Although Mu'er had gotten up, she was still a little dazed.
Xu Han asked, "Mu'er, do you remember what you did this morning?"
"Father said yesterday that I'm going to practice martial arts with him today." Mu'er looked up and smiled sweetly at Xu Han.
"Mu'er is amazing! A real man keeps his word. You didn't cry this morning. You're incredible!" Xu Han praised.
Hearing her mother say that, Mu'er smiled even more happily.
Seeing this, Lu Chuan and Xu Han exchanged a glance, and both breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
In the end, Xu Han was still a little worried that Mu'er wouldn't adapt, so she got up with her.
Xu Han did not interfere with their training and studies. After getting up, she started cleaning the yard and feeding the livestock in the backyard.
As dawn broke, Xu Han took a bucket and went to water the flowers and plants in her yard.
After a period of recovery, the flowers planted earlier have all taken root and are now growing new branches and leaves.
Even the roses and other flowers that Xu Han had previously propagated have begun to take root and sprout.
Xu Han looked at the vibrant courtyard, her smile impossible to hide.
That's wonderful, soon we'll see a yard full of flowers.
After watering the flowers, Xu Han took her basket and went to the vegetable garden outside.
We picked all the vegetables that could be picked, including cucumbers, water spinach, and other leafy greens.
Pick everything that can be picked, and store the rest in the space until winter.
After Xu Han finished all that, they had also finished their martial arts practice.
Xu Han started making breakfast, while the Taoist priest and Lu Chuan took shovels to turn over the pile of manure they had previously piled up.
"This compost is even more than last time, and I think it'll be ready soon," Lu Chuan said while slurping down his porridge.
"Once it's fermented, transport some over to fertilize the fruit trees. We didn't use manure when we planted the fruit trees last time. Adding some manure will help the trunks grow thicker," Xu Han added.
"Yes, the manure we have now is more than enough. The cows, donkeys, chickens, ducks, geese and other animals at home produce a lot of manure every day."
A small pile can be accumulated in about half a month. Once gathered together, it can be composted once a month or every two months, providing a continuous supply.
"Yes, we don't lack manure at home now. We can use it wherever we need it, and we don't have to be stingy with it anymore," Grandpa Zhao said.
Then she continued, "There's nothing to do today. Didn't Xiaohan say she wanted to tear down the woodshed outside? Why don't we start tearing it down today? It's not very big, we'll finish in no time."
“Okay, after the demolition is finished, we’ll start repairing the backyard. First, we’ll pave the entire backyard with bluestone slabs so we won’t have to walk in the mud on rainy days,” the Taoist priest replied.
“Yes, the roads outside also need to be renovated. Here’s what I’m thinking, see if it’s feasible,” Xu Han replied.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Xu Han, signaling her to speak quickly.
Xu Han didn't keep them in suspense and said, "The entire backyard will be paved with bluestone slabs, so we can dry grains and such in the backyard."
I also want to build a small fish pond in a corner of the backyard, specifically to raise some small fish for fun.
As for the roads outside, the area at the entrance of the courtyard is paved with bluestone slabs, and a ring of bluestone slabs is also laid around the courtyard wall to make it easier for us to go outside the courtyard wall.
I want to use bluestone slabs to enclose and block the path around the entrance, so that when it rains, the mud from the ground won't wash out and flow onto the road.
The path was paved entirely with bluestone slabs to resemble stairs, so as to prevent people from slipping and falling on rainy days.
Of course, to make it easier for the oxcart to move, we paved sloping flagstones on both sides according to the size of the oxcart, and built stairs in the middle for people to walk on. (Refer to the stairs at the entrance of a residential area or the stairs in a scenic area.)
This way, it's convenient for people to walk on, and vehicles can also pass through to transport goods. This is my idea; what do you think? Are there any improvements needed?
Xu Han said a lot in one breath, and then quietly waited for everyone's reaction.
“I think the way Xiaohan just mentioned is very convenient to repair. It allows carts to pass through and has stairs. Most importantly, rainwater won’t wash mud onto the road when it rains,” Grandpa Zhao was the first to agree.
“I agree with that. It would be nice to pave the entire backyard with bluestone slabs. We can move all the millstones and such to the backyard, and then just plant some flowers and plants in the front yard.”
"Yes, we are all farmers, we don't follow the ways of wealthy families, turning our courtyards into small bridges and flowing water, and connecting corridors and pavilions."
"The whole area will be paved with bluestone slabs, and things will be placed to the sides, just like our front yard now. The middle area will be left open, which will be convenient for drying corn or rice when needed," Lu Chuan replied.
“That’s what I think too. Let’s not go for anything too fancy. That kind of thing is useless to us. Let’s do something that suits us.” Xu Han agreed.
“Alright, paving the open space outside the courtyard with bluestone slabs would be nice. I’ve been annoyed by that open space for a long time. Whenever it rains, it’s all mud outside the courtyard. If you want to see outside, you have to stand inside the courtyard. Every extra step you take, you step into the mud.” The Taoist priest said with a look of enthusiasm.
"Haha, what a coincidence, it turns out I'm not the only one who thinks this way."
“This will greatly increase our workload; it definitely won’t be finished in less than a month or two,” Xu Han reminded us.
"What's the big deal? The crops are all planted in the fields now, and we can't go into the mountains to hunt. I don't think there will be anything to gather in the mountains in the first half of this year. It just so happens that we have time to repair these things."
"Yes, Old Zhao is right. Although it is a bit troublesome and the amount of work is not small, it will be more convenient for us after all the repairs are completed."
Moreover, we don't have much to do right now; apart from weeding, there's nothing else to do.
We can't go to the county town to work and earn money like those who live nearby, so we're just idle people, aren't we?
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing what the Taoist priest said.
"Alright, it's settled then. After we finish eating, we'll start dismantling the woodshed first. Then we'll start quarrying bluestone slabs. Once we've quarried all the bluestone slabs, we'll begin paving the ground," Grandpa Zhao decided.
"Okay, then I'll be in charge of everyone's meals for a while, making sure everyone eats and drinks well and has the energy to work."
“We’re not in a rush. We have plenty of time. The weather is getting hotter and hotter. We’ll work in the mornings and evenings when it’s cooler. If we can’t finish in a month, we’ll do it in two months. If we can’t finish in two months, we’ll do it in half a year,” Lu Chuan said.
"Lu Chuan is right. There's no rush to finish it. Prioritize your health. Take a break when you're tired. There's no need to rush. You can finish it whenever you want."
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