Chapter 151: Gao Chuwu's Love Story, Part 3
Li Daoxuan's dinner tonight was a dry pot chicken offal dish, costing sixty-eight silver dollars. Ever since he started making some money through micro-carving and filming videos, his takeout food quality had taken a significant leap, upgrading from various set meals to proper main dishes.
Eating his chicken offal while watching Cheng Xu train the militia was quite amusing.
A hundred tiny figures, spaced two meters apart both horizontally and vertically, were arranged in a large square formation.
Cheng Xu proclaimed loudly: "Strike!"
The hundred tiny figures simultaneously threw a punch forward, letting out a sharp "Hup!"
Cheng Xu: "Kick!"
The figures stepped forward together, crying "Hup!", their legs kicking high.
Cheng Xu felt quite satisfied. These soldiers were really well-trained, heh heh, much more spirited than the hundred cowardly soldiers he used to command. That wretched bunch of soldiers before, the moment he called for training, they'd slack off, claiming they hadn't received their pay, had no money for food, and thus no strength to train.
But the Gao Family Village militia were all well-fed, with high wages. The moment an order was given, each man executed it with vigor, never slacking off during training.
Just as he was thinking this, a group of people, pushing Padi Tu forward, approached him.
The moment Padi Tu saw Cheng Xu, he flinched like a mouse spotting a cat, but quickly rallied his spirits and declared loudly: "Instructor He, I... I'm here to join your crew."
Cheng Xu retorted dismissively: "Join my crew? You've used the wrong word again. You can get lost."
Panicked, Padi Tu quickly corrected himself: "I'm wrong, I'm wrong! Instructor He, give me a chance, I sincerely want to join the militia."
Cheng Xu rolled his eyes: "Are you trying out your 'My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword' again?"
"No!" Padi Tu declared emphatically. "You've got it wrong. It's 'My Heaven Rabbit Rending Overlord Sword'."
Cheng Xu fell silent.
A vein throbbed on his forehead. Padi Tu had just trampled Cheng Xu's good mood into the ground and thoroughly ground it in with his heel.
Cheng Xu clenched his fists: "If you don't get out of here now, I'll beat you so badly you won't be able to get out of bed for three days."
Padi Tu jumped in fright: "No! No, no! I'm genuinely sincere this time. Look at these short-term workers behind me. They're the most honest and reliable short-term workers from the Short-term Workers Village. They're here to vouch for me."
The group behind him spoke up in unison: "Instructor He, while Rabbit-Lord might be a bit... *cough*..."
"...he really is a good person."
Cheng Xu glanced at the short-term workers, then turned back to Padi Tu.
Their gazes met mid-air.
Padi Tu instantly flopped to the ground: "Master, please take me as your disciple! I genuinely want to learn martial arts and make a name for myself!"
Cheng Xu sighed deeply: "Fine, get up. Go stand at the back of the line and train with everyone else."
Padi Tu looked up, overjoyed: "Thank you, Master! I've joined the crew! I've finally joined the crew! Hahaha, I've joined the crew!"
Cheng Xu fumed: "Call me Instructor, not Master. And stop saying 'join the crew.' Where did you pick up such gangster slang?"
Li Daoxuan secretly chuckled: *How amusing. This 'Rabbit' might be even more troublesome than Gao Chuwu and Zheng Daniu. Those two, while slow-witted, are at least obedient. But this 'Rabbit' is incredibly mischievous. I can see a vein throbbing on Cheng Xu's forehead quite often now.*
Just then, on the cement road to the northeast, a group of people suddenly appeared. Led by a tall horse, followed by thirty to forty men carrying shoulder poles, Xing Honglang had arrived again.
The villagers of Gao Family Village immediately cheered: "The hero-woman is here! Quick, quick, quick! Go fetch any spare valuables from home!"
Gao Chuwu's spirits lifted: "Ah! Ah! Miss Xing is here!"
Cheng Xu was about to scold Gao Chuwu for getting distracted, when he suddenly remembered. It seemed the Heavenly Lord was also fond of gossip. Last time, when Gao Chuwu and Xing Honglang fought, the Heavenly Lord had personally intervened.
Alright then, the Heavenly Lord is supreme. Training is but a minor matter.
Cheng Xu announced loudly: "Dismissed! Half an hour of free activity, then we resume training."
The moment "Dismissed!" was shouted, Gao Chuwu dashed towards Xing Honglang.
Padi Tu cried out: "Huh? I just got here! I haven't even started learning any punches, and it's already over? Teach me two moves before dismissing, just two moves!"
No one paid him any mind. He was utterly pathetic.
Li Daoxuan secretly praised Cheng Xu: *That was a smart dismissal. Gao Chuwu's Love Story, Part 3, could finally get an update!*
Gao Chuwu, taking strides two at a time, raced to Xing Honglang, grinning widely: "Miss Xing, you're here again! I've missed you so much!"
The moment Xing Honglang saw the fellow, her head began to throb—the intensely painful kind. She rolled her eyes: "I'm in a bad mood and don't have time for you. Go away and play."
Gao Chuwu countered: "That's alright! I can pay attention to *you*!"
Everyone stared blankly.
Li Daoxuan couldn't help but gasp. *Could he be a genius at romance? Had they simply mistaken him for a simpleton? If I had been as brave as him, would the girl I secretly admired in high school have lost touch after graduation, without me ever saying a few words to her? My youth twinged with a faint ache!*
Gao Chuwu announced: "Miss Xing, I have another very large piece of chocolate. I want to challenge you again, just like last time. If you win, you pay me. If I win, this chocolate is yours."
Xing Honglang rolled her eyes: "With *your* strength?"
Gao Chuwu insisted: "I lost last time, but these past few days, I've practiced my boxing diligently and become much stronger. San Shier said he called it 'today is... not... yesterday... compared'."
The onlookers thought to themselves: *Even though we're illiterate, we can still tell that phrase isn't quite right.*
Xing Honglang exclaimed in annoyance: "It's 'vastly improved'! What on earth are you blabbering about?"
Gao Chuwu grinned widely: "That's not important! Let's fight again!"
The surrounding villagers began to egg them on again: "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
For these villagers, whose lives were rather monotonous, a spectacle like this was a rare treat. So, naturally, they all transformed into avid spectators, never complaining if the drama escalated, cheering wildly.
Xing Honglang's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
A subordinate came up behind her and whispered: "Boss, you can't fight. Your hand..."
Xing Honglang snorted, shoved her subordinate aside, and turned to face Gao Chuwu: "Fine! If you want a fight, you'll get one! Today, I'll beat this scoundrel into submission so you'll stop haunting me like a persistent ghost!"
Gao Chuwu grinned: "Today, this chocolate is definitely yours."
Xing Honglang also grinned: "Today, I'm definitely paying you."
The onlookers burst apart with a cheer, clearing a large space.
The Gao Family Village leadership—Gao Yiye, San Shier, Cheng Xu, Tan Liwen, Mr. Wang, Madam Bai, Young Master Bai, and the others—all sat down in the front row. The "sit in rows, eat fruit, watch a big show" mode was activated.
Even New Year's Eve wasn't as lively as today.
Seeing such a lively scene, Li Daoxuan mused to himself: *Is everyone really that keen on gossip? Damn! He had overlooked something. Entertainment! Gao Family Village, up until now, had no entertainment industry. It was because people had nothing to do in their leisure time that they were so obsessed with gossip. In Civilization 5, towns without an entertainment industry would experience a drop in productivity due to insufficient 'happiness levels,' and might even face riots, leading to a complete halt in production.*
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