Chapter 25: The Contest

Jingbian Fort had taken on a certain scale, but the construction of the outer walls could not be completed in a short time.

At this point, Wang Dou had already shifted his focus to clearing and developing the wasteland around the fort, striving to reclaim a certain amount of farmland and build some irrigation works before the start of next spring, so that the military households in the fort could begin farming as soon as spring arrived.

From the west of Jingbian Fort to the Dongfang River area, there were actually several silted-up and abandoned water channels. If they could be used, this area could be turned into fertile fields. However, Wang Dou lacked sufficient funds and could only gather some military households to dredge a section of one channel and make minor repairs, so that the water source could be used for the time being.

For the rest, Wang Dou planned to take out one hundred taels of silver to dig five deep brick-and-stone wells in various places, allowing all the military households to draw water together. Before the start of next spring, he would first reclaim a batch of land and assign each household a few dozen mu for the time being.

During this period, Wang Dou had long since sent Qi Tianliang to lead some military households in a detailed survey of this stretch of land — where the wasteland was plentiful, where the soil was fertile, all had been carefully understood. In the end, Wang Dou decided to reclaim wasteland on both sides of an abandoned channel called Company Commander Canal west of Jingbian Fort, dredge this channel, and then dig several deep wells on each side of the channel, roughly solving the farmland's water problem.

At this time, apart from Han Chao leading twenty-odd men who were still quarrying stone on the mountain at Shunxiang Fort, Wang Dou now had at hand about fifty-odd men and over eighty able-bodied women. In this era, women had to work the fields alongside the men. And after this period of recuperation, everyone's complexion had improved greatly. Although the majority of these men and women were old and weak, it was undeniable that their drive was very strong.

Among these people, besides assigning Yang Tong to lead a portion to dredge Company Commander Canal, Wang Dou had the rest follow him in reclaiming wasteland and building irrigation works in the surrounding area.

For many days in a row, everyone went out at dawn and returned at dusk, working hard every day. Seeing Wang Dou take the lead every day, sweating profusely and working with desperate effort, the military households were somewhat surprised and somewhat moved, feeling that a superior officer like Squad Leader Wang was truly rare.

And with Lord Wang taking the lead in manual labor every day, naturally no military household dared slack off behind him.

And every day, Qi Tianliang, Han Zhong, and Zhong Rong also followed beside Wang Dou, working fiercely. Wang Dou had also quietly observed that Yang Tong, who led some military households to dredge Company Commander Canal, was quite diligent. The cleared silt was also piled in one place to be used later for fertilizing the fields. Wang Dou nodded to himself; this Yang Tong could be used.

Early that morning, the military households quickly finished breakfast, and under Wang Dou's command, they all went out of the fort again. Each person either carried a pickaxe or a hoe, and some women carried winnowing baskets, bamboo baskets, and the like. Some military households also drove the dozen or so plow oxen, likewise taken to break ground, which could double the speed. By human labor, each man could only reclaim half a mu per day, but with plow oxen, they could reclaim one mu a day, or even more.

Wang Dou saw that Zhong Rong was also carrying a pickaxe and following beside him. Today he wore a short cotton-padded robe, his sparse beard occasionally blown by the cold wind, yet his tall, thin frame remained ramrod straight, revealing the scholarly air about him. These days he, too, went to the fields to work alongside everyone every day. That a scholar could endure such hardship surprised Wang Dou quite a bit.

Recalling that Zhong Rong had been quite effective in these recent days, and that he was the only literate man in the fort who could write and calculate, Wang Dou did not want him to collapse from exhaustion, or else he would have to find another clerk again.

He glanced at Zhong Rong and smiled: "In this freezing weather, how can a refined scholar like you, sir, endure such hardship alongside crude fellows like us? Would it not be better for you, sir, to return to the fort and rest?"

Zhong Rong stopped walking. He solemnly bowed to Wang Dou and said: "This student is untalented, yet has received Squad Leader Wang's favor. Now that the fort is newly established and everyone toils daily, how could Zhong Rong alone steal away to rest, bringing shame upon himself before all? Zhong Rong is determined to follow everyone there."

Wang Dou praised him: "Well said. When this fort prospers in the future, Wang Dou will certainly not forget your share of the credit, sir."

Zhong Rong bowed deeply: "Many thanks, my lord."

He straightened his back and followed Wang Dou without another word. Although his time with Wang Dou had been short, he had already felt a vigorous and spirited momentum, a feeling that intoxicated him. Coupled with Wang Dou's appreciation of him and the respect shown by his trusted subordinates, compared to his former days at Dongjiazhuang Fort, Zhong Rong could no longer bear to leave this place.

……

The group arrived at a spot along Company Commander Canal where a large stretch of land had already been reclaimed. Wang Dou took a pickaxe and said with a smile to Qi Tianliang, Han Zhong, and Zhong Rong beside him: "Old Qi, Brother Han, Mr. Zhong, do you still dare compete with me today?"

Han Zhong shouted: "Compete it is! Who's afraid of who?"

Qi Tianliang also yelled: "I, Old Qi, consider myself a good hand at farming. I don't believe I'll lose to you today, Chief Wang."

Zhong Rong also said: "This student is willing to accept the challenge."

The four men stood in a row, holding either pickaxes or hoes, each with a solemn expression. Wang Dou's gaze was deep, fixed straight ahead. Han Zhong gnashed his teeth, eyes wide and round. Qi Tianliang opened his mouth wide, his expression rather fierce. Zhong Rong also pressed his lips tight, gripping his hoe tightly with both hands.

Suddenly Wang Dou let out a great shout: "Ah!"

Raising his pickaxe high, he charged out at the very front.

Then Qi Tianliang, Han Zhong, and Zhong Rong, their faces flushed red, also shouted and charged out behind Wang Dou. At that moment, an old man beside the field responsible for beating a gong to boost morale also struck the gong in his hand. The gong beats were rapid, carrying the flavor of a general's command.

While beating the gong with all his might, the old man shouted hoarsely: "Work! Everyone, work with all your might!"

Row after row of men and women charged out behind Wang Dou and the others, every one of them raising their hoes high.

……

Hoes swung like rain. From the moment his pickaxe struck the ground, Wang Dou never straightened his back. Zhong Rong also worked without a sound. Qi Tianliang kept glancing at the others' progress while his hands never stopped moving. Han Zhong buried his head and worked furiously for a spell; when he saw he was ahead, he would grin broadly, and when he saw he had fallen behind, he would curse a few times, then immediately redouble his efforts to catch up.

They worked like this until noon, when Tao Shi's loud voice came from afar: "Time to eat! Everyone stop and eat!"

It was Tao Shi and Liu Shi leading several women to deliver the meal. To increase efficiency, everyone ate at the field's edge, with Tao Shi leading a few women to prepare the food in the fort and then bring it over.

Seeing that mealtime had arrived, Wang Dou stood up and smiled: "Time to eat, everyone rest!"

Zhong Rong, Qi Tianliang, and Han Zhong also straightened their backs. Zhong Rong suddenly staggered, and Qi Tianliang beside him hurriedly supported him, saying: "Mr. Zhong, are you all right?"

Zhong Rong waved his hand and said repeatedly: "I'm fine, I'm fine!"

He tapped his lower back and sighed: "It's been so long since I've done farm work; my bones have all gone soft."

Wang Dou also asked after him with concern, telling him to be sure to rest well. Zhong Rong thanked him profusely.

Then Wang Dou said to everyone with a smile: "So, what do you think? Who won and who lost?"

As expected, Wang Dou was first again today. Qi Tianliang sighed: "Chief Wang's ability — I, Old Qi, truly have to admit defeat."

Zhong Rong also smiled beside them. Han Zhong, however, said defiantly: "Chief Wang took first place again. We'll compete again tomorrow."

Wang Dou smiled faintly and said: "All right, rest now. Everyone, eat."

Everyone put down their farm tools one after another and gathered together to eat. Seeing that today there was again a large bucket of rice, a large bucket of clear soup, several platters of vegetable dishes, and one platter of meat dishes, everyone beamed with joy. After hard labor, the greatest pleasure was eating one's fill.

According to Wang Dou's rules, it was always one day of meat, five days of vegetables, with morning congee provided at dawn, and one ladle of wine for every ten people every seven days. If you worked, you ate your fill. Moreover, the superior officer did not beat or scold them and shared their hardships daily. Such a life made many people laugh even in their dreams.

Although Jingbian Fort had been established only a short time, it was rapidly becoming a cohesive community.

Wang Dou and the others also found a place to sit and eat. At this moment, Yang Tong promptly appeared. This fellow made sure to come over from Company Commander Canal every mealtime to eat with Wang Dou and the others, to show that he, too, was part of this inner circle. Wang Dou understood Yang Tong's thoughts and smilingly beckoned him to sit. Yang Tong happily sat down beside Wang Dou, shoving Han Zhong aside with his backside. Han Zhong glared at him furiously.

As they were eating, Wang Dou suddenly saw a tiny figure timidly appear before his eyes. Wang Dou uttered a sound of surprise: "Xiu Niang?"