Ji Huan thought she had been too slow and was holding him up. She was about to step aside to let him go first when she suddenly realized something.
'That's not right. Doesn't the Ji Family have its own private well in their courtyard? What is Ji Mingfang doing here?'
Ji Mingfang didn't look at her. He grabbed the rope, gave it a few quick shakes, and then turned the crank. A bucket, about eighty percent full, was lifted up.
Then, he lowered the second wooden bucket into the well.
Snapping out of her daze, Ji Huan quickly went over to see exactly how he did it.
For the first shake of the rope, he angled it slightly downward, forcing a little water into the bucket. Once it had some weight, it wasn't as buoyant. The second time, he just needed to find the right angle and apply the proper force.
'So it was that simple!'
Just as Ji Huan was about to thank him, Ji Mingfang had already turned and walked away.
'This older cousin of mine has always been so difficult.'
