Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 94 A Generous Gift (Part Two)

Old Master Shi was a shrewd businessman, worldly-wise and honest.

After the news of Pei Liu Guniang's victory over White Tiger Stronghold spread, Old Master Shi praised Pei Liu Guniang highly, saying nothing bad about her.

At this moment, Luo Hu's head was right in front of them, and Miss Pei Liu was a distinguished guest of the Shi family.

Pei Qinghe declined a few words of polite refusal, but then readily took the seat of honor.

There were six people at the table, all of whom were powerful and influential families with close ties to the Shi family. Wang Mengyi stood behind a middle-aged man and whispered a few words to him.

The man appeared to be around forty years old, dressed in a sky-blue silk robe, with a round face, large ears, and a chin that had several layers. He was none other than Wang Xun, the maternal uncle of Shi Yan and the head of the Wang family of Guangning.

Looking at the pretty and spirited Miss Pei, Wang Xun sincerely exclaimed, "Truly, heroes emerge from among the young. Miss Pei's annihilation of White Tiger Stronghold not only avenged the Shi family but also vented the anger of us merchants."

The poor had nothing to rob; the bandits only targeted the wealthy. The Wang family owned dozens of cloth and embroidery shops, making them, like the Shi family, prime targets for the bandits.

This is not the time for modesty and humility. Pei Qinghe smiled slowly: "Young Master Shi has delivered grain to Pei Family Village several times. Our Pei family members are able to eat our fill every day, all thanks to Young Master Shi's generosity and righteousness. How can the Pei family stand idly by when the Shi family is in trouble?"

Grandpa Shi praised again. It was unclear whether he was praising Pei Qinghe or his grandson for his accurate judgment and good bet.

With the elders present, Shi Yan didn't say much. He smiled, picked up the wine pot, and personally poured wine for Miss Pei.

Wang Xun rose, holding his wine cup: "Sixth Miss Pei is a woman of great loyalty and righteousness, risking her life to avenge the Shi family. Today, on behalf of my nephew, I would like to offer a toast to Sixth Miss Pei."

Pei Qinghe then stood up, held the wine glass, and drank it all in one gulp.

After Wang Xun, the others at the table also toasted Pei Qinghe one by one. Pei Qinghe was very accommodating, accepting each toast and drinking a cup with everyone. However, it was just one cup.

“I am not yet of marriageable age and I never drink alcohol. I am happy to come to your house today and share a table with you all. However, I have a low alcohol tolerance and dare not drink too much.”

This sixth young lady, Pei, who seemed like a reincarnation of a killing god, was still a girl who hadn't reached the age of marriage. Everyone present was old enough to be her grandfather, so even if they wanted to find out more about her background, they couldn't very well urge her to drink.

Shi Yan had the wine glasses cleared away and poured Pei Qinghe a cup of tea. He chuckled softly, "Today's feast was prepared by several renowned chefs that I specially invited. Sixth Miss, please try it and see if it suits your taste."

Pei Qinghe nodded happily, neither reserved nor polite, and ate her fill.

Old Master Shi observed this and nodded inwardly. Miss Pei was a master of her time; leading troops in training required immense physical exertion, so her large appetite was understandable. Moreover, coming from a military family, Miss Pei possessed a natural ease and grace that few could match.

Wang Mengyi, standing behind Wang Xun, was also astonished by Pei Qinghe's appetite.

To maintain her slim figure, she only ate until she was six or seven tenths full at each meal. This one meal from Pei Qinghe was enough for her to eat for two or three days…

Wang Mengyi's gaze swept over Pei Qinghe's slender figure, filled with envy.

After the birthday banquet, everyone moved to the stage, where the most famous opera troupe in Youzhou was to perform for three days. This alone would cost several hundred taels of silver.

The extravagance and wealth of the Shi family is evident.

After listening for a while, Old Master Shi excused himself and went to rest in the inner hall. Shi Yan gave Pei Qinghe a wink, and Pei Qinghe nodded slightly, then got up to help Old Master Shi.

Wang Mengyi's eyes darkened as she watched this scene.

In front of everyone, Wang Xun said nothing, only gently patting his daughter's hand. Wang Mengyi composed herself, gathering her scattered thoughts, and focused on watching the play. ...

"Miss Pei, you have shown me great kindness. Please accept my bow." Old Master Shi was about to bow in respect.

Pei Qinghe immediately reached out to support Old Master Shi: "No, you mustn't. Young Master and I are very close friends. Old Master is Young Master's grandfather, and in my eyes, he is just like my grandfather. How can an elder bow to a junior?"

"Furthermore, the Pei family has been deeply indebted to the Shi family. Since the Shi family was robbed by bandits, it was only right for me to take action and eliminate the bandits."

That's what they say. But to be able to wipe out White Tiger Stronghold with a single move—that's incredibly impressive!

The Shi family had previously placed a heavy bet on Pei Qinghe, and Pei Qinghe proved with her actions that the Pei family was worth it.

From this moment on, our relationship should be even closer.

Old Master Shi gave Pei Qinghe a deep look: "Sixth Miss has lofty aspirations and will surely amount to something extraordinary in the future. It is a blessing for our Shi family to get to know her."

She paused, then added, "My old bones can't run anymore. Now, Shi Yan is managing the Shi family's business. From now on, Sixth Miss, just go ahead and recruit refugees. Our Shi family may not have much else, but we always have enough food."

The word "enough" carries a profound meaning.

Shi Yan, still finding his grandfather's words vague, chimed in, "Our Shi family can support Sixth Miss in raising a thousand soldiers."

Raising soldiers is quite different from raising refugees. Refugees can be settled as long as they have food. But to train soldiers, they not only need to be well-fed, but also regularly given meat, and there's no time for farming. Raising soldiers is extremely expensive. The annual cost of supporting a thousand soldiers is a staggering sum.

Pei Qinghe did not immediately agree, but said seriously, "The Pei family has gained a lot from destroying White Tiger Stronghold this time, and we are not short of gold and silver. It is my responsibility, Pei Qinghe, to support the army, and we cannot rely entirely on the Shi family. In the future, I will use silver to buy grain, and I only hope that the Shi family can sell grain to Pei Family Village in a long-term and stable manner."

The grain had to be provided by the Shi family, so who was responsible for the soldiers they raised?

When it comes to military power and sovereignty, Pei Qinghe made her stance clear without hesitation. The Shi family could invest, but they couldn't interfere. The Pei family army belonged entirely to Pei Qinghe.

Shi Yan smiled and changed his mind: "Then let's do as the Sixth Miss says, and let the Shi family sell grain to Pei Family Village."

Of course, how much silver is needed is up to the Shi family.

Shi Yan was sensible and knew his place. Pei Qinghe smiled at him and said, "Young Master, you have helped me in my time of need. I, Pei Qinghe, will always remember your kindness."

"I'll say it again: if the Shi family is in trouble, the Pei family will never stand idly by."

The alliance was thus formed.

Old Master Shi coughed and said with a smile, "To support an army, we not only need food, but also a lot of cloth to make uniforms and shoes. Salt, oil and other supplies are also needed. Sixth Miss, you've come at the right time. There are quite a few big merchants from Youzhou here today. The Wang family has cloth, the Zhan family is a salt merchant, and the Lu family is the largest medicinal herb merchant in Youzhou. I'll invite them over now and introduce them to you."

Old ginger is spicier. This is to curry favor with the Pei family before their army is fully established. Even if Old Master Shi hadn't said anything, Pei Qinghe had always intended to get to know these wealthy merchants.

When the old master Shi personally introduced them, it carried much greater weight.

Pei Qinghe gladly accepted this favor: "Thank you, Master Shi."

(End of this chapter)