous Village" and exempted it from taxes for three years. This meant that villagers could retain even more of their harvest.
As drought struck, Elder Brother Li was on his way with an army. Observing the parched fields affected by drought made him anxious; while finding water sources in deserts and forests was straightforward, solving drought issues was another matter entirely—“every profession has its specialty,” he thought; Elder Brother Li felt he couldn't manage that! As they neared the capital city, waterwheels and Hand Pump Wells flourished throughout Great Zhou. Seeing a Hand Pump Well that he frequently used in his past life filled him with admiration. That fellow who had crossed over not only sold plastic bottles and lighters but now also introduced Hand Pump Wells. Unlike plastic bottles and lighters—which might have come along with other crossers—the Hand Pump Well seemed like something that could only be brought over by someone who truly understood its value. Elder Brother Li marveled at this comrade; surely he must have crossed over with a search engine!
“What are you thinking about, Wei Feng?” Geng Shi'an galloped over to Elder Brother Li's side.
Elder Brother Li smiled: “We’re almost at the capital; I was just thinking about buying some local specialties during my two-day break so I can have someone from our village bring them back home.”
Elder Brother Li held a high position and couldn't easily leave his military duties, but other young men from Aoyama Village had no official roles and were eager to return home to see their parents or embrace their wives. Elder Brother Li helped them out by asking them to carry letters and gifts back for his younger siblings.
Feeling somewhat ashamed for not considering his own family, Geng Shi'an said, “I’ll go with you; I want to buy some gifts for my family too.”
Elder Brother Li readily agreed.
Yue Yunfei jumped over excitedly, his face alight with enthusiasm: “If you want to buy gifts, you need me! I'm familiar with the capital; I can take you to shops where you can find good quality at low prices—and even get discounts!”
“Then we’ll rely on you, brother,” Geng Shi'an replied.
Yue Yunfei chuckled and leaned closer, saying, "In a few days, it will be Qixi. The lantern festival in the capital will be held then. Let's go together to enjoy the festival!"
Geng Shi'an looked at his face, which was filled with the expression of someone who had good news, and scoffed, "Forget it. We don't want to be candles disturbing you and Mo Yan, the Princess."
Yue Yunfei was taken aback. "How did you know I was meeting with the Princess?"
Elder Brother Li burst into laughter. "Your expression gives it away."
Yue Yunfei touched his face in confusion. "Is it that obvious?"
"Too obvious," Geng Shi'an replied with a grin. "You should look in the mirror; that silly smile on your face has never left."
Yue Yunfei bared his teeth at Geng Shi'an. "Nonsense! You're the one with a silly smile! I'm just radiating happiness."
"Ugh, please allow me to vomit for a moment."
"Geng Shi'an!"
Qixi is a beautiful festival, celebrated as both China's Valentine's Day and Daughters' Day. On this night, girls pray to the Weaver Girl for wisdom and skills, and they also seek blessings for a happy marriage, hence it is also known as the Qiqiao Festival. While there are no lanterns to see in the county town, the girls in the village are still very much looking forward to its arrival. Li Zhoule had made herself a beautiful new outfit in preparation; it resembled clothing from this world but had many exquisite details that were different. These were modifications based on images sent over by Hanno. Modern Hanfu may not be as beautiful as ancient styles, but some aspects have their own charm.
When Wen Zixia saw Li Zhoule in her new clothes, she was momentarily stunned. Today, Li Zhoule looked as beautiful as if she had descended from heaven like the Weaver Girl. Li Yishu and Wen Ziyu covered their mouths and giggled, each taking one of Wen Zixia's hands to pull her outside. Although they didn't need to worship the Weaver Girl tonight, they would pay homage to Kuaixing instead. July 7th is Kuaixing's birthday. "Kuaixing Wenshi," scholars seeking fame must honor Kuaixing, praying for success in their examinations during Qixi. Guan Rulin's family worshipped Kuaixing, and the Wen Family Brothers along with Li Yishu all went to his house; some children from the village who had studied with Guan Rulin would join them to pay respects to Kuaixing together. For this occasion, Li Zhoule prepared several trays of snacks and a piece of meat as offerings.
Seeing Wen Zixia being dragged out by her brother, Li Zhoule lowered her head and smiled happily. Outside the courtyard came a voice calling out: "Zhou Le Jie, hurry up and come out to worship the Weaver Girl!"
"Here we go." Li Zhoule quickly picked up the basket she had prepared that morning and stepped out of the courtyard.
"Sister Zhou Le, let's go!" Ju immediately linked her arm with hers as soon as she saw Li Zhoule. Ju was the daughter of their neighbor, Uncle Dongmu, just a year younger than Li Zhoule, and she was a lively and charming girl.
On their way, they encountered Biyue and Jiang Daya along with a few other girls, each carrying a basket. They all walked together to the open space in front of the hall. In the center of the space stood a table with an incense burner on it. On either side of the burner were vases filled with fresh flowers, gathered by other girls who had arrived earlier. Ju and the others opened their baskets and placed the longans, jujubes, hazelnuts, peanuts, and sunflower seeds—collectively known as the Five Fruits—into five empty plates behind the incense burner. Rainflower took out two persimmons and placed them in another empty plate. Two other girls brought out tea and incense sticks.
Li Zhoule also opened her basket and took out a bottle of wine and some cups. Ju accepted it and poured wine into the cups to place on the offering table. Li Zhoule then pulled out a plate filled with round pastries. These were Qiao Guo, also known as Qiqiao Fruit, traditionally eaten during the Qiqiao Festival. In "Tokyo Dream Chronicles," they are referred to as Xiao Yan'er or Fruit-shaped Pastries, often shaped like looms or shuttles but made into various forms; for convenience, Li Zhoule made them round.
"Wow, Sister Zhou Le made Qiao Guo!" Ju exclaimed happily as she drooled over the pastries.
Qingye gave her a light smack: "How shameless."
Ju huffed: "Don't pretend you're not craving Sister Zhou Le's Qiao Guo."
Qingye choked slightly; in truth, she loved eating Li Zhoule's Qiao Guo—they were delicious!
The oldest among the girls, Hancui, chuckled to ease the tension: "Everything is ready; let's all pay our respects to the Weaver Girl."
Hancui was three years older than Li Zhoule and had been betrothed to Man Cang Uncle's son Genmiao since childhood. However, before she reached maturity, Genmiao was drafted into military service and had been missing for years. Seeing Hancui grow older, both Man Cang Uncle and Aunt Manchong felt sorry for her and suggested she find someone else to marry. But Hancui was steadfast; she declared that even if Genmiao were dead, she would remain loyal to him and never marry again. Man Cang Uncle and Aunt Manchong were deeply moved and treated Hancui like their own daughter. Fortunately, good people received good fortune; recently, news came from families in the village whose sons had gone off to war—Genmiao was finally returning home! Hancui's family had already begun preparing her dowry. Hancui was just as skilled as Li Zhoule; she could carve fruits into intricate shapes resembling flowers and birds while also engraving patterns on their skins. The centerpiece on the table was a carved "flower melon" made by Hancui.
As they burned incense and prayed quietly to the Weaver Girl, most of the girls wished for a suitable husband. However, Li Zhoule did not share this desire; she already had an excellent fiancé in Wen Zixia and had met Sister Han, a "fairy." Her family's life was improving steadily, leaving her with nothing to wish for. Still, she joined in with everyone else in sincere reverence; after all, the Weaver Girl was a deity deserving of respect. Who knows? The Weaver Girl might even know Sister Han; she couldn't afford to offend her or risk having Sister Han complain about her to the Weaver Girl.
Comment 0 Comment Count