Chapter 12: Grain
Creak creak!
The wooden cart wheels labored over the fairly flat official road, accompanied by the clip-clop of horse hooves.
The Pei Family old and young, who had walked most of the day and were exhausted and numb in expression, all stopped and turned around together. Over a dozen flatbed carts piled high with grain appeared before everyone’s eyes.
“The grain is here.” Madam Lu cried out in surprised delight.
It wasn’t just Madam Lu who lost composure; the Pei Family old and young, starved for several days, all had eyes gleaming. Their gazes toward Pei Qinghe grew even more fervent.
The journey these past few days had been arduous, but everyone had silently endured it. Yet with only two dry biscuits and a pitiful bit of water each day, it was impossible to fill their stomachs—it was truly unbearable.
In heaven and earth, nothing is greater than eating. This principle is simple and practical.
It was the grain that Pei Qinghe had demanded from Prince Zhangwu!
At this moment, Pei Qinghe’s image in the clan’s hearts soared abruptly, taller than two zhang!
Several Eastern Palace Guards dismounted and walked to Pei Qinghe. The leading Guard Gao cupped his hands: “The grain, cotton cloth, and medicinal materials that Sixth Sister Pei requested have all been purchased.”
The items were easy enough to buy; the county town had grain stores, cloth shops, and pharmacies, and they were all acquired in less than half a day.
What truly took time and effort was finding carts and people.
Flatbed carts were straightforward; buying a dozen or so didn’t cost much silver. But the livestock to pull them was truly hard to buy. Horses were out of the question—the barracks didn’t even have enough, and they were almost nowhere to be seen for sale on the market. Oxen were also precious, with sky-high prices.
Common folk mostly used mules and donkeys to pull carts.
To buy over a dozen at once, and find a cart driver who knew how to drive and serve the livestock. Most importantly, he had to be willing to make a trip to Youzhou.
These days, even leaving the county town once counted as traveling far. A long journey of over a thousand li there and back was three thousand li. The cart drivers shook their heads at the thought; no amount of silver could convince them to go.
Guard Gao was rejected several times in a row and finally got annoyed, directly tying up a bachelor cart driver with no family. With a flash of the long saber and tossing over ten taels of silver, this thirty-year-old cart driver obediently drove the cart.
Finding a doctor was much the same process. In the end, they still relied on the long saber to “invite” a young doctor.
These minor matters were not worth mentioning.
Guard Gao casually informed Sixth Sister Pei that he had lived up to expectations and successfully completed the task.
Pei Qinghe pretended not to see the unlucky, downcast cart driver and the listless young doctor, and politely thanked Guard Gao: “Guard Gao has worked hard, many thanks.”
Guard Gao replied: “This lowly one is acting on His Highness the Prince’s orders to escort the Pei Family Members to Youzhou, so it is only right to follow Sixth Sister Pei’s commands. I dare not accept this thanks.”
The implication was very clear.
Escorting and ensuring the Pei Family old and young’s safety was already utmost benevolence and righteousness; unreasonable requests should not be made.
Captain Sun came over and chatted warmly with Guard Gao.
In terms of official position, Captain Sun was a proper eighth-rank captain. Guard Gao didn’t even have a rank. Yet when they actually met, it was Captain Sun who fawned on Guard Gao.
Guard Gao was an Eastern Palace Guard, a man of Prince Zhangwu. No matter how much the Eastern Palace was suppressed by Prince Wei, it was not something a mere captain could provoke.
Guard Gao coldly tugged at the corner of his mouth: “Captain Sun is truly skilled at marching and hurrying along the road; we chased for two days before catching up.”
The sarcasm was plain to see.
The Pei Clan’s old, weak, women, and children had actually marched at army speed. Captain Sun must have pressured them too harshly.
Captain Sun smiled bitterly and explained: “Guard Gao has misunderstood. I originally planned for twenty li per day. It was the Pei Family Members who took the initiative to speed up.”
Guard Gao sneered, clearly not believing it.
Captain Sun had no way to argue and simply said no more.
Guard Gao wasn’t blind; traveling together onward, he would see with his own eyes.
Guard Gao soon gained insight.
The old women held young children and sat in the prison carts. The Pei Family Womenfolk divided into several teams, each with a leader. Sixth Sister Pei varied her pace, urging, reminding, and encouraging everyone forward.
The Pei Clan, without adult males, had no heart-wrenching cries or breakdowns; they advanced in silent resilience. Perhaps the formation was still rough and not neat enough, yet it brimmed with stubborn, tenacious vitality.
Sixth Sister Pei was holding up the sky for the Pei Clan.
Guard Gao’s expression was complex, and he was silent for a long time.
That evening at the posthouse, Guard Gao took the initiative to seek out Captain Sun for idle talk, not mentioning the Pei Family at all—a tacit understanding as good as bowing his head in apology.
Captain Sun naturally wouldn’t hold a grudge and even invited Guard Gao to dine together.
They had to travel together for months; too rigid relations would indeed be inconvenient.
Guard Gao agreed.
Captain Sun sent the nimble mole-faced Big Soldier to the kitchen. In no time, the mole-faced Big Soldier dashed back, hands holding a large tray with four full plates of meat and even a small pot of wine.
“Sixth Sister Pei had the cook prepare a few dishes and invites the captain and Guard Gao to have a small drink.”
Wealth can move mountains.
Five hundred taels in banknotes, exchanged into small silver ingots of five taels each, neatly placed in a box. Sixth Sister Pei was generous, rewarding the cook with a silver ingot, and he spiritedly prepared several signature dishes.
The mole-faced Big Soldier grinned from ear to ear as he placed the dishes and wine on the table: “Sixth Sister also treated us to two dishes and two jars of wine.”
Soldiers on duty don’t drink—this was the barracks rule. Out traveling, rules had to be flexible. Over fifty people sharing two jars of wine meant a small half-bowl each, enough to satisfy the craving without delaying proper duties.
This Sixth Sister Pei was young but handled things with real-world savvy and maturity.
Captain Sun and Guard Gao exchanged a glance, both sighing inwardly.
What a pity she was the daughter of a traitor, to be exiled to Youzhou. Truly a pity!
Captain Sun and Guard Gao happily drank together; the Big Soldiers feasted heartily.
The posthouse had a ready stone mill; a donkey pulled it turning for an hour, grinding several bags of flour.
Madam Wu and about twenty capable women mixed and kneaded dough, busy until midnight, steaming up steaming buns piled like a small mountain.
Pei Qinghe ate five fluffy steamed buns in a row, drank a large bowl of piping hot vegetable soup, and felt her insides all settled.
Pei Yun, Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, and Pei Feng sat around Pei Qinghe. All at the age where half-grown lads devour what their elders have saved, after days of long journeys draining their strength, each was starved with chests to backs, heads down eating voraciously.
“Cousin Sister, can we have hot steamed buns again tomorrow?”
Pei Feng let out a contented belch of happiness and asked expectantly.
A smile flashed in Pei Qinghe’s eyes, and she nodded: “Of course.”
These dozen carts of grain were enough to feed the over three hundred Pei Family old and young all the way to Youzhou. Only full bellies and quenched thirst would give them the strength for training.
Pei Yan and Pei Xuan grinned and cheered together. Pei Yun, being a few years older and of steady temperament, hesitated and whispered: “Shouldn’t we ration it to avoid starving when we reach Youzhou?”
Pei Qinghe raised a brow and smiled: “Don’t worry; when we reach Youzhou, I have a method.”
Strange.
Speaking of that unfamiliar place a thousand li away, why did Cousin Sister Qinghe’s tone sound so familiar and assured?
Pei Yun was puzzled and hadn’t yet voiced it when a panicked scream suddenly sounded in her ears.
……
