Forced into the forest, the villagers found it wasn't so terrifying after all, now that they had meat.
When hungry, one could even gnaw on their own arm. Now that there was a chance to hunt wild game, the villagers vied to be the first.
Though the quantity of game caught that day was less than yesterday, the weight had nearly doubled.
Two adult wild boars combined weighed over 200 jin, the pangolin couple another 60 jin, and eight piglets totaled over 160 jin. The porcupine had little meat and could be ignored. In total, over four hundred jin of meat, giving each villager over a jin.
Village Chief Gu suggested they save one large wild boar for tomorrow.
Eating over a jin at once was too much for them to digest, and the villagers had no objections. Being able to eat their fill was satisfaction enough.
Seeing the villagers’ joy, Gu Qingcheng found it inexplicably amusing.
On this miserable journey of fleeing famine, how had the atmosphere suddenly changed?
Perhaps it all started with her family's hunt...
Gu Qingcheng sat on a tree stump, lost in philosophical thought.
Hu Lanfang returned from her gossip with the other village women and saw Gu Qingcheng spacing out. She stepped forward and waved her hand in front of her daughter’s eyes. Seeing that her daughter still hadn’t snapped out of it, she was startled and quickly asked:
"Qingcheng, what's wrong? Are you injured?"
During the wild boar hunt earlier, Gu Qingcheng had thrown flying darts and shot arrows, behaving exceptionally bravely.
Although Hu Lanfang wasn't present, she was now the center of all village gossip. She didn't need to be there in person; someone would always fill her in. In no time, she knew how her husband and daughter had performed during the hunt.
Hu Lanfang was both happy and worried seeing everyone praising her daughter.
She was happy her daughter was capable, but worried she was too conspicuous. She acted a bit foolishly, rushing to the front in such a dangerous activity.
She had intended to scold her daughter upon her return, but seeing her lost in thought, she was instead frightened.
"Mother, I'm fine. Not injured. I'm just reviewing the gains and losses from the hunt!"
Gu Qingcheng chuckled and stretched.
She had been thinking how nice it would be if the villagers could have meat every day like this.
But if the extreme cold arrived, and the villagers didn't quickly seek shelter in Jinsha City, they might not survive it.
Her family would be fine. If they encountered extreme cold in the wild, Gu Qingcheng could quickly buy an outdoor insulated tent, and use solar power, portable heaters, and hand warmers to stay alive.
But the villagers were different. Many had their elderly and young with them. How could they withstand the severe cold?
Even hunting, in icy snow, the forest animals would either die or flee. It was uncertain if they could achieve such bountiful results as they had today.
This felt like a final feast.
These practical difficulties forced Gu Qingcheng into philosophical contemplation.
When Gu Qingcheng shared these little thoughts with her mother, Hu Lanfang inevitably offered comfort:
"Daughter, don't overthink it. When the cart reaches the mountain, a road will appear. If we travel for another day, we should reach Jinsha City.
Once there, the villagers will each have their own plans and ways to survive. It's not something you alone can manage.
I just heard from the villagers that some have relatives in Jinsha City and plan to stay with them temporarily.
Others have skills, like carpentry or blacksmithing, and they will find ways to earn money doing odd jobs.
So, don't underestimate people's abilities. Everyone knows how to protect themselves."
Hearing her mother's words, Gu Qingcheng felt a sense of sudden clarity, breaking free from her dazed state.
Seeing her daughter's eyes regain their clarity, Hu Lanfang breathed a sigh of relief. She then casually touched her daughter's forehead, confirming she didn't have a fever, before stroking her face and saying:
"Now, some of the village men are clearing the path, and others are preparing the game. If you're tired, you can rest here for a while. Mother will make you a bed of pine needles, guaranteeing you a comfortable sleep."
In Hu Lanfang's mind, there was nothing a good night's sleep couldn't solve. If there was, she'd just sleep longer.
"No need, Mother, I'm not tired."
Gu Qingcheng took out some vitamins, gave two to her mother, took two for herself, and swallowed them with mineral water from a coarse pottery cup.
Although her father was a doctor and her supermarket stocked common medicines, it was crucial to maintain good health through various means before the unknown disaster arrived.
Hu Lanfang detested large vitamin pills. She complained to Gu Qingcheng with a pained expression:
"Daughter, why can't vitamin manufacturers be kind and make the vitamins smaller? Almost every vitamin is so big. Every time I see them, I get scared, afraid I'll choke and won't be able to swallow."
"Yeah, I wonder too, why not make them smaller?"
Gu Qingcheng shook her head, puzzled. If vitamins were as small as ordinary pills, sales would likely double.
Despite her fear, Hu Lanfang grudgingly swallowed the two vitamins.
Her daughter was right; survival was paramount. Taking vitamins helped regulate the body, no matter how big they were.
The mother and daughter then went to help tend the large stove.
Tending the stove was an easy task, requiring only the feeding of firewood into the hearth.
Normally, this chore wouldn't befall the Gu Laoliu family. They would be ordered to wash pig intestines or other dirty, strenuous tasks. That was what honest people were supposed to do, wasn't it?
However, in the past few days, the villagers had received so many favors from the Gu Zhaobei family that their attitude towards them had completely changed.
Seeing Hu Lanfang and her daughter come to help, they politely said:
"You just relax. We'll handle this."
Hu Lanfang waved her hand, sat down by a large stove, and smiled:
"That won't do. How can we be so shameless as to eat without working? We can at least boil water."
After a few polite exchanges, the mother and daughter "claimed" the position of firewood tenders for a large stove.
In fact, on such a chilly day, sitting by the stove to warm themselves was quite pleasant.
Gu Qingcheng took out a few sweet potatoes from the supermarket and tossed them into the stove to roast.
Sweet potatoes were delicious and filling in winter. In the past, Gu Qingcheng often bought roasted sweet potatoes from street vendors.
Although it was only early autumn, the temperature had dropped to 4 degrees Celsius, resembling winter in the south. The villagers had changed into padded jackets and other winter clothing, but their clothes were clearly insufficient for warmth, leaving them shivering. In such weather, roasted sweet potatoes were perfect, warming the body and stomach.
The prepared pangolin meat was brought over. Gu Zhaobei, as usual, volunteered to carve it.
Everyone felt Gu Laoliu was skilled at carving meat. His movements were swift and clean, a pleasure to behold.