The award ceremony wrapped up with the kind of noisy triumph only a village that just discovered "public events" can produce. A couple of helpers carried home the mud-masons' generous rewards, leaving the freshly decorated craftsmen practically floating.
But instead of dispersing, the villagers all turned in one direction—up the slope toward the glowing, pulsing "Gaojia Market District."
Gaojia Village had begun nurturing the earliest seed of "nightlife."
Nightlife! In a village that until one month ago thought lanterns were luxury items.
Now, at sunset, nobody rushed home to sleep. They sprinted—yes sprinted—toward the makeshift entertainment district to watch a northern Daoqing opera performance.
Dao Xuan Tianzun, in a generous mood, dropped the rainbow lanterns "from the heavens" again. Once the switch flipped, those lights blinked and shimmered until the whole market looked like someone had mashed "ancient village" with "1970s disco hall."
Young Master Bai shot ahead like a fired arrow—he had to secure his mother the best seat. If he failed, that giant noodle-bowl hat she wore would smack him faster than divine retribution.
Shansier grabbed his daughter's hand and bolted after the crowd.
Dozens of villagers stormed up the slope, each one acting like there was gold to be mined at the top.
From behind, two newcomers—Xu Dafu and the lantern-maker—stared blankly at this insanity.
"What's wrong with this village? Do they… race at night?" Xu Dafu muttered.
"What are they running toward? A fire? A monster?" the lantern-maker added, equally lost.
Xing Honglang and her group of smuggler sisters were also stunned. The last time they'd left the village, the opera troupe hadn't even arrived. Now she stood on the road like a deer watching a stampede, villagers rushing past as if chased by demons.
Then a familiar hulking figure barreled past—Gao Chuwu. He beamed at Xing Honglang.
"Great timing, Miss Xing! Come on, let's go watch the show!"
Watch the show?
Xing Honglang mentally cursed.
Do you know what it means to invite a woman to watch an opera? Do you?
In the jianghu, that counted as half a date.
But before she could finish being offended, Gao Chuwu grabbed her arm and practically dragged her uphill.
His steps were so long she nearly went airborne. Pride pricked her hard.
How could she—the legendary Yongji Xing Honglang—be pulled around like a sack of grain?
Fueled by indignation, she burst forward. With a couple of strides she overtook him, dust swirling behind her.
Gao Chuwu blinked. "Whoa? Miss Xing is fast? Well—I can't lose!"
He exploded into a sprint.
The two of them thundered uphill like twin locomotives with no brakes, kicking up a storm of dust.
Young Master Bai, previously in first place, was instantly overtaken.
He wailed loudly:
"For a seat—just for a seat—you two do this? My mother will kill me! My poor spot—my reputation—my everything!"
Xing Honglang vanished ahead. Her smuggler crew yelped and followed.
Xu Dafu and the lantern-maker stood forgotten in the human river, suddenly very aware that nobody cared they existed.
They exchanged a glance.
"…Should we… just follow them?"
"Yeah. People go there. We go there. That feels… safe?"
Meanwhile, Dao Xuan Tianzun—from his divine vantage—had finished hanging the last lantern and floated nearby watching the chaos unfold like a man watching ants in a terrarium.
From above, he could see the people flow clearly. Everyone gathered in front of the stage, except for two tiny figures who hesitated far behind.
Backpacks, worn clothes, dust-covered.
Ah.
Wild villagers, newly arrived. No wonder they moved weirdly.
Dao Xuan Tianzun was curious what they were saying—but the market noise was too loud. Too many humans shouting at once muddled the sound.
So he dropped a button-sized microphone beside them.
The two men heard a soft clack, looked over…
Only a strange black pebble leaned against the wall.
Then their attention snapped to the stage's shimmering lights.
"These lanterns are too amazing," whispered the lantern-maker. "How do they blink and change colors? I can make lanterns—but not ones that flash!"
Dao Xuan Tianzun perked up.
Oh? A natural lantern-maker? Excellent.
Now that Gaojia Village had nightlife, someone needed to handle the lighting. He was getting tired of lowering disco lanterns from the sky every night.
Xu Dafu continued, "This whole market is odd. Look—only the stage has lights. Everywhere else is pitch black."
The lantern-maker nodded enthusiastically.
"If it were me, I'd put lanterns here… here… and here. That street corner needs wind lanterns. That doorway needs red lanterns. Oh! There's a brothel—minimum six bright lanterns on the door!"
Dao Xuan Tianzun nearly applauded.
Finally—skill! Vision! Pure talent!
His disco lanterns were about to retire.
He almost called "Yiye! Hey, Yiye!" to deliver the message—but saw the girl happily sitting beside Shansier's daughter watching the opera.
He sighed.
Let her enjoy the show. Business can wait.
Xu Dafu and the lantern-maker kept wandering the market, soon discovering that only a bookstore and a rice noodle shop were open. All other storefronts sat dark and unused.
Eventually, they returned to the crowd at the stage's edge.
An opera scene ended.
Thunderous cheers erupted.
Village-wide tradition came next—tipping the performers.
Silver bits and copper coins rained onto the stage like a sudden metal storm.
The two craftsmen froze.
This tiny village…
Its people…
Were loaded.
Earlier three mud-masons got showered with gifts.
Now the opera troupe was getting buried in cash.
Xu Dafu whispered, uneasy:
"This place isn't normal. These 'poor villagers'… seem to be living very, very well."
The lantern-maker nodded violently.
"I noticed too."
Footnotes
Daoqing Opera Culture
Daoqing is a northern Chinese folk opera tradition blending narration, singing, and comedic banter. Historically, villagers treated evening performances as the most exciting social event of the month—kind of like ancient open-air Netflix.
Why Watching Opera Could Be Considered a Date
In traditional society, inviting a woman to watch an opera implied intimacy—equivalent to asking her out for dinner and a movie today. Xing Honglang's annoyance is very on-brand.
Village Lantern Hierarchy
Lantern placement was a subtle code: brothels used bright, flashy lanterns to signal "open for business," while bookstores used gentler tones. A lantern-maker could "read" a street's social layout just from light.
Opera Tipping Tradition
Villagers throwing coins and small silver pieces onto the stage was authentic rural entertainment culture. It wasn't just generosity—it was showing pride, saying: "Our village is prosperous enough to support the arts."
Nightlife in Ancient Rural Settlements
Most villages had no nightlife due to lack of lighting. When lamps appeared, markets sprang up instantly—almost like early versions of night bazaars.