PCJ – Chapter 649 The Spring Water Arrives

After waiting a long time, Zhang Jiaohua finally saw the pangolin emerge from the tunnel, completely covered in mud.

“Huh? Why are you coming out already? The spring hasn’t been brought over yet,” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

The pangolin, however, scurried to the side and refused to go back in.

“What’s going on? You’re not going back into the tunnel?” Zhang Jiaohua asked again.

The pangolin paced nervously around the small hole, clearly agitated, but still refused to re-enter.

Suddenly, a ding-ding-dong-dong metallic sound echoed from inside the tunnel. The pangolin immediately darted to the side.

“Huh?” Zhang Jiaohua found this quite strange and moved closer to investigate.

Just then — whoosh! — a jet of water burst from the hole. Even though Zhang Jiaohua was a cultivator, he wasn’t able to dodge it in time. Fortunately, his instincts kicked in, and the spiritual energy within his body instantly formed a shield of gangqi (protective aura), blocking the mountain spring that had suddenly erupted.

Zhang Jiaohua quickly leaped aside and watched as the gushing spring water went from murky to clear, flowing rapidly down the slope.

A smile finally appeared on Zhang Jiaohua’s face. He took the pangolin, the “hero of the hour,” and returned it to the Cultivation Diagram, then happily made his way back to Yingpan Village.

“Secretary Gu, quickly gather a team and head to Yingpan Mountain — a spring has erupted at the base of the mountain. Our village’s water supply problem is finally solved!” Zhang Jiaohua said as soon as he arrived at Gu Baishui’s house.

“You’re not pulling my leg, are you? I’ve searched all over Yingpan Mountain for spring water. The only one I found was on the other side, but that area’s too low — there’s no way to channel it over. How could there be a spring near here?” Gu Baishui was skeptical. After all, the whole village had combed Yingpan Mountain looking for water sources, but nothing had ever turned up. The area Zhang mentioned didn’t seem like it could possibly produce a spring.

“Why would I lie? It’s not like I get a reward. Just come and see for yourself. I don’t know what dug a hole on the slope, but a spring started gushing from it. There’s plenty of water — more than enough for the whole village. I think we should build a reservoir there. The government’s currently supporting rural water supply projects. I believe we can finally get tap water running in the village,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“Where? Take me there now!” Gu Baishui was now just as excited. He slipped on a pair of rubber slippers in a rush — or rather, he forgot to put them on properly and ended up running barefoot with Zhang Jiaohua.

“Baishui, where are you off to?” Gu Yongyi asked as he saw him running toward the village entrance.

“Yongyi-ge, perfect timing! Zhang Cadre says a spring has appeared at the base of Yingpan Mountain. I’m heading over to take a look. Come with me!” said Gu Baishui.

“No way! I was just there this morning. There’s no spring. We’ve searched every corner of Yingpan Mountain. There can’t possibly be a hidden spring we didn’t find,” Gu Yongyi said doubtfully.

“Relying on old experience will get you nowhere. Just come and see for yourself,” Zhang Jiaohua said helplessly. He understood their skepticism — it did sound strange.

But before they even got close, Gu Yongyi suddenly started running.

“It really is a spring!”

A crisp, fresh scent of water filled the air — a distinctive smell that always accompanied fresh spring water. As soon as he smelled it, Gu Yongyi knew Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t bluffing.

Gu Baishui followed in a run too, while Zhang Jiaohua just strolled forward at a steady pace. He could already see what this spring water meant: Yingpan Village’s fate had just begun to shift.

At the foot of the mountain, a small stream had already formed. Gu Yongyi knelt down and scooped up a handful of clear spring water with his calloused, weathered hands, drinking it in one gulp.

“So sweet! This really is spring water from Yingpan Mountain!” Tears streamed down his old face. The entire village had waited for this moment for so many years.

Gu Baishui didn’t care about the sharp stones or the thorns on the path. Panting and barefoot, he dropped to the ground, braced himself with both hands, and stuck his face into the stream, greedily drinking the fresh spring water.

“Yongyi-ge, it really is the spring water from Yingpan Mountain!”

“It is! It really is!” Gu Yongyi laughed heartily.

“Zhang Cadre, thank you. You’ve helped our village find a spring again,” Gu Baishui said gratefully.

“No need to thank me. Even if I didn’t find it, someone in the village would’ve eventually discovered it,” Zhang Jiaohua smiled.

“Thank the heavens — we finally have spring water again.” Gu Yongyi looked up at the cloudless blue sky with tears in his eyes.

“Secretary Gu, what do you think now about my earlier proposal?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“The county is still helping us with the salinization project. If we push for a tap water system now, won’t they think we’re being too greedy? We could just use bamboo pipes to redirect the spring water,” Gu Baishui hesitated.

“Don’t worry about that. The government is actively promoting tap water systems in rural areas. Our village qualifies perfectly. We should do it all at once. If we miss this opportunity, it’ll be hard to get funding later,” Zhang Jiaohua explained.

“You’re the intellectual here — you know better than I do. We’ll do whatever you say. You really are our village’s lucky star. Since you came, the water problem has been solved,” Gu Baishui said, full of gratitude.

“I’ll be satisfied as long as no one blames me,” Zhang Jiaohua replied, clearly referring to the backlash from when he had several villagers arrested for purchasing trafficked women. Though he had done the right thing, those families had lost all their savings, and many still resented him.

Gu Baishui awkwardly smiled. He understood Zhang Jiaohua’s meaning. “Our village is still stuck in old ways. People don’t understand right away, but one day, they will. I understand now.”

“So, Secretary Gu, what’s your view now on developing the modern farm estate?” Zhang Jiaohua asked.

“Well… let’s not rush it. One thing at a time. Let people get used to the changes first. But whatever you decide, I’ll support it,” Gu Baishui said.

“Zhang Cadre, I’ve thought a lot about that farm estate idea you mentioned. Maybe it really could work. But can you really bring in investors? That kind of project would need a lot of money,” Gu Yongyi asked.

“That’s no problem. As long as the villagers are united in their support, I’ll bring the investors,” Zhang Jiaohua said confidently.

For him, bringing in investment was easy. Not to mention his own family’s Biyu Xianyin Group — funding a small project like this was nothing. He also had backing from Meishan Sect and several cultivation clans affiliated with them. Any of them could take on this project casually.

But Zhang Jiaohua wasn’t just throwing money around. He genuinely wanted to build a real estate-style estate here — a peaceful, secluded place to eventually settle down.

Though it was remote, it was free from worldly struggles — the perfect place to cultivate both body and mind.