After being separated from my family, I became a darling of the military region thanks to my medical

Ye Zhen reached into the pocket of her woolen coat and pulled it out, her fingertips holding a brand-new, crisp ten-yuan note. Without bothering to hide it from others, she directly stuffed the ten yuan into her second aunt Liu Fen's hand.

"Second Aunt, if this goes well, this is your errand fee. If it's handled well, there will be a thank-you gift for the matchmaker later."

Liu Fen held the crisp banknote, feeling both warmth and a burning sensation in her hand. Ten yuan! How long would it take to toil in the fields for food? You know, in the village, the usual thank-you gift for a matchmaker is a pig's head or two bottles of wine—this is incredibly generous! And if she succeeded, she'd get paid and gain recognition in front of the whole village—this was a great achievement!

"Don't worry, Zhen! I'll take care of this!" Liu Fen's fighting spirit exploded instantly, and her face, which was covered in face cream, smiled like a blooming chrysanthemum.

She stuffed the money into her bosom, swayed her hips to the millstone, and pushed Zhao Dahai, who was about to continue complaining about being poor, aside by half a body length.

"Hey, Village Chief Zhao, you're already so old, why are you still crying like this? Aren't you afraid the younger generation will laugh at you?" Liu Fen's loud voice silenced the entire room.

Zhao Dahai nearly fell off the stone pillar after being jostled by Liu Fen. He glared at Liu Fen and yelled, "You shrew, what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? I've brought you some good news! You've been sitting here for ages, isn't your butt getting cold?"

Zhao Dahai rolled his eyes: "None of your business!"

"It's none of my business, but I can tell you, as the father, really don't care about your daughter." Liu Fen pointed at Zhao Xiuxiu. "Look at your Xiuxiu, she's twenty-two this year, isn't she? If this were the old society, she'd be considered an old maid! Everyone in the surrounding area knows you, Zhao Dahai, have high standards, keeping your daughter as a burden. What, you want her to have more children?"

"You're talking nonsense!" Zhao Dahai retorted angrily, "My Xiuxiu is just too picky! No one is good enough for her!"

"Yes, yes, yes, most people aren't good enough for him." Liu Fen seized the opportunity. "Then what about my Chengzi? He's a foreman at the quarry, earning more a month than a city worker! Now his leg is healed, and his character and looks are impeccable. That's what you call a golden bachelor, you know?"

Zhao Dahai was taken aback, glancing at Ye Cheng instinctively. His resolve was already wavering, but he maintained his composure: "Hmph, so what if you're rich? Our Dahe Village may be poor, but we still have our pride! Trying to bribe me? No way! Unless…"

Zhao Dahai felt his clothes being pulled tightly.

Looking back, he saw his daughter Zhao Xiuxiu blushing, but her eyes were stubbornly fixed on him, clearly saying: If you dare to chase her away, I'll get angry with you.

"Unless what?" Liu Fen scoffed, interrupting him directly. "Zhao Dahai, stop pretending to be all high and mighty. And don't give me any talk of backbone. Can backbone put food on the table? Can it get your son a wife? Can it ensure your whole village has meat to eat?"

Liu Fen got more and more excited as she spoke, her finger almost poking Zhao Dahai's nose: "Don't you even look at the current situation! Those people from Heishan Village are following Chief Gu and Zhenya, aiming to become millionaires! And you? You're stuck with a run-down village, leading a bunch of bachelors to starve? It's only because my Chengzi is blind... ugh, I mean, he has exceptional insight, taking a liking to your Xiuxiu. This is truly a stroke of good fortune for your Zhao family!"

"If your daughter marries into our family, she'll be living the high life. Now that our families are related, will Dahe Village ever be short of work at the quarry? Your good-for-nothing son, Zhao Shanhe, will also be able to get a decent job at the quarry. Isn't that better than leading people to fight every day?"

Liu Fen's rapid-fire remarks thoroughly analyzed the pros and cons, practically exposing Zhao Dahai's thoughts to the light of day.

Zhao Dahai took two puffs of his unlit pipe, his expression shifting between anger and uncertainty.

Ye Cheng stood opposite him, at a loss, his dark red face turning a deep purplish-red. He fidgeted with his hands along the seams of his pants, his eyes wanting to look at Xiuxiu but not daring to. After a long pause, he finally managed to stammer, "Um... Uncle, I... I'll be good to Xiuxiu."

"Pfft." Someone around burst out laughing.

Although Zhao Dahai was a rogue, he wasn't stupid. A direct confrontation, as Gu Zheng had just done, had already shown him he couldn't afford to offend him; but if they could really arrange a marriage... that would indeed be a golden opportunity.

"Ahem!" Zhao Dahai blushed. "Well... that's one aspect. But my Xiuxiu is a virgin, and if the bride price is too low, I won't agree! Our two villages were just fighting, how can the Ye family agree to this marriage?"

All eyes immediately turned to Ye Zhen.

As everyone knows, although Mr. Ye is now in charge of the Ye family, the real backbone is Dr. Ye, who married a military officer and is also skilled in medicine.

Ye Zhen smiled slightly, and her calm and composed aura made Zhao Dahai unconsciously straighten his back.

She stepped forward, not looking at Zhao Dahai, but first glancing at Ye Cheng and Zhao Xiuxiu, whose eyes were full of expectation. Then she turned to face the crowd, her voice clear and resonant:

"Village Chief Zhao, I, Ye Zhen, will make the decision on behalf of my parents regarding my elder brother's marriage today!"

"If you nod your head, today's fight will be considered a non-existent engagement—a 'no fight, no friendship' arrangement!"

Ye Zhen held up one hand, gesturing with a number: "The bride price will be the highest standard in our county. It includes a sewing machine, a watch, a bicycle, and a radio—everything you need! Plus 360 yuan in cash, symbolizing 'rising higher'!"

boom!

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

Three hundred and sixty! And three turns and one sound! This isn't a wedding, it's a wedding to the Queen Mother of the West!

Zhao Shanhe's eyes practically popped out of his head. If this bride price came through, he'd have enough to get married! He immediately yelled at his father, "Dad! What are you waiting for! I accept this brother-in-law! Anyone who tries to stop me is my enemy!"

Zhao Dahai's pipe fell to the ground with a thud. He pointed at Ye Zhen, trembling, "Girl...you...you keep your word? Three hundred and sixty?"

Ye Zhen: "Of course it counts. Uncle Zhao, as long as you nod now, the road between Dahe Village and Heishan Village will be a road of in-laws from now on. Your son getting a job at the quarry is just a matter of my elder brother's word."

Now, not only Zhao Dahai, but even the villagers of Dahe Village who had originally been ready to fight to the death with shovels looked at Ye Cheng differently. He wasn't just an enemy; he was the brother-in-law of a fortune-maker!

"Oh dear!" Zhao Dahai's expression changed faster than flipping through a book. He shoved Zhao Shanhe, who was supporting him, and rushed towards Ye Cheng, who was still in a daze. He grabbed Ye Cheng's hand tightly and said, "Chengzi, I've always known you're destined for great things! I approve of this marriage!"

Ye Cheng was stunned. With Zhao Dahai holding his hand, he turned to look at Ye Zhen dumbfounded: "Little sister, this...this is settled?"

Ye Zhen winked playfully: "Big brother, aren't you going over there? If you don't go over there soon, I'll have given Second Aunt this matchmaker's red envelope for nothing."

Zhao Xiuxiu blushed deeply, but bravely took two steps and handed Ye Cheng a handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

The scene of a fierce and murderous brawl had instantly transformed into a large-scale family reunion. Liu Fen waved her handkerchief, her smile so wide it almost disappeared from her eyes.

Gu Zheng walked to Ye Zhen's side and whispered in her ear, "Wife, you're really something. This move to turn hostility into friendship is even more efficient than surgery."

Ye Zhen raised an eyebrow, looked at her older brother grinning foolishly not far away, and said softly, "This is called strategic investment. Spend some money to buy your older brother's lifelong happiness, and incidentally, take over the labor force of a village. This deal is worthwhile."