Siheyuan, Shazhu: I have both parents in this life

Chapter 139 It's still her no matter how you go around in circles.

Having no other choice, Jia Zhangshi had to change matchmakers, and she couldn't choose one from Daxing. Good news doesn't travel far, but bad news travels fast. The fact that she and her son had been arrested as spies was probably known to everyone in the surrounding villages.

However, matchmakers also kept in touch with each other, and after searching around, Jia Zhangshi finally found a matchmaker in the north of the city. The matchmaker agreed to arrange the marriage, but her price was quite high; while others charged three to five yuan, she demanded ten yuan. (I won't go into the currency units of ten thousand.)
However, the matchmaker has to give half upfront, and the other half is given after the deal is done, and it can't be returned.

Since Jia Zhangshi couldn't find anyone else, she gritted her teeth and agreed.

The matchmaker was quick to act after receiving the money, bringing people to the door twice in half a month. The girl thought it was acceptable, and Jia Dongxu got excited again.

After seeing a few pretty girls in Songjiazhuang, this guy's standards suddenly rose, and he felt that if he was going to find someone from the countryside, she couldn't be worse than those girls.

After Jia Zhangshi told the matchmaker, she secretly took the matchmaker to see Xiaoman in the middle courtyard. The matchmaker frowned so much that it could trap a mosquito. Wasn't this making things difficult for her? Although that little girl hadn't fully grown up yet, she was one in a million. Was she just teasing her?

“I’m telling you, Jia family, if you’re looking for someone like this, then I’ll refund your money. I can’t take this job.”

"No, no, no, it doesn't have to be like this. It's okay if it's a little less. I just wanted to show you."

"How close is it?"

"You can guess what it is; I can't really say for sure, but it has to be pretty!"

"Okay, I'll look for it again. If bringing it here doesn't work, I really won't take this job anymore."

"Okay, okay, thank you for your help."

Jia Dongxu listened to their conversation from outside the door. After the matchmaker left, Jia Dongxu asked, "Mother, why didn't you let me find someone similar?"

"Look for someone like that? Then you can stay single for the rest of your life, humph!"

"So be it if I'm going to be single."

"You silly child, I sent someone to look for you, and you have to like what you've got before you bring it over!" Madam Jia was genuinely afraid that this rascal would actually do something.

"Row."

To say that the matchmaker almost wore her legs out running around for this little thing, there must have been pretty girls. If there were any pretty girls in any village, the matchmaker would have worn out the doorstep.

In the end, it all comes down to conditions. She knew the Jia family's conditions, so she figured she'd just make do. Jia Dongxu was quite handsome, which was one thing.

After searching around, they finally found Qinjiazhuang in Changping. They heard that the girl there was indeed very beautiful, but she had one condition: she had to be from the city, so she is still staying at home.

The matchmaker, upon hearing this, thought it was a perfect opportunity and went straight to the door. The moment she saw the girl, her eyes lit up, and she thought to herself, "This is perfect!"

Then the matchmaker began her eloquent speech, praising Jia Dongxu to the skies, saying he had a job, a house, and was good-looking.

Finally, she even showed the girl a photo of Jia Dongxu, and the girl was immediately smitten, glancing at her mother every now and then.

"You silly girl, I can tell you've fallen for her. I can't keep you here anymore. Why don't you make a trip? Do you need your father to come with you?"

"No need, who brings their father to a blind date?"

“You’ve always been a very opinionated person, so it’s fine to look at you. But don’t talk about the bride price or anything like that. I’ve already told the matchmaker to handle it.”

"I know, Mom!"

Then the girl went to the fourth city with the matchmaker. Once inside, her eyes were no longer enough to see anything else. She had only been to the county with her father, and how could the two streets in the county compare to the fourth city?

She secretly made up her mind that she must marry into the city and become a city dweller.

Once inside the city, they didn't go directly to Old Jia's house. Jia Zhangshi had instructed them that someone in the alley was up to no good, and that they should meet outside and wait until both parties had seen each other before being led home.

So Qin Huairu spent the night at the matchmaker's house. Fortunately, the matchmaker was also a young woman, and the place was fairly spacious.

The matchmaker then made a trip to Nanluoguxiang, this time bringing with her a photo of Qin Huairu.

This was also a precaution. Since the girl had come all this way, if the Jia family didn't like her, she could introduce her to someone else.

If she were to meet the girl directly and embarrass her, the matchmaker would not be happy.

Jia Dongxu was called out of the factory by his mother. He saw the matchmaker from afar and eventually ran out of the factory.

After they came out, the matchmaker didn't waste any words and directly showed the photo to Jia Dongxu, whose eyes lit up immediately.

"That's her! Where is she?"

"Look how anxious you are. I've brought the person here. Do you want to meet them like this?"

“Yes, yes, we need to tidy it up,” Jia Zhangshi said from the side.

"Where and when shall we meet?"

"Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, Beihai Park, it's close to your home, if you see it and think it's suitable, you can bring it home to meet us."

"Okay, then let's meet at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. How should we make the meeting?"

“You silly child, why are you following along? I’m with her. It’s her first time in the city. What if she gets lost?”

"Okay, okay." Jia Dongxu nodded hurriedly.

After giving instructions to the matchmaker and Jia Zhangshi, he left. Once Jia Dongxu entered the factory, his mind was no longer on his work. He was daydreaming until the end of the workday. It was only because his master didn't care about him anymore that he was allowed to get away with it; otherwise, he would definitely have used some methods on him.

Grandpa Jia came over and talked to him several times without success. When he asked why, he suddenly realized that the Jia family had been making a fuss about the marriage for almost a year. However, the child was indeed spoiled by his mother. He had never been beaten or scolded since he was a child, and now that he was older, he was even more difficult to manage.

Once home, Jia Dongxu started rummaging through drawers and cabinets, finding all the clothes and then trying them on.

After trying them on, I still chose the outfit from the photo.

The next day, since it wasn't a rest day, they asked Jia Laonian to go to the factory to ask for leave. Jia Dongxu wanted to go out on his own, but he was stopped by Jia Zhangshi, who also wanted to go.

"Mom, where are you going?"

"The girl will be with the matchmaker. You can talk to her alone later. I and the matchmaker will go first. You can bring the girl back later."

"Oh!" Jia Dongxu thought it made sense and agreed.

On the way, Jia Zhangshi also told them to be generous and that they could buy snacks and such, but they should eat at home because it was expensive outside.

Jia Dongxu agreed, and the mother and son arrived at Beihai Park. Jia Dongxu saw the matchmaker and Qin Huairu from afar, and his heart was pounding.

Knowing better than to go forward, Jia Zhangshi gave Jia Dongxu a push, and Jia Dongxu ran over.

After the matchmaker finished her introduction, she left, reminding Jia Dongxu not to bully the girl and to take her home if possible.

The reason for mentioning this last sentence is because she could tell that the two had already fallen for each other.

When she was introducing herself, neither of them seemed to be listening. She spoke very loudly at the end, and Jia Dongxu agreed before walking towards Jia Zhangshi.

As she approached, she said, "Sister-in-law, I think it's done. Shall we head back?"

"Yes, yes, I'm going to buy some groceries. I'll eat at home for lunch."

"Good, good!" The matchmaker was delighted to hear this, thinking that the girl being entertained on a blind date would surely have to be served some meat.

When they arrived at the market, the matchmaker saw that Jia Zhangshi had cut only a small strip of meat, about three ounces, and her interest vanished. "That's too stingy!" she thought. The vegetables, however, were fine; the autumn vegetables hadn't finished sprouting yet.

(October 1951. To avoid confusion, the Fourth Battle should have ended in August 1951. The timeline for the courtyard house is slightly skipped.)
As for Jia Dongxu and the girl, after the matchmaker left, they introduced themselves again.

"Hello, my name is Jia Dongxu, I am 21 years old, and I work at a steel rolling mill."

"Hello, my name is Qin Huairu, I am 18 years old, and I am a farmer from Qinjiazhuang, Changping." Qin Huairu's voice was very low when she said the word "farmer".

Jia Dongxu felt even more confident. He then took Qin Huairu boating for an hour and bought her soda. This was probably the first time Qin Huairu had ever drunk soda. Her face was beaming with a smile, and in Jia Dongxu's eyes, she was simply sweet.

Afterwards, Jia Dongxu took Qin Huairu to a nearby supply and marketing cooperative. Since there were no coupons yet, he bought Qin Huairu a handkerchief, which made her extremely happy.

In the village, handkerchiefs are made from scraps of cloth; who would be willing to use such fine fabric, embroidered with flowers?

Then Qin Huairu directly suggested visiting his home, which Jia Dongxu couldn't be happier, and that's how it was arranged.

However, once inside Nanluoguxiang, Jia Dongxu acted as if he were guarding against thieves, keeping a close watch on both young people and kids.

Qin Huai asked curiously, "Jia Dongxu, what's wrong with you?"

"It's nothing, it's just that there are always people causing trouble in the alley."

"To cause trouble?"

"It's just that some people can't stand seeing others do well, and you're so beautiful."

"Oh, oh!"

Upon arriving at the 95th Hospital, Qin Huairu hesitated to step out at the grand gate. What kind of family could live in such a magnificent place?

"Let's go, stop looking. I've lived in this courtyard for over ten years, there's nothing to see here," Jia Dongxu said.

"Okay, okay!" Qin Huairu knew she had shown some weakness, so she secretly cheered herself up and walked into the courtyard with Jia Dongxu.

Once inside the courtyard, Jia Dongxu didn't go to the back at all, but walked straight towards the row of houses in front. Qin Huairu didn't know what the layout of a courtyard house was either; in the village, there was always a large courtyard, and once you entered the courtyard, there were houses.

However, she still curiously looked inside the hanging flower gate; it was quite large inside.

Upon entering the Jia family's house, Qin Huairu was somewhat disappointed. The back room of the Jia family did have windows, but they were not large and there were no lights inside, so it wasn't very bright.

Qin Huai thought to herself, "This is not as good as my house. It looks so nice from the outside, but it's not so great inside."

Of course, she hid her little thoughts very well and didn't show them on her face.

Jia Dongxu also took Qin Huairu to see his own room. Qin Huairu was somewhat satisfied with having her own space, but only somewhat.

During the meal, Qin Huairu's smile faded. It wasn't that Jia Zhangshi's cooking was bad, but the dishes contained only a few bits of minced meat, which was worse than what she ate at home. This made her doubt the matchmaker's claim about the two workers.

The two workers in the family live in this house, and when they entertain guests, they don't even put in much meat.

Is it because they really have no money, or because they look down on her?
Qin Huairu began to have some doubts.

After the meal, the matchmaker quietly asked Qin Huairu, who neither agreed nor disagreed, only saying that she would go back and think about it.

The matchmaker secretly told Jia Zhangshi this, and Jia Zhangshi was not very happy. She knew that Jia Dongxu had bought soda and handkerchiefs. He had delivered these things and eaten the meal. What did it mean that he came to "consider"? Did he not like their family or his son?
What are we going to collect then, and what are we going to eat?

Jia Dongxu was very enthusiastic. Besides, dating is never a one-time thing. The fact that she didn't reject him meant there was still a chance. Jia Zhangshi was a little disappointed in him. She was just a country girl. She was pretty, but she didn't have to be so eager to date him.

Jia Dongxu saw the person off onto the car and then returned. As soon as he got back, Jia Zhangshi started nagging.

"Dongxu, they're obviously trying to take advantage of you, why are you so eager to get involved?"

"Mother, I love Huairu!"

"This is still far from settled, and you're already calling her Huai Ru?"

"Mother, I want to marry Huairu."

"You might want to marry her, but she might not be willing to. Haven't you noticed how much she smiles after she came in?"

"I'm determined to marry her, Mother, please think of a way. Our family can pay more for the bride price."

"Hmph, nothing's even happened yet, and you're already siding with outsiders. Look at your pathetic self." Madam Jia was utterly speechless; this was a demon in her mind.

When Jia Laonian returned and inquired about the situation, he said, "Since our son likes it, then you should make a trip and finalize the matter."

"So you weren't the one running errands?"

"I'm off to work!"

"mother"

"Alright, alright, I'll go, okay?" Madam Jia couldn't resist her son's pleading.

Of course, Jia Zhangshi didn't go immediately; it was still uncertain whether the matchmaker had brought anyone back with her.

A few days later, she found a matchmaker and hoped to go to the Qin family to talk.

The matchmaker felt there was still hope and agreed. Then, Jia Zhangshi and the matchmaker went to Qin Family Village.

I didn't eat, but I came back with a belly full of anger.

When Qin Huairu returned home and told her mother about the Jia family's situation, her mother became somewhat unhappy. She thought, "Their living conditions aren't even as good as at home. They're so stingy with their food. Why would they marry into this family just to suffer? I've raised my daughter all these years, and now I'm sending her to suffer? Besides, with my daughter's looks and figure, she could marry anyone she wanted in the surrounding villages."

"Mother, I still want to marry into the city of Beijing."

"Hmph, marry, marry, but you should marry a good one. If you can't marry into this family, then come back to that matchmaker and have her help you find someone else."

"Oh!" Qin Huairu didn't object to this. It's normal to look at a few more. Although she liked Jia Dongxu's looks, that can't fill an empty stomach.

Sure enough, when Jia Zhangshi arrived, Qin Huairu's mother didn't even let her see Qin Huairu, saying that the family didn't agree, but she wouldn't say why.

How could Jia Zhangshi not be furious? In the end, she was so angry that she abandoned the matchmaker and left on her own.

After she left, Qin Huairu, like her mother, stopped the matchmaker and asked her to help find a few more.

The matchmaker took one look and thought, "This Qin family is quite good, and their daughter is beautiful," so she agreed.

This wasn't the end of it. When Jia Zhangshi returned home, she told Jia Dongxu that the deal had fallen through. Jia Dongxu immediately became dejected and wanted to go to Qin Family Village, but Jia Zhangshi refused.

Not only did he embarrass himself, but his son also went out of his way to embarrass himself, taking all the money from Jia Dongxu and even telling Jia Laonian to tell the factory not to lend him any more money.

Of course, Jia Zhangshi wouldn't let it go so easily. She went to the matchmaker again, only to find that the matchmaker was arranging other blind dates for Qin Huairu. She was so capable that she caused a huge commotion at the matchmaker's house. In the end, the matchmaker had no choice but to return the money that had been agreed not to be refunded, and only then did Jia Zhangshi stop.

When Jia Zhangshi angrily returned home and told him what had happened, Jia Dongxu was half-hearted. Why half-hearted? He felt he could still be saved because the two had a very good conversation during their first meeting, and Qin Huairu clearly liked him a lot.

Qin Huairu's situation wasn't going well either. She was either too old, a widower with children, or just plain ugly. You can imagine what kind of people would come to looking for a rural wife in the capital.

In the end, the matchmaker was scolded by the Qin family, who even said they didn't need her to find anyone anymore. What a mess!

(End of this chapter)