Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 67 Descending the Mountain (Part Two)

There was someone hiding in the woods!
Could it be another group of bandits scouting the area?

The crowd was both shocked and furious, and they all raised their bows to shoot arrows.

"Everyone, don't make a move." Pei Qinghe's eyes flashed with a light: "Come with me and take a look first."

The crowd responded in unison, drawing their weapons and following behind Pei Qinghe. They quickly found the source of the screams.

The three people who fell from the tree were bruised and battered, looking miserable. One of them was clutching his dislocated arm and screaming in pain.

More than a hundred Pei women, who trained daily, approached like a dark cloud, long swords in hand. The leader, a young woman in plain clothes, was pretty and spirited, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Who are you?"

The thin man gasped for breath, then knelt down in pain, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy: "Please spare us, young lady! We are not evil people, but reclusive villagers from the mountains. We came down the mountain today to seek refuge in Pei Family Village. Please take us in, young lady! As long as you give us a place to stay and food to eat, we will serve you with our lives from now on!"

He is clear-headed, concise, and articulate.

This is a rare example of a clever person among displaced people living in hiding.

Pei Qinghe asked calmly, "What's your name? How many of you are there? What's your background?"

The thin man bowed his head and replied, "My name is Feng Chang. I have a few years of schooling and was elected as the leader by everyone. We make a living by gathering fruit and hunting. We are all from Changli County. Last year, the Xianbei from the east launched an invasion, and we were lucky enough to escape. With nowhere to go, we hid in the Yanshan Mountains."

"When we fled into the mountains last year, there were more than fifty of us. Some died of starvation, disease, or freezing, while others were bitten by wild animals or venomous snakes while hunting. Half of them have died in the past year. Now there are only twenty-five left, all of them men. The youngest is seventeen and the oldest is thirty-two."

“The bandits commit all sorts of atrocities, including murder, arson, and robbery, and we don’t want to go to their stronghold. We have no other way to survive. Yesterday, we hid in a cave in the forest and witnessed the girl fight and kill a black bear. We picked up the bear meat that the girl had discarded and took it home to eat. Today, we’ve come down the mountain together to seek refuge with the girl.”

"We dared not approach rashly, so we hid in the trees. Unexpectedly, the young lady noticed us. She was kind-hearted and did not shoot us, but only warned us with a sharp arrow. Please, young lady, take us in!"

After saying this, he kowtowed repeatedly.

Another bearded man also kowtowed.

The man with the dislocated arm grimaced as he held his arm and kowtowed with difficulty.

Pei Qinghe winked at Pei Yan. Pei Yan nodded, stepped forward, bent down, and with a snap, put the dislocated arm back in place.

"Where are the others?" Pei Qinghe asked.

Feng Chang's spirits lifted, and he finally raised his head: "They are all hiding in the woods behind. I'll go and call them over."

Fearing Pei Qinghe might shake her head, Feng Chang darted away like a startled rabbit and shouted. Soon, more than twenty men of varying heights slid down from the tree and walked over with anxious and fearful expressions.

Mao Hongling couldn't help but whisper, "They're all men, as expected."

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "Women are physically weak and are often victims or spoils of war. Those who manage to escape and struggle to survive are mostly men."

The weight conveyed in those few words sent shivers down the spines of all the Pei women.

What would they be like now if it weren't for Pei Qinghe?
To the refugees, the women before them all had rosy complexions, bright eyes, stood tall and full of energy, and each carried a weapon. The pretty young woman at the front had a detached gaze and a sharp aura, radiating an overwhelming pressure.

More than twenty people knelt down, none of them daring to look up and meet Pei Qinghe's gaze.

“Pei Family Village is reclaiming wasteland and needs people to cultivate it.” Pei Qinghe did not deliberately raise her voice, but her voice clearly reached the ears of the refugees: “If you want to come and seek refuge, you must follow the rules and obey orders.” “As long as you are willing to give us a way to live, our lives belong to you.” Feng Chang was not tall but had a lot of courage, and he answered loudly: “Whatever you tell us to do, we will do.”

The other men echoed in unison, "Me too."

Pei Qinghe turned and instructed, "Pei Yan, go and call Doctor Bao over."

Pei Yan never asked any questions, and quickly ran off after answering. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Doctor Bao came running over, panting.

“Take a thorough look and see if they have any serious illnesses,” Pei Qinghe said. “Cureable illnesses are fine, but if it’s a contagious disease, get rid of them immediately.”

Doctor Bao responded and stepped forward to examine Feng Chang first.

Feng Chang readily took off his tattered clothes, revealing his thin, bony chest.

Faced with starvation and death, the shame of being human was long forgotten. Feng Chang didn't care at all. On the Pei family women's side, however, many people turned away to avoid them.

"Open your eyes and watch." Pei Qinghe's voice was slightly cold: "If you encounter bandits or thieves naked in the future, are you going to avoid them too?"

Mao Hongling took a deep breath and turned her head back.

One by one, the refugees took off their clothes and underwent inspection. There was no idyllic scenery to behold; all that could be seen were emaciated, wounded bodies.

These refugees, for the first time in their lives, were surrounded by a group of women, and some of them blushed with shame. One even secretly wiped the corner of her eye.

Mao Hongling suddenly wanted to laugh. It was as if some hard fortress in her heart had collapsed with a crash. In its place was a joy and freedom that transcended the shackles of the world.

Pei Qinghe turned her head and looked over: "Second sister-in-law, Doctor Bao can't handle it all by himself, why don't you go and help him?"

Mao Hongling responded.

Two other women in their thirties who had given birth volunteered to help as well. After a thorough examination, Doctor Bao said, "Sixth Miss, they have been starving for a long time and have no salt to eat, so they are weak. They will recover slowly after eating a full meal for a month or two. There is nothing seriously wrong with them."

The refugees breathed a sigh of relief and quickly put their clothes back on.

Pei Qinghe glanced at him and said, "Feng Chang, come here."

Feng Chang quickly came over and was about to kneel down again.

"No need to kneel. Take them and wait in the open space north of the village. No one is allowed to enter the village without my permission. I'll have someone bring you food during the day, and at night you can light a fire with firewood to keep warm, so you don't freeze to death."

"After three days, once it is confirmed that there is no infectious plague or disease, we can enter the village."

“You are the leader of this group, so you must keep them in check. If I find out that they have entered the village without permission or are up to any evil intentions, I will kill you first. Then, I will kill them.”

Pei Qinghe neither spoke harshly nor acted fiercely; her tone and expression remained indifferent.

Feng Chang's heart skipped a beat, but he replied solemnly, "Don't worry, Sixth Miss, I will definitely keep them in line."

Pei Qinghe's gaze swept across the faces of all the refugees: "Remember. If any one of you commits an evil act, I will kill you all."

(End of this chapter)