Compared to the difficult situation at He Park, the atmosphere at Li Yu and his group's farm base was much more relaxed.
The water in the well, being drawn from a considerable depth, meant that the issue of drinking water was not too significant.
Using a manual pump to extract deep groundwater was very inconvenient. Fortunately, the base had ample electrical energy, allowing them to use a water pump, making it as convenient as tap water.
In fact, it could also be done without electricity if the water pressure was sufficient, which wouldn't be a problem.
Coupled with well-equipped water purifiers, the water could be directly consumed if one wasn't too particular.
However, with the elders at home, a lot of boiled water was often prepared. Sometimes, some mountain plants were added, each with effects such as reducing internal heat, improving eyesight, and preventing heatstroke.
In the apocalypse, many people considered elders a burden, even before the apocalypse, it was the same; many people treated elders as a burden.
This is not necessarily true. Many elders have experienced a lot and often offer advice filled with simple wisdom.
Especially elders in rural areas, they have lived through various turbulent times, knowing how to survive and how to utilize everything in the mountains and forests.
Having an elder at home is like having a treasure.
It is no different.
At noon, the base's cooking smoke rose early.
Li Yu was outside the base, moving some dead trees back into the base.
The wood of some trees was actually very good, and some trees had very large diameters.
From the felled trees, Li Yu took out some, preparing to use them for arrow shafts. The arrowheads were made of steel; early on, when reinforcing the perimeter wall, he had already transported and stockpiled some steel from the building materials market.
Now it came in handy.
Li Yu stretched, having maintained one posture while making arrow shafts. As he stood up, his bones audibly cracked.
"Let's go, time to eat," Li Yu said with a smile, looking at everyone in front of him.
Xuan Xuan looked up, a faint smile on her face.
After entering the base, Xuan Xuan also became more optimistic and cheerful. Initially, she maintained a 'do not approach' demeanor; at that time, only Li Yu could earn her complete trust.
Later, in some classes, Xuan Xuan displayed good talent, especially in combat, as if she naturally possessed a certain ferocity.
However, she was still a child after all. With the companionship of her peers, Xuan Xuan also returned to how a child her age should be.
Yet, she occasionally showed a mature and decisive side. Xuan Xuan still liked to stay by Li Yu's side and was also making arrow shafts at this time.
After the New Year, at the age of nine, since she wanted to help, Li Yu was fine with it and let her assist.
Li Yu rubbed Xuan Xuan's head and then lifted Zhang Zhixing, his aunt's son, who was dozing off.
He carried him to the dining hall like that.
Zhang Zhixing was in a deep sleep, remaining unconscious even when Li Yu picked him up.
Seeing this, Li Yu chuckled, "This brat."
Zhang Zhixing inherited his aunt's personality, fearless and extremely bold. Crucially, he was carefree and insisted on coming along to make arrow shafts.
But once he arrived, he did nothing but sleep, and he had been sleeping ever since.
Li Yu thought that it seemed he needed to assign more homework to these younger siblings.
Dining hall.
Today's meal was spicy dried small fish. These dried small fish had been stockpiled a long time ago. Being cured, they had a very long shelf life.
Some cured hams can last for decades with no issues.
The spicy dried small fish, accompanied by shredded ginger, emitted an enticing aroma.
This dish was Li Yu's favorite. When encountering his favorite dish, he had to have some alcohol.
On the table, he placed a few catties of Old Bai Gan, and they all had a bit to drink.
Li Yu only had two taels, feeling slightly tipsy, and patted his full stomach.
He walked towards his room, having recently found some documentaries.
Watching these documentaries made him feel very peaceful.
There was a long-lost, ineffable feeling.
Li Yu had watched half of the documentary "Shadows Beneath the Iceberg" last time, and now he returned to his room to continue watching it.
He skillfully turned on the projector, reclined in his rattan chair, and turned on the air conditioner.
A gentle cool breeze blew, and Li Yu took a sip of water.
Then he looked at the screen. The flickering images on the screen were like a hypnotist's magic hand, making Li Yu's eyelids droop continuously.
The remote control in his hand dropped, and the rattan chair he lay in gently swayed.
The afternoon sun slowly climbed onto the room's windowsill.
He slept until two in the afternoon, for about an hour.
This sleep was exceptionally sound; he had no dreams and didn't wake up in between. It was very comfortable.
When he woke up, he felt incredibly happy.
Having a safe place, having wine to drink, delicious food to eat, and time to rest.
Life, could it be this beautiful?
It's just that sometimes people don't need much, but they want too much.
Desire can never be satisfied; if one always seeks more, then one will never experience this kind of relaxed joy.
He stood up, washed his face, and walked downstairs.
He had set a task for today: to continue making arrow shafts in the afternoon.
In the evening, in the base's square, 11-year-old cousin Xu Xiangchen, 10-year-old worker's daughter Wang Xiaoguo, Xuan Xuan, Li Peizhen, and other children around ten years old.
They were playing hopscotch in the middle.
At dusk, they hopped on one foot, step by step forward.
Throwing a stone, or just barely not touching the boundary, Xuan Xuan's eyes sparkled with joy: "Xiaoguozi, I'm going to occupy a square later too."
After speaking, she hopped forward step by step.
When she reached the last square, Xuan Xuan turned her back and tried to feel for it once. She didn't find it.
Then she tried a second time, still didn't find it. Xuan Xuan recalled where she had thrown the stone earlier, and with one last feel. Finally, she grasped the stone.
Xuan Xuan was overjoyed, her small face composed, trying to stay calm.
No more mistakes, she finally hopped out, success!
Then she threw it backward.
Thump!
It landed right in the middle square. This middle square was the most difficult to get, because it could create the biggest challenge for the opponent. For their own side, it was a bug.
Yes! Xuan Xuan jumped up and down on the spot!
Li Yu sat on a chair, watching the younger children playing.
His heart was filled with emotion.
He remembered that he once had such happy times too.
Hopscotch, dodgeball, spinning tops, marbles, playing with cardboard, picking up stones, Chinese checkers, 'Sanfen Guiyuan Qi' (a move from a martial arts novel), climbing trees and swimming in rivers, catching fish and shrimp, playing with mud...
Those happy memories flooded back. He was fortunate to have grown up in the countryside and had such experiences.
He remembered that on his way home, if he had a stick in his hand, all the small flowers along the road would be chopped down!
He remembered, at sunset, on the curb, playing 'picking up stones' with a group of friends.
He remembered playing hopscotch with the neighbor's elder and younger sisters, hopping and hopping.
