It's already May in the blink of an eye. The crops in the fields are slowly turning from green to yellow, and then they are becoming more and more plump. They are ready to be harvested soon.
Early that morning, Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest went to the bamboo forest. Before the busy farming season began, they took the time to cut some bamboo and weave some baskets and winnowing trays for use during the busy farming season.
Since not much bamboo was needed, Xu Han didn't go with them. The Taoist priest and Lu Chuan each brought back two bamboo poles, which was enough.
Xu Han got up early and went to the orchard. She emptied the water from the chicken trough and refilled it with clean water. She also took out some ground corn kernels from her spatial storage and threw them on the ground for the chickens to pick up and eat.
After feeding the chickens, Xu Han went downstream to the duck farm, fed them, and then started walking back.
When we got to the fishpond, we threw some old wild vegetables into it to feed the fish.
Xu Han glanced at the lotus flowers and leaves in the pond next to her. They were growing quite well, so she picked some lotus buds and leaves to take home and put in a vase later.
It's not yet the time for lotus flowers to bloom, but the pond is full of lotus buds, which is the perfect time for flower arranging.
Xu Han had been walking around her neighborhood for a long time early in the morning, and when she returned home, she was covered in a light sweat.
Although the weather isn't too hot yet, walking this lap still took a lot of energy, and you inevitably start to sweat after walking for a while.
When Xu Han got home, she saw that Grandpa Zhao had already returned from picking vegetables in the garden. She went to the bathroom by herself, intending to change into some dry clothes and wipe off the sweat.
"Grandpa Zhao, what would you like for breakfast?"
While picking vegetables, Grandpa Zhao replied to Xu Han, "It's too hot. Let's cook some porridge first. Xiao Chuan and the Taoist priest should be back soon. We can have some pickles and pancakes together then."
Xu Han glanced at the green peppers in the basket next to Grandpa Zhao, and picked up a tender one. "Then I'll go marinate some green pepper strips, so they'll be perfectly seasoned when they come back."
"Okay, go ahead and pickle a lot. Tender green peppers taste best when pickled."
After Grandpa Zhao finished speaking, he picked out a handful of tender green peppers from the basket next to him. Xu Han took them and they went to the backyard to wash them together.
Cut the washed green peppers into thin strips, then add an appropriate amount of salt and marinate for a while. After the green peppers have softened, drain the water from them.
Add a suitable amount of light soy sauce and MSG to the shredded green peppers, along with plenty of sesame oil, and marinate for a while. After about half an hour, a plate of pickled green peppers is ready.
During the meal, the Taoist priest kept picking up green peppers and pickled vegetables with his chopsticks, saying, "These green peppers taste really good, they're crunchy, and they're perfect for summer."
Grandpa Zhao moved the green peppers closer to himself, stopping the Taoist priest from eating any more. "Even the most delicious food shouldn't be eaten like this! One bite after another, if you eat too much salty food, you'll be drinking water soon."
"Hmph, stingy." Although the Taoist priest said this, he didn't pick up any more green pepper strips.
After finishing his porridge, Lu Chuan slowly said, "I just discussed it with the Taoist priest. We plan to go down the mountain later to check the situation and inquire about some information."
Hearing this, Xu Han looked up and said, "Are you in such a hurry? It's already this late. Why don't we go tomorrow?"
"It's not late. Xiao Chuan and I are fast walkers, we'll definitely be home before dark."
"Yes, we'll inquire about the situation at the foot of the mountain. If we don't have enough time, we won't go to the county town."
Xu Han bit her lip, looking worried. "Alright then, be careful. I heard that the court conscripts men during wartime, so you'd better be careful."
The Taoist priest joked, "Hahaha, who told you all this, girl? Don't worry, it's not time yet. Besides, with Xiao Chuan's skills, who could catch him? And we're just going down the mountain to check things out. It'll be fine."
Lu Chuan also comforted her, saying, "Honey, don't worry, I'll definitely come back safe and sound."
Xu Han realized she had worried too much, and after blushing for a while, she simply stomped her foot and left the place, saying, "I'll go prepare the things you'll need to go down the mountain."
After saying that, she walked away without looking back. When Ze'er saw that his mother had left, he quickly climbed down from his little high chair and chased after Xu Han.
Just as Xu Han finished packing her things, Lu Chuan and the Taoist priest also prepared their bows and arrows. Lu Chuan took the bundle from Xu Han's hands, and the two of them walked down the mountain one after the other.
When they came down from the mountain, it was already around 9:30 in the morning. The two of them quickly walked towards the main road, but they didn't see many people along the way.
"Strange, the summer harvest is about to begin, shouldn't the fields be full of people? Why is it so quiet?"
The Taoist priest also sensed something was wrong. After standing still, he gestured for Lu Chuan to be quiet, and then listened carefully to the sounds around him.
"Someone's there? A lot of people. Let's go, let's hide first."
Upon hearing this, Lu Chuan quickly followed the Taoist priest and hid in the bushes on both sides of the official road.
After waiting for about ten minutes, I could hear a group of people walking towards us from afar.
Upon closer listening, it sounded like the voice of an official, constantly urging the travelers to hurry on their way.
One of the officers shouted, “Now is the time when the country needs you. You must not lag behind and must hurry on your way. If you are slow, the enemy will breach the city. Your families will also be in danger. None of us want our parents, wives, and children to be in danger. So we must hurry to the front line and drive away the evil people who invade our country. Only in this way can we protect our parents, wives, and children behind us.”
Another official chimed in, “That’s right. If our country is gone, our parents, wives, and children won’t be able to live a peaceful life. Only by protecting our country can we have a better future.”
Only when he got closer could Lu Chuan see clearly that these were military personnel.
However, these all appear to be new recruits, and recruits who have not received any training whatsoever.
The officers who just spoke were probably the ones responsible for taking these new recruits to the front lines.
The procession was vast, with a large number of people, probably around ten or twenty thousand. It took them nearly twenty minutes to disappear from Lu Chuan's sight.
After everyone had passed, Lu Chuan patted the weeds off his clothes and walked out of the bushes by the roadside with the Taoist priest.
Lu Chuan glanced at the people who had walked away and said, "These should all be newly recruited soldiers, and there are quite a few of them. But why aren't there any convoys transporting supplies?"
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