Xing Honglang woke early.
When you sleep on a hard, freezing plastic floor, waking up late would be the real miracle.
She sat up, groaning, only to notice a blanket draped over her.
Weird.
Which of her men had the nerve to cover her with a blanket yet not carry her back to a room?
Were their heads full of pickled cabbage?
That's not how you take care of your boss.
Head pounding like a drum, she snapped:
"Old Zhu! Old Zhang! Anyone awake? Bring Lao-niang a cup of water!"
Silence.
Every salt smuggler was still inside, snoring like pigs fattened for market.
With no other choice, she grabbed a cup herself, gulped down water, steadied her dizzy body, and staggered out of the plastic mansion.
Morning light filled the sky.
The villagers of Gaojia Village were already busy — road builders building roads, carpenters sawing wood, and over a hundred militia members drilling in formation beside the main fortress.
Passing through rows of colorful plastic buildings, she glanced at the "inn," "tavern," "vegetable market," "brothel"—all empty.
She clicked her tongue.
"So many people, such a lively place… yet not a single shop open? Absolutely ridiculous."
"Xing-guniang also finds it strange?"
Shansier stepped out of a plastic building shaped suspiciously like a bookstore. He smiled. "You're a woman who has seen the world. You've traveled, traded, dealt with bandits and merchants alike. Commerce must be second nature to someone like you."
Xing Honglang grunted approvingly. "Naturally."
"With your experience," Shansier asked humbly, "do you think Gaojia Village already has the conditions for a proper market?"
"Do you even need to ask?" she snorted. "You've got over a thousand people here. Look at all those colorful houses — this place isn't a 'village' anymore, it's practically a town. And what town have you ever seen with zero commerce?"
Shansier tilted his head thoughtfully.
"Indeed… a town without businesses is abnormal. That's why I'm thinking about how to revive commerce here."
Xing Honglang chuckled.
"Oh, I know exactly why your market is dead."
Shansier: "Please enlighten me."
"You guys hand out too much. Grain, salt, oil, sugar — everything is provided. Why would villagers do business if all their needs are already met? They even sell their extra supplies to me when they have more than they can eat."
Shansier froze.
Fair point.
"That was back when our population was small," he admitted. "We had no merchants, so Tianzun distributed goods to keep people alive. But now… perhaps we need a new system. Woodworkers get only grain, no salt. Blacksmiths get salt, no grain. Just increase the quantities accordingly."
Xing Honglang laughed.
"Scholar-brains are fast."
Shansier thanked her and hurried back to the main fortress to draft his "wage restructuring plan." Commerce had to be revived — urgently.
Xing Honglang wandered on, leaving the commercial street and walking toward the hillside.
From below, Gao Yiye came running up the slope — dressed prim and proper, yet bounding like an excited puppy.
She stopped before Xing Honglang, looked up, and smiled.
"Xing-jie, Tianzun wants to speak with you."
Xing Honglang straightened up and saluted the sky.
Yesterday's divine falling-logs miracle and Cheng Xu's skyward flight had reshaped her understanding of the divine. "I await Tianzun's instruction."
Yiye lowered her voice.
"Tianzun wants a gunpowder master brought to Gaojia Village."
"Oh?" Xing Honglang's brows tightened.
"That's not easy. Gunpowder workshops are tightly controlled by the court."
Yiye grinned.
"Tianzun said: if it were easy, he wouldn't ask Xing-guniang. He can tell you specialize in… difficult business."
Xing Honglang let out two proud laughs.
Being praised by a god? Oh yes — that hits the ego in the sweetest spot.
Yiye continued:
"Tianzun said that with Heyang County in chaos, you probably can't return to Shanxi anytime soon. Your next step was going to be Xi'an Prefecture, right?"
Xing Honglang nodded.
"Exactly. Once my arm heals, I'll make a trip."
"In that case," Yiye said, "Tianzun suggests you visit the official workshops in Xi'an. See if any gunpowder masters are unhappy or want to leave."
Xing Honglang instantly understood.
"If one wants to run, I get them out — safely — and deliver them here?"
"Correct. But Tianzun said your safety comes first. If there's even a sliver of danger, drop the plan immediately."
Xing Honglang burst into laughter.
"I was raised running salt-smuggling routes with my father. Outwitting officials is what I do for breakfast. If a man seems impossible to extract, I won't act. But if I decide to move — no official can stop me."
Yiye beamed.
"Tianzun will be pleased. If you bring a gunpowder master back, he will not treat you unfairly."
Xing Honglang waved a hand dismissively.
"No need. Tianzun revealed himself and helped me kill Er-Chun — I owe him a life-sized debt. Bringing back one gunpowder master? Consider it repaying the favor."
Yiye giggled.
"By that logic, you're equating Er-Chun with the value of a gunpowder master. That's not right. In Tianzun's eyes, Er-Chun was worthless. A gunpowder master is far more valuable."
Xing Honglang guffawed.
"That's true! Er-Chun was worth less than a rotten egg!"
Their laughter was cut short by sudden cheers from the distance.
Xing Honglang glanced over.
"What's the commotion?"
"The cement road to Wangjia Village is open," Yiye said proudly. "They're celebrating."
"Oh?" Xing Honglang squinted.
"That weird hard grey road?"
"Yes. With that road, the solar bus can run smoother and faster. Tianzun intends to pave all surrounding villages, but manpower is limited. This is only the second road finished — but now the bus can reach Wangjia Village."
Xing Honglang clicked her tongue in awe.
"If the whole world had roads like these, trade would be so much easier. But alas… only Tianzun can produce such divine materials."
Footnotes
Gunpowder workshops: Strictly monitored in imperial history due to their strategic importance. Gunpowder artisans were precious and closely guarded by the state.
Market stagnation: In pre-modern communities, excessive welfare easily disrupted local commerce — a recurring social issue.
Cement roads (modern tech): To ancient villagers, these gray, smooth roads would have appeared utterly supernatural.
Salt-smuggling culture: A dangerous yet common underground trade across various dynasties—smugglers often possessed sharp survival instincts and deep knowledge of official loopholes.