From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of life

But when my mother heard this, her face instantly turned extremely ugly.

He kept his head down and didn't say a word, clearly feeling embarrassed and insecure after the other person had touched on his feelings.

The matchmaker was caught in a dilemma and quickly tried to smooth things over: "Xiaoping, you can't say that! Marriage is about supporting each other and struggling together. Hardships when you're young aren't real hardships; things will get better eventually!"

Xiaoping disagreed and immediately posed the most practical question: "Then let me ask you another one. Besides this old house in the village, does his family have a house in Jiangzhou city for their marriage? If not now, do they have any plans to buy a house in the near future?"

I didn't want to continue with the pretense and politeness, so I answered directly and honestly: "I don't own a house in the city, and I currently have no plans or ability to buy one."

Upon hearing this, Xiaoping's face darkened completely, and the disdain in her eyes could no longer be concealed.

She stated firmly, "That's definitely not an option. I absolutely wouldn't dare marry someone without a house in the city. After getting married and having children, I can't just be renting and drifting around with my kids all year round, can I? It would be too insecure."

The matchmaker persisted, saying, "This is only temporary! As long as you two work hard, you can save enough to buy a house in a few years. Life is about perseverance!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaoping couldn't help but let out a soft, cold laugh, uttering the most realistic statement:

"To put it bluntly, if I marry him, I'll have to suffer with him, work hard together to pay off the mortgage, and endure a lifetime of hardship, right?"

Silence fell instantly upon hearing this.

The matchmaker was completely speechless, unable to find a single word to say.

My mother looked embarrassed. Her lips moved, but she eventually lowered her head silently, her eyes filled with helplessness and bitterness.

I sat to the side, feeling completely calm, even somewhat relieved.

It's good to face reality sooner rather than later and put an end to this farce, so as to avoid further complications.

I shook my head inwardly, realizing I had truly misjudged the situation.

When I first met her, I thought she was a shy, introverted, simple, honest, and exceptionally well-behaved girl.

But after hearing her realistic words, where was there even a hint of introversion or shyness in her?

He is insightful and shrewd, calculating better than anyone else.

After putting myself in her shoes, I realized I could understand her.

Blind dates are about weighing the pros and cons and aiming to build a life together; being realistic is perfectly understandable.

But precisely because of this, we are not on the same path at all, and there is no need to waste any more words or arguments.

I decided to be blunt: "That's right, I have nothing right now. No stable job, no house, no savings, and my family's financial situation is what it is. If you're interested, we can continue talking. If not, leave now."

Upon hearing this, the matchmaker sighed heavily, her face full of helplessness, clearly knowing that the marriage was completely hopeless.

Just when everyone thought the awkward blind date was over, Xiaoping hesitated for two seconds and suddenly stated her conditions:

"I can try dating you, but I have one hard requirement: you must give my family a bride price of 180,000 yuan."

"We'll talk about marriage after you've saved up enough money to buy a house."

I was instantly amused and shook my head, saying self-deprecatingly, "Girl, you overestimate me. Let alone 180,000, I might not even be able to come up with 18,000 right now."

Xiaoping looked up at me, her tone stubborn: "So, you don't want to date me anymore?"

I don't quite understand her actions. She clearly dislikes my conditions, but now she seems reluctant to let go.

Could it be that they think I'm honest and are trying to take advantage of me on purpose?

I was too lazy to argue any further, so I simply shook my head and said, "Yes, we're on different paths, so we can't work together. We're not a good match."

Xiaoping's face instantly darkened. She abruptly stood up and turned to complain to the matchmaker:

"Third Aunt, you described him so beautifully before, saying he was well-off, but his family is actually so poor! Aren't you just trying to trick me into coming all this way for nothing?"

The matchmaker was rendered speechless by her retort, her face turning pale and then red, her lips trembling with anger.

Just as the atmosphere in the main room became awkward, a clear and melodious female voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate:

"Boss, I've brought the car over for you. Would you like me to bring in the gift you bought for Auntie?"

I looked up abruptly and saw Su Qing standing in the doorway!

My heart skipped a beat, and I was completely taken aback.

Why is she here?

And she just called me... boss?

I was momentarily stunned, but then I immediately realized what was happening.

That brat must have been bored at the village entrance and sneaked out to eavesdrop.

They're here on purpose to help me save face.

Sure enough, the eyes of my mother, the matchmaker, and Xiaoping all immediately focused on Su Qing.

Each of them looked bewildered and confused.

Su Qing was completely unfazed by the stares of the crowd, a polite smile on her face as she spoke:

"Excuse me, everyone, for interrupting your conversation. Please continue."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the road outside the courtyard.

Following her figure, the white Porsche Panamera that was originally parked at the entrance of the village is now steadily parked on the cement road outside the courtyard.

The gleaming body of the luxury car stood out conspicuously against the simple rural environment.

I parked my car at the village entrance on purpose just now because I was afraid that the car would be too eye-catching and attract villagers to gossip, causing unnecessary trouble.

To everyone's surprise, Su Qing actually drove the car right to her doorstep!

Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, she opened the trunk of the luxury car, took out an exquisite and high-end gift bag, turned around, and quickly walked back into the yard.

She remained calm and composed, took an exquisite jewelry box from the gift bag, and walked straight up to me.

She held out her hand and handed it over, her tone respectful and natural: "Boss, this is a gift you specially picked out for Auntie. I left it in the car just now."

I was completely stunned and stood there, my mind blank.

I didn't buy any gifts at all, so where did this thing come from?

Seeing that I didn't answer for a long time, he stood there in a daze.

Su Qing simply walked around me and stood in front of my mother, whose face was completely blank, with a gentle and polite smile:

"Auntie, this is a pearl necklace that our boss specially picked out for you. He was in such a hurry when he got out of the car that he forgot to take it. Do you like it?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she reached out and opened the jewelry box.

The moment the box was opened, a warm, lustrous sheen wafted out.

The round and full pearls are neatly arranged, with a delicate and translucent texture, and their high value is immediately apparent.

I was completely dumbfounded, standing there blankly, utterly confused.

Xiaoping, standing to the side, suddenly narrowed her pupils and widened her eyes, her face filled with disbelief.

She stared intently at the expensive necklace in the box, then quickly turned her head to look at the million-dollar luxury car parked outside the yard.

The look of disgust on his face froze instantly, replaced by utter shock.

My blank mind raced for three seconds before I snapped back to reality and immediately followed up on Su Qing's words:

"Oh...right, I forgot about that."

I quickly leaned close to Su Qing's ear and whispered, "What are you doing? Don't mess around!"

Su Qing's lips didn't move; only a soft, muffled sound reached my ears, carrying a hint of urging:

"Hurry up and take it and cooperate with me, don't make me lose face!"

At the same time, she kept giving me signals with her eyes, telling me to keep the situation under control.

I had no choice but to comply, reaching out to take the exquisite jewelry box, and pretending to be nonchalant as I handed it to my mother.

"Mom, I bought this especially for you. Try it on."