Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 152 Seeking refuge (Part Two)

Recalling the hardships and difficulties of the journey, even the resilient Sun Cheng's eyes reddened and his voice gradually became hoarse: "These brothers have followed me for many years. I didn't want to go to Qinzhou, and they deserted with me without saying a word. We ate in the open and never had a full meal. We didn't die on the road, but we died at the hands of the Bohai Army."

"I couldn't even collect their bodies; I could only flee in panic to Youzhou to seek refuge with the Sixth Sister."

"I am deeply grateful that the Sixth Miss was willing to take me in and even gave me face in front of everyone. From this day forward, my life belongs to the Sixth Miss."

Sun Cheng knelt down with a determined expression and kowtowed three times to Pei Qinghe.

Pei Qinghe did not stop him. After Sun Cheng kowtowed to express his loyalty, she reached out and helped him up: "From today onwards, you are a member of the Pei family army."

"As long as I, Pei Qinghe, am alive, none of you will go hungry."

"The situation is chaotic right now, and war could break out at any time. You are good at leading troops, but you are new here, and Feng Chang and the others are not convinced by you yet. You will lead a battalion of a hundred men first, and let everyone see your ability to lead troops."

Fang Datou was the leader of a battalion with a hundred men under his command. Feng Chang and the others were also leaders.

Sun Chengyi's arrival, which allowed him to lead a battalion of men, was already an exception and a special privilege.

Sun Cheng knew what was going on and replied with a cupped hand: "I won't go into those boastful words. In short, Sixth Miss will just have to wait and see how I perform in the future."

Fang Datou waited in the distance until Sun Cheng finished pledging his loyalty and came over. Then, Fang Datou led Sun Cheng and his group to settle in.

More than twenty people were divided into three rooms, and the beds and bedding were all new. Lying on the clean beds and covered with soft blankets, the soldiers were so happy they almost cried.

Today feels like a dream.

"Isn't that right? When the eldest brother said he was coming to join Pei Family Village, I was quite skeptical. Only today do I realize how wise his decision was."

"Don't call me boss anymore," Sun Cheng's voice rang out. "From now on, we are all part of the Pei family army, and we will only obey the orders of the Sixth Miss."

The soldiers, who had followed Sun Cheng for many years, responded enthusiastically. One of them couldn't help but say, "That silly guy, Big Head, is now a battalion commander and is highly regarded and trusted by Sixth Miss. If we perform well in the future, maybe we can become commanders like him."

These words immediately stirred the minds of the soldiers.

Fang Datou was a simpleton, often bullied and mocked by others. Three years ago, he lost his right arm and became disabled. It was only after Sun Cheng pleaded with Pei Liu that she allowed Fang Datou to stay.

Who could have imagined that in just three short years, Pei Family Village would become Pei Family Army, and Pei Sixth Sister's fame would spread far and wide. Fang Datou also rose to prominence along with his family, living a life of luxury. The soldiers watched with a mixture of envy and resentment.

Sun Cheng glared at the talkative one: "Da Tou has been following Sixth Miss since the beginning, and he is loyal and devoted, earning her deep trust. Even Feng Chang and the others respect Da Tou. Don't take advantage of our past relationship to make fun of him. If you embarrass Da Tou, I won't let you off the hook."

The talkative soldier awkwardly shut up.

Sun Cheng softened his tone: "You've all seen the current situation of the Pei family army; most of them are refugees. We've been in the military camp for so many years; fighting is commonplace for us. Are we inferior to them? Everyone, train hard and let Sixth Miss see your abilities. Then you won't have to worry about your future!"

A few words were enough to get everyone excited, and they talked about it for a long time before finally going to sleep.

……

Pei Qinghe returned to her room in a cheerful mood. Pei Yan, who often shamelessly came to use her bed, was here again tonight.

Pei Qinghe's cheerful demeanor puzzled Pei Yan: "Sun Cheng brought more than twenty people, at most twenty skinny horses, and some tattered weapons. What's there to be so happy about? Pei Family Village is getting a lot of people coming to seek refuge every day."

Pei Qinghe smiled and glared at Pei Yan: "Can't you use your brain for once? The refugees who come to Pei Family Village are all emaciated and on the verge of starvation. They come here for food. I have to use up food to feed them for several months before they can barely look like human beings. They also need to be trained for a year and a half before they can be used properly."

“Sun Cheng and his group are all veterans who have fought in battles. Once they fully adapt and integrate into the Pei family army, they will be ready-made junior leaders.”

"The Pei family army has no shortage of idle people, but what it lacks are talented people who can lead troops and fight battles."

Pei Yan suddenly realized: "No wonder you were so kind to Sun Cheng today! I noticed that Feng Chang and the others seemed a bit resentful. You weren't deliberately trying to provoke them into a fight, were you?"

Pei Qinghe smiled leisurely: "You've finally put your brain to work."

“That’s right, I’m going to promote Sun Cheng. Let everyone see that capable people can rise to the top in the Pei family army immediately. They don’t need to wait years to gain seniority.”

“Appropriate competition can also be beneficial to improving the combat effectiveness of the military.”

"When you're in charge of things on your own, you'll also need to learn how to manage your subordinates. If they start fighting, you'll be able to maintain balance and control them."

Pei Yan stretched and yawned: "I'm sleepy, I'm going to sleep now."

Pei Qinghe was both amused and annoyed. She reached out and pinched Pei Yan's ear: "You've listened to everything I taught you. As our territory expands, everyone around me will have to go out and gain experience. First Pei Yun, then Gu Lian, and next, when other counties come to join us, I'll have to send you and your sister-in-law."

Pei Yan didn't mind the pain from having her ear twisted, and instead nuzzled her fluffy head against him: "Second sister-in-law, go first, and so will Chief Feng. Pei Jia, Pei Yi, and Fang Datou can all be sent out. The newcomer, Sun Cheng, is also good. I'll stay by your side and accompany you in your battles."

Pei Qinghe was both amused and annoyed. Her hand, which had been twisting Pei Yan's ear, slid over naturally and she patted Pei Yan's head. "Fine, I'll keep you here for another two years. I wonder when you'll finally get it and stop using brute force and start thinking. It's really driving me crazy."

Pei Yan only listened to what she wanted to hear, grinning from ear to ear.

A day in Peijia Village begins with breakfast.

At exactly 5:00 AM, everyone lined up to get their meals.

Sun Cheng and his group did not attract much attention. Refugees continued to arrive in Peijia Village, with new faces appearing almost daily.

Sun Cheng's limp wasn't severe; it wasn't noticeable when he was standing, and he only had a slight limp when walking. The crowd glanced at him curiously, then quickly looked away, their gaze returning to the steaming bamboo basket.

Food was never plentiful, and the amount of white flour in the mixed-grain steamed buns was decreasing while the amount of coarse grains was increasing. To improve the taste, Bian Shulan added some sugar. The coarse mixed-grain steamed buns had a slightly sweet taste.

After breakfast, the children went to school, the farmers went to work in the fields, and the kitchen staff busied themselves preparing lunch. Pei Qinghe led his troops to the training ground for drills.

Feng Chang glanced at Sun Cheng without making a sound.

Sun Cheng smiled inwardly and returned the glance without revealing his expression.

(End of this chapter)