Chapter 296: Trip To Langde Village
Curious villagers and the others from Group B followed Chang Ning to see if he could really find underground water, but actually everyone was pessimistic about whether Chang Ning’s strange behavior could find water.
But because Chang Ning was also well-intentioned, everyone came with a mindset of support and watching the excitement, and the lively commotion in the village alerted Xia Lan who was waiting in the house for contact from the informant.
When she went out and saw Chang Ning surrounded by the villagers in the middle, she wondered curiously what mischief this annoying guy was up to again.
Walking into the crowd and inquiring, she learned that Chang Ning was going to help the village dig a well.
Xia Lan sneered at this; she didn’t believe that just two broken iron wires could find underground water.
If it succeeded, she would twist off her head and give it to Chang Ning as a ball to kick!
The crowd surrounded Chang Ning and kept walking back and forth around the village, and as time passed and Chang Ning still hadn’t found underground water, many of the villagers who came to watch the excitement gradually dispersed.
“Why don’t we just call it quits.”
Xiao Zhuang looked at the villagers who had mostly left and advised in a low voice.
Giving up now, no one would say anything, but if they persisted and ended up covered in dirt, it wouldn’t be good.
Chang Ning ignored Xiao Zhuang; he looked at the iron wires that had already begun to change and felt greatly reassured in his heart, with a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m not giving up, just watch.”
Seeing that Chang Ning still wouldn’t give up, Xiao Zhuang stopped persuading.
He was already thinking in his heart about how to cover for Chang Ning.
Da Bao always stayed by Chang Ning’s side; although the uncles had all left disappointed, he looked at Chang Ning’s still confident expression and still believed in his heart that this big brother in front of him would succeed.
After the iron wires changed, Chang Ning first tried moving a small distance left, right, forward, and backward.
This behavior looked to onlookers like he had encountered a ghost hitting a wall and was spinning in place.
After Chang Ning determined the direction where the iron wires’ reaction was strongest, he walked firmly in that direction until the iron wires he loosely held in his hand completely crossed together.
“This is the spot, Da Bao go invite the Village Chief over.”
Sending Da Bao away, Chang Ning beckoned to Xiao Zhuang who had been following him.
When Xiao Zhuang came over, Chang Ning stomped on the ground with a proud face.
“Found it, the water is right below.”
“Real or fake? Chang Ning, I’m telling you, it’s not too late to back out now; it’ll be too late once the Village Chief brings people over!”
Xiao Zhuang still doubted whether Chang Ning could successfully find underground water; he saw Chang Ning’s current proud appearance as just Chang Ning being thin-skinned and unwilling to admit failure, pretending for others.
“You’ll know in a moment.”
Seeing that Xiao Zhuang still didn’t believe him, Chang Ning didn’t explain.
Soon, Da Bao brought the excited Village Chief to find Chang Ning.
Behind the Village Chief were several men carrying tools, who looked like the people the Village Chief had found for well digging.
Seeing the Village Chief arrive, Xiao Zhuang’s face turned ashen; he seemed to already see Chang Ning’s failure.
Xia Lan had just seen Chang Ning stop and talking something with Da Bao and Xiao Zhuang, then Da Bao ran off hugging Little Bao.
He wouldn’t have found it, would he?
Thinking of this, Xia Lan couldn’t help but start feeling nervous, but then she saw Xiao Zhuang’s expression, which didn’t look like a success.
So she wasn’t nervous anymore; although she couldn’t see Chang Ning’s expression, Xiao Zhuang’s face was enough to prove some things.
Xia Lan now felt delighted in her heart, sitting under the eaves with her hand propping up her chin, waiting to see Chang Ning’s joke.
It would be great if there were a bag of seeds.
Xia Lan thought happily.
The villagers surrounded Chang Ning again; this time they heard from that kid Da Bao that the People’s Liberation Army soldier had found underground water.
If this was true, wouldn’t they no longer have to walk a long way to fetch water in the future?
Looking at the happy smiles on the villagers’ faces and the anticipation in their eyes toward Chang Ning, Geng Jihui felt a huge headache.
At the same time, he couldn’t help but complain in his heart that Chang Ning didn’t discuss things with him beforehand, and now he didn’t know how to clean up after Chang Ning.
Seeing everyone had arrived, Chang Ning didn’t waste words and pointed to the soil under his feet, indicating that underground water flowed from this position.
Everyone trusted him without doubt, taking pickaxes, shovels, and such tools, and started digging at the soil under Chang Ning’s feet.
Perhaps driven by the villagers’ longing for a water well, a large pit three meters in diameter was gradually forming, and the depth of the pit was also gradually deepening.
Many hands make light work, and the well digging operation was proceeding in full swing.
But even the highest enthusiasm would slowly fade, especially since the pit had already been dug more than ten meters deep with no sign of water, and many people started to have doubts in their hearts.
“If it messes up later, just admit your mistake, remember to have a proper attitude.”
At this point, Geng Jihui felt the probability of well digging failure was very high, so he quietly gave advice to Chang Ning.
Chang Ning, who was originally full of confidence, saw that there was still no sign of water in the well, and he also became uncertain.
“That’s not right, it should be fine.”
Chang Ning still didn’t believe his method could go wrong, so he casually picked up a pickaxe and went down the deep pit along the ladder.
He just didn’t believe they couldn’t dig out water.
With a breath held in his heart, Chang Ning dug forcefully into the soil at the bottom of the pit.
Every swing of his was fast and deep, as if venting his anger on the soil.
Seeing Chang Ning’s face red and veins bulging on his forehead, Xiao Zhuang couldn’t just stand by and watch.
So he picked up a shovel, went down the deep pit, shoveled the soil dug by Chang Ning into the bucket; with Chang Ning and others joining, the efficiency of well digging increased greatly.
Another pickaxe swing down, and Chang Ning’s expression changed slightly.
The feel of this pickaxe was very different from before.
The previous soil felt solid, but this one felt a bit loose.
The underground soil was starting to loosen, definitely due to moisture permeation.
Chang Ning’s spirits lifted greatly, and the pickaxe in his hand swung even faster, almost creating afterimages when viewed from above the pit.
Xiao Zhuang shoveling soil nearby also saw the soil was different; the color of the soil was turning wet.
This meant there really was water underground; Chang Ning succeeded!
Xiao Zhuang was genuinely happy for his good brother from the bottom of his heart, and the shovel in his hand began to speed up in coordination with Chang Ning.
Striving to get the water out in the next second.
The change in the soil wasn’t just discovered by Chang Ning and Xiao Zhuang; the villagers at the bottom of the pit also saw it.
As the soil from the bottom was sent up, the villagers helping above also saw it.
Everyone’s dissipated confidence reignited and became high again.
Chang Ning now had no time for the villagers’ reaction; he was immersed in the world of swinging the pickaxe and couldn’t extricate himself.
Now he had only one thought: to dig out that damn water!
He kept swinging the pickaxe, one strike after another.
The soil brought out by the pickaxe gradually turned from dark soil to mud, then to thin mud, and finally became mud.
The moment the mud was dug out, Chang Ning felt the pressure on him disappear without a trace.
He and Xiao Zhuang exchanged a glance, seeing joy in each other’s eyes.
