Her words were so harsh that they nearly brought the children to tears.
Qin Sang hadn't been this stern with them for a long time. In the past, they would have felt fear and cowered, but now, they felt warmth, touched, and worried.
"Then, Mother, you must be careful."
"Mother, I will definitely practice archery hard to become a master archer, to protect the family and to protect you."
"I'm going to sharpen the knife. It got dull from hacking at the giant snake yesterday. Once it's sharpened, remember to take it with you, Mother."
Seeing the deep concern in the children's eyes, Qin Sang's expression softened. Just as she was about to say something to lighten the mood, Eldest Girl slammed her bowl onto a rock, ran over, hugged Qin Sang's leg, and began to wail.
"Waaa... Grandma, please don't die... I don't want Grandma to be eaten by the giant snake... Waaa..."
Qin Sang: "..."
...
Songbai Town, Butcher Hu's house.
Many Rebel Soldiers were either lying or sitting against the walls in Butcher Hu's courtyard, listening to the sounds inside.
"The Centurion is truly impressive; it's a full hour every single time."
"A real man. Otherwise, how could he become a Centurion in just half a month?"
"Hehe, besides his martial prowess, the Centurion also has that bloodletting technique. He can squeeze out every last drop of blood without wasting any. It's saved so many of our brothers."
For a moment, the courtyard erupted in laughter.
Before long, the room fell silent. As the door opened, Butcher Hu, shirtless and covered in bulging muscles, walked out carrying a wooden bucket. When he spoke, his mouth was stained a deep crimson.
"Take this. Split half among yourselves and send the other half to Master Qian."
The people in the courtyard, who had been lethargic a moment ago, immediately perked up.
"Right away! At your command, Centurion."
After his subordinates left with the bucket, Butcher Hu's son, Hu Tian, rushed in.
"Father, I went to Tianjia Village. Those people... those people..."
Hu Tian was panting heavily. He waited until he caught his breath before finishing his sentence.
"Those people are all dead."
Butcher Hu's eyebrows shot up.
"Our men or the people of Tianjia Village?"
"Ou... ours..."
A look of terror appeared in Hu Tian's eyes.
"They... were all locked in a single room..."
This outcome caught Butcher Hu completely by surprise. Rebel Soldiers had risen in the south, and since Butcher Hu had some connections in the county seat and many shops were closing, he had decided to join the rebels.
After fleeing from Tianjia Village in disgrace, he became even more determined. He wanted to avenge himself for that day and use the Rebel Soldiers to massacre the entire Tianjia Village.
So, on the day the Rebel Soldiers entered Songbai Town, he handed over all the smoked meat and money in his house to secure the rank of a Centurion, placing many men under his command.
After occupying Songbai Town, he sent a squad straight to Tianjia Village, but not a single man had returned for days.
Butcher Hu thought those men were just busy feasting in Tianjia Village. He was eager to vent his anger on Qin Sang, so he sent his son to order them back to Town, only to find this result.
"Then where are the people of Tianjia Village? Where is that bitch?"
Hu Tian naturally knew the "bitch" his father referred to was his young stepmother, Tian Erfu. He shook his head.
"They're all gone. Not a single person was seen in Tianjia Village. Every household looked like it had been ransacked; not a single grain of rice was left."
"Not just Tianjia Village, but more than half the people from the surrounding villages are gone too. We caught a few people and questioned them; they said everyone fled into the mountains for safety."
"I reckon the people from Tianjia Village probably went into the mountains as well. Their village is close to them."
He hadn't caught anyone and had even let them escape. Butcher Hu slammed the table in fury, nearly shattering it.
"Damn that Tianjia Village! How dare they kill so many of our men! Someone, come here..."
...
Accompanied by Da Huang and leading the mule, Qin Sang left the mountain pass under everyone's worried gazes.
After turning a corner, Qin Sang vanished from everyone's sight.
The Old Village Chief leaned on his cane and turned to address the crowd.
"Alright, Da Zhuangs Mother is risking her life to get water for everyone. We can't let her efforts go to waste. Everyone, get to work! Let's try to build the wooden house for Da Zhuangs Mother before she returns."
With the Old Village Chief's instructions, everyone nodded and began cutting down trees in the vicinity.
Qin Sang didn't intend to go too far. She took out her binoculars and looked back. After confirming no one was following her, she changed direction and headed up the mountain.
Two giant snakes lived in this area, so Qin Sang believed no other large animals would appear for a short while.
Besides, she had the Mall. Even if she did encounter a large predator, she had plenty of ways to deal with it.
As Qin Sang climbed the mountain, she dropped some long-lasting foods, such as dates, oranges, crisp pears, pomegranates, apples, and so on...
These fruits rolled down to various spots along the mountain slope. When the villagers came up to forage, they would surely find them.
In one go, she dropped over a hundred pounds of food.
It sounded like a lot, but scattered throughout the mountains, they might be hard to find without looking closely.
She also hid some potatoes, sweet potatoes, and Pumpkins. These had already been shown to the villagers before, so it would be normal for them to be found again.
Furthermore, Qin Sang hoped these high-yield crops could be cultivated and promoted in this ancient era. That way, even in future years of disaster, there would be enough food to eat.
Being so busy, Qin Sang spent most of the day at it. She climbed to the mountaintop and gazed into the distance, a sense of grand ambition rising in her chest as if she held the whole world in her hands.
Through the binoculars, she could see the camp. Everyone was busy cutting trees, moving logs, and stripping bark.
Eldest and Third were driving wooden stakes with others. The deep pits had already been dug, and the selected straight tree trunks were placed inside. Once filled with soil and packed tight, they wouldn't wobble.
Eldest Brothers Wife was cooking, with Guihuas Mother and Cousin-in-law helping nearby.
Third Brothers Wife was over by Carpenter Zhao's shed, making baby clothes.
Hmm? Why wasn't Hei Zi driving the ox cart, but instead helping Er Fu look after the kids?
Qin Sang zoomed in a bit more. Sure enough, Hei Zi was making shuttlecocks out of chicken feathers. A group of children surrounded Hei Zi and Er Fu, dancing with joy, making the two look like kindergarten teachers.
The way Hei Zi looked at Er Fu was quite intense.
Qin Sang was a modern person, and gossip was one of her major hobbies.
Er Fu wasn't very old. If she could find a good man in the future, Qin Sang would definitely prepare a generous dowry for her.
Qin Sang's impression of Hei Zi was decent. He was a man of sentiment and loyalty. Whether he could treat Er Fu well or win her heart remained to be seen.
Qin Sang suddenly realized she didn't see Si Jin.
Where was Si Jin?
Qin Sang adjusted her position and finally found that girl Si Jin, who was talking to Xu Hu.
Si Jin was holding a bow and arrow, seemingly asking Hu Zi to teach her archery.
If she wanted to practice archery, why look for Hu Zi?
You have two older brothers.
On second thought, never mind. Her two brothers were just amateurs. If she wanted to learn, she definitely had to find a professional.
But, little girl, can you even draw your brother's One-dan Bow?
You should learn how to use a slingshot.
What was Wen Mo doing?
Oh, he was playing with Carpenter Zhao's Ink Fountain.
The boy probably didn't know how to use an Ink Fountain. While pulling the string, it accidentally brushed against his face, leaving several black marks.
When he realized his hands had also turned black, he suspected his face might be dirty too. He wiped it with his hand, and hey presto, he turned completely into a calico cat.