Chapter 126: Returning to the Village

The next morning, Murong Jin and Xia Xunyan moved in.

Considering that others might be coming later, they decided to stay in the house on the left. Murong Jin chose the west wing and left the main room for Xia Xunyan.

Murong Jin brought several maidservants from the estate, assigning Cui’er and Fei’er to assist Dong Yun with her daily needs.

She also arranged for another maid to stay in their house for herself and Xia Xunyan. Having grown accustomed to having Xinghua by her side over the past year, Xia Xunyan told Pear Blossom to bring Xinghua along when she returned.

Pear Blossom readily agreed.

After noon, they mounted horses and headed to the village.

The banditry in Eagle’s Nest Ridge had mostly been cleared, and the local militia had gradually disbanded. However, some bandits were still on the run, and the issue of refugees had not been fully resolved. The watchtowers in each village remained in place, with one or two people stationed daily to keep watch and call for help if needed.

When Pear Blossom entered the Dongping area, the people at the watchtowers near the village saw her and called her name aloud.

Pear Blossom quickly slowed her pace and responded to each of them.

When asked about the princess’s situation, she smiled slightly and said, “Thank you all for your concern. The princess is safe. Now, my master, Master Murong, has been appointed as the Lord of Jincheng and is in charge of all of Jinyang County. The situation will stabilize soon, and everyone will no longer need to worry.”

Upon hearing this, the villagers were visibly relieved, smiling and waving their goodbyes.

Passing through Dongxiang Valley, Pear Blossom heard the sounds of training coming from that direction. Overjoyed, she urged her horse toward it.

The Wuyin Army stopped when they saw their leader had arrived.

Dalinzi came to meet her.

Pear Blossom smiled and said, “While I was away these past few days, you’ve managed to maintain discipline. Well done.”

She glanced around and raised her voice, “I have good news! My master has been promoted to the Lord of Jincheng, and I have been appointed as the commander of the Jincheng Guard. Although you are my private soldiers, the lord has allowed me to incorporate the Wuyin Army into the Jincheng Guard. Tomorrow, we will head to Jincheng for a new mission!”

The soldiers of the Wuyin Army were thrilled at the news of joining the Jincheng Guard. They cheered loudly, chanting the Wuyin Army’s strength.

Pear Blossom, having left in a hurry the other day, had not been able to assess the casualties. She asked Dalinzi about it.

Dalinzi had already prepared, having written down the injured soldiers’ conditions. He handed the bamboo slips to Pear Blossom for review.

Pear Blossom grew even more appreciative of him, her gaze filled with admiration. After assigning him to handle the aftermath and compensation work, she instructed, “Let everyone rest for the rest of the day and settle things at home. We will gather here at the first light of tomorrow.”

“Understood.”

“Also, have the brothers from Hecun inform Cao’er and tell her to accompany the Wuyin Army tomorrow.”

Dalinzi quickly agreed.

After leaving the valley, Pear Blossom returned directly to the village.

As she entered the village of Daliushu, she saw Mrs. Xiong standing at the entrance, holding Fubao’s hand and craning her neck to look around. Every time someone rode by, she would squint her eyes, trying to see who it was.

Fubao, with her sharp eyes, spotted Pear Blossom first. She quickly broke free from Mrs. Xiong’s hand and ran toward her, calling out, her little legs carrying her fast. Mrs. Xiong saw her daughter’s figure and, overjoyed, hurried to follow.

Pear Blossom, worried the horse might trample the little one, quickly pulled on the reins and nimbly dismounted. She ran forward, scooping Fubao into her arms.

“Pear Blossom, I missed you so much!” Fubao clung to Pear Blossom’s neck, afraid she might disappear again like she did a few days ago.

Pear Blossom kissed her round little face and said, “Pear Blossom missed my Fubao too.”

Fubao smiled happily, her big sparkling eyes curving into crescent moons. “Where’s Mama? Is she here?”

“Mom’s in the city, busy with something.”

Mrs. Xiong arrived just in time to hear this and, relieved, asked, “What’s she doing in the city? Is she not coming back?”

Pear Blossom replied, “Master has been appointed the Lord of Jincheng and is managing all of Jinyang County. My sister is an official there, helping him with administrative matters.”

Mrs. Xiong, not understanding much about it, was nonetheless pleased to hear it was about her being an official and smiled widely.

“Good, good! Being an official is great!”

A few days ago, Dong Yun had been taken away from the village, and now no one came to Jinyang County looking for the princess’s whereabouts. Pear Blossom didn’t make a big deal of where Dong Yun had gone, but she didn’t hide anything from people she knew, simply stating that everything was fine.

When Fubao heard that her mother had become a high-ranking official, she excitedly clapped her small hands and giggled.

“But your mother has been so busy lately that she doesn’t even have time to eat or sleep. How about you stay with Grandma in the village for now? Once I finish my work, I’ll come and bring you to the city,” her mother said.

Fubao pouted, a little unhappy.

But when she heard her mother hadn’t even had time to eat, she lowered her eyes and said, “Alright, but not for too long.”

“Of course not. How could I bear to be away from you for too long?” her mother reassured.

Fubao smiled again upon hearing this.

The other villagers also gathered when they saw Pear Blossom had returned, crowding around her with lively greetings, showing concern for her well-being.

Pear Blossom answered each greeting with patience and a good temper.

Knowing the unrest had come to an end, the villagers all smiled, as if the heavy burden they had been carrying was finally lifted.

Only Old man Liu sighed heavily on the side, lamenting the loss of his more than three hundred acres of land.

The former members of the raiding team also squeezed in, asking, “Pear Blossom, Captain, will you still recruit soldiers? Now that the bandits are wiped out and the raiding team is disbanded, we don’t have anything to do.”

Pear Blossom smiled and replied, “Of course, I will. The original thirty people—anyone who is willing to follow me can meet me at Dongxiang Valley with the Wuyin Army tomorrow morning. We’ll head to the city then and have some tasks arranged.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the men cheered and ran off, as if they had found a treasure, excitedly returning home to spread the good news.

…

With Pear Blossom’s return, the princess was safe, the bandits were defeated, and the peace had been restored—these were truly joyous events, and a feast was certainly in order.

Dagen cheerfully began preparing for the meal.

Before dinner started, Pear Blossom made her way to the Liu family.

Previously, she had told Old man Liu that she would take half of the grain, but she hadn’t collected it yet. While the city had stabilized, the issue of resettling the refugees was still difficult, and food was still scarce. The remaining grain needed to be sent to the city.

Old man Liu wasn’t happy, but since Murong Jiutian had become the Lord of Jincheng and now controlled the entire Jinyang County, and Pear Blossom was his disciple—having just led her personal soldiers to aid the city—based on this merit, she could walk freely in the city in the future. Thus, Old man Liu knew better than to argue with her over grain.

However, he was aware of his place and knew Pear Blossom didn’t like him, so he had Liu Laofu accompany him to meet her.

Pear Blossom, knowing the situation, didn’t make things awkward and got straight to the point, discussing the grain.

In the end, she said, “Now that the bandit threat is cleared and the refugees will be resettled soon, this year’s harvest will be good. Your granaries will be replenished. It’s unnecessary to keep all that grain; it’s better to give it to me. I’ll speak a few good words for you in front of the city lord and the assistant official. They’ll think of you when good things come up.”

Old man Liu hesitated, asking, “What about tax exemptions?”

If he could get an exemption, he wouldn’t need to visit his in-laws and beg them to put his name under their property, using up a quarter of the grain for the favor.

Pear Blossom shook her head directly. She had heard from her sister and her teacher about the situation with taxes. The basic idea was that no one, whether rich or poor, whether official or aristocrat, would be exempt from taxes anymore.

Now that Jincheng was autonomous, the tax system was decided by the city lord, and there was no way around it.

“Land tax cannot be exempted. Even if you go to your in-laws, it won’t help. They’ll have to pay their own share too! But the amount won’t be as high as before. It’s the same for all the big households in other villages. However, if you give me the grain, I’ll report it to the assistant official. Maybe I can get you a reduction, but I can’t guarantee anything.”

Hearing this, Old man Liu’s face stiffened.

But Liu Laofu spoke up, “Good child, let’s do it as you say. The grain left for the family is enough. The rest, you can send people to take it away.”

When Pear Blossom heard this, she looked at Old man Liu with a half-smile.

Old man Liu gritted his teeth, wanting to scold his wife for speaking out of turn, but he dared not do so in front of Pear Blossom.

However, Liu Laofu raised another issue.

“Your fourth uncle has been in and out of his mind lately, often disappearing for days in the village. I’m worried he might hurt someone. How about you take him with you? He can stay with the other soldiers. With so many people around, he won’t hurt anyone. What do you think?”

Pear Blossom frowned slightly upon hearing this.

If it were anyone else, she could easily agree after taking their grain, but Liu Youtie had mistreated her sister earlier. She couldn’t treat him the same way as others.

It must be said that Liu Laofu was more farsighted than Old man Liu. With her younger son in such a state, she couldn’t tie him up, and no one else could control him. Only Pear Blossom could make Liu Youtie feel afraid, so she pushed him onto Pear Blossom without hesitation.

Pear Blossom took the grain, but she couldn’t take it for free. Her main concern was that Fubao was still in the village, and young children tended to run around. She couldn’t keep her confined all the time.

If no one controlled Liu Youtie, what if something happened like before? After some thought, she had to agree.

“Since you’ve mentioned it, I’ll take him with me, but the military training is strict. If he slacks off, I won’t go easy on him.”

Liu Laofu, eager for her to take him, quickly responded, “If he’s disobedient, you can discipline him.”

Pear Blossom then took her leave.

As she passed by the Zeng family’s house, she remembered her sister’s words about asking Zeng Guang to go to the government office for help. She turned and walked into the Zeng family’s yard.

Inside the yard, Mrs. Zeng was crouched down chopping pigweed.

Her hearing had gotten worse, and Pear Blossom entered without making a sound. When she got close, Mrs. Zeng finally looked up.

Seeing Pear Blossom, she gave her an annoyed glance and said, “What are you here for?”

Pear Blossom’s feelings toward Mrs. Zeng were still a bit complicated. She had once beaten her up over the issue of selling Fubao. While Mrs. Zeng had cursed her fiercely at the time, she had never defended herself nor revealed any of the secrets about Dong Yun. Afterward, she never sought revenge on Pear Blossom.

Her mouth is sharp, but she’s certainly not a bad person.

Last time, she fought with Liu Youtie over Fubao again. It must be said, this little old lady is really fierce.

When Pear Blossom saw her finish preparing the fodder, she bent down, struggling to lift a large bucket of pig feed towards the pigsty. She quickly stepped forward, took the bucket, and easily carried it over, dumping it into the stone trough.

She silently cursed Zeng Guangjin for being so thoughtless—always buried in his books and never helping his old mother with such heavy work. When he finally goes to the yamen, she’ll make sure her sister teaches him a good lesson.

“Guangjin brother, are you home?” Pear Blossom asked.

When Mrs. Zeng heard she was looking for her son, her expression softened. She glanced into the room. “He’s studying.”

Pear Blossom set down the bucket and went inside.

As expected, Zeng Guangjin was scribbling away with great focus.

In order to save on paper and ink, he had someone make a large wooden board for him, on which he could write with water. By the time he reached the end of his writing, the words at the top were already dry.

Last year, he went to his eldest sister’s house to study, but after the gambling house incident and with bandits causing chaos everywhere, plus a female teacher in the village, he spent the entire year there without going anywhere else.

Hearing footsteps, Zeng Guangjin looked up, and seeing Pear Blossom, he quickly stood up, his face filled with joy. “Pear Blossom, you’re back. How’s the princess?”

Pear Blossom nodded and told him about Murong Jiutian becoming the Lord of Jincheng.

She then conveyed her sister’s message. “The princess has taken up the position of Assistant Minister of Jincheng and wants you to go to the yamen and help. If you’re willing, you can join us tomorrow morning.”

Upon hearing this, Zeng Guangjin’s face lit up with joy.

How could he not be willing? He had studied so much, and it was all for the day he could enter the government and bring honor to his family.

Since Jincheng was recognized by the imperial court, working at the yamen was naturally also recognized by the court.

It didn’t matter how the princess had managed to secure her promotion to Assistant Minister—that wasn’t something he needed to worry about. Besides, since he found out that his eldest brother was the princess’s bodyguard, he had already classified himself as one of the princess’s people.

Now that the princess was asking him to help at the yamen, this was clearly an opportunity for him! How could he refuse?

He quickly agreed. “Alright! What time are we leaving tomorrow?”

“We’ll depart at the first watch,” Pear Blossom said. “You’ll meet up with the Mist Shadow Army in the East Alley and leave together.”

Zeng Guangjin eagerly agreed, his joy evident as he hurriedly began to pack his things.

---

When Pear Blossom returned home, the small courtyard was lively.

Grandfather San, Zhang Laowu and his wife, Dog (Goudan), and Qin Daniu’s family had all arrived. Other families had also sent representatives, and there were five or six tables set up.

Fubao, Dog, and the other children were running around the tables, playing happily.

The women gathered together, chatting about family matters, and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.

This was the first time everyone had gathered so happily since the bandit and refugee incidents.

Pear Blossom naturally enjoyed the lively atmosphere. When she was young, she longed for such noisy events, but back then, it was never a part of her life. Now, she was the center of attention, truly experiencing such liveliness, and her smile never left her face.

The people raised their cups to one another, smoke swirling around them. Looking at the tall, long-legged woman before them, no one could remember what she used to be like.

All they knew was that, from now on, she would no longer be that ordinary girl from the small mountain village.

Aunt Qin smiled and said, “Pear Blossom, on the sixth of August, Dabao is having a banquet. You must come back to drink his wedding wine.”

Pear Blossom turned her head and smiled at Qin Dabao, who was toasting with others. “Of course, Dabao’s wedding wine must be drunk.”

The past was buried in the wind, and the elders at home would no longer think of those distant events. What they sought was simply a stable and hopeful future.

Pear Blossom’s master was now the Lord of Jincheng, and her status had risen along with it. For the Qin family, her presence at the wedding banquet was undoubtedly a great honor.

Zhang Sanye also staggered over to toast Pear Blossom. “Girl, in the past, I was blind and didn’t see your talent. Don’t hold it against this old man.”

Pear Blossom stood up and smiled. “Zhang Sanye has always taken good care of me. There’s no need for such words.”

Zhang Sanye nodded in satisfaction, pulling his eldest grandson over. “Changmao will follow you from now on. I’m at ease with this child. He’s tough, so feel free to make use of him.”

Changmao was part of the surprise attack team and would be joining the Mist Shadow Army starting tomorrow.

He had been obedient during the He Village battle, and Pear Blossom found him easy to work with.

“Don’t worry, Changmao and I—he and Daniu are like my own younger brothers.”

Zhang Sanye kept saying “good,” and then happily returned to his seat with his wine cup.

The people present were all from the village who had a good relationship with the Da Gen family, as well as the heads of other households. Pear Blossom was no longer the quiet, awkward girl from before. She went around pouring tea and toasting everyone, thanking them for their past help and asking them to look after her parents and younger siblings when she wasn’t around.

Everyone agreed, drinking and celebrating.

It wasn’t until midnight that everyone began to leave one after another.

After taking a bath, Pear Blossom went to Xiong’s room to carry Fubao back to her own room.

She hadn’t had time to play with her during the day, and now that she was free, Fubao had already fallen asleep. Pear Blossom looked at her chubby little face and felt reluctant to leave, knowing they would leave early tomorrow morning.

She held the little bundle, who was sleeping like a pig, and walked around the room for a while.

In her heart, she couldn’t help but miss the one she loved far away in the city. These two, mother and daughter, were both her precious ones, and she couldn’t bear to part with either of them.

Until she lay down, she couldn’t bear to let go.

The next day, she woke up before dawn.

The light in the kitchen was already on. Mrs. Xiong was making pancakes, and Dagen sat next to the stove, repeatedly polishing the long handle of a pear-blossom knife.

He became a father in his twenties and had been away from home for many years, lacking the care and affection for his family. It wasn’t until last year when he returned to the village that he truly began to take on the responsibility of being a father. A year had passed in the blink of an eye, and now it was his daughter who was going out to venture, making him suddenly realize how much of a failure he had been as a father.

After Pear Blossom woke up, she first went to the cave on the mountain to take the gold she had placed there, as well as some items entrusted by Dong Yun.

When she came down, she saw that Daniu had already dressed and was waiting for her in the corridor.

The scar on his face, still visible from being slashed by Bai Choushen, had not yet faded, adding a hint of harshness to his usually honest and simple demeanor.

Xinghua and Erniu had also gotten up early, helping their parents with the chores and occasionally sneaking glances at their older sister. They no longer dared to tease her as recklessly as before.

Mrs. Xiong brought the pancakes, soup noodles, and meat porridge to the table.

“Eat something first before setting off.”

Pear Blossom nodded, “Father and mother, eat too.”

Then she called her younger siblings to the table.

As they were settling down, they heard the sound of little feet pattering at the door. The little bundle had woken up.

She ran to the door, sticking her little head out to look for Pear Blossom.

Pear Blossom’s gaze softened, and she called out, “Fubao, come eat breakfast.”

Fubao, with her hair unbound and messy like a little madwoman, threw herself into her arms.

Pear Blossom held her on her lap, fed her a few spoonfuls of porridge, and said, “Father, in a couple of days, when the officials settle things, you can send Xinghua over. The teacher is busy, and she’s used to being taken care of by her. Someone else might not suit her.”

“Alright, daughter,” Dagen responded.

Xinghua’s face brightened as she asked, “Big sister, is the teacher also at the official hall?”

Pear Blossom nodded, “The princess has been appointed as the deputy official of Jincheng, and the teacher has to be busy with her. The city doesn’t have enough hands, so you’ll go to help.”

Upon hearing this, Xinghua realized that the teacher had likely been misunderstood before. Now that she knew everything was fine, all the gloom in her heart dissipated, and the thought of seeing the teacher soon made her feel happy.

Meanwhile, Fubao pouted at the news, her little lips sticking out.

Pear Blossom couldn’t help but tease her, “If you keep pouting like that, you’ll hang an oil pot.”

Fubao snorted, turning her face away in displeasure.

Pear Blossom coaxed her, “If you go to the city, you won’t see Dog and Magpie. Who will play with you?”

Fubao seemed to find this argument reasonable and hesitated before saying, “But I miss Mama.”

Pear Blossom’s heart softened. “Wait until things settle in a couple of days, and I’ll bring you to see Mama, okay?”

Fubao was already three years old, and at her age, learning to read and write was inevitable. It wouldn’t be long before her sister would bring up the idea of teaching her.

This little girl didn’t even know that these were some of her last carefree days.

After speaking to Fubao, Pear Blossom turned her attention to Erniu. “Third master said last night that he’s found a teacher for you. He’ll be here next month. You should study well in the village and keep company with Father and Mother for now.”

Erniu quickly agreed.

Mrs. Xiong watched her eldest daughter organize everything so neatly, feeling indescribable joy in her heart.

Now, her children were all successful, and if it were in the past, she wouldn’t have dared to imagine such things. Now, she only had one thought in her mind: in the entire village, she was the only true winner in life.

Her husband now obeyed her every word, her daughter was successful, her children were filial, and there was even a small bag of gold buried under the house. With no worries about food or clothing, she felt content with life.

Then she heard her daughter say, “Mother, what about the medicine you were saving for Grandpa? I’ll stop by on my way back to town to check on Grandpa and Grandma.”

Mrs. Xiong hurriedly replied, “The day before yesterday, when your father went to Shangyang Village to get news, he took it with him.”

Pear Blossom looked up at her old father and thought to herself that this old fool had finally done something reliable.

“Your grandparents are fine. The bandits didn’t reach their village, but several groups of refugees tried to break in. The villagers chased them away. Although a few were injured, it’s nothing serious.”

Pear Blossom sighed in relief upon hearing this.

After breakfast, the siblings mounted their horses.

Mrs. Xiong looked at her daughter, who had only stayed home for one night before leaving again, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Fubao was the most reluctant of all. Seeing Pear Blossom getting on the horse, she began to cry, making Pear Blossom’s heart ache.

She got off the horse and comforted Fubao for a long while, until the little girl stopped crying, before handing her over to her mother.

With Daniu, she headed towards the village entrance, galloping away.