Eternal Life: I Can Sell Everything

The Gao Family’s eldest daughter was marrying the village chief’s son, Erlang!

This news spread quickly through Huai Xi Village, attracting immense attention in no time.

Song Ciwan looked up at the sky. The clouds above were racing and showing off, a scene so bustling it seemed to bubble with excitement.

The ten members of the Gao Family thought their disguise was perfect, but a person’s true background, temperament, and mannerisms will always slip out unintentionally.

Although they had come to Huai Xi Village as refugees, in the eyes of the villagers, they bore none of the marks of one.

This was especially true for Miss Gao Da. Back in the capital, she had even been a popular candidate for the position of Crown Prince Consort!

Her beauty and bearing were things no simple wooden hairpin or cloth dress could conceal. Even covered in dust, her hands blistered, she would exude an unattainable elegance, even if she were standing in a pile of trash.

To put it dramatically, not a single young man in Huai Xi Village could see Miss Gao Da without his heart racing. It was as if they had witnessed a Fairy descending from the heavens, a goddess visiting the Mortal World.

Had they not seen her with their own eyes, the villagers, with their limited worldliness, could never have even dreamed that such an extraordinary woman existed.

And yet, this was the Miss Gao Da who was now going to marry the village chief’s son, Erlang. While Erlang wasn’t bad, he was, after all, just the Erlang of this village—not an Erlang from the county, and certainly not an Erlang from the prefectural city. What gave him the right?

The villagers spread the news, their discussions endless.

Some were indignant. "Why him, Liu Erlang! What’s so great about him? Is it just because he’s the village chief’s son? Well, I’m the Clan Leader’s son!"

Others were getting ideas. "The Gao Family doesn’t just have an eldest daughter. They have a second, a third, a fourth... I’m not so bad myself. If Liu Erlang can propose to the eldest, can’t I propose to the second?"

Still others couldn’t hide their malice. "Tch. And here we were thinking the Gao Family were some kind of gods. Turns out, they’ll say yes to a proposal from the village chief’s family. Hmph... So the Gao Family is nothing special after all!"

...

What the villagers didn’t know at the time was that while Miss Gao Da had told her family she was willing to marry Liu Erlang when his family came to propose, her eldest brother, Brother Gao, had rejected the proposal outright.

Brother Gao was still indignant. Miss Gao Da had been raised to be the Mother of the Nation. Now, fallen to this remote wilderness, she was to marry a mere villager. How could he accept that?

He was unwilling, but he didn’t count on the Liu Family being so ruthless.

No sooner had Brother Gao rejected the match than the Liu Family went and spread rumors throughout the village that their two families were to be joined in marriage.

A young woman’s reputation is paramount. Once a rumor like that started, it was nearly impossible for Miss Gao Da to clear her name.

This left the Gao Family with only two options. They could either swallow this bitter pill and accept the marriage, or have a complete falling out with the village chief’s family—and the latter was no simple matter.

As outsiders, they had struggled just to get a foothold in Huai Xi Village. If they offended the village chief’s family, how could they possibly survive here?

Did they really have to leave Huai Xi Village and go back on the run?

Faced with this dilemma, Miss Gao Da stepped forward once again and told her siblings she was willing to go through with the marriage.

She stated calmly, "The fact that the Liu Family could devise such a plan, despicable as it is, proves they are no ordinary, ignorant country folk. Huai Xi Village is a large village. Its population of over one thousand people will be the cornerstone for our future rebellion."

"The Yun Country is doomed. Plagued by natural disasters from above and man-made calamities from below, it won’t be long before Rebel Armies rise up across the land and warlords carve out their own territories."

"By marrying Liu Erlang now, I can use this opportunity to win over Huai Xi Village and plan our next move. No one in this village besides Liu Erlang can offer me such an advantage."

Then, she turned to Brother Gao. "Eldest Brother, surely you don’t think that with my skills and methods, I’ll be unable to win over a mere Liu Erlang?"

No one believed that Miss Gao Da would fail to win over a mere Liu Erlang. Her words and her plan stirred the hearts of everyone in the Gao Family, filling them with a secret fascination for the future she described.

Miss Gao Da was no ordinary woman. She had long ago stopped caring for romance and marriage; her heart was set on a far grander ambition.

Even if she had fallen and been ground into the dust, she was willing to claw through the mud for the smallest opportunity, to build a new tower from that very mud, and soar once more to the highest heavens!

In the end, Brother Gao tacitly agreed to her plan.

And so, after several more rounds of back-and-forth, the marriage between Miss Gao Da and Liu Erlang was set.

The reason for this subsequent back-and-forth was that even though Miss Gao Da was willing, she couldn’t afford to make it look easy.

The Liu Family had used underhanded tactics. Even if the Gao Family was inclined to agree, they had to put up a show of resistance before finally conceding.

Otherwise, how would Miss Gao Da have the upper hand over Liu Erlang after she married into the Liu Family?

In the sky, the cloud formations shifted, and the story quickly advanced to the day Miss Gao Da married into the Liu Family.

On that day, a red glow filled the sky. Auspicious red clouds drifted on the wind, and faintly, Song Ciwan felt as if she could almost hear the noisy, festive music from that distant time.

The suona horns wailed, playing out the joys and sorrows of the Mortal World.

"First bow, to Heaven and Earth!"

"Second bow, to the parents!"

"Husband and wife, bow to each other!"

"Escort them to the bridal chamber—"

The ceremony was complete, but not without a small interlude.

The Liu Family had a young son named Silang. Seeing his older brother get married, he was overcome with excitement. He rashly ran up to the Gao Family’s twin sisters and shamelessly declared that when he grew up, he would marry both of them.

This terrified the two little girls, and the Gao sisters immediately turned and fled.

Grinning, Liu Silang hurriedly gave chase. Seeing that he was about to lose them in the thick crowd, he rushed forward and ran smack into an old patriarch from his own clan.

The old man was over eighty; how could he possibly withstand such a heavy blow?

He collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth. It looked as if he wasn’t going to make it.

Just as the joyous occasion was about to turn into a tragedy, Second Brother Gao rushed forward. With his masterfully applied acupuncture, he saved the dying old man’s life!

This act of turning a crisis into a miracle immediately became another celebrated tale from the wedding feast.

After the feast, the whole of Huai Xi Village was abuzz with talk of Gao Erlang’s seemingly divine medical skills.

Because of this, Mr. Gao also began to enjoy the boundless admiration of the other villagers.

Everything seemed to be heading in a positive direction. The wedding was a success, the villagers were friendly, and the Gao Family was toasted frequently. Even Brother Gao, who had been so somber for so long, finally raised his wine bowl, opened his heart, and began to drink deeply.

After many rounds of toasts, the wedding feast came to an end.

The members of the Gao Family returned home, while the now-married Miss Gao Da remained with the Liu Family.

For the next two days, the Gao Family had no time to feel melancholy about their eldest daughter’s marriage, simply because the villagers were far too enthusiastic.

The Gao Family was busy day in and day out, receiving villagers—

An endless stream of them nearly wore down their threshold. For a while, everyone all but forgot about Miss Gao Da.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!