Chapter 32
Found the Mountains
Ning Yue was very surprised. Did the village chief trust her so much?
Still, she was touched. Being trusted was something to be proud of.
The others were silenced by Old Madam Ning and Ning Bai’s words. Actually, they did not have the courage to escape alone. There was strength in numbers. If anything happened, they could help each other.
If they were alone, they were bound to become someone else’s food. How lucky and powerful did they have to be to survive?
“Since no one is talking, it means that you don’t want to go alone. We still have a lot of difficulties to face. I hope that everyone can be more united in the future and not have such conflicts again. Only then will our chances of survival be greater.” Ning Bai was indeed the village chief. His words were very dignified. His voice was loud and his tone was stern, instantly making people feel respect for him.
They all nodded in agreement.
“Ning Tian, take two people and continue forward. Come back before dark,” Ning Bai instructed his son.
Ning Tian accepted the mission without any complaints. When he went to choose people, Ning Dalang and Third Brother Ning stood up again and volunteered to go with him.
“Big Brother Ning and Third Brother Ning, you’re both injured and haven’t fully recovered. Don’t tire yourself out anymore.” Ning Tian looked at the injuries on their faces and rejected them.
Ning Dalang and Third Brother Ning looked at each other with firm eyes. “This little injury is fine. It’s better for the two of us to go with you. The others are not as useful as the two of us.”
Old Master Ning also said, “Let them go. Whether they find the mountains or not, they have to come back before dark.”
As Ning Yue listened, she felt that this was a little too tiring. She took out a small firework that could be lit up before handing it to Ning Tian.
“Uncle Ning, I bought this from a stall when I was bored in the past. Take it and light it up when you find the mountain. We’ll rush over when we see it. We’ll go back the way we came from if we don’t find the mountain.”
Ning Tian took the small firework and nodded. “Okay.”
This would indeed save a lot of trouble. If they found the mountain range, they wouldn’t have to return to call for help.
After the three of them left, the others rested on the spot. Some of them had already started to sleep on the ground. They felt that Ning Tian and the others would definitely not be able to find the mountain, so there was no hope.
Others craned their necks in anticipation of the fireworks.
Ning Yue was one who was looking forward to it. She looked in the direction where the three of them left from time to time, afraid that she would miss something.
As time passed, the sun set in the west. However, Ning Tian and the other two did not return before nightfall. There were no fireworks to inform them about their progress. This made everyone’s hearts skip a beat. Could they have failed to find the mountain range and were harmed?
Old Master Ning and the others were so anxious that they couldn’t sit down and paced back and forth.
“Oh no, it’s so late at night. They might have met some vicious person!”
“That’s right. People eat people now. They’ll eat anything when they’re hungry.”
“What should we do? They can’t live!”
Everyone began to talk and their cries mixed in the conversation.
Only Ning Yue’s family and the village chief’s family were silent. No one spoke. The hope in their hearts was shattering bit by bit, but no one was willing to say it.
Ning Tian brought his wife, daughter-in-law, and grandson to Ning Yue’s side. He looked at Old Master Ning with deep worry in his eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
Ning Yue’s heart beat faster. She was nervous too.
What if something happened to Eldest Uncle?
The atmosphere was becoming more and more tense. Just as everyone was trying to catch their breath, the sky in the distance suddenly brightened for a moment. A small firework bloomed, and there was a faint sound.
“Fireworks!” The children immediately cheered. “It’s fireworks. Uncle Ning Tian and the others have found the mountain!”
Everyone stood up excitedly and looked in the direction of the fireworks.
Ning Bai was also extremely excited. He was like a fish that was about to die of thirst but suddenly returned to the water. He shouted to everyone, “Quickly pack your things and continue forward!”
“Yes!”
Everyone immediately packed up and quickly set off. The moonlight was bright, so there was no harm in traveling at night.
After walking for about an hour, they finally saw Ning Tian and the other two.
Under the night sky, a towering mountain appeared in front of them. Compared to the withered yellow on the ground, the mountain was clearly much greener. Under the night sky, the leaves rustled and a cool breeze blew.
“It’s a mountain!” the villagers shouted happily.
Ning Bai patted his son’s shoulder and smiled at Ning Dalang and Third Brother Ning before starting to make arrangements. “Send someone to look for food now. If you really can’t find it, continue looking tomorrow morning!”