CHAPTER 451: CHAPTER 451: DESCENDING THE MOUNTAIN

Even with the desire to take everything away at once, it was impossible. Meanwhile, everyone followed the village chief and the elders’ advice, leaving a tenth of their food stored in each household’s cellar as a precaution.

Don’t underestimate that tenth; it’s a significant amount. The outside may be tough and miserable, but within the valley, it’s like a paradise. Even the land in the Extreme Hot Valley isn’t idle; it still produces crops, and not in small quantities.

Every household had leftover provisions before going up the mountain, combined with the crops produced in the valley and the mountain’s plentiful resources. Hua Village not only didn’t lack food, but every household had enough food to last ten years without any issue.

Therefore, don’t underestimate that tenth; if rationed properly, it could last one or two years without a problem, and this serves as Hua Village’s backup plan.

Transporting each household’s food all at once was also impossible; it required several trips at the very least.

It was the same for Shui Huajin’s family; they had livestock, but everyone in the village knew their material abundance.

Thus, the thousands of people from Hua Village spent several days finally descending the mountain from Qinggu Mountain Range. Upon returning to Hua Village, the continuous days of travel and high strength consumption, even the village’s towering walls, only stunned everyone momentarily. Once they returned home, they sat paralyzed on the ground, not wanting to move.

Others could rest, but Hua Chengtian couldn’t. He had to get up to help distribute houses to Li Village and those dozen households; of course, all the necessary procedures couldn’t be ignored, but that was later.

Hua Yunao and his brother couldn’t sit idle either; they helped their father with arrangements, and naturally, Luo Song’s presence was inevitable. Even though Shui Huajin deliberately evaded him these days, it didn’t dampen his determined pursuit.

Then there was Hua Yunao’s former schoolmate, Qin Shu, who helped Hua Chengtian quicken his pace. Hua Village finally resumed its previous liveliness, no longer feeling desolate.

Yun Niang was already arranged to rest in her room. She was the most exhausted on this journey, her swollen belly made normal walking difficult, let alone mountain paths. Though most of the time her husband carried her on a chair, she still tried her best to walk herself. After several days, she was utterly worn out and immediately sent to her room by her mother-in-law and grandmother, falling asleep without even washing.

Da Liu and Gouzi, the children, also helped greatly, assisting the benefactress’s family to carry down and organize items. Before their arrival, they arranged the furniture crafted by the benefactor father neatly and cleaned thoroughly, ready for immediate occupancy.

For the first time, Granny Hua and Mrs. Qi saw these children, though they’d heard about them from their daughter. Upon seeing their thin bodies, obedient and anxious expressions, their maternal instincts were fully evoked, dearly caring for them.

The oldest was about the same age as their daughter, while the youngest was under six years old. Their survival made clear how difficult it was for them; without their daughter, these kids might have perished long ago.

Once they entered the house, the children didn’t rest, helping to clean, pull livestock to the backyard, placing poultry into the prepared animal pens, each trying hard to please.

The girls stayed in the kitchen, preparing food for their large family, even if it was just simple wild vegetable porridge.

Returning home, initially too busy adjusting things, Granny Hua and Mrs. Qi joined the children in the kitchen once they had a moment.

Simply patting the kids’ heads and giving them a gentle smile encouraged Hua’er and Wan’er, brightening their eyes and settling their hearts, knowing the kind granny and pretty aunt didn’t dislike them.

Whether it was the benefactress sister or the father who hosted them before, they were people the children liked; they really wanted to stay.

Though they could manage on their own, as orphans, they longed for familial warmth, especially from elders’ love.

The benefactress sister’s family’s goodwill firmly settled the children’s hearts, free from their past worries.

Shui Huajin tossed his things into his room and proceeded to help his sister-in-law tidy up.

The two children were very obedient. After the long travels, except for whimpering occasionally when hungry or uncomfortable, they mostly slept soundly, unaffected by the journey.

According to Granny, these two kids were tough; they had good fortune.

Such toughness is good; sturdy children grow well.

Even at home, lying on the bed, they continued sleeping sweetly, completely adapted.

Shui Huajin helped his sister-in-law settle the children and their belongings as quickly as possible; though obedient, hungry children couldn’t wait a moment.

Just as they finished tidying, the two children on the bed began whimpering one after the other.

Under two months old, the children were chubby, no longer resembling the little old men Shui Huajin first saw them as, with bright black eyes that melted hearts with their smiles, unbearably cute.

Even Shui Huajin, uneasy with child-rearing, felt deeply affectionate, missing them if he didn’t see them at length, holding them countless times daily.

As the babies started whimpering, Da Ya quickly set down her things, deftly checking if the babies needed changing, then began filling their little bellies.

Feeding young ones is always rotational; one starts now, next time, the other goes first.

Holding the other one, looking at the incessantly whimpering second baby, Shui Huajin wished to pull a bottle from his space, stuffing it into the babe’s mouth.

Not to mention, she indeed had stockpiled boxes of powdered milk, for adults and children alike; even bottles, baby clothes, though not much, were impulsively prepared, subsequently regretting it.

Regrettably, unable to produce them, mainly due to explaining their origins, especially bottles, as Shui Huajin hadn’t found glass in ancient Yan, only heard of colored glaze, supposedly costly.

Watching the first baby gulping milk while the second whimpered, Shui Huajin could only placate him, feeding sweet water, spooning a few drops on his lips, managing to appease him.

After feeding both children, an hour had passed; sucking milk was a tiring job. Seeing sweat on their foreheads, Shui Huajin felt for them.

Yet, as babies are, they immediately slept after filling up.

Thus, returning to Hua Village’s first day, nearly every household had a chaotic day.

Women took charge of organizing while men, after resting a night, embarked back to the mountain, repeating shuttle trips over a month to bring down the valley’s leftover food and goods.