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Chapter 3 Blind Date
"Old Zhang, something's happened! Your son's gone mad!" Zhang's mother on the other end of the phone immediately switched to speakerphone: "Come on, tell your dad what you're up to."

"I want to keep going on blind dates."

"I can never have too many!" Zhang Zhe answered loudly and confidently.

Mr. Zhang, who was lying on the sofa playing Candy Crush, immediately sat up with a jolt when he heard the noise.

"Zhang Zhe, what's going on with you?"

"Don't say hurtful things. Your mom asked you to go on a blind date, but she didn't say you had to like it. If you don't like it, just come back for dinner. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."

"I'm really okay, Dad, I mean it..."

"Nothing wrong? If nothing wrong, why did you insult Ms. Huang's character?"

“I didn’t insult her. Think about it, if I really had, wouldn’t she have called the police?”

"It seems... to make sense." The elderly couple exchanged a glance and nodded to each other, both agreeing that Zhang Zhe's words made sense.

These days, calling the police is so common. Couples in free-love relationships can call the police and send each other to jail just because they're unhappy.

They were worried that Zhang Zhe wouldn't be able to handle things in the big city, so they asked him to come back and go through the proper channels for matchmaking. Although it would be more time-consuming and laborious, at least they would know who to ask for help and where to send gifts if something went wrong.

"So what exactly do you dislike about her?"

"We're not outsiders, you can surely tell us, right? Otherwise, how are we supposed to help you find someone?"

"There are too many things I don't like about it."

"Then give me an example."

"Um……"

Zhang Zhe knew that if he didn't explain things clearly, he wouldn't be able to get past his parents.

You must give a reason that both your parents agree with.

That's the trouble with blind dates. It's like watching a movie in school. Even if you can't get into it, you still have to write a review.

Fortunately, the system helped me figure it out.

“Her situation has crossed my bottom line.” Zhang Zhe deliberately kept everyone in suspense.

"What's the bottom line? Is it related to her previous profession?" Zhang's father guessed.

“Impossible. The Huang family has a clean background. I’ve investigated everything.” Zhang’s mother said confidently, “Now I’m starting to have doubts. You’ve really insulted their character.”

"No, no, no."

"Dad, you have no idea, Mom has gone crazy trying to have a grandson?"

"What are you saying, you brat?" Zhang's mother immediately retorted, "I just said you were crazy, and you're turning around and saying I am, huh?"

“I have evidence for what I’m saying. Dad, you don’t know this, do you? The rich woman Mom introduced me to already has a son in high school.” Zhang Zhe said seriously, “Think about it, do you think I can be a proper stepfather?”

"If I go on a blind date with this woman, what will she look like in her son's eyes?"

"Huh?" Mr. Zhang stood up in surprise: "Really?"

"Your son is in high school already?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense," Zhang's mother said irritably. "I've already found out. Miss Huang only has one younger brother and has never been married, let alone had a son."

“I asked all her relatives about these things.”

"If we really had a son, and Zhang Zhe wasn't remarried, would I let him become someone else's cheap father?"

Zhang Zhe chuckled and asked, "Mom, are you sure it's a younger brother?"

"I'm sure, they both have the surname Huang, how could it be fake?"

“But a friend told me that Huang Meimei had to take a break from her studies for a period of time, a full eight months, because she was pregnant halfway through her studies abroad.”

"Isn't this timing a bit too coincidental?"

“Wow! If that’s the case, then they really might not be siblings…” Zhang’s father interjected, speaking a fair word for Zhang Zhe.

Regarding the situation of local women, middle-aged people have their own channels for obtaining information, and Mr. Zhang said he would go and inquire about it.
"Don't worry, let me find someone I know."

"Let's see if anyone has ever been on a blind date with this woman."

"She's in her mid-thirties, she must have been on more than one date, maybe others know something we don't."

The investigation that Zhang's father mentioned involved asking each of the dozen or so fishing enthusiast groups he had joined.

As everyone knows, there's nothing a fisherman can't do, except catch fish.

Soon, in exchange for helping to reserve a fishing spot for a month, Zhang's father obtained what appeared to be evidence from a friend who had once been on a blind date with Huang Meimei, suggesting that Huang Meimei had a child out of wedlock.

When Zhang Zhe arrived home, the elderly couple had just finished sorting out the evidence and quickly shared it with their son...

……

"Dad, do you mean that the grandmother of that matchmaking expert saw Huang Meimei at home during her postpartum confinement period through the crack in the door?"

"That's what they say," Zhang's father nodded. "But he wasn't sure." "He only said he saw a towel wrapped around the head, which could mean a fever, or it could be Allah Hubarak."

"But nobody dares to gamble on this kind of thing, so nothing came of it."

"Human hearts are truly treacherous." Zhang's mother spat softly. She had originally intended to re-add Huang Meimei on WeChat and question her a couple of times.

Unfortunately, she seems to have been blocked and completely muted; I can't even get through to her by phone.

"It's alright, it's alright. I didn't really lose anything. I'll just consider it an experience." Zhang Zhe was afraid that his family would get upset over such a small matter, so he quickly said, "I won't lose confidence because of this."

"I will still go on blind dates."

“Okay,” Zhang’s mother readily agreed. “Then I’ll have the matchmaker arrange it right away.”

"Matchmakers?" Zhang Zhe was slightly surprised. "Matchmakers still exist now? Aren't they something only found in rural areas?"

"Yes, wherever there are people, there are matchmakers."

"Just you wait, as long as you cooperate, there are plenty of girls willing to go on blind dates. You graduated from a prestigious university, which is quite outstanding in our small town."

“That’s right.” Mr. Zhang said with great pride, “My son has been outstanding since he was a child. Nowadays, outstanding people get married late. Take your time to find someone, and don’t settle for less.”

Zhang Zhe blushed a little as his parents chimed in.

What prestigious university? A 211 degree is nothing in Shenzhen. Sometimes, even with that degree, you can't pass the screening of big companies.

In addition, his intentions regarding blind dates were impure; he didn't really want to settle down, but just wanted to earn more system rewards.

So Zhang Zhe felt a little embarrassed.

However, the thought that he had already earned a basic health-enhancing pill, which could help his parents improve their health and perhaps even indirectly prolong their lives, immediately made his embarrassment disappear.

Considering that he might have a lot of blind dates in the coming period, and to avoid upsetting his parents, Zhang Zhe took the initiative to ask for the matchmaker's contact information.

The reason given was that he would make his own requests directly to the matchmaker to avoid misunderstandings.

My family naturally agreed.

……

In the afternoon, after lunch, Zhang Zhe took the initiative to chat with the matchmaker on WeChat.

"Hello, I'm a matchmaker from the Yue Lao matchmaking agency in the same province. You can call me Wang Po."

"Hello, Granny Wang, I'm Zhang Zhe."

"Good afternoon, Mr. Zhang. I've reviewed your basic information. Here's a blind date intention form for you to fill out first."

"We will complete the review within 48 hours and recommend potential partners to you when the time is right."

When is this "appropriate" time? Is there still a chance this month?

"It's definitely too late this month. We need to match the conditions of both men and women. You should fill out the form first, so you can get in the queue sooner."

Do we still have to queue?

Zhang Zhe realized he had misjudged the current state of blind dating.

Isn't it said that the marriage rate is declining year by year?
Why are there still so many people going on blind dates?

Since the matchmaker happened to be free, Zhang Zhe had a slightly more in-depth conversation with her.

The other party told him:
The matchmaking market in small counties or prefecture-level cities has not shrunk; on the contrary, it is increasing year by year.

As more and more people reach marriageable age, fewer and fewer people get married, resulting in a large number of young and middle-aged men and women crowding into the matchmaking market.

He looks a bit like a recent college graduate.

"Mr. Zhang, rest assured, the ratio of men to women registered here is about 1 to 18. A young man as outstanding as you will definitely be able to find a suitable marriage partner."

"Actually, there's no need to rush."

"If you are eager to find your other half, we also offer a premium membership service. For just 16998 yuan, you can enjoy a one-on-one matchmaking service..."

Zhang Zhe completely ignored what the matchmaker was saying.

His mother has already paid the registration fee. He's not here to get married, so there's no need to upgrade the service.

Zhang Zhe thought for a moment and told the matchmaker:

"I won't fill out this form."

"I don't have any requirements for my blind date, so please arrange one for me quickly!"

"Huh?" The matchmaker exclaimed incredulously, "You mean you don't have any requirements?"

"Yes, is that not allowed?"

"Um... I've been in this profession for twenty years, and this is the first time I've encountered a case like yours."

(End of this chapter)