Chapter 83: Growth
General Meng said indifferently: “When there are damaged long weapons in the barracks, this general will send some over.”
Pei Qinghe hurriedly smiled and thanked him.
General Meng left with his hands behind his back. In the next few days, when Pei Qinghe invited him to the training ground again, he refused to come. The reason was very legitimate: the Pei Clan’s troop training was confidential, and outsiders should not disturb it.
Pei Qinghe couldn’t continue to reap benefits, feeling a bit regretful in her heart.
After five or six days, news came back from the Beiping Army that had gone into the mountains to suppress bandits. Wolf Fang Stockade turned out to be a tough nut to crack, and many were killed or injured when pulling out the stockade.
General Meng’s face darkened slightly. Without asking if his sons were injured, he only instructed: “After pulling out Wolf Fang Stockade, bring down the mountain everything that can be carried, and burn the rest with a fire.”
Three days later, the Meng Brothers led people down the mountain.
They went with five hundred elite soldiers but returned with only more than three hundred. Several had serious injuries, and light injuries were everywhere. Fortunately, they had brought enough medicine and cotton cloth, and no one died on the road.
Meng Dalang’s left arm was slashed with a knife. Meng Liulang was not injured, but knelt down with a face full of shame, his eyes red as he pleaded guilty: “Big brother took a knife for me to save me. Please punish me, Father… Ouch!”
He was kicked hard, sweating cold sweat on his forehead from the pain.
Pei Yan, watching the fun from the side, shrank her neck.
Pei Qinghe did not interject, standing quietly to the side.
Meng Dalang mustered his spirits with difficulty and pleaded for his young brother: “Father, calm your anger. Liulang charged at the front and killed bandits the most fiercely. Getting injured in battlefield combat is inevitable; it’s not his fault.”
General Meng said coldly: “Charging recklessly and implicating others—that’s not called fierce, it’s brainless.”
“Before entering the mountains, I warned repeatedly that there were still many mountain bandits in Wolf Fang Stockade, occupying geographical advantage, easy to defend and hard to attack, and not to be underestimated.”
“He was reckless and impulsive, attacking the stockade without scouting the situation. You are his brother; blocking a knife for him is nothing. So many officers and soldiers lost their lives because of him. No matter how many tears he sheds, the dead won’t come back.”
“Kicking him once is light. When we return to the barracks, I’ll give him a good lesson.”
Meng Liulang’s body trembled, kneeling on the ground, not daring to lift his head.
Pei Yan didn’t know what she was thinking and also lowered her head.
After General Meng vented his anger, Pei Qinghe said softly: “First let the officers and soldiers settle down and reapply medicine and bandages.”
General Meng nodded slightly.
Doctor Bao was already prepared, bringing out a box of medicine, two baskets of boiled white cotton cloth.
Pei Qinghe called over more than ten nimble young women to clean, apply medicine, and bandage the wounded soldiers. She also cleared out several clean houses for the wounded soldiers to recover.
Pei Yan, who was usually spirited, was absent-minded all day, working with her head down without a word.
At dinner in the evening, she only ate three steamed buns.
Pei Qinghe glanced at her: “Were you stimulated today?”
Pei Yan looked listless, mumbled yes, her voice muffled: “Before, I wanted to take people into the mountains, but you stopped me, and I was unconvinced.”
“Now thinking about it, if it had been us, who knows how many would have died.”
“Thinking this way is a bit selfish. The Beiping Army soldiers are also living lives. But I’m just selfish; I only want the Pei family members to live well.”
Pei Yan sniffed, her voice choking: “Cousin Sister Qinghe, you’re right. I’ve been too reckless and impulsive usually. I’ll definitely change from now on.”
Lifting her eyes, she saw Pei Qinghe looking at her gently: “Pei Yan, you’ve finally grown up slowly.”
Pei Yan broke into a smile through her tears.
Pei Qinghe reached out to wipe Pei Yan’s tears: “Alright, don’t cry. Who wasn’t impulsive and hot-blooded when young? However, on the battlefield, you really need to stay calm and composed; don’t let hot blood cloud your head.”
Pei Yan’s fluffy head leaned over, and Pei Qinghe hugged her cousin sister, who was taller than herself.
After a while, two more fluffy heads squeezed over.
Pei Qinghe smiled faintly and made a little space. Pei Xuan was quick, darting into Cousin Sister Qinghe’s arms first. Pei Feng pouted aggrievedly and leaned against Pei Yan.
Pei Yan angrily pinched Pei Feng’s handsome face: “Now you’re aggrieved. If you don’t like leaning on me, then move away.”
Pei Qinghe watched everyone play around, her black eyes blooming with laughter.
……
In this battle, the Beiping Army suffered many casualties, but the results were quite good. Wolf Fang Stockade was annihilated, bringing down two hundred heads, seizing a large amount of money and grain and weapons. They also captured more than thirty women and children.
The next morning, General Meng led the soldiers and the seized money and grain back to the barracks. The wounded soldiers stayed in the village to recover, the women and children were all given to Sixth Sister Pei, and half the weapons were left.
Pei Qinghe called Gu Lian over: “The women and children from Wolf Fang Stockade are all under your management. Watch them carefully; those who won’t settle down peacefully, drive them out of Pei Family Village.”
Gu Lian responded with high spirits. Passing by Feng Chang, she raised her eyebrows and the corners of her eyes.
Feng Chang remained composed. After Gu Lian left, he stepped forward and said in a low voice: “After this battle, our Pei Family Village’s reputation has spread far. Sixth Sister, let’s take this great opportunity to go into the mountains and gather refugees.”
Last year when Black Bear Stockade was annihilated, Meng Liulang happened to arrive, so the timing was ambiguous. Most people thought it was the Beiping Army’s merit, and Pei Family Village stayed low-key.
This time was different. Scarred Wolf led the mountain bandits down the mountain and clearly died at Sixth Sister Pei’s hands. Several days later, the Beiping Army entered the mountains to suppress bandits and pull out the stockade. Sixth Sister Pei’s mighty reputation quietly echoed in the Yan Mountains.
“Pick some loyal and clever ones to go into the mountains with you.” Pei Qinghe instructed in a low voice: “Wang Erhe is good; you can bring him. Pei Jia and Pei Yi should also bring some personnel. You three will enter the mountains by separate routes.”
Pausing, she urged again: “No matter when or where, prioritize preserving yourselves. You must return safely.”
Pei Jia, Pei Yi, and the others felt warmth in their hearts upon hearing this; Feng Chang’s heart also warmed, and they cupped their hands in acknowledgment.
Once Pei Jia, Pei Yi, Feng Chang, and the others left, the refugees farming there couldn’t help but have restless thoughts.
Someone, while plowing, grumbled lowly: “We all came together; why does Feng Chang get to stand out and gain Sixth Sister’s heavy use? And that Wang Erhe, with his sneaky eyes and ears, always reporting privately. We are all upright seven-foot men; how are we inferior to them?”
“Right, and those who became son-in-laws, staying in bed serving women all day, still looking self-satisfied. Bah, they don’t even want a man’s face.”
“Those are women from the stockades, not clean ones. If becoming son-in-laws, they should find Pei Clan women. Like Bian Shulan, pretty and gentle.”
“Bah, you’re picky. Look at your sharp-mouthed monkey-cheeked face; even stockade women look down on you. A couple days ago, you fawned over Gu Lian and got slapped! Does your face still hurt?”
The monkey-cheeked man, whose sore spot was poked amid the crowd’s laughter, flew into a rage and threw the reins, about to come fight.
“Shut up quick! Sixth Sister is coming!”
The group of refugees instantly shut their mouths, buried their heads in work, extremely diligent.
