BDSMST -Chapter 116 The Birth of the Waterwheel and Irrigation System

Jiang Suisui looked at the blueprint in her hands with great appreciation.

What was drawn on the paper was exactly the dragon-bone waterwheel she had once seen in history books in her previous life—a device used in ancient times to lift water for irrigation. Although some details were still rough, the overall structure and principles were already quite clear. What impressed her even more was that Bai Ling’er had annotated an idea beside it: using the force of the flowing river itself to drive the waterwheel’s rotation. This was already the rudimentary concept of a tube waterwheel.

“This is a very good idea,” Jiang Suisui said, sparing no praise. “If we can build it, irrigating the fields in our village will save a huge amount of manpower.”

Hearing his mother’s approval, Gu Xuan’s eyes sparkled. He pointed excitedly at the blueprint.

“Ling’er and I calculated everything. As long as we build a base by the river, the strongest current can keep this big wheel turning all the time. The wooden paddles on the wheel will scoop the water up section by section and pour it into the trough beside it. If we build the trough high enough, the water can flow through canals all the way to the distant fields!”

Bai Ling’er added from the side, “I also designed a set of linked gears that can adjust the speed of the waterwheel depending on the strength of the current. If the water flow becomes slow, we can add a backup hand-crank mechanism so people can step in and power it manually.”

“What kind of support do you need?” Jiang Suisui asked directly.

“We need the best carpenters and blacksmiths!” Gu Xuan immediately replied. “And lots of wood—the strongest hardwood! Also iron, to make the bearings and gears!”

“Alright.” Jiang Suisui made the decision on the spot. “I’ll issue you a permit. All the craftsmen on the estate will prioritize helping you. If you need materials, go directly to the warehouse and take them. I’ll also allocate a special budget for you to purchase anything that can only be found outside.”

She looked seriously at the two children.

“But I have one condition. You’re not only the designers—you must also be the builders. From choosing materials to construction, you must participate in every step. I want you to personally turn what’s on this blueprint into reality.”

“No problem!” the two children answered in unison, brimming with enthusiasm.

And so, the largest project Woniu Village had ever seen began in full swing—led by two children.

The best location along the river for building the waterwheel was cleared out. Craftsmen began laying the foundation according to the blueprint. Every day, Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er stayed at the construction site. They wore short work jackets for easy movement, their faces and clothes covered in mud and sawdust. There was no trace left of the refined appearance expected of noble children.

Wang Xiaopang and the other spoiled boys had completely turned into their junior laborers. They no longer complained about the hard work; in fact, they found it a hundred times more interesting than memorizing texts in school. They learned to read ink guide lines from the carpenters and helped the masons lay foundations. Each of them worked with surprising seriousness.

This wasn’t just about building something—it felt more like participating in a grand, unprecedented game.

Of course, the process did not go smoothly.

When the enormous hub of the waterwheel was hoisted for the first time, the mortise-and-tenon joints securing it proved too weak. The huge wheel swayed a few times in midair before crashing heavily to the ground, breaking several of its spokes.

The children were terrified. Wang Xiaopang even burst into tears.

“It’s over! It’s broken!”

The craftsmen also sighed, feeling that the idea was too unrealistic and that the device could never succeed.

Just as everyone was losing heart, Bai Ling’er calmly examined the damaged parts with a ruler and a charcoal pencil.

“It’s not a structural problem,” she said. “The connectors aren’t strong enough. I’ll redesign a more complex Luban lock joint and reinforce it with iron nails. Then it won’t fail again.”

Meanwhile, Gu Xuan took charge of boosting morale. Imitating his father, he said to everyone:

“What’s there to fear about failing once? We’ll fix it and hoist it again! I refuse to believe we can’t do it!”

That night, Gu Yan came to the construction site. During the day he was busy training the guard squad, so only the evening gave him time to visit. He saw his son squatting on the ground, studying a new connector model with Bai Ling’er under the light of a fire. The two small figures looked especially determined beside the enormous wreckage of the broken waterwheel.

He did not interrupt them. Instead, he quietly walked aside and carefully examined another structural drawing the children had made.

After a while, he walked over to Gu Xuan and pointed to the connection between the waterwheel and the riverbank foundation on the blueprint.

“This is where the stress will be greatest. Wood alone will loosen over time from the force of the water.”

Using a stick, he drew lines on the ground as he spoke.

“You should drive several stone piles deep into the riverbed here. Then use iron fittings to bind the waterwheel’s base to those piles. Only then will it truly stand as steady as a mountain.”

After hearing Gu Yan’s suggestion, both Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er’s eyes lit up. They had focused only on the structure of the waterwheel itself but had overlooked how it connected to the surrounding environment. Gu Yan’s reminder was something they had never considered—a valuable lesson drawn from real-world experience.

“Thank you, Father!” Gu Xuan looked up at him, his eyes full of admiration.

With Gu Yan’s guidance and the children’s persistence, the project’s progress accelerated greatly.

Half a month later, a massive waterwheel over three zhang tall finally stood beside the river. Like a silent giant, it waited quietly to be awakened.

On the day of the test, the entire Woniu Village set aside their work and gathered by the river to witness this rare sight. Coincidentally, Minister Wang of the Ministry of Personnel had been worried about his beloved grandson who had been “exiled” here, so he took leave to visit. The moment he arrived at the village entrance, he was baffled by the massive crowd.

When a servant led him to the riverside and he saw the huge wooden wheel, his jaw dropped in astonishment.

“What is that thing?” he asked Uncle Fu beside him.

“Replying to you, Lord Wang, that was built by our young marquis and Miss Bai of the Bai family together with the children. It’s called a waterwheel. They say it can lift water into the fields by itself.”

Minister Wang could hardly believe his ears. At a glance, he spotted his grandson Wang Xiaopang in the crowd. The plump boy who had once been spoiled at home now stood beside the waterwheel, his face full of nervous excitement. His sleeves were rolled high, revealing arms that had grown stronger, and his skin had noticeably darkened from the sun.

At Bai Ling’er’s command, the craftsmen worked together to open the gate that guided the river’s current.

The rushing water struck the paddles of the wheel.

The enormous waterwheel first produced a dull creaking sound, then slowly—steadily—began to rotate. Wooden buckets filled with water one after another as the wheel turned, lifting the water upward before tilting and pouring the clear river water into the stone trough beside it.

The trough quickly filled, and the water flowed along the newly built canal, rushing forward toward the nearby fields.

“It’s moving! It’s moving! Water’s coming out!”

Thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd.

The villagers stared at the endlessly flowing canal water, their eyes filled with joy and awe. This meant that from now on they would no longer have to carry bucket after bucket of water from the river to irrigate fields several li away.

Gu Xuan and Bai Ling’er jumped up in excitement, high-fiving each other. Wang Xiaopang and the other formerly idle boys hugged one another and burst into tears—it was the joy of success.

Standing at the back of the crowd, Jiang Suisui watched her son surrounded by people. With his head held high, he was loudly explaining the principles of the waterwheel to the villagers. In his expression was a confidence and brilliance she had never seen before.

She knew that at this moment, a seed had been planted in her son’s heart—one far more precious than any academic knowledge.

Minister Wang stared blankly at the scene until Wang Xiaopang noticed him and ran over excitedly.

“Father! Did you see that? We made it! We made it!” Wang Xiaopang pointed proudly at the giant waterwheel, unable to contain his excitement.

Looking at his son’s sun-darkened face and those shining eyes, Minister Wang suddenly didn’t know what to say. He had thought his grandson was suffering hardship here, but he had never imagined the boy would find something here that brought him more happiness than a life of luxury.

He reached out and patted his son’s head, deeply moved.

“Good boy… you’ve really grown capable.”

Wang Xiaopang puffed out his chest proudly.

“Father, we built it! This is called science!”