The next morning, when Xu Han got up early, the Taoist priest and Lu Chuan had already left. Upon hearing that the two had left, Xu Han couldn't help but sigh, "These two have such good spirit and stamina."

Everyone went to bed very late last night, so how come they can get up so early! Their self-control is amazing.

Yesterday, everyone went to bed around 1 a.m., but they got up again around 5 a.m.

This damn biological clock is absolutely unshakeable.

After getting up, Xu Han went to check on the chicken coop in the orchard as usual, then fed the chickens, ducks and geese, and picked some vegetables on her way back.

It's already September, and these vegetables are almost ready for harvest. I'll find some time another day to pull them all up and turn them over to prepare for planting winter vegetables.

Xu Han muttered to herself as she walked home.

After what happened yesterday, Xu Han closed the courtyard gate from the outside when she left, to prevent Ze'er from running out to play by himself.

My child is almost two years old, which is a fun time, but also a very mischievous one.

When Mu'er was two years old, she could read and learn to read with Grandpa Zhao, but when it came to Ze'er, she couldn't sit still at all. As soon as her bottom touched the stool, she immediately ran out.

Later, Xu Han forced him to sit down and study, but the effect was not very good. However, he persisted and studied for half an hour every day. No matter how much he learned, he just wanted to avoid becoming illiterate in the future.

The rest of the time, Ze'er was left to his own devices; as long as he wasn't hungry, thirsty, or injured, he was left alone.

The consequence of this was that Ze'er was always dirty, like a little beggar on the street, covered in mud, looking gray and old, like an old-fashioned child.

Xu Han usually couldn't bear to look at Ze'er; he was too dirty. She didn't know who he took after, since there was no one in her family who paid such little attention to hygiene!

It was obvious from a young age that Ze'er and Mu'er were completely different types of children.

One was gentle and refined, the other was like a mischievous monkey in the mountains...

Although she left Ze'er to his own devices, she didn't completely ignore him. As long as Ze'er didn't make any serious mistakes, Xu Han generally wouldn't beat him.

Lu Chuan and Xu Han's parenting methods for Ze'er are completely different from those for Mu'er. When Mu'er makes a mistake, they reason with her, while Ze'er just beats her up.

It wasn't that Xu Han was biased; she had tried to reason with Ze'er, but it was completely ineffective, and he didn't learn his lesson at all.

Later, Lu Chuan and Xu Han changed their approach. They would first tell him what he had done wrong, then beat him up, and then continue to reason with him.

It has to be said that Ze'er, who is only two years old, has been beaten quite a bit by Lu Chuan and Xu Han, because he is just too naughty.

He's been teasing the cats and dogs, and he's ruined everything in the house. If you're not careful, the livestock will suffer too.

Just a few days ago, Ze'er got a pair of scissors from somewhere and insisted on dragging Hongshu to cut its fur.

Sweet potato didn't want to be teased by its little owner, but it also couldn't hurt him, so it could only howl at the top of its lungs. Its cries were utterly pitiful…

Xu Han rushed over upon hearing the noise and saw Ze'er covered in dog hair, and sweet potatoes with hair cut off like they had been chewed by a dog.

Xu Han immediately flew into a rage, snatched the scissors, and started hitting the child.

From then on, all dangerous tools such as scissors in the house were kept high up, and put away properly after use to ensure that Ze'er could not get them.

This child is just too reckless and clumsy; Xu Han is afraid he might accidentally hurt himself.

Although Ze'er is very mischievous, it must be said that he is really smart, full of clever ideas, and his mind works very quickly.

He's so young, he often leaves Xu Han speechless. Xu Han is always quite helpless when it comes to Ze'er...

After Xu Han finished cleaning the house, Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest returned, dragging their small boat.

After placing the small boat in the backyard, Xu Han took out today's breakfast from her spatial storage, and the family began to enjoy a happy meal together.

After finishing their meal, Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest went to the entrance to dig a trap, and Xu Han went with them.

In recent years, none of them have gone down the mountain much. As time has passed, the entrance has become quite hidden, but it can still be found if you pay a little attention, since there are traces of where they have been before.

After Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest chose their spots, they began digging traps. However, considering that the people who came to the mountains were mostly farmers, the traps were not very dangerous. They were only meant to injure people and prevent them from moving forward, but not dangerous enough to kill them.

Xu Han observed the surroundings and said, "Setting a trap in this location is quite well hidden; you really wouldn't notice it if you didn't look carefully."

As Lu Chuan dug the traps, he pointed to the surrounding area and said, "We plan to dig several more traps around here, so that we can detect any movement in time."

"That's fine too. After all, we still need to keep working in the fields, and we can't keep looking this way every day. Making a few more traps wouldn't be bad either."

With the help of the trap, the group no longer needs to guard this place every day. Under normal circumstances, they only need to come once in the morning and once in the evening. However, in tense situations, it is safer to guard this place all the time.

Just like the current situation, who knows, one day those people in the mountains might be driven to desperation and continue to venture deeper into the mountains.

Just in case, and to ensure that we are aware of any danger in advance, it will be difficult for Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest to keep watch here for the next few days.

Once this period passes and the conscription turmoil subsides, everything will return to normal.

However, things obviously didn't go so smoothly. While Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest were focused on keeping watch, Grandpa Zhao received a letter from Yunhua.

When the group returned home, Grandpa Zhao was sitting in the main room with a serious expression, waiting for them.

When the three of them returned, they saw that Grandpa Zhao looked unwell and guessed that something must have happened again. They quietly moved a chair and sat down, waiting for Grandpa Zhao to speak.

“After you left, I received a letter from Yunhua.”

After Grandpa Zhao finished speaking, he handed the letter to the Taoist priest. The few words he wrote left the Taoist priest speechless.

Seeing that the Taoist priest remained silent, Lu Chuan took the letter from his hand, opened it, and read it with Xu Han. The short line of text on the letter was so oppressive that it made it hard to breathe.

"Our supplies were burned, and our army suffered heavy losses, losing two cities in succession."

Xu Han silently hugged her arms and said resignedly, "After waiting for so long, they're still going to attack in the end."

Grandpa Zhao stood up, put his hands behind his back, looked up at the sky outside, and said in a deep voice, "With this news coming out, the conscription of men down the mountain will definitely intensify. It's getting dark."