Chapter 142: Xing Honglang Returns
Xing Honglang had arrived!
And she was in high spirits!
Not long ago, she had acquired a batch of quality goods from Gao Family Village and set off towards Xi'an Prefecture, selling her wares along the way.
She peddled a little contraband salt in the small villages and towns she passed, earning a modest profit, before diving into Xi'an Prefecture to begin selling the top-tier merchandise she’d sourced from Gao Family Village.
Chocolate, it turned out, was an absolute sensation. When she first unveiled it, no one understood what it was, and they hesitated to buy. But the moment most people tasted a single bite, they were instantly captivated.
Once word spread, the dignitaries and nobles of Xi'an Prefecture swarmed her, sweeping up all the chocolate she had. Each offered a higher price than the last. When only a tiny bit remained, the stewards from two prominent official households nearly came to blows over the last pieces.
Then there was the premium white sugar, snow-white and sparkling, like shards of ice. Even the well-traveled steward of the Prince of Qin’s estate marveled at it. Without a second thought, he paid a hefty sum and took it away, intending it as tribute for the prince's concubines to enjoy.
In short order, Xing Honglang’s goods were all sold. She departed Xi'an Prefecture with her retinue, heading back towards Gao Family Village. This time, her pockets were stuffed with gold and silver, giving her the confidence to vow she would secure even more fine goods from Gao Family Village.
Li Daoxuan, seeing Xing Honglang arrive, rejoiced inwardly. “Gao Chuwu, hurry up!”
This wouldn't do!
If you two don't meet, how will their love story progress?
If I don’t get to see the next chapter, I'll be itching all over again, crawling darkly, writhing in agitation!
Li Daoxuan quickly instructed Gao Yiye: “Yiye, hurry, hurry, go and bring Gao Chuwu back!”
At that moment, Gao Yiye was holding a brush, drawing and writing on paper. She had recently grasped the basics of reading and writing, but her true passion was drawing. In the past two days, she'd learned a few brushstroke techniques from Teacher Wang and was practicing them diligently.
Hearing the Heavenly Lord’s summons, Gao Yiye hastily put down her brush. “Oh, alright! I’ll go fetch Brother Chuwu immediately.”
With that, she darted outside. However, even as she ran, she couldn’t resist asking, “What do you need Brother Chuwu back for?”
This was her way: “First, I execute the Heavenly Lord’s decree; then, in the process, I ask why.” People with more cunning minds, on the other hand, would first ascertain the reason before acting.
Li Daoxuan chuckled, “Cannot say, cannot say. Heaven’s secrets must not be revealed.”
----
Xing Honglang’s arrival immediately drew a chorus of cheers from the Gao Family Village residents.
“The Lady Heroine is back!”
“Wow, last time I wanted to sell her a jar of Wuliangye, but the Lady Heroine ran out of money. Now that she’s back, my Wuliangye can finally be sold, right?”
“I also have a jar of beer bestowed by the Heavenly Lord here; she’ll surely want that too.”
A crowd of villagers happily surged forward.
Xing Honglang was also overjoyed. She had genuinely worried that these villagers wouldn't have many goods left, leaving her with little to acquire. She hadn’t expected them to be quite so well-stocked.
“Line up, take your time.”
One of Xing Honglang’s subordinates loudly called out: “We need sugar, and chocolate too! Huh? You want to sell *me* salt? What the hell? Are *we* the contraband salt peddlers, or are *you*?!”
“Lady Heroine, try this! This is called Happy Fat Water, and even though it's gone flat, it’s still delicious.”
“Lady Heroine, I have a big jar of lard here!”
Xing Honglang’s subordinate retorted impatiently, “You’ve dug several holes in this lard with a spoon! It looks too ugly; we won’t be able to sell it. No, no.”
“Hey!” the villager, clutching his jar of lard, quickly explained, “Just boil it in a pot, let it melt, and then solidify again! It’ll be smooth, no more spoon marks. Wait, I’ll go flatten it for you right now!”
The trading area buzzed with activity.
Xing Honglang stood to one side, her hand resting on her saber hilt, watching her subordinates bustle about. She didn't involve herself in the petty details, preferring to oversee the larger picture. As she calculated how much she might earn this time, she heard a flurry of footsteps: Cheng Xu was returning with the militia.
Gao Yiye ran at the very front. Her bangs were damp with sweat from running so fast, but her face was alight with excitement. Clearly, the girl’s curiosity was fully piqued, and she was thoroughly enjoying herself.
Xing Honglang cast a glance at the large group of militia members. With just a single look, her attention snagged on Cheng Xu. *This one won't be easy to handle,* she thought.
Cheng Xu, too, noticed Xing Honglang and her retinue of contraband salt peddlers at the same time. *Contraband salt peddlers,* he mused. *If I were still a patrol inspector, I’d certainly have to arrest them, or at least make a show of it. But now... there’s no need. No wonder the Heavenly Lord told me to return quickly. If these peddlers suddenly pulled out weapons and robbed the villagers, then it would be the militia’s turn to act.*
He glanced at the forty-odd men behind him. *These guys definitely can't beat these thirty or forty contraband salt peddlers,* he thought. *If a real fight broke out, it would be dangerous; there's at least an eighty percent chance we'd all kick the bucket. But this is Gao Family Village. Even if the militia can't win, we can still give a shout and call hundreds of villagers to our aid, dropping that chance of kicking the bucket to zero percent.*
*Hmph, a guaranteed win-win situation. There’s nothing to be afraid of then,* he concluded.
His mind buzzed with mischievous thoughts.
Just then, Gao Chuwu raised his hand. “Hey! Miss, it’s you!”
Xing Honglang’s gaze swept over Gao Chuwu, but he made no impression on her. *Who’s this?* she wondered.
Gao Chuwu quickly jogged over and stood before Xing Honglang. “Miss, don’t you remember me? It’s me! I proposed to you last time.”
“Oh, it’s *you*!” Xing Honglang finally recalled him. There couldn’t be more than two people in the world who would propose to a “Lady Heroine” built like a bear, and Gao Chuwu was the only such simpleton. So, yes, she did remember him.
Gao Chuwu, his face alight with eagerness, declared, “I still want to marry you.”
Xing Honglang rolled her eyes, completely uninterested in responding.
Gao Chuwu added, “Wait here. I’m going to get a present for you.”
Xing Honglang continued to ignore him.
Gao Chuwu went pattering back home, his large feet hitting the ground with crisp *pat-pat* sounds as he ran at full speed.
Soon, the fellow was back, shouldering a colossal piece of chocolate, easily half the size of a cupboard.
As he bolted towards Xing Honglang, he let out a simple-minded laugh. “I know you like this! I purposely rendered a great service and requested this reward from the Heavenly Lord. See? It’s this big!”
The sheer size of the chocolate truly startled Xing Honglang.
“That big?”
“Hehe!” Gao Chuwu clumsily shook his head. “It’s all for you.”
Xing Honglang stated, “I cannot accept a reward for which I’ve done nothing. I can buy it from you, but I won’t take it for free. Lads, weigh this chocolate, and pay him for it.”
Gao Chuwu insisted, “No need, no need! It’s a gift from me to you.”
Xing Honglang’s phoenix eyes widened in anger. “I said, you *will* take the money!”
Her glare was truly quite fierce.
Anyone else would have flinched, but it had no effect on the thick-skinned simpleton. Gao Chuwu grinned, “I want to give it to you as a present.”
Infuriated, Xing Honglang tightened her grip on her saber hilt, her arm tensing as if ready to draw and strike at any moment. “Are you looking down on me, old woman? Do you think I’m the kind of woman who can be swayed by a few valuable gifts?”
Nearby, Cheng Xu subtly moved two steps closer to Gao Chuwu. If the woman suddenly lashed out, Gao Chuwu certainly wouldn’t be prepared. Cheng Xu was ready to intervene.
“Huh?” Gao Chuwu blinked. “I wasn’t looking down on you! I just wanted to give my best to the girl I like. Why are you angry?”
The tension in Xing Honglang’s hand eased. For a moment, she was unsure whether she should actually get angry or not.
However, two seconds later, she suddenly made a decision: “Beat me, and I’ll accept your gift. Fail to beat me, and you’ll obediently take my money.”
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