Wang Shi pressed further, “You Niang, so according to what you’re saying, there are still many taros around here?”
If this were truly the case, Yan Jun’s food problem could be alleviated.
And with food, they could fill their stomachs, regain their strength, reach safe cities at a faster pace, make ample preparations, and survive the cold winter.
Xu Yue helplessly shook her head and looked towards Tong Shi, Qiu Shi, and the others who were already setting up pots to cook taros.
Wang Shi followed her gaze and immediately understood.
She gently patted Xu Yue’s head, smiling kindly, “You Niang is already amazing. With what you brought back, plus the prey I hunted, it’ll be enough for us to eat for a while.”
She didn’t blame her for telling others about the taros in the mountains, but instead praised her for doing well.
Xu Yue felt warm inside, though she was still somewhat worried about the days ahead.
She asked quietly, “Mother, what should we do next?”
Xu Erniang and Xu Da, who had just returned after handling the pheasant, both turned to look at Wang Shi upon hearing this.
Unknowingly, she had long become the backbone of the family.
Although this might be due to the disparity in combat abilities, it had to be said that Wang Shi’s excellent wilderness survival skills made Xu Yue and the others feel she was more reliable than Xu Da, their nominal father.
Wang Shi analyzed clearly, “There’s water here, and we can hunt prey. We’ll rest here for two days, preparing food while waiting for the situation to calm down before descending the mountain.”
Xu Da thought it feasible. After all, food was the most important. They had fled in such a hurry earlier without any preparations. Now that they had this opportunity, they naturally needed to prepare thoroughly.
However…
Father and daughters tacitly looked towards the villagers of Dawang Village who had returned from the forest. Having these people around had both advantages and disadvantages.
The advantage was that many hands make light work—they could protect this pond.
But the disadvantage was obvious too—the limited food resources had to be shared with these people.
How could Wang Shi not know what the father and daughters were worried about?
Gains come with losses, just as Xu Da had said earlier. Before they became strong enough, the power of the group was still necessary.
They couldn’t just use people when needed and abandon them when not.
What about next time?
It wasn’t like people would conveniently appear for you to use every time you needed them.
“There’s plenty of prey in the forest. Tomorrow I’ll take them hunting. At the very least, we need to secure this pond and prepare the food needed for the journey.”
Speaking of this, Wang Shi worried about water containers.
This was the ancient era—there were no foldable compressed water bottles. Without knowing where the next water source would be, they needed to prepare at least half a month’s supply of basic water.
If each person needed one liter per day for basic needs, five people would need five liters. Half a month’s supply would be 75 liters.
With Xu Dalan’s great strength, plus hers and Xu Da’s sharing the burden, they could definitely carry it.
But what could they use to hold that much water?
Traditional bamboo containers were heavy themselves, doubling the carrying weight. A load of three hundred jin wasn’t realistic.
Moreover, bamboo containers risked leaking water. On rugged mountain paths, they might lose more than half.
Wang Shi fell into deep thought.
The aroma of the pheasant stewing in the earthen pot began to fill the air. Xu Yue and her two siblings stared intently at the pot, their stomachs already full from the taro, yet they couldn’t help swallowing their saliva greedily.
Fresh pheasant soup—even with nothing else added—was the best meal they’d had since crossing over into this world.
Human talents are often forced out by necessity. Before the crossing, Xu Da, a spoiled young master from a wealthy family who only knew how to appreciate fine cuisine, never imagined he could unlock the skill of cooking.
A pot of pheasant soup, seasoned only with a few slices of dried ginger brought from home and a bit of salted water, had turned out so fragrant after being boiled over a high flame—something he hadn’t expected.
Xu Da was smug, convinced he was a culinary genius.
Xu Yue and Xu Erniang exchanged a knowing glance. They saw through it but didn’t say a word. To secure a free cook for the future, they praised their father’s “natural talent” against their better judgment, which only spurred Xu Da to greater enthusiasm.
The aroma grew stronger, filling the area around the pond with the enticing scent of pheasant soup. The sound of swallowing saliva echoed, and the pairs of gleaming, hungry eyes were unsettling.
Wang Dayou’s family was relatively better off. He had earlier followed closely behind Wang Shi and managed to snatch a rabbit that had slipped from her grasp. Now, he had stewed half of it to improve the children’s meal. Wang Jia Danniang and the youngest Wang Jia Xiaoerzi, who was just learning to speak, ate with immense satisfaction.
Thanks to the taro, the other villagers had alleviated their hunger to some extent. So, despite the temptation of the delicious pheasant soup, they could only watch longingly without attempting to snatch it.
Of course, they also knew their scrawny selves might not stand a chance against Wang Shi, who had already overpowered several refugees from other villages, so they didn’t dare try.
Xu Da took out five earthen bowls and served each family member a bowl of soup, each with several pieces of meat, making everyone’s mouths water.
Xu Yue, inhabiting a child’s body, didn’t bother with pride. She picked up her bowl and slurped down the soup noisily, burping contentedly.
As soon as she moved, the others followed suit.
Watching the Xu and Wang Dayou families enjoying meat, Wang Dahai and a few others, who had previously shown gender discrimination, couldn’t hold back any longer. They shuffled forward, shamelessly striking up a conversation with Wang Shi, hoping she would take them along on her next hunting trip.
Wang Shi smiled generously. Not only did she agree, but she also gave them a plump rabbit.
Wang Dahai and the others were stunned. Once they recovered, they knelt and repeatedly praised Wang Shi as a great benefactor.
Xu Da silently drank his soup and watched the scene, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
Earlier, they had called her “Xu Da’s wife,” but now it was “Sister-in-law Xu.” Yet, there’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Sure enough, Wang Shi stood up and said to Wang Dahai and the others, “I have one condition. If you agree, you can come hunting with me.”
Wang Dahai and the others, clutching the rabbit, eagerly agreed, first vowing they would even be willing to “work like oxen or horses” for her before quieting down to hear her condition.
Wang Shi said lightly, “The condition is simple. From now on, I can take you hunting, but all the prey must be handed over to me for distribution, and the animal pelts must go to me.”
“If you agree, raise your hands. If not, find your own food—I won’t interfere. As for this rabbit, whether you agree or not, it’s still yours. Consider it my act of accumulating merit for the children in my family.”
Wang Dahai and the others exchanged glances, surprised that the condition was so straightforward.
Still wary of potential deception, Wang Dahai specifically confirmed, “Will there be enough to eat? How will the prey be divided?”
“Whether there’s enough depends on heaven, but I can guarantee everyone will receive an equal share of the hunt.”
“But!” Wang Shi’s expression sharpened as she glared at the shifty-eyed Wang Dahai and warned, “Those who try to cheat or slack off won’t get to take advantage of the group in the slightest!”
Meeting her icy gaze, Wang Dahai thought to himself, Why are you looking at me? I wasn’t planning to slack off.
Wang Shi narrowed her eyes dangerously: So what if I’m looking at you!
Wang Dahai conceded defeat and turned to the others behind him. With no objections from anyone, they agreed.