TIPS – Chapter 137

However, he would try his best. He traced a few words on Song Jingwei’s back: “I’ll fetch water for your bath.”

At worst, he’d just get up earlier every morning and rush to get the water first.

“Okay,” Song Jingwei replied. In the first few days, it was definitely the young man who would have to fetch the water.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi affectionately kissed the back of his neck and ear, then closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth and tenderness of the moment.

By afternoon, quite a few people came to see Song Jingwei—some from the maintenance team, and others were ordinary villagers. After cooking and eating lunch, they had already realized there was a shortage of water, so they came to discuss water usage.

“Young Master Song, the nearest spring only has so much water, but we have so many people. It’s simply not enough. We looked around this afternoon, but everything else is too far. Do you have any way to solve this problem?”

They had racked their brains but couldn’t come up with a better solution, so they came to ask, hoping he might have an idea.

“There is a solution, but we’ll need everyone to cooperate,” Song Jingwei first reassured the common villagers who came to ask, then gave them a possible answer and sent them back. Finally, he turned to the young men from the maintenance team and said, “Since it’s urgent, go and gather everyone. Let’s start working right away.”

Before sunset that afternoon, every household sent their able-bodied men to help cut bamboo.

But they still didn’t understand—why were they cutting bamboo? What did it have to do with water?

“Young Master Song, the problem we need to solve is water. Why are we cutting bamboo?” several people asked in confusion. It wasn’t that they were unwilling to help—they just didn’t get it.

“Bamboo is hollow. If we clear out the nodes inside, won’t it be able to transport water anywhere?”

Everyone thought it over and then slapped their foreheads. “That’s right! Of course!”

“Exactly. What we’re going to do now is use bamboo to channel water from a distant source right to our doorsteps. It’ll be so much more convenient to use water then.”

Once Song Jingwei explained the idea, smiles of joy and relief spread across everyone’s faces. They all exclaimed, “This is a great idea! Why didn’t we think of this before?”

Using bamboo tubes to direct water—there wasn’t a simpler or faster way.

Previously, Chashan Village had never lacked water. Every household had its own well, so they’d never had to think of such solutions.

After the bamboo was brought back, Song Jingwei taught them how to treat it and shave it into usable pieces. Everyone gathered around the bonfire and worked late into the night just for this. Naturally, these were all mountain folk—it was easy for them to return home, and they also seemed to share a greater sense of unity.

“Finish prepping the bamboo tonight. Tomorrow we’ll start channeling the water,” Song Jingwei announced, seeing how late it had gotten. He dismissed everyone so they could rest and get up early to work the next morning.

One man came up and asked, “Uh, Young Master Song, once we get the water flowing, it’s going to come into our valley, right? What about the people outside?”

“Hooking up bamboo isn’t difficult. Whoever wants water, let the men from their families come help.”

By then, it would be clear who was working. Those who truly wanted water would naturally show up to help. As for those waiting to be served at their doorstep—no need to bother with them.

Everyone agreed this made sense and went home feeling at ease. Once they got home and told their families about the water plan, their family members once again felt grateful. Good thing they had listened to the Shen family’s main branch and claimed their spots early.

“I told you following Young Master Song wouldn’t go wrong. That man’s sharp. Stick with him and you won’t get into trouble,” said one elder in the family, speaking slowly, proud of the decision they had made back then.

They had better judgment than the younger folks. Some of the younger ones were just jealous, not realizing that this was fate—some people were born different.

“Look at those people outside, begging others or offering silver to buy land. Who even cares about a little silver? Right now, with danger all around, is saving your life or silver more important?”

The next morning, the young men of the valley headed to a higher part of the mountain to connect the water source, while the older folks sat around the bonfire chatting.

They talked about all sorts of recent events, big and small, discussing everything bit by bit.

The topic that came up the most was the Shen family’s main branch—or, to be more direct, they were talking about Song Jingwei.

Most of the comments were full of praise, people showing off how great their judgment had been.

A small number, though, were less pleasant—speaking in sarcastic, strange tones. Those kinds of people were usually outsiders who had come in just to stir trouble. They were often scolded by the locals, or even driven out.

That morning, the young men of the valley had already gotten up and started work early, all of them carrying bamboo up the mountain.

Many outsiders saw this and were very confused. They had no idea what the valley folks were up to.

Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi were among them. They first went to the Lu family to explain the situation.

Qiao Lang and Lu Mengyang were very enthusiastic. “Of course we’ll help. We’ve got a big family—we’ll definitely need water too.”

Without another word, they grabbed machetes and joined the group.

When nearby families heard what was happening, they also quickly sent their men to help. It sparked a chain reaction. Everyone caught wind of it and began sending their men too.

Some families were unwilling to do it. They’d rather carry water from nearby. They scoffed at the idea of using bamboo pipes to draw water—some had never even heard of such a thing and figured it might just be a waste of time. Others simply had too few people in the household and didn’t see the need to set up the pipes. They figured carrying water was manageable enough.

But the main branch of the Shen family had quite a few members, and no strong man around to do heavy labor year-round. Setting up a water pipe system seemed like an ideal solution.

Shen Dongqi was ready to go. He said to his younger brother Shen Dongying, “Let’s go. Grab the machete, we’re going too!”

Shen Dongying was stunned. “I’ve never done farm work before,” he said.

“This isn’t farm work. This is the kind of work men are supposed to do,” Shen Dongqi replied. “Or would you rather carry water for the household every single day?”

Just thinking about hauling water made Shen Dongying shiver. He had carried two loads yesterday, and came back home with aching back and legs, blisters on his feet, and the skin on his shoulders rubbed raw. Hauling water was simply inhumane! He quickly shook his head. “There’s no way I can carry water every day.” His second brother was stronger than him—he should be the one doing it!

“If you don’t want to haul water, then shut up and grab the machete. You’re coming with me!” Shen Dongqi barked, his stern gaze pressing down on him.

Back when they were growing up, Shen Dongqi was the quiet one. But now, with things coming to a head, all the smooth-talkers in the family were useless. It was he who had to take charge. As for their parents, they had been worn out yesterday and were still in bed this morning, not yet up.

Their third brother’s wife, Wang Shi, didn’t even want to cook because she said the water was too cold to handle.

In the end, it was Shen Dongqi’s wife, Liu Yue, who made the meal. But how could they expect her to cook every day? She wasn’t some beast of burden meant to serve the whole household, was she? Was she supposed to serve his younger brothers and their wives too?

“Hmph!” Just thinking about all the petty family matters falling on his wife’s shoulders made Shen Dongqi angry.

“Fine, I’ll go. No need to shout,” Shen Dongying finally relented, grabbing the machete and following his second brother out.

“Wake Jun and that kid too, and his wife! Get his wife up to work!” Shen Dongqi started shouting, delaying his departure. He wanted to make sure things were arranged at home first so his own wife wouldn’t be the one overworked again.

“Hey now, don’t call him ‘that kid’ and all that…” Seeing his second brother’s scowl, Shen Dongying didn’t dare keep arguing. “It’s still early. Let the young ones sleep a bit more—it won’t hurt.” His son and daughter-in-law were educated people, living lives like young masters and misses.

“It won’t hurt? Then who’s going to take care of our parents? Who’s going to cook? Who’s going to clean the whole place? Who’s going to wash everyone’s clothes?” Shen Dongqi fired off a string of questions.

“…” Shen Dongying was left speechless. Wasn’t it Shen Dongqi’s wife who did all that yesterday, and did it quite well? Was he really expected to have his own wife, Wang Shi, do it? That delicate woman who had never so much as touched cold water? She wouldn’t lift a finger. And his daughter-in-law? Even less likely—she was a newlywed, not even a year into marriage.

“So what, in your mind my wife is the one who should be doing all the work, while your wife just sits back and waits to be served?” Shen Dongqi was growing more and more direct, giving his brother no face. “If that’s how you think, then let’s just split the family and go our separate ways. You can take our parents with you—they like you better anyway. Let your wife and daughter-in-law serve them.”

Shen Dongying opened his mouth in shock, staring at his second brother. Were such things really okay to say out loud? Wasn’t he afraid of…

“If you want to tell our parents, then go ahead. If you do, that’ll settle the split,” Shen Dongqi said bluntly.

And just like that, Shen Dongying shut his mouth. If the family split for real, how would he support their parents, his wife, and his children? Not to mention future grandchildren…

“If you don’t want to split, then make your wife and daughter-in-law work harder. From now on, my wife isn’t doing this much anymore. At most, she’ll help cook a dish and wash my clothes.” His wife, after all, was still a human being.

“…” Shen Dongying didn’t dare say a word. His mind was in chaos; he couldn’t think straight. Somewhere along the way, the glory of his past had gradually faded. Now, he was no longer the proud, spirited man he once was.

These days, just about anyone could lecture him. It was truly frustrating!

More and more people were joining the team working on the water pipes. They had chosen a pool midway up the mountain that had a strong flow. Above it was a waterfall—though due to winter, the flow wasn’t very large. Still, the pool was big enough to meet their needs.

“This is mountain spring water, very clean and perfectly usable.” So, they began installing bamboo pipes from there, arranging the pipes around the pool—there were about fifteen in total.

They first connected all the bamboo pipes and extended them down into the mountain valley. This alone took two days. At first, they weren’t skilled and broke many of the pipes, but gradually they got the hang of it. Eventually, the fifteen pipes were laid out in an orderly fashion—eight of them extended deep into the valley, while the rest were connected to nearby homes so they could draw water directly.

Once the bamboo pipes reached their destinations, it was time to go back to the pool and complete the final step: submerging the first section of each pipe into the water so it could carry the flow straight to each household’s doorstep.

Everyone waited eagerly for the pipes to start flowing. Many families were already standing by with wooden buckets in hand, ready to collect the water.

When water began to flow out one by one from the eight bamboo pipes in the mountain hollow, the crowd erupted in cheers and rushed to fetch water.

The maintenance team had been on standby and now stepped in to maintain strict order, directing everyone to line up and proceed slowly. After all, there were eight bamboo pipes—plenty enough that everyone would get water without rushing.

“There really is water! This method really worked!” Families who managed to collect water shouted joyfully, spreading the good news to everyone around.

In truth, everyone already knew what was happening. They had all been watching and were now smiling happily.

“Come on, let’s go home and get our buckets to fetch water!” Every household brought out their few precious wooden buckets, and family members took turns queuing up to reserve a spot for water collection.

Seeing even the elderly and children joining in the fun, the young men in the maintenance team shouted, “No bucket, no spot in line! Only those with buckets count!”

Many people began to regret, saying, “If we had known, we would’ve brought more buckets!”

The sixteenth bamboo pipe led directly to the front door of the Shen family’s main house. This was the only pipe that flowed straight into a private home, but no one objected. On the contrary, everyone quietly helped connect the pipe properly.

When Yang Shi saw that their household’s water tank had filled up all at once, she quickly directed the outflow into the drainage ditch. But still, she felt it was such a waste and was quite distressed.

Shen Dongming laughed heartily. “What’s the big deal? It’s just mountain spring water. There’s plenty more in the pool.” He had never seen Yang Shi feel so protective over the well water at home before.

“Oh my, I forgot about the cooking pot!” Yang Shi slapped her forehead, happily grabbed a ladle, and started scooping water into the big pot. She said, “This pot can hold a lot of water too. Perfect for heating water so everyone can take a bath!”

Today was a good day for everyone to enjoy a hot bath. Every household was busy boiling water, getting ready to wash up. After all, it had been several days since anyone had had the chance to bathe comfortably.

When Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi finished handling the last of their tasks, they finally came home relaxed. The water issue was now fully resolved—there was no more need to worry.

“Hey! Our village heroes are back!” Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi, freshly bathed and cleaned up, sat in the Shen family’s main house by the fire, holding their child. Nearby was a small wooden crib with a railing. Benben stood inside, unable to climb out, and stared longingly at his returning papa and daddy.

Wu Xi had been trying to play with Benben the whole time, but the child clearly wasn’t very interested. Now, seeing Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi come in, Wu Xi smiled and said, “Come give your little Benben a hug. He’s missed you both so much!” These past few days, Song Jingwei and Shen Junxi had been leaving early and returning late. Wu Xi and his husband had been helping take care of the baby every day.

“Now that we’ve got water at home, you two can fetch water from the kitchen—it’s much closer.” Song Jingwei said as he scooped up the round, chubby Benben who was bundled up like a ball and gave him two kisses.

“…” Benben pouted his little mouth and kissed his papa back all over his face. Gosh, he really missed them!

“Well, obviously—we already had our hot bath.” Pei Hongxuan laughed. “Old Madam boiled some water too. You two should hurry and wash up. You’ve had a tough few days.” They had understood that he had trouble moving around, so they hadn’t let him help. In the end, even Wu Xi stayed home to watch the baby instead of joining the work.

“Mm, the old man’s taking his bath now,” Song Jingwei replied. On his way back, he had stopped by the kitchen, and Yang Shi had already told him. “By the way, where’s father?” He didn’t see Shen Dongming anywhere.

“Heh, Uncle went to help maintain order. He said just standing there, he’s more effective than the young guys.”

Everyone burst out laughing at that. It seemed Shen Dongming’s personality was becoming more lively these days. He hadn’t been the kind of person who enjoyed being in the thick of things before.

Shen Junxi also chuckled and cuddled their son next to Song Jingwei. Then he gestured to his spouse, “When the old man’s done, let’s go take a bath too.” His gaze was pure, with no hidden meaning.

“Sure, let’s wash together,” Song Jingwei said—with quite a different implication. He definitely meant to get a little closer. They’d been so tired lately that they hadn’t even had the energy for intimacy—just fell asleep as soon as they hit the bed.

“Mm.” Shen Junxi was briefly stunned, then nodded shyly in agreement. Even though Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi couldn’t understand sign language, they had heard what Song Jingwei said. Shen Junxi felt a bit embarrassed. How could his spouse… say something so blunt like “let’s wash together” out loud?

Seeing the young man looking slightly uncomfortable, Song Jingwei understood—he must’ve said something inappropriate just now. Looking at Pei Hongxuan and Wu Xi, they also appeared shocked, as if they’d even forgotten how to tease or joke.

Well, that made sense. This was a conservative, feudal era—no one would say things like that so openly. Song Jingwei quickly changed the subject and said, “You hold him, I’ll go see if the old man’s finished.” He walked away naturally, because after all, he wasn’t the one feeling awkward—he was leaving that to the others.

“…” Shen Junxi silently held Benben, staring into his son’s wide eyes.

“Pfft!” Once Song Jingwei left, Pei Hongxuan couldn’t help but laugh. Then he turned to Shen Junxi and teased, “Your spouse is truly not an ordinary person. It seems your days are quite… joyful.”