Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao, for once, found their appetites satisfied today, enjoying a large bowl of the delicious soup.
Finally, the issue of meals was somewhat resolved, so they wouldn't have to make do with anything.
Once or twice was fine.
But eating dry, tasteless food every day would drive anyone to despair.
Now they had salt, temporary seasonings, and still some meat.
Tonight's meal was also secured.
They would worry about tomorrow's affairs tomorrow; the traps should catch some more game.
The chance of catching prey during the day was low.
Su Miaomiao planned to check the traps before dark, as opportunities were greater at night.
The food outside could sustain them, while the provisions inside the space could be used as snacks or for special meals, enough to last them twenty to thirty years.
It was a pity that the space hadn't expanded, and they didn't know if it required a trigger condition. It had suddenly expanded its warehouse before, but now there was no movement.
Cheng Hao and Su Miaomiao dared not place too much hope on it, feeling that the supplies on the shelves and in the warehouse were already very good, and they had even unlocked a bathroom, so washing up was not a problem.
As they were discussing whether Su Miaomiao could go hunting for a big score, they saw Steward Du come to find Uncle Ji. They spoke in low voices for a while, and then Gao Dashan also took the opportunity to approach.
"Oh, they really came!"
Su Miaomiao exclaimed, surprised that Gao Dashan was quite resolute.
Cheng Hao calmly replied, "Let's wait and see. They probably won't fight."
After all, at this time, no one wanted conflict and would avoid it if possible.
Fighting was both tiring and harmful to the body.
"I just asked Xiao Wu Zi and Xiao Liu Zi, and the progress is still a bit short. It will take at least noon tomorrow to finish felling, but if the Jin family people join in, with extra effort, maybe we can get it done tonight."
Su Miaomiao watched them talking. She calculated that if the trees were felled tonight, they could set up the logs tomorrow morning, and the vehicles could be tested. If everything went well, everyone could successfully cross the river.
Gao Dashan clearly didn't want any further delays, and in fact, everyone was anxious. The sooner they crossed, the sooner they would be away from the enemy soldiers behind them.
Although they had already run quite far, they were still uneasy, weren't they?
Of course.
The dangers on the road ahead were also unknown.
Currently, the two sides were negotiating, and they appeared to be getting along quite harmoniously.
Uncle Ji happened to pass by.
He was pulled over by the young couple. After some questioning, they learned the details.
Cheng Hao couldn't help but praise, "Although Master Jin doesn't seem very clear-headed, his steward is able to cut his losses in time and isn't pretending to be foolish anymore."
Su Miaomiao commented, "That's because he was scared. He only remembered to manage things after the current crisis arose, but waking up isn't too late."
There was still hope.
Uncle Ji also sighed, "Isn't that true? This person was disheartened by Master Jin."
He didn't want to manage anything anymore.
But when the fire was about to burn him, who could sit still?
They could only hope that he could persuade Master Jin himself.
Su Miaomiao paid attention to the situation and said, "It should be fine. Judging by Gao Dashan's reaction, it's feasible for the Jin family to send people to help."
Then, they saw both sides part ways amicably. Steward Du hurried back, and Gao Dashan walked steadily towards the young couple.
He already considered Cheng Hao to be a capable speaker, so he didn't approach Master Cheng. "The Jin family has agreed to help fell trees together. If we all put in extra effort tonight, we can set off tomorrow morning. What do you think?"
Cheng Hao naturally agreed. Su Miaomiao even praised him for being truly capable.
It saved them a lot of trouble.
Otherwise, with Master Cheng present on their side, if Master Jin reneged and relied on his smaller numbers to not contribute, Master Cheng would likely not force him to help, perhaps due to their ten-odd years of friendship over wine and meat.
Mainly, he also cared about face.
He was afraid it would be awkward to ask, especially since the other party's group was scattered and disorganized.
Their servants were so hungry they were listless, how could they swing axes with any strength?
Furthermore, because they refused to sell meat to them and refused their joining the convoy, Master Cheng felt he had already been rather unfair. Master Jin had left in anger and hadn't returned, so he naturally wouldn't send someone to ask for his help.
Because if they did, the two families would fall out. In such times, having an extra enemy meant more risk, so it was better to avoid trouble.
But it was different when the people from Shan'ao Village spoke up; they had truly helped a lot.
The young couple praised him in unison.
Gao Dashan was so embarrassed that he scratched his head foolishly, saying he also wanted to get there early. And since he had promised to help the Cheng family cross, he had to do it, so it was naturally unacceptable for the Jin family convoy to expect to reap the benefits without contributing.
Gao Dashan was too embarrassed to say it directly, but asking the Jin family to contribute was helping everyone, including themselves. Although they didn't have carriages, they wanted to follow the Cheng family and have them clear the way, so they also had to ensure the Cheng family could cross smoothly.
Otherwise.
Their people were using handcarts or carrying luggage on poles, and a problem that could be solved with three or four large trees was much easier for them to cross.
Ultimately, they felt that many hands made light work, and they had also heard how chaotic it was outside.
When Master Jin was communicating with Master Cheng, his voice was very loud, and Gao Dashan hadn't been idle, eavesdropping on most of it.
He also knew how difficult the times were, and that it would only become more terrifying later. Although their group wasn't small, they had families with them and their deterrent effect wasn't significant enough.
If they encountered fierce people or larger groups of refugees, they truly couldn't scare them. But Master Cheng's impressive convoy was quite intimidating, and additionally, their members were spirited, strong, and protected by guards who looked like martial artists.
They were more capable than ordinary civilians like themselves. More importantly, Su Miaomiao could hunt, and they could exchange with her for some meat later.
The people in their village had also tried hunting, but they weren't naive children and knew hunting wasn't that simple. Even experienced hunters admitted they couldn't match her hit rate, let alone other villagers.
But by following the Cheng family's convoy, their people from Shan'ao Village, with their salt and seasonings, could at least exchange for some supplies and wouldn't fear being cheated by them.
Gao Dashan had great confidence in the Cheng family's convoy's credibility and knew they wouldn't cheat people, so it would be foolish not to follow them.
They also hadn't let people join their convoy, which showed they weren't the type to bully the weak.
Gao Dashan just gave a wry smile, feeling that even if they wanted to join, the other party might not agree. He had also listened to Master Cheng's words and actually found them reasonable; their own people were fine, and abruptly joining someone else's group would surely cause chaos.
Therefore.
He felt that traveling together was the most suitable option, allowing them to look out for each other, exchange supplies, and use their numbers to deter some of the refugee teams.
Thus.
Gao Dashan hadn't abandoned them and directly proceeded to build the wooden beams to cross the river.
People are driven by their own interests.
Everyone is like that.