Hunter Xu nodded:
"No problem. My son and I were planning to head into the mountains anyway. Are you planning to..."
"We have to find a good place to settle down. Hunter Xu, you go into the mountains year-round; do you have any suggestions?"
Hunter Xu thought for a moment:
"Actually, my son and I usually stick to the area between two large mountains. Other mountains belong to different villages, and we aren't familiar with the routes. The deepest parts of the mountains are rarely visited by people, and we've never ventured too far in."
Qin Sang understood. In the future, people would still get lost or go missing in the mountains despite having GPS and maps, let alone in the ancient virgin forests of this era. Without a compass or maps, and with wild beasts roaming everywhere, even an experienced hunter wouldn't step foot there lightly:
"Then, I wonder if you two could lead us deeper into the forest tomorrow?"
Hunter Xu did not refuse:
"This is a matter of life and death for the whole village. It is naturally my duty."
Qin Sang thought for a bit:
"Then tonight I will ask if any villagers are willing to go along tomorrow to scout the way."
It was better to bring more helpers to an unfamiliar place. With more people, they would have a fighting chance even if they encountered fierce beasts.
"That works."
Hunter Xu felt that Qin Sang was very forward-thinking. Ever since they learned about the impending Rebel Soldiers from Steward Huang, the composure and calculation Qin Sang displayed along the way made Hunter Xu feel that the villagers' best chance of survival was to follow her into the mountains.
Qin Sang turned to look at Da Zhuang and San Gui:
"You two go to Uncle Xu's house this afternoon and practice archery diligently. Time is tight, so you must be serious, do you understand?"
Da Zhuang and San Gui nodded earnestly:
"Mother, we will."
Qin Sang bowed slightly: "Hunter Xu, I'll have to trouble you to guide my two children."
Da Zhuang and San Gui stepped forward one after another, kneeling to kowtow.
Hunter Xu lightly supported Qin Sang's elbow and hurriedly helped the two boys up:
"There is no need for such formality. I will teach them well. Da Zhuang and San Gui are both clever and have plenty of strength; they will master it with proper practice."
After finishing the discussion, Qin Sang returned home. Eldest Brother's Wife had already brought out the midday meal. At the dining table, everyone cast their gazes toward Qin Sang, but she was in no hurry to speak:
"Let's eat first. Everyone eat your fill. Even if we are going into the mountains, we need to be full to have strength."
After saying that, she was the first to pick up her chopsticks and start eating.
Eldest Girl, Si Jin, and the others were obedient and immediately began to eat heartily.
Nowadays, the family had three full meals a day. For lunch, there was rabbit meat, potatoes braised with lard residue, and a bowl of egg soup with green vegetables from the emergency harvest. There were also large bowls filled with white rice, providing a nutritious mix of meat and vegetables.
Precisely because of this, everyone's physique had grown sturdier. They were no longer as thin and weak as when Qin Sang first saw them, looking as if they might faint at any moment.
The Eldest and Third brothers knew they would need strength in the afternoon. Usually, they only ate two bowls of rice, but today they forced down four. It was only when Qin Sang told them not to overstuff themselves that they stopped.
The other girls also ate more than usual. None of them wanted to be a burden, so the table was cleared of food.
Qin Sang wiped her mouth. Once everyone had finished cleaning up and sat down, she began to make arrangements:
"Eldest and Third, for the next three days, don't worry about anything else. Focus on practicing your archery. Learn well. Once you've mastered it, hunting in the mountains and defending against enemies will depend on you two, do you understand?"
The two nodded seriously:
"Yes."
"When you go to Hunter Xu's house later, take ten catties of rice, ten catties of flour, and five catties of salt. Although he is unwilling to take you as formal disciples, you must treat him as your master."
"Yes."
Si Jin immediately stood up and went to the room to weigh the rice and salt, bringing them out shortly after.
The two sons each took a bag, slung their bows and arrows over their shoulders, took their water canteens, and headed out.
Qin Sang looked at the others in the house. Their faces were filled with an indelible seriousness and deep worry.
Qin Sang instructed:
"For the next three days, everyone in the family must prepare for the flight from famine. Regarding the production of mosquito coils, I plan to arrange for the villagers to do it. Wen Mo, you will be responsible for the proportions. This is the core formula for the mosquito coils and cannot be given to outsiders."
Tian Wenmo stood up:
"I understand, Mother."
"Eldest Brother's Wife, you don't need to worry about anything else. You are responsible for the family's three meals. Make sure there is meat and vegetables; everyone must eat their fill.
Additionally, you need to make roasted flour. When we enter the mountains, if there's no water or fire, we'll have to survive on roasted flour. Prepare about five catties of roasted flour for each person. Don't worry about not having enough flour; Steward Huang will send some over tonight.
Slaughter the roosters and the young chicks, as well as the two male rabbits. Cure them with salt and smoke them dry.
Keep the hens and the female rabbits. The hens can lay eggs every day, and the rabbits are already pregnant. We'll take them into the mountains and see if we can raise them."
Eldest Brother's Wife nodded:
"I understand, Mother."
"Eldest Girl, you help your mother tend the fire."
Qin Sang also assigned a task to her young granddaughter. Eldest Girl's face was full of joy, as if she were proud to be contributing to the family:
"Okay, Grandma."
"Si Jin, Er Fu, you two are responsible for assigning work to the villagers and recording their exchanges. This job is quite tiring and tedious, but you two are meticulous, so I can only entrust it to you."
Tian Sijin and Tian Erfu had no complaints:
"No problem, Mother. We will definitely do it well."
Qin Sang nodded and looked at Third Brother's Wife:
"Third Brother's Wife, you are pregnant. When you aren't tired, tidy up the house. When we enter the mountains, we need to bring everything we need. If there's anything missing at home, tell me in time."
Third Brother's Wife gave an affirmative sound but hesitated:
"Mother, can I go and tell my parents about this?"
Qin Sang naturally would not refuse:
"You have a big belly, so don't walk around. Your father will come to deliver herbs tonight; I'll call him in then, and you can talk to him properly.
When you told them about the locust plague before, they didn't listen. This time is different. If the Rebel Soldiers really come, not a single person in a village might survive. You must tell him how serious it is."
Third Brother's Wife pressed further:
"Then can my parents come into the mountains with us?"
Qin Sang looked at her eager eyes and agreed:
"They can, but you must tell them that if they follow us into the mountains, they must follow our village's arrangements. Otherwise, even if I agree, the others in the village might not."
Third Brother's Wife nodded gratefully:
"I will tell my parents."
After arranging the family's affairs, the villagers began to arrive one after another.
Qin Sang had everyone divide into four groups: one for men, one for women, one for children under thirteen, and one for elderly women over forty.
At first, things were a bit chaotic, and Qin Sang didn't waste time:
"Those who don't follow the arrangements and line up won't be able to get any work later. Suit yourselves."
This one sentence was more effective than shouting herself hoarse.
Of the over one hundred people in Tianjia Village, everyone came, young and old, except for those who were disabled or unable to walk.
Under the hot sun, Qin Sang had Eldest Brother's Wife brew a pot of herbal cooling tea first, lest people faint from the sun before they even started working.
Seeing that the four lines were formed, Qin Sang began to assign the tasks.