The people from the second branch wanted to stay, and Pei Shu’er spoke to Tang Peixiao.
"Second Uncle, if you believe me, have the people from the second branch stay away from the dense forest. I won’t harm everyone."
Pei Shu’er continued with a smile, "Moreover, the animals in the forest already fled during dusk."
Hearing this, Tang Peixiao was stunned for a moment. After all, he had been a soldier for many years and knew about these things.
When animals leave a place in large numbers, there might be a disaster there, so it’s best to avoid it.
Thinking about this, he nodded, "Listen to Shu’er."
The people were divided into two groups; most insisted on resting in the dense forest, while a few listened to the government officer and Pei Shu’er’s advice to rest outside the forest.
As Pei Shu’er was about to fall asleep, Tang Zan gently kicked her foot with his toe.
The two were sleeping face-to-face, foot to foot.
Pei Shu’er opened her eyes and looked at Tang Zan opposite her, drowsily asking, "What’s the matter?"
Tang Zan didn’t reply, just raised an eyebrow at her.
Pei Shu’er felt speechless, disturbed in the middle of the night.
She moved back a bit, making it impossible for Tang Zan to touch her even if he was bored.
This movement made Tang Zan’s eyebrows raise even higher.
She had already prepared for the temperature drop; earlier in the dense forest, she sneaked into the space and stitched a down jacket inside.
She added a layer of this era’s unique cotton fabric inside and out, making it less conspicuous.
She beckoned to Tang Shuo and Tang Qinghuan.
"Come sleep by sister-in-law."
The two children, warm in the early night, stayed far from Pei Shu’er.
By the second half of the night, they automatically rolled over to sleep beside her.
She took off her outer robe and covered the three of them.
The wind had already picked up, but Pei Shu’er seemed to have anticipated this, using straw raincoats on branches to shield herself from the cold wind on all sides.
When Tang Zan was awoken by the cold, he saw Pei Shu’er surrounded by straw raincoats on all sides.
His brother and sister were also tightly wrapped by Pei Shu’er.
Other people shivered uncontrollably from the cold.
The two children slept with rosy cheeks, clearly very warm.
Even Pei Shu’er slept quietly and peacefully.
Seeing the ugly straw raincoats, he couldn’t help but sneer.
Along the way, Pei Shu’er had completely overturned his previous perception of her.
Some couldn’t stand the cold wind outside and went into the dense forest to sleep, cursing Pei Shu’er as they went.
They said Pei Shu’er had caused them a lot of trouble, and they must have been crazy to believe her.
The people in the forest were also awakened by the cold, but with no cold wind attacking inside, it was much better, and they loudly mocked Pei Shu’er.
"I just knew, the temperature would drop in the second half of the night, and catching a cold would make traveling worse."
Mrs. Li also chimed in sarcastically.
"How can you trust Pei Shu’er, a tramp who only knows how to seduce men? So we suffered for nothing."
She felt like a prophet now.
Because she didn’t go out last night and even caught a wild rabbit and a pheasant, her whole family roasted and ate them.
Good thing they didn’t listen to Pei Shu’er, or else they’d be suffering now.
Didn’t they see the people who came in later, shivering on the outskirts of the forest?
Others who didn’t go out were also secretly glad they didn’t listen to Pei Shu’er.
"I said, Pei Shu’er, that little girl has probably barely been out a few times. What does she know?"
They cursed Pei Shu’er for a while, even those outside the forest who stayed put for lack of a better spot.
Some people cursed Pei Shu’er, calling her a jinx, pretending to know things and causing trouble.
Most, however, stayed silent; they still needed her medical skills, but harbored no real resentment against her.
Only those from the second, third, and fourth branches realized the complex nature of the dense forest. Didn’t they notice the government officers didn’t rest inside?
Meanwhile, Pei Shu’er slept soundly, oblivious to the curses.
Her cherry-like mouth slightly open, eyelids unmoving, her crow-like lashes covering her clear and bright eyes.
Tang Zan couldn’t help but think that even if Pei Shu’er were awake, she wouldn’t care about these insults.
This woman was always so perceptive and could endure much.
She was ruthlessly decisive when needed and earned widespread praise.
Looking at Pei Shu’er’s sleeping face, he found himself feeling a bit sleepy.
His family was here, so he naturally wanted to stay and guard them.
The next morning, the government officers beat the drum, and everyone gradually got up, some catching a cold from the cold wind.
They couldn’t help but look at Pei Shu’er with resentment.
Meanwhile, those in the dense forest had no intention of coming out even after the drum was beaten for a while.
Lu Qing felt his heart sink; he hadn’t completely believed Pei Shu’er last night and didn’t want to provoke the majority, so he let people choose sides.
Seeing the situation now, he realized something had gone wrong.
The dense forest was now shrouded in grey poisonous gas, revealing only faint tree shadows.
Seeing the poisonous gas, everyone realized it was real.
Perhaps, they thought, they were particularly unlucky to encounter the poisonous gas no one else had.
The government officers looked grim; they hadn’t believed it before, with no signs of poisonous gas yesterday, only the animals’ escape and some poisonous creatures.
Now, seeing the condition of the dense forest, they had a bad feeling.
If one stayed in this poisonous gas for three hours, poisoning and unconsciousness were inevitable, even possible death.
Thinking of that scene sent chills down their spines.
And inside, even their family members were among those at risk.
Tang Zan raised an eyebrow, looking at the woman packing up beside him. He nudged Pei Shu’er’s shoe with his foot.
Pei Shu’er turned to look at Tang Zan, noticing his hair tied up high, revealing a pale, handsome face, full of youthful energy.
He spoke in a low, pleasant voice, his dark eyes gazing at Pei Shu’er, giving her the illusion of Tang Zan being very gentle.
"How did you know there would be poisonous gas today?"
Pei Shu’er replied blandly, "I read it in books."
Her attitude was so cold, completely absent the friendliness and warmth she showed the two little ones.
He couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Pei Shu’er, finding her staring at the poisonous gas in thought, as if plotting something.
Tang Zan’s thin lips pressed into a line.
In Pei Shu’er’s eyes, did he not even deserve a serious response?
This answer was too perfunctory.
He felt extremely annoyed, yet also found his emotions inexplicably irrational.
He actually didn’t want to deal with Pei Shu’er; her indifference was best.
He never intended to have any dealings with her!