"Young man, your taste is a bit unusual!" Tao Wanniang said coldly. "I'm just a middle-aged village woman with a scruffy, unkempt appearance, and you actually find me attractive!"

As she spoke, Tao Wanniang stretched out her hand, wanting to show off her withered, dry chicken feet, but then withdrew it.

She'd eaten so well on the journey of fleeing famine that she'd gained weight! Her once dry, wiry skin now looked plump and full, as if it had been inflated. She hadn't paid attention to her old face in so long; could it be that she'd rejuvenated?

Tao Wanniang was momentarily stunned, but immediately straightened her face and said, "Don't joke around, I have no intention of getting married!"

Zhang Tiehao burst out laughing again. "Monkey, Daqiang, do you think I was joking?"

"Boss, although we are lacking a wife, I don't think she's quite suitable!" The greedy man, nicknamed Monkey, said with a bitter face. He didn't want a mistress who already had grandchildren.

"I think that one is quite nice. The one wearing the gauze hat must be too good-looking to be targeted by others."

Upon hearing this, Bai Yumei, whose name was mentioned, immediately said, "Brother, you're overthinking it. I only covered my face because I was disfigured, and I've also been married before."

"If you were to tell what happened to Sister Yumei, it would definitely make men speechless and women weep. So, my three brothers, please stop making fun of us poor souls. I think the rain is about to stop. If you're not going to leave, then let's go!"

Tao Wanniang said with a sorrowful expression.

"Big sister, you're a smart woman. I, Zhang Tiehao, am very good at judging people. I don't mind that you have two grown sons. At worst, I'll just have two more for myself!" Zhang Tiehao said magnanimously.

"You're talking nonsense!" Ling Dahu was furious. They were taking advantage of him in front of his brothers.

"What, you want to fight?" Upon seeing this, Zhang Tiehao's two men immediately drew their knives.

"Mother, even if we have to fight to the death today, we will never let the bandits take advantage of you." Ling Dahu looked around and picked up the kitchen knife.

"It seems your two sons are quite the men of honor, sister. That's right, Black Wind Stronghold needs men like you!" Zhang Tiehao looked at the Ling brothers with an approving expression.

"Put them down!" Tao Wanniang shouted at her son. She stepped forward and snatched the kitchen knife from Ling Dahu's hand, but then brandished it in front of Zhang Tiehao and said, "Brother, if you want me to be your bandit queen, then we'll see if you're qualified."

“My husband was eight feet tall and handsome. Just look at my two sons and you can imagine how much they resemble their father!” Tao Wanniang said with a sorrowful expression. “Although my husband passed away early, I, Tao Wanniang, have sworn that I will never remarry in this life.”

“Oaths are just self-deception,” Zhang Tiehao said bluntly. “Big sister, I, Zhang Tiehao, am thirty-five years old (by Chinese reckoning). Although I have had several wives before, they were unlucky and did not leave me with a son or daughter.”

"Big sister, you are beautiful, fertile, and courageous. I, Zhang Tiehao, need someone like you."

Tao Wanniang laughed in anger; this was an attempt to force her into marriage!

"Fine!" she sneered. "In front of this statue, I, Tao Wanniang, will speak my mind! If you, Zhang Tiehao, want to marry me, you'd better let me see what you're capable of. Since you're a knife wielder, why don't we test your knife skills!"

As she spoke, Tao Wanniang brandished her kitchen knife with a clattering sound, and finally, a fly fell to the ground, its body torn to pieces!

"If I lose, I'll come up the mountain with you and become your wife! But if you lose, you'll have to give up the idea of ​​marrying me, okay?"

Zhang Tiehao chuckled. A woman wielding a knife right in front of him! "Fine, then tell me, how do you compare our knife skills?"

"Your knife is for cutting people, and mine is for chopping vegetables. How about this, bring two pieces of wood and see who can chop more times at the same time." Tao Wanniang's face was solemn. "Don't even mention that you are the leader of Black Wind Stronghold. If you really marry someone like me who is unwilling, aren't you afraid that one day you'll get up and your head will be separated from your body?"

Zhang Tiehao was taken aback. Was she threatening him? Interesting. This woman not only had courage but also a ruthless streak. Wasn't she the perfect wife for him?

“Alright, I’m a guy who’s been through the wringer, I won’t lose to someone who’s just holding a kitchen knife!” Zhang Tiehao said confidently.

The Ling family members all looked extremely grave. Ling Dahu originally wanted to rush forward, but was stopped by Wang Hongyu. In addition, his son and daughter each grabbed one of his legs, forcing him to suppress his words of standing up for his mother.

Ling Dapeng had already been grabbed by one arm by Zhou Xiaoyun, and the others huddled to the side, not daring to speak.

Bai Yumei held onto Xiao Qiao'er, feeling uncertain and choosing to trust Tao Wanniang.

"Boss, how about these two sticks?" The monkey picked up two similar sticks and came in, saying cheerfully, "Boss, if the brothers in the mountains find out, they'll definitely bet on them. It's really tempting!"

"Are you stupid? The boss can't possibly lose to a woman?" Another man patted the monkey on the back and said mockingly.

Two wooden sticks of roughly the same thickness were placed in front of Tao Wanniang and Zhang Tiehao respectively. Tao Wanniang remained calm and composed, glancing at Zhang Tiehao beside her.

"You have to know when to strike and when to hold back; if you break the stick, you lose."

Tao Wanniang would never go up the mountain with this bandit. She had already used both overt and covert schemes. If she lost the knife fight, she would just throw a sleeping potion in each of their faces and then run away with her family!

However, she still wanted to openly humiliate him. This man actually took a liking to her. Should she say he had good taste or bad taste?

"Of course, sheathing a sword tests a person's skill even more than drawing it. Big sister, you understand my heart perfectly!" Zhang Tiehao said confidently.

The two men drew their knives simultaneously, and everyone around stared wide-eyed, afraid of missing a good show.

Compared to the playful demeanor of Zhang Tiehao and his companion, the Ling family members were extremely tense.

It was absolutely impossible for the Ling brothers to let Tao Wanniang go up the mountain to become a bandit's wife. They would risk their lives to save their mother!

With a snapping sound, the wooden stick in front of Zhang Tiehao broke in two!

"Ah, I messed up!" Zhang Tiehao said awkwardly. When he saw the wooden stick in front of Tao Wanniang, his eyes showed a complex expression, including amazement, regret, and even more so, resentment.

"Brother, it seems you're too hot-tempered!" Tao Wanniang sheathed her knife and teased seriously. "You lost!"

"I lost, but Sister Tao, I still think you are the most suitable to be my mountain bandit wife!"

"Are you going to break your promise?" Tao Wanniang's face darkened; it seemed she was about to make her next move!

“Yes, would I be breaking my promise? We mountain bandits have never been kind. Sister Tao, you're too naive to believe us mountain bandits!” Zhang Tiehao said with a half-smile. “However, the rain has stopped!”

"Sister Tao, you should take your family and leave quickly, before I change my mind. Go far away, and next time we meet, I'll make sure you stay!"