Chapter 409: Delivering Herself to Their Doorstep, a Home for Each

Ji Qingwu instantly understood her meaning.

Qi Peiyao gently stroked her belly, again and again.

"Take that trembling, terrified village woman from today. If something were to happen to her child one day, she would surely demand my child’s life in return."

Ji Qingwu said, "You’ve thought this through completely."

This was indeed a source of instability. The human heart is the last thing you can rely on when put to the test.

’If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t feel at ease either.’

Ji Qingwu thought for a moment, then asked doubtfully, "But I was also kidnapped and brought here."

’Why isn’t Qi Peiyao worried I’ll do something bad?’

Qi Peiyao propped her head up on the couch, her hand fiddling with the wheat-stalk tassels on a pellet drum that sat on the wooden table beside her.

"That’s right, you were kidnapped and brought here too. But then again, who wasn’t?"

’So Qi Peiyao was also captured and brought to the village...’

Hearing this, Ji Qingwu’s gaze flickered slightly, but there was no shock, nor was there any disdain.

Her eyes, clear as water, simply wavered with a hint of surprise.

’Qi Peiyao didn’t marry these three men willingly. If she and these three bandits aren’t of one mind, then this is even more to my advantage.’

Ji Qingwu met her gaze openly.

Qi Peiyao’s tone was joyful as she said, "I knew I wasn’t wrong about you."

She picked up the pellet drum, shaking it to produce a DONG DONG sound that seemed to echo her happy mood.

She was the first woman who could remain so calm after being kidnapped and brought to the village.

Furthermore, in response to her predicament, there was no pity, no lamentation, no judgment—just that same serene gaze.

Ji Qingwu said, "It seems you have more to say to me."

Hearing her words, Qi Peiyao started to laugh.

Unlike her previously affected, seductive demeanor, two sweet little dimples appeared at the corners of her lips.

’This must be her true personality,’ Ji Qingwu thought.

The Hu Brothers were right. Qi Peiyao did have a certain childishness about her.

Qi Peiyao sat up nimbly, not at all like a heavily pregnant woman about to give birth. Seeing her sit cross-legged, Ji Qingwu couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety.

Qi Peiyao said, "Finally, someone I can talk to! Sit down, let’s chat."

Ji Qingwu had been standing for so long that her heels were indeed sore. She didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down on the chair by the wooden table.

Before she could even ask, Qi Peiyao’s words came pouring out as if a dam had broken, clear evidence that she had been holding a lot in.

"Actually, I was born the daughter of an official. I was on my way to Lin’an to be married into the family of a high-ranking official there."

’No wonder she’s so fascinated with everything about Lin’an. So that’s why.’

"But while passing through here, I was abducted and brought up this mountain to become the chieftain’s wife."

Qi Peiyao recounted all this with a relaxed expression, showing no signs of sorrow or sadness.

Ji Qingwu praised her sincerely, "You’re very impressive."

From being forced to be the chieftain’s wife, to now having the three chieftains wrapped around her finger.

Only she could know the bitterness and hardship involved in that journey.

Qi Peiyao said, "Thank you for not looking at me with pity or contempt."

She tilted her head and said, "My life now is countless times better than those of noble ladies trapped in their deep manors, seeing only a tiny patch of sky."

Ji Qingwu nodded in deep agreement. "The chieftains all dote on you. If you were in Lin’an, your husband might have taken concubines or kept a mistress on the side."

Qi Peiyao said, "Who told you I was going to be the principal wife? I was supposed to be a concubine."

Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You traveled all this way just to be a concubine? And your parents agreed?"

The dimples at the corners of Qi Peiyao’s mouth vanished. Her tone was tinged with disappointment, and her eyes were half-closed.

"You wouldn’t know. In my hometown, becoming a concubine for a wealthy family in the Imperial City is considered an honor for your parents. Besides, my family still had my younger brother to marry off, so their only choice was to trade me to the high official in Lin’an as a concubine in exchange for silver."

Ji Qingwu understood another piece of the puzzle. "So, when you were ’kidnapped’ and brought to Black Wind Village, you were actually willing."

Qi Peiyao immediately clapped her hands in admiration. "You understand me so well! That’s right, I offered myself up!"

"That day on the road, Hu Feng and his men had robbed a rich merchant’s carriage, but they had no intention of robbing me. They looked down on our shabby appearance."

"But from a distance, I saw those men..."

Qi Peiyao recalled the scene.

"First, I took a liking to Hu Chen, who was leading the robbery. He was fair-skinned and decently dressed, not at all like a bandit. He had a bit of a scholarly air about him."

Ji Qingwu thought for a moment. Third Chieftain Hu Chen, always waving that feather fan... ’That’s not a scholarly air,’ she mused, ’he’s more like a white-haired fox.’

Qi Peiyao continued, "Later, when Hu Lie approached carrying his great hammer, I saw his sturdy thighs and his arms, which were wider than a doorframe, and thought, ’This man isn’t bad either. He’d be a great hand at housework.’"

Ji Qingwu recalled the sight of Second Chieftain Hu Lie lifting a wine jug with a single hand. ’Forget housework,’ she thought, ’it’d be a miracle if those hands didn’t tear the house down.’

Seeing Ji Qingwu’s expression, Qi Peiyao said, "Well, he’s pretty good at kneading dough for buns and steamed bread."

"Speaking of which, I’m a little hungry again."

Qi Peiyao called out, "Hu Si!"

A moment later, the little bandit came scrambling in from outside. "Madam, what are your orders?"

"Go tell your Second Chieftain to make me some scallion oil noodles. I have a craving for them."

The little bandit said, "Right away! I’ll go find the Second Chieftain now."

Once the boy was gone, Qi Peiyao asked, "Now, where were we?"

Ji Qingwu said, "You were about to talk about the First Chieftain."

"I didn’t fancy him at the time. I was thinking that either of those two would be a better husband for me than becoming a concubine to some old man in Lin’an."

A sharp glint appeared in Qi Peiyao’s eyes. "Besides, if my family knew I was taken by bandits, they wouldn’t send anyone to look for me. And the people in Lin’an wouldn’t go back on their word and demand their silver back. Isn’t that a solution that works out perfectly for everyone?"

She was animated as she spoke, her actions defying conventional wisdom. She was bold, followed her own logic—a truly spirited and cool-headed young woman.

Ji Qingwu’s guard lowered considerably.

"Hu Feng is about ten years older than me." Qi Peiyao pouted. "He’s not much younger than my own father. Around him, I always feel like a child who never grew up. He wants to manage everything I do."

Ji Qingwu asked, "Then how did you two...?"

Qi Peiyao threw up her hands. "Hu Feng just pretends to be all prim and proper. He forbade me from getting close to his brothers, so to keep an eye on me, he started keeping me by his side every day."

"Honestly, I saw through his little scheme long ago. When men get jealous, they resort to all sorts of tricks too."

Over time, Qi Peiyao grew fond of Hu Feng too. It got to the point where she wanted to marry one, and then the other, and she wished she could give each of them a family.

But she couldn’t split herself in three. After much deliberation among them, they decided it was better to just live together as a group and continue being one family.