Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 84 Freshmen
The refugees feared power but did not appreciate virtue.

Pei Qinghe never overestimated human nature, and she showed no mercy in intimidating and punishing the refugees. With Pei Jia, Pei Yi, and Feng Chang absent, she would wander around the wasteland several times a day. The gossipy refugees would fall silent as quails at the sight of her.

Eagles soared through the air like black dots.

Pei Qinghe casually drew his bow, and the arrow shot straight into the sky. *Thud!* The eagle was struck in the neck and fell straight down.

The refugees who witnessed this scene gasped in shock and instinctively shrank their fragile necks.

Pei Yan excitedly ran over and picked up the dead eagle: "Cousin Qinghe, this eagle is quite big. Let's make a soup with it when we get back."

Pei Qinghe smiled and nodded, glancing around.

None of the refugees dared to raise their heads.

Gu Lian led the women of the mountain village in plowing the fields, saying loudly, "Do you see? With Sixth Sister here, everyone can live a peaceful life. Plowing is hard work, but we can eat our fill and stay warm. With Sixth Sister protecting us, no stinky man dares to bully us."

"Sixth Miss said that newcomers will first work the land for six months. Those who perform well will be selected to learn martial arts and archery from Sixth Miss."

"Also, we are all from Pei Family Village. If you find a man you like, you can take him as your son-in-law. Any children you have will take the Pei surname."

In fact, there's no need to say much; just looking at Gu Lian's imposing appearance is enough to put the women of Wolf Fang Village at ease.

Even a woman with half her face disfigured can gain the favor and be highly valued by the Sixth Miss. Why can't they?

A surge of emotion welled up within me, and my previously tired and sore arms regained their strength.

Pei Qinghe turned around and instructed with a smile, "Reclaiming wasteland and cultivating fields is hard work. Take a break after working for an hour. There is warm water in the wooden bucket over there."

Gu Lian hurriedly smiled and agreed, loudly announcing that the women should rest for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. A little sugar was added to the warm water, giving it a subtle sweetness, just like the life before them.

A few days later, Pei Jia returned with a group of refugees.

This group of refugees numbered about forty people, who fled into the Yanshan Mountains due to the heavy corvée labor.

The refugees that Pei Yi brought back were people who had fled to Changping County because their hometowns were suffering from drought and they had no way to make a living.

Feng Chang returned the latest, and brought back the most refugees. He had stayed in the Yanshan Mountains for over a year and was familiar with the area. Moreover, Feng Chang was literate, eloquent, and adept at persuading people.

Nearly two hundred more people joined the village. Arranging food and lodging was a complicated matter. However, everyone followed the rules set by Pei Qinghe, and everything proceeded smoothly.

The young master of the Shi family sent the Dong brothers to deliver grain and a message: "Sixth Miss killed Scarface Wolf, ridding Youzhou of a scourge. In the future, many wandering people will come to seek refuge with her. Young master, please go ahead and recruit as many as you like. The Shi family will fully support you."

They provide grain, labor, and manpower, without interfering or speaking out. Such knowledgeable and sensible wealthy individuals are hard to find in this world.

Pei Qinghe personally wrote a letter to express his gratitude to Young Master Shi.

Dong Dalang delivered the letter to his master. Young Master Shi took the letter, but didn't rush to open it; a smile crept onto his face.

Dong Erlang boldly suggested, "Why doesn't the young master personally deliver the grain to Peijia Village? The sixth young lady will surely treat him with great hospitality."

Old Master Shi was pressuring the marriage, but the young master didn't confront him directly. Instead, he spent his days running around, keeping a close eye on what was happening in Pei Family Village. When Pei Family Village started recruiting refugees, the young master immediately sent them to deliver grain.

The Dong brothers, who had served their master since childhood, had long since grasped the implied meaning behind this.

Shi Yan glared at Dong Erlang and said seriously, "Sixth Miss Pei is a heroine with lofty ambitions. The Shi family has placed a heavy bet on the Pei family. How could I, Shi Yan, be the kind of petty person who would take advantage of someone's kindness?" Dong Dalang nodded in agreement, "Of course not."

Dong Erlang quickly picked up the conversation: "Our young master is of noble character, kind and upright. He is a first-rate young man. He will surely find a good match in the future."

Shi Yan chuckled and said, "Alright, stop flattering me, all of you get out."

After the two men left, Shi Yan opened the letter and read the few words of thanks over and over again five or six times. Then he folded the letter and hid it in his sleeve pocket.

The Shi family's vast fertile lands were scattered throughout Youzhou, with grain shops in every prefecture and county. Inspecting all of their properties would take several months.

The Shi family owned several trade routes and purchased countless quantities of grain every year.

The merchants were in charge of managing the trade routes, and there were shopkeepers and clerks in the grain stores, as well as estate managers, servants, and guards—numbering in the hundreds. With such a large business, so many people to manage, and the need to appease the government and the army, Young Master Shi was indeed extremely busy and had no time to leisurely stroll through Pei Family Village.

However, the delivery of food and supplies for building the wall never stopped.

Peijia Village's reputation spread like wildfire.

In those days, the prospect of a full meal was an irresistible temptation for refugees suffering from famine. With the help of those who wanted to spread the word, news of Pei Liu's formidable martial prowess spread throughout Changping County. Soon, refugees began to flock to her.

In May, the spring wheat harvest was in full swing, and Peijia Village reaped a bountiful harvest. However, the village's population continued to rise at an alarming rate. The harvested grain was far from enough to feed them, and they still relied heavily on the support of Shi Shaodong's family.

The new village of Peijia Village has also been built.

Initially, thatched huts were built, but later, brick and tile structures were added, and a number of clean and bright brick houses were constructed. A wall has also been built for several miles around.

All the women of the Pei family moved into brick houses, and the brand-new thatched huts were distributed to Feng Chang, Gu Lian, and others who were the first to come to seek refuge. The men who married into the family could also move into the new houses with their wives.

There's nothing to say about that. The later-joining refugees didn't complain about living in old thatched huts. There's a proper order to things, isn't there? They were a step behind, but they were still much better off than the later-joining refugees to Peijia Village; at least they had houses to live in. The later ones were still living in drafty thatched huts!

A loud baby's cry came from the brand-new brick house.

Bian Shulan, her forehead covered in sweat and exhausted, refused to close her eyes and rest, insisting on watching the children.

Zhao Hai happily held his newborn son and went over to him, saying, "Shulan, look, this is our son."

Bian Shulan looked at the chubby baby boy, her eyes shining with joy.

Little Wan'er was overjoyed, yet also a little uneasy: "Mother, I'm a big sister now."

With a younger brother, will her mother still love her?
Bian Shulan reached out, hugged Xiao Wan'er, and kissed her forehead: "Xiao Wan'er, don't be afraid, Mother will always love you the most."

Five-year-old Wan'er grinned and reached out to hug her newborn brother.

Upon hearing the good news, Pei Qinghe arrived, picked up the chubby little boy, and said with a smile to Bian Shulan, "This is the first child born since our Pei family settled here. Shall I name him myself?"

Bian Shulan and Zhao Hai were overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

Pei Qinghe thought for a moment and smiled, "A new student symbolizes hope, so let's call him Pei Wang!"

(End of this chapter)