Read Novel Full Chapter 45.2
Chapter 45 2/2
Seeing that Sang Luo had brought back a cedar branch to make a broom handle, Chen Youtian knew that Sang Luo’s claim of being able to make brooms was probably true. This initial selection of materials was quite appropriate. Cedar branches were light and easy to handle, and most people in the village used cedar branches to make broom handles.
Seeing Sang Luo return, the two siblings crowded over. Before making a broom, the bamboo branches had to be cut down. Sang Luo wasn’t particularly fast, but Chen Youtian watched her steadily make progress step by step.
The three of them worked together to remove the leaves, and when it came to trimming the branches, they didn’t use scissors; instead, they used the sickle. With a piece of wood underneath, each chop was precise.
Chen Youtian smiled as he watched, simply put down his work, and helped process the cedar branch, sawing it into suitable lengths, peeling off the bark, and planing it smooth. Then he sharpened one end, making it into a usable broom handle and setting it aside.
The cleaned fine branches were bundled with hemp rope in small bunches. A few thicker branches were shaved into bamboo nails. Finally, Sang Luo picked up the broom handle that Chen Youtian had helped prepare and began the final tying process.
Wrapping the hemp rope around in circles, layer after layer, with a bundle of bamboo branches added, she did each step meticulously, exerting enough force with her hands. The final product, in Chen Youtian’s eyes, was much better looking than brooms made by ninety percent of the households in the village. Compared to those, most household brooms could only be described as too rudimentary.
Sang Luo tied the rope knot and drove in the pre-prepared bamboo nails, picked it up, and looked at it, quite satisfied.
Chen Youtian, rarely talkative, said, “With your skills, you could even sell these brooms in the county.”
Sang Luo’s eyes curved with a smile, “Looks like I have one more livelihood skill from now on.”
At this moment, she genuinely felt grateful for those years spent living in the mountains in her past life. She had calmed down from the depths of her heart and learned quite a lot of things.
After finishing the broom, Sang Luo bundled the remaining thick bamboo branches together, carried them outside the kitchen, and neatly stacked them where they kept firewood. Then she turned her attention to the thick bamboo stem, about the size of her upper arm. She stared at it for a while, and an idea formed in her mind.
She walked out of the courtyard and went to the mountain, where they usually fetch water. She observed the spring there. The spring water actually flowed down along the mountain wall, so the source might not necessarily be the water source on the mountain. More accurately, it should be the water veins within the mountain.
Although the water flow wasn’t significant, it was continuous. Satisfied with what she saw, Sang Luo returned to the courtyard, dragged the bamboo stem, and gestured for Chen Youtian to saw off about fifty to sixty centimeters in length.
Although Chen Youtian didn’t know what she was going to use it for, he didn’t ask. He took the bamboo stem and sawed it as instructed by Sang Luo.
Sang Luo took the sawn bamboo stem and split it in half vertically with the sickle.
Bamboo was actually quite easy to split, and it would be split neatly into two halves. She took one half and used the sickle to knock out the middle section, creating a very good water pipe.
She shaved off the sides of one end slightly and then went out to find a branch with twigs, which she cut down. With these two items in hand, she headed straight for the mountain spring.
There were concave areas on the mountain wall where she usually fetched water, where the spring water flowed down. This water collected there was particularly clean.
This time, Sang Luo directly tested the bamboo pipe she had made half of. The spring water was naturally directed onto the bamboo stem and flowed down along it.
Perfect. This way, she wouldn’t need to bend over and lean in to collect water next time, which would save a lot of effort. The water flow would no longer run down the uneven mountain wall but would spread outwards a bit, making it easier to fetch water even with a bucket.
She compared the position of the bamboo stem to a branch with twigs and hammered it into the mud to secure it. She then made a supporting structure by inserting one end of the bamboo stem into the mountain wall and resting the other end on the branch with twigs. After testing it and finding it quite sturdy, for safety, she called Shen Ning to fetch some hemp rope from the house and used it to secure the bamboo stem and the branch with twigs in place.
Shen Ning looked at the mountain spring water flowing from the bamboo stem, extremely delighted, “Sister-in-law, you’re so clever! How did you think of such a convenient way to fetch water? It’s much easier to collect water this way.”
Sang Luo’s eyes curved with a smile, “Let’s decorate it a bit more. We’ll dig this pit below a bit larger and make a small pool out of it.”
Shen Ning agreed and hurried back to get a pickaxe.
The two sister-in-laws worked vigorously outside, and the naturally formed water pit from the mountain spring was enlarged by about half its size.
The originally clear water became somewhat turbid, but gradually cleared up again.
“An Ning, call your brother to go find some stones together. Pick the rounder ones and place them at the bottom of the pit. It’ll make the water in the pit much clearer in the future.”
Knowing that Shen An had been curious for a while, Sang Luo didn’t go herself but delegated the task to the two siblings. She returned to tidy up the leftover bamboo stems and some broken wood.
Shen An was indeed very excited. Seeing how the inconspicuous mountain spring had changed its appearance, they found it fascinating. Each of them carried a dustpan and went to the stream to find beautiful stones.
There were various shaped stones in the stream, and in no time, each of them returned with half a dustpan full of stones. They laid them at the bottom of the pit.
The water pit wasn’t big, so after two trips, they had covered the entire bottom with stones. The siblings stood by the edge of the water pit and watched as the turbid water gradually cleared away.
Sang Luo came out, took a glance, and smiled.
Now they could raise ducks. With the convenient water collection, they could directly use a bucket. This small water pit was enough for a few ducks to play in.
She didn’t say anything, preparing to give the two children a surprise tomorrow. Thus, she only smiled and suggested, “You can also pick some flowers that grow well by the spring and transplant them here. It’ll look nice, and the soil will be reinforced by the roots of the plants, making it less likely to collapse.”
The two children liked the idea, took their small pickaxes, and carried the dustpans to find some beautiful flowers and grass by the spring.
When Chen Youtian heard the commotion, and his work happened to reach a pause, he followed them outside. After leaving the courtyard, he saw the previously inconspicuous mountain spring had now turned into a sight. He came closer to take a look and remarked, “Fetching water like this is much more convenient.”
There was also a mountain spring behind his house, where they usually fetched water. Chen Youtian thought about doing something similar at his place and decided not to bother cutting bamboo. Instead, he asked Sang Luo for the leftover half bamboo stem.
Sang Luo nodded, “Sure, take it.”
She glanced at the sky, not wanting to delay outside any longer, and went back to prepare dinner.
Seeing her heading towards the kitchen, Chen Youtian stopped her, “No need to cook for me. You can have your own meal. I’ll eat at home. The bed boards have been planed today. Tomorrow, I’ll finish building the bed frame and set it up. I’ll move the bed boards under the eaves for you. That’s all for today. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
With that, he started tidying up.