The Cheng family caravan also had a regular evening meal.
It was still mushroom and wild vegetable meat soup with flatbread, just in slightly smaller portions.
The noon meal was just to get by.
This evening meal left everyone feeling satisfied and happy.
No one complained about the amount.
After a hearty meal.
Those on guard duty continued their watch.
Those cleaning up tidied up.
Because there was no water source nearby, washing the dishes was almost a challenge.
It was Su Miaomiao who spoke up, suggesting they boil a large pot of water. Each person took a bowl or half a bowl of water from the cooked food bowls and rinsed them directly, drinking the water.
This way, the bowls and chopsticks were cleaner, and they could be washed thoroughly when they found a water source later.
It was better than leaving them there to breed bacteria.
And the weather was cold.
Drinking some hot water was good for their health.
Everyone naturally had no objections.
Their caravan had always stored water, and the vehicles behind them had several barrels.
They used it sparingly.
If they only ate and drank, it could last for two to three days, so they weren't worried.
It wasn't a drought here.
So much stored water was enough.
After eating and drinking their fill.
Everyone returned to their vehicles to rest, expecting a bình thường night, sleeping until dawn before continuing their journey.
However, they hadn't rested for long.
Something happened.
The first to notice was naturally Su Miaomiao, who first heard faint wolf howls in the distance. The people in the caravan began to stir.
Everyone was scared.
Uncle Ji immediately jumped out of the car to calm everyone down, as wolf howls didn't mean they would dare to come. There were quite a few people in the three caravans.
Everyone had lit braziers and bonfires.
Logically, fierce beasts wouldn't dare to come close.
But everyone still felt a vague sense of worry and was very tense.
Su Miaomiao listened to the sound to estimate the distance and felt it was quite far away. She chuckled and flopped back onto the bed, thinking there was nothing to worry about at this distance.
They might not be heading this way.
Cheng Hao trusted her.
Naturally, he didn't take it to heart.
"But isn't this weather a bit extreme? The temperature difference between morning and evening is at least ten degrees, right?"
Cheng Hao expressed his concern.
If the weather was extreme.
The journey of fleeing would be difficult.
What if it snowed heavily and the land was frozen for miles? Could they still travel?
At that time.
They might have to find a place to stay in advance. The journey to the neighboring country was too far.
At least they had to survive the harsh winter first.
"Autumn can be so unpredictable, who knows what winter will be like."
Cheng Hao shared his thoughts with Su Miaomiao, and she agreed that they should take things as they came, saying, "Stock up on supplies! Gather more people! Deal with problems as they arise! Thinking too much now might not be good!"
Her straightforwardness somewhat eased Cheng Hao's worries.
Manpower was also important.
Having supplies was useless if they couldn't defend them.
The people from Shan'ao Village seemed decent enough to travel with.
But it was not appropriate to include them in the caravan.
Their own people couldn't even work together, and each family had their own concerns.
How could they be 100% integrated if they joined the Cheng family caravan?
Therefore, it was best to remain as they were.
The young couple had slept in the afternoon and were not sleepy at night, chatting about things.
As they were chatting.
Su Miaomiao couldn't sit still anymore. She suddenly sat up, her usual lazy smile gone, her expression serious. She said, "They're getting closer."
Cheng Hao was confused. He leaned against the car wall, taking notes. Hearing this, he turned his head to look at her. "What's getting closer?"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Outside, wolf howls erupted one after another, as if in response to each other.
His expression also changed. "It's a wolf pack?"
Su Miaomiao immediately got up to put on her outer coat. She still wore her maid's floral dress, which she put on as if it were armor. She nimbly reached for her shoes.
Cheng Hao stopped her, asking, "What are you doing?" His expression was grave.
Su Miaomiao quickly replied, "Going out to stabilize the situation. Judging by the noise, there are at least a hundred of them. Damn it, this wolf pack is really stealthy. They must have sneaked in. Everyone here is inexperienced. If they panic, it'll be disastrous!"
Wolves are cunning creatures. The more timid you are, the fiercer they become!
The first thing to do is not to panic!
But how many people in the caravan had ever seen a wolf or faced a wolf pack? None of them had, and Su Miaomiao hadn't either. But she at least knew some theory. If she didn't go to check, they wouldn't be able to hold their ground later.
If so many people couldn't defend themselves, then she and Cheng Hao wouldn't survive either.
They had been too careless.
Although this old official road was in disrepair and rarely used, there were villages nearby. People occasionally traveled this stretch of road, and villagers would also pass through.
It was just that no one traveled with caravans anymore.
But there were still people moving about!
They had expected fierce beasts wouldn't visit often, but they never imagined such a large group would appear!
Cheng Hao held Su Miaomiao back, not letting her rush out, fearing he couldn't control her. He listened carefully to the sounds, noting there was still some distance. "That's unlikely. Even if there are wolves, they wouldn't move in a pack rashly. These creatures are petty and hold grudges. It's likely someone provoked them. This is a revenge attack."
He said calmly.
Suddenly, a woman's scream rang out from outside, and the situation immediately descended into chaos.
People were shouting about wolves!
It was estimated they had seen wolves.
The commotion seemed to have originated from Shan'ao Village. The Cheng and Jin family caravans were also inevitably in disarray. Some people from the Jin family were crowding into their vehicles, and the Cheng family patriarch was shouting for guards. The people around him were panicking and at a loss.
Cheng Hao directly shouted outside, "What are you all yelling about? If you want to die, keep yelling! Everyone grab a torch and make the bonfires burn brighter!"
He was also anxious.
But he couldn't panic.
The people of the Cheng family caravan might not have paid much attention to the Cheng family patriarch's words, but they were very responsive to their young master's voice. After all, they had been following his orders recently and were accustomed to it. His shout was more effective than anything else. They quickly complied!
Su Miaomiao also immediately poked her head out of the window and shouted to everyone, "No one is allowed to run around! Anyone who runs out and is chased by wolves will surely die!"
She instructed everyone to face the wolves head-on. Everyone should slowly retreat in place, all moving towards the vehicles, their eyes fixed on the wolves!
The slightest sign of fear would be their cue to attack!
Everyone was in a panic, but upon hearing this, they immediately complied. There was no other choice, solely based on their trust in the young couple. Even in such a situation, they had come up with a plan, so they chose to obey.
They had no other choice.
Even the people from the Jin family and Shan'ao Village heard this and immediately followed suit.
The people from Shan'ao put their children and women in the center, with the men on the outer perimeter, slowly gathering together, all facing the wolf pack back-to-back.
Not far away.
In the forest.
What were originally just a few pairs of green eyes gradually became more numerous.
Some people's legs had gone weak.
But they still mustered the courage to make the bonfires burn even brighter. As the flames flickered and roared more intensely, the wolf pack indeed dared not move any closer, but they did not leave either. This was going to be a heart-stopping standoff.