Chapter 125: Traveling Together
Under the bright candlelight, Shi Yan’s slightly gaunt handsome face showed a helpless bitter smile: “I had a big argument with Grandfather, and Grandfather drove me out of the house. I have nowhere to go, so I can only come seek refuge with you.”
These two short sentences contained too much information.
Pei Qinghe couldn’t help but frown: “The Shi Family has only one heir for three generations, and Old Master Shi dotes on you like the apple of his eye. How could he drive you out of the house? What were you arguing about to reach this point?”
Shi Yan explained lightly: “In the past two years, Grandfather has been urging me to get married, but I was unwilling. Grandfather was already dissatisfied in his heart. A few days ago, I wanted to come to Pei Family Village, and Grandfather couldn’t stop me, so he flew into a rage and drove me out of the house.”
“Dong Dalang and Dong Erlang, the two brothers, have been by my side since childhood. I had long freed them from slavery. When I wanted to come to Pei Family Village, they followed.”
Then, with a face full of expectation, he said: “I am no longer Young Master Shi now. Grandfather has already selected a capable cousin brother from the Shi Family branch family to adopt. In the future, the Shi Family’s vast family business will have nothing to do with me. I have nothing, only myself.”
“I want to follow Sixth Sister. Will Sixth Sister take me?”
Pei Qinghe’s nose suddenly felt a fierce sourness, but her expression darkened: “Shi Yan, don’t make trouble! I recruit refugees, train every day, fight and kill. I don’t even know where the future path leads.”
“The elders can’t stand it and are unwilling to go with me, so they’ve already made trouble and divided the family.”
“You, an outsider, abandoning your family business to follow me—what’s that supposed to mean?”
Pei Clan family division matters, Shi Yan was of course aware of them.
Pei Family Village’s walls had been continuously heightened and reinforced, and the artisans had never left Pei Family Village. All the big and small movements in the village would reach Shi Yan’s ears in the shortest time.
His intense argument and disagreement with Grandfather had also arisen because of this matter.
“Shi Yan! Have you lost your mind!” Grandfather, advanced in age, was so angry that veins bulged, pointing at his nose and cursing: “Prince Zhangwu has ascended to the throne as the new Son of Heaven in Bohai Commandery. Pei Qinghe should lead the Pei Family Army to pay respects and fight to the death for the new Son of Heaven. But Pei Qinghe only sent people with letters and gifts—what does that mean? Don’t you understand?”
“Pei Qinghe is wildly ambitious and will eventually raise her flag in rebellion. You’ve read history books; which rebel army in past dynasties had a good end?”
“If you step out of the house today, don’t ever come back. Our Shi Family has no such unfilial grandson as you.”
“Don’t think the Shi Family can’t do without you. I’ll adopt Shi Li from the branch family right now, and Shi Li will be the Shi Family’s young master from then on. I’ll see what you use to follow Pei Qinghe without the Shi Family!”
Under Grandfather’s furious gaze, he resolutely walked out of Shi Family Fortified Village. Behind him, only Dong Dalang and Dong Erlang followed.
He raised his eyes and met her gaze: “If Sixth Sister doesn’t take me in, I’ll have nowhere to go. I know Grandfather’s temper best. In his heart, the Shi Family’s lineage is more important than me, this grandson. He absolutely won’t allow me to gamble the Shi Family. Once I leave the Shi Family, I can never turn back.”
“I want to place a heavy bet on Sixth Sister; the stake is myself. I believe you won’t let me lose.”
Her throat felt blocked by something, unable to utter a single word.
Warm liquid stirred restlessly in her eye sockets.
Over the two lifetimes combined, nearly thirty years of living—this was the first time she felt such an intense sour and bitter surging in her chest.
Pei Qinghe and Shi Yan gazed at each other for a long time before she said softly: “Shi Yan, I have no guarantee of winning for sure.”
“I only know I don’t want to bow to anyone, I don’t want anyone to control my life and fate. I want everyone around me to live stable good days, I want those who follow me to have enough to eat and wear, I want this chaotic world to stabilize, I want all the common people under heaven to have a way to survive.”
“This path will surely be very difficult. Even my grandmother doesn’t support me, the elders are unwilling and resolutely divided the family with me. If you follow me now, you may regret it later.”
Shi Yan’s eyes lit up instantly: “Whether I regret it or not is a matter for the future. Right now, I’m doing what I want to do.”
Then, he stood up solemnly, bowed and folded hands: “From today on, I am a person of Pei Family Village. Whatever errands there are, Sixth Sister, just send me.”
Pei Qinghe took a deep breath, stood up, and helped Shi Yan up: “Since you’re set on following, I’ll keep you. If you want to leave later, just tell me, I absolutely won’t stop you.”
Shi Yan only heard what he wanted to hear and grinned: “As long as I’m kept, that’s good. Right, Sixth Sister needs to assign me a place to live; Dong Dalang and Dong Erlang will live with me too.”
Pei Family Village had recruited several thousand refugees, and houses were never enough. Half the artisans built walls, the other half kept building new houses.
Pei Qinghe was the Pei Clan Leader and the soul of Pei Family Village. Important figures of the Pei Family Army all lived near her.
Pei Qinghe thought for a moment and said: “Grandmother’s house is empty; I’ll have someone clean it up, you stay there first.”
“However, food and clothing in the village are limited, far inferior to the Shi Family. You’d better be mentally prepared.”
Shi Yan’s eyes shone brightly, his mouth corners always raised: “I can endure hardship.”
Pei Qinghe also smiled: “I’ll take you to your place right now, and call Pei Yun, Pei Yan, and the others over to meet you.”
……
“What’s there to see about Young Master Shi? We’re already so familiar.” Pei Yan let out a burp, put down her chopsticks, and went to find Pei Yun and Mao Hongling: “I don’t know what medicine Cousin Sister Qinghe is selling in her gourd.”
Pei Yun seemed to think of something, her eyes flickering.
Mao Hongling and Pei Yun exchanged a glance, both falling silent.
Pei Yan rolled her eyes: “Alright, alright, don’t keep me in suspense. I’ll go see what’s going on right now.”
The three went together to Pei Qinghe’s house.
Also called over were Pei Jia, Pei Yifang, Fang Datou, Zhao Hai, Doctor Bao, and others. Except for the traveling Gu Lian and Feng Chang, all important figures in Pei Family Village were present.
Pei Qinghe swept her gaze around, her voice clear: “From today on, Shi Yan is one of us in Pei Family Village.”
Everyone was shocked.
Pei Yan’s jaw dropped directly, blurting out: “Isn’t Young Master Shi supposed to marry, have children, continue the family line, and inherit the family business? How can he be Cousin Sister Qinghe’s son-in-law?”
Pei Qinghe was amused and angry, kicking Pei Yan: “What nonsense are you saying! Shi Yan has come to seek refuge with Pei Family; from now on, matters like procurement, accounting, and managing the storeroom will all be handed to him.”
Pei Yan couldn’t dodge and cried out in pain, grimacing: “I was just joking!” Then she bowed to Shi Yan: “Sorry, I speak without thinking—don’t take it to heart.”
Shi Yan was very magnanimous, not minding at all: “I’m wholeheartedly following Sixth Sister; please give me your guidance in the future.”
