Compared to the harsh conditions at Harmony Garden, the atmosphere at Li Yu's farm base was relatively relaxed.
The water from the well, being drawn from deep underground, did not pose much of a problem for drinking.
Accessing deep groundwater manually is quite inconvenient, but fortunately, there is ample electricity in the base to power water pumps, making it as convenient as tap water.
In fact, it could be achieved without electricity if the water pressure was sufficient.
With decent water purifiers installed, the water could be drunk directly if one isn't too particular.
However, with elderly at home, a lot of boiled water is often made, sometimes adding various herbs from the mountains that help reduce bodily heat, improve eyesight, prevent heat stroke, and so on.
In the post-apocalyptic world, many people see the elderly as a burden, as was the case even before the apocalypse, treating the elderly as a liability.
But this isn't necessarily the case; many elderly people, having experienced much, often offer advice filled with simple wisdom.
Especially the elderly from rural areas, who have lived through turbulent times, know how to survive and how to utilize everything in the forests.
Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure.
It is nothing but the truth.
At noon, the smoke from cooking rose early at the base.
Li Yu, outside the base, carried some dead trees back to the base.
Some of the trees were actually of very good quality, and some had quite large diameters.
From the harvested trees, Li Yu took some to make arrow feathers, with steel used for the arrowheads, which he had stockpiled early on from construction markets during the initial wall fortification.
Now was the perfect time to use them.
Li Yu stretched lazily, having been in one position while making arrows, and now stood up, his bones cracking.
"Let's go, time to eat," Li Yu said smilingly to the people in front of him.
Xuanxuan looked up and smiled.
After entering the base, Xuanxuan became more optimistic and cheerful. Initially, she had an unapproachable demeanor, only fully trusting Li Yu.
Later, in some classes, Xuanxuan showed good talent, especially in Martial Arts, as if she had an intrinsic fierceness.
However, she was still a child, and with the company of peers, Xuanxuan returned to acting her age.
Yet, she occasionally showed a mature and decisive side, still liking to stay by Li Yu's side, also crafting arrow feathers at this time.
As the year passed, at the age of 9, since she wanted to help, Li Yu let her lend a hand.
Li Yu rubbed Xuanxuan's head and picked up Zhang Zhixing, his aunt's son, who was dozing off.
Carrying him directly to the dining area.
Zhang Zhixing slept deeply, still asleep even when Li Yu lifted him.
Seeing this, Li Yu remarked with a laugh: "This naughty boy."
Zhang Zhixing inherited his aunt's fearless personality, unusually bold and carefree, insisting on helping to make arrows.
But then did nothing but sleep, right up to now.
Li Yu thought, it seems necessary to increase the homework for these younger siblings.
Today's dish was spicy dried fish, a delicacy stockpiled long ago; such preserved food has a long shelf life.
Some cured hams could last for decades without any issue.
Spicy dried fish, accompanied by shredded ginger, was aromatic.
This dish was Li Yu's favorite, and upon encountering his favorite dish, some alcohol was a must.
At the table, they drank a few pounds of laobaigan (sorghum liquor), just a little bit.
Li Yu drank just two liangs (a traditional measurement of weight, about 50g each), slightly tipsy, then patted his full belly.
As he walked to his room, he recently uncovered some documentaries.
These documentaries, while watching, always brought him a tranquil state of mind.
A long-lost, ineffable feeling surged through him.
"Shadows Beneath the Iceberg," a documentary that Li Yu watched halfway last time, and now he returned to his room to continue.
Expertly turning on the projector, Li Yu reclined on a rattan chair and switched on the air conditioner.
A gentle breeze blew as Li Yu sipped some water.
As he looked at the screen, the flickering images, like the beguiling hand of a hypnotist, made his eyelids increasingly droopy.
The remote in his hand accidentally fell, as he lay there, the rattan chair gently swaying.
The afternoon sunlight slowly crawled onto the windowsill of the room.
He slept until two in the afternoon, roughly an hour.
That nap was unusually restful, dreamless and undisturbed. Very comfortable.
Upon waking, he felt immensely happy.
An assurance of a safe place, the availability of drinks, good food, and time to rest.
Isn't life beautifully simple?
Yet sometimes, people need little, but desire too much.
Desires can never truly be satisfied; continually seeking more means one can never experience this type of relaxed happiness.
He stood up, washed his face, and headed downstairs.
Today he had scheduled a task; he needed to continue making arrow shafts this afternoon.
In the evening, at the base's square, 11-year-old cousin Xu Xiangchen, 10-year-old worker's daughter Wang Xiaoguo, Xuanxuan, and Li Peizhen along with other children around the age of ten.
They were playing hopscotch at the center.
At dusk, they hopped on one foot, moving forward step by step.
Throwing a stone, or barely missing the boundary, Xuanxuan's eyes sparkled with joy, "Xiaoguo, I want to claim a square later too."
After saying that, she hopped forward step by step.
Reaching the last square, Xuanxuan turned around, then reached down with her hand to feel for it. She didn't touch it.
Then the second try still didn't succeed. Xuanxuan recalled where she had thrown the stone just now, reached down one last time, and finally, she caught the stone.
Xuanxuan was extremely pleased. She straightened up her little face, trying to remain calm.
No more mistakes were made, and finally, she hopped out successfully!
Then she threw the stone backward.
It landed perfectly in the middle square, the most challenging square because it could create the biggest trouble for the opponent. For her, it was a game-changer.
Yes! Xuanxuan jumped up and down on the spot with joy!
Li Yu, sitting on a chair, watched the younger children play.
He couldn't help but feel sentimental.
He remembered having such happy times himself.
Playing hopscotch, throwing sandbags, spinning tops, playing marbles, tossing cardboard, picking up stones, playing checkers, climbing trees, fetching water, catching fish and shrimps, playing in the mud...
Those joyous times from his memories came flooding back; he felt fortunate to have lived through such experiences in a rural village.
He remembered, on the way home, if he had a stick in hand, he would chop at every little flower on the way!
He remembered, as the sun set, playing on the roadside with a bunch of friends, scooping up pebbles.
He remembered playing hopscotch with the neighborhood girls, jumping and jumping unceasingly.