Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 123 Division of the Family (Part 1)

Madam Lu glared angrily: "Fine, fine, you're all grown up now, and your hearts are too wild. I, your grandmother, can't control you."

“Pei Yan is yours, but Pei Feng is the eldest grandson of the Pei family. He can’t be led down a dead end by you. Pei Feng has to stay with us.”

Pei Yan beamed with joy, while Pei Feng was horrified, shaking his head vigorously: "I won't go with Grandmother, I want to go with my cousin Qinghe!"

Madam Lu was furious: "Pei Feng, you are the eldest grandson of the Pei family. How can you act like a traitor? If you don't come here today, don't ever acknowledge me as your grandmother again."

Madam Lu usually doted on Pei Yue the most, but she valued and loved Pei Feng the most, and had never spoken such harsh words to Pei Feng before. Pei Feng's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion: "Isn't it up to you to choose which path to take? I choose my cousin Qinghe!"

Lu couldn't catch her breath, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

Pei Qinghe reacted quickly and caught Lu Shi: "Pei Yan, go and call Doctor Bao."

Dr. Bao rushed over. In the past two years, Dr. Bao's medical skills in treating external injuries have improved by leaps and bounds. He's also become much more adept at giving acupuncture.

After a few acupuncture needles, Madam Lu slowly awoke. The first thing she saw upon opening her eyes were several familiar faces: Pei Qinghe, Pei Yan, and Pei Feng—all her own grandchildren. Yet, none of them wanted to stay with her. Even seven-year-old Pei Yue whispered, "Grandmother, I want to be with my cousins."

Lu felt as if a huge rock was blocking her chest, and grief welled up within her, causing broken sobs to escape her throat.

Like an old ox at the end of its rope.

Pei Qinghe, her heart as cold as iron, once she was certain that Madam Lu was alright, continued to oversee the division of the family property. She questioned each member of the Pei family present, while Pei Yun, holding a charcoal pencil, quickly took notes.

Who would be willing to follow Pei Qinghe?

Who wants to follow the Lu family and other elders?
The girls, who admired strength and were passionate, all chose the former without exception.

Almost all the young wives in the Pei family chose Pei Qinghe. Having tasted the joy of being a pillar of society, none of them wanted to retreat back into the inner quarters and live a life of humbly serving their husbands, raising children, and caring for their in-laws.

Young children should stay with their own mothers.

The older women mostly sided with the Lu family. Having lived for sixty or seventy years, they believed in the principles of ruler and subject, family and country; to raise a flag and establish themselves independently was beyond their comprehension.

The most difficult group was Wu Xiuniang's. They weren't old in age, and they were physically strong and had good stamina. While they couldn't be the main force in battle, they took care of logistics and internal affairs. They weren't used to disobeying their mothers-in-law, yet they couldn't bear to give up their current lives.

When Pei Qinghe opened her mouth to ask, Wu Xiuniang's lips moved repeatedly, but she couldn't utter a single word for a long time. Suddenly, she covered her face and cried, "The road to exile was so difficult back then, but we made it through. It wasn't easy to establish ourselves in Changping County, but we persevered. Now we have people, grain, and land, and life is good. How did it have to come to this point of dividing the family property!"

"I can't bear to part with any of them. I don't want to separate the family."

Pei Qinghe remained silent for a moment before saying, "In the most difficult times, everyone worked together to survive. Now we have enough to eat and wear, but we have even more worries. Even family members have their own paths to take. If we can't walk together, we have to part ways."

Wu Xiuniang cried, "I won't give it up!"

This outburst was like a floodgate opening; everyone covered their faces and wept bitterly, just as they had cried when they left the capital and embarked on their journey into exile.

The dozen or so men guarding the door listened to the pitiful cries, their hearts filled with unease. They were all sons-in-law of the Pei family, and among the people in Pei Family Village, they were the closest to the inner circle.

"Fang Hai, go in and see what happened," Tao Feng, who came from the Meng family army, urged.

Fang Hai hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "You all know the Sixth Miss's temper. She has ordered that no one is allowed to enter without permission."

Pei Qinghe's words carried far more weight than an imperial edict in Pei Family Village.

The men exchanged glances and fell silent. Pei Yi from the Pei family had arrived, as had Fang Datou, Gu Lian, and Feng Changdu. A group of people stood outside the door, silently listening to the crying coming from inside.

Pei Qinghe let everyone cry their hearts out. No one knew what she was feeling. From beginning to end, she was the most composed one.

"Everyone, stop crying."

"Even after we separate, we can still keep in touch."

"Auntie, you choose first."

Wu Xiuniang wiped away her tears with her sleeve, gritted her teeth and said, "Qinghe, I'm so sorry. My mother-in-law is getting old and can't be without me. I want to stay with them."

Pei Qinghe had a premonition when Wu Xiuniang burst into tears. The moment these words reached her ears, Pei Qinghe felt as if she had been pricked by a needle, but she remained expressionless, nodded, and signaled Pei Yun to remember them.

Most surprisingly, Feng also chose Lu's side.

“The puppies and Xiaoyu are still young and need someone to take care of them. Your mother-in-law is old and needs someone to look after her too.” Looking at Pei Qinghe, Madam Feng said softly, “Qinghe, walk the path you want to walk, do what you want to do. Your mother will always support you!”

Pei Qinghe's heart trembled, tears welled in her eyes, and she nodded gently, replying with a "okay."

Two hundred and thirty-five names were recorded in two volumes. One volume was filled to the brim, containing a total of one hundred and eighty-two names, while the other had three pages and contained fifty-three names.

The elderly Li, with her back hunched and her voice trembling, said, "I can't write two Pei characters in one stroke. Even after we've separated, we should still keep in touch and not become estranged."

Lu struggled to her feet and said loudly, "Since we're dividing the family property, let's make it clear. The people in the village were all brought here by you, and we don't want them. You built Pei Family New Village, and we won't benefit from your efforts. We'll continue to live in the old thatched houses in the old village."

……

The door opened.

After listening for a long time, Pei Jia, Pei Yi, Fang Datou, and others rushed forward, vying to express their desire to follow them forever.

Fang Hai rushed to Bian Shulan's side and asked nervously in a low voice. After Bian Shulan nodded, Fang Hai grinned.

Several soldiers who had come from the Beiping Army also breathed a sigh of relief.

They were willing to marry into Pei Family Village for two reasons: firstly, they genuinely wanted wives, and secondly, they hoped that Miss Pei the Sixth would lead them to success. They wouldn't have accepted such a move from anyone else.

That night, almost none of the Pei family members, young or old, slept.

Pei Qinghe had long been living alone, but tonight she slept with her mother, Madam Feng. The mother and daughter had an unspoken understanding; some things didn't need to be said aloud.

After the family split up, most of the able-bodied men followed Pei Qinghe. Those who went to the old village hut with Li and Lu were almost all the elderly and weak. Feng went there, so she could take care of Lu and the young children, keep in touch with Pei Qinghe, and occasionally persuade the stubborn elders.

"Mother, you're going to have to endure a few years of hardship." Pei Qinghe hugged her mother's arm and sighed softly.

Madam Feng reached out and stroked Pei Qinghe's hair, and said softly with a smile, "I want to see you make a name for yourself, and I won't suffer at all."

Pei Qinghe's eyes welled up with tears, and she nestled her head into Madam Feng's arms.

The next morning, the cold-hearted and imposing Miss Pei personally presided over the division of the family property.

(End of this chapter)