Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a week had passed. During those seven days, Xu Da and his two sons had diligently tilled the soil, finally completing the task of tilling five or six mu of land. Now, the land had been irrigated, and all that was left was for the seedlings to grow and be planted.

Back at the farm, Old Lady Xu and Zhang had already established a good relationship with the chickens, ducks, and geese. Ever since Old Lady Xu began slaughtering one chicken, duck, and goose daily, the animals had learned to avoid them. Now, Old Lady Xu and Zhang were no longer as panicked as before, and were able to skillfully guide away the few remaining ferocious animals.

Old Man Xu continued to check the surveillance equipment daily to ensure everything was functioning properly. After Xu Ning and Xu Yuan resolved the surveillance issue, they double-checked it. In the days that followed, they were like two bricks, helping out wherever they were needed.

As the afternoon sun gradually sank into the west, dusk fell. Xu Yuan stopped her cart, which was filled with livestock manure, and poured it into the fermentation tank. Then, she scooped a few scoops of clean water to rinse the cart and pushed it back to the farm.

"Yuanyuan, stop it. Go wash up and call them back for dinner." A fragrant aroma wafted from the kitchen, making everyone's mouth water. Xu Yuan nodded, paused, gently pounded her sore arms, and turned to walk towards the planting area. Her steps were light, as if filled with an indescribable joy.

When Xu Yuan was halfway there, he suddenly saw a small figure in front of him. It was Xu Ning, who was carefully carrying a small bucket. There seemed to be something alive in it, jumping around from time to time.

When he got closer, Xu Yuan was pleasantly surprised to find that the bucket was filled with several large yellow eels. These eels were golden in color, with thick bodies, and looked very tempting.

"Aunt Yuan, we caught some big yellow eels this afternoon! We're having yellow eel stew tonight!" Xu Feng jumped out from behind Xu Ning and said to Xu Yuan excitedly. His face was covered in mud, and his clothes were filthy, as if he had just fought a fierce battle in the mud.

Xu Yuan couldn't help laughing. She looked back and saw Xu Da and Xu An approaching one after another. Each of them was covered in mud, but their faces were filled with happiness and satisfaction.

"Okay!" Xu Yuan nodded happily, a bright smile blooming on her face. Her eyes curved into crescent shapes, like two shining stars.

Seeing this, Xu Ning pushed the bucket to Xu Feng, then took Xu Yuan's arm, and the two walked together in front, followed by Xu Da, Xu An carrying tools and Xu Feng carrying a small bucket.

The setting sun became redder and redder, as if it was burned by a raging fire. The gorgeous rays of light were like a golden gauze draped over the people returning home together, forming a colorful watercolor painting.

The huge machinery not far away was still working tirelessly, making bursts of roaring sounds. The fortress that Xu Ning wanted already had a preliminary model.

As they returned to their temporary tent, Mrs. Zhang had already arranged the dishes and chopsticks neatly, and Mrs. Xu was putting vegetables and soup into everyone's bowls.

Smelling the familiar fragrance, Xu Feng didn't care about the dirt on his body. He washed his hands, picked up a bowl of hot food and started eating.

"Grandma, the soup you cooked is so delicious. I feel like I'm getting fat!" Xu Ning took a sip of the soup from the bowl, narrowed his eyes, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face, and he sighed.

"It's better to be a little fatter. Grandma won't dislike you." Seeing Xu Ning's smiling face, Old Mrs. Xu's mood improved. She handed the chopsticks to Old Man Xu who was sitting next to her, and then picked up the bowl in front of her.

"But grandma, what if I become a fat man weighing 200 kilograms? What if I can't walk then?" Xu Ning frowned and looked at Grandma Xu with pretended distress.

"I'm impressed that you can grow so fat." When Old Mrs. Xu heard what Xu Ning said, she rolled her eyes and felt speechless.

"That's right, isn't it a blessing?" Xu Ning smiled, revealing two deep dimples, and continued to lower his head to gnaw on a piece of meat.

Old Mrs. Xu looked at her heartless appearance and was too lazy to say anything to her.

Xu Ning was eating meat while talking to Old Lady Xu when he suddenly remembered the eels in the bucket. His eyes lit up, "Grandma, let's make eel porridge tonight. We're going to start planting rice in two days, so we need to nourish ourselves!"

"Isn't a chicken, duck, or goose a day enough for you? You're such a foodie! Even a pig can't eat as much as you do!" Old Mrs. Xu couldn't help but complain.

"Hehe, grandma, you're the best. We'll just eat a little bit, not too much~" Xu Ning rubbed his arm against Grandma Xu and acted coquettishly.

Old Mrs. Xu was amused by her and looked at her face unhappily, "I really can't do anything with you!"

"Thank you, grandma!" Xu Ning smiled happily.

After dinner, Xu An and Xu Fenglei continued to study in the tent, while Xu Ning and other members of the Xu family sat outside the tent and chatted in low voices.

"I don't know how Sister Pei is doing. I haven't contacted the business in the north for almost a month." Xu Ning stared at the half-moon in a daze. Old Mrs. Xu was holding a palm-leaf fan in her hand, waving it one after another to drive away the flying insects attracted by the firelight.

"I don't know where Brother Feng has gone. He has not left the mountains at this time." Xu Da also started muttering. Zhang next to him was mending clothes that no one knew who had worn them. When she heard Xu Da's words, she just looked up and then lowered her head to continue.

After Xu Yuan finished massaging Old Man Xu's meridians, he turned and asked Xu Ning, "Ningning, do you need me to go out and take a look?"

"No, wait a little longer. The most important thing is not done yet. Let's wait until our home is ready, then we can go out and take a look. There is no rush." ​​Besides, after the flood, who knows how chaotic the situation will be outside, Xu Ning shook his head and said.

Xu Yuan nodded. She knew that Xu Ning was right. The most important thing for them now was to clean up the valley. Other things could be taken care of slowly.

Old Lady Xu looked at Xu Ning beside her and found that Xu Ning's eyes were a little worried, so she comforted him, "Don't worry too much, Ning girl. Jiaojiao and the others are very capable people. They will be fine."

Xu Ning sighed and said, "Grandma, I'm a little worried about Old Man Qin. The flood is so severe, many places have been destroyed, and I don't know how many dangers they will encounter on the road. And Sister Pei, the enemy has been hiding in the dark, and I don't know if they will take advantage of this flood to do anything."

Xu Yuan patted Xu Ning's shoulder and said, "Ningning, don't worry, they will definitely be able to overcome the difficulties. We should also believe in their abilities."

Xu Ning nodded, feeling a little relieved.

The most important thing is that there is no point in her worrying. What is going to happen will eventually happen. It is better to take it easy.

"She just doesn't eat enough, so you're just worrying about it. Boss, go kill those eels and make eel porridge later."

"Why!"