Chapter 116: Peace And Comfort
A total of three hundred and eighty-six people were willing to go to Pei Family Village.
Leading so many women, children, old and young, the traveling speed suddenly slowed down a lot.
Pei Qinghe got off the horse and put the two children on the horse. Pei Yan and the others followed suit, giving the horses to the children and even holding the reins for the children.
Pei Yan muttered indignantly in a low voice: “That family of ungrateful wolves ate our biscuits but still refused to follow us to Pei Family Village. I should have taken action just now and taught them a harsh lesson.”
Pei Qinghe gave Pei Yan a glance: “I’m here to gather the common people, not to beat people. Those who want to go can go, and those who don’t can stay.”
“We can’t save everyone. We extend a hand to those who want a way to survive. For those who don’t seek a way to survive, we don’t meddle.”
These words drifted with the wind into the ears of more than three hundred old and young in Anle County.
The mud-and-ash boy had quite some courage and loudly chimed in: “We all wish to follow Sixth Sister Pei.”
Pei Qinghe smiled faintly and asked the mud-and-ash boy: “What’s your name? How old are you?”
Pei Yan also turned her head to look over.
The mud-and-ash boy felt a bit hairy inside when stared at by the robust and majestic Miss Pei Yan, but he braced himself and answered: “My name is Zhai Sanlang. I’m thirteen this year. My father, eldest brother, and second brother were all killed by Xiongnu people. My mother and sister are both dead. I’m the only one left in the family.”
“If we go to Pei Family Village, can we really eat our fill every day?”
Pei Yan grinned: “Of course. We can eat our fill every meal, and occasionally there’s meat to eat.”
Zhai Sanlang kept swallowing saliva.
The children were all very happy to hear there would be full meals and meat to eat.
Even the women, children, and elderly thought to themselves: follow them first and see. Even if they can’t eat their fill and only get one meal a day, it’s still better than nothing. They already have nothing left—what could there be to deceive them about?
Even if human traffickers came, they wouldn’t want to buy a bunch of children and elderly who can’t do heavy labor. Sixth Sister Pei is purely making a losing deal. They need to hurry to Pei Family Village before Sixth Sister Pei changes her mind.
At night, the crowd lit several fires by the official road. The warhorses formed a large circle, serving as a barrier. In addition, people took turns keeping watch at night.
Zhai Sanlang curled up by the fire, quietly counting the warhorses until he reached the thirteenth and fell asleep.
The next morning, Zhai Sanlang was woken up hungry by the smell of meat.
At dawn, Pei Qinghe led Pei Yan and more than twenty others into the nearby mountain forest. Hunting was a specialty of Pei Clan women, and they soon hunted back several wild chickens and wild rabbits. They skinned and roasted the meat, then heated the dry biscuits and ate a full meal with cool water.
After finishing a wild chicken leg, Zhai Sanlang’s heart completely turned toward Pei Family Village. He took the initiative to find Pei Qinghe and talk: “Sixth Sister, I grew up in Anle County since childhood. I know half of these more than three hundred people. I also studied in a private school for three years, and my memory is exceptionally good. In a few days at most, I can remember everyone.”
“Whatever instructions Sixth Sister has, I’ll run errands and pass on messages.”
Pei Qinghe smiled and glanced at the eagerly performing Zhai Sanlang: “Good. On the road these few days, remember the appearances and names of the three hundred and eighty-six people from Anle County. Once we arrive at Pei Family Village, you’ll be the leader of this group.”
Zhai Sanlang nodded repeatedly.
On the rest of the journey, he indeed went around asking everyone’s name and age one by one, and even thickened his face to ask Miss Pei Yan for a charcoal pen, recording them all in a register.
Feng Chang saw this in his eyes and couldn’t help sighing to Gu Lian: “This Zhai Sanlang is bold and meticulous, and he can read and write. He’s already caught Sixth Sister’s eye. He’ll surely be a talent worth cultivating in the future.”
Gu Lian mocked back: “Sixth Sister is wise and mighty. More and more people will follow Sixth Sister in the future. There will always be many useful people emerging. Is Teacher Feng panicking over just one Zhai Sanlang?”
Feng Chang had once been a private school teacher, and this nickname Teacher Feng was given by Gu Lian.
Feng Chang was never polite even to his biggest rival, sneering back: “Gu Draw-a-Knife isn’t panicking, so why should I?”
The two eyed each other and each let out a cold laugh.
Pei Jia and Pei Yi had followed Sixth Sister Pei the earliest and were granted the Pei surname. Fang Datou had escorted Pei Clan female dependents all the way that day, so there was also a bond of lineage. Zhao Hai was a Pei Clan son-in-law, and Doctor Bao would surely be one sooner or later. Apart from these few, Feng Chang and Gu Lian had joined the Pei Family Army the earliest. Both had seniority, each had their strengths, and they fought the fiercest.
Pei Qinghe knew this well and had reprimanded them openly a few times. However, as long as they didn’t openly quarrel and make noise, Pei Qinghe didn’t interfere in their private discord.
As long as subordinates have disputes, the superior only needs to keep the balance. If their relationship is too close, there would instead be many hidden dangers.
On the third day of travel, they encountered a group of bandits.
This group of bandits numbered about thirty or more, and they surprisingly all had horses and held gleaming weapons in their hands.
The bandits spotted the formation of several hundred people from afar, knew they had encountered fat sheep, and excitedly licked their lips: “Look quick, so many elderly and children, and a bunch of women. Haha!”
Wait, a bunch of women!
One of the bandits had sharp eyesight. He took a close look, and his expression suddenly changed: “Pei Family Members! No good! Run quick!”
The other bandits turned pale at the word “Pei” and rode off on their horses without another word.
Pei Yan, who had already drawn her knife and set up a defensive formation, was baffled and turned to ask Pei Qinghe: “We haven’t even fought yet—why did all these bandits run?”
A cold glint flashed in Pei Qinghe’s eyes: “They’re not ordinary bandits. The Guangning Army was badly defeated by the Xiongnu—these should be military bandits who fled from the Guangning Army.”
“They have horses and weapons. They can’t enter the county town through the city gate, so ordinary villages will suffer if they encounter them.”
Pei Yan listened with rising fury and sneered: “I’ll take people to kill them. We’ll seize all their horses and weapons.”
Pei Qinghe nodded slightly.
For this level of opposition, she didn’t need to act—Pei Yan leading people would suffice.
For a quick battle, Pei Yan took eighty people and furiously chased after them.
Pei Qinghe ordered everyone to dismount and rest. The dry biscuits were almost gone, so three people shared one to barely stave off hunger. Fortunately, Pei Family Village was just one day’s journey away.
After waiting about two hours, Pei Yan and her group returned, bringing back several dozen weapons and more than thirty warhorses.
More than thirty bloody heads hung from the horses’ sides.
Zhai Sanlang had experienced the city being breached and massacred, collected his family’s corpses, and adapted well to such a bloody scene. He even felt a strong yearning: “Miss Pei Yan is truly powerful!”
The iron-tower-like Miss Pei Yan grinned proudly: “This is nothing. Cousin Sister Qinghe didn’t act. If she did, you’d know what powerful really means!”
The spoils weren’t just these—there were also several bags of gold and silver jewelry, unknown from which magnate’s household they had robbed. Plus a lot of dried meat and dry rations.
Pei Qinghe smiled: “We’re just short on dry rations, and someone eagerly delivered them. Everyone eat your fill before we set off!”
