In the apocalypse, while others struggled on the brink of starvation and death, Li Yu and his family were within the tall walls, under the Big Camphor Tree, enjoying the evening breeze, eating barbecue, and drinking beer.
To Xiao Lata and her aunt, all of this seemed unbelievable.
However, everything before their eyes was truly happening.
It was as if they had suddenly arrived in paradise from hell.
Yet, those outside the base, struggling on the brink of death, would never see this scene.
Within this base, as the number of people increased, the defenses also greatly improved.
Even though everyone gathered in the center of the base, the overall defense of the base remained very strict.
Therefore, people could relax more when gathering at the base.
The presence of his second uncle and fourth uncle at the main gate, along with Uncle Lai and Ding Jiu constantly patrolling the walls, significantly increased the base's safety factor.
As the base's population grew, many things within the base were being developed simultaneously.
Plans were made, problems were addressed, and overall strength was enhanced:
The first matter was the issue of food.
This part was the most labor-intensive.
It included the cultivation of staple foods such as rice, potatoes, and corn.
Next was the cultivation of fruits and vegetables, both requiring reclamation and maintenance. The original dozen or so acres of flat land, besides the residential area, also had 4 acres of rice, a garden, breeding areas, and some other areas. Now, with the development and utilization of the land, most of it is already in use.
Then there's breeding, which includes aquatic products. Many types of fish are raised in the lake. Although they don't require much effort, if fish grass or feed isn't provided, the fish will struggle to grow, and even if they do, they'll have large heads and small bodies.
So, the fish in the lake are fed daily by his grandfather and some children who cut grass and throw it into the lake.
Besides aquatic products, there are also chickens, ducks, cattle, sheep, pigs, and rabbits.
Only these two hundred-acre mountain forests are large enough to provide sufficient space, but pigs are raised in breeding sheds, essentially penned in the outermost part of the base.
Cattle and sheep are driven out every day to graze in the mountain forests.
So far, the grass in the mountain forests, and some pasture at the foot of the mountains, is still sufficient.
The second matter was improving the strength of the base personnel.
This was what Li Yu valued most.
After all, in this cruel apocalypse, weakness is a sin. Now that they have such a large base, if a powerful force appears in the future and tries to seize it, how can they defend it?
Therefore, Li Yu formulated some rules and regulations, training everyone in this big family. Recently, everyone even had to go out, under the protection of his eldest uncle, third uncle, Li Gang, and others, to kill zombies and practice their marksmanship and crossbow shooting skills.
At the same time, they also re-searched the surrounding villages, and even the towns.
They trained troops while continuously collecting supplies.
Additionally, Li Yu also had some family members over 16, regardless of gender, take out the firearms from the warehouse and practice using them proficiently.
Even the guards at the gate are no longer just his third uncle, second uncle, and father; they are now paired up to give younger people opportunities to train.
Currently, the basic setup, for example, includes his eldest uncle, along with 16-year-old Li Zhengping, and 20-year-old Li Haoran.
This ensures a steady and experienced hand while also allowing the presence of younger individuals to train.
The third matter was paying attention to surrounding news.
Although Li Yu was reborn with some prophetic knowledge, it was limited to local information.
When the apocalypse first broke out, Li Yu struggled on the brink of life and death during the first year, not having been to too many places, constantly thinking about how to survive.
After being reborn, Li Yu realized the importance of surrounding movements, such as the arrival of a zombie horde. If he knew about it earlier, the response wouldn't be so difficult.
Also, he needed to understand the surrounding forces: which were large, which were small, which were more humane, and which were more extreme. All of this needed to be understood.
However, in the apocalypse, with zombies blocking paths, human mobility was already very poor. Additionally, the base was in a relatively remote area, where they rarely saw other people, so Li Yu had little news from other places.
However, Li Yu occasionally went to the county town, and when passing through the suburbs, he would communicate with Song Min and her group. They were in the county town, and even if it was in the suburbs, there were many survivors from various factions in the county town.
Through Song Min's news, Li Yu learned that there was basically no large force in the county town now. After eliminating Zhou Sheng's two groups from before, there were basically no major organizations left.
The fourth matter was stabilizing the base, building the base, and expanding the base.
A hundred acres of mountain forest and over ten acres of plain land seemed quite large at first glance.
Currently, land use is not very tight. Li Yu is considering whether expanding the base would have pros and cons.
Therefore, expanding the base is temporarily put on hold at this stage.
As the number of personnel in the base increased, food, although currently abundant, would be consumed faster as plants were grown and animals bred, especially rabbits, which reproduce very quickly.
However, the base also consumes a lot of meat. While rabbits breed quickly, they don't reproduce as fast as everyone eats them.
Regarding stabilizing the base, after his second uncle returned, he gave some suggestions, advising to increase the height of the walls. Li Yu has also been thinking about this recently and has started searching for building materials in the surrounding area.
But there's no rush; there are many things to do, and everything must be done slowly.
There are some other matters as well.
But they primarily revolve around these four things: food, the strength of the team members, gathering information about the surroundings, and strengthening the base's stability.
Everyone united and worked hard together.
Many people who entered the base, especially those who came in later, clearly understood what kind of world existed outside the base in this apocalypse—a man-eating world. Therefore, they cherished the good life within the base even more.
They did not relax their vigilance because of temporary safety and abundant supplies.
Li Yu also often led by example, waking up early every day and encouraging the younger generation to exercise.
Every time he went out, he was at the forefront;
And he also continuously practiced and improved his crossbow shooting skills;
Speaking of crossbows, although tens of thousands of arrows were purchased initially, they would eventually run out.
So, he had purchased some books similar to the "Military Field Manual," and his grandfather, who used to hunt frequently in his era, also had some experience in crafting.
He cut some bamboo and began to try making arrows. The process of making arrows was slow, and in the tedious and monotonous actions, Li Yu seemed to find some interest.
He used a knife to slowly shave the wood flat, little by little shaping the arrow in his hand, feeling a strong sense of accomplishment in his heart.
But most importantly, while doing these things, his constantly anxious mind seemed to find an outlet. While doing these things, it was as if, all of a sudden, the world became quiet.
His heart also became much more peaceful, and his mood became more joyful.