CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 61: I’M YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW! HURRY AND HELP ME UP

Qi Nanfeng held back his breath and rejoined the team. The Liu Family chewed on dry food languidly, their eyes fixed on the pot of rabbit meat at the Ruan Mansion, drooling.

Seeing Qi Nanfeng return empty-handed, they sighed repeatedly, "Nanfeng, when you were in school, your mother told you to practice archery more! Even if you don’t join the army, it can save your life. How could you not even handle a woman..."

"If Mother thinks I’m incapable, why don’t you do it yourself!"

He threw the bow and arrow to Liu Family’s feet, lost his appetite, and left with a flick of his sleeves.

Before long, Ruan Jiao cautiously approached the bushes, avoiding others’ gaze, and handed a bowl of hot wild vegetable porridge to Qi Nanfeng.

"Young master, don’t stay hungry."

Qi Nanfeng looked up and saw her face, a bloody mess that had become even more unsightly due to scabs.

He instinctively frowned and pushed away her porridge, "No need. Miss Third, it would be better if you didn’t come looking for me anymore; it’s improper if others see."

This statement hurt Ruan Jiao deeply: "Mr. Qi, you’ve misunderstood me. I’m not as shameless as people say. Nothing happened between me and the second master! I was wronged!"

But before she could finish explaining, Qi Nanfeng had already turned and walked away from her.

Ruan Jiao’s heart felt like it was pierced by a sharp blade.

She carefully touched the wound on her face and angrily and desperately flipped the bowl of hot porridge!

She had been schemed against by Ruan Mian, and now even Qi Nanfeng looked down on her.

The mere thought of it ignited countless flames of fury in her heart...

After a short rest, they continued their journey. The forest wasn’t very safe; to rest properly, they had to quickly reach the valley ahead and find rocks to shield them from the cold wind to avoid freezing to death.

When they reached the valley and gathered firewood, Ruan Mian returned to the path they had passed.

Upon careful inspection, she indeed found some peculiar things on the road.

Apart from their footprints in the snow, there were occasional scraps of cloth on tree trunks or in bushes by the roadside, or some regularly placed stones.

If one didn’t look carefully, it’d be easy to miss.

But upon close examination, it was evident they were marks left behind.

Thinking of the three signal arrows, Ruan Mian had a vague suspicion in her heart.

She glanced at the sky and, upon returning to the valley, noticed the visibility had decreased slightly. She paid more attention to the surrounding environment.

Then she urged her family to gather as much firewood as they could.

No matter how much, the important thing was to have it on hand. If it really wasn’t enough, she would discreetly add firewood and charcoal from her space when no one was watching.

Back then, she had emptied the entire Qi Mansion; the firewood accumulated over the years was all in her space, enough to burn for days and nights without end.

With the increasing mist in the air, visibility deteriorated further, and as night fell, it was difficult to see even an inch ahead.

Amid the haze, the voice of a government officer rang out: "This is freezing fog, difficult to walk in. We’ll rest here tonight. The snow is thick on the mountain; do not make noise."

Seeing the surroundings becoming more obscure, Ruan Mian unhesitatingly instructed her brothers to light the fires as bright as possible.

The valley was scattered with sparse rocks, able to provide some shelter.

She held a torch and walked vigilantly among the crowd, searching for Qi Nanfeng’s whereabouts.

But the fog was too thick, mingled with snowflakes, making it impossible to see clearly. Leaving the fire, she felt cold and had to temporarily return to her family, staying alert to the surroundings.

It wasn’t until much later that everyone around her had fallen asleep.

She faintly smelled a familiar scent in the freezing fog.

It was so faint that you wouldn’t notice it unless you inhaled deeply.

However, the original owner’s nose was exceptionally sharp.

She stood and took a deep breath, and suddenly the package she found in Ling Hao’s camp last time flashed in her mind.

The scent was just like this, only stronger!

Seeing this, she immediately reached for the Jade Bracelet and took out the cold-proof masks inside.

The original book mentioned an outbreak following a disaster, and to be prepared, she had spent time on the road with Cui Zhu and Shaoxi sewing these masks.

They were lined with drug-infused gauze and covered with non-ventilating animal skins, mainly to keep warm and cold.

Now they could be put to use, certainly better than directly inhaling these strange substances!

So she woke up her family and quickly instructed Cui Zhu to distribute the masks for everyone to wear.

The family, noticing her serious demeanor, sensed something was wrong, and all complied by putting on masks.

Liu Family, disturbed by their movements, was kindly reminded by someone nearby: "Madam, we should cover our mouths a bit as well."

Liu Family was disdainful: "I think you’re losing your mind. They’re crazy, are you too?"

She still thought the Ruan family was too afraid of death, just a freezing fog, it won’t freeze anyone to death!

Wearing these masks was making a fuss, typical of merchant families, not well-read.

Ruan Mian intended to find the government officer, but after a few steps, she suddenly saw several pairs of dimly glowing green eyes in the darkness nearby.

Her face slightly changed, she immediately turned back: "Brother, Zhu’er, Shaoxi, go light all the fires and bring all the firewood over to burn."

Having said that, she held her torch high and led her family forward, setting the fire pits in the middle.

She said, "There’s a big rock ahead, safer there!"

Others, unable to see the road, didn’t know where the big rock was, so they followed Ruan Mian.

Just as they were about to reach when a miserable scream suddenly sounded behind the fire pit!

"Ah...!" The shout startled everyone, but by now, except for those from the Ruan Mansion, those without masks were gradually losing awareness.

At this moment, the Liu Family also realized in horror she seemed to have inhaled some type of hallucinogen, feeling dizzy, seeing Nanfeng beside her, but finding no one upon reaching out.

Sometimes she saw a crowd of people ahead!

The remnants of her sanity made her cover her mouth and nose tightly, following along the path of the fire.

At this moment, a wolf’s howl echoed from the darkness behind, making her slightly more alert, she shouted loudly: "Ruan Mian! Ruan Mian!"

But there was no response from the front, causing her to hurriedly cover her mouth and nose.

As the increasingly miserable sounds came from behind, the ground started shaking, and occasionally snow chunks fell from above.

Screams filled the valley as Ruan Mian held up a torch, seeing more and more snow rolling down from above.

She immediately had her family huddle under that giant rock.

At that moment, the Liu Family finally shuffled over, but just as they stepped forward, a large snow block suddenly fell, creating a pit!

The Liu Family also tripped, fearful of being caught by the wolves behind, panicked, and shouted.

"Ruan Mian!! I’m your mother-in-law! Hurry and pull me up!"