Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 57 Floating (Part 1)

That night, the candles in the new house at the entrance of the village were extinguished early.

The next morning, during morning exercises, the newlywed Bian Shulan did not show up.

Mao Hongling's eyes were bluish, as were the other young wives; they clearly hadn't slept well that night.

Pei Qinghe pretended not to notice and calmly led everyone in their training. As usual, they ran two laps around the barren field. The desolate and infertile land was trodden into a path by the more than two hundred Pei women who trained tirelessly every day.

After the run, everyone was either panting heavily or had flushed faces and beaded sweat on their foreheads.

Pei Qinghe remained calm and composed, leading everyone to practice martial arts in an open space. This open space was close to the mountains and forests, with a small river nearby; it was secluded and quiet, making it an ideal training ground.

"Pei Feng, get your stance steady, and check on Pei Xuan."

Pei Feng couldn't stand the last four words. He tightened his handsome face, kept his eyes straight ahead, and stood firmly in a horse stance.

Pei Xuan grinned happily when she received the compliment.

The children practiced horse stance to strengthen their bodies. Pei Yan, Pei Yun, and other girls practiced boxing in groups.

Pei Qinghe turned around and patiently instructed him on how to punch and how to exert force. He also asked Pei Yan to spar with him and demonstrate for everyone.

Even the fierce Pei Yan wasn't happy to be a punching bag every day: "I've already been beaten up several times. Today it's Yun's turn."

Pei Yun knew she was no match for Pei Qinghe, but she didn't back down at all and immediately stepped forward: "Today I will spar with my cousin Qinghe."

Pei Qinghe raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Everyone, disperse."

The group of Pei family girls tacitly dispersed and formed a circle.

Pei Qinghe gestured for her to proceed, and Pei Yun, without hesitation, swiftly stepped forward and threw a punch. Pei Qinghe dodged, her left leg flying like lightning, but Pei Yun, anticipating this, flipped backward to avoid it. Her punch, delivered mid-air, collided head-on with Pei Qinghe's right fist.

Bang bang bang bang! Their movements were as swift as the wind, their punches flying, and the two slender figures kept changing.

Pei Yun took a punch and swayed, but she didn't utter a sound and continued to throw punches. Pei Qinghe never held back during sparring, and in no time, Pei Yun's left leg was kicked, causing her to stagger.

"Good!" Pei Yan shouted, waving her fists incessantly. "Well done, Cousin Qinghe!"

With Pei Yan leading the way, the other girls also cheered and agreed.

They were both of Pei bloodline, having trained together in the martial arts arena since childhood. They had shared life and death, their blood and sweat intertwined. The bond between them could not be simply described as profound.

After a moment, Pei Yun finally gave in and retreated, saying, "I admit defeat!"

Pei Qinghe smiled and praised, "Sister Yun lasted fifty moves against me today, much stronger than Pei Yan."

Amidst laughter, Pei Yan retorted confidently, "Last time I lasted forty-odd moves. At most, Sister Yun was only slightly stronger than me. How is that much stronger?"

Pei Qinghe glanced at Pei Yan with a smile: "How did you manage to hold out for over forty moves? Have you forgotten? One minute you're begging for mercy, the next you're acting shamelessly, then you're playing the victim. Your words are far more powerful than your fists."

Pei Yan, with skin as thick as a city wall, said: "That was the psychological warfare tactic from the Thirty-Six Stratagems."

"It should be a plea for mercy."

The girls burst into laughter.

A hearty laugh drifted on the wind to the other side of the training ground.

The Pei family's wives, already preoccupied and distracted, kept turning their heads to look back.

Mao Hongling frowned and said in a deep voice, "Everyone, focus on practicing your boxing. Qinghe will be here soon."

The moment Pei Qinghe was mentioned, the Pei family's wives immediately became serious, and their boxing practice became much more focused.

No wonder they were so distracted today.

Yesterday, they witnessed Bian Shulan's selection of a husband. Nothing shameful happened in the thatched hut that night, but they were like pancakes in a pan, tossing and turning, almost cooked. Take Mao Hongling, for example; she and her deceased husband were young and deeply in love. But Pei Erlang had already been beheaded. Even if the Pei family were to clear their names and rise again, her husband would be buried there forever, never to return.

She's only twenty-one, in the prime of her youth. Is she destined to live a life of widowhood?

Madam Xu abandoned Xiaoyu and ran away. She disdained and would never do such a heartless act. She wanted to raise her son and live a good life. After observing three years of mourning for her husband, perhaps…

"Qinghe is here."

Mao Hongling quickly regained her senses and threw a punch with a solemn expression. The young woman she was sparring with reacted a step slower and was hit in the face by the force of the punch, crying out in pain.

It's common to get minor injuries while practicing boxing. Mao Hongling showed no mercy, her punches still flying. The young wife was forced to retreat step by step.

Pei Qinghe flashed forward and effortlessly caught Mao Hongling's punch.

The young woman quickly stepped back, covering her left cheek with her sleeve and gasping for breath.

"Focus on practicing your boxing, don't get distracted." Another Pei family daughter-in-law whispered a reminder: "You know Qinghe's temper. If she catches you, you're bound to get a beating."

Look at Mao Hongling, who is Pei Qinghe's own sister-in-law. She was distracted but still got beaten.

Mao Hongling was quickly overwhelmed and retreated in a sorry state. Pei Qinghe, as expected, showed no sign of stopping, delivering a flying kick that Mao Hongling couldn't dodge in time, causing her to fall. Pei Qinghe reached out and helped Mao Hongling up. Mao Hongling, her face flushed, used the support to jump to her feet.

Pei Qinghe glanced at her: "You must be single-minded and focus entirely on the training."

Mao Hongling's face flushed, whether from exhaustion or shame, she said, "I was distracted just now."

Pei Qinghe smiled and casually said, "People aren't made of wood; it's inevitable that they'll get distracted sometimes."

Occasionally is the key.

Mao Hongling naturally understood and nodded silently.

……

At noon, those practicing farming, those reading, and those practicing ate together.

Bian Shulan didn't get up until late morning, and even during her honeymoon, she didn't stay idle, voluntarily helping with cooking.

Steam rose from the steamer piled high with mixed-grain buns. Bian Shulan's face was flushed from the steam.

Zhao Hai served soup to everyone, his eyes were bluish, and he yawned from time to time.

The women of the Pei clan were mostly reserved; though they might inwardly complain, grumble, or feel envious, they maintained a relatively composed facade. The women who came down from Black Bear Village, however, were much more direct.

"Gu Lian, can we really find a son-in-law to live with us in the future?" A woman's face shone brightly.

Gu Lian hummed in agreement: "Sixth Miss has already promised, so what is there to worry about?" Then she pouted: "After suffering so much in the mountains, you still have the mind to look for a man."

The woman replied awkwardly, "It's not that urgent, we can wait a year or two at least."

Pei Jia and Pei Yi's envy was written all over their faces.

Fang Datou had been a soldier for over ten years. He was crude and spoke without restraint. He loudly mocked Zhao Hai: "You're really useless. You're already out of the bridal chamber. When I have a wife, the wedding night will last for three days and three nights."

Zhao Hai didn't tolerate him either: "With your lousy behavior, who would want you?"

Amidst the laughter, Fang Datou became enraged and glared fiercely at them.

Doctor Bao held his bowl, head down, eating with gusto, his eyes constantly glancing in Pei Qinghe's direction.

Pei Qinghe got up and went back to her room, and Doctor Bao immediately followed.

(End of this chapter)