Gao Chuwu strode forward in long, earnest steps toward Xing Honglang.
Even though a crowd of villagers surrounded her, Xing Honglang — a veteran salt-smuggler who had lived her entire life on the edge of danger — immediately sensed someone approaching with intent. Before Gao Chuwu even reached her, she shifted her weight, body angled, gaze locked sharply onto him.
Gao Chuwu beamed.
"Hello!"
Xing Honglang stayed wary.
"You trying to sell me something? I'm out of money. If you want to sell, wait until I come back next time."
Gao Chuwu scratched his cheek.
"I haven't married yet. Will you marry me?"
"Pffft!"
Seven or eight villagers lunged at him like startled chickens, slapping their hands over his mouth.
"You idiot! Who talks like that?!"
Even Xing Honglang was stunned.
What kind of turn is this?
All her life she'd been tall, broad-shouldered, rough-featured. Her father trained her like a son. The jianghu treated her like a young bandit chief, giving her the nickname "Xing Red Wolf" because she fought like a feral she-wolf.
No one — literally no one — had ever treated her like a woman.
And today… some fool jumps out and proposes?
She shot Gao Chuwu a fierce glare. The poor guy looked helpless, his mouth still smothered by hands — until his shoulders twitched, and suddenly he shoved everyone away.
The circle of villagers staggered back several steps, opening like a burst watermelon.
Xing Honglang's eyes narrowed.
Good strength. This one's a real brute.
Gao Chuwu grinned proudly.
"I have a house! I've got lots of rice, flour, oil, sugar, meat — everything! If you marry me, you'll eat well every day!"
Xing Honglang nearly laughed out loud.
Good man, yes. But a complete simpleton.
Everything he listed — she had more of it than he ever would.
Brush brush brush!
The villagers tackled him again and clamped his mouth shut.
The village chief bowed apologetically toward her.
"Heroine, please don't be offended. His brain is… simple. He didn't mean disrespect."
Xing Honglang snorted, swung onto her horse, and called to her subordinates:
"Move out! We need to reach Chengcheng County by noon. We're out of silver — we must get these goods to Xi'an and sell them."
"Yes, Boss!"
Without giving Gao Chuwu another glance, she kicked her horse and led her thirty-odd men down the road.
Only when her dust settled did the villagers finally remove their hands from Gao Chuwu's face.
He followed her with his eyes, watching her upright figure on horseback, watching her command her people — and felt a pang in his chest.
He looked down at himself.
"Sigh… I can't marry that wife, can I?"
Everyone nodded in perfect synchronization.
"No chance."
"Sigh…"
From above, Li Daoxuan couldn't help sighing as well.
The gap in power, status, and assets is too huge. Unless this were some romance drama like "101 Proposals" or "Train Man," and he had main-character luck supporting him… there's no way.
He glanced at his own gaudy silver chain.
If I took off one ring and gifted it to Gao Chuwu, would it bridge the gap? Make her look at him twice?
No.
That would be wrong.
Helping a lovesick fool pursue a woman with money was exactly the kind of moral disaster he should not cause. He was Dao Xuan Tianzun now — a single gesture could shape the villagers' values.
He forced himself to behave.
Instead, he shifted his view to Xing Honglang's departing team. Their voices carried faintly on the winter wind.
"This village has too many good things," Xing Honglang laughed. "Once we sell this haul in Xi'an and refill our purse, we'll come back here to buy more. The profit on these goods is far higher than salt."
"No more long trips hauling salt over mountains," her men agreed.
"Exactly. Buying goods here is so easy. Wonderful!"
Li Daoxuan smiled.
Good. She's coming back. Gao Chuwu's love story isn't over. There will be more chapters.
He had transformed from Overprotective Tianzun to Gossip-Addicted Tianzun.
He demanded updates — faster than a production donkey dared rest.
Come on, give me the next chapter. Hurry.
He clicked on "Gao Village," snapping his view back over the rooftops. Below, villagers happily counted silver and copper coins.
Those who had seized the chance to sell their surplus were grinning like people who had discovered money hidden under the floorboards.
Truth be told, many of the original inhabitants had grown lazy after receiving too many gifts from Dao Xuan Tianzun. Their pantry never emptied; why bother working?
Better to lie flat and enjoy life.
But Xing Honglang's visit suddenly drained their excess stock — and with it came renewed motivation.
"I want to apply to Tianzun to learn how to drive the Sun-Cart," one villager said. "If more merchants come, I can earn silver as a driver!"
"I've been lazy for weeks… maybe I should get back to carpentry."
"Selling jars!" Gao Labba bellowed. "Anyone needing jars, come to me!"
"Hey! Aren't we supposed to be preparing for New Year?" someone shouted. "Why are you all suddenly changing direction?!"
Everyone froze.
"Oh right! We were getting ready for New Year!"
"Go home! Cut red paper flowers!"
"Stock up for the festival!"
"You just sold your New Year stock!"
"That's why I need to go find a job!"
"Hahaha!"
The whole village buzzed with laughter.
Except Gao Chuwu.
He slumped on a big rock at the village entrance, staring at the road she took, heart as heavy as wet rice.
Li Daoxuan grinned.
Look at him, learning how to act deep and melancholic.
It's said men grow up in two circumstances:
when they lose their mother,
when they encounter the woman they love.
In plain language:
Men level up because of women — one way or another.
Zheng Daniu plopped down beside him and offered a jug of beer.
"Really like that woman, huh?"
Gao Chuwu took a swig and nodded.
"She's so pretty."
Zheng Daniu spit beer three feet forward.
Pretty? Where?! Are your eyes broken?!
But even he knew he shouldn't say that. So he patted Gao Chuwu's shoulder instead.
"How about… we chase them down, bonk her on the head, and bring her back?"
Gao Chuwu raised a fist.
"I'll hit you."
"Just joking!"
"Sigh… she's a greenwood heroine with a whole troop behind her. And I'm just the village idiot…"
Zheng Daniu had no idea how to comfort him.
So they drank.
Two brothers, shoulder to shoulder on a cold rock.
You take a swig, I take a swig.
Soon the jug was empty, and both collapsed backward, drunk unconscious.
Footnotes
Salt smugglers in the late Ming often commanded small private militias. Their social status was actually higher than most villagers — closer to minor warlords than petty criminals. A woman leading thirty armed men was the equivalent of a biker-gang boss with her own supply chain.
Many rural men in history used "I have food and a house" as a courtship line, because that was the entire marriage market. Gao Chuwu is simply following ancient tradition — just doing it with the enthusiasm of a golden retriever.