The tall, thin man panicked as soon as the person left.
Brother Wang said they weren't allowed to go deep into the forest, or they'd be beaten if they were found out.
If he knew it was him who instigated it with just a few words, he would definitely give him a beating.
Just as they were getting anxious, another person arrived with a large number of refugees.
As soon as everyone saw the taro, they rushed to dig it up.
The tall, thin man stopped the man and said quickly, "The two Liu brothers are disobedient and insist on going deeper into the forest. Go and bring them back quickly. I'll go and tell Brother Wang."
After saying that, he hurriedly ran out.
The others hesitated for a while before chasing after Liu Dafei and his group.
If Wang Zhuzi finds out that they forced people into the depths of the forest, he'll surely give them a severe beating!
The more they thought about it, the more frightened they became, and they quickened their pace.
Wang Zhuzi knew that Liu Dafei and the others had gone into the woods again, all because of a few words from the man beside him. He frowned and said irritably, "Didn't I say we shouldn't say that? If you cause us to go hungry, I won't let you off the hook."
After saying that, he quickly led his men into the woods.
Those people said they weren't allowed to go deeper into the forest that day. If they were discovered, who knows if they would be so heartless as to take back all the taro and yam.
Although he knew the possibility was limited, he was still somewhat worried.
That little girl knows so many things, who knows if she might know a poisonous plant that could kill the yams and taro, leaving them with nothing to eat.
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. However, after only fifteen minutes, Liu Dafei and his group rushed back in a panic.
Several refugees were so frightened that they ran out in a panic.
"Yes, there's a tiger! There's a tiger in the forest!" Liu Dafei trembled with fear, a bright red wound on his forehead, clearly from a recent fall.
The others weren't much better off; they all looked panicked, and their legs were trembling.
Wang Zhuzi frowned, and upon closer inspection, he indeed saw tigers peeking out from the bushes not far away, which made him tremble with fear.
It was the first time he had ever seen a tiger, and its ferocious appearance was truly terrifying.
If this giant worm were to pounce and bite people, they would all die here.
Just when they thought they were about to be eaten by the tiger, the tiger roared and headbutted a rock the size of a child's head that was flying nearby.
The stone flew towards Wang Zhuzi and his group in an instant, startling everyone into a panic.
As luck would have it, the stone seemed to have eyes, and with a "thud," it smashed into Liu Xiaofei's foot, which he hadn't had time to retract.
Instantly, a pig-like scream echoed from the woods, startling everyone so much that they closed their eyes and dared not move.
It took Wang Zhuzi a while before he dared to look at the bushes, only to find them empty and devoid of any sign of the tiger.
The tiger's roar was extremely loud, echoing through the forest for a while before disappearing. Mixed with Liu Xiaofei's shouts, it terrified everyone so much that their legs went weak.
After a long pause, Wang Zhuzi coldly rebuked, "Anyone who dares to venture deeper into the forest again will bear the consequences."
The others were terrified. The thought of that tiger made them all retreat back to their camp.
The others had also heard about the tiger in the forest, especially the roar it had just given them, which frightened them so much that they hid in their makeshift huts and dared not come out.
Occasionally, someone would go to relieve themselves alone, but they would need a companion and wouldn't dare go too far, only staying nearby.
Liu Dafei and his companions dared not go out. They had come face to face with the tiger, which pounced on them and nearly wet themselves in fright. They were also injured by the tiger, and they lost all interest in finding Old Man Liu.
So be it, eating tree roots is fine. At least we won't starve. There are man-eating insects in that forest. If we encounter them, they might be swallowed whole.
Old Liu and the others probably won't live much longer; such a huge worm would surely eat them all.
They are safe outside.
*
Jiang Yimian was still happy with her good harvest today. She tied the roots of the sweet potatoes together and carried them in her hand, intending to go home. But Mimi had disappeared without a trace.
She frowned and looked around, finally spotting Mimi scratching herself to the side.
Mimi ran off somewhere, covered in leaves and vines.
Jiang Yimian glanced at it curiously, assuming that Mimi had gone to catch birds again, and didn't pay much attention. She went over and picked off the leaves and vines from Mimi's body, then led her back to the small depression.
Just as they reached the gate of their own yard, they saw Old Man Liu returning with Lu Cijian, each carrying a pile of animal pelts.
Lu Cijian was also carrying three fish weighing five or six pounds each.
As soon as Old Liu saw Jiang Yimian, he said with a smile, "Yimian, come and pick out a few good ones, take them back and have your mother make you a warm padded jacket."
The others, hearing the voice, quickly came to greet them.
Old Liu and Lu Cijian simply threw the various animal skins they were holding onto the ground. Most of them were rabbit fur, not very large, but there were so many of them!
Zhao Xing'er looked on with delight, "Oh dear, I forgot, we can make clothes out of these furs. We have a few rabbit skins at home, let's take them out and share them with everyone. We can make winter clothes that will definitely keep us warm."
Old Liu nodded, becoming more and more satisfied with Lu Cijian. "This is all thanks to Cijian. He was worried that we didn't have winter clothes, so he asked me to bring them to several families to make winter clothes to keep warm. I noticed that Yimian's family has many children, so let them take more. Children are most susceptible to frostbite, while we adults are a bit better off."
Liu Xiaoyun nodded repeatedly and pulled Wang Fengqin, saying, "Uncle Liu is right. Sister Fengqin, hurry up and pick some out. I see that some of the furs have been stored for a long time and are a bit stiff. I guess they can't be used to make clothes."
After saying that, she pulled Wang Fengqin down to squat down and started picking at the ground.
Zhao Xing'er was also helping out, and she was happily saying, "That's great, we don't have to worry anymore. With our reed cotton clothes finished and these fur clothes, we'll definitely have a good winter. We really owe a lot to Cijian."
Lu Cijian didn't come over to join in the fun; instead, she was surrounded by several children who taught her to read.
Jiang Yimian was somewhat surprised that Lu Cijian would think of the fact that they didn't have winter clothes for the winter and specially took out the animal furs he had been saving for so long.
There were plenty of furs on the ground, each one cleaned thoroughly. They were enough to make two sets of warm clothes for an adult man from head to toe.
Lu Cijian must have prepared it for himself, but unexpectedly he sent it to them instead.
A slight stirring ran through her heart as she looked at the person earnestly teaching several children to recognize characters.
There was none of his usual coldness, nor the teasing and languor he displayed when facing her; all that remained was seriousness.
The boy lowered his eyes and carefully explained the meaning of the words to the children, his tone low and gentle, as if afraid that the children would not understand, showing great patience.
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