Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 49 Daily life
“When a person is born, his nature is good.”

"The Rules for Students, the teachings of the sages..."

The clear, melodious voices of young children reciting their lessons drifted from two thatched huts at the entrance of Peijia Village. Those aged three to five were beginning their education with the Three Character Classic. Children over five read the Standards for Being a Good Student and Child.

Ms. Feng taught children aged five and above. She was gentle, patient, and meticulous, making her ideal teacher. The children all loved being around her.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng sat on opposite sides, and like in a competition, they took turns speaking, their voices getting louder and louder.

Mrs. Feng was both amused and exasperated: "You two, keep your voices down, or you'll lose your voices."

Pei Feng, with a handsome face and a serious expression, said, "Pei Xuan started it first, I can't lose to her."

Pei Xuan smiled smugly, revealing her two newly grown front teeth: "You're not convinced that you lost to me, are you? I'm really sorry! How about this, you call me 'Cousin Xuan,' and I'll let you win."

Pei Feng glared angrily.

Pei Xuan immediately glared back.

The two stared at each other, like two young beasts butting heads.

Madam Feng found it both amusing and exasperating. Pei Xuan was the girls' captain, and Pei Feng was the boys' captain; though small in stature, they were ambitious, always competing to see who was better in everything—running in formation, practicing horse stance, and doing boxing. Since they started school these past two days, they've been causing a ruckus several times a day.

It's obvious who's better. Just look at who's always puffing out their cheeks and sulking!

“Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, you two are being naughty again.”

A clear, girlish voice rang out from the doorway.

The children, who had been sitting slouching, quickly sat up straight, their backs ramrod straight, their eyes fixed straight ahead, and their reading voices were clear and uniform.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng no longer dared to glare at each other. They stood up and bowed their heads, saying, "Cousin, please don't be angry. We know we were wrong."

Pei Qinghe glanced over and said, "When practicing martial arts, you have to fight to see who is better, but when studying, you have to calm down. If you are restless and impatient, you will hardly achieve great things. I will punish you two by making you practice two pieces of calligraphy today."

"If I catch you doing this again, the punishment will be doubled."

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng replied with bitter faces.

Pei Qinghe glanced around: "Pei Yue, where are you looking?"

Pei Yue, whose gaze kept drifting out the window, immediately looked away and began reading aloud.

Pei Qinghe then looked at Madam Feng: "Mother, don't be too lenient with them. Only strict teachers can produce outstanding students. As the teacher, you have to be stern, scold those who need scolding, and punish those who need punishment."

Mrs. Feng nodded good-naturedly: "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you. I'll definitely be stricter in the future."

Among the women of the Pei family, Feng was the most learned and talented, more than capable of being a tutor for children. Her only flaw was that she was too patient and had too good a temper, making it difficult for her to control the mischievous children.

Pei Qinghe was different. She did nothing, just stood there, and the children instantly sat up straight and behaved like quails.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng read books in the morning and practiced martial arts in the afternoon.

The Pei Yan and Pei Yun teams practiced marching formations in the morning, martial arts in the afternoon, and military books in the evening.

Mao Hongling's team had the largest number of members. They practiced all day and had free time in the evenings.

The team led by Wu Xiuniang was older and lacked physical strength, so they could only train for half a day. The other half of the day, they had to work in the fields and prepare meals for the entire village.

Women over sixty are responsible for taking care of young children, and those with slightly better physical strength also do sewing, mending, and laundry. The Pei family, with more than two hundred members, is busy every day and lives a very fulfilling life.

The spoils from the raid on Black Bear Stronghold, along with the grain delivered by the Beiping army, filled four thatched huts. Enough to feed the entire village for more than six months. Abundant food was their greatest source of confidence.

Even the women and children from the bandit stronghold were able to eat their fill every day.

The fifteen women were of varying ages and backgrounds. Pei Qinghe didn't rush to pry into their identities; she simply asked for their names and ages, and then chose the only woman who dared to look her in the eye as the team leader.

This woman's surname was Gu, her given name was Lian, and she was twenty-three years old. With willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, and fair skin, she was originally a beauty. She had a rather fierce temperament. After being abducted and humiliated by mountain bandits, she slashed her cheek with a knife, disfiguring herself. The mountain stronghold lacked women, and Black Bear did not kill her. Instead, he threatened her with the life of her son, forcing her to endure humiliation and live a life of ignominy.

On that day, Meng Liulang led his troops into the mountain stronghold, and Gu Lian was the first to betray them, leading Meng Liulang and his group to the bandits' warehouse.

After descending the mountain, Gu Lian was the first to look up and speak, and was chosen by Pei Qinghe to be the team leader.

“You are all women from the bandit stronghold. Some are innocent, some are pitiful, and some have slept with bandits for a long time, becoming like snakes and rats, and have done evil deeds. I will not ask about the past. From now on, you are all people of Peijia Village.”

“You till the fields every day. I will make sure you have enough to eat and wear. Anyone who has any disloyal thoughts, I will hang her under the tree north of the village.”

The last sentence was said in a very understated way.

The women felt a chill run down their spines and could only nod and agree.

Many of the ruthless bandits of Black Bear Stronghold died at the hands of Pei Qinghe. In their hearts, this Sixth Miss Pei was a vengeful demon.

"Not being oppressed by those stinky men and being able to eat my fill every day is the best life in the world." After Pei Qinghe left, Gu Lian said loudly, "Farming is hard work, but it's better than serving men in a bandit stronghold."

"Everyone, let's be energetic and live a clean life."

Before Gu Lian was abducted to the mountain, she lived a life of luxury and had never worked in the fields before, so she really underestimated the hardship of farming. Holding the iron plow to till the field, bending over to weed, and bending down to sow seeds, after a busy day, her back ached, her legs were weak, and her feet were blistered.

She was stubborn; she pricked the blisters with a needle and continued farming the next day without uttering a sound.

With Gu Lian leading the way, the dozen or so women from the mountain village gritted their teeth and persevered. After getting through the first few days, they gradually adapted.

Pei Qinghe came to the wasteland every day, letting them rest when they were tired, and ensuring they had three full meals a day. Their fear and anxiety gradually dissipated.

It would take at least several months to grow food in the barren fields. During those months, they ate the grain from Pei Family Village. Even their children, who couldn't do any work, were still well-fed every day.

Pei Qinghe could have easily provided so much grain that she could have hired starving refugees to work. Their acceptance of her was due to Pei Qinghe's kindness.

Pei Qinghe never mentioned it, but they had to accept this favor.

In the cultivated fields, seeds were sown and watered. Within just a few days, tender shoots sprouted. Just like the Pei family members, they quietly took root and broke through the soil.

Pei Qinghe stood on the edge of the field, looking at the greening land, and felt particularly at ease.

"Cousin Qinghe!"

A familiar, androgynous voice swept in like a whirlwind.

A smile flashed in Pei Qinghe's eyes as she turned to look at her: "Pei Yan, what happened?"

Pei Yan ran over quickly, panting heavily, "A group of people are coming from the east towards Pei Family Village."

(End of this chapter)