Chapter 132: She's So Beautiful
Gao Chuwu strode forward, heading directly for Xing Honglang.
Although many villagers gathered around, Xing Honglang, a seasoned salt smuggler, possessed an extraordinary vigilance. Before Gao Chuwu was even halfway to her, she sensed someone approaching. She subtly shifted her body, her gaze locking onto him.
Gao Chuwu grinned broadly. "Hello there."
Xing Honglang eyed him warily. "Do you have something to sell me? I'm out of money. If it's for sale, you'll have to wait until my next visit."
Gao Chuwu replied, "I haven't taken a wife yet. Will you marry me?"
"Pfft!"
The nearby villagers collectively rushed forward, seven or eight hands instantly clamping over Gao Chuwu's mouth. "You idiot, is that any way to propose?"
Xing Honglang couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded. What in the world was happening? *I'm tall and burly, with rugged features, and I was raised like a man since childhood,* she thought. *Years of traveling the jianghu have made me boisterous and unreserved. Everyone in the martial world nicknamed me 'Xing Honglang' because they say I'm as fierce as a she-wolf. No one has ever seen me as a woman before. What bizarre twist of fate has brought someone to propose to me today?*
She glared fiercely at Gao Chuwu, who, with his mouth covered by a mob of villagers, seemed unable to speak. Yet, to her surprise, he gave a mighty shake of his shoulders, sending the entire circle of people around him stumbling back several steps, scattering into a wide ring.
Gao Chuwu grinned again. "I have a house, and lots and lots of rice, flour, oil, sugar, meat—everything you could want! Marry me, and you'll eat well every single meal."
Xing Honglang secretly shook her head. *He's a strong fellow, but what a simpleton! What among those things do I not already possess? In fact, I have far more than him.*
Swish, swish, swish!
A group of people pounced on him once more, covering Gao Chuwu's mouth again.
The Village Chief, looking embarrassed, bowed towards her. "Lady Hero, please don't be angry. He's just a little simple-minded and didn't mean to offend you."
Xing Honglang snorted, then swung herself onto her horse. Turning to her subordinates, she declared, "Let's go. We need to reach Chengcheng County before noon. We're out of money and must unload this batch of goods in Xi'an as quickly as possible."
Her subordinates responded in unison, "As you command!"
Without a single glance back at Gao Chuwu, she led her subordinates away, riding off in a cloud of dust.
Only then did the villagers covering Gao Chuwu's mouth finally remove their hands.
Gao Chuwu finally grasped the situation. That woman had swung onto her horse and commanded thirty or forty subordinates; it was clear she was no ordinary person. He looked at himself, then sighed in resignation...
Gao Chuwu scratched his head. "I probably can't marry that woman, can I?"
Everyone nodded in unison. "No, you can't!"
Gao Chuwu simply sighed. "Oh..."
Watching this, Li Daoxuan couldn't help but sigh for the young man. *The gap in status and wealth is simply too vast. You'd need to be the protagonist of a romantic comedy, blessed with insurmountable plot armor, to bridge such a divide and win a woman like her.*
*But are you?*
Li Daoxuan glanced at his rather unconventional Infinite Gauntlet. If he were to remove one of its silver rings and place it into the diorama box for Gao Chuwu, perhaps it could bridge their financial disparity? Make that woman look at him with new eyes?
No, that was the wrong way to think.
To help Gao Chuwu win that woman by such means would make him a perverse meddler, a classic example of promoting the wrong values.
Every move he made now could influence the future of the Gao Family Village residents. When it came to shaping their values, he had to keep a tight rein on himself.
He locked his perspective onto the small group of salt smugglers, watching Xing Honglang and her company depart towards the southwest, and listened to their conversation.
Xing Honglang's voice carried clearly. "There are so many good things in this village! After we sell this current batch of goods in Xi'an and get our money, we'll return here to stock up. The profit from these quality items is far greater than what we make smuggling salt."
Her subordinates chuckled. "We won't have to travel far and wide just to haul salt anymore."
Xing Honglang grinned. "Indeed. Sourcing goods has always been exhausting. It's truly wonderful to be able to buy such fine items right here, ha-ha."
Li Daoxuan couldn't help but smile faintly. *Excellent. You're coming back, which means Gao Chuwu's love story isn't over yet. There will be more updates!*
*He'd gone from being the Heavenly Lord of Protection to the Heavenly Lord of Gossip,* Li Daoxuan mused. *I'm practically begging for updates on this love story! You guys need to update faster; even a workhorse on a commune wouldn't dare slack off this much!*
*He felt a frantic urge, like ants crawling all over him, a dark, squirming impatience. Hurry up with the next chapter!*
He clicked "Gao Family Village," and his perspective instantly snapped back to hover over the village, where he saw the residents happily counting their silver and copper coins.
The villagers who had seized the opportunity to offload a batch of their wares were now flush with cash, each having earned a small fortune. They beamed with delight as they clutched their silver and copper.
In truth, the original residents of Gao Family Village, especially the earliest ones, had received so much from Li Daoxuan that many of them had lost their motivation to work. They often seemed a little lazy and listless, reasoning that with an endless supply of food, what was the point in earning more rewards?
*Better to just lie flat!* they'd thought.
However, Xing Honglang's arrival had effectively "digested" some of the surplus food they couldn't consume, instantly rekindling their motivation.
Suddenly, they had a burst of renewed energy.
"I want to apply to the Heavenly Lord," one man declared, "to learn how to drive a solar car. That way, I can earn extra rewards as a driver, and when merchants come, I can trade for cash."
"I've been slacking off lately," another added, "haven't done any carpentry in ages. I should get back to making things."
"Pottery for sale!" Gao Laba bellowed, tearing at his throat. "Anyone needing jars for their home, come quickly and I'll make them for you!"
"Hey, hold on!" someone else called out. "The New Year is almost here! Weren't we supposed to be preparing for the festival? How did you all suddenly get sidetracked?"
No one knew who had shouted, but everyone's attention snapped back. "Oh, right! We were clearly preparing for the New Year. How did our minds suddenly change direction? Goodness, let's hurry home and cut some red paper flowers."
"And stock up on New Year's provisions."
"But you just sold all your New Year's goods!"
"Exactly!" another piped up. "That's why I want to work now!"
"Ha ha ha!"
Everyone burst into laughter, incredibly happy.
Only Gao Chuwu sat by himself, his head hanging low, glumly perched on a large rock at the village entrance, gazing off towards the road that led to the county town.
Li Daoxuan chuckled. *Tsk, he's even learned how to be brooding and profound.*
*They say a man truly grows up under two circumstances,* Li Daoxuan mused. *Either through the profound loss of a loved one or by meeting the woman he loves.*
*In simpler terms, it's either losing a significant woman or finding one. Either way, it's always about women.*
Zheng Daniu plopped down beside Gao Chuwu and offered him a jar of beer. "You really like that woman, huh?"
Gao Chuwu took a swig, then nodded. "She's so beautiful."
"Pfft!" Zheng Daniu spewed a mouthful of beer three feet away. *Beautiful, my ass! Is he blind?* But even in his simplicity, he knew better than to say that aloud. He settled for patting Gao Chuwu's shoulder instead. "How about we chase after her, knock her out with a stick, and bring her back?"
Gao Chuwu raised a fist at him. "I'll punch you, you know."
Zheng Daniu quickly retorted, "I was just kidding!"
Gao Chuwu sighed again. "She's a powerful outlaw, with so many followers. And I'm just an idiot from Gao Family Village..."
Zheng Daniu didn't know how to comfort him, so he simply gestured with the jar. "Then let's just drink."
The two brothers sat shoulder-to-shoulder on the large rock, passing the jar back and forth, each taking a swig. Before long, the beer jar was empty, and they both collapsed onto the ground, completely unconscious.
Comments