I've been transported to the orc continent.

Chapter 362 Well Water

The rice is growing very well, but it's almost too well.

Bai Ling had grown vegetables in his previous life, and after growing crops for two or three years in this life, he understood one principle: if the stems and leaves of crops grow too vigorously, the fruit will not be very good.

Vigorous stems and leaves mean that more nutrients are consumed, leaving less nutrition for the fruit, and the fruit will naturally not be as good.

On Earth, people often need to use pesticides to inhibit plant growth when farming. On the Orc Continent, there are no pesticides, so rice can only be allowed to grow freely.

Bai Ling sighed.

There's nothing we can do about it. This is the first time we've grown rice, and we only have farmyard manure as fertilizer. No matter how carefully we take care of it, it can't compare to the rice of my previous life. After all, just the seeds alone make a huge difference between the rice here and the rice of my previous life.

Bai Ling looked around all the rice paddies. By the time he got home, it was already dark. As soon as he entered the house, the clansmen who were enjoying the cool air in the courtyard started talking. Yue, Xiao, and Chen also stood up and went to the kitchen to get the food.

Among the clansmen, Yue, Bai Ling, Chen, and Xiao are the juniors, and they are usually the ones who do things like setting the table and washing the dishes.

There was a large rock in the courtyard. Yue placed a ceramic basin full of vermicelli on the rock, Xiao carried a sorghum sieve with cassava cakes and cornbread, and Chen carried a stack of bowls and chopsticks. He put the bowls and chopsticks on the rock and went to get some pickled vegetables. Yue and Xiao were in charge of serving the rice.

Bai Ling washed her hands and came over. The rice noodles were all served. Everyone sat down around the stone and ate and talked.

As the conversation progressed, it turned to the well that Bai Ling and Yue had dug. They all knew that wells were used to draw water for drinking and that digging a well was not easy. Hearing that they had already dug down to moist soil, everyone became even more curious.

The tribesmen even discussed it in just a few words, deciding to go there the next evening to see what the dug well looked like.

After discussing the well-digging, the tribespeople inquired about the rice paddies, to which Bai Ling replied, "The rice is growing exceptionally well."

The beastmen were all puzzled. Wasn't it a good thing to grow well? Only Yue understood Bai Ling's meaning. He said, "Ling, are you worried that if the rice grows too well now, the rice ears won't grow well in the fall?"

Bai Ling nodded.

Yue said, "Don't worry about that. This is our first year growing rice. It's already a good thing if we can guarantee that it will produce ears of rice."

The other orcs also spoke up, both to comfort Bai Ling and to give him confidence, because Bai Ling had already done enough.

Bai Ling was only a little upset, but after being comforted by his clansmen, that feeling completely disappeared. He nodded while holding his rice bowl and said, "Yes, I understand. It's already quite good that the rice has survived. There's still plenty of time. We can slowly select the best rice seeds."

*

After finding water, it wasn't far from where the well was finished.

Bai Ling was worried about the other orcs, so he took a shovel and went down into the well, slowly digging at the bottom.

Digging mud from water and digging soil are two completely different experiences. Digging mud from water is more strenuous and requires more skill. Not only do you not dig out much mud with one shovel, but when you pull the shovel out of the water, there is still pressure pressing on it.

Bai Ling didn't dig very fast. It wasn't until the sun was high in the sky that he climbed out of the well, soaking wet.

As soon as he came out, Yue brought him a basin of clean water and said, "Ling, wash your hands first."

Bai Ling washed her hands and face, dried them with an old cotton cloth, and sat down to rest under a large tree not far away.

The beastmen took turns going down into the well. Bai Ling knew that digging mud would be hard work today, so he didn't let the beastmen stay down there for long. He originally planned to finish building the well wall today, but he didn't expect to finish digging the well until evening.

The villagers said they would come and check in the evening. Sure enough, they came together after the sun went down. They stood by the well for a couple of glances and then all retreated.

Such a small yet deep pit, filled with water, was enough to make any orc shudder at just a glance.

Bai Ling was still in the well when Chen took a few more steps forward, bent down, and called out into the well, "Brother, are you alright in there?"

Bai Ling replied, "Chen, I'm fine, I'll be right up."

As Bai Ling spoke, she tied the shovel to the basket, and Yue pulled the rope with both hands, quickly pulling the basket up.

An orc untied the basket and lowered the rope down. The other end of the rope was tied to a large tree. For safety, Yue and two other orcs lined up and held the rope tightly.

Bai Ling tied the hemp rope around his waist, grabbed the rope with both hands, and slowly climbed up the well wall with his feet supporting him.

This was the first time Chen had ever seen his brother do this. His heart was in his throat. He stood by the well, not daring to say a word. Only when Bai Ling's head emerged from the well did Chen breathe a sigh of relief.

Upon seeing Bai Ling emerge, the beastmen surrounding the well quickly reached out their hands. Chen grabbed Bai Ling's hand and pulled him out of the well.

Once Bai Ling's feet were on the ground, Chen patted his chest and said, "Brother, you're all set."

Bai Ling's clansmen also gathered around, and Yue also brought over water. Bai Ling smiled and said, "I'll wash myself first, and then I'll tell you all later."

*

"After the well is built, a windlass will be installed at the wellhead, which will make it much easier to draw water. The area around the well will also need to be tidied up. In another day or two, the well will be completely finished."

When the well was first dug, Bai Ling tasted the water. They were lucky; the water was sweet. If it had been bitter, the well would have been dug in vain.

Hearing Bai Ling say this, the beastmen imagined the scene of fetching water. It was a bit far from the tribe, and once this well was dug, Bai Ling would have to find a suitable location around the tribe to dig another well.

However, this will have to wait a while; he needs to make some more handy tools.

Before coming to the central tribe, Bai Ling had prepared several tools, including a butterfly cone and some other tools. However, since this area was all plains with no rock layer beneath the soil, Bai Ling used the simplest method to dig the well, so the prepared tools were not needed.

*

After the well was built, Bai Ling made a windlass and placed it on top. The beastmen in the tribe were very surprised. They came in groups to see it and even drew some well water to drink.

Compared to river water, well water is very cold. Drinking it feels like eating ice. The orc smacked his lips, savoring the taste of the well water. It seemed a little sweet, like the mountain stream water, unlike the bland river water.

Moreover, well water is clean, unlike river water, which sometimes contains visible dirt.

It's just that this place is a bit far from the village, so it's inconvenient to come here to fetch water every day.

However, Bai Ling said that he would dig another well around the tribe, so it seems that the day when they can drink well water is not far away.