Jiang Wan, that unlucky child, didn't understand. "If we don't tell her, isn't it to avoid making her worry? Dad and I are so considerate, yet Mother is still angry? Even if we told her, she couldn't help anyway. Mother is so angry about this matter?"
She couldn't comprehend it.
Su Shi was utterly speechless. "Let alone Mother being angry, even I am a little upset. Such a big matter, and you actually kept it from us, and even asked me to lie to Mother. Mother almost stopped talking to me."
Jiang Wan looked bewildered. "Why should Sister-in-law be angry? Not telling you was for your own good, to prevent you from worrying. Shouldn't you be happy that Dad and I know to care for you?"
Su Shi: ...
By the time the villagers had finished everything, it was already late at night.
Although the wolf pack had been eliminated, everyone dared not let their guard down, fearing another wolf pack might suddenly appear, so many people were still assigned to guard duty at night.
The next morning, the villagers went into the mountains together to help Madam Cheng find the remains of her loyal servants, and also to see if they could hunt some game.
Jiang Wan was also forcibly carried into the mountains by Jiang Pan.
As they walked, Jiang Pan discussed with Jiang Wan. "Wan Wan, Dad has no other choice. Dad roughly understood last night, about ten families are almost out of food. That's dozens of people, we can't just stand by and watch them die, right?"
"You discuss it with the old immortal and ask him to get two more prey to help everyone get through this difficult time. Once we leave here, we won't need to trouble him anymore."
Jiang Wan was extremely speechless. Her father, now the village chief, was becoming more and more dedicated. First, he was willing to risk his life to lure the wolves, and now he was forcing her to ask the old immortal to solve the food problem against her will.
He didn't even consider that if there really were immortals, would they be swayed by him? It was only because she indulged him!
Who else could it be but her father?!
Thus, father and daughter went into the mountains and hunted two large wild boars, weighing seven to eight hundred catties combined.
When the father and daughter asked the villagers to carry the two large wild boars back to the village, they stunned everyone.
"Good heavens, there are such big wild boars in these mountains, and they weren't eaten by those wolves!"
Someone feigned knowledge. "These wild boars are not easy to deal with. See those tusks? As long as it charges with all its might, let alone wolves, even tigers can't withstand it."
Everyone thought his words made sense and believed this explanation.
Only Jiang Wan rolled her eyes secretly. In fact, these two wild boars were not that big originally; it was all thanks to her using her special ability to make them this large. To make them grow, she had spent a whole day in the mountains. After making one big, she made another one after her ability recovered.
Originally, Jiang Pan wanted her to drag the wild boars back together, but the little chubby girl, whose labor had been excessively exploited, refused to exert herself any further. Jiang Pan, unable to do anything about her, had to return to the camp to call for help.
Jiang Pan's harvest was abundant. The villagers who went into the mountains, as entrusted by Madam Cheng, found the remains of her servants.
However, it was not a cause for celebration.
"Madam Cheng, we only found a part of them... You'd better not look."
Madam Cheng had brought ten people in total, but only a very small portion of the remains were found. They couldn't even piece together two complete skeletons.
After all, the wolves roamed all over the mountains. It was not easy to search for scattered remains in so many mountains.
Madam Cheng looked at the small pile of remains wrapped in cloth and cried until she fainted several times.
Cheng Sinian also cried uncontrollably. Although he was still young, after this incident, he understood the matters of life and death.
Finally, Madam Cheng found a place with a nice view and buried the remains.
The village carpenter specially made coffins for these loyal servants, giving them a final dignified resting place.
After all matters were handled, the team from the small mountain village set off again.
After walking for half a day, they reached the place where Madam Cheng's previous convoy was attacked.
Madam Cheng's carriage lay overturned, the horses had long since been gnawed by the wolf pack, leaving only skeletons, and the contents of the carriage were scattered everywhere.
Chen Yuezhi asked, "Sister, is there anything you need to take with you?"
Madam Cheng nodded, suppressing her grief. "There are some valuable items in the carriage, take them. When we reach a town, we can exchange them for money and distribute it to everyone."
Chen Yuezhi said, "Then I'll go with you."
Madam Cheng nodded.
Jiang Pan found a few people to carry the horse's skeleton into the woods by the roadside to bury it, and then had people help lift the overturned carriage.
Madam Cheng searched in the carriage for a while, then packed two large bundles, and also took out her and Cheng Sinian's clothes and bedding.
After placing the items on the Jiang family's carriage, Madam Cheng, with Cheng Sinian, walked to her carriage and bowed three times to the surrounding mountains and forests.
This was to thank and bid farewell to their loyal servants.
Madam Cheng cried, "I am not a good master, unable to even find complete remains for you. Rest assured, I will properly settle your families. Go in peace."
The people of the small mountain village couldn't help but shed tears as they watched her.
In the following days, the team hurried on their way. When they stopped to camp, Jiang Pan would take Jiang Wan into the mountains, and every day they could hunt enough prey for the villagers to eat.
Hunter Yang exclaimed in wonder. Regardless of whether this father and daughter had hunting experience, the plump and excessively large prey were things he had never seen in his life.
Could it be that because these mountains had not been visited by anyone for decades, these wild animals had grown so plump and beautiful?
No matter how Hunter Yang guessed, the villagers were very happy.
Originally, everyone was worried about running out of food, but they never expected there to be so many wild animals in these mountains.
These days, everyone had fresh game to eat every day, and they felt that life was even more comfortable than before they were in the village.
Seven days later, they finally passed through this official road that had been abandoned for decades.
Looking at the town in the distance, everyone felt a sense of rebirth after surviving a disaster.
Hunter Yang pointed to the town and said, "I've brought you here, and my task is complete. Have a safe journey."
Jiang Pan couldn't help but persuade Hunter Yang to stay. "Uncle Yang, why don't you come with us to Jiangnan? The situation in Tongzhou Prefecture is also not good, and no one knows what next year will bring. If a war breaks out, Tongzhou Prefecture will suffer. If you come with us, once we reach Jiangnan, we can help each other and surely make a living."
The old village chief also came to persuade. "Brother Yang, let's go together. After getting along these days, you know what kind of people we are. You can rest assured, with me here, and with Da Pan, you are just like family to our small mountain village."
Hunter Yang was somewhat tempted, but in the end, he shook his head. "No, I am old and cannot leave my homeland. Besides, my parents and wife's graves are all here. If I leave, who will burn paper money for them?"