Chapter 59: Letter
In Pei Family Village, Madam Feng whispered uneasily: “Qinghe, Young Master Shi sent so much grain and dispatched masons to help us build new houses. You sent a message over, and also prepared a cart of fine wine for County Magistrate Wang.”
“How are we supposed to repay all these favors?”
In this world, the hardest debt to repay is one of favors. The Shi Family is a Youzhou magnate with no relation to the Pei Family, yet they have repeatedly offered help.
Kind-hearted and thin-skinned Madam Feng felt quite restless just thinking about all the favors from Young Master Shi.
Pei Qinghe, who had been carefully wiping and maintaining her long bow, stopped her movements and looked up with a smile: “Young Master Shi has sharp eyes and invested in the Pei Family early. In the future, there will surely be rich returns.”
“Even if the Pei Family doesn’t rise, the Shi Family suffers no loss. The Shi Family is the most renowned grain merchant in the Northern Lands, with vast family business. This grain and fine wine is but a drop in the bucket for them.”
“When Father and Uncle were still alive, were there few merchants coming to curry favor?”
That was true enough.
In the past, if the Shi Family wanted to come calling with gifts, it depended on whether Pei Zhongde and his brothers were willing to receive them.
Now that disaster had befallen the Pei Family and they were exiled here, a Youzhou magnate had become the Pei Family’s god of wealth.
Madam Feng sighed lightly: “Very well, as long as you have it figured out.”
She paused, then affectionately touched her daughter’s face, which had gradually tanned to a light wheat color: “Mother is soft-tempered and can’t help you much. You’re shouldering the Pei Family, seeking a way to survive for the clan members—it’s been hard on you.”
Pei Qinghe pressed her face against her mother’s palm, acting coquettishly like an ordinary girl: “How is Mother soft? In my heart, Mother is my pillar, my backing when I move forward.”
Madam Feng chuckled, pinching her daughter’s cheek: “You, when you want to coax someone, this mouth of yours is like it’s been smeared with honey.”
Pei Qinghe grinned and leaned into her mother’s embrace. Madam Feng held her daughter close, the mother and daughter snuggling intimately and whispering softly.
“Cousin-in-law Shulan has taken a son-in-law, and they’re full of love in their new marriage. These past few days, she’s been glowing. Several young cousin-in-laws have also gotten ideas.”
“Once the new village is built, I’ll recruit a batch of refugee hidden households to Pei Family Village. Then, the cousin-in-laws and aunts who want to take sons-in-law can pick some.”
Madam Feng was helpless yet amused, and couldn’t help reminding her softly: “You also have to guard against those with ill intentions sneaking into the village under the guise of marrying in. That could cause trouble.”
Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed, and she smiled leisurely: “Don’t worry, every Pei Family member practices martial arts—they’re not to be trifled with.”
The Pei Family children have all wielded knives and killed. Even the delicate Madam Feng has dug pits and buried mountain bandits. Pei Clan women tempered by blood are like sharp needles and thorns—not soft persimmons to be pinched.
Madam Feng’s greatest virtue was always listening to her daughter. Seeing Pei Qinghe’s confidence, she stopped nagging.
Pei Qinghe took the initiative: “Mother isn’t yet thirty, still young. After observing one year of husband’s mourning period, if there’s a man you fancy later, you can also take a son-in-law…”
“Don’t talk nonsense.” Madam Feng’s face heated up, and she gave her daughter a glare: “In my heart, there’s only your father—no room for other men.”
“Your grandmother is the most rigid. She was so angry about Shulan taking a son-in-law that she didn’t sleep for two nights. If it were me, your grandmother would be furious to death.”
Most importantly, her daughter was so capable and might achieve great things in the future. As her mother, she couldn’t help much anyway—how could she hold her daughter back and cause trouble?
Other Pei Clan women could take sons-in-law and have children, but she absolutely could not.
These considerations Madam Feng wouldn’t voice, but how could Pei Qinghe not understand?
Pei Qinghe’s heart warmed, and she said softly: “People’s hearts change easily. Perhaps in a few years, Mother will change her mind.”
Madam Feng then recalled the odd part: “Right, you just said one year of husband’s mourning period—that’s not right. Husband’s mourning period should be three years…”
Pei Qinghe dismissed it: “Three years is too long. For men, wife’s mourning is one year; for women, one year of husband’s mourning is enough.”
“In the current Pei Family Village, I make the rules.”
Madam Feng fell silent.
Knock knock knock!
“Cousin Sister Qinghe,” Pei Yan’s voice was urgent: “The Beiping Army sent someone with a letter.”
Pei Qinghe’s gaze sharpened, and she swiftly rose to open the door.
……
The messenger to Pei Family Village was General Meng’s personal soldier.
The soldiers in the Beiping Army were all Northern Lands men, tall and strong. It showed General Meng was a good commander. In the army, military generals drinking soldiers’ blood was normal; letting soldiers eat their fill made one a good general.
“Sixth Sister Pei, this is our general’s handwritten letter.” The personal soldier respectfully presented his general’s letter.
Then, he slyly took another from his sleeve: “This is our Sixth Young Master’s letter.”
Pei Qinghe remained composed, calmly accepting them, and gave Pei Yan a look. Pei Yan cleverly fetched a small sachet and handed it over.
The personal soldier half-refused but took the reward money, quickly tucking the sachet into his bosom. His mouth then poured out like a floodgate, spilling all the recent movements of the Beiping Army.
Setting aside the boasting and squeezing out the exaggeration, there was one useful piece of information.
The Beiping Army had suddenly mobilized one thousand men to annihilate a band of bandits from unknown origins.
General Meng sending such a loose-lipped personal soldier with the letter meant this was the real message to convey.
Pei Qinghe’s eyes flashed, and she smilingly saw off the personal soldier. Then she opened the letters alone in the room.
Pei Yan guarded the door, her gaze vigilant and filled with killing intent. The young children were scared off to a distance. Even birds flew around.
General Meng’s letter had only a few brief words, not mentioning that band of bandits at all, only saying that with the Beiping Army around, the Pei Family would surely be safe.
Pei Qinghe then opened Meng Liulang’s letter.
Descendants of military families practiced martial arts from childhood; reading and writing weren’t so essential. Meng Liulang clearly wasn’t versed in both pen and sword—his handwriting wandered like a dragon, uneven in thickness, size, and uniformity.
In the letter, Meng Liulang casually described killing several bandits, stringing up a bunch of heads, and earning considerable military merit. Even without credit for annihilating Black Bear Stockade, he should be promoted to low-grade captain, with fifty men under him. He casually added that if the Pei Family had matters in the future, they could send a letter to the barracks, and he could reluctantly lend a hand.
Between the lines, Meng Liulang’s proud and arrogant handsome face seemed to leap into view.
Pei Qinghe’s lips curved slightly, a trace of amusement flashing in her eyes, as she casually tucked Meng Liulang’s letter into the wooden box on the wooden desk.
Knock knock knock!
The door was knocked on again.
Pei Yan’s loud voice rang out: “Cousin Sister Qinghe, an Eastern Palace messenger has arrived.”
What auspicious day was this—letters coming one after another.
Pei Qinghe went to open the door: “Where is the messenger? I’ll go welcome him.”
To involve the Eastern Palace banner, she had to show due respect to Eastern Palace people.
Pei Qinghe brought Pei Yan, Pei Yun, and others to greet him together.
The Eastern Palace guard, who had ridden fast horses for over ten days, was travel-worn and weary-faced, and respectfully cupped his hands: “This lowly one was sent by His Highness the Prince especially to deliver a letter to Sixth Sister Pei.”
