Xing Honglang had arrived!

She had come happily!

Not long ago, she had obtained a batch of good goods in Gaojia Village and headed towards Xi’an Prefecture, selling as she advanced.

Along the way, she sold smuggled salt in small villages and towns, earning a small profit. Then she plunged into Xi’an Prefecture and started selling the top-tier goods obtained in Gaojia Village.

Chocolate was truly amazing; when first brought out, no one understood it and didn’t dare to buy. But once most people tasted a bite, they were captivated immediately.

After her reputation spread, the wealthy nobles of Xi’an Prefecture swarmed over, sweeping away all the chocolate in her hands, each bidding higher than the last. With the last bit of stock, the stewards of two prominent official families almost fought over grabbing it.

And then there was the top-tier white sugar, snowy white and crystal clear, like ice blocks. Even the knowledgeable steward of Qin King Mansion marveled and praised it; without hesitation, he bought it at a high price to present to the prince’s concubines for their enjoyment.

In no time, Xing Honglang’s goods were sold out. With a team of subordinates, she left Xi’an Prefecture and headed towards Gaojia Village again. This time, she was clutching plenty of gold and silver, gained confidence, and vowed to obtain more good goods in Gaojia Village.

Li Daoxuan saw that Xing Honglang had arrived and was secretly delighted in his heart. “Gao Chuwu, come quickly!” he thought.

But when he turned his head to look, Cheng Xu was leading the militia and running in the direction of Zhengjia Village. Gao Chuwu was also among them, moving farther and farther away from Gaojia Village.

How could this be?

If you didn’t meet, how would the love story be updated?

If he couldn’t see the update, he would itch all over and crawl around darkly, twisting and convulsing.

Li Daoxuan urgently ordered Gao Yiye, “Yiye, quickly, quickly, quickly go chase Gao Chuwu back.”

At this moment, Gao Yiye was holding a writing brush and scribbling and drawing on paper. Recently, she had started learning reading and writing and had begun to grasp the basics, but what she liked best was drawing. Over the past couple of days, she had learned a few brush techniques from Mr. Wang and was practicing diligently.

Hearing the Deity’s summons, Gao Yiye hurriedly put down the brush. “Ah, okay, I will go chase Brother Chuwu right away,” she said.

After saying this, she started running out. But as she ran, she couldn’t help asking, “Why are you calling Brother Chuwu back?”

This was known as “executing the Deity’s decree first and only during the execution asking why,” while someone with a scheming mind would first ask why clearly before executing.

Li Daoxuan chuckled. “Cannot say, cannot say; divine secrets must not be revealed.”

…

Xing Honglang’s arrival immediately brought a burst of cheers from the Gaojia Village villagers.

“The brave woman has come again!”

“Wow, last time I wanted to sell a jar of Wuliangye liquor to her, but the brave woman didn’t have any money. Now that she’s here again, I can finally sell my Wuliangye, right?”

“Here I have a jar of beer given by the Deity. She should want it too.”

A group of villagers happily surged out.

Xing Honglang was also overjoyed. She had really been a bit worried that the villagers didn’t have much stock left, so she wouldn’t be able to buy much, but to her surprise, these guys were still quite well-stocked.

“Form a line and come one at a time,” one of Xing Honglang’s subordinates loudly shouted.

“Sugar we want, chocolate too,” the subordinate’s voice continued. “Huh? You want to sell me salt? Damn, are we the salt smugglers or are you?”

“Brave woman, try this. This is called happy fat water. Although it’s gone flat, it still tastes good,” another villager offered.

“Brave woman, here I have a big jar of lard,” said a different villager.

One of Xing Honglang’s subordinates snapped angrily, “Your lard has holes scooped out with a spoon; it looks too ugly. If we take it, it won’t sell well. No no, not taking it.”

“Oh!” The villager carrying the lard jar fussed, “Let me boil it in a pot. Once it melts and solidifies again, it’ll smooth out without any spoon marks. Wait a bit, I’ll fix it for you right now.”

The trading grounds pulsed with activity.

Xing Honglang stood to the side, hand resting on her sword hilt as she watched her subordinates bustle about. She left the petty details to others, focusing only on the big picture. She was pondering just how much profit this run would yield when suddenly, the sound of hurried footsteps reached her ears. Cheng Xu was returning with the militia.

Gao Yiye sprinted ahead, a few damp strands of hair plastered to her sweating forehead from the rush, yet her face shone with undisguised excitement. Clearly, this girl’s buzz with excitement was at its peak; she was immensely happy right now.

Xing Honglang glanced over the large militia group, her attention instantly snagging on Cheng Xu. That one’s trouble, she thought.

Cheng Xu spotted Xing Honglang and her band of salt smugglers at the same moment. Salt smugglers. If I were still a patrol officer, I’d have to arrest them on sight, or at least make a show of trying. But now… I guess not. No wonder the Deity summoned me back urgently. If these salt smugglers suddenly pulled weapons to rob the villagers, then it’d fall to the militia.

He stole a look at the forty-plus men behind him. This lot definitely couldn’t beat thirty-odd salt smugglers in a fight. If a brawl erupts, it’ll be dicey – his chances of seeing his grandmother were at least 80%. But this is Gaojia Village. Even if the militia falters, a shout could bring hundreds of villagers rushing in to back us up. So the odds of seeing his grandmother instantly plummeted back to zero.

Humph. A guaranteed win. Nothing to fear, then.

He was still lost in these thoughts when Gao Chuwu suddenly thrust his hand in the air. “Hey! Miss! It’s you.”

Xing Honglang’s eyes swept over Gao Chuwu with no flicker of recognition. Who was this?

Gao Chuwu dashed over eagerly, stopping right in front of her. “Don’t you remember me, miss? It’s me! The one who proposed to you last time.”

“Oh! It’s you!” Finally, a spark of memory registered. Few people in the world proposed to bear-like women like her, and Gao Chuwu was the only blockhead who ever did. So yes, she did remember.

Gao Chuwu beamed with earnestness. “I still want to marry you.”

Xing Honglang rolled her eyes, utterly unable to muster a response.

“Wait,” Gao Chuwu urged, “I’ll go get a gift for you.”

Xing Honglang continued to ignore him.

Gao Chuwu clattered away towards home, his large feet slapping the ground noisily with each heavy step.

Soon he returned, shoulders straining under the weight of an enormous chocolate slab resting on his back, nearly half the size of a cabinet.

He sprinted clumsily back towards Xing Honglang, laughing doltishly as he ran. “I know you like this! I did something really big to earn it straight from the Deity as a reward. Look! This is huge!”

This truly startled Xing Honglang.

“This huge?”

“Yep!” Gao Chuwu gave an awkward shake of his head. “It’s all for you!”

Xing Honglang refused, “Deserved gifts only. I can buy it, not accept it freely. Little brothers! Weigh that chocolate! Pay him what it’s worth.”

“Don’t need to, don’t need to,” Gao Chuwu protested. “I’m giving it to you.”

Xing Honglang’s phoenix eyes flared angrily. “Old lady said she’ll pay!”

Her glare was genuinely fierce. Anyone else might have flinched, but it rolled right off the thick-skinned blockhead. Gao Chuwu just grinned wider. “I want to give it to you!”

Rage surged through Xing Honglang. Her hand tightened visibly on her sword hilt, muscles tensing in her forearm as if poised to slash him down any second. “Think you can look down on me?! Think I’m that kind of woman, swayed by a valuable gift?!”

Cheng Xu subtly shifted two steps closer to Gao Chuwu. If Xing Honglang suddenly attacked, Gao Chuwu, never wary, wouldn’t defend himself. Cheng Xu would need to step in.

“Huh?” Gao Chuwu blinked in confusion. “I’m not looking down on you at all! I just wanted to give what I treasure most to the girl I like. Why are you so mad?”

The coiled power in Xing Honglang’s sword arm momentarily slackened. She was caught off guard, momentarily unsure whether to unleash her fury.

After two seconds, however, a firm decision crystallized in her expression. “Beat me in a fight, and I’ll take your gift. If I win, you take the money.”