Chapter 58: Fluctuation
“Sixth Sister,” Doctor Bao suspiciously blushed and twisted his fingers, hemming and hawing: “I’m nineteen this year, in good health, know some medical skill, kind-hearted, and gentle in temperament. I have no bad habits.”
“I’ve been an orphan since childhood, with no father or mother. I came to Youzhou on behalf of my master, which counts as repaying my master’s kindness in raising me. I have nowhere else to go. In the future, can I stay in Pei Family Village forever?”
Pei Qinghe nodded unhurriedly: “Of course.”
Doctor Bao’s eyes suddenly lit up.
“Pei family lacks a doctor. It’s best if you’re willing to stay. Once the new houses are built, you pick a room first.” Pei Qinghe generously promised: “We’re not well-off now, but when times get better, I’ll give you monthly pay.”
Doctor Bao waited full of expectation.
Pei Qinghe was somewhat surprised: “What’s this? You’re still dissatisfied like this?”
“No no no, very satisfied, extremely satisfied.”
“Then why aren’t you leaving?”
“I’ll leave right now.”
Doctor Bao turned and went out.
Pei Qinghe raised the corner of her mouth and silently counted in her heart. When she counted to eight, Doctor Bao, who had dawdled to the door, mustered his courage and turned around: “I also want to marry into the family as a husband.”
He had finally said the words he’d held back for over ten days. Doctor Bao let out a deep breath: “Sixth Sister, I’m willing to be Pei family’s son-in-law.”
Pei Qinghe glanced at Doctor Bao’s clean face: “I won’t marry a man into the family before I’m twenty.”
Doctor Bao jumped in fright, his face even paler, waving his hands repeatedly: “Sixth Sister is joking. Sixth Sister is like the bright moon in the sky. I’ve never had the slightest disrespectful thought.”
Just thinking of Pei Qinghe’s cold and heroic demeanor when killing made cold sweat break out on his back. When Pei Qinghe darkened her face slightly, he didn’t even have the courage to look up.
He didn’t know which hero would have the courage in the future to be Sixth Sister Pei’s son-in-law. In any case, he absolutely dared not.
Pei Qinghe, with nothing to do, teased him with a few words for amusement. Seeing Doctor Bao scared pale with sweat beading on his forehead, Pei Qinghe grinned: “Alright, I know what you want to say. I won’t make things difficult for you today.”
“Zhao Hai and Bian Shulan are fond of each other. Bian Shulan wants a husband, and Zhao Hai is willing to marry into the family as a husband. This is a happy event where both sides are willing.”
“You want to marry into Pei family, I agree. But my agreement isn’t important. What’s important is whether Cousin Sister Yun is willing to have you as son-in-law.”
Doctor Bao’s pale face instantly turned red, like an egg boiled in a hot pot, steaming with heat: “You, how did you know…”
How could she not know?
He blushed at the sight of Pei Yun, spoke in a soft gentle voice, just like a little wife. He was just short of writing the words “infatuated admiration” on his face.
Pei Qinghe smiled: “This matter needs Cousin Sister Pei Yun to nod herself. If you want to be Pei family’s son-in-law, go work hard for it yourself.”
Doctor Bao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously.
Several days later.
Pei Qinghe patrolled the village and stopped by Doctor Bao’s medicine hall.
Over half of the several carts of medicinal materials had been used, with a small half left, all carefully arranged on wooden shelves, emanating a faint medicinal fragrance. Doctor Bao was listlessly pounding a medicine jar.
With this demeanor, no need to ask—he must have failed on his first attempt and returned defeated.
Before Pei Qinghe could ask, Doctor Bao spilled everything like beans from a bamboo tube: “Miss Yun said she has no plans to marry and told me to find another woman to marry into the family.”
Pei Yun was still missing her wolf-hearted, dog-lung ex-fiancé and cousin, with no thought of marrying a man into the family at all, and refused cleanly and decisively.
Pei Qinghe glanced over: “What are your plans? Do you want to look for someone else?”
Doctor Bao shook his head like a rattle drum: “No, I fancy Miss Pei Yun. I’ll only be her son-in-law. If she’s unwilling for a day, I’ll wait a day; if she doesn’t nod for a year, I’ll wait a year.”
Who would’ve thought he was such a romantic.
Pei Qinghe found it somewhat amusing and said casually: “True sincerity can move heaven and earth. I hope you can win Cousin Sister Yun’s heart.”
This was just a trivial little matter and was soon thrown to the back of her mind.
The mud-and-brick artisans had been busy for over half a month, and the new village’s foundations were over half built.
The Beiping Army’s military banner always stood at the village head. With the Black Bear Stockade mountain bandits annihilated clean, any crafty petty thieves steered clear of Pei Family Village.
Pei Family Village laying foundations to build a new village was such a big movement, yet no one came to inquire. County Magistrate Wang of Changping County drank all day and ignored everything, only sending the secretary today to ask a few questions.
Secretary Li, who vaguely knew some inside story of the bandit suppression, was especially polite to the smiling Sixth Sister Pei: “I heard Pei family is building new houses, so County Magistrate Wang sent me to take a look.”
Pei Qinghe smiled and replied: “Pei family old and young number over two hundred, and we’ve taken in some pitiful women bullied by mountain bandits. These dozens of simple thatched huts really aren’t enough to live in. We had to build a few new houses for shelter.”
Secretary Li acted as if he hadn’t seen that large expanse of foundations and replied sympathetically: “The north has strong winds and cold weather. Indeed, a few new houses should be built to block the wind.”
“County Magistrate Wang said this piece of wasteland has all been allocated to Pei family. Pei family reclaiming land, farming, and building houses are all reasonable. Just report it to the county office.”
Pei Qinghe said somewhat apologetically: “I’m young and ignorant, and actually forgot to report to County Magistrate Wang. Please convey it on my behalf, Secretary.”
With that, a heavy sachet was stuffed over.
Secretary Li’s wrist flicked, and the sachet went into his sleeve, the motion incomparably smooth: “Sixth Sister Pei, rest assured. I’ll report what I saw to County Magistrate Wang when I go back. Pei Family Village is peaceful and stable, with Pei Clan old and young all law-abiding.”
Where did the artisans and silver for building the new village come from?
Where did the mountains of grain come from?
There were actually over a hundred horses in the village!
Moreover, all the Pei Clan women had rosy complexions, brisk steps, bright eyes, and high spirits. There were no naughty children running around the village; instead, there were orderly sounds of reading.
Secretary Li turned a blind eye to all these unusual things.
Secretary Li toured the village, chatted idly with Sixth Sister Pei for a moment, then pocketed the sachet and the gift from Pei family for County Magistrate Wang and returned to Changping County Office.
Gifts must suit the recipient’s tastes. No one knew where Pei family bought dozens of jars of fine wine; one whiff after breaking the mud seal, and the aroma filled the air.
County Magistrate Wang was overjoyed and waved a hand at the nagging secretary: “As for Pei Family Village, you keep an eye on it. No unusual movements, no need to disturb this magistrate.”
County Magistrate’s standard for “unusual movements” was very simple: as long as they didn’t storm the county office, they were good citizens.
With such a fine mindset, even with six bands of mountain bandits causing chaos in the Yan Mountains, County Magistrate Wang remained calm and composed, getting drunk every day.
Secretary Li respectfully acknowledged the order.
County Magistrate went to taste the wine, while Secretary Li took out the sachet from his sleeve. Opening it, there were actually two ingots of bright yellow gold.
He bit one; pure gold through and through.
Secretary Li beamed with joy, happily pocketed the gold, hummed a little tune, and stamped Bian Shulan’s marriage certificate with the official seal for filing.
With the official government seal, this marriage certificate had legal effect. If one day Bian Shulan and Zhao Hai’s marriage had issues and they wanted a divorce, the county office would handle and judge based on this marriage certificate.
