Upon hearing that it concerned their future lives, everyone immediately sat up straight and became completely focused.
"It's like this, our time fleeing famine hasn't been long, but it hasn't been short either. Most of our families have elderly parents and young children to support, and we can't just stay on the road like this forever, in case we encounter some unexpected accidents..."
The village chief paused here, his aged voice tinged with sadness.
"I see that this place has beautiful mountains and clear waters, and there are plenty of wild animals and vegetables in the mountains. It's just a pity that the terrain is not very flat. Let's walk a little further tomorrow, and if we find a suitable place, we can settle down here. What do you all think?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell into a thoughtful silence.
If we disregard yesterday's fire, the climate here is generally quite good, and people can make a living off the land.
The water source is also plentiful. As long as a good ditch is dug later to divert the water from the river on the mountain, their fields will not have to worry about not having enough water for irrigation.
The more everyone thought about it, the more they felt that what the village chief said made sense. They looked at each other, and then a man with a stern face immediately urged them on.
"Village chief, I think your suggestion is good. It's still early, so why don't we pack up and head forward now?"
Upon hearing this, everyone else nodded in agreement, but Mo Qianshang remained silent and did not say anything.
Because of the contributions Mo Qianshang had made during the escape from famine, the village chief did not directly grant the man's request. Instead, he looked at Mo Qianshang with a slightly ingratiating expression.
"What do you think, Miss Mo? If you have a different opinion, you can bring it up and we can discuss it together."
In fact, Mo Qianshang also felt that the little ones would suffer more if things didn't settle down, but she did disagree if they had to rush forward today.
"Since we're going to settle down anyway, there's no need to rush. How about we stock up on some water and food in the mountains tomorrow, and then continue our journey?"
There was one more thing she hadn't told the villagers: she planned to go ahead and scout the way that night.
After all, the environment here is too good; it's hard to guarantee that no one else is eyeing it. If they could know in advance, they could prepare accordingly and wouldn't be too flustered when dealing with it.
The stern-faced man, slightly displeased after being refuted, glanced at Mo Qianshang and continued to stubbornly stick to his own opinion.
"Women always like to dawdle. Why can't things be resolved quickly? We've already rested here for a while, and those who needed to stock up have already done so. Getting a place to stay as soon as possible is the most important thing!"
“You’re right.” Mo Qianshang gave a meaningful smile, but quickly looked troubled again.
“But right now the villagers don’t know we need to keep going. What if the place we reach after crossing this mountain is barren and everyone doesn’t have enough food and water? Will you come back here to get food for them then?”
She was just asking a normal question, but everyone who heard it felt a chill run down their spines, inexplicably feeling a strong sense of oppression, and they didn't even dare to look at her for long.
The man with the stern face was the same; he coughed lightly twice, looking quite embarrassed, and waved his hand with an awkward laugh, "Where would I get so many by myself?"
He seemed to realize that what he said was not quite right, and quickly tried to correct himself, "I was just thinking too simply. Let's listen to you, Miss Mo, and continue our journey tomorrow."
The village chief hadn't planned to rush ahead today, so he nodded in agreement.
"Okay, it's settled then. Everyone go and pass on the message to the others, reminding them to prepare enough water and food today."
When Mo Qianshang returned to her resting place, she keenly sensed that someone was watching her, their gaze as malicious as before.
But when she turned around, she only saw clusters of lush trees and couldn't find a single person.
I couldn't help but feel a little depressed.
She didn't dare to rest early until night, for the safety of the children.
Qin Baiyi was also working without rest.
Ever since what happened this morning, he felt that his gaze was somewhat out of control, always drifting towards Mo Qianshang, intentionally or unintentionally.
Finally, Mo Qianshang stared at him and spoke, "Can't sleep? Why don't we go over there and chat? Just to pass the time."
Without giving Qin Baiyi a chance to reply, Mo Qianshang got up and sat down on a large rock not far away.
The location is excellent, with a clear stream in front and no obstructions overhead, making it perfect for a heart-to-heart talk under a stunning starry night sky.
Actually, more than Qin Baiyi's seemingly casual gaze, she wanted to find out who had been staring at her menacingly from behind.
Unfortunately, the search yielded no results.
After hesitating for a moment, Qin Baiyi chose to follow. Looking at the stream shimmering in the moonlight, he wanted to speak first, but Mo Qianshang beat him to it.
"Why have you been staring at me all day?" She was getting really annoyed, so she decided to get straight to the point.
"No, it's nothing." For the first time, Qin Baiyi was at a disadvantage in front of Mo Qianshang, and he really didn't know why he was like this.
In an awkward moment, he suddenly remembered what had happened that day and changed the subject.
"Why didn't you agree to the hunter's offer today? I could tell that the hunter was very sincere, and the way your children looked at you was also very genuine. He's a good candidate."
As soon as he opened his mouth, Qin Baiyi noticed that his tone seemed a little off, so he tried his best to restrain himself.
Unfortunately, the moonlight was too bright, revealing the hint of displeasure in his eyes. Luckily, Mo Qianshang happened to see it.
"Everyone else has already rested at this hour, you don't need to say things against your conscience." This was the first time Mo Qianshang had heard a different emotion in Qin Baiyi's words, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.
But worried about really angering Qin Baiyi, she looked up at the bright white full moon on the horizon, and her soft and pleasant voice was inexplicably tinged with sadness.
"To be honest, if it were anyone else, I wouldn't agree either."
"I have never thought about getting married since I was a child, and I can't even imagine what it would be like to spend my life with someone else. To put it bluntly, I am completely indifferent to these things."
"The appearance of those little ones was an accident. After I raise them well and they all have their own lives, I will leave them and travel all over the country, living a carefree life."
As for money, she wasn't worried at all.
She was from a later era, and she had countless ways to make money. With the mall around, she could easily exchange wild vegetables she dug up in the mountains for money, so she didn't have to worry about starving to death.
But when Qin Baiyi heard Mo Qianshang say that, the joy she felt that morning vanished without a trace in the night breeze.
A faint sense of guilt also rose in my heart.
Mo Qianshang is not old at all. If he hadn't asked her to help take care of his children, perhaps she would have met another good man by now...
They wouldn't have such negative thoughts.
The thought of growing old alone filled him with desolation; such a life was not meant for a bright and cheerful woman like Mo Qianshang…
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