"Auntie, the roe deer meat is indeed delicious, but freshly slaughtered roe deer will have an earthy taste. It needs to be marinated with salt, then washed and cut into pieces before eating. I'll slaughter it in a bit."

He planned to slaughter it properly. The roe deer had no wounds, and once the hide was tanned, he could make a pair of leather boots for Azhi and Anan to wear in the winter.

At their current pace, Gu Qingshan wondered if they would be able to reach Jiangnan before winter. He was privately worried, especially since the journey was long and arduous, with too many uncertainties.

For dinner, since none of the women knew how to cook roe deer, Gu Qingshan had to show off his skills.

After removing the earthy smell, the roe deer meat is cut into palm-sized pieces, marinated for 45 minutes with seasonings such as scallions, ginger, and Sichuan peppercorns, then skewered on sharpened branches and roasted over a fire. Finally, it is sprinkled with a layer of salt.

The kids were thoroughly enjoying their meal; the cooking method was quite novel. Although the roe deer meat wasn't brushed with oil, its natural fat caused the oil to sizzle and drip as it was roasted, making it incredibly delicious even with just salt. The kids were all munching away, their mouths dripping with oil.

Qin San Niang took a bite and couldn't help but exclaim that the taste was truly excellent! This was a skill that only someone who had survived in the wild for a long time could learn! Could this Gu Qingshan be a wandering knight-errant? Or a soldier?

He's definitely not a wandering knight; after all, he has a family to support. These days, only orphans, those who only have themselves to feed, would become wandering knights. As for those with families, forget it. Could he be a soldier?! Then how come he's here?

After dinner, the moon had already risen. The children were all tired from walking all day and were now drowsy.

Azhi has been feeling much better these past few days and has developed a deep friendship with Anan. They are now asleep in the tent.

"Qingshan, Azhi can sleep here tonight!" Liu said. She was quite satisfied with Gu Qingshan. After all, in Liu's heart, Azhi's father was very capable. Otherwise, how could their meals have been so good these past few days? Her own child's face had become visibly rounder and had regained its color!

Qin San Niang wanted to say that even without him, she could still make sure her child had meat to eat!

Tonight, it's Qin San Niang's turn to keep watch. Wu Shi rarely sleeps, and with the weather getting cooler these past few days, she still has some chores to finish, so she's keeping Qin San Niang company by the firelight.

Perhaps it had been too peaceful lately, because everyone was already asleep when they heard a rustling sound.

Qin San Niang suddenly woke up; she had almost fallen asleep just now!

Ms. Wu had obviously heard it too, and her eyes widened in horror as she saw three tall men approaching.

"Sister-in-law, let's go into the tent!"

Upon hearing Qin San Niang call out, Wu Shi hurriedly stood up, her legs trembling, and didn't forget to gather up the unfinished fabric and bring it into the tent.

Fatty was woken up by her mother, grabbed a machete, climbed out of the tent, and stood with her mother next to Aunt San.

Seeing three figures not far away, even the burly, chubby girl was startled!

When she saw that her aunt was still sitting calmly by the fire, she inexplicably gained some courage and stood behind her mother.

Seeing these two come out again, Qin San Niang was speechless, but it also showed that Fatty and her son were still trustworthy.

The three men opposite were completely attracted by the firelight and the smell of meat. They never expected that there would be lone refugees in the mountains, and that they all looked like women and children!

"Boss, there are only three tents here, and it doesn't look like there are any men. But even if there are, it's nothing to be afraid of. The three of us can't possibly lose! Hehe..."

The bearded man, known as the boss, grinned. "Isn't that right?" he thought. "They'd been starving for two days, and this family was actually eating meat? No wonder the young woman in front of them had such delicate skin. Although she was still a bit thin, she was much better off than the ones they'd robbed before!"

"Third brother, go up and ask if there's any meat left."

The man called the third brother bowed and scraped, looking like a scoundrel. His greasy face gleamed with a lewd light, and his small eyes reflected a lustful glint, making him look like a man driven by lust.

"Alright, boss, the woman by the fire is yours, what about the others...?"

After being glanced at by the eldest brother, he quickly walked over with his pigeon-toed gait and shouted sternly, "Little woman, we men have been traveling and are hungry. Bring out whatever you have to eat, preferably meat. I can smell the meat."

Upon closer inspection, he saw the young woman sitting calmly by the fire. Perhaps it was because he hadn't seen a woman for several days, but he could actually see she was quite attractive. The third brother then wondered if he had been too harsh. He worried about frightening the beauty; he would be heartbroken if he did. He also thought that if that happened, he could go and comfort her later…

Qin San Niang had no idea what this lewd man was thinking. If she had known, she would have thought he was really putting on a show!

The chubby girl yelled, "No meat! No rice! Get out of here!"

"You fatso, do you want to die? Did I ask you? I'll cut your mouth off later!" The lewd man turned to Qin Sanniang, "Little lady, hurry up and hand over the food, or we're planning to give you a good beating! It'll save you from being lonely in the dead of night!"

Wu was furious and was about to step forward to argue with them when Qin Sanniang pulled her back. "Sister-in-law, what's the point of arguing with these people? Go inside and guard the children!"

Feeling the strength on her wrist, Wu felt a sense of relief for some reason. She obediently turned and went into Liu's tent. Thankfully, the children hadn't woken up yet. She then told Liu not to worry, to watch the children, and that Gu Qingshan was there too!

Gu Qingshan had already woken up when they arrived and was currently lying in ambush in a nearby tent. These men were clearly thugs and no match for him. He was just very curious about how Qin Sanniang would launch a surprise attack!

Qin Sanniang glanced at them indifferently, a flash of murderous intent crossing her eyes. "There is indeed meat, and it's a large piece of plump roe deer meat. Whether you can get your hands on it depends on your skills!"

Another man said, "Boss, this woman isn't afraid of us at all!"

"Haha, you've got guts! You've got guts! You've got style! I like it. You're deliberately trying to get my attention, aren't you?"

"..." Qin San Niang.

The man called "Boss" stepped forward, leering at Qin Sanniang. Before he could speak, his smile froze in his eyes, and with a thud, the burly man collapsed to the ground. Qin Sanniang, however, didn't even move!

The other two men quickly stepped forward and shouted, but the leader did not react.

What kind of bizarre skill is this? Gu Qingshan was somewhat shocked. Even a general with profound skill could not necessarily kill someone invisibly!