Hua Cheng would ABSOLUTELY give his entire support to that little kid merchant who said he was gonna build a temple for Xie Lian after the Ban Yue mission concluded.
I can imagine that kid grew up to be the most successful merchant of his age, always having a little extra luck for reasons unknown to him. Even ghosts never disturb his company's shipments.
He also finds himself hiring a one legged beggar with a broken arm as his marketing rep--which turns out to be the best decision of his career. The company has a banquet once a year in the finest restaurant in the capital. The marketing rep brings the same dour faced stranger with him every year. This stranger eats through half of what the restaurant makes for the entire company.
Even though he never got Xie Lian's identity, events would unravel that would mysteriously allow him to figure it out. A puzzle that intrigued him through his adolescent life, very satisfying to finally solve.
When the merchant starts working on the temple he promised Xie Lian, he commissions the divine statue from an especially talented and earnest traveling sculptor with no references or background to speak of--he just has a good feeling.
Hua Cheng and Xie Lian visit the completed temple often, and even go there on dates sometimes.
