Jiang Xiaoxiao said nothing and directly headed to the kitchen; the old man agreed upon hearing this.
The twenty people in front of him seemed to have traveled a long way, and hurried to the kitchen to help Jiang Xiaoxiao.
If she had to cook for twenty people on her own, she’d be exhausted.
Luckily, the ingredients were ready, and it was impossible for them to carry all of it down the mountain.
The steamed buns went directly into the steamer basket, ready to eat once heated.
The old man cooked shredded potatoes and made cold dishes that were ready.
Jiang Xiaoxiao still had a lot of marinated barbecue left, so she could just grill it now.
Song Moting didn’t rest either, he carried items one by one from the kitchen.
The old man also made steaming egg soup.
It was tough to bring these eggs down the mountain, so he made hot soup instead to warm everyone’s stomachs.
The remaining eggs were boiled to eat on the road later.
The old man had long planned how to carry these things.
The potatoes were either roasted or steamed; each person carried a few, so it wasn’t much in total.
There weren’t many steamed buns left.
But the flour and rice were difficult to carry.
Jiang Xiaoxiao finished grilling the meat without greeting He Aiguo and the others.
The urgent task now was to prepare enough food for the journey as quickly as possible; otherwise, it would be wasted.
Although she had space, she couldn’t take things away in front of these people.
So, preparing a portion for each person to carry was within her capabilities.
She steamed the rice and mixed in small dishes, forming them into rice balls.
Easy to carry, preserve, and delicious, especially with some grilled meat mixed in, making them even more appetizing.
For flour, there wasn’t enough time to steam buns, and the weather required time for dough to rise, so they made all the flour into stuffed pies.
Anyway, oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were also difficult to carry.
The old man was also pleased with Jiang Xiaoxiao’s idea, as it prevented waste.
So, they chopped the meat into filling.
Mixed in cabbage and green onions to make the pie filling.
One by one, hot stuffed pies were fried.
Who could resist fried pies?
The men, who hadn’t eaten anything, couldn’t help but be enticed by the aroma.
The men were famished long ago.
After eating those things, each person ate several steaming pies.
Their spirits almost revived with it.
Song Moting and He Aiguo talked, revealing how anxious everyone had been over the past few days.
While they were unaware, these people worked hard to rescue them.
If they hadn’t ventured out and seen that wisp of smoke, they might have spent the entire winter on the mountain.
Song Moting patted He Aiguo’s shoulder, knowing the risk He Aiguo took to lead the rescue.
If not for He Aiguo and his team’s efforts.
Though they faced no danger here, with the cabin, food, and hunting skills ensuring their safety.
By the time they would leave in spring, the university would likely have started.
Their hard work for the college entrance examination might result in nothing.
"Brother, thank you!"
He Aiguo laughed, "Old Song, what are you saying? It doesn’t make sense to be formal between brothers, but we were indeed lucky."
He genuinely felt that good deeds were rewarded, considering that as he led the group.
He thought they might end up returning empty-handed, growing more uneasy the farther they walked, given the challenging path, yet finding the log cabin and the people they were looking for felt dreamlike.
It’s like a dream conjured by celestial beings, where the individuals they wanted to see appeared with a wave of a hand.
The feeling was surreal.
But, as long as they brought Song Moting and Jiang Xiaoxiao back, it was the best outcome, as if fate had orchestrated everything perfectly.
"Luck? I think it’s bad luck."
Song Moting’s face did not look good.
He planned to retaliate against Fang Peizhong upon returning.
But now, even the sole witness, the tractor driver Zhang Baocheng, was gone.
Even though he and Jiang Xiaoxiao suspected Fang Peizhong the most.
Who would believe them?
It was just their words without evidence?
The tractor was gone, Zhang Baocheng was gone, leaving no evidence or witnesses.
Fang Peizhong likely had a hundred excuses prepared, waiting for them.
Song Moting couldn’t help but feel resentful.
After being harmed this way, life went on normally for others.
Such a feeling was incredibly frustrating.
He Aiguo sensed Song Moting’s low mood and the unusual implication in his words.
"Don’t think that way. Accidents can happen in snowy weather, and no one wished for this incident."
"You think it’s an accident? No wonder, everyone thinks so. I saw the tractor; its brake line was cut. This was no accident, someone wanted me and Jiang Xiaoxiao dead."
He Aiguo raised his eyebrows in surprise.
"What? Who could be so malicious?"
"We suspect Fang Peizhong, but have no evidence."
The outcome was truly disappointing.
Originally, they planned to bring Zhang Baocheng back to confront Fang Peizhong, as he was a definite witness, but Zhang Baocheng was gone.
"Be careful. Fang Peizhong doesn’t seem the type for such deeds. If there’s a first time, there might be a second. You better hurry back to the city."
Upon hearing this, He Aiguo knew there was no evidence, and no matter how convincing their words were, it wouldn’t result in someone’s arrest.
Moreover, in the eyes of everyone, Fang Peizhong didn’t seem the type for such crimes.
The police couldn’t arrest based on a single accusation without proof, even if it was significant for them.
Both fell silent. Anyone would be unwilling to accept the situation.
Just looking at Song Moting and Jiang Xiaoxiao’s attire, He Aiguo realized their survival.
What efforts and hardships did they endure to live through this?
Descending the mountain, how could they not have suffered?
Even though they appeared okay now, it’s been a long time.
Anyone with malicious intent is vile.
Three hours later, the people in the cabin began their journey.
Twenty-three people in total, escorting eight tied individuals.
The weather started to look gloomy, with no wind, no cold, nor snow.
But everyone’s hearts were heavy, knowing snow was inevitable.
Leaving earlier could ensure an early escape, as many would otherwise be trapped here.