As Gouge and his companions traveled through Hubei province, Gouge's longing for Axiu grew stronger by the day. He imagined the warmth of her soft little hand caressing his face, almost as if he could smell her sweet, refreshing fragrance and hear her crisp, melodious, gentle voice. To have such a wife—what more could a husband ask for? Gouge wished he could sprout wings right then and there and fly to the Great Snow Mountain so he would never have to part from Axiu again.
Seeing Gouge's infatuated expression, Tian Rulie teased, "What's the matter, missing your wife?"
Without hiding it at all, Gouge smiled shyly. "Yes, Big Brother. I really miss Axiu. I haven't seen her since we came back from Xiake Island. I miss her terribly right now. Brother, tell me, why did she insist that I had to go to the Great Snow Mountain?"
The Little Carpenter remarked, "Maybe she wants you to freeze to death."
Liu Xiaowan shot him a sideways glance and said, "Brother Shi, you have to consider things from a girl's perspective. The Snow Mountain Sect is her family home. No matter how madly she likes you, she couldn't just abandon her mother, father, grandparents, and the senior and junior martial brothers and sisters she grew up with, and come looking for you all by herself, could she?"
Gouge slapped his forehead and laughed. "Miss Liu is right. I didn't think that far ahead. I like Axiu, and I just want to be with her every day."
The Little Carpenter said, "That's wonderful. I wish you both a long life together."
Gouge cupped his fists with a smile. "Thank you for the well wishes. I also hope you find someone you like soon."
Tian Rulie shook his head and said, "Brother Potian, I won't say much else, but you need to be cautious about getting married. Those martial arts instructors near my hometown simply trusted women too much. When they were young and strong, they didn't take it seriously, but when they got old and women ran off with all their money, it was truly tragic. When you're old, can't make money, and you're all alone, you end up riddled with illnesses as well."
"As far as I, Tian Rulie, am concerned, women should be treated with polite respect and kept at arm's length. Romance and dating are fine. But once you get married? That's dangerous. You get all tangled up and can never break free again."
Liu Xiaowan sneered, "So you're saying we're a burden, and what are you? A scoundrel? An irresponsible jerk?"
Tian Rulie wasn't angered at all. He said leisurely, "Sister Wan'er, it's not that Big Brother here is criticizing you—getting married or not is your choice. But my experience is summed up from real people and real events, not some wild, whimsical daydream I cooked up. These are the blood-and-tears lessons of the people around me. That's why I can scatter my affections among all sorts of pretty women, but I will never hang myself from a single tree. No, absolutely not! I certainly don't want to be tied to a single boat and unable to move."
Liu Xiaowan said, "Those girls must have been blind to ever get involved with you. Bah! If they had known your true colors, they would have chased you off long ago."
Tian Rulie laughed heartily. "Sister Wan'er, that just shows you don't understand women. Women don't actually dislike bad men. On the contrary, they find a bit of rebelliousness and badness even more charming, you understand? What women truly hate are those ordinary, plain, unremarkable men. The badder a man is, the more capital he has for being bad. Women just love men with capability. What is this called? It's called being drawn to strength—to put it bluntly, adoring the strong. Understand?"
Liu Xiaowan arched her delicate eyebrows and snapped, "What kind of jumbled nonsense theory is that? I think your brain is completely addled by lust and beyond saving. There are independent women just like this young lady, you know! Not everyone only likes the strong. For the record, I happen to value inner strength much more, thank you very much."
Tian Rulie didn't argue with her either. Hearing these words, he merely gave a faint, noncommittal smile and said, "Perhaps you're right. But I've always been a pragmatist. I don't believe in things from books; I only learn practical knowledge from life."
Gouge smiled and said, "You two have such a great relationship, chatting so happily."
Liu Xiaowan spat out a small "pah" and said, "Who's chatting happily with him?"
The Little Carpenter remarked, "I just wish there was a girl willing to talk to me this much. Unfortunately, I've been all alone since I was a child."