Chapter 856 – I Opened a Fake Live Stream Room (Part 2)
“Looking at the blueprints, the scale of the reservoir isn’t too large.”
Shao Guang, being a disciple of the Mo family specializing in water conservancy, chose an excellent site for construction, clearly having conducted meticulous calculations.
He selected a pocket-shaped basin with a deep terrain and large reservoir capacity, boasting a considerable catchment area. This area even had a natural “dam,” needing only to excavate the reservoir and dig an artificial river about a hundred miles long to channel tributaries of the Dongqing Mother River into it…
“The scale really isn’t big, but if completed, the Common People of Shangyang County won’t have to worry about drought anymore.”
Jiang Pengji did not readily agree this time but frowned, calculating the pros and cons.
Currently, lacking blasting tools and advanced siege equipment, they could only rely on manpower, making the construction of the reservoir quite difficult.
Money wasn’t the issue; the critical point was the lack of people.
“This matter… let’s put it on hold for now,” Jiang Pengji said. “We’ll discuss it again once the North Border is captured and we have enough people.”
At her first sentence, Wei Ci felt a bit heavy-hearted, but by her second statement, a smile could no longer be concealed from the corners of his lips.
Jiang Pengji added, “The kitchen has prepared supper; you should eat some to avoid upsetting your stomach.”
Wei Ci’s ears turned red again as he bowed his head in gratitude.
Suddenly, Jiang Pengji asked, “It’s already dark, should Zixiao stay overnight?”
Wei Ci’s hands trembled, almost dropping the porcelain bowl on the table.
Before he could further overreact, she said, “The guest room has always been empty. If you stay, it saves you from running around.”
Wei Ci relaxed a bit and declined Jiang Pengji’s kindness.
After all, he was a man from outside; if rumors spread that he stayed overnight, it wouldn’t reflect well on the Leader’s reputation.
Wei Ci hastily finished his meal and rushed to take his leave, looking like a frightened rabbit being chased by a terrifying beast.
Jiang Pengji, thoughtfully pinching her chin, watched Wei Ci’s retreating figure, deep in contemplation.
“Are those unreliable guys’ suggestions really useful? Can boiling frogs in warm water ever cook them?”
She murmured, her soft voice carried away by the night wind.
The next day, Wei Ci woke up early.
Although he had rushed back from the capital on short notice, he still habitually visited the administrative hall.
As soon as he arrived, Li Yun rushed over, looking quite anxious, as if something big had happened.
Wei Ci reacted too slowly and nearly bumped into Li Yun, who fortunately had good reflexes and stopped just in time.
Otherwise, given Wei Ci’s physical condition, he would have been knocked over.
Wei Ci cautioned, “Han Mei, no rushing inside the administrative hall. What if you startle the Leader?”
Li Yun was aware of his mistake and hurriedly apologized to Wei Ci, eager to leave before he could respond.
“Han Mei?”
Wei Ci was startled, guessing that something major was happening near Li Yun.
Otherwise, why would he look so panicked?
Li Yun hurriedly said, “I heard that a poisonous snake got mixed in the stable and scared Big White!”
The stable?
A poisonous snake got in?
Wei Ci froze for a moment as he couldn’t quite grasp the exact meaning of those words.
A poisonous snake in the stable? Why was Li Yun so frantic? Did something happen to his beloved horse?
But… Big White seemed like the Leader’s mount. If anyone were to be worried, it should be the Leader, not Li Yun!
Driven by curiosity, Wei Ci followed Li Yun, asking about the situation as they walked.
After some detailed questioning, it turned out that the foal in Big White’s care had been promised to Li Yun, who had been eagerly awaiting its arrival for months, only to hear this unsettling news just a month before Big White’s due date.
The snake had already been caught, and the horses in the stable weren’t harmed; it was just that Big White had been startled and seemed ready to go into labor early.
Early foals weren’t likely to survive, and if the mother horse had complications, the chances became even slimmer.
Li Yun, who had been longing for that foal, was almost in tears at the news.
Big White and Xiao Bai shared the same stable, but to care for the soon-to-be mother, Xiao Bai had been moved elsewhere. Xiao Bai, sensing Big White’s distress, was unusually agitated, completely shedding its usual docility. It kept scraping the ground with its hooves, trying to knock down the barriers. Having been in battle, Xiao Bai was fierce, making the groom tremble in its presence.
When Li Yun arrived, the groom caring for the two horses was as excited as if he had seen a savior.
Despite the stable being kept clean, there was still some unpleasant odor.
Li Yun, accustomed to dealing with horses, didn’t mind the smell, and neither did Wei Ci show any change in expression.
Inside the stable, Big White lay on the soft hay, her belly enormous and her mood quite restless, looking very uneasy.
Upon seeing strangers, Big White began to whinny and whimper, seemingly wanting to stand but unable to do so after trying hard for a while.
Wei Ci said, “What use is it to call Lieutenant Li now? You should be preparing to assist Big White with the birth instead of wasting time on pointless matters!”
The groom was also getting quite frantic; it wasn’t that he didn’t want to help Big White, but Big White and Xiao Bai were too fierce, making it impossible to approach.
With the Leader absent, he could only turn to Li Yun; he needed to calm the mother horse down first.
Wei Ci observed closely and recognized the groom’s dilemma, furrowing his brow.
“Han Mei, go bring Xiao Bai away, don’t let it cause trouble here.”
Wei Ci directed the groom to grab a halter and deftly secured it, revealing two long, slim, pale arms.
Animals and humans were different; communication between the two was always a challenge.
Fortunately, Xiao Bai was intelligent enough and managed to keep calm in front of Li Yun, something the groom would never have been able to do!
“Big White seems to be hurt somewhere, perhaps she can’t stand up. It looks like this is her first foal; without external assistance, it might not come out,” Wei Ci instructed, asking the groom to fetch warm water and scissors, just as he was about to enter Big White’s stall when the groom gasped in shock.
Big White was highly aggressive; would Wei Ci even come out alive?
The groom could only shut his eyes in despair, fearing Wei Ci would be trampled by Big White.
Surprisingly, the once aggressive Big White was unusually gentle before Wei Ci, occasionally nudging against his arm.
The groom murmured, “Isn’t this the Leader’s horse…?”
Why was she so close to Wei Ci?
“Hang in there; otherwise, the foal won’t survive.”
Wei Ci stroked Big White’s mane, not minding the dirt, knelt on the hay-covered ground, and washed his hands with warm water, cleaning the horsehair.
Li Yun felt like his entire world view had been shattered, carefully leaning against the fence, watching Wei Ci’s actions with bated breath.
“Wait—Zixiao, you can assist with births?”
Wei Ci didn’t answer; he simply reached in, carefully feeling for the foal’s position and helping it adjust.
He not only knew how to assist births but had also studied diligently with many midwives, having rich experience.
Previously he had practiced on horses or other animals, with only a couple of distant memories of assisting human births.
