Tian Wenmo quickly fetched it from his bottom bunk:
"Mother, there are three families who didn't sign up to go into the mountains. I wrote them at the very end."
Qin Sang was very satisfied:
"Not bad. You've summarized it well, saving me from having to think about it in detail."
Receiving the praise, the corners of Tian Wenmo's mouth curled up slightly.
Qin Sang indeed looked directly at the last line and understood immediately.
Of these three families, one was Zhong Pingan's. With Tian Hongmei there, Qin Sang didn't want to take them either.
Another was Old Man Qiao. Old Man Qiao was even older than the village chief, and with only one elderly person and one youngster, going into the mountains was indeed inconvenient.
The last one was Granny Xia's family. Granny Xia was blind, and Widow Xia had a bedridden Younger Brother-in-law, plus four other children who were still small.
These last two families perhaps didn't lack the will to go, but rather the means.
Qin Sang handed the paper back to Xiao Wu:
"Keep it for now. There might still be changes in the next couple of days."
"Also, if Heizi and the others come tomorrow, ask them for their numbers, ages, and names."
Although Tian Wenmo didn't know why his mother was registering these things, he just needed to do as told:
"I understand, Mother."
Qin Sang nodded and asked Da Zhuang and San Gui about their learning progress today. To her delight, both kids could draw the two bows; as for accuracy, that still required practice.
Qin Sang had them divide the Compressed Biscuits, Dehydrated Vegetables, and other food into ten small portions. She also took several silver ingots, cut them into broken silver with scissors, and distributed them among the ten portions. Then, she stuffed in the prepared First-aid Kits, turning the ten small bundles into emergency packs.
"When the time comes, everyone gets one. If an emergency really occurs, it can sustain you for two or three days."
The family's eyes shone as they looked at Qin Sang. Their hearts, which had been flustered by the knowledge that they would soon be entering the mountains, seemed to lose their fear under her meticulous arrangements.
Qin Sang then explained tomorrow's plans. Since she would be going up the mountain with Hunter Xu and the others in the morning and would likely stay overnight, she would take San Gui along. Da Zhuang would stay to watch the house; with the village chief presiding, it should be fine.
After urging them to go to sleep, Qin Sang sold half of the herbs she collected today to the Mall, finally recouping today's expenses.
Before dawn the next day, Qin Sang got up and gave water and food to the rabbits, mules, horses, and Da Huang. The family also woke up. Eldest Brothers Wife had prepared dry rations, boiled eggs, and also cooked four salted duck eggs and steamed two sausages to stuff into the bundle.
Qin Sang hung two water skins on herself, as did San Gui. He also carried his bow and arrows, with a Broadsword Qin Sang had bought tucked into his waist.
Qin Sang carried her small bundle and led Da Huang.
Once everything was packed, Hunter Xu and the others arrived.
Since this was a scouting mission for the village, everyone brought their own food and water, and each carried a handy weapon.
The people Tian Changgen arranged included Da Huas Father, the neighbor Guihuas Father, a Tian Family cousin Tian Dajiang, and Zhou Lin.
They were all honest, hardworking farmers with plenty of strength.
With Hunter Xu leading the way, they set off toward the back mountain.
Unlike the difficult progress Qin Sang faced when she first went up the back mountain to find people, the forest—having been traversed by villagers digging for herbs and affected by the locust plague—made their path much easier this time, though they had to watch out for the potholes along the way.
Without the cover of grass and leaves, the view was much more open.
Since being bought, Da Huang hadn't been on many long trips. Now entering the forest, he kept trying to break free from his leash. Qin Sang said gently:
"Don't be in a hurry; it's not time for you to put in effort yet."
Da Huang seemed to understand and followed obediently by Qin Sang's side, though he occasionally lifted a hind leg to pee a bit on a tree root.
Seeing birds startled into flight, Tian Sangui was eager to draw his bow, but Qin Sang raised her hand to stop him:
"If you miss, arrows are precious and you'll waste time looking for them. If you hit, the prey will leave a bloody scent. We're heading deep into the mountains; it wouldn't be good if the scent of blood attracts wild beasts."
Hunter Xu also agreed with Qin Sang:
"Your mother is right. Moving forward is the priority."
Tian Sangui was startled and immediately put away his arrows, repeatedly saying he wouldn't do it again. Even if he wanted to practice, he would get permission from Uncle Xu and Qin Sang first.
Because they weren't looking for prey, the team's pace was much faster than Hunter Xu's usual hunting speed.
Qin Sang walked in the middle, holding paper and a charcoal pencil. Whenever she saw a clearly marked tree or rock, she would specifically tie a red string to it.
Tian Yougen said approvingly:
"Da Zhuangs Mother really has a way. With these markers, we don't have to worry about getting lost."
Someone expressed concern:
"But with these markers, won't those Rebel Soldiers be able to find us on the mountain too?"
Qin Sang smiled:
"This is just for temporary scouting. Once the main group enters the mountain, we'll just send someone to collect the strings."
Qin Sang wasn't very afraid of the Rebel Soldiers entering the mountains. Why were they rebels? Naturally, for food and money. How much food could refugees in the mountains have? For that amount of effort, the rebels would likely prefer to raid villages and county seats.
Tian Yougen offered to take over the task of tying the strings, so Qin Sang was happy to focus on drawing the map.
"This is Chazi Gully. If you cross that peak and go down, you can reach San Gui's father-in-law's village. Going down from this peak over here leads to another village."
Hunter Xu was a responsible guide, occasionally explaining the geography and the names the Hunters had given to the locations.
After walking for six hours, everyone stopped to rest and eat to replenish their strength.
Hunter Xu pointed to a mountain towering into the clouds and said:
"Look at that highest peak; that's Qingfeng Mountain. This mountain range is sparsely populated and teeming with wild beasts. I've heard there are Bandits on that mountain."
Hearing this, everyone looked at each other, solemn expressions appearing on their faces. Qin Sang stood up, gazed into the distance, and comforted them:
"A mountain seen is a horse run to death. We can see it, but to actually reach it would take over ten days.
My idea is to find a location about a day and a half's journey from the various villages, roughly thirty li of mountain paths.
We've walked about ten li now. After a few more hours into the mountains, we can start looking for a spot."
In ancient times, traveling at night was extremely difficult, especially in the mountains. As long as the distance was far enough, even if the Rebel Soldiers searched the mountains, they wouldn't set up camp there.
They weren't a regular army, just a group of starving displaced people causing trouble. They would follow whoever fed them; who would actually exert themselves to the death?
Of course, if the Rebel Soldiers became more organized, they would have rules and regulations. To revolt, they would need to win over the people, so even if found, one's life wouldn't be in danger.
Hunter Xu nodded:
"We aren't very familiar with the terrain of the mountain paths ahead, so our speed will slow down quite a bit."
Qin Sang took out her water skin and had a sip:
"Everyone stay close. Especially when it gets dark later, don't get lost. Pay close attention to your footing. Hunter Xu, you two don't need to rush the lead; just take it as steadily as possible."
Entering unfamiliar territory, everyone became solemn and tense.
Qin Sang also gave Da Huang some water and dog food. Once he finished, she stuffed in a piece of jerky—his favorite. Qin Sang only gave him one piece, but Da Huang wanted more, his head constantly rubbing against her palm to act cute. Qin Sang smiled, patted his head, and whispered:
"Still want more? You're fast on your feet. Scout the way ahead later, and Grandma will reward you with more jerky."