Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 39 Shi Yan
Pei Qinghe calmly observed the young master of the Shi family.

The boy was sixteen or seventeen years old, with dark eyebrows, long eyes, a straight nose, thin lips, a slender build, and a slightly pale complexion.

The Shi family was not large; in this generation, they only had this one precious son. This young master Shi was frail from childhood. Even though he came from the family grain shop, he still had seven or eight servants with him.

"Thank you for helping me earlier, young lady," the young master of the Shi family said, bowing in gratitude.

Pei Qinghe calmly returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute: "It was nothing, Young Master Shi, you're too kind."

Young Master Shi gave Pei Qinghe a deep look, then called over the shopkeeper and instructed, "This young lady will only be charged the cost price for the items she buys today."

A chance encounter, a small act of kindness like lending a helping hand—this is the kind of repayment one would expect.

This young master Shi is very shrewd.

Pei Qinghe gladly accepted: "Thank you, Young Master Shi. I've come today to buy grain seeds. I have twenty taels of silver here. Please calculate how many grain seeds that's enough to buy."

The northern regions are cold and arid, so people generally grow wheat, millet, and beans.

Twenty taels of silver for grain seeds was a big deal for a grain shop. The shopkeeper immediately agreed, took out his abacus, and his fingers flew across the page, quickly calculating a figure. The wheat, millet, and bean seeds combined were enough to plant five or six hundred mu (approximately 200-333 hectares).

With the Pei family's current manpower, it would be good if they could cultivate a few hundred acres of wasteland this season. With these grain seeds, that would be enough.

Pei Qinghe readily paid the money: "Deliver the grain seeds to the city gate; someone will be waiting there."

Two workers busied themselves carrying out more than ten bags of grain seeds and piling them onto a wooden cart. Pei Qinghe gave a signal, and Pei Yun and Pei Yan put the iron plows they were carrying onto the cart as well, with Pei Yun leading the way.

Pei Yan looked at the motionless young master Shi and felt uneasy. She stood warily beside Pei Qinghe, like a young tiger about to pounce, ready to bare its fangs and claws at any moment.

Young Master Shi smiled at Pei Yan, sending a friendly signal: "It's quite a coincidence that I met you two ladies in this grain shop today. My surname is Shi, and my given name is Yan. May I ask your honorable names?"

He spoke to Pei Yan, but his gaze remained fixed on Pei Qinghe.

Pei Yan didn't want to pay attention to her.

Pei Qinghe was more patient than usual, and replied with a smile, "My surname is Pei, and I am the sixth child in my family. This is my cousin."

"They were in the grain shop."

"Brothers, get them! After we take care of that little bitch, I'll treat you all to drinks."

A cacophony of footsteps and shouts mingled, and soon seven or eight figures appeared at the entrance of the grain shop. Leading them were the three thugs who had been beaten earlier.

Zhao Da's legs were still wobbling as he walked. The two men beside him, one with blood still on his face and the other clutching his stomach, both wore expressions of anger. The several idlers they had called over carried wooden sticks, looking quite menacing.

A group of thugs stood at the entrance of the grain shop, shouting and cursing, spewing vulgarities.

The reason they didn't rush into the grain shop immediately was because of the group of burly servants behind Young Master Shi. Otherwise, they would have already stormed in and started fighting.

Shi Yan's expression darkened slightly as he looked at Pei Qinghe: "They've come to cause trouble for Miss Pei. Would Miss Pei like me to lend a hand?"

Pei Qinghe twitched the corner of her mouth and replied crisply with two words: "No need."

His figure flashed by, drifting past like a wisp of smoke.

Shi Yan didn't even see how Pei Qinghe made her move. In just a few blinks, several idlers were kicked to the ground, rolling around and crying for their parents. Pei Yan was a step slower, and her strength and accuracy were also lacking, but when she threw punches, she was exceptionally ferocious.

The grain shop owner gasped.

The servants were also stunned: "This Miss Pei is truly remarkable!"

"Don't even mention these thugs, even if all of us attacked together, we wouldn't be a match for them!"

Where did such a top-notch master come from in the remote and desolate Changping County?
Pei Qinghe kicked Zhao Da away again. Zhao Da flew several meters like a kite, landing heavily with a crack, presumably because his leg was broken. He screamed in pain and passed out again.

The other idlers, tears streaming down their faces, scrambled out of the room. They were somewhat loyal, though, and dragged the unconscious Zhao Da along with them.

"Remember, my name is Pei Qinghe. If you want revenge, just come to Pei Family Village to find me." The sixth young lady of Pei dusted off her sleeves and straightened the slightly dirty corners of her clothes, exuding elegance.

The young master of the Shi family almost stopped breathing, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He looked at Miss Pei as if she were a rare treasure.

The Shi family was large and wealthy, employing dozens of servants to guard their home and secretly recruiting some martial arts masters.

He was physically weak and unable to practice martial arts, but his insight was extremely accurate.

The sixth young lady in front of us is a true master!
"Would Miss Pei be interested in becoming a retainer at the Shi family's household?" The young master of the Shi family asked eagerly, "How about one hundred taels of silver a year?"

Pei Yan curled her lip, her tone sharp: "If it weren't for our family's misfortune, we wouldn't have come to this godforsaken place. What right do you, a mere merchant, have to solicit Qinghe's cousin!"

Pei Yan had no idea of ​​the Shi family's reputation in the north and assumed the young man in front of her was just an ordinary merchant, her tone full of disdain.

“Pei Yan, you mustn’t be rude to Young Master Shi.” Pei Qinghe scolded, then apologized to Shi Yan, “My cousin is young and impulsive, and speaks her mind. Please forgive her, Young Master Shi.”

Shi Yan didn't mind at all: "I was too impolite and rude just now. With your martial arts skills, Miss Pei, a hundred taels of silver a year is really beneath you. How about this, triple the amount a year? Would Miss Pei be willing to come and work for the Shi family?"

Pei Yan: "..."

This merchant is quite generous.

Three hundred taels of silver a year! That's enough to feed the Pei family for half a year if converted into grain. Earning money to support a family isn't out of the question.

Pei Yan swallowed hard and tugged at Pei Qinghe's sleeve.

Pei Qinghe ignored her cousin, whose eyes were practically gleaming with wealth, and smiled at the generous young master Shi, saying, "Three hundred taels of silver is indeed a high price. Unfortunately, there are more than two hundred people in Pei Family Village waiting for me, so I can only thank you for your kindness, young master Shi."

"If the young master needs my help in the future, you can send someone to Peijia Village to deliver a message. As long as the young master can afford the price, I will help the young master solve his problems."

In other words, a buyout price of three hundred taels a year is too low. If you want her to do something, then follow her rules: one deal, one price.

That's quite a statement.

From the age of ten, Shi Yan had been running around managing the family business. He was often looked down upon because of his young age. Because of this, he knew very well that a person's ability had little to do with age. There were plenty of muddle-headed people who had lived for decades, but a clear-headed and shrewd young man should never be underestimated.

“Okay,” Shi Yan nodded readily, “If I ever need Miss Pei’s help in the future, I will definitely pay a high price.”

(End of this chapter)