Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 115 Peace and Happiness (Part 1)

Anle County, scarred by the massacre and burning, bears the marks of carnage everywhere. However, it is somewhat better than Pei Qinghe had anticipated.

There were no skeletons on the streets; clearly, the survivors had been clearing and burying the bodies. However, so many people had died in Anle County that the stench of decay lingered.

"Everyone stop." Pei Qinghe tightened the reins and ordered loudly, "There are still people alive in the city. Don't do anything for now, so as not to frighten them."

Pei Yan and the others dismounted in response and sat calmly on the empty street, eating dry biscuits and drinking water.

The few small figures that had just darted past were now hiding in the shadows, watching from afar and swallowing hard.

"The pancakes they're eating smell so good!" a thin child whispered.

"I'm so hungry, I want to eat too." The one who spoke was a child with messy hair.

“There’s nothing left in Anle County, so bad people don’t want to come here. What are they doing here?” The boy who was leading them was not very old, only about twelve or thirteen years old. His face was covered with mud and ash, so his features were not visible. “Don’t rush, everyone. Let’s take another look.”

Pei Qinghe had excellent hearing and quickly picked up the whispers of children coming from the corner.

She picked up a bag of dry biscuits, got up, and walked over.

Several hungry children watched Pei Qinghe approach, wanting to run away, but whether it was because their legs were too weak from hunger or for some other reason, they didn't move.

Pei Qinghe didn't approach, but stopped about ten meters away, placing the cotton bag containing the dried biscuits on the ground. Then she turned and returned to her original position.

The thin, frail children and the disheveled children kept swallowing.

The mud-covered boy leading the group gritted his teeth: "Never mind, even if we die, we have to eat our fill before we go." He darted out like a wild dog and viciously snatched the bag. His eyes practically lit up when he opened it. He gave one to each child, and finally took a flatbread, taking a huge bite.

The boy in the muddy gray choked so badly he almost couldn't catch his breath. He barely managed to swallow it. The other children weren't much better off; they all wolfed down their food, eating with extreme greed.

Pei Yan clicked her tongue: "Cousin Qinghe, look at them, they haven't eaten in who knows how long."

Pei Qinghe hummed in agreement, then thought for a moment and said, "Take out all the dry rations you have left."

Everyone had come prepared, with bulging bags of dry rations on their horses. At Pei Qinghe's command, everyone untied all the ration bags and placed them in one place.

After carefully inspecting the goods, Pei Qinghe left behind enough rations for the more than one hundred people to return home, and the remaining ten or so bags of dried biscuits, totaling about two hundred biscuits.

Pei Qinghe carried a few, while Pei Yan carried the remaining ten, placing them in the same spot as before.

“There are still plenty of dry biscuits here.” Pei Qinghe’s voice clearly reached the children’s ears: “Go and call all the people who are still alive in the city. Give each of them a dry biscuit.”

The children looked at each other, whispering among themselves, "What should we do?"

"Should we go and call someone?"

"Of course we'll go!" said the mud-covered boy decisively. "Anyone who's willing to give us dry biscuits must be a good person."

Even if they are bad people, we can't care about that now.

In Anle County, all able-bodied men and women were abducted, while the elderly, weak, and children were brutally murdered. Some were burned to death, while others starved to death. Those who survived by hiding in the cellars were on the verge of starvation after eating the last of the stored food.

To them, having even a bite to eat is the greatest act of kindness in the world.

Several children ran out, and after a while, people started to arrive. There were elderly people with white hair, children in tattered clothes, and occasionally a sallow-faced, emaciated woman, but almost no adult men were seen.

They took a dry biscuit from the bag, knelt down and kowtowed three times, then tremblingly put it into their mouths. They ate while crying.

Pei Qinghe, who was used to gathering refugees, drew his long sword and pointed it at one of the women who had taken an extra dry biscuit: "Each person is only allowed to take one."

The woman burst into tears, knelt down, and kowtowed repeatedly: "I have a child, she's only three years old, I dare not let her out. Please, Your Majesty, let me bring her a dry biscuit. As long as you can save my child's life, I'll do anything Your Majesty asks."

Pei Qinghe didn't easily believe anyone's words and said calmly, "Gu Lian, take some people with her and bring the child over."

Gu Lian responded, drew her long sword, her face grim, and with the scar on her face, she looked particularly fierce.

The woman trembled and continued kowtowing: "I still have my husband at home. His leg has been cut off, and he is lying on the bed, unable to move."

Pei Yan was furious and spat, "Who else is in the family? If you dare to lie again, take the dry biscuits back."

The woman stuffed the dry biscuits into her bosom and cried, "Your Majesty, spare my life! I have a blind mother-in-law at home."

Pei Qinghe stopped the enraged Pei Yan with a look and said calmly, "No matter what, you must remain calm and clear-headed. We'll find out what's going on once we go and see for ourselves."

Gu Lian led ten people there, with the woman stumbling ahead as she led the way. After about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Gu Lian returned, bringing five more people with her.

Besides the woman who kept lying, there was a child, a blind old woman, and a man with a broken leg who were carried over. Also present was a pretty young girl.

“This is my aunt, she’s only fourteen years old.” The woman kowtowed again, crying: “When the Huns came, our family of five hid in the cellar and escaped. These days, evil people often come to Anle County, and several young girls who are still alive have been kidnapped.”

"I really don't dare let her show her face."

Pei Qinghe didn't say much, but gestured for Gu Lian to distribute the flatbreads to them. The dry, hard grain flatbreads were undoubtedly a delicacy to those who had been starving for days. This quickly silenced the weeping.

More and more people came out one after another.

Two hundred dry biscuits are not enough.

Pei Qinghe took out some more of the reserved rations.

After distributing the dry biscuits, they waited another hour to make sure no one was left before Pei Qinghe personally went to count the heads. There were a total of 423 people, including more than 60 elderly people, most of whom were children, more than 80 young women, and more than 10 men.

Pei Qinghe said, "My name is Pei Qinghe, and I am the head of the Pei family. It takes three or four days to walk from Anle County to Pei Family Village. Once you arrive in Pei Family Village, you will find fields to cultivate, houses to live in, and plenty of food to eat."

"Those who want to come with me, go now. Those who want to stay, feel free to do so as well."

Peijia Village has a truly renowned reputation.

Even ordinary people have heard of the name of Pei Liu Guniang.

I've never heard of this before. The people of Anle County, who have no way to make a living right now, are willing to join together in trying to find a way to survive. They all knelt down.

Some people didn't want to leave.

The family of five huddled together and stayed behind.

(End of this chapter)