Back to 1984: Earning Money, Raising Kids, and Keeping the Household Busy

Chapter 302 Will Try

Zhou Miaoqing's face turned green when her parents criticized her like this in front of Xu Jian. "Mom and Dad! That's enough! I clearly have an education, a job, and assets. I may not be the prettiest, but I took after my mother! How can you be so disgusted with yourselves?"

Mr. Zhou shook his head. "You were nowhere near as good as your mother was when she was younger."

Everyone was caught off guard and suddenly bombarded with a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), making their teeth ache.

Chen Xinyue asked curiously, "Did your uncle and aunt meet through an introduction when they were young?"

"Of course!" Zhou's mother said matter-of-factly. "Back then, men and women couldn't walk together unless they were relatives. Otherwise, a few words could lead to all sorts of rumors and all sorts of gossip."

When the matchmaker introduced us, we met for the first time right under the noses of our elders. At the time, I didn't think much of him, but he was a man with good composure, a good temper, and was very polite.

The matchmaker also said he had a good temper, so I thought a good temper was fine. As long as he didn't lose his temper easily after marriage, didn't hit women, and could support the family, I wouldn't be picky about anything else. So I agreed.

Mr. Zhou chuckled and said, "I took a liking to the child's mother at first sight. Knowing that she agreed, I immediately sent a matchmaker to propose marriage."

This was the first time Zhou Miaoqing had heard her parents' love story, but as if he were allergic to romance, he said inappropriately, "Isn't it just like gambling? Both of them win, but the probability is only one in four, and the probability of an unhappy marriage is often higher."

Zhou's mother glared at him and gave Zhou Miaoqing a hard flick on the forehead.

Chen Xinyue and the others wanted to cover their heads in disbelief.

Zhou Miaoqing was in so much pain that tears streamed down her face. She cried pitifully, "I didn't say anything wrong. Nowadays, everyone advocates free love. Who listens to arranged marriages anymore? Besides, the good-looking guy you introduced to me is indeed good-looking and comes from a good family. But listen to this: I asked him what he usually does at home, and he glanced at his mother, who answered for him, 'My son usually reads books, practices calligraphy, listens to music, and so on. He has a regular schedule and is healthy and positive.'"

I asked him again what his plans were for the future. He glanced at his mother, who immediately replied, "Our family is rich, my son has a stable job, and we have no shortage of houses, cars, or money. He can just live a comfortable life from now on."

When I asked him again whether he preferred a son or a daughter, he finally couldn't stand his mother anymore and told me directly that he preferred sons, the more the better.

Bah! I'm a law-abiding citizen within the system, and I'll only have one child in my life! What he meant was one thing: he wanted a son, and several sons at that. What's even more terrifying is that his mother was nodding in agreement.

I'm so confused. Was I on a blind date with him or with his mother? How could he break the law and act like it's perfectly normal?!

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because Zhou Miaoqing got really angry as soon as she did.

Zhou's mother was taken aback and said, "Why didn't you say that before?"

Zhou Miaoqing rolled her eyes. "Didn't you say it was your boss who introduced you? What can I do if I say something? Are you going to go and argue with your boss? Or are you going to stand up for me and fight with them? I know you too well!"

Zhou's mother was speechless after being rebuked, her shoulders slumped, and she seemed somewhat disheartened.

"Alright, alright, since the ones we recommended were unreliable, I won't recommend any more. You can find them yourself. Xinyue, you guys have fun, we'll head back now."

Zhou's mother grabbed Zhou's father and fled in panic.

Chen Xinyue glanced helplessly at Zhou Miaoqing, "What are you doing! Look how disheveled your mother is!"

Zhou Miaoqing breathed a sigh of relief, "If we don't do this, they'll only become more aggressive!"

As she spoke, she wailed and hugged Chen Xinyue, "Xinyue! Why is it so hard to find a partner? I'm like this, and Jingjing is like this too! If only I were a man, I could just marry Jingjing and everyone would be happy." "Cough cough cough," Chen Xinyue choked and was speechless.

After the group finished laughing and joking, seeing that it was almost time, Chen Xinyue left with Xu Jian.

On the way back, it was just the two siblings. Chen Xinyue directly pointed out Lin Ying's purpose, "Big cousin, you should have guessed what Auntie meant. Today, she created an opportunity for you two to spend time together. What do you think of Tang Jing?"

Xu Jian's eyes darted around unnaturally. "What do you mean, 'how about'?"

Chen Xinyue rolled her eyes. "It's just the two of us here. If you have any thoughts, just tell me. I'll definitely help you. If you keep acting awkwardly, you'll miss your chance if Tang Jing falls for someone else."

Putting everything else aside, Jingjing's family is quite well-off. Her family wasn't well-off before, but now she's made something of herself. She also has a capable younger brother who can support her, and her parents don't need to worry about her. If she really marries you in the future, she'll definitely go wherever you go without any worries.

Most importantly, you live in Guangdong Province year-round, and her brother and parents are there too—what a coincidence!

Xu Jian glanced at Chen Xinyue and smiled, "Cousin, I can tell you have matchmaking potential. Alright! Since you've gone to so much trouble, I should take the initiative, right?"

Chen Xinyue's eyes lit up. "So you've taken a liking to him? That's great! Go for it, cousin! I'll help you!"

The brother and sister chatted and laughed as they arrived at the restaurant to meet up with Xiao Jinlin and the others.

Xiao Jinlin held Chen Xinyue's hand, his face full of concern, "Was it fun?"

Chen Xinyue nodded repeatedly, "Jingjing bought a good house. It's quite spacious for one person. She said that the houses in that neighborhood have doubled in price."

When the topic of housing prices came up, the men immediately started talking, and the conversation went off on a tangent.

Lin Ying received a look from Chen Xinyue, and although she appeared calm on the surface, the corners of her mouth that she couldn't suppress betrayed her excitement.

After having lunch at the restaurant, the group immediately returned to the cruise ship.

After resting on the cruise ship for one night, we set off back to Anshi at dawn.

The first thing Lin Yi did when he got back was to go to the resettlement house in Shanglin Village to show off to Lin Qingxiang and the others. He even showed them photos of the provincial university. Now the whole village knew that Lin Yi's granddaughter had been admitted to the provincial university, and they all came over to congratulate her and ask her all sorts of questions.

Just then, Zhu Fugen and Li Lan arrived with large and small bags of luggage.

The couple had a teenage boy with them, who looked a bit rebellious and unconventional.

The three people were waiting by the Nanxi River, presumably for a boat.

Zhu Fugen saw Lin Yi first and immediately called out to him.

Lin Yi was startled. After recognizing Zhu Fugen and his wife, he felt a sense of bad luck. He forced a smile and stepped forward to ask, "Why are you here?"

Zhu Fugen pointed to Nanxi and said with a forced smile, "Uncle, we just came from our hometown with our children to work. We were just about to come and ask my cousin-in-law about the job, but Nanxi has changed so much. There are no boats on the river anymore."