"He's a man, sure, but my elder brother isn't married yet. We should definitely wait until he ties the knot before we talk about that!" Dongzi was thinking of Zhou Huan at this moment; after all, he was his older brother, and it wouldn't look right if he got married first.

When Da Luobo heard this, she actually laughed. She turned, a smile playing on her lips, and asked Zhou Huan, "What should I call you, big brother? You don't have to tell me, but you must tell me when you plan to get married. We..." She spoke to Zhou Huan with more tact, less aggressively than before.

Zhou Huan maintained an elegant composure, saying with a smile, "I don't have a definite timeline yet. But what era is this? There's no need to be so rigid about these things. Since fate has brought you together, why not spend some time getting to know each other first? As for marriage, let's wait. Rushing into marriage, quickly, might be a bit irresponsible to yourself and to her, don't you think?"

Da Luobo scratched her head, looked back at Yang Xiaoling, and asked, "Xiao Lingdang, you agree, right? I feel like he's right!"

"Yes, that's exactly it. You two should get to know each other first; there's no need to rush the marriage. If he's meant to be yours, he will be, sooner or later. No need to force it."

Da Luobo glanced at Dongzi, and the words seemed to spill out rapidly, without going through her brain first: "Mmm, they're right. I think we really should spend some time getting acquainted. But we absolutely have to hang up the Fate Tags. Otherwise, if you run off, I'll have nothing to say."

Only after things had escalated this far did Zhou Huan calmly take a proper look at Da Luobo. Apart from her somewhat robust figure, her looks were quite pleasing. Paired with Dongzi, she was certainly a good match, and based on their exchange just now, their temperaments were strikingly similar. Getting along wouldn't be an issue.

"How about this, today we just hang the Fate Tags. We'll discuss marriage later. I'll treat you all to a meal shortly; consider it an introduction," Zhou Huan proposed.

Dongzi and Da Luobo seemed to reach an unspoken understanding, nodding in unison. Then, simultaneously turning, they rushed to the gate of the village chief's courtyard and began pounding and shouting fiercely.

"These two are truly a match made in heaven, look at their temperaments!" Zhou Huan chuckled.

Moments later, a man burst out of the house, hurriedly throwing on some clothes as he ran, muttering, "Who is it, so early in the morning? I was just making breakfast."

Da Luobo saw the person running out and announced, "We need a Fate Tag from your village's Great Spirit Tree. My partner and I are here for one."

"Village Chief, and one for me too!" Yang Xiaoling showed her face. The Village Chief's eyes immediately darted over, and then he smiled warmly at Yang Xiaoling, appearing extremely courteous.

"Xiaoling, you're back! When did you arrive? Why didn't you stop by my place?" the Village Chief asked politely.

Yang Xiaoling knew how to handle this, smiling, "I just got back, and here I am!"

"Oh, good, good, come in, come in!" The Village Chief was only a year away from retirement; he was of Yang Xiaoling's father’s generation. He turned to lead them inside, calling back into the house as he went, "Old woman, we have guests! Prepare a couple of hearty dishes!"

"Village Chief, there's no need to trouble yourself. We're only here for the Fate Tags," Yang Xiaoling clarified.

"Oh my, you all have partners or are already married?" The Chief was beaming, truly hospitable. "The Great Pine in our village is truly spiritual. Never mind matching couples or marriages—even just speaking your concerns to it is effective."

Zhou Huan observed the Village Chief, pondering internally. This chief seemed slick, but with his age came deep cunning; he looked difficult to read. Truly figuring this fellow out would take time. However, since nothing substantial was currently at stake between the chief and Zhou Huan's group, Zhou Huan didn't dwell on it, limiting his thoughts to mere analysis.

Before long, the Village Chief moved a large table out of the house, bringing ink, brushes, and the Fate Tags. "Here, let's write down the names and wishes. But there's one condition: these two tags require payment now. After all, Old Carpenter Bi paid for making them himself, so we should at least cover the labor and materials, shouldn't we?"

"That's no problem. How much?" Dongzi spoke up, even quicker than Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan smiled. "Don't worry, Village Chief. We will certainly pay for the items. Go ahead and write down the costs."

"Heh heh, I’m a bit embarrassed, actually. I cut my hand while mowing grass yesterday! Look!" The Chief held out his finger.

Da Luobo snatched the brush. "I'll write!" But as soon as she grasped the brush, her hand began to slip, shaking incessantly as she tried to mark the tag.

"Hey, let my brother do it! What are you showing off for, old hag?" Dongzi this time yelled at Da Luobo, even using a rough term for his fiery woman.

Zhou Huan spoke courteously, "Since the Village Chief cannot manage, I shall disgrace myself, saving the Chief any further trouble." With that, Zhou Huan proceeded to inscribe the Fate Tags. On the front of one, he wrote: Lin Dongzi, Together Until Heaven and Earth Cease to Exist. On the back: Li Cuicui, A Beautiful Union, A Full Moon. Zhou Huan’s calligraphy was comparable to that of historical masters, leaving the Village Chief stunned into silence.

"How did you learn to write like that? It's magnificent!" the Chief couldn't help but exclaim.

"Just being polite, showing off a little!" Zhou Huan then turned to the second tag and wrote on the back: Wang Xiaohe, Yang Xiaoling, Until Our Hair Turns White Together. Then, on the front, he inscribed: Zhou Huan, For A Thousand Ages and Ten Thousand Generations.

The moment Zhou Huan’s characters landed on the second Fate Tag, the Village Chief’s face suddenly went blank, turning ashen. He stared fixedly at the tag, unable to speak.

After finishing normally, Zhou Huan tossed down two hundred yuan and, looking up, immediately noticed the Chief's expression. However, Zhou Huan pretended nothing was amiss and spoke up, "Village Chief, this is for you. We'll take the tags now!"

The Chief hastily nodded. "Ah, yes, yes!" He took the money, forcing a smile as if nothing unusual had happened. "Zhou Huan, that's a fine name. With this, you are certainly destined for eternity."

"Alright, we're leaving now," Zhou Huan bid farewell.

But the Chief had just offered to cook for them; perhaps he forgot. As Zhou Huan and the others left, he didn't stop them, nor did he see them to the door.

Zhou Huan noticed the Chief's demeanor and felt a stir of suspicion, but he remained silent, offering only a customary farewell before heading toward the Spirit Tree.

Upon reaching the tree, Da Luobo eagerly tried to hang her Fate Tag, but she couldn't reach the exact branch she wanted. Dongzi laughed loudly from behind her. "Honestly! Watch me, get out of the way!" As he spoke, Dongzi shoved Da Luobo aside and clumsily tied the wrinkled Fate Tag onto a branch.

Zhou Huan, meanwhile, held Yang Xiaoling, and working together, they managed to suspend their tag on the tree. But just after hanging his tag, Zhou Huan felt as if someone was watching them from behind—and it wasn't the driver. Zhou Huan whipped his head around, but the figure was gone.

Who? At this critical juncture, why would anyone be watching them?

"Brother Huan, what's wrong?" Yang Xiaoling asked, concerned that something might be amiss with Zhou Huan.

Relying on instinct, Zhou Huan let go of Xiaoling’s hand and walked toward the third gate at the head of the village. When he reached the gate, it was ajar. Standing inside was a child who looked no older than ten, staring fixedly at Zhou Huan.

"Little friend, were you just standing here watching the big tree?" Zhou Huan crouched down and asked the child in a very gentle voice.

The child nodded but remained silent, though his eyes held a trace of worry, his gaze flickering away.

"What's your name, then? Is anyone else home?" Zhou Huan gently stroked the child’s head.

The child kept shaking his head. As Zhou Huan continued to question him, the child began to back away, his detached expression instantly shifting to tension and fear.

"Brother Huan, what are you...?" Suddenly, Yang Xiaoling spotted the child and seemed to recall someone. "Isn't this Yang San'er's house? This child looks exactly like Yang San'er." She then asked the child, "Is your father Yang San'er?"

Upon seeing Yang Xiaoling, the child became strangely cheerful and eager, but still did not speak. He rushed to Yang Xiaoling’s side, reaching out to take her hand, his eyes filled only with tears.

Yang Xiaoling picked up the child. "Is no one else home?"

The child shook his head, then suddenly, tears streamed down his face, his mouth trembling. Finally, he managed to speak, but when the words came out, Zhou Huan nearly staggered backward in shock, and Yang Xiaoling quickly set the child back on the ground.