The Blind Date Turmoil of Jia Zhangshi

Standing at the gate of her own courtyard, Jia Zhangshi clutched the hem of her clothes, her face wrinkled with worry, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

She knew perfectly well that the local matchmaker she had previously sought in Daxing was completely unreliable.

Ever since the news spread that she and Jia Dongxu had been arrested as spies and taken to the police station, the rumors had been circulating for miles around.

The old saying goes that good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast, and that's absolutely true.

The shameful affair between the mother and daughter is probably already common knowledge in every village and alley around here.

Any matchmaker with a modicum of influence or connections would be unwilling to get involved in the Jia family's mess.

They were afraid of getting into trouble and being gossiped about behind their backs, accused of having connections with suspected spies.

Madam Jia cursed those gossipers a thousand times in her heart, but the most important thing right now was to find a marriage for her good-for-nothing son, Jia Dongxu.

Jia Dongxu is not young anymore. If this drags on any longer, he will be a bachelor for life, and the Jia family line will end.

After much deliberation, Jia Zhangshi had no choice but to grit her teeth, give up on finding a local matchmaker in Daxing, and turn her attention to places further away.

But she never expected that matchmakers in this industry would secretly share information and keep each other informed.

Matchmakers from the south, west, or east of the city all waved their hands and refused to let her in as soon as they heard about the Jia family's reputation and learned about the spy scandal.

Jia Zhangshi ran herself ragged, talked herself hoarse, and endured countless scornful looks and cold treatment.

After searching for seven or eight days, they finally managed to get in touch with a seasoned matchmaker in the north of the city through a series of connections.

This matchmaker from Beicheng is known for her skill in the industry; as long as you're willing to pay, there's no match she can't arrange.

But this person was also exceptionally shrewd, and he laid out his conditions clearly from the very beginning.

With a forced smile and a barrage of kind words, Jia Zhangshi finally persuaded the other party to agree to help arrange the marriage.

But the price the matchmaker asked for was so high that it startled Jia Zhangshi.

In ordinary families, a matchmaker's fee is only three to five yuan at most.

But this matchmaker from the north of the city demanded a full ten yuan right off the bat, not a penny less.

Jia Zhangshi felt a sharp pain in her heart; ten yuan was no small amount, enough for an ordinary family's living expenses for more than half a month.

But she was truly desperate and could find no other matchmaker willing to help.

What's even more outrageous is that this matchmaker set out harsh rules.

A five-dollar deposit must be paid first, and the remaining five dollars will be paid after the marriage is finalized.

Moreover, once the deposit is paid, it will not be refunded regardless of whether the marriage ultimately goes through or not; not a single penny will be returned.

Standing at the matchmaker's door, Jia Zhangshi was so conflicted that she was about to go crazy.

On one hand, there's the outrageously high reward; on the other, there's the matter of her son's marriage.

She clutched the savings she had kept for a long time in her pocket, her fingertips turning white from gripping so tightly.

After hesitating for more than half an hour, she finally gritted her teeth and nodded in agreement for the sake of Jia Dongxu's marriage.

"Alright, ten yuan it is. I'll give you five yuan as a deposit first. You'd better find a good girl for my son!"

Jia Zhangshi gritted her teeth and handed over the five yuan, still warm from her body, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth.

The matchmaker took the money, counted it quickly on her fingers twice, put it in her pocket, and immediately put on a perfunctory smile.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law. I've taken the money, so I'll definitely handle this perfectly for you. Just wait for the good news."

Strangely enough, after the matchmaker received the money, her efficiency increased dramatically.

When Jia Zhangshi begged her before, she made excuses and didn't do anything for a long time.

As soon as he got the money, within just half a month, he brought two girls to his door for blind dates.

Both girls were from the surrounding rural areas; they were pretty and seemed to have gentle personalities.

When they met, the girls all had a pretty good impression of Jia Dongxu.

After all, Jia Dongxu was a formal worker at the steel rolling mill, with a secure job, which was a very respectable position in those days.

In addition, Jia Dongxu has regular features and looks quite energetic, so the girls are somewhat willing to accept him.

But at this very moment, Jia Dongxu started putting on airs again, and all his bad habits started to surface.

Some time ago, Jia Zhangshi took him to Songjiazhuang, where they saw several pretty and charming rural girls.

The girls were all pretty and had beautiful figures, which made Jia Dongxu very happy.

It was precisely because he had seen those beautiful girls that Jia Dongxu's standards suddenly became extremely high.

He secretly thought to himself, since he was going to find a girl from the countryside, the new one he found absolutely could not be worse than the girls from Songjiazhuang.

She has to be a stunningly beautiful woman with top-notch looks, someone who makes people feel comfortable just by looking at her; otherwise, he wouldn't even glance at her.

Madam Jia saw through her son's thoughts. She was both angry and anxious, but she dared not disobey him.

She turned around and relayed Jia Dongxu's meaning verbatim to the matchmaker in Beicheng.

In order to make the matchmaker understand her son's requirements more clearly, Jia Zhangshi even had a wicked idea.

While Xiaoman from the middle courtyard went out to fetch water, she secretly pulled the matchmaker aside and hid in a corner, pointing at Xiaoman and whispering, "Sister, look, just look for a girl who looks like this."

The matchmaker looked in the direction Jia Zhangshi pointed and immediately spotted the young Xiaoman.

Although Xiaoman is still young and hasn't fully grown up, she has delicate features and fair skin, and is clearly a beauty in the making.

With those eyebrows and eyes, and that figure, he was one in a million in terms of looks, even in the entire area around Beijing.

After reading it, the matchmaker's brows furrowed so deeply that they could have trapped a mosquito to death.

She turned and glared at Jia Zhangshi, her tone full of impatience and anger.

"Hey, Jia family, are you deliberately trying to mess with me and make things difficult for me?"

"This little girl is so young, she hasn't even fully grown up yet, but she's already one in a million in terms of beauty. Where am I supposed to find someone exactly like her?"

"If you insist on having these kinds of expectations, then forget about matchmaking. I'll just refund your money; I can't take this job!"

As the matchmaker spoke, she made a gesture as if she were about to take money out of her pocket, looking like she was really going to quit.

When Jia Zhangshi saw that the matchmaker was truly angry, she panicked instantly.

She quickly stepped forward and grabbed the matchmaker's arm, her face full of smiles, her tone extremely humble.

"No, no, no, little sister, please don't be angry. I just wanted you to see it for reference."

"It doesn't have to be exactly the same as her, something slightly different or even less perfect is fine, really!"

The matchmaker's face remained grim. She shook off Jia Zhangshi's hand and asked coldly, "Almost? By 'almost,' how much almost?"

When asked, Jia Zhangshi was speechless. She stammered for a long time but could not give a specific standard.

She scratched her head and said nonchalantly, "I can't say for sure, just guess."

"Anything else is unimportant; the most important thing is to be beautiful, the prettier the better, and she has to be exceptionally beautiful!"

The matchmaker was furious at Jia Zhangshi's unreasonable behavior, but she had to suppress her anger because she had already received the deposit.

She took a deep breath and said, word by word, "Okay, I understand. I'll look for it again for you."

"But let me make this clear: if I bring another girl over and your son is still picky and dissatisfied, then I really won't take this job anymore. You'll have to find someone else!"

Upon hearing the matchmaker relent, Madam Jia immediately beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Okay, okay, I'll do whatever you say. Thank you so much, little sister! You've gone to so much trouble!"

While the two were talking quietly in the courtyard, Jia Dongxu hid at the corner outside the door and heard every word.

He was filled with resentment, feeling that his request was not excessive at all.

After the matchmaker left the Jia family with a dark expression, Jia Dongxu immediately rushed in from outside, looking at Jia Zhangshi with displeasure.

"Mother, I heard what you said to the matchmaker just now. Why didn't you let them find someone who looks like Xiaoman?"

"I like that kind of woman, is there anything wrong with finding a wife like that?"

Seeing her son's unreasonable behavior, Madam Jia angrily poked his forehead and scolded him with disappointment.

"Looking for someone like that? Let me tell you, Jia Dongxu, if you insist on finding someone like that, then you can expect to be a bachelor for life, hmph!"

The more Jia Dongxu was scolded, the more stubborn he became. He retorted, "So what if I'm a bachelor? I'll just stay single for life!"

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia panicked instantly. She only had one son, and she really couldn't let him lose all hope.

She quickly softened her tone, took Jia Dongxu's arm, and coaxed him gently.

"Why are you so stubborn, child? I've already sent a matchmaker to look for someone, haven't I?"

"Even if a matchmaker brings a girl over, you still have to find someone you like and find pleasing to the eye yourself. Your mother can't live your life for you."

Jia Dongxu calmed down a bit after being coaxed by his mother, and after thinking about it, he felt that what she said made sense.

He pursed his lips and muttered a single word: "Fine."

Ever since she took on this job with the Jia family, this matchmaker from the North City has practically worn herself out trying to arrange Jia Dongxu's marriage.

In those days, if there was a pretty girl in the surrounding villages, matchmakers would wear out the doorstep of her house.

So many families were vying to propose marriage, but the Jia family, with their mediocre circumstances, never even got a chance.

The matchmaker knew perfectly well that the Jia family's circumstances were only passable.

Both Jia Zhangshi and Jia Laonian were workers at the steel rolling mill, but their family lived a very frugal life and had very little wealth.

They lived in the back house in the courtyard, a small house, indicating that their family was not well-off.

The only thing they can be proud of is Jia Dongxu himself.

Jia Dongxu was of average appearance and had a decent physique. In addition, he had a formal job at a steel rolling mill, which was his only advantage.

The matchmaker traveled to seven or eight surrounding villages and met no fewer than a dozen girls, but she still couldn't find one that could satisfy Jia Dongxu.

Either the girl didn't like the Jia family's conditions, or Jia Dongxu thought the girl wasn't pretty enough.

Just when the matchmaker was about to despair and was about to return the money and quit, she finally found a suitable candidate.

Someone told her that in Qinjiazhuang, Changping, there was a girl surnamed Qin who was incredibly beautiful.

With her beautiful features and slender figure, she was one of the most beautiful girls in the entire Qin Family Village and even in the surrounding villages.

But this girl had a strict rule: she would only go on blind dates with men from the city, and no matter how good a young man from the countryside was, she would not even look at him.

It was precisely because of this condition that the young woman remained unmarried at a young age.

Upon hearing this, the matchmaker's eyes lit up instantly, and she thought to herself, "Heaven is helping me!"

Jia Dongxu is a genuine Beijing resident with a stable job, which perfectly matches the girl's requirements!

The matchmaker didn't dare to delay for a moment. She immediately packed her things and rushed to Qin Family Village in Changping.

After a long and arduous journey, they arrived at Qin Family Village. Upon finding the Qin family, the matchmaker immediately met the young lady, Miss Qin.

The matchmaker's eyes widened the moment she saw the girl, and she was overjoyed.

She thought to herself: It's all set, it's all set now. This girl is so pretty, Jia Dongxu will definitely take a liking to her, this marriage is almost guaranteed to happen!

The woman in front of me, Qin Huairu, was dressed in simple, coarse farm clothes and had her hair in simple braids.

With curved eyebrows and fair skin, her large, bright eyes exude a simple yet captivating charm.

She exudes the unique beauty and gentleness of a rural girl, and her appearance is truly flawless.

The matchmaker immediately suppressed her excitement, put on a warm smile, and began to rave about Jia Dongxu to Qin Huairu and her mother.

"Eldest sister Qin, you've come to the right person! The family I'm introducing to your daughter has the best conditions imaginable!"

"The young man's name is Jia Dongxu. He's a full-time worker at the Beijing Steel Rolling Mill, with a secure job and a stable monthly salary. He lives a very comfortable life!"

"We also have a house, a large courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang. Although we're not extremely wealthy, we're a respectable city family!"

"Besides, this young man himself is handsome and well-mannered, with a good personality. He and your daughter are a match made in heaven!"

The matchmaker spoke with great enthusiasm, praising Jia Dongxu to the skies, describing him as perfect and flawless.

To completely win Qin Huairu's heart, the matchmaker even took out a photo of Jia Dongxu from her pocket and handed it to Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu shyly took the photo and glanced down at it.

In the photo, Jia Dongxu is dressed in clean clothes, with regular features, and looks quite handsome.

Her cheeks flushed instantly, her heart raced, and she began to have her own thoughts.

She would occasionally raise her eyes to steal glances at her mother beside her, her eyes filled with obvious shyness and expectation.

Seeing her daughter's expression, Qin's mother could easily understand what she was thinking.

She smiled helplessly, gently patted her daughter's hand, and said softly, "You silly girl, I can see you've completely fallen for her. Your heart isn't here anymore. Even if I wanted to keep you, I couldn't."

"How about this, you go with the matchmaker to the city to meet the young man, see him for yourself, and then you'll have a better idea of ​​what to expect."

After a pause, Qin's mother asked again, "Should we have your father come along, so he can look after you?"

Qin Huairu quickly shook her head, her cheeks turning even redder, and whispered, "No need. Who brings their father to a blind date? It'll make people laugh if word gets out."

Seeing her daughter's determined look, Qin's mother felt a little relieved and gave her repeated instructions.

"You've always been a child with your own ideas, and I trust you to do things. You can go and take a look, but remember, you must not bring up the important matters such as betrothal gifts and dowry."

"Leave all these matters to Mother. She has already spoken to the matchmaker and told her to come and talk to us. You just need to make sure you find a good match."

Qin Huai nodded obediently and replied in a soft voice, "I understand, Mother. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

And so, Qin Huairu packed a few changes of clothes and followed the matchmaker all the way to Beijing.

Throughout his life, Qin Huairu had only been to the county town once with his father.

The two bustling streets in the county town already made her feel that it was incredibly prosperous.

But now, as soon as she stepped into Beijing, she was stunned by the wide streets, the rows of houses, the pedestrians, and the bicycles.

Their eyes were glued to the viewer, filled with curiosity and longing.

Everything in the city was new and wonderful to her, and it was attractive to her in every way.

She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, secretly making up her mind that she must marry into the city and become a true city dweller, never again to spend her life toiling in the countryside.

However, the matchmaker did not take Qin Huairu directly to the Jia family.

Before setting off, Jia Zhangshi gave her many instructions.

It's said that things aren't peaceful in the courtyard house; there are always gossipy people who can't stand seeing others do well and will cause trouble.

They specifically instructed that the blind date meeting shouldn't be at home, but rather at a place outside, and only after both parties had found each other agreeable and satisfied would they be brought home.

To avoid gossip and ruining the marriage.

So the matchmaker took Qin Huairu directly back to her home and let her stay there for the night.

Fortunately, the matchmaker's family also had a girl of similar age, and the room was spacious enough for them to squeeze in.

After settling Qin Huairu in, the matchmaker didn't dare delay and immediately set off for the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang to find Jia Zhangshi and Jia Dongxu.

This time, the matchmaker was extra careful and brought Qin Huairu's photo with her.

She was thinking to herself, "This girl has come all the way from Changping. If the Jia family mother and son don't like her, it will cause an embarrassing situation and make the girl lose face."

Then she, as a matchmaker, would have completely lost face.

She would show the photos to the Jia family in advance. If they were satisfied, she would arrange a meeting; if they were not, she could introduce Qin Huairu to other families so that she wouldn't end up disappointed.

At this moment, Jia Dongxu was working in a daze at the steel rolling mill.

Jia Zhangshi rushed to the factory gate and asked someone to call Jia Dongxu out of the workshop.

Jia Dongxu looked impatient, wondering why his mother had suddenly called him.

But when he saw the matchmaker from the north waiting in the distance, his eyes lit up instantly, and he immediately realized that there was news of a girl.

He no longer cared about the factory rules, his pace quickened, and finally he jogged to the matchmaker.

"Matchmaker, you're here! Do you have good news? Have you found a suitable girl?"

Jia Dongxu spoke urgently, his eyes filled with anticipation, and his voice trembled slightly.

Seeing his impatient look, the matchmaker smiled knowingly and didn't beat around the bush.

She pulled Qin Huairu's photo directly from her pocket, handed it to Jia Dongxu, and said calmly, "Take a look for yourself. I've brought her to you. It's up to you whether you're satisfied or not."

Jia Dongxu took the photo with trembling hands, looked down at it, and was instantly stunned.

The girl in the photo had delicate features, a gentle and charming demeanor, and an air of pure and simple beauty. She was even more beautiful than he had imagined.

She was exactly the kind of beautiful girl he had been longing to find!

Jia Dongxu was so excited that he stared intently at the photo, unable to look away.

He grabbed the matchmaker's arm and asked urgently, "It's her! I'm so happy! Where is she now? I need to see her right now!"

The matchmaker gently shook off his hand, rolled her eyes at him, and said helplessly, "Look how anxious you are, so hasty and impulsive, not steady at all."

"I did bring the person, and he's staying at my house. But if you want to meet the girl, are you going to go dressed in this work uniform, all dusty and dirty?"

Jia Dongxu looked down at his dusty work clothes and touched his messy hair, then instantly realized what was happening.

He slapped his forehead, looking annoyed, and said, "Yes, yes, I was too hasty. I need to go back and tidy myself up, and dress more smartly!"

Madam Jia, who was standing nearby, quickly chimed in, "That's right, we have to tidy ourselves up, change into clean clothes, and comb our hair. We can't leave a bad impression on the young lady."

Jia Dongxu's mind was filled with Qin Huairu in the photo. He nodded repeatedly and asked eagerly, "Where and when shall we meet?"

The matchmaker thought for a moment and then made an arrangement: "Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, at Beihai Park. The environment there is nice and quiet, and it's close to your home, so it's very convenient."

"If you meet and both feel it's a good match, you can simply bring the girl home to meet us; it'll all fall into place naturally."

Without the slightest hesitation, Jia Dongxu immediately nodded in agreement: "Okay, it's settled then. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Beihai Park!"

Then, another question popped into his head, and he quickly asked, "How do we meet up with you after we get to the park? How do we find you?"

The matchmaker was both amused and exasperated by his question, and said irritably, "You child, what are you doing? I'm with you all!"

"It's the young lady's first time in the city, she doesn't know anyone here, what if she gets lost? I definitely have to stay with her."

Jia Dongxu was relieved and nodded hurriedly, his tone full of gratitude: "Okay, okay, then I'll trouble you, Auntie. I'll follow your arrangements."

After explaining all the details of the meeting, the matchmaker turned and left, and Jia Zhangshi happily returned home.

Only Jia Dongxu was left, and he rushed back to the steel rolling mill workshop with great excitement.

But once back in the workshop, Jia Dongxu's mind was completely elsewhere.

His mind was filled with Qin Huairu's image in the photo, and he fantasized about meeting her tomorrow. He was completely lost in thought and absent-minded.

He frequently makes mistakes while working, either by picking up the wrong tools or by daydreaming, and he can't get anything done in half a day.

If this had happened in the past, his master would have already stepped forward to reprimand him severely, or even physically disciplined him.

But now, the master is utterly disappointed in his good-for-nothing disciple and is too lazy to bother with his affairs anymore.

Even if she saw him slacking off or daydreaming, she would just stand by and watch, letting him drift through life.

Workshop director Jia Laonian, who is also Jia Dongxu's father, passed by and saw his son in this state, and went up to persuade him several times.

One minute they would remind him to work hard, the next they would scold him to concentrate on his work, but Jia Dongxu wouldn't listen at all; it went in one ear and out the other.

Old Jia sighed helplessly. After asking carefully, he learned that his son was worried and concerned about his blind date the next day.

He suddenly realized that the Jia family had been trying to arrange this marriage for almost a year, but it was still unsuccessful.

But he also knew in his heart that this son had been spoiled by Jia Zhangshi since he was a child.

He was spoiled and pampered, never suffered any hardship, and never received a beating or scolding. Now that he's grown up, his personality is already set in stone, and there's no way to control him anymore. We can only let him be.

After finally getting off work, Jia Dongxu was almost the first to rush out of the factory and jog home.

As soon as he entered the house, he immediately started rummaging through the chests and cupboards, taking out all the clothes in the house and piling them up all over the kang (a heated brick bed).

He tried on each piece of clothing one by one, from tops to pants, carefully matching them to look his best and most handsome.

I tried on all the clothes for more than an hour.

In the end, he chose the clean clothes he wore for the photoshoot.

That outfit makes him look the most energetic and best suits his appearance; he should wear it to his blind date tomorrow.

The next morning, it wasn't a day off for the factory.

Jia Dongxu had no interest in going to work, so he asked his father, Jia Laonian, to ask the factory for leave, saying that he was not feeling well and needed to rest at home.

After arranging his leave, Jia Dongxu changed into clean clothes and tidied himself up. Just as he was about to leave, Jia Zhangshi stopped him.

Jia Dongxu looked puzzled and frowned, asking, "Mom, why are you stopping me? I need to go to Beihai Park to meet a girl, or I'll be late!"

Jia Zhangshi grabbed her son's arm and said firmly, "I'll go with you. I have to see what this girl is really like."

Jia Dongxu was even more confused, his face full of resistance: "Mom, what are you going to do? It's so inconvenient for us young people to go on blind dates, it's not convenient for you to come along."

Madam Jia explained with a smile, "Silly boy, I'm not going to bother you. The young lady is going with the matchmaker."

"Once we arrive, I'll talk to the matchmaker first to give you some space so you and the girl can have a proper chat."

"Once you've talked enough and feel it's a good match, you can bring the girl home. I won't interfere in your affairs."

After thinking it over carefully, Jia Dongxu realized that his mother was right, so he stopped refusing and nodded in agreement.

The mother and son went out together and walked towards Beihai Park.

On the way, Jia Zhangshi was still worried and repeatedly told Jia Dongxu, "When we get there, be generous and don't be stingy."

"Buy the snacks and soda in the park if you want; don't be stingy with money, and leave a good impression on the girl."

After a pause, she added, "However, you must bring lunch home to eat. Food at restaurants is too expensive and not worth it. Cooking at home saves money."

At this moment, Jia Dongxu's mind was filled with thoughts of Qin Huairu, whom he was about to meet. He agreed to everything his mother said, nodding obediently no matter what she said: "I know, Mother, I will listen to you."

Before long, the mother and son arrived at Beihai Park.

As soon as he entered the park, Jia Dongxu stood on tiptoe and looked around anxiously, searching for the matchmaker and Qin Huairu.

Soon, he saw a matchmaker standing under a willow tree not far away, accompanied by a pretty young woman.

That girl was none other than Qin Huairu!

The moment Jia Dongxu saw Qin Huairu, his heart pounded wildly, so fast it felt like it was about to jump out of his throat.

He was so nervous that his palms were sweating and his legs felt weak.

Looking at her son's useless appearance, Madam Jia shook her head helplessly and wisely refrained from moving closer.

She gently nudged Jia Dongxu and urged, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and go over there, don't keep the young lady waiting!"

Jia Dongxu then came to his senses, took a deep breath, straightened his clothes, and jogged towards Qin Huairu and the matchmaker.

Soon, Jia Dongxu ran up to the two of them and stood in front of Qin Huairu. He was so nervous that he could hardly speak and his cheeks were flushed.

Seeing this, the matchmaker smiled and stepped forward to introduce the two: "Come, Dongxu, this is the Qin Huairu I told you about, from Qin Family Village in Changping."

"Young lady, this is Jia Dongxu, a worker at the steel rolling mill. You've seen his picture before."

After the brief introduction, the matchmaker tactfully prepared to leave. Before leaving, she patted Jia Dongxu on the shoulder and deliberately raised her voice to give him some instructions.

"Dongxu, spend quality time with the girl and don't bully her. If you two get along well and feel it's a good match, then take the girl home to meet your parents."

The matchmaker said that last sentence specifically because she could tell at a glance.

When Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu looked into each other's eyes, the shyness and joy in their eyes were impossible to hide.

The two of them clearly hit it off at first sight, and the marriage was practically a done deal.

When she was introducing them, both of them blushed and lowered their heads, not listening to what she was saying at all; they only had eyes for each other.

Overjoyed, Jia Dongxu quickly and loudly replied, "Don't worry, Auntie, I understand!"

After receiving a response from Jia Dongxu, the matchmaker smiled and turned to walk towards Jia Zhangshi, who was waiting nearby.

Approaching Jia Zhangshi, the matchmaker wore a smug smile and whispered, "Sister-in-law, I think this is a sure thing, almost guaranteed to work out. Shall we go back to the courtyard and wait?"

Madam Jia beamed with joy and nodded repeatedly, "Let's go back first! I'll go to the market to buy some groceries so they can go home for lunch and treat the young lady well!"

"Good, good, that's the right thing to do!" the matchmaker echoed, secretly pleased.

Once the marriage is arranged, she will receive the remaining five dollars as payment.

She secretly thought to herself that the Jia family should at least buy some meat and have some meat dishes when entertaining a girl who was going on a blind date, otherwise it would not be proper.

Unexpectedly, when the two arrived at the market together, Jia Zhangshi went straight to the meat stall, dawdled for a long time, and then cut off a small piece of meat.

The matchmaker took a closer look and realized that the amount of meat was at most three ounces, pitifully little.

Upon seeing this, the matchmaker's smile vanished instantly, and her expression turned extremely unpleasant.

She couldn't help but mutter to herself: This Jia Zhangshi is too stingy! She finally gets to go on a blind date, and she only buys this little bit of meat to entertain the girl. She's incredibly stingy!

Jia Zhangshi was completely unaware of this. After selecting the meat, she went to buy some seasonal vegetables.

Fortunately, at this time of year, autumn vegetables haven't completely gone off the market yet, so there's still a good variety of vegetables available, and they all look quite fresh.

After buying groceries, the two returned to the courtyard house together, leaving Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu alone in Beihai Park.

After the matchmaker left, Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu shyly introduced themselves.

Jia Dongxu tried to calm his nervousness, straightened his back, and said in a serious tone, "Hello, my name is Jia Dongxu, I am twenty-one years old, and I work as a worker at the Sijiucheng Steel Rolling Mill. I am a permanent employee."

Qin Huairu lowered her head, her cheeks flushed, and spoke softly with a hint of shyness, "Hello, my name is Qin Huairu, I am eighteen years old, and I am a farmer from Qinjiazhuang in Changping."

When she mentioned the word "farmer," Qin Huairu's voice immediately lowered, carrying a hint of barely perceptible inferiority.

After all, in those days, the gap between urban and rural areas was obvious, and the status of farmers was far less respectable than that of city dwellers.

Jia Dongxu keenly sensed the change in her emotions, which only made him more smug.

He felt that Qin Huairu's inferiority complex precisely showed that she was marrying above her station, and that he had a sure thing in this marriage.

Suppressing his smugness, Jia Dongxu put on a gentle smile and invited, "Huai Ru, there are boats in the park. Let me take you boating. It'll be very pleasant to feel the lake breeze."

Qin Huairu nodded gently, her voice soft and sweet: "Okay, I'll do whatever you say."

And so, Jia Dongxu took Qin Huairu and rowed a boat on the lake in Beihai Park for a full hour.

During this time, Jia Dongxu found various topics to chat with Qin Huairu and make her happy. The two grew closer and closer, and the atmosphere became more and more harmonious.

After boating, Jia Dongxu took Qin Huairu to a stall at the park entrance and bought her a bottle of soda.

This was the first time Qin Huairu had ever drunk soda in her life.

Watching the white bubbles rising from the soda bottle, she was filled with curiosity and took small sips.

The sweet yet stimulating taste spread in her mouth, making her unable to help but smile happily.

That smile was clean and pure, with curved eyebrows and eyes. In Jia Dongxu's eyes, there was only one word: sweet!

Looking at her smile, Jia Dongxu liked her even more and more, wishing he could marry her immediately.

After finishing their soda, Jia Dongxu took Qin Huairu to the nearby supply and marketing cooperative.

At that time, you didn't need coupons to buy things; you could buy anything as long as you had money.

Looking at the neatly arranged handkerchiefs in the counter, Jia Dongxu took the initiative to pick out a floral handkerchief embroidered with small flowers for Qin Huairu.

This handkerchief is made of fine fabric and has exquisite embroidery, making it a very rare item at the time.

Qin Huairu was overjoyed to receive the new handkerchief; her eyes lit up.

In the countryside, the handkerchiefs they use are made from scraps of cloth left over from making clothes at home; they are rough and ugly.

How could I bear to buy such fine fabric, especially a handkerchief embroidered with exquisite patterns?

She clutched her handkerchief tightly, her feelings of goodwill towards Jia Dongxu growing even stronger.

After visiting the supply and marketing cooperative, Qin Huairu looked at Jia Dongxu and said softly, "Jia Dongxu, would it be convenient for me to go to your house with you?"

Hearing this, Jia Dongxu was overjoyed and almost jumped for joy.

He nodded eagerly, his voice full of delight: "Convenient, of course convenient! I couldn't be happier for you to go!"

In his view, Qin Huairu's initiative to visit his home meant that the marriage was officially settled!

The two set off together, heading towards the courtyard house in Nanluoguxiang.

But as soon as he entered the alley of Nanluoguxiang, Jia Dongxu instantly became wary.

He looked around warily, as if guarding against a thief, watching everyone coming and going in the alley.

Whether it was a young man passing by or a teenager running around, he was wary and cautious of everyone.

Qin Huairu noticed his unusual behavior and was filled with doubt. She couldn't help but ask, "Jia Dongxu, what's wrong with you? Why are you looking around like that? You seem very nervous."

Jia Dongxu grabbed Qin Huairu's wrist, quickened his pace, and said in a low voice, "It's nothing, I'm just used to it. People in this alley always love to gossip and cause trouble; they can't stand seeing others do well."

Qin Huairu was even more puzzled, frowning as she pressed, "Doing bad things? Why would they do bad things? We have no grudge against them."

Jia Dongxu glanced at her, his tone tinged with smugness and wariness: "You're so beautiful, if they see you, they'll definitely be jealous, and they might try to sabotage our plans."

Qin Huairu blushed at his words, lowered her head shyly, muttered a few words under her breath, and didn't ask any further questions.

The two walked carefully and soon arrived at the entrance of No. 95 courtyard.

Looking at the grand and bright gate before her, with its vermilion doors and exquisite lintel, Qin Huairu was instantly stunned.

She stood at the doorway, her steps hesitant, not daring to take a step easily.

He secretly marveled: What kind of family could afford such a grand gate? It looks like a wealthy household.

Seeing her lost in thought, Jia Dongxu felt secretly pleased, but said casually, "Let's go, stop looking. I've lived in this courtyard for over ten years, I'm used to it, there's nothing special about it."

Qin Huairu then came to her senses, realizing that she had just shown some timidity. She quickly composed herself and nodded gently, "Okay, okay, let's go in."

She silently cheered herself up, adjusted her mindset, and followed Jia Dongxu into the courtyard.

After entering the courtyard, Jia Dongxu didn't lead her to the back courtyard at all, but went straight to the back building by the gate.

Qin Huairu grew up in the countryside, where every household had a large courtyard, so she had no idea about the layout of a traditional courtyard house.

She assumed that once she entered the courtyard, the house in front of her was Jia Dongxu's home, and didn't think much of it.

However, as she passed by the hanging flower gate, she couldn't resist her curiosity and secretly peeked inside.

Upon closer inspection, she was even more surprised. The courtyard inside was spacious and well-organized, and the houses were impressive, clearly much better than the houses in front.

She became increasingly puzzled, but didn't dare to ask any more questions.

Following Jia Dongxu into the back room of the Jia family, Qin Huairu felt a slight sense of disappointment as soon as she entered.

Although the Jia family's back room had a window, it was very small, and there were no lights on inside.

The lighting was dim, the air was somewhat stuffy, and the overall environment was rather ordinary.

Qin Huairu secretly compared the conditions of this house to her own home in the countryside, thinking that it was not as spacious and bright as her own home.

The courtyard looks impressive from the outside, but I never expected the house to be like this; it's so ordinary.

Of course, she kept all these thoughts to herself and didn't show them on her face at all.

She maintained her gentle smile and followed Jia Dongxu inside.

Jia Dongxu, with a smug look on his face, led Qin Huairu to see his own little room.

Seeing that Jia Dongxu had his own independent space, Qin Huairu felt a little satisfied, but only a little.

It was lunchtime soon.

Madam Jia warmly invited Qin Huairu to sit down for dinner, but as she looked at the food on the table, the smile on Qin Huairu's face gradually faded.

It wasn't that Jia Zhangshi's cooking skills were bad, or that the food was unpalatable.

Instead, almost all the dishes on the table were vegetarian, with only a few bits of meat occasionally visible.

This meal was even worse than what she ate at her home in the countryside.

In rural areas, during festivals and when entertaining guests, families would slaughter a chicken and prepare some meat, resulting in a much more lavish meal than this.

At this moment, Qin Huairu began to have deep doubts about what the matchmaker had said earlier.

The matchmaker clearly said that the Jia family had two workers, were well-off, and lived a comfortable life.

But the two workers' families lived in such a dark and cramped house that they were reluctant to put even a little extra meat in their guests.

Is it that the Jia family is really poor, or do they look down on us and are deliberately being rude?

Qin Huairu felt a growing unease, and her resolve regarding the marriage wavered somewhat.

Throughout the meal, Qin Huairu ate absentmindedly, and there was no smile on her face.

After the meal, everyone sat together and chatted for a while. The matchmaker took the opportunity to quietly pull Qin Huairu aside and whispered to ask her opinion.

"Girl, you've met Dongxu and visited his home. What do you think? Would you like to date Dongxu?"

Qin Huai lowered her head and remained silent for a moment, neither agreeing nor refusing outright.

She said calmly, "Auntie, I'm not sure yet. I want to go home and discuss it with my parents first, and then I'll give you an answer after I've thought it through."

Seeing this, the matchmaker didn't say anything more and could only nod in agreement.

Then, the matchmaker secretly relayed Qin Huairu's words to Jia Zhangshi.

Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's smile vanished instantly, and she became very unhappy.

She thought to herself: her son bought her soda and handkerchiefs, spending money and effort to entertain her, and even invited her to stay for a meal at his house.

Now, all I get in return is a "I need to go back and think about it" message. What's going on here?

This clearly shows that they look down on her family and her son!

If you didn't like it, why did you accept gifts and stay for a meal in the first place? Wasn't that just playing with people?

Madam Jia was filled with resentment, but she couldn't show it on the spot, so she could only suppress it.

In contrast, Jia Dongxu remained enthusiastic and did not take Qin Huairu's hesitation to heart at all.

He felt that when dating or going on blind dates, how could you decide on a relationship the first time you met?

The fact that the girl didn't reject him outright means there's still a chance, there's still hope.

Looking at her son's eager and eager manner, Jia Zhangshi felt a deep sense of disappointment and frustration.

She's just a country girl, slightly prettier than others. Is it really necessary for her son to be so humble and eager to please her?

But she couldn't do anything about her son and could only let him be.

After their conversation, Jia Dongxu took the initiative to personally escort Qin Huairu to the bus station. He watched her board the bus back home before reluctantly leaving.

When Jia Dongxu returned home alone, Jia Zhangshi immediately grabbed him and started nagging incessantly.

"Dongxu, don't be naive. That girl is obviously manipulating you, deliberately keeping you hanging!"

"What are you trying to achieve by being so eager? Can't you have any backbone?!"

Jia Dongxu, with a stubborn expression, shook off his mother's hand and said firmly, "Mother, I don't care. I really love Huairu, and I'm going to marry her!"

Seeing his stubbornness, Madam Jia was furious: "This isn't even a done deal yet, and you're already calling him Huairu! Can't you be a little more mature?!"

"Mother, I don't care, I'm going to marry Huairu! You have to help me find a way!"

Jia Dongxu's attitude was firm, and he immediately added, "Our family can offer a larger dowry. As long as the Qin family is willing to marry their daughter to me, I'm willing to pay any amount!"

Seeing her son so infatuated and siding with outsiders, Jia Zhangshi sighed repeatedly in anger, her face full of speechlessness.

"Hmph, the marriage isn't even settled yet, and you're already siding with outsiders. Look at you, so spineless, you're hopeless!"

Not long after, Jia Laonian returned home from get off work.

Madam Jia Zhang told Jia Laonian everything about the blind date that day and Qin Huairu's attitude.

After listening, Jia Laonian remained silent for a moment, then looked at his son's overjoyed expression, as if he would marry no one but Qin Huai, and spoke.

"Mother, since your son truly likes this girl, then you should make the trip to Qin Family Village to have a good talk with Qin's parents and finalize this marriage."

Upon hearing this, Madam Jia immediately became displeased, rolled her eyes, and said irritably, "So, you're just talking without understanding the hardship, since you weren't the one running the errands?"

"I'm not going, you go if you want to!"

Jia Laonian looked helpless and spread his hands: "I have to go to work tomorrow. It's not easy to get leave from the factory, so I can't leave."

Seeing this, Jia Dongxu immediately started to whine to Jia Zhangshi, pulling on his mother's arm and shaking it repeatedly: "Mother~ please go, I beg you."

Madam Jia, unable to resist her son's whining, sighed helplessly, "Alright, alright, I'll go, I'll go, okay? I must have owed you something in my past life!"

However, Jia Zhangshi was not an impulsive person and did not immediately set off for Qin Family Village.

She knew in her heart that the matchmaker hadn't sent Qin Huairu home yet, so there was no point in her going now; it would just be a wasted trip.

After waiting for several days, estimating that Qin Huairu had returned home, Jia Zhangshi went to find the matchmaker in Beicheng again.

She got straight to the point, explaining her intentions: she hoped the matchmaker would accompany her to Qin Family Village to discuss the marriage with Qin's parents.

The matchmaker also felt that there was still hope for the marriage, so she readily agreed.

And so, Jia Zhangshi packed her things and, together with the matchmaker, headed to Qin Family Village in Changping.

However, this trip to Qin Family Village failed to result in a marriage proposal, and Jia Zhangshi returned home feeling humiliated and dejected.

It turned out that as soon as Qin Huairu returned home, she immediately told her mother the whole story about the Jia family's actual situation.

After hearing her daughter's story, Qin's mother immediately became unhappy and firmly opposed the marriage.

She looked at Qin Huairu with a face full of dissatisfaction and said, "I think the Jia family is completely worthless. The house they live in is not as good as ours, and they are stingy and miserly. Are you going to suffer if you marry into their family?"

"I raised you with so much care and effort, not so you could go and suffer in someone else's home!"

"Besides, with your looks and figure, you could marry into any good family in the surrounding area. Why insist on marrying into such an ordinary city family!"

Qin Huairu lowered her head, still not giving up the idea of ​​going to the city, and said softly, "Mother, I still want to marry into the capital. I want to be a city person."

Qin's mother glared at her daughter with exasperation: "If you want to go to the city, I won't stop you, but you should at least marry a well-off city man!"

"You absolutely cannot marry into this family. Don't worry, if that matchmaker comes again, I'll have her find you a better match!"

Qin Huai thought for a moment and didn't object: "Okay, I understand."

She felt that looking at more companies and comparing them wasn't a bad thing.

Although she was attracted to Jia Dongxu's looks, looks can't put food on the table, and life ultimately has to be lived in reality.

That's why, when Madam Jia and the matchmaker arrived at the Qin family, Qin's mother blocked them in the courtyard.

They didn't even let Jia Zhangshi meet Qin Huairu, making it clear that her family didn't approve of the marriage.

When Jia Zhangshi pressed for the reason, Qin's mother remained silent, refusing to say a word, clearly indicating her refusal.

Jia Zhangshi was met with indifference and felt filled with anger and frustration, yet had nowhere to vent her anger.

Finally, she was so angry that her face turned ashen. She abandoned the matchmaker and stormed back to Beijing.

After Jia Zhangshi left, Qin's mother grabbed the matchmaker who was about to leave and asked her to help find a few more better potential partners for her daughter.

The matchmaker was speechless at the Qin family's double standards, but seeing that Qin Huairu was indeed beautiful, she was sure she could find a good match for her.

He figured that more business meant more money, so he readily agreed.

Jia Zhangshi returned home seething with anger. As soon as she entered, she yelled at Jia Dongxu, "It's over! It's completely over! That old hag from the Qin family absolutely refused to agree to this marriage; she won't even let me see her!"

Upon hearing this, Jia Dongxu felt as if he had been struck by lightning; he instantly deflated and his heart shattered.

He was unwilling to accept this and immediately became anxious. He turned around and was about to run away, shouting that he wanted to go to Qin Family Village to find Qin Huairu himself.

How could Jia Zhangshi possibly let him go!

Having already humiliated himself at the Qin family's place, if his son were to rush over there again, it would only lead to further embarrassment and make the Jia family a laughingstock.

Without saying a word, she went straight up and searched Jia Dongxu's body, taking all his money and leaving him with nothing.

Immediately afterwards, she specifically instructed Jia Laonian to go to the factory and greet Jia Dongxu's mentor and colleagues, and to prevent anyone from lending money to Jia Dongxu.

This completely extinguished Jia Dongxu's desire to go to Qin Family Village.

However, the resentment in Jia Zhangshi's heart did not dissipate.

Unable to swallow her anger, she turned around and ran to the matchmaker's house in the north of the city to demand an explanation.

As soon as they arrived at the matchmaker's house, they overheard the matchmaker asking around, trying to find a new blind date for Qin Huairu.

Madam Jia was instantly enraged and threw a tantrum on the spot, crying, making a scene, and cursing at the matchmaker's house.

The matchmaker's house was thrown into chaos, and all the neighbors came to watch the spectacle.

The matchmaker was so annoyed by her and lost all face that she had no choice but to return the five yuan deposit she had received, which was supposed to be refunded according to the agreement, to Jia Zhangshi in full.

Only after receiving the refund did Jia Zhangshi stop cursing and turn around to go home.

Back home, Jia Zhangshi told Jia Dongxu everything about the matchmaker returning the money and helping Qin Huairu find a new partner.

After hearing this, Jia Dongxu was completely dejected, like a wilted eggplant, and felt utterly heartbroken.

The reason he only had half a heart was because he still held onto a sliver of hope.

He always felt that he and Qin Huairu got along very well when they first met, and that Qin Huairu was clearly very fond of him.

This matter must have been caused by Qin's parents, not by Qin Huairu's own intentions.

He felt that there was still room to salvage his relationship with Qin Huairu, and that he could try to win her back.

Meanwhile, Qin Huairu's blind date journey was also anything but smooth.

After rejecting the Jia family, the matchmaker introduced her to several men from the city.

But these people were either old bachelors more than ten years older than Qin Huairu, or widowers with children.

Others are ugly and short and stocky, making people feel uncomfortable just looking at them.

In Beijing, any young man who is reasonably well-off and has a decent appearance would not date a girl from the countryside.

Looking at these potential blind dates, Qin Huairu felt disappointed; she didn't like any of them.

In the end, Qin Huairu's mother was so angry with the people the matchmaker had introduced that she scolded the matchmaker away and declared that she would never need her help finding a partner again.