Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 58 Floating (Part Two)

"Sixth Miss," Doctor Bao said suspiciously, blushing and twisting his fingers, "I am nineteen years old this year, in good health, know some medicine, kind-hearted, and gentle. I have no bad habits."

“I have been an orphan since I was a child, without father or mother. I came to Youzhou in place of my master, which can be considered as repaying the kindness of my master in raising me. I have nowhere else to go. From now on, can I stay in Pei Family Village indefinitely?”

Pei Qinghe nodded slowly and deliberately: "Of course."

Dr. Bao's eyes suddenly lit up.

“The Pei family is short of doctors. It would be best if you could stay. Once the new house is built, you can choose one.” Pei Qinghe generously promised, “We’re not well-off now, but when things get better, I’ll give you a monthly allowance.”

Dr. Bao waited expectantly.

Pei Qinghe was somewhat surprised: "What? You're still not satisfied?"

"No, no, no, I'm satisfied, very satisfied."

"Then why don't you leave?"

"I'm leaving now."

Doctor Bao turned and left.

Pei Qinghe raised the corners of her mouth and silently counted in her mind. When she counted to eight, Doctor Bao, who had been dawdling to the door, mustered up his courage and turned around: "I also want to marry into the family."

Finally, she managed to say what she had been holding back for over ten days. Doctor Bao let out a deep breath: "Sixth Miss, I am willing to become a son-in-law of the Pei family."

Pei Qinghe glanced at Doctor Bao's fair face: "I will not take a husband before I am twenty years old."

Doctor Bao was startled, his face turned even paler, and he waved his hands repeatedly: "Sixth Miss is joking. Sixth Miss is like the bright moon in the sky, I have never had the slightest disrespectful thought."

The thought of Pei Qinghe's cold and ruthless demeanor when she killed someone sent chills down his spine. Pei Qinghe's face darkened slightly, and he didn't even have the courage to look up.

I wonder which hero will have the courage to become Miss Pei's son-in-law. In short, he would never dare to.

With nothing else to do, Pei Qinghe decided to pass the time with a few witty remarks. Seeing Doctor Bao's pale face and sweaty forehead, Pei Qinghe grinned and said, "Alright, I know what you want to say, so I won't make things difficult for you today."

"Zhao Hai and Bian Shulan are mutually attracted. Bian Shulan wants a husband, and Zhao Hai is willing to marry into her family. This is a happy event that is mutually agreeable."

"I agree that you want to marry into the Pei family. However, my agreement is not important. What is important is whether Sister Yun is willing to take you as her son-in-law."

Doctor Bao's pale face instantly turned red, like a boiled egg steaming in a hot pan: "You... how did you know..."

How could I not know?
She blushed the moment she saw Pei Yun, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice, like a shy young wife. Her admiration was practically written all over her face.

Pei Qinghe smiled and said, "This matter requires my cousin Pei Yun's approval. If you want to become a son-in-law of the Pei family, you'll have to work hard for it yourself."

Dr. Bao breathed a sigh of relief and nodded vigorously.

A few days later.

Pei Qinghe inspected the village and took the opportunity to visit Doctor Bao's pharmacy.

Most of the medicinal herbs had been used, with a small portion remaining. They were carefully arranged on wooden shelves, emitting a faint medicinal fragrance. Doctor Bao listlessly pounded the medicine in the jar.

With this kind of attitude, there's no need to ask; they've definitely suffered a setback and returned defeated.

Before Pei Qinghe could even ask, Doctor Bao spilled the beans: "Miss Yun said she has no plans to get married and wants me to find another woman to marry into her family."

Pei Yun still had her heart set on her treacherous ex-fiancé and cousin, and never considered taking him in as a son-in-law, so she refused decisively.

Pei Qinghe glanced over and asked, "What are your plans? Are you going to look for someone else?" Doctor Bao shook his head vigorously. "No, I'm in love with Miss Pei Yun. I'll only be her son-in-law. If she's unwilling, I'll wait a day; if she doesn't agree in a year, I'll wait a year."

You wouldn't guess he's such a romantic.

Pei Qinghe found it somewhat amusing and casually said, "Sincerity can move mountains; I hope you can win over Sister Yun's heart."

This was a trivial matter and was quickly forgotten.

The bricklayers worked for more than half a month, and the infrastructure of the new village was mostly completed.

The flag of the Beiping Army stood at the entrance of the village. The bandits of Black Bear Village were wiped out, and the petty scoundrels avoided Peijia Village.

The construction of the new village in Peijia Village was such a big undertaking, yet no one paid any attention to it. The magistrate of Changping County spent his days drinking and neglecting all affairs, only sending his clerk to inquire about it today.

Knowing a little about the details of the bandit suppression, Li, the clerk, was exceptionally polite to the smiling Miss Pei: "I heard that the Pei family is building a new house, so the magistrate sent me to come and take a look."

Pei Qinghe smiled and replied, "The Pei family has more than two hundred members, young and old, and we have also taken in some poor women who were bullied by bandits. These dozens of simple thatched huts are really not enough to house them. We have no choice but to build a few new houses to accommodate them."

As if he hadn't seen the large plot of land, Master Li replied with a sympathetic look, "The north is windy and cold, so it's true that we should build a few new houses to keep out the wind."

"The magistrate said that this wasteland has been allocated to the Pei family. It is only reasonable for the Pei family to cultivate the land and build houses. They just need to report it to the county government."

Pei Qinghe said somewhat apologetically, "I was young and ignorant, and I forgot to report to the magistrate. Please ask the clerk to report on my behalf."

As he spoke, he stuffed a heavy purse into his hand.

With a flick of his wrist, Master Li slipped the purse into his sleeve, the movement incredibly smooth: "Miss Pei, please rest assured, I will report what I saw to the magistrate as soon as I get back. Pei Family Village is peaceful and tranquil, and the Pei family members, young and old, are all well-behaved and obedient."

Where did the craftsmen and silver for building the new village come from?

Where did the mountains of grain come from?

There are actually more than a hundred horses in the village!

Furthermore, the women of the Pei family all had rosy complexions, brisk steps, and bright, spirited eyes. There were no mischievous children running around the village; instead, there was the orderly sound of children reading aloud.

Master Li pretended not to notice any of these unusual things.

After strolling around the village and chatting with Miss Pei for a while, Master Li returned to the Changping County government office with his purse and the gifts the Pei family had prepared for the county magistrate.

When giving gifts, one should cater to the recipient's tastes. I don't know where the Pei family bought dozens of jars of fine wine; as soon as the mud seal was broken, the aroma of the wine filled the air.

Magistrate Wang was overjoyed and waved his hand at his incessantly chattering clerk: "Keep an eye on Pei Family Village. If there's no unusual activity, there's no need to disturb me."

The magistrate's standard for "abnormal activity" was very simple: as long as one did not storm the county government office, they were considered a law-abiding citizen.

With such a good mindset, even when the six bandit groups in Yanshan caused trouble, Magistrate Wang remained calm and continued to get drunk every day.

Master Li respectfully accepted the order.

When the county magistrate went to taste the wine, Li, the clerk, took out a purse from his sleeve, opened it, and found two ingots of gleaming gold.

One bite, and you'll experience its pure, unadulterated color.

Master Li beamed with delight, happily tucked the gold back into his sleeve, and hummed a little tune as he stamped Bian Shulan's marriage certificate with his official seal and filed it away.

With the official seal of the government, this marriage certificate became legally binding. In the event that Bian Shulan and Zhao Hai's marriage changed and they wanted a divorce in the future, the county government would handle the matter according to this marriage certificate.

(End of this chapter)