"Are you still going?" Hutt-Charles asked, looking at Jiang Hai.
Drilling a hot spring is a very enjoyable task for more than 90% of people.
After all, Americans also love hot spring baths, though it's possible that some individuals with strong family beliefs may not feel the same way.
As a well-digger, Hutt-Charles knew he should check first.
"Of course! Let's continue and see how big this hot spring belt is." Jiang Hai replied excitedly.
Upon hearing Jiang Hai's response, Hutt-Charles started to investigate the size of the hot spring belt.
They drilled the first hole to a depth of five meters. After confirming that the hot spring's area wasn't small, they continued drilling.
Next, four more holes were drilled nearby. When three of them reached about three meters, hot springs began to emerge.
It wasn't unusual for the construction team to encounter hot springs. They likely had a general idea of where the hot spring belt was located.
"Mr. Jiang, I have to admit that you're really lucky. If you wanted to develop this hot spring into a resort, it wouldn't work. But if you're just using it yourself, it can accommodate ten times more people than you would need," Hutt-Charles said, supporting his waist with envy. After their investigation, they found that Jiang Hai's hot spring covered about 3,000 square meters.
Don't think that 3,000 square meters is all that large—it's equivalent to 50 meters wide and 60 meters long. While not particularly huge, it's enough to build a hot spring pool or connect some water pipes.
"Yeah, I've made a profit this time. I'll develop this place and build an outdoor hot spring with stones," Jiang Hai said, his eyes narrowing as he watched the spring water gush out in front of him. His mind wandered to some film and television files hidden in a very secret folder on his computer's D drive.
He realized there were quite a few files involving hot springs. For example, ones about married women and gatherings...
Ahem. Jiang Hai wasn't sure when he became such a "veteran" in these matters. Logically, he didn't think he was especially repressed. After all, he had had some wild moments in Shanghai with Feng Yunchen and Ai Xiaoxi. Why did he suddenly think so... dirty?
"No problem, island-country style, right? Drilling and expansion will cost about $50,000." Hutt-Charles looked at Jiang Hai, gesturing to emphasize the price.
"No problem!" Jiang Hai clapped his hands. Of course, there was no issue; these were just small matters.
Although they had agreed on the price, Hutt-Charles didn't immediately begin expanding the hot spring. There were other tools and considerations to account for. When constructing a bathhouse, the underground part is just as important as the above-ground structures.
For instance, when the spring water flows out, the top of the spring must be covered with metal or another durable material, and the bottom can't be made of sand—it needs to be smoothed with stones or tiles.
The depth also had to be limited to no more than one meter. After all, they wanted to soak in the hot spring, not swim in it.
Additionally, buildings and stones needed to be set up, requiring a lot of work. So, for the time being, they surrounded the four springs with cement before digging additional wells.
Since the hot springs were close, the water holes had to be moved further away. However, for such a short distance, Hutt-Charles didn't charge Jiang Hai any extra fees.
As they dug to about three meters, water started emerging, and at ten meters, the water flow increased dramatically. Yet, Jiang Hai continued to dig another twenty meters. This time, the water was steamy but freezing cold.
The underground waters had been shielded from sunlight for so long that they were incredibly cold. Jiang Hai shuddered as he touched the water—it would need time in the river before any fry could be added, or else they would freeze to death.
They dug five wells in total, all of which had water. The estimated total flow from the five wells was about 430 tons—enough to meet Jiang Hai's initial requirements for the river. The wellheads were sealed with cement.
Once everything was prepared, Hutt-Charles and his team left. In the afternoon, the rumbling sound of trench diggers and machinery echoed, which startled the cows on the manor.
Fortunately, Jiang Hai's cows were strong and hardy. Though they were initially flustered, they soon calmed down, much to the relief of Robbins and the others. If the cows had panicked, they would have had to herd them back to the cowshed.
There were only a few cowboys, so if the cows had caused trouble, they wouldn't have been able to catch them.
At the designated spot, the trenchers began their work. The trench was only 1.5 meters deep, so it could be completed quickly. Jiang Hai decided not to discard the excavated soil—he would need it to reinforce the riverbank later. Even if it wasn't needed, he could dump it on the grassland. His soil was the best in the world—rich in nutrients, it could not be wasted.
With Hutt's help, the workers began digging the river channel, while another team started setting up the hot springs. They buried water pipes underground, since Jiang Hai wasn't the type to hoard the resources.
Instead of keeping the hot spring water for himself, Jiang Hai decided to share it. He wouldn't want a bunch of old men bathing naked in front of his house, so it made more sense to pipe the water to their homes.
Robbins and the others were pleased. For Europeans and Americans, having hot spring water piped directly to their homes was a luxury they weren't used to.
By the time the pipelines were laid, two days had passed, and the hot spring expansion began. Hutt-Charles, working with reinforced concrete for the main structure, had somehow acquired a bunch of bamboo. They used it to encircle the concrete walls, leaving the inside free of concrete.
The walls were several meters high, topped with a layer of barbed wire to keep wild animals out.
At the hot spring's designated location, Hutt-Charles also built a bamboo roof and separated the bathing area with cement and bamboo, creating male and female sections.
Jiang Hai was pleased with the result; it looked beautiful. At first, Hutt-Charles had wanted to build the bathhouse indoors, but Jiang Hai disagreed. He thought it would be more enjoyable to be close to nature, rather than having the experience feel like a regular bath at home.
Once the outer structures were finished, Hutt-Charles's team began working on the ground. They brought in stones to form the bath area. After everything was set up, they drilled the four springs. As hot spring water gushed out, they used pumps to remove the muddy water until only clear water remained.
The hot spring was now complete.
It took a full week from the discovery of the hot spring to its completion. Most of the time was spent working on the commercial street and river channel. For Jiang Hai, the river channel was far more important than the hot spring. The river channel was dug quickly, as the trenchers could manage one kilometer a day.
The soil on Jiang Hai's land was soft, so digging 1.5 meters was easy. Within a week, the river channel was finished, with only the estuary left to be dug. Reinforcing the riverbank would take another week.
Jiang Hai wasn't in a rush for the river channel, since he had just called China to confirm that his batch of fish fry and saplings was on its way. It would take about a month for them to arrive.
However, Jiang Hai didn't wait long to try the hot spring. The next day, after dinner, he grabbed his clothes and went to the hot spring.
Because the bath was divided into male and female sections, Jiang Hai didn't need to wear anything. He walked into the water naked. As he entered, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow—this felt amazing. It was the same sensation he had enjoyed when he went to the bathhouse in Bingcheng, only this time, it was in a much larger pool.
The water temperature was set at a constant 43°C. It felt a bit hot at first, but once he settled in, it was incredibly comfortable. Leaning against a rock and gazing at the moon above, Jiang Hai sighed in contentment. It was so relaxing. If only there were a TV here—it would be perfect to watch something while enjoying the bath.
Just as Jiang Hai was fully immersed in the relaxation, he suddenly heard the sound of water splashing. Looking around, he realized there was no one else nearby. Had he mistakenly entered the men's or women's bath?
(To be continued.)