The male supporting character was actually myself.

Go out of my courtyard and walk around to any house in the village and see how people look at you.

Go ask around among other well-known matchmakers and see if they'd be willing to help your He Yongqiang find a partner. Once you've figured everything out, come back and talk to me.”

She got up, picked up the teapot to pour hot water, and said sarcastically, "I can't really say anything else to you. If you insist on making a fuss, let's find someone to judge and see who can stand up to us."

The matchmaker was certain that she wouldn't dare to cause any more trouble now. With one bad thing after another happening, anyone with a brain wouldn't break up with the matchmaker at this critical juncture.

After all, his daughter-in-law hasn't been married yet. Given their family's completely ruined reputation, based on his many years of experience, unless he uses some improper means to get a woman to marry, He Yongqiang can forget about marrying a girl from a respectable family.

Sure enough, Qian Shuandi got angry for a moment but eventually backed down.

She snorted angrily and got up to leave. Only after she was outside the courtyard did she dare to spit on the ground, "You just wait and see!"

Not only did she not get her money back, but she also became a laughingstock and was filled with resentment. After weighing the pros and cons, Qian Shuandi did not go home. Instead, she turned around and went to the west entrance of the village to find another matchmaker who often arranged marriages for people.

"Oh dear, that's hard to say. There aren't any suitable ones right now, but I'll keep an eye out for your Qiangzi!"

“I’ve only been wandering around these two villages, and I haven’t met many girls. There really aren’t any suitable ones I can introduce you to. Why don’t you ask Matchmaker Wang again? She even goes to the next county.”

"No, no, I can only keep an eye out for your Qiangzi for now, but I can't guarantee that there will be a suitable one."

"There aren't any 'good enough' girls. To be honest, the younger the girl, the fewer there are now. Even girls her own age can't compete with them..."

…………

Unwilling to give up, Qian Shuandi went around in circles, saying a lot of nice things until her lips were almost worn out, but no one agreed to help her find a match.

She could tell from the firm attitude behind the polite refusal.

Damn it, it's all because of He Jiangchen and the mentally challenged family!

If they weren't so poor and making a fuss, wouldn't everything be fine? Those angelic students would have been married long ago, and there wouldn't be so much trouble.

Qian Shuandi grew angrier and angrier, and stormed home, wanting to find a reason to argue with He Jiangchen and vent her anger.

Unexpectedly, the gate next door was locked. As soon as she got close, she saw a shiny yellow dog jump out of its kennel, barking wildly. It clearly remembered her and was very unfriendly.

Seeing the dog baring its white, sharp teeth, and feeling a throbbing pain in her still-healing wound, she quickly stepped back and spat, "Pah! Watchdog!"

Once the thief was out of sight, Da Huang cautiously squatted in front of the door and guarded it for quite a while before retreating back to its kennel to rest.

At the same time, Jiang Chen, who was "seeing" this scene through the Soul Weapon, couldn't help but smile slightly.

He was riding his bicycle with his newlywed wife to the next village to complete the household registration procedures.

Jiang Chen deliberately chose a time before lunch when many villagers would gather. If Wu Jiande was sensible enough to follow the procedures and get things done, that would be fine; but if Jiang Chen wanted to cause trouble, making him look foolish in public would be more effective.

Wearing a newly made floral shirt, Liao Yuzhou sat on the back of the bicycle, her right arm naturally around her husband's waist, her face pressed slightly against his back.

The summer breeze brushes past your ears, and groups of villagers chat and laugh along the country lanes. The fields are filled with the unique scent of wheat straw and soil, giving you a sense of satisfaction from the harvest.

"It's so hot~ It's so hot~" I never get tired of the cicadas chirping on the branches, especially when I'm with him. Even in the sweltering summer, there's a refreshing feeling that penetrates to the lungs.

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She felt empty inside when she couldn't see He Jiangchen for a while, but felt as sweet as if she had eaten honey as soon as she saw him.

Is this what love is?

Liao Yuzhou tucked a stray hair behind her ear with her left hand, thinking to herself, "No wonder the books in my family's collection say something about 'sweet love,' it really is a vivid description!"

I just wonder if he feels the same way about me...

Thinking of the things he said on their wedding night, Liao Yuzhou couldn't help but feel anxious and uncertain.

He Jiangchen was clearly different from the other young people in the village. He had ability and resources, so naturally he was arrogant. I was just an educated youth sent to the countryside, and apart from having some education, I had nothing to offer. Given that, how easy would it be to win him over?

He's like a brightly colored bird in a cage. One day the cage will break and he'll fly free. Will I be able to keep up with him then?

"We're here. Don't say anything for a while, leave everything to me." Jiang Chen's voice interrupted her complicated thoughts. He turned around and gently instructed, "No matter what the other party says, don't respond, lest he set a trap for you."

Liao Yuzhou nodded obediently, "Okay, I'll listen to you."

She knew that as long as her household registration wasn't transferred to her husband's family, she wouldn't be considered a farmer and would still be under Wu Jiande's control. If he really tried to set a trap with his words, she might be accused of something serious if she said the wrong thing.

At the very least, she would be punished, and at worst, she would be sent to the county for various forms of education, and it might even implicate her husband.

Listen more and talk less; you absolutely cannot let Wu Jiande catch you doing something wrong at a crucial moment!

It was the time to go home and cook lunch. As soon as I entered the village, I saw many hardworking farmers carrying farm tools and chatting as they walked home.

"Ring ring!"

Jiang Chen deliberately rang the bicycle bell, and sure enough, the sound attracted everyone's attention.

"Wow, a brand new bicycle! This thing is worth a lot of money!"

"Isn't this Liao? Why are you wearing your hair up?"

"Hey? I heard Liao was picked up by a friend to help out. Why are you back with a man?"

"Hair up in a bun, new floral dress, black corduroy shoes... Liao, what's this all about?"

"Isn't this He Jiangchen from the next village? He looks so presentable now, even more handsome..."

…………

Chapter Forty: Making Things Difficult and Labeling

Liao Yuzhou was beautiful, gentle, kind, and a talented singer and dancer. She was very popular in Wanjiazhuang and almost everyone in the village knew her.

Seeing her with the notoriously good-for-nothing and bullied guy from the neighboring village, many people looked at the two of them with some surprise.

What's even more surprising is that He Jiangchen was pushing that bicycle, which is a rare item that only the wealthy can afford. How could someone like him be riding a new bicycle?

The handsome man and beautiful woman, along with a stylish bicycle, quickly became the new gossip in Wanjiazhuang, attracting a lot of onlookers.

"Auntie, come and have some wedding candy!" Liao Yuzhou blushed slightly but didn't hesitate. She took the wedding candy her husband had specially prepared from the bicycle handlebars and distributed it to everyone.

There are few entertainment options in the village, and the women's attention is mainly on everyday family matters.

Although the two villages are adjacent due to their geographical location, they are quite far apart. However, some people still heard about the exciting news that the entire village of Qilizhuang had a wedding banquet yesterday.

What's even more enviable is that the wedding banquet isn't just a few bowls of vegetables and some cornbread—it's a grand feast with fish, meat, and white steamed buns. Just hearing about it makes your mouth water!

Food is the most important thing for people, especially in this era of scarce resources. Being able to have a feast of chicken, duck, fish and meat is something to brag about for years.

Yesterday, a lavish wedding banquet was held in Qilizhuang. Today, He Jiangchen rode his new bicycle with Liao Yuzhou, dressed as his new wife, to the village to hand out wedding candies. Anyone with eyes could immediately guess what was going on.

"Liao, so you didn't take leave to help out, you went to get married?"

"You two really look like a perfect match standing together. Who introduced you?"

"Tsk tsk, this candy is really good, it must be very expensive!"

"I see. Liao, you're here to register your household, right? After you marry into the village next door, you'll be one of us..."

…………

The villagers, beaming with joy after receiving the wedding candy, chattered and joked amongst themselves as they followed the two of them toward the village committee.

The village secretary of Wanjiazhuang naturally treated the educated youth who had been sent to the countryside very well. After learning that she had also gotten married and stayed in the countryside, he first congratulated her and then welcomed her. With a wave of his hand, he stamped the village seal on her.

"Alright, now all you need to do is get another stamp from your superior, Wu Jiande, and you can go to Qilizhuang to register your household!" the village secretary said with a smile, holding a candy.

Before Jiang Chen could even ask about Wu Jiande's whereabouts, the village secretary pointed to the yard and said enthusiastically, "See Wu Jiande over there? Come on, I'll take you to get the stamp."

Holding a red inkpad, he led the young couple out of the office, waved, and called out, "Director Wu, come over and stamp Liao's household registration application. From now on, she'll be a resident of Qilizhuang next door."

Wu Jiande, who was standing with a group of villagers admiring the brand-new, stylish bicycle and dreaming of owning one himself, was taken aback by the news. "What? Who wants to register their household there?"

Many gossipy women knew what he was thinking, so they teased him, "Of course it's Liao! Director Wu, don't you know? Liao got married! He held a wedding banquet in Qilizhuang yesterday and invited the whole village to a feast."

"Look, the bicycle you've been eyeing all day belongs to someone else's husband."

"Director Wu, you're really out of the loop! Hurry up and get the stamp done for them; it's almost noon and they need to go home to cook."

The laughter and chatter of the villagers around him sounded like thunder to Wu Jiande.

Liao Yuzhou got married?!

How can it be!

How could she suddenly get married just a few days later?

Damn it, women are all the same! Li Tiantian lied to me, saying that taking Liao Yuzhou away meant she'd marry someone else. It must have been that woman's bad idea!

No, no, absolutely not!

Liao Yuzhou is the one I set my sights on first, she has to be my wife!

When Wu Jiande saw the two well-dressed young men following behind the village secretary, he felt that He Jiangchen was so conspicuous. He steadied his chaotic mind and could only recall a little gossip—He Jiangchen from Qilizhuang was a notorious good-for-nothing.

You're too green to try and steal my woman!

"Ahem, Director Wu?" The village secretary coughed twice, noticing his contorted face and unpredictable expression, and reminded him, "Hurry up and stamp Liao's name. Everyone's busy, don't waste his time."

Having served as an official in the village for so long, how could the village party secretary not know that Wu Jiande was like a toad trying to eat swan meat?

However, since there was no conflict of interest between them, and he was too lazy to get involved, now that Liao was married, Wu Jiande could do nothing about it, no matter how unwilling he was.

Seeing him get the short end of the stick, the village secretary felt quite pleased.

After all, Wu Jiande often used his power to act arrogantly, and now that even his classmate Liao has gotten married, he has become a lone commander with no one to rely on for work.

Hearing that there was something interesting happening at the village committee, many villagers who had already arrived home also came over to see what was going on.

Their focus was naturally on Jiang Chen's bicycle. Most people in the remote mountain village had never even seen what it looked like in real life, so they all came to see the novelty of a new bicycle parked there.

When the villagers saw He Jiangchen, who was dressed fashionably and had a handsome appearance, the gossip immediately shifted.

That guy used to be famous for being good-looking but incompetent and unable to find a wife. Now he's suddenly married to Liao Yuzhou, who looks like a fairy. He's riding a bicycle and dressed smartly and stylishly. He hasn't changed his appearance, but he looks nothing like the original He Jiangchen.

"Isn't this what they mean by clothes making the man and saddle making the horse? Look at how well He Jiangchen dressed!"

"He's already the best-looking young man in the surrounding area, and a little bit of grooming would be fatal."

"No wonder all the young women in the village are crying and begging to marry He Jiangchen, he really is good-looking!"

"Can being pretty fill your stomach? Didn't you say that the little bit of food he digs up in the fields is all taken by his uncle's family? Will you starve after marrying into that family?"

"Well, they even got to ride a new bicycle!"

"Him? He must have borrowed it. How could someone who's dirt poor possibly afford something like this?"

"Borrow? Do you think that's your broken pot that you can just borrow whenever you want? Do you have a bicycle that you'd lend to others to ride?"

"That's impossible! So... he bought it himself? His mother's ancestors were very wealthy, so he must have been hiding something good?"