Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 146 Garrison (Part Two)

After the arrival of the 500 Pei family soldiers, the people of Changping County felt at ease. Watching the Pei family soldiers drill and train every morning became a source of enjoyment for the locals.

The selected villagers also had to get up early every day to practice marching formations and run a lap around Changping County. At noon, each person could take half a jin of grain home. They would mix it with some wild vegetables, cook a big pot of porridge, and that would be enough for their family to eat.

Such treatment was truly enviable. Every day, people came to beg to join the training ranks.

Pei Yun looked troubled: "The number of soldiers to train is already full, we can't add any more. Now we only have the work of repairing the city wall, but it takes a whole day to do, and we only get half a catty of grain a day."

The city walls of Changping County were ancient, and the city gates had been badly damaged by the Xiongnu barbarians. After Pei Yun arrived, he planned to repair the city walls and gates. It was inappropriate to conscript laborers to do unpaid work; half a catty of grain per day would attract strong and hardworking adult men.

Pei Qinghe also agreed with this.

Shi Yan spent half an hour calculating on the abacus. The bricks and stones needed to repair the city gate and city wall would be a huge expense. The people who came to work each day would have to be paid half a catty of grain. The number of people had to be controlled, with a maximum of two hundred.

The Changping County government will cover half of these expenses, while the Pei family army will have to cover the other half.

The walls surrounding Peijia Village were built higher and higher. This sturdy and tall wall protected all the villagers like a hard shell. The villagers living inside the walls did farm work in the morning, practiced in the afternoon, and were busy studying and learning to read and write in the evening. Their lives were busy and fulfilling.

Grain prices are rising everywhere, and within Youzhou, they have increased by another 20%. Peijia Village is not short of food for the time being, but they still have to be careful with their food. In the past, supplies were rationed, but now they still eat three meals a day, one bowl of porridge and two mixed flour buns per person per meal.

Occasionally, I would feel a little dissatisfied and mutter to myself, "I have a big appetite, how can two steamed buns fill me up?"

He was immediately ridiculed by those around him: "If you don't have enough to eat, then leave. Our Pei Family Village doesn't need someone like you."

"Those who need to leave should hurry up and make room for the next person."

The complaining person wasn't about to leave, so he immediately shut up.

Chaos is raging outside. I heard the Liaoxi army is conscripting men everywhere; if I get caught, I don't know how many days I'll live. The Fanyang and Guangning armies are also recruiting. In these days, being a soldier means risking your life at any moment. I'd better stick with Miss Pei!
The Sixth Miss Pei is an unparalleled archer, and her longsword is so sharp that no one can stop her. Whether it's suppressing bandits or fighting against the Xiongnu barbarians, the Sixth Miss is always at the forefront, leading her men in battle. To this day, she has never suffered a defeat.

Two steamed buns for a meal is indeed quite good.

Every few days, Miss Pei would organize hunting teams to go into Yanshan. The birds and beasts in the nearby forests had long been eaten up, so now they had to go deep into the mountains. Each team consisted of a hundred people, fully equipped with weapons and bows and arrows, as well as five or six days' worth of dry rations.

Such hunting in the deep mountains serves several purposes: it hones skills and builds courage, fosters teamwork and coordination, and provides a vital source of meat for the Pei family army. They can also bring back refugees from the mountains. It's a win-win situation.

On this day, Pei Qinghe led his hunting team down the mountain with a large number of prey.

Pei Xuan and Pei Feng also went hunting in the mountains together. A year had passed, and the two had each grown a year older and taller. Eleven-year-old Pei Xuan had round eyes and a sweet smile, but her attacks were ruthless and vicious. Ten-year-old Pei Feng was quiet and reserved in front of strangers, always giving off a cold, aloof, and unapproachable vibe.

The two argued every day, which gave Pei Yan a headache. She threatened them, "If you keep arguing, I'll throw you both back into the mountains."

Pei Xuan wasn't afraid of Pei Yan at all, and replied with a smile, "Your word doesn't count."

Pei Feng replied coolly, "I'm not like you who doesn't know the way. I'll just go back by myself."

Pei Yan angrily turned to Pei Qinghe and complained, "Pei Xuan and Pei Feng are arguing again."

Pei Qinghe glanced over, and Pei Xuan and Pei Feng immediately shut up, each flashing a sweet and charming smile. Pei Yan, having vented her anger, grinned at her younger cousins, "Cousin Qinghe likes me the most, you two have to take a backseat."

These words struck a chord with Pei Feng. Pei Feng remained silent, quietly following Pei Qinghe. Pei Xuan, the clever one, didn't argue with Pei Yan either, but looked at Pei Qinghe pitifully.

Pei Qinghe rubbed her temples: "Pei Yan, don't bully those two."

They chatted and laughed, making the journey quite lively.

Not long after they descended the mountain, people from Peijia Village came to greet them, joyfully taking the large pile of wild animals from their hands, carrying them on their backs or shoulders.

Previously, wild game would be eaten within two or three days. After Shi Yan took charge of the finances, he established a rule that half of the game should be eaten, and the other half should be made into cured meat or dried meat and stored in the storeroom. He even built two spacious storerooms specifically for this purpose. The aroma of cured and dried meat could be smelled even through the walls.

The children, with their cravings, loved to play outside the two warehouses. Some villagers would even squat nearby to eat, finding the aroma of meat making even the steamed buns taste extra delicious.

Nowadays, there are many people in Peijia Village, and no matter how much wild game is hunted, it's not enough for everyone to eat to their heart's content.

Bian Shulan used more than a dozen pheasants to make soup, and the meat porridge cooked in the broth was fragrant. Then she washed the game, chopped it into large pieces, and braised it. Everyone could get a big piece to satisfy their cravings.

Pei Qinghe, like the other villagers, lined up for food, and there was only one piece of meat. Then she, Pei Yan, Pei Xuan, and Pei Feng squatted together and buried themselves in their food.

Shi Yan had already blended in, and his squatting posture was exceptionally graceful.

Dong Dalang and Dong Erlang sighed softly, "Young Master used to be very picky about food, but now he eats everything, and his appetite is even bigger than before."

"I exercise with the daily jogging routine, and my health is better than before. I haven't been sick in the past six months."

"Sixth Miss is so skilled, while our young master is indeed too weak to carry anything. He can't afford to be sickly any longer."

Just then, a young boy ran up quickly with a message: "Sixth Miss, a group of people have arrived outside the village, claiming to be from Quanzhou County."

This boy was Zhai Sanlang from Anle County. Zhai Sanlang was literate and clever, and after entering Peijia Village, he quickly stood out. He was assigned to the sentry team, where, apart from daily drills, he guarded the outposts outside the village.

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow: "Search them first, confiscate all their weapons, and then let them into the village."

Zhai Sanlang accepted the order and left.

Pei Qinghe stood up, and Pei Yan quickly followed suit. Not to be outdone, Pei Xuan and Pei Feng, her two little followers, also got up.

More than twenty people came from Quanzhou County. The boy in the lead was sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and a scholarly air about him.

The young man bowed and said, "Ji Junze has come on my father's orders to greet Miss Pei Liu."

A handsome young man with excellent looks and temperament, he is elegant and pleasing to the eye.

Pei Qinghe couldn't help but take another look: "Young Master Ji, you may dispense with the formalities."

(End of this chapter)