Transmigrated into a fat wife, farming, raising children, and picking up husbands

Wu Liangcai leaned closer and looked down as well: "How do we clean it?"

"We need to find someone to go down there," Hu Yidao said. "To dig out the silt, remove the dead leaves, and then rinse it again, the water will be usable."

"Then who should we call down?"

Hu Yidao scratched his head and looked at Lin Xiuer.

Lin Xiuer also peeked out and saw that the well walls were covered with moss, and below that it was pitch black.

She thought for a moment: "Does anyone in town know how to clean a well?"

"Yes," Hu Yidao said, "there are a few people at the dock who specialize in this, cleaning wells for households all year round. It's just the price..."

"The price is negotiable," Lin Xiuer said. "This well is essential; we can't settle for anything less. Old Hu, could you help me find a reliable one?"

"Okay, I'll go ask about it this afternoon."

Xiao He stood to the side, peering curiously into the well, but Lin Xiuer pulled her away, saying, "Don't get too close, it's dangerous."

Xiao He obediently took two steps back, her eyes still glancing in that direction.

Lin Xiuer put the wooden board back on, raised her head, and looked into the depths of the garden.

"This garden is so big, with several courtyards, there can't be only one well. Let's split up and look for any other usable ones."

The group dispersed from the well and walked deeper into the garden.

After passing through a moon gate, we entered the east courtyard. The courtyard was overgrown with weeds up to our knees, and there was a well in the corner, its platform covered with moss.

Hu Yidao went over, lifted the cover, peeked inside, and shook his head: "Dried."

Continue walking in.

In the west courtyard, the well is still there, but a thick layer of withered leaves floats on the surface of the water, and a putrid smell can be detected if you get close.

Chen Mingxuan covered his nose and took two steps back: "This water is unacceptable."

There was another well in the back building, even worse; the opening was mostly covered by collapsed roof beams. Wu Liangcai peered inside: "It's full of bricks and tiles, completely blocked."

The more they searched, the more disheartened they became.

No matter how good this garden was back then, it has been abandoned for so many years and no one has taken care of it. The wells are either dry or silted up, so it's really not easy to find one that's still usable.

After walking along the path, we finally found a well next to a half-collapsed artificial hill.

The well platform was carved from a single piece of bluestone, and it was even more elaborate than the one in the front yard.

The cover plate is still there; it's a thick wooden board, old but still looks sturdy.

Hu Yidao stepped forward, lifted the cover, and peered inside. He saw a glint of water and exclaimed with delight, "This seems to work!"

Several people gathered around. The well water was not far from the wellhead; it was clear and bright, reflecting people's images.

A few fallen leaves floated on the surface of the water, but there was no foul smell, indicating that the well had always had water and had not been polluted.

"Jia Heiyu and the others used to live in this small courtyard."

Lin Xiuer looked at the rooms behind her and said, "No wonder they chose to live here; it must be because of this well."

"Alright," Hu Yidao slapped his thigh, "As long as there's water! It's a bit farther than the front yard, and it'll be a few more steps to fetch water, but it's still better than going outside to get it."

Lin Xiuer nodded: "Let's solve the immediate problem first. Lao Hu, let's find a big vat, wash it clean, and move it to the front yard. From now on, we'll fetch water from this well."

Hu Yidao responded, and the group split up to search for the vat.

There really was a large vat in the pile of clutter in the backyard, half-buried in weeds and rotten wood.

Several people worked together to drag it out. It was half full of rainwater, a dark green color, with insects and rotten leaves floating in it. The smell was so strong that Wu Liangcai almost vomited.

"This is fucking disgusting!" He covered his nose and jumped away.

Hu Yidao laughed and scolded, "If you find it disgusting, don't do it. Go stand over there."

He said that, but his hands were busy. Several people poured out the dirty water from the vat, carried it to the well, drew water up, and rinsed it over and over again.

After brushing it five or six times, the jar finally revealed its true appearance.

The large, bluish-gray water vat, though old, was sturdy and without a single crack.

"Good stuff." Hu Yidao patted the rim of the jar. "This jar can last for decades."

After washing the vat clean, the group of people worked together to carry it to the front yard and placed it at the entrance of the kitchen.

Xiao He ran around helping, her face flushed from exhaustion, but her eyes were bright and she looked very happy.

She looked at the large vat, then at the direction of the well, and asked, "Sister, will we be cooking here from now on?"

Lin Xiuer looked at her and smiled: "That's right, we'll cook here from now on."

"This room is big and spacious. Once it's tidied up, we can divide it in the middle, put a table on one side, and cook on this side while eating on the other."

Xiao He smiled with her lips pursed, then turned around to help again.

A moment later, footsteps could be heard outside the courtyard gate.

Liu Ruyan walked in with a smile, carrying a food box, followed by Liu Songnian and several other people.

The man carrying a toolbox was a locksmith.

The other three had their trousers rolled up, carrying long bamboo poles and ropes, with shovels and other tools tucked into their waistbands.

"Sister Lin." Liu Ruyan stepped forward and handed the food box to Lin Xiuer. "These are some tea snacks I made for everyone to have a little something to eat."

Lin Xiuer took the food box, opened it, and saw several exquisite pastries and a pot of tea.

"You've really worked hard." She looked at Liu Songnian, "Mr. Liu, who are these people behind you...?"

Liu Songnian waved his hand with a smile: "This is a locksmith, here to change the lock."

He pointed to the people behind him. "These are craftsmen who specialize in cleaning wells."

"Yesterday I saw that there were several wells in your garden, and they hadn't been used for so many years. They definitely needed to be cleaned and washed before they could be used, so I brought them over with me."

Lin Xiuer felt a surge of warmth in her heart and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Changing the locks and cleaning the well—this father and daughter are incredibly thoughtful.

"Mr. Liu, Miss Ruyan, thank you so much."

"What are you thanking me for?" Liu Songnian said with a smile. "We're practically acquaintances now, so helping each other out is only natural."

The locksmith was already there with his tools, clanging and banging as he removed the old lock from the door.

The well cleaners walked into the courtyard. The middle-aged man in the lead looked at the well in the corner of the courtyard and whispered something to the person next to him.

Lin Xiuer invited everyone to rest and have something to eat.

Liu Ruyan opened the food box, which contained mung bean cakes, osmanthus glutinous rice cakes, and several shortbreads, all of which smelled delicious.

The crowd gathered around, each taking a pastry and eating it with their tea.

Wu Liangcai grabbed a piece of mung bean cake, and while eating it, he praised it indistinctly: "Miss Ruyan's skills are really good. This pastry is even better than the ones in the shops in town!"

Liu Ruyan smiled and lowered her head. Lin Xiuer pulled Xiao He over and introduced her to Liu Ruyan and Liu Songnian: "This is Xiao He, my new little sister."

Xiao He obediently greeted them: "Hello, Miss Liu, hello, Mr. Liu."

Liu Ruyan glanced at her, smiled and nodded, then took a piece of pastry from the food box and handed it to her.

Xiao He took it, thanked her, and stood quietly to the side, eating slowly, but her eyes kept glancing at Liu Ruyan and Liu Songnian.

She remembered the carrier pigeon that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had intercepted.

Seeing that both Miss Liu and Mr. Liu seemed quite skilled and so enthusiastic, Xiao He immediately understood their intentions.