Xing Honglang and Tie Niaofei had finished hammering out the details for their scouting mission, but it wasn't like they could just teleport. First things first: they had a massive shipment of grain sitting on the cargo boats, and unloading that mountain of carbs was a project in itself.
Gao Chuwu might have been a few sandwiches short of a picnic, but he knew the Gaojia Village playbook by heart. He filled his lungs and bellowed at the crowd of dockworkers loitering around Gudu Ferry:
"Alright, boys! Listen up! We need these boats emptied. Get this grain off the ships and stacked somewhere dry. The pay? Three catties of flour per man. Move it!"
In a world where "starving to death" was a legitimate career hazard, that shout was like firing a starting pistol at a buffet.
The dockworkers swarmed the boats in a chaotic blur. Even the local fishermen and farmers dropped their nets and hoes to join in, suddenly discovering a lifelong passion for stevedoring. Hey, labor is labor, and three catties of flour is three catties of flour. Why not?
Smile plastered on their faces, they started hauling bags, marching back and forth like a highly motivated line of ants under the watchful eyes of the Militia.
Nanfeng, meanwhile, was playing 'Age of Empires' in real life. He stood on a high point, scouting the terrain with a tactical eye before leaning over to Gao Chuwu.
"Look," Nanfeng whispered. "This dock is our future bridgehead for the Shaanxi-Salt trade route. It's strategically vital, which means we can't just leave it looking like a hobo camp. A few bamboo fences aren't going to cut it. We need these workers fed and strong so they can build us some real fortifications—and some actual wooden housing for our several hundred troops."
Gao Chuwu grinned. "Sounds like a plan to me!"
With the green light given, Nanfeng went full Drill Sergeant. Militia soldiers started fanning out among the workers with a fresh pitch: "Hey, after you finish unloading and get your flour today, go home, eat a big meal, and get some sleep. Tomorrow, we start building a wooden fortress. Work for us, and we'll provide all-you-can-eat meals plus another three catties of flour a day."
The workers practically tripped over themselves to say yes.
Nanfeng paced the perimeter, drawing lines in the dirt like a frantic architect. "Here... we need an arrow tower. At least thirty feet high!"
He walked a few more paces. "Main gate goes here..."
"And another arrow tower right across from it."
Within minutes, he had sketched out a massive wooden fortress. One side faced the water, the others were enclosed by walls. It was starting to look like a real base of operations.
"The population here at Gudu Ferry is too thin," Nanfeng muttered, returning to Chuwu and shaking his head. "Between the merchants, fishermen, and farmers, we've only got a few hundred locals. That's less than our own troop count. We don't have enough warm bodies to build this thing."
Gao Chuwu shrugged. "Our soldiers can do it."
Nanfeng sighed. "We aren't an army of ten thousand, kid. We only have a few hundred cavalry and infantry combined. If I make them play 'Bob the Builder' all day and they're exhausted when a bandit raid hits, we're toast."
Gao Chuwu looked at him with wide, innocent eyes. "So... what do we do?"
Nanfeng pointed a thumb toward Xing Honglang. "Ask your wife. She's the local 'Queen of the Underground' around here. If anyone can scrounge up a workforce, it's her."
Chuwu happily trotted over to his wife.
At that moment, Xing Honglang was busy plotting with Tie Niaofei about how to sneak down to the south side of the Salt Lake to contact the salt workers. She looked up just as Chuwu stopped a few feet away and held out his arms like a giant teddy bear. "Honglang!"
Xing Honglang didn't miss a beat. She spun around, arms wide. "Chuwu!"
*BAM.* They slammed into a hug.
Tie Niaofei broke into a cold sweat. *Terrifying.* Seeing the legendary, bloodthirsty Boss Xing acting like a lovesick schoolgirl was more traumatizing than facing a bandit charge.
Xing Honglang pulled back. "Chuwu, you need something?"
He nodded. "We're turning this dock into a fortress, but we're short on hands."
Xing Honglang smirked. "Got it. I'll do a lap around the local villages and 'recruit' some help."
The area around Gudu Ferry was essentially Yongji. At this point in history, Yongji was just a bustling town under the jurisdiction of Puzhou—it wouldn't be upgraded to a county until the Qing Dynasty. But it was already a thriving hub with plenty of people.
It was also Xing Honglang's old stomping grounds.
She swung herself onto her horse. Zao Ying pulled up alongside her. "I'll take fifty cavalrymen and go with you."
"Let's ride!"
The two formidable women turned back to Chuwu and the boys, grinning. "Keep an eye on the dock. We're going for a spin."
Gao Chuwu waved. "Stay safe!"
The women and their fifty riders vanished in a cloud of dust.
As soon as they were gone, the merchants—led by Tie Niaofei—swarmed Gao Chuwu, staring at him like he was a rare zoo exhibit.
Gao Chuwu got a little nervous. "Uh, why are you guys looking at me like that?"
Tie Niaofei stammered, "Big guy... you... you're actually married to Boss Xing? Like, for real?"
Chuwu chuckled. "That's the second time someone's asked. You think I'm faking it?"
Tie Niaofei leaned in. "Blink twice if she's holding your family hostage."
Chuwu just stared back, his eyes wide and round as copper bells, radiating a level of... well, let's call it 'pure-hearted wisdom.'
The crowd gasped. "He didn't blink! It's a real marriage!"
Tie Niaofei couldn't help himself. "This is insane. Brother, what exactly do you see in Boss Xing?"
Gao Chuwu didn't hesitate. "She's gorgeous! She's the most beautiful woman in the world."
*Pffft!*
Collective aneurysm. The merchants were sweating bullets.
Tie Niaofei wiped his brow. "Brother, are you feeling okay? Headaches? Blurry vision?"
Chuwu looked confused. "I feel great. Why?"
Tie Niaofei tried a different angle. "Did she, uh... beat you into submission? Did she punch you until you agreed to the wedding?"
Gao Chuwu let out a hearty laugh. "Nah, man. I'm the one who knocked *her* down before she agreed to marry me. On our wedding day, she was still complaining that I was 'kidnapping a local girl.'"
The merchants: "!!!"
They huddled up immediately, whispering furiously.
"Is this guy for real?"
"Good God! How broken are his eyes? Of all the 'local girls' to kidnap, he chose *Xing Honglang*?"
"Wait, if he can beat her in a fight, his kung fu must be legendary."
"No, no, she probably threw the fight. Where else was she going to find a guy willing to marry her?"
"He must have married *into* her family then. Definitely a matrilocal deal."
Tie Niaofei turned back to Chuwu. "So, did you take her last name? Are you a 'live-in' son-in-law?"
Gao Chuwu grinned, shaking his head. "Live-in? No way! I'm the only son in my family for three generations. I've got a legacy to protect. Honglang and I already settled it—the kids take my name, and they inherit my house and my land."
The crowd just held their heads in their hands. "We don't get it. We will never, ever get it."