He couldn't cry in front of his grandmother, he couldn't cry in front of his father, and he couldn't let his younger brothers worry.

It was only when she was holding her youngest sister that she finally let out all the fear and disappointment in her heart and cried.

Old Mrs. Li, with one arm tied, brought over water. Seeing this from afar, she secretly wiped away her tears.

Whether he can study or not is fine. Even if his eldest grandson farms, he won't starve. Besides, there are Jiaxi and Jia'an.

But she was truly afraid that her kind and filial grandson would become discouraged and lose his will to live...

Now it's better; I can cry it out instead of keeping it bottled up inside, and I don't have to worry about getting sick from holding it in...

No one knew what Jiaren had come to his senses, but seeing him walk out of the cave with his injured hand in a sling and help with the work, they were all happy for him.

People would often tell him to go and rest, but Jiaren would just smile and shake his head.

Perhaps the annihilation of the wolf pack intimidated all the wild animals, large and small, in the vicinity.

That night, the area around the cave was extremely quiet, unlike the previous place where it was constantly watched; no birds or beasts dared to approach.

But most of them were in pain from their wounds and couldn't sleep.

In the middle of the night, Madam Liu developed a fever, and Jiaren's face also turned red, and he began to talk nonsense.

Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) and Liu Yang were extremely worried. Fortunately, Tao Hongying was not seriously injured. They fetched water and threw in a cloth to wipe and cool down Madam Liu's fever.

Li Lao Er, Jia Yi, and Jia Huan were responsible for taking care of Jia Ren, which was the usual method.

Doctor Zhang had already prepared the herbs, quickly brewed them, and fed them to the two men until dawn, when their fevers finally subsided.

The cave was packed with people, and Jiayin didn't dare to do anything suspicious, though she was extremely anxious.

Fortunately, Dr. Zhang is a reliable doctor, and the incident was resolved without serious harm.

But after this back and forth, everyone was somewhat depressed.

We've already ventured deep into the mountains and crossed nearly a dozen peaks; there's no turning back now.

Everyone is injured, and there is always the risk of fever and worsening of the condition. Even with a doctor accompanying them, no one can guarantee that they won't be called upon by the King of Hell.

Is the path they chose for survival actually a dead end?

Uncle Zhao's injured leg was aggravated; although he didn't have a fever, he was still very uncomfortable.

The village chief's aunt was already in poor health, and the attack by the wolves had really shaken her off. The village chief stayed by her side to take care of her.

The two key figures were too preoccupied to consider the feelings of the others.

Li Laosi also had to lie down and recover from his injuries…

At this moment, Liu the镖头 stepped forward. Without calling the villagers, he took his son and Jiayi and plunged into the woods.

By the time the villagers discovered it, the sun was already setting.

The three men returned, bringing with them five rabbits, three pheasants, a red deer, and a roe deer.

Such a bountiful harvest caused the entire camp to erupt in excitement.

Anyone who can still move, including the elderly and children, gets busy.

Boil water, peel skins, roast and stew meat, and simmer chicken soup.

Fragrance and warmth are everywhere.

A hot meal and a full stomach can dispel any sense of frustration.

Yesterday, Madam Liu risked her life to kill a wolf to save the elderly and children, and was bitten through the shoulder. Today, Chief Escort Liu is so brave, returning with a rich catch.

This couple is simply the second surprise that God sent to Qingshui Village.

The first one, of course, belongs to the Li family!

As everyone ate, they thanked him repeatedly. Chief镖头 Liu personally fed his wife chicken porridge, waved his hand dismissively, and casually advised everyone else against it.

"Eat and drink your fill, and take good care of your injuries. We should still set off tomorrow. The weather is getting colder every day. Be careful not to get stuck in the mountains. Who knows what kind of chaos is going on outside? Have the barbarians attacked? Although we've encountered many dangers in the mountains, it's still much better than being chased by barbarians with knives outside."

Everyone nodded, thinking about the chaos and turmoil outside, and how much better it seemed to be in the forest.

At least they can put up a fight against wild wolves, but against barbarian cavalry, they would probably just be easy prey.

"Okay, we'll leave tomorrow morning. We have to get out of here as soon as possible!"

"Yes, my left hand is injured, but I still have my right hand. I can pull the sled on my shoulder without any problem."

"Me too. No bones were broken, just skin and flesh injuries that will heal in a few days."

Everyone started discussing how to rearrange the sleds for the patients.

Upon hearing this, the patients declined to walk, but those whose legs were not seriously injured insisted on walking on their own to reduce the burden on everyone.

Li Laosi gnawed on a rabbit leg and gave Liu Biaotou a thumbs-up.

"Brother Liu is truly amazing. He deserves to be called the head镖师 (bodyguard/escort). He rekindled everyone's fighting spirit with just a few words."

Liu, the镖头 (bodyguard), smiled wryly. After thinking for a moment, he decided not to hide anything and recounted his experiences before encountering the Li family.

It turned out that when they left Junyang, they had gathered seven or eight families, totaling forty or fifty people.

I thought that with more people, we could have someone to look after us on the way.

Little did they expect that the families of those individuals were foolish and meddlesome, unaware of the principle of not flaunting wealth while traveling.

Not only did she carry a lot of valuables, but she was also dressed in fine silks and satins, adorned with jewels, which made her a target on the road.

At night, a group of people came to ambush them with machetes and sticks.

The family fought back fiercely, even neglecting their own carriage, which was stolen.

However, the other families were unkind; some ran away that very night, while others secretly left the next day after seeing that they were injured.

Fortunately, their only remaining carriage still had some rice and valuables.

But the amount of silver demanded at the city gate was too high, and the three of them were just worrying when they met Li Laosi and the villagers.

After drinking the porridge, Madam Liu felt a little better and sighed in agreement.

"Not to mention others, I also brought a lot of useless things. It was my first time fleeing famine, and my mind was in a mess. I never expected it to be so... difficult."

Li Laosi quickly comforted her, "Sister-in-law, don't get upset. Although it was tough, we've made it through."

Madam Liu nodded and smiled, "Yes, your family is our lucky star. When we were escorting goods, your brother Liu always said he had found a treasure. With you two, uncle and nephew, he had no worries at all. I never expected that in these chaotic times, our family would have your help again and save three lives."

"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Brother Liu and Liu Yang are both skilled fighters, and even you, sister-in-law, are exceptionally brave, a rarity among women. It's our village's good fortune to have met your family."

Villagers who were nearby had overheard most of what was going on, and now they were shouting.

"Yes, our village is lucky. We can pick up a few people at random, and they are all top-notch."

Everyone laughed, and the atmosphere in the camp became even more harmonious.

The next day, everyone got up early, started a fire to cook, packed their luggage, checked the sleds, fed the surviving Daqing, and set off again.

This time, without the village chief and Uncle Zhao's arrangements, but having experienced life and death, all the young and strong were like spring grass broken after a storm, standing up again, even more resilient.

Whether it's clearing the way, providing support, or allocating sleds, it's all decided and arranged by the villagers themselves.

Along the way, the division of labor was clear, and no one complained of hardship or fatigue.

The village chief and Uncle Zhao were extremely gratified and almost shed tears.

It's not that they're unwilling to protect the villagers, but what could be more gratifying than having successors and younger generations taking over the responsibilities?

Jiayin didn't care about all that. As they hurried on their way, the group stretched out, and the surrounding area was full of their own people.

She was busy making food in the space and feeding the animals whenever they wanted, mostly steamed buns.