Gu Qingcheng and Du Lanyue chatted as they walked to the inn. She first saw Du Lanyue back to her room and then knocked on Wang Dapeng's door.
Wang Dapeng and the others were naturally not asleep yet. Seeing Gu Qingcheng return, they teased her, demanding she treat them to a late-night snack.
Everyone knew that Gu Qingcheng was generous.
As expected, Gu Qingcheng readily agreed upon hearing this and said she would treat them to roasted lamb chops at the inn opposite.
Gu Qingcheng ordered a whole roasted lamb and asked the innkeeper for three jars of good wine.
However, they couldn't drink too much, as they had work to do the next day.
When Gu Qingcheng told everyone about the fabric she had arranged to purchase that evening, they dared not drink freely. They were out on business, and of course, business was more important.
The whole roasted lamb was already slaughtered and marinated. As it roasted over the fire, it quickly cooked. During this time, Gu Qingcheng also ordered hand-grabbed lamb. They ate meat and drank wine, feeling very content.
As the captain, Wang Dapeng dared not drink too much.
However, his tolerance was not high. He was the type who could drink little but had a great fondness for it. So, after a few more drinks, he became more talkative.
He said to Gu Qingcheng, "Young Master Gu, you are handsome and exceptionally capable, but why are you still alone? Why don't you find a partner soon?"
Gu Qingcheng smiled and remained silent.
The worry of being urged to marry was something she couldn't escape anywhere.
Seeing that she didn't reply, Wang Dapeng continued,
"Before, I didn't know the benefits of marriage. Now that I'm married, I realize one should marry earlier."
Everyone burst into laughter, with ambiguous smiles.
"Hey, don't laugh. Isn't it good to have a wife who cares about you? When you go home, someone will boil water and cook for you, and warm your bed at night. You guys, I urge you all to find a wife quickly."
Wang Dapeng was clearly a little tipsy and couldn't stop talking once he started on this topic.
Gu Qingcheng smiled faintly and said nothing.
When she encountered something she didn't want to answer, remaining silent was the best response.
Hmph, she was still a child. She didn't want to be tied down by marriage and family.
"Alas, don't you believe me, you'll know once you find one." Wang Dapeng was truly endless, chattering on, "Young Master Gu, I think Miss Lanyue is quite good. Although she's a few years older than you, she's so beautiful, and she wouldn't be a bad match for you."
"Yes, Young Master Gu, Miss Lanyue is indeed quite good."
After drinking, everyone became bolder. Seeing that Gu Qingcheng wasn't angry, they drunkenly chimed in one after another.
Gu Qingcheng was speechless. What were these people thinking?
When she was disguised as a man before, she thought her disguise would be revealed soon. She didn't expect that in this era, people distinguished gender by clothing. After she put on loose men's clothes, no one suspected she wasn't a man; they just thought she looked delicate.
Moreover, she was still young, only 15 years old, and had not yet reached puberty. Without aAdam's apple, no one was suspicious; they just thought she was a delicate young man.
But even without reaching puberty, being forced into marriage was a bit terrifying.
Gu Qingcheng guessed it was related to the generally low life expectancy of people at the time. Living to 60 was rare, and living to 50 was not easy. Many people died young, in their thirties or forties, or even in their early twenties, due to illness, overwork, natural disasters, or war.
If they waited until their late twenties or thirties to marry and have children, it would clearly not be conducive to the continuation of the family.
"I'm not in a hurry. Please don't spread rumors that could harm Sister Lanyue's reputation. If any bad rumors spread, I won't let you off."
Upon hearing Gu Qingcheng say this in a serious tone, they dared not tease any further.
If Gu Qingcheng had smiled and remained silent, or if she had subtly implied acceptance, they would have continued their jokes.
But since Gu Qingcheng had expressed herself so clearly, and it involved another girl's reputation, they naturally dared not speak recklessly.
Thus, the conversation shifted to the matter of receiving the goods the next day.
Wang Dapeng said that transporting so much cargo would definitely not be enough for just a few of them, and they would need to find an intermediary to introduce laborers to help with the搬运.
These were minor matters that Wang Dapeng could decide himself.
On issues that did not involve life or death, Gu Qingcheng tried her best to let her subordinates handle them.
This would foster a closer and more trusting relationship with her subordinates, train their abilities, and most importantly, allow her to relax.
Haha, she had never intended to take on so much herself.
Of course, she would delegate whenever possible.
She was not like those who clung to power, holding onto even a little bit of authority.
Her greatest reliance was the supermarket system. As long as the supermarket system was there, she didn't care if she had no power.
They all drank and ate meat to their heart's content.
Meanwhile, in a wine shop on Peach Blossom Street, Young Master Li and a group of his decadent followers were having a drinking contest.
The dishes on the table had grown cold, and wine pots littered the floor, clearly indicating they had drunk a lot.
"Ergou, have you found out yet? Who is that Young Master Gu? Is that beautiful woman beside him his wife?"
Young Master Li's cheeks were still swollen, and his eyes were narrowed into slits from being beaten, yet he still couldn't forget being beaten.
What he remembered most was the stunning woman.
If it weren't for that stunning woman, he would have already told his father to bring people and silence them all.
But if his father took action, he would certainly not show mercy and would likely kill that stunning woman as well.
Therefore, Young Master Li sent people to inquire discreetly.
"Young Master Li, of course, I've found out. That Young Master Gu is said to be a merchant with considerable assets. He's here to buy fabric and has brought two boats.
His companions are all skilled fighters and know some martial arts. They are all burly and strong. It's clear that Master Gu lives a good life; even his servants are well-fed and glistening.
Furthermore, they are definitely not husband and wife, because I heard from the inn staff that they booked two superior rooms and slept separately.
If they were a couple, there would be no need to book two superior rooms, right?"
Ergou said with fawning subservience.
"Is that all? You didn't need to inquire about that; I could tell just by looking," Young Master Li said with dissatisfaction. "Is there nothing else? Think about it, how can we abduct that stunning woman to our stronghold? Don't just stare blankly and do nothing. Once I'm tired of her, I'll let you all have a turn."
Young Master Li spoke while smacking his lips, as if savoring some exquisite delicacy.
"Ah? We can have some of the spoils too?"
"That stunning woman is indeed beautiful. After the natural disasters, there aren't many women as beautiful as her."
"Yes, today's women are either missing limbs or are emaciated and sallow. Many beautiful women were frail and didn't survive the natural disasters. What a pity."
"Young Master Li, use her many times, and we'll take our time!"
Upon hearing that Young Master Li was willing to share, the group of ruffians' eyes lit up, and they spewed crude remarks without restraint.