During this period, the villagers of Yu Village were busy to the point of being rushed off their feet, yet everyone wore a satisfied expression on their faces.
After storing this batch of rice in the warehouse, Yu Village organized a celebration.
The main dish of the day was pure white rice.
Not only the villagers but even Yu Su, when he took the first bite of rice, almost shed tears.
After such a long time, he had finally eaten the rice he had been longing for day and night.
Paired with dishes stir-fried in a large iron pot and simmered soup, he even had three helpings of rice.After eating, sprawled in a warm place to bask in the sun, no one wanted to move, and everyone had a drowsy look.
Lu Yan walked over and put a straw hat on his head.
Yu Su took it off and teased, "Did you make this up? It looks much better than the one I made."
Before harvesting the crops, the sun was scorching, so Yu Su taught the skill of weaving straw hats. A large area of reeds south of the village was harvested, and now everyone in the village wore a straw hat on their heads, although some looked too ugly to bear, and some looked decent.
Among them, the one Yu Su got was considered the most successful.
Lu Yan nodded, "It's for you."
Yu Su happily accepted it, acknowledging Lu Yan's effort in mastering the skill. "Thanks, I really like it."
He put the hat back on his head and leisurely basked in the sun.
Lu Yan leaned beside him, also soaking up the sun.
From clearing the mountain road in early spring until now, a whole year had passed, and unknowingly it was almost late summer, approaching autumn.
But in less than a year, for Lu Yan, it was more fulfilling than the past decade.
All of this was brought by Yu Su by his side.
He hoped to stay with Yu Su forever and not be rejected.
"Lie down a bit, it's too hot," Yu Su's voice came from under the straw hat.
Lu Yan's fiery temperament was fine in winter when they slept together on a kang, but in the hot summer, it was unnecessary to be so close. Lu Yan had just thought about not being rejected, but he was immediately rejected by Yu Su, feeling a bit wronged as he moved away slightly, but only a little.
Yu Su glanced at him and was speechless, not knowing what to say.
"I mean, do you have to stick so close to me?" Yu Su asked.
"You feel cool," Lu Yan replied.
Yu Su couldn't be bothered to argue with him and moved to a different position.
Lu Yan looked at him, wanting to get closer again but gave up after meeting Yu Su's warning gaze.
After harvesting the crops, Yu Su built a large waterwheel upstream near the village's big river, diverting the river water into the village. Bamboo rafts were used to create water pipes that entered each household. The villagers celebrated when they finally had water at their homes.
After these six months of reconstruction, Yu Village had undergone a tremendous change.
Not only were the underground drainage channels completed, but each house was also renovated and expanded.
The foundations were raised, wooden floors were laid, windows were added, and functional areas were subdivided inside.
The village roads were widened and leveled, paved with stone slabs, and seeds of small grass were scattered in the gaps to prevent soil erosion. After a few rains, the gaps were filled with lush grass.
The children in the village loved running barefoot on the stone-paved roads, from one end of the village to the other.
Standing at Yu Su's doorstep, one could see the high walls surrounding the village and the two watchtower towers in front and behind the village. Now, two patrol teams were responsible for guarding the village and conducting patrols outside.
Yu Su's house was no longer in its original location.
This year, the village expanded towards the back mountain, incorporating it into the village's territory.
Yu Su's house now stood halfway up the mountainside, spacious and bright, subdivided into various functional areas. In front of the door, there was a small square where children from the village came to read and learn martial arts for an hour every day.
Standing there, one could overlook the entire village. In case of danger, it could be noticed immediately.
Seeing the completion of the water pipes, the villagers were ecstatic.
Taking advantage of the situation, Yu Su organized a training session, emphasizing the necessity of boiling water before drinking, washing hands before and after meals, and men bathing daily in the summer. Women could decide based on their situation, but personal hygiene must be emphasized.
For those neglecting hygiene, if caught, they were penalized to clean a communal toilet for a month.
"I have to bathe every day now."
"After a day of work, I just want to sleep when I get home."
"But Yu Su said he would check, and if we don't bathe, we have to clean a toilet for a month."
No one wanted to clean the toilet, so even though many were reluctant, they eventually complied.
Initially, people were not used to such meticulous rules, but gradually they accepted them.
Moreover, people discovered that bathing before sleeping was indeed much more comfortable. There was no longer a lingering odor, and even the village women were more willing to approach them.
In the end, everyone liked this refreshing feeling. Anyone with a bad smell would be scorned.
Especially after the patrol teams caught several people neglecting hygiene, no one dared to be unclean.
Yu Su was satisfied with the changes. Although it couldn't reach the level of the future, change happens step by step. He believed things would get better in the future.
"Yu Su, the flax can be harvested now," Xin Ya and Xin Dong approached him.
Yu Su nodded, "You both have experience, so organize the slaves to harvest the flax."
After harvesting the crops, Yu Su built a large waterwheel upstream near the village's big river, diverting the river water into the village. Bamboo rafts were used to create water pipes that entered each household. The villagers celebrated when they finally had water at their homes.
After harvesting the crops, Yu Su built a large waterwheel upstream near the village's big river, diverting the river water into the village. Bamboo rafts were used to create water pipes that entered each household. The villagers celebrated when they finally had water at their homes.
By the east bank of the river.
Over a hundred slaves, sweating profusely, wielded sickles, swiftly harvesting flax in the fields.
The harvested flax was placed on an open space to dry. With the strong sun during this period, it was the perfect time for drying.
Xin Ya and Xin Dong, both experienced, efficiently coordinated the work. Yu Su only needed to take a look; he didn't have to worry about these matters.
"The advantage of having professionals is that I can be a lazy shopkeeper," Yu Su exclaimed happily.
Seeing him busy and visibly thinner over this period, Lu Yan didn't want him to handle these matters anymore and said, "I'll make sure they do it properly. You rest well; you've lost weight."
Yu Su wiped his cheek and said, "Lost weight? Impossible, I eat two bowls of rice every meal."
After returning home and asking Yu Zhou and the others, they also nodded, confirming that Yu Su had indeed lost weight.
Jian Yunchuan said, "You're growing taller. I had a period like that before, and then I shot up in height."
Yu Su's eyes lit up, "Really!"
Jian Yunchuan said, "Why would I lie?"
Yu Su was overjoyed, thinking about the height growth tips summarized in the future. He started jumping and mimicking basketball moves across the field.
He even deliberately got some wild milk to drink. It was different from the processed milk in the future; this wild milk had a stronger taste, but it was more nutritious.
Whether it
was Yu Su's own illusion or not, he felt like he was actually growing taller with each passing day by drinking wild milk and jumping around the field.
He marked his height at the door, and every day, he could see new changes.
Excited, he kicked his legs in his sleep at night.
"Ah!"
Yu Su was awakened in the middle of the night by leg cramps and let out a sound.
Lu Yan immediately came over, seeing that he had leg cramps, he bent Yu Su's big toe upward, held his leg, and helped him slowly stretch his foot.
After the cramp eased, Lu Yan even helped massage for a while.
Yu Su sighed in relief, lying on the bed in a big letter.
Lu Yan's palms were warm, and while massaging, he also helped clear the meridians. It felt very comfortable, and Yu Su gradually drifted back to sleep, muttering before falling asleep, "Stop, go to sleep."
Lu Yan lightly agreed, but the massaging hands did not stop.
The all-purpose elf in Yu Su's mind: [Master, I think Lu Yan is taking advantage of you.]
Yu Su, drowsy and awakened by it, realized that Lu Yan was still massaging him. He lightly kicked his foot, "Stop, go to sleep."
Lu Yan, seeing Yu Su wake up, regretfully let go of his leg, "Okay."
But in his heart, he thought about how careful he had been, and Yu Su was sleeping deeply. How did he wake up?
Before leaving, he also said, "If you have cramps again, call me."
Yu Su, groggily, made a sound of agreement, waving his hand to let him go to sleep.
With a larger house, now each person in the family had their own separate room, and they no longer had to squeeze together to sleep.
Lu Yan left with a heart full of regret, discontented with the big house for the one hundred and first time.
On the other side, Yu Su was about to fall asleep again. Before drifting off, he told the all-purpose elf, "I had leg cramps, and he was just massaging my legs. Don't think too much, don't wake me up again. I want to sleep."
The all-purpose elf, puzzled, was it really just its imagination?Forget it, it's just a system. Maybe I'm overthinking. Whatever.
With no one bothering him, Yu Su turned over and lay on the bed, half of his face squashed but it didn't hinder him from snoring peacefully.