After drinking some water, that oppressive heat sensation throughout his body was swept clean away.
Suddenly, he saw, under the illumination of the surrounding flashlights.
Yutong’s face under the orange tree was hazy, her stunning visage becoming even more enchanting under the soft light.
He quietly watched her.
Sensing something, Yutong turned her head and met Li Yu’s intense gaze, giving him a disdainful roll of her eyes.
Li Yu stepped forward and hugged Yutong from behind, asking her, "Is today convenient?"
"Huh?" Yutong was a bit puzzled but then she quickly realized what he meant.
Li Yu knew that Yutong was just being shy.
He smiled, not minding, as this sort of thing did not require her consent.
For now, the priority was to harvest the crops and fruits first.
With the combined efforts of over two hundred people, they finally managed to harvest all the melons, fruits, and vegetables both inside and outside the base.
Taking advantage of the darkness, they allotted their respective tasks.
Once the dozens of acres of rice fields were harvested, the remaining straw would be very useful.
After the volcanic eruption, this rice would be used to feed cattle, sheep, and even fish.
And the wood ash could later be used to make rice snacks.
Bundles of straw were tied up and then placed upright in the fields. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ N0veI.Fiɾe.net
After cutting off the water supply from the reservoir and Mountain Pond to the fields, it would take less than a week for the water in the paddies to evaporate completely.
This time, they harvested 5 tons of navel oranges alone. And along with the other fruits and vegetables, the total yield was 10 tons.
Navel oranges, even under normal conditions, can be preserved for quite some time, but still, half of them were to be processed further.
Some were sliced, others were peeled and placed in glass jars with a bit of sugar added.
The peeled orange skins weren’t wasted.
Orange peel is mainly used for its ability to produce a quick and powerful effect, to break up phlegm, settle nausea, aid digestion, counteract alcohol toxicity, and kill fish and crab toxins.
Moreover, dried orange peel is a valuable Chinese medicinal herb.
Stored after drying, if symptoms like excessive phlegm and cough arise, an appropriate amount of orange peel can be used to make tea for effective relief.
These peeled orange skins are also laid out on the concrete ground, waiting for the next day’s harsh sunlight to bake them dry with the more than fifty-degree heat of daytime; they will be dried out in a single day.
Some vegetables were taken to a cold storage, but the majority were placed in a huge pickling cellar.
Fresh vegetables are incredibly valuable.
But they always managed to have them, thanks to the underground planting base that produces various vegetables round-the-clock.
Despite this, influenced by Li Yu, the people of the base always engage in some form of hoarding.
Hoarding more vegetables makes them feel secure in their hearts.
Tens of tons of rice occupied every inch of the concrete ground within and outside the Outer City.
The other residents of the base had cleaned these concrete surfaces scrupulously.
During the sun-drenching process, there would be fewer stones mixed in, resulting in less waste from the rice hullers and during the rice winnowing process.
For the children in the base, this was something akin to a holiday.
With everyone in the base lending a hand, they were never short on manpower.
The base lit up as brightly as daylight at night.
They ran through the woods, laughing and playing.
Playing hide and seek in the dimmer spots,
Picking fruits in the orchard;
Helping to tie rice straw into scarecrows;
Playing hopscotch on the concrete road before the damp rice was spread out;
It was a night of harvest, and a night of joy.
This night was unforgettable for the children, and likewise for the everyone else.
Everyone worked busily until past five in the morning before all the tasks were completed.
The sun rose early; by five in the morning, the sky had already brightened.
After a night of activity, people went back to their homes to sleep.
The Hongri, the sun, ascended.
Turning the cement-laid golden rice even brighter and more golden.
Li Yu’s room was not solely occupied by him; Yutong was also there.
Li Yu quietly extracted himself, getting up from the bed.
He covered Yutong with the blanket; the air conditioning in the room made it feel somewhat chilly.
He stepped out onto the balcony and lit a cigarette.
He was full of vigor; ever since his rebirth, the most notable change was that he didn’t need many hours of sleep, yet his body remained energetic.
However, Li Yu did not waste his physical well-being, on the contrary, he maintained a routine of normal sleep and daily exercise,
Such deliberate practice kept him in good shape and full of energy.
Li Yu gazed out of the window, seeing the hot mists visible to the naked eye, as if one was truly in a sauna.
The water from the rice fields almost seemed to boil, white mist rising into the air.
"Today, it’s much hotter than yesterday," Li Yu murmured to himself upon seeing this scene.
The excavation of the caves was basically complete, and now they were undertaking consolidation work to ensure their safety.
Due to the extreme heat, recent construction work within the base had been carried out primarily at night.
And lately, He Chao and his team had not gone out to collect new materials, as the base currently had a sufficient stockpile of building materials.
Except for those still on duty outside, there were no personnel left outside at the moment; everyone had returned inside the base’s Outer City.
After smoking a cigarette, Li Yu looked at the still-sleeping Yutong but did not wake her. Instead, he tiptoed downstairs to the small kitchen in his villa, made some simple food, ate, and then left a portion for Yutong in the refrigerator.