My Mother-in-Law is Reborn [Seventies]-Chapter 169

Su Jinlai had been pacing back and forth in front of his house for a long time, and the more he paced, the angrier he felt.

These people really had no self-awareness. On such a cold day, instead of staying inside where it was warm, they crowded outside the window, oblivious to the chill, watching with great interest. They were truly naive and unsophisticated. Seeing everyone so excited, he couldn't help but think they were all short-sighted.

It was just a television, after all. Was it really that exciting?

One day, he, Su Jinlai, would own a television too, the biggest and best one.

He had waited and waited, and finally, everyone had gone home.

The television programs had all ended, and everyone reluctantly left. Jinlai finally breathed a sigh of relief. Yinlai watched his older brother still pacing in the courtyard and felt deeply puzzled. Everyone else had stayed up late watching television and didn't rest, but why was his brother pacing around without resting?

His older brother was indeed a bit different from normal people. It was really baffling, almost mysterious.

Yinlai walked over and looked up and down, asking, "Brother, what are you doing? There's nothing interesting here!"

Jinlai looked at his younger brother, who was not the sharpest tool in the shed, and said, "Nothing!"

His tone was cold.

Yinlai: "Oh."

Tonglai, however, was quite shrewd. He muttered quietly, "He must be up to no good."

But he wasn't too worried. After all, his older brother wouldn't go as far as stealing, right?

It was late at night, and they didn't dally. Soon, everyone prepared to rest, but not Jinlai. He had slept all day and was wide awake at night. Watching his two younger brothers drift off to sleep, probably dreaming of something pleasant, Jinlai got up in disdain. He tiptoed to get dressed and put on his shoes before stealthily leaving the house.

He, Su Jinlai, the stealthy thief of the siheyuan.

In the dead of night, with the moon hidden and the wind howling, Su Jinlai, a.k.a. "Red-Eyed Jinlai," slipped out silently. He crept to Lan Sihai's doorstep and brought out a piece of wire, picking the lock effortlessly.

Heh, no big deal.

Over the years, despite being sent to a juvenile detention center and later being sent to the countryside, he hadn't slackened in perfecting his skills. He had always been at the forefront of his craft, mastering the most advanced lock-picking techniques.

He proudly opened the door and smirked.

He picked the lock, and the door clicked open.

He stepped inside, feeling like the whole world was under his feet.

"Ahhhhh!!!" Jinlai screamed!

Damn it, they had placed a mouse trap at the door!

In the deep silence of the night, when everyone was sound asleep, a sudden, earsplitting scream echoed through the courtyard. The scream startled many people awake, and they looked at each other, wondering what had happened.

Lan Sihai quickly got up, wielding a wooden stick, and headed to the door.

The doorway was empty.

Yes, empty.

The person was gone, and so was the mouse trap.

This was what made Su Jinlai a master thief. Even when caught in a trap, he knew he couldn't afford to get caught. If he were caught, he would lose his standing in the courtyard.

Almost immediately after his scream, he quickly closed the door and bolted away. He ran very fast, not even daring to go home, and headed straight for the public restroom.

Hopping on one leg didn't slow his escape.

Alas, times had changed since his childhood. The restroom was locked, which delayed him further. He stumbled and fell at the entrance, then managed to get up and continued running to the restroom. Why the restroom? He didn't know; it just felt safe.

He fled swiftly, while Lan Sihai, upon investigating, realized someone had entered his home. He turned on the lights and saw that the mouse trap by the door was gone, undoubtedly having caught a "big rat."

He smirked, thinking, even if the intruder hadn't made a noise, I’d know who it was.

No need for doubts—it had to be Su Jinlai.

He didn't believe a dog could change its nature.

He tapped the ground with his wooden stick, and soon many people came out, wearing coats over their nightclothes, asking, "What’s going on? What happened?"

"I thought I heard someone scream."

"It sounded like Jinlai."

At the same time, Yinlai and Tonglai were awakened by the scream. They looked around and noticed their older brother was gone. Clearly, the scream had come from Su Jinlai. They exchanged worried glances, realizing their older brother must have gone out to commit a theft in the dead of night.

It was truly disheartening.

The two quickly got up and went outside, while Wang Xiangxiu's face turned pale with worry. After all, Jinlai was her son.

Everyone gathered in the courtyard, and Zhuang Zhixi and others rushed to Lan Sihai's side immediately. "Grandpa, are you okay?"

Lan Sihai smiled faintly, saying, "Of course, I'm fine."

Before anyone could say more, they saw Jinlai limping back into the courtyard from outside. He forced a smile and said, "Why is everyone outside?"

Wang Xiangxiu quickly stepped forward and asked, "Where did you go so late at night, son? Was that you screaming?"

Jinlai put on a simple, honest expression and said, "I went to the restroom and tripped."

He tried to act as if nothing had happened. "Did I scare you?"

"Not really, but..."

Everyone looked at Jinlai. To say he looked pathetic was an understatement. He was covered in mud, apparently injured in the foot, and his nose was bleeding. He looked worse than a vagrant.

It was hard to believe that a twenty-something young man could trip like that. Even the kids in the courtyard weren't that clumsy.

Jinlai, afraid Lan Sihai would say more, quickly said, "Let's disperse, everyone. Let's all go back to bed."

Lan Sihai suddenly chuckled and looked at Jinlai. "Jinlai, since you're unemployed and have nothing to do, why don't you get some stones tomorrow and build me a flower bed at my doorstep?"

Jinlai's eyes widened. "Why me...?"

Before he could finish, he met Lan Sihai's sarcastic gaze. The old man's eyes lingered on his injured foot for a moment. Jinlai swallowed the rest of his words. Lan Sihai continued, "My roof also needs repairing. As a young man with nothing better to do, you can take care of that too."

Jinlai: "..."

Lan Sihai: "Don't look at the weather now. Spring comes quickly—today it's cold, but tomorrow it might be warm. It's time to take off those winter clothes and wash them..."

He looked at Jinlai, who was practically hopping on one foot, and there was no mistaking the situation. The old man was taking advantage of the situation.

He was threatening him!

He was being threatened!

"I think the weather..."

Seeing Lan Sihai about to continue, Jinlai blurted out loudly, "Mr. Lan, I'll do it for you! Whatever work you have, just tell me! Respecting the elderly and caring for the young is a virtue!"

Lan Sihai nodded slightly, saying, "Then you can build me a flower bed tomorrow."

He glanced at Jinlai's foot and smiled even more brightly. "I have a lot of work. Take your time."

Jinlai spat out a word from between his teeth: "Fine!"

It wasn't that he was afraid of this old codger, but he didn't want to completely lose face in the courtyard, which was his territory.

He took a deep breath and said, "I can do it all."

Everyone looked at Jinlai with deep suspicion. He didn't seem like the kind of person who could work.

After all, he didn't even do his own housework.

Their expressions were full of doubt. Jinlai was in great agony, and he gritted his teeth. "I can do it! All the work! I can do it all!"

He took a deep breath and said, "It's late already. Let's all go to bed."

"Disperse, everyone. Disperse."

"Alright, let's all disperse."

Everyone had their own thoughts. Although it looked like everything was harmonious, the fact that Su Jinlai was going along with Lan Sihai's orders was suspicious. And then there was that scream—some clever folks connected the dots, linking the incident to Jinlai's habit of petty theft. After all, Lan Sihai had just bought a new television that day...

Hmm, it seems that all is said without words.

However, since even Old Master Lan didn't expose this guy, everyone naturally chose not to meddle in other people's business. It wasn’t worth it for them. Everyone walked back with a mix of seven parts understanding and three parts speculation, silently returning home. Meanwhile, Old Master Lan hummed a tune, and everyone went their separate ways. Luo Xiaohe asked, "Why didn't you expose him?"

Old Master Lan replied, "He runs fast. Even if I called him a thief, he'd still run away. Tangling with him might not yield solid evidence, so it's better to let him do some work for us. Look, there’s a lot of work to be done around the house, and I was just thinking of finding someone to tidy up. Isn’t it just perfect that this guy showed up on his own? Not bad at all."

Free labor isn’t easy to find.

Luo Xiaohe thought about it and agreed. She was puzzled though, asking, "Since we didn’t catch him in the act, how can you threaten him like this?"

Old Master Lan grinned, "He still has some pride, I guess. Once he loses his shame, he probably won’t care anymore. For now, we’ll just take advantage of him to do some work. It’s not a bad deal."

Luo Xiaohe nodded, "I see."

The two locked the doors, and Old Master Lan even secured the inner latch. Luo Xiaohe watched his actions and suddenly said, "You didn’t latch the inner lock today, did you do it on purpose?"

Old Master Lan put on a serious face, "How could that be? I couldn’t have predicted that he’d come to steal. He made his own bad choices; it’s not like I set out to trick him."

Luo Xiaohe laughed, saying to him, "You…"

She got it.

Old Master Lan laughed heartily as well, thoroughly enjoying himself.

In contrast to their joy, the Su family was shrouded in gloom. Wang Xiangxiu wrapped Jinlai's foot with gauze, frowning, "This won’t do; he needs to go to the hospital."

Su Jinlai's face was dark with anger. He felt utterly frustrated, looking down at his foot and thinking that life just wasn’t going well. He said, "Just make do for tonight, I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow."

He had tripped, stumbling all the way to the toilet, practically flying, considering he was running with an injury. Once in the toilet, he quickly pried off the mouse trap and threw it into the cesspit to destroy the evidence before limping back, his foot still piercingly painful.

That old man was ruthless, setting mouse traps at home. He’d seen some mean folks, but this one took the cake.

He, a completely innocent person, was being forced to work tomorrow.

Thinking of this, he let out a mournful sigh.

Su Tonglai looked at Jinlai’s foot and said, "Big Brother, this doesn’t look like an injury from falling; it seems more like a mouse trap got you."

As he spoke, he glanced at Jinlai again.

Jinlai retorted, "What mouse trap?"

His eyes darted around as he said, "It’s not that."

He coughed awkwardly, adding, "I just tripped."

Even with his own family, he refused to tell the truth.

Wang Xiangxiu sighed, asking, "Why can’t you just let me worry less? Tell me, did you go to steal from Old Master Lan's house?"

"No, I’m not that kind of person," Jinlai replied loudly, but mothers know their children best. Wang Xiangxiu didn’t believe his words. Looking at him, she said, "If you’re not that kind of person, why did you agree to work for Old Master Lan? You’re not the diligent type."

Jinlai protested stubbornly, "I respect the elderly, isn’t that allowed?"

Grunting heavily, he ignored his mother and brother, hopping back to his room and lying down, feeling the piercing pain in his foot. He shouted, "Mom, give me five yuan, I’ll go to the hospital tomorrow to check my foot."

It’s a classic case of stealing chicken only to lose the rice.

Wang Xiangxiu sighed again, saying, "Alright."

Their family didn’t have much savings, and Jinlai didn’t earn any money either, just squandering it. But she couldn’t help but care. After all, the injury was real, and if it wasn’t treated properly, it could lead to more suffering.

She fetched five yuan and handed it to Jinlai in the room, saying, "Let Tonglai accompany you to the hospital tomorrow."

With Tonglai there, she could feel a bit more at ease. Jinlai mumbled in response from the kang (heated brick bed), "No need, he’s got to go grovel before his teacher, right?"

Tonglai didn’t get upset, chuckling, "My grades are what they are, I need to figure out a way myself. Besides, helping my teacher with work isn’t wrong; how is that being a bootlicker? I don’t think so."

"That’s because you’re thick-skinned and not manly," Jinlai said, looking down on Tonglai for this trait. He disliked Yinlai for being honest, but he disliked Tonglai even more for being spineless.

Tonglai retorted, "Being manly or not isn’t just about what you say. Manhood isn’t measured by how much manliness you display, is it?"

Even when saying such things, Tonglai managed to stay cheerful, leaving his older brother Jinlai utterly exasperated.

"You, you, you…"

Tonglai added, "Big Brother, don’t get angry. Anger hurts the body, and your foot is already injured. I’ll take you to the hospital tomorrow morning. Afterward, you can go work for Old Master Lan, and I’ll go to my teacher’s place. Oh, by the way, Old Master Lan loves things to be lively. Remember to change the flowers in his vase for him."

Jinlai was furious:

"You, you, you…"

Tonglai continued, "Oh, and I promised…"

"Stop talking already!"

Jinlai covered his head with a blanket, not wanting to hear another word from this brother of his—he was a total loser, a big one at that.

Tonglai said, "Big Brother, pull the blanket down, I still have something to say."

Jinlai roared, "Get lost!"

Tonglai: "…"

What a hot temper!

Wang Xiangxiu was a bit worried, asking, "Tonglai, do you think Old Master Lan will be unhappy with your brother’s actions? With neighbors like us, if… it’s not good."

The unsaid part of her words was: Jinlai stealing.

Back when Wang Xiangxiu was young, she wasn’t afraid of trouble, but with life now stable, she didn’t want any more disturbances. People are like that—when life is full of ups and downs, they don’t fear trouble, as something or the other is always happening anyway.

But when things stabilize, they become more averse to any disruptions.

Wang Xiangxiu didn’t even realize that she was now actively consulting with her two sons, mainly her younger son Tonglai.

Tonglai reassured her, "It’s fine. I’ll go apologize to Old Master Lan tomorrow. I believe he didn’t want to pursue the matter, which is why he just asked Big Brother to work. Big Brother, don’t stir up trouble. Do a good job working for Old Master Lan; let’s make sure he sees our sincerity."

After a pause, he added, "Even rabbits don’t eat the grass near their nests, Big Brother. You’re a man, so do something decent. Stealing isn’t exactly manly, is it?"

"You!"

Jinlai found himself completely unable to argue with Tonglai. What was worse was that no matter how harsh he was, Tonglai didn’t get angry. It was infuriating.

"Even if you make a living with your body, I wouldn’t laugh at you. Stealing is just too low-class, tsk."

"You, you’re the low one, okay?"

Jinlai thought his brother had a screw loose. Earning money with his body?

He was a man, a big man!

Tonglai suggested, "Big Brother, why don’t you find a wealthy wife instead…"

"Get lost already."

Jinlai couldn’t take it anymore and stuffed cotton into his ears, refusing to listen!

Their family bickered endlessly, while others began to figure out what had happened. At the very least, Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei understood that Jinlai must have tried to steal from her grandfather’s house but failed. Ming Mei frowned, saying, "That rascal, he’s just asking for it. Such people just haven’t been put in their place enough. I think it’s about time I take action."

She clenched her fists, almost itching to punch someone.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled, "Oh, my dear wife, don’t get so worked up. It’s not worth it. Look, Grandfather Lan didn’t even care. With someone like Jinlai, you’d have to tie ten thousand of him together to outsmart Grandfather Lan."

He added, "It’s actually good that this guy caused trouble. It saves us from having to work. I was thinking we should inspect Grandfather Lan’s roof for repairs in the spring, but now, that’s one less thing to do."

Ming Mei playfully punched him, "What are you saying? Just looking to save yourself some work, huh?"

Zhuang Zhixi grinned, "Not at all."

He embraced his wife, and the two lay together on the kang, not feeling particularly sleepy. He said, “Hey wife, seriously, I’m not exaggerating here. Among the people in our courtyard, your grandfather and my mom, not many young folks can outsmart them. As their children, we don’t need to worry too much about them. Seeing them get into a bit of a scuffle is actually good for them, as the elderly most fear a lifeless existence. These minor confrontations, where they outwit each other, are actually beneficial.”

Ming Mei pinched his soft spot and said, “You, you…”

Zhuang Zhixi: “What I’m saying is all honest truth.”

Ming Mei thought about it and realized what he said actually made sense.

She let out a soft hum.

Zhuang Zhixi: “Oh, right, wife. Do you remember Xiao Xu from our office?”

Ming Mei nodded. “Yeah, the one with quite a few tricks up his sleeve and a serious case of marriage phobia.”

Zhuang Zhixi nodded and said, “That’s him. He wasn’t just a projectionist in our office, right? Recently, he’s taken a leave of absence to dive into the entrepreneurial seas.”

Ming Mei: “What?”

She stared in shock at Zhuang Zhixi, saying, “What a stable job he’s leaving behind!”

Even though in her dreams, Ming Mei knew some big changes were coming, and even the once-secure jobs of factory workers like them would eventually be phased out, seeing someone take such a bold step now still shocked her.

“Isn’t he being awfully reckless? What’s he planning to do?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “From what I heard, he’s going to open a restaurant.”

Ming Mei burst out laughing, nearly spitting out her words. “A restaurant? A film projectionist opening a restaurant? That doesn’t quite align, does it? Perhaps someone like li chef from our courtyard would be more fitting to open a restaurant.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “Well, he was pressured by his family to marry a female comrade. It’s said that she comes from a long line of cooks, so he’s following her lead, as a couple working together to run the restaurant. Wife, think about it—with policies changing, even those coveted stable jobs are being abandoned. How much more might things transform in the future?”

Ming Mei blinked her big eyes, looking at Zhuang Zhixi. “Do you have ideas about this, too?”

If not, he wouldn’t have casually brought it up.

Zhuang Zhixi chuckled and said, “You truly understand me, my wife. Honestly, I’m not thinking of immediately taking a leave of absence to venture out just yet. It’s more about feeling inspired by this. I’m contemplating, though, that if the right opportunity arises, I might make such a decision.”

This was just a casual talk. Leaning close to his wife, he whispered, “Our company is pretty good, and the public relations department is fine too, but in places like ours, seniority definitely plays a crucial role. Although I’ve made some achievements in the publicity department, when it comes to qualifications, I’m really not up there. If it boils down to promotion, the chances aren’t looking too good for me. Truthfully, I don’t want to spend my whole life as a seasoned office veteran.”

He continued, “I think Xiao Xu’s decision to leave his stable job isn’t without considerations like these. Although he’s a bit calculating and shrewd, and we haven’t always seen eye to eye, I know he’s ambitious. Being held back and not being valued in the office must have made him reconsider, right?”

Ming Mei nodded, saying, “That’s true. If you do have thoughts about taking a leave of absence, I’d support you. We’ve managed to save a bit, so our life won’t be too bad; worst case, we’ll just shamelessly leech off our parents for food.”

At this, Zhuang Zhixi spoke in a hushed tone. “Oh, right, there’s another thing.”

He leaned in close to Ming Mei’s ear, even though they were in a room alone. He whispered, “Do you recall when we divided the family property, and Big Brother had to pay us back three hundred yuan for taking an extra room?”

Ming Mei nodded. “That was a fair price.”

Zhuang Zhixi frowned slightly and said in a low voice, “Mom, though, seemed to think we got the short end of the stick.”

Ming Mei sat up abruptly, asking, “How so?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “Quiet down.”

He leaned closer to her ear, lowering his voice even more. “Mom secretly told me that if I ever needed money, she’d help out, but told me not to mention it to Big Brother. It’s like a private compensation for us.”

He winked at his wife, saying, “Isn’t Mom quite mysterious? She didn’t even specify how much, just told me to talk to her if I needed funds. I jokingly asked once, what if it’s eight or ten thousand?”

Good heavens, that’s ten thousand yuan! That was unheard of back when the property was divided. It’s only been in the last couple of years that such a concept surfaced.

Zhuang Zhixi continued, excitement seeping through his tone despite his confusion. “Mom just gave me a deep look and didn’t say a word. She didn’t say anything at all! Isn’t that terrifying!”

The subtext here is, she has it.

Incredible to fathom.

Zhuang Zhixi: “Do you think Mom’s found a hidden gold mine? I really don’t get her. That moment literally scared me so much I didn’t even dare mention it to you.”

The policies hadn’t changed back then, just these past two years. That’s why Zhuang Zhixi felt comfortable sharing this with his wife.

Ming Mei opened her eyes wide. “Oh, my mother!”

Zhuang Zhixi: “That old lady, so secretive.”

Ming Mei nodded vigorously. “Right, it really is.”

She scratched her head, feeling she indeed was short-sighted. Although she could dream about some weird, fantastical things, mostly directly related to herself, she couldn’t predict other things. Observing her mother-in-law’s behavior made her realize how much housing prices were going to soar.

Otherwise, her mother-in-law wouldn’t have held the belief they were shortchanged.

Ming Mei: “So how do you see this?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “How do I see it? If I decide to take a leave of absence, I’ll turn to Mom. She’s offered to help, so why wouldn’t I take it? We’re all family, not outsiders. There’s no need to be so formal.”

He added, “Moreover, since Mom treats me well, I’m not ungrateful. No matter how she feels about me, she’s still my mother. I’ll always look out for her. These years, when it comes to food and drink, our two families have kids always around Mom and Dad’s place. They’ve never complained about us.”

Ming Mei: “Understood.”

She felt especially lucky to have her mother-in-law. That’s not an exaggeration. These years, they’ve managed to save this much money entirely due to the help from their in-laws. Plus, her own parents also supported them. Both sets of elders were wonderful, enabling young couples like them to live comfortably. Otherwise, life would’ve been far more arduous, even as dual-income households.

Ming Mei leaned onto Zhuang Zhixi and said, “I’m really grateful to the older generations.”

She paused. “You know, why do you think our parents-in-law have so much money?”

Zhuang Zhixi: “No idea. Who knows? I really can’t figure Mom out.”

Ming Mei thought, *Even I, with my dream-reading abilities, can’t figure her out. You certainly won’t!*

She snuggled into Zhuang Zhixi’s embrace and said, “Never mind, there’s no point in worrying about that. I think Mom is the wisest. We just follow where she leads.”

Zhuang Zhixi: “Oh, my obedient wife.”

Ming Mei: “Exactly, I’m someone who’s happy to let others worry for me.”

Zhuang Zhixi laughed, saying, “That’s good.”

Later at night, as they chatted about these various topics—though they hadn’t immediately pocketed the money—her mother-in-law’s words made their hearts feel warmed. Feeling favoritism is quite comforting indeed.

Ming Mei: “Let’s sleep.”

“Sleep? Why not do something else instead…”

“You’re annoying.”

“I don’t think so…”

Soon, they were rustling around, as is often the way of married couples—seeking joy in each other. At their age, if they weren’t thinking about such things, it would be strange indeed. Outside it was cold, but inside, things were heated up…

As ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‍expected, they overslept. Both Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei barely had time for breakfast before hurriedly washing up and heading out. They bought some deep-fried dough sticks from a street vendor at an alley corner, eating as they walked. Don’t underestimate this tiny street stall—the business was booming.

Li Chef had once calculated for them—even after covering all the miscellaneous costs, this little stall could easily rake in a hundred and fifty to sixty yuan a month, not far off from their office jobs. He was envious, but given his stable job, he didn’t have the nerve to try such a thing. The sheer jealousy ate at him.

Zhuang Zhixi wasn't concerned about what others thought; for them, things had become much more convenient.

After buying the fried dough sticks, the couple left, and their son, Tuantuan, came over with a small bowl to buy soy milk and fried dough sticks. This morning meal, relying on his parents was out of the question. Uncle Lin at the fried dough stick stand filled his bowl to the brim and said, "Be careful."

Tuantuan nodded, "Got it, Grandpa Lin."

As he carried the soy milk and fried dough sticks back, he saw Su Tonglai supporting Su Jinlai, who was limping. Su Tonglai cheerfully greeted, "Tuantuan, out buying breakfast again?"

Tuantuan replied, "Yeah."

He looked at Su Jinlai's foot and said, "Isn't that gonna be a limp?"

Su Jinlai, hearing this, puffed up with anger, "Get lost, you little brat, what are you saying?"

He really was just as annoying as his family.

Su Tonglai interjected, "Brother, what are you saying? You're such an adult, why pick on a kid? He's still a child."

Su Jinlai: "..."

He didn't much like hearing that.

So what if he's a kid.

Su Tonglai: "Tuantuan, hurry home. Brother, take it easy. The kid's right, walk properly, don't limp. You already don't have a job, if you limp, that's it. You won't even get a wife."

Su Jinlai: "You little punk, you my brother? Don't jinx me."

The two brothers muttered and left. Tuantuan shrank his neck; he had been deliberately provocative, but clearly, Su Tonglai had been even more so.

He carried the bowl to the main house. Zhao Guihua said, "Brought it back? Go call your brother Hutou and sister Yanzi."

Tuantuan stood at the door and yelled, "Brother! Sister!"

Hutou came out with messy hair, saying, "Coming, coming."

He complained to his little cousin, "I studied until ten last night. While you all watched TV, I was studying. By the time you all dispersed, I still hadn't finished. Then in the middle of the night, someone pulled a prank like Zhou stealing chickens. I didn't sleep well all night."

Tuantuan blinked, looking sympathetic towards his cousin.

Hutou: "Tuantuan, do you think my dad, your uncle, is crazy? He didn't even pass the college entrance exam, how does he think I can? I'm clearly not as good as him. How can a son be better than his father?"

He didn't care that he was still in the courtyard, continuously pouring out his grievances to his little cousin.

Tuantuan found school quite interesting, but his older cousin's situation was indeed a bit tough. He sincerely said, "But I'm just a kid, I can't help."

Hutou: "I know, I just want to vent. Being a high school senior is too hard."

Hutou and Yanzi came to the main house together, and everyone gathered to eat breakfast. Yanzi was delighted, "Grandma, I knew there would be good food here."

Zhao Guihua: "What did your mom prepare this morning?"

Although they were still eating in the main house, strictly speaking, it was dinner. Their breakfast was prepared by their respective families, and lunch was at the cafeteria. Only dinner was shared together. However, the four children from the two households, Hutou and Yanzi from the eldest, Tuantuan and Yuanyuan from the third, always ate here.

Zhao Guihua sometimes made porridge and steamed buns in the morning or bought ready-made food, and the kids enjoyed it.

When Zhao Guihua asked about breakfast, Hutou quickly responded, "Mom heated up veggie pancakes, no meat. Not good."

Yanzi complained painfully, "We've had it for six days straight. Mom makes veggie pancakes every morning. I can't take it anymore; I feel green just thinking about it."

As Liang Meifen had to work, she didn't have much time in the morning, so she resorted to simple meals like heating up veggie pancakes every day. She had once made radish pancakes and had them for ten days straight, or steamed sweet potatoes for eight days in a row, causing her to emit gas at work daily.

So, although Liang Meifen had it easy, the kids got sick of the same food. Now, the two children were determined to sneak in for meals, shamelessly doing so.

Regardless of how Liang Meifen simplified, Zhao Guihua didn't meddle. Like when Ming Mei often had no time to cook and would buy breakfast, Zhao Guihua didn't intervene. To many, this was considered wasteful, but Zhao Guihua didn't think much of it.

Although they were her daughters-in-law, she didn't interfere and enjoyed the peace. Meddling too much would only make herself angry.

Besides, she genuinely thought it wasn't a big deal, as she herself liked buying breakfast.

She said, "Alright, your mom can do as she pleases; you all hurry up and eat. After breakfast, go do what you need to do."

Hutou almost cried, "More cramming."

Yanzi sympathetically patted her brother's shoulder, while Hutou lamented, "I bear too much."

Yanzi asked, "Grandma, what are you doing today?"

Zhao Guihua: "I have something important."

Yuanyuan, who had been quietly eating, looked up like a little mouse and whispered, "Grandma's setting someone up."

"Oh?"

Zhao Guihua: "It's Li Weiwei."

Li Weiwei was just eighteen, but after finishing middle school, he learned to cook and could now cook professionally, thanks to the diligent teaching of his family, Chef Li. Although he was currently a temporary worker at the canteen, his formal hiring was just a matter of time.

Despite his young age, this young man was eager to find a partner. His older brother, Li Junjun, hadn't even found one yet, but Li Weiwei was already in a hurry.

Although Aunt Wang was a matchmaker, it wasn't appropriate for her to introduce her own grandson. So, she approached Zhao Guihua. Li Weiwei had already taken a liking to someone named Guan Hong from their factory. Guan Hong was the same age as Li Weiwei and had been classmates in middle school.

Having taken a liking to her, Li Weiwei sought someone to mediate, and that's how Zhao Guihua got involved.

After some investigation, Zhao Guihua found that Guan Hong's family was neither too poor nor too rich, a bit below Aunt Wang's family but not inferior. It was also learned that Guan Hong was a humble and sincere girl.

Of course, the main reason Zhao Guihua agreed was that Li Weiwei had already taken a liking to her.

Today was the day for them to meet. Zhao Guihua looked at the two little ones and said, "You two go home today; don't hang around here looking for excitement. This isn't something kids should get involved in, understand?"

Tuantuan and Yuanyuan nodded seriously, their eyes round and innocent.

Zhao Guihua: "Kids should just focus on studying; this isn't something you should meddle in."

"Got it."

Oddly, while events unfold with that youthful look prominently imparitio

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Hutou sighed bitterly, "I'm even older than Li Weiwei, and he's already looking for a partner, while I'm still in high school. It's so tough."

Zhao Guihua: "Li Junjun is even older than you, and he hasn't found one yet. Does finding a partner have anything to do with age? It's all about fate."

In fact, Zhao Guihua could guess that Li Junjun wasn't looking for a partner because he had feelings for Yanzi, but she didn't reciprocate. And since she was only in her first year of high school, she was too young to think about relationships.

Therefore, Zhao Guihua didn't bring up Li Junjun's matter, and neither did Chef Li nor Aunt Wang.

At least during high school, everyone had an unspoken agreement not to bring it up, as Yanzi wasn't focused on that and was mainly focused on her studies. So, the family naturally wouldn't let her get distracted by these matters.

Chef Li and his family also understood this.

Getting into high school was no easy feat, and they wouldn't be so insensitive as to affect her college entrance exam.

As for future matters, those could be dealt with later. No one could predict how things would turn out, so discussing them now was premature. As for what Li Junjun thought or planned to do, others didn't know.

Li Junjun was more persistent, while Li Weiwei, wanting to find a partner, had his family's support and had even sought Zhao Guihua's help.

Today, Li Weiwei was going on a blind date, so the kids were sent away. Hutou was sent away too; he was supposed to go for extra lessons anyway. Even if it weren't for this, he would have to go out. After all, as young men, things could go wrong, and he might be taken a liking to, which would be troublesome.

Such incidents weren't rare.

TuanTuan and YuanYuan were sent away early in the morning. Instead of going home, the two of them darted straight to their grandpa Lan Sihai's place. Lan Sihai took the two little ones to Tianqiao to listen to crosstalk, and Old Man Zhuang happened to see them and joined in.

In the past, he was like an old ox, quietly working hard and dedicating himself to his family's children. But after retiring and wandering around with Lan Sihai a few times, he found some hobbies. Not that he became an expert, but just enjoying the simple pleasures of life.

The two elderly men took the kids out, while Zhao Guihua quickly tidied up the house and then left. She had agreed to meet the woman at a nearby grocery store. With the current policies, the streets were now lined with more shops.

Zhao Guihua arrived early and stood by the grocery store. As she glanced inside unintentionally, she suddenly froze.

Her gaze lingered on a pot of flower for a long time. It was a pot ofClivia. Zhao Guihua gazed at the clivia for a while before finally looking away. People, when they get older, always reminisce about past events. In her previous life, her third son had made a fortune trading these flowers.

Now, when she calculated the time, it wasn't far off. In her previous life, he had started trading clivia in 1982. However, at the beginning, no one expected these flowers to be valuable. He was purely doing it for aesthetics.

Initially, it was just for beauty, but as the price rose, by 1984, the price went crazy.

The continuous rise was shocking, and even Zhao Guihua, an old lady who knew nothing about it, was caught up in the frenzy. It was like being in a hot pot of oil, and she became an impulsive gambler, unable to break free.

She recalled that her third son eventually stopped because of Lan Sihai. She didn't know what Lan Sihai had talked to Zhuang Zhixi about, but after being locked in his room for a day and night, Zhuang Zhixi decided to sell all his clivias.

At the time, they took a train to sell the flowers and faced several risks.

However, Zhuang Zhixi eventually sold the clivias. He didn't sell at the peak, but it was very close. Not long after selling the clivias, the price began to fall, eventually becoming worthless.

It was truly devastating, and the drastic ups and downs were said to have driven some people insane.

It wasn't just a term for cursing; it was a real, exaggerated reaction.

Zhao Guihua had almost forgotten about all this, but seeing the clivia brought it all back. In this lifetime, she wondered if her third son would once again get involved with these flowers. She thought he probably would, unless someone intervened. She felt that many people's lives wouldn't deviate much from their previous ones.

She stood in front of the shop window, deep in thought, when an old lady led a young woman over. This woman was the prospective bride, Guan Hong.

"Aunt Zhao."

Zhao Guihua: "Sister Li, this must be Guan Hong? I'm Zhao Guihua, you can call me Aunt Zhao..."

She quickly got into the role. Introducing people for marriage is something that can be important or not, depending on the situation. She led them to the courtyard, explaining Li Weiwei's situation. Li Weiwei and Guan Hong were junior high school classmates, so they weren't strangers.

"His family is in the courtyard..."

The matchmaker for Guan Hong's side was her aunt, Aunt Guan, who asked, "So, they don't have their own house?"

Zhao Guihua: "They mentioned that if both parties agree and get married, they will give the room currently occupied by their youngest daughter to the newlyweds. Then, they will divide a space from their own room for the daughter."

Aunt Guan, hearing there would be a room, nodded slightly.

Regardless of how it was arranged, as long as there was a room for the couple, that was fine.

She asked, "So, the groom has an older brother?"

Zhao Guihua: "Yes, the older brother has a job at the railway repair section."

Aunt Guan kept asking about various details, while Guan Hong remained silent. They followed Zhao Guihua to the courtyard, where the sound of hammering was heard. Guan Hong was surprised, and Zhao Guihua explained, "This is Grandpa Lan's house. They're building a flowerbed. Come, let's go to my place."

Grandpa Lan was out, but Luo Xiaohe was there, directing Su Jinlai to build the small flowerbed.

Today, both the bride and groom had taken leave for the blind date. You see, these kinds of meetings were best not arranged on weekends, as there would be too many people. Their courtyard neighbors loved to watch the excitement, so it was better to have fewer people around.

Zhao Guihua: "This way."

Guan Hong looked at Su Jinlai, who had just come back from the hospital but was immediately drafted into labor. He wanted to save face, so naturally, he couldn't refuse. If he didn't show up, given Grandpa Lan's temperament, he might shout it out to the whole courtyard. Su Jinlai still lived in the courtyard and didn't want to earn a bad reputation. So, as soon as he returned, he obediently started working, even with a wounded foot.

He worked with a hurt foot, and Guan Hong frowned, saying, "This comrade is injured, how can he still be working?"

Zhao Guihua was a bit stunned by her remark. Whether he worked or not had nothing to do with her.

Zhao Guihua: "It shouldn't be a problem, right?"

She looked at Su Jinlai and said, "If he feels uncomfortable, he would say so, wouldn't he? Come inside."

Guan Hong looked at Su Jinlai again and said, "He looks familiar."

Without knowing why, Zhao Guihua immediately had a bad feeling, a feeling that shot straight to her scalp. She coughed lightly and said nothing. She looked at Aunt Guan, who quickly said, "You're here to meet your future husband, don't pay attention to other people."

Guan Hong pursed her lips and followed them inside.

At that moment, Aunt Wang and Li Weiwei also entered, and the room became lively. Li Weiwei blushed, shyly looking at Guan Hong. Although he usually talked a lot, during this serious blind date, he was unusually quiet.

Zhao Guihua: "You're both familiar with each other, so this blind date..."

Before she could finish, there was a loud banging noise outside. Zhao Guihua: "I'll go see."

As soon as she stepped out, she saw Su Jinlai taking off his shirt and wearing only a sleeveless undershirt while working. The banging was him moving stones. Despite having a wounded foot, wrapped tightly, he acted as if he were quite nonchalant.

Zhao Guihua: "You're going to die! It's so cold, why are you taking off your clothes? How inappropriate would that be for young ladies to see?"

Su Jinlai remained calm and smugly said, "What are you talking about? I'm still wearing a sleeveless undershirt. In summer, this is how everyone dresses. Is that considered taking off clothes? I don't think so."

He was intentional. Although he wasn't particularly skilled at anything and always seemed to be on the wrong side of luck, he thought he looked better than Li Weiwei. Even though no one had told him directly, he still wanted to show off a bit, just to cause some trouble.

It wasn't that he wanted to steal Li Weiwei's prospective wife, but he just wanted to show off and give them some discomfort.

He didn't have a particular grudge against Aunt Wang, but he couldn't stand seeing others living better than him in the courtyard. Having gone to the countryside and done hard labor, he did have some muscle. Wearing just a sleeveless undershirt, he worked vigorously.

Guan Hong peeked out and looked again.

Zhao Guihua: This is going south!

Li Weiwei: "This is a neighborhood rascal in our courtyard. He spent several years in a juvenile reformatory and, after returning from the countryside, doesn't have a job. He just wanders around all day. I don't know how Grandpa Lan manages him, but he's working for their family now."

He was telling the truth. This wasn't him badmouthing someone; he just thought that if he and Guan Hong got together, she would have to interact with people in the courtyard. So, he was willing to explain the situation to her.

But Guan Hong thought otherwise. She immediately frowned and said, "How can you do that? Backstabbing someone like this is not the behavior of a gentleman. Your actions are very petty. Although he might have some flaws, a prodigal son who has repented is as good as gold. I don't believe that someone who still helps neighbors with a wounded foot can be that bad. But you, talking behind his back, are truly not a gentleman."

She looked Li Weiwei up and down with even more disdain and said, "I don't think we're quite suited to each other. I don't see any point in continuing this blind date."

She had just arrived and hadn't even had a sip of water yet. And she was already unhappy.

Li Weiwei was completely stunned. He had assumed this blind date was a sure thing, since both parties knew each other. If they were willing to come, there must have been some positive factors involved. But he never expected things to turn out like this upon first meeting.

He immediately looked to his grandmother for help, then quickly turned to the matchmaker.

Zhao Guihua quickly said, "Guan Hong, I think you've misunderstood Li Weiwei. He didn't mean any harm by speaking frankly. He was just being honest, not trying to say anything malicious. After all, if you two were to really get together, as neighbors, it would be necessary to be clear about..."

"You're the matchmaker, of course you're going to side with him. I don't think this blind date is going anywhere."

Guan Hong seemed determined. She glanced out the window again and said, "I don't think I'm suited to Li Weiwei. The kind of man I want isn't like this."

She did know Li Weiwei, but looking at him, she could tell he was the type of man who lived a simple, uneventful life. That was exactly the type of man she least wanted. She wanted someone who could bring passion and excitement into her life.

She coughed and said, "I'm leaving first."

Aunt Guan's expression changed, "What are you talking about, girl? This blind date was going just fine. Are you really unhappy just because of some neighborly affairs? Where's the logic in that?"

In her opinion, their family's conditions were not as good as Li Weiwei's family's. Since Li Weiwei had actively sought someone to arrange this blind date, it showed he was interested in Guan Hong. This was a good situation. At the very least, Li Weiwei would likely treat Guan Hong well in the future.

But now this girl was saying such nonsense.

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"Guan Hong, you came here for a blind date, don't..."

Guan Hong said firmly, "I thought I could just settle for any man to live my life with, but I found out I can't. What I really want is passionate love. The moment I saw him, I knew I couldn't convince myself."

Zhao Guihua: "???"

Why does this sound so unpleasant?

Li Weiwei: Confused.

Aunt Guan: Disaster!

Guan Hong looked at Zhao Guihua and said directly, "I know all you matchmakers are just trying to make a little money. Since you're going to introduce someone anyway, why don't you introduce me to that man outside! I think he's better. After all, introducing anyone is still an introduction, right?"

Zhao Guihua: "!!!"

What on earth are you talking about?

What exactly are you saying?

She felt that she had lived so long and had never encountered such a situation before. Although matchmaking is a matter of personal preference, you can't just change partners right in front of the man's face at the last minute like this.

Moreover, how did she come to think Su Jinlai was better?

Zhao Guihua felt like she was completely stunned—completely and utterly stunned.

Besides, what did she mean by "just trying to make a little money"? She wasn't doing this for the money at all.

She said, "Hey, how can you talk like that, young lady? Where does such a thing happen in matchmaking?"

Guan Hong: "In any case, I object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object, object."

She said no more and turned to leave.

Li Weiwei: "What the hell!"

He was now completely exasperated. It wasn't so much at Guan Hong, but he directly went outside and shouted at Su Jinlai, "Su Jinlai. Are you deliberately sabotaging my marriage?"

Su Jinlai: "???"

In fact, he didn't know what was going on either!

Could it be that just wearing a tank top and showing some shoulders could win a woman's heart?

Isn't that way too easy to attract someone?

He hadn't even done anything yet!

It's just, I have great charm!

Li Weiwei was furious, while Su Jinlai was overjoyed.

Zhao Guihua slapped her forehead: The storm begins again!