With two fewer people in the house, the once lively courtyard instantly became quiet and deserted.
And so life went on day after day, and before we knew it, another year had passed.
Xu Han finished her postpartum confinement in late December. Because she took good care of herself during her confinement period, she not only did not lose weight from taking care of her child, but her complexion became even more rosy, and she also seemed to have gained weight.
Since Xu Han finished her postpartum confinement, she has gradually taken on the responsibility of caring for Mu'er and has also started to take over the household chores.
However, apart from cooking, Xu Han didn't need to lift a finger for any of the other chores; Lu Chuan could handle them all on his own.
If all else fails, Grandpa Zhao and the Taoist priest will be there to help!
Besides, there's no other work to do at home right now.
Because of the drought, the crops in the fields cannot be planted, and apart from three meals a day and cleaning, there is nothing else to do.
This year, Yunhua and Zhao Yunyun were not present for the New Year. In addition, Xu Han had just finished her postpartum confinement, the situation outside was not good, and water was scarce, so the group did not prepare as many things as they had last year.
The four of them had a simple meal that was a little more substantial than usual, and that marked the end of the New Year.
Of course, the usual customs were not abandoned, but not as much food was prepared as usual.
Unlike previous years, this year the family has a new member, Mu'er. As the youngest member of the family, Mu'er is naturally loved by everyone.
Everyone prepared New Year's gifts for Mu'er. Xu Han and Lu Chuan, who were becoming parents for the first time, were no exception, and each of them gave Mu'er lucky money.
However, it did not rain during the New Year period this year, and the sun still shone high in the sky every day.
Not long after the New Year, the temperature gradually rose.
In February, the heat was already unbearable, and the drought in the deep mountains was getting worse.
The earth was cracked open with huge fissures, and looking ahead, it looked like a giant dragon coiling on the earth, which was quite terrifying.
If it's already like this deep in the mountains, the situation down below must be even worse.
Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest, who were always concerned about the situation outside, even made a special trip down the mountain to find out what was happening.
The two people said that there were almost no people living at the foot of the mountain, and even the county town was deserted.
The soldiers who were originally stationed in the county town have also disappeared.
It seems that the county town has run out of water and people can no longer live there!
If even the county where Xu Han lives is in this situation, then the situation in the cities to the north must be even worse.
People can survive without food, but they cannot survive without water.
As for the foot of the mountain, there was not a trace of greenery; all the vegetation had withered and died, and the view ahead was desolate, as if no one had ever lived there.
The cracks in the earth were far more terrifying than those in the mountains. Just looking at them sent chills down my spine.
When Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest came down the mountain, it was only March, but now it's May, the weather is hotter, and the situation is worse than before.
“We’re out of water at home. Let’s go to the valley to get some tomorrow!” Lu Chuan suddenly mentioned during dinner.
"Well, let's go check the situation first. There wasn't much water left when we went last time. I wonder how much water we can bring back this time," Xu Han said.
"I'll stay home with Mu'er tomorrow, you guys go together! It'll be faster that way," Grandpa Zhao said.
“That’s fine too. It’s too hot in this weather. Mu’er will only suffer if he goes with us. It’s better for him to stay at home. What if he gets sunburned?” the Taoist priest agreed.
"Okay, then I'll cook some more mung bean soup when I go to sleep later, so I can drink it on the road tomorrow," Xu Han said.
"Okay, cook more! Keep it in the space and drink it slowly. Cooking in this weather is unbearable, I can't stand being in the kitchen."
"It's a good thing we have space, otherwise our lives would be so difficult. Without space, we simply couldn't survive in these deep mountains."
"Hahaha, the girl is right. If there were no space, we would have escaped long ago and wouldn't be staying here at all."
“Maybe Mu’er isn’t even here now!” Lu Chuan added.
"Yes, if we were fleeing famine, we would definitely not have Mu'er now that things have just settled down."
Mu'er is now over five months old and can grasp things with her hands. Her favorite thing to play with every day is the rattle drum that the Taoist priest made for her. Once she has it in her hand, no one can take it back.
Five-month-old Mu'er looks much thinner than before, but she has indeed gained a lot of weight.
She's grown up a lot since then, and more importantly, Mu'er looks especially cute now. She's the kind of girl that makes you want to kiss her. She's very endearing and loves to smile.
Five-month-old Mu'er is now able to sit up for short periods of time on her own.
Xu Han sewed a super large grass mat out of cloth, and lined it with some old cotton inside. It was soft and would prevent Mu'er's skin from getting scratched, so that Mu'er could use it as a crawling mat.
Every day when it's hot, we put Mu'er in the main room, close the door, put ice in the room, and everyone plays with Mu'er.
Or they could put Mu'er on the playmat and let him play by himself, while Lu Chuan and the others would get together to play mahjong and chat.
Since Mu'er grew up, the room has been filled with his things, all kinds of toys and his little clothes.
In a short time, the layout and arrangement of the house changed drastically, all centered around Mu'er.
Xu Han was particularly worried about holding him every day. As Mu'er got older and heavier, although it was comfortable to hold him, her arms would ache terribly after holding him for a long time.
Xu Han couldn't hold him for very long; she was just too tired.
The key point is that Mu'er only likes Xu Han to hold him. He doesn't cry or fuss when Xu Han isn't around. But as soon as he sees Xu Han, he immediately wants her to hold him. If Xu Han doesn't hold him, he cries endlessly.
Lu Chuan had tried a lot to correct him, but it had no effect. He wouldn't cry when Xu Han wasn't around, but he would insist on being held by Xu Han as soon as he saw her.
Unfortunately, this was the only option left. After all, Mu'er was usually quite well-behaved, never crying or making a fuss, and would happily cooperate with anyone who teased him.
To ease Xu Han's fatigue, Lu Chuan specially made a baby stroller for her, just as she had requested.
When it's not hot in the evening, Xu Han would push Mu'er around in the yard.
However, due to the drought, there was nothing in the yard, so Xu Han could only push Mu'er around and follow the dog around.
The dogs also doted on their little owner, hanging around Mu'er every day.
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