The old lady sighed after hearing Zhang Hongmei's words. No one could persuade her about this problem; only she herself had figured it out.

The next morning, after breakfast, the children still went up the mountain. Zhang Hongmei didn't stop them. If they wanted to, she would let them. It was a rare opportunity for the children to relax.

Liu Jianguo didn't go back today either. He took a few days off, intending to stay in his hometown a few more days.

When I got home this morning, I tidied up the house inside and out. My parents have been gone for so many years, and I haven't been able to come back. It's always my aunt next door who helps tidy up the yard, otherwise it would probably be completely abandoned.

Zhang Hongmei had nothing to do today, so she thought she'd go out for a stroll. She took Lu Jing and Liu Xu with her in a minivan to the countryside.

I suddenly thought of Li Juying. She must have retired after all these years. After thinking about it, I decided to go to the countryside to visit her.

She knocked on the door of the Women's Federation office, and there were only two young people inside. Zhang Hongmei smiled awkwardly, apologized, and left.

Yes, that's right, it's been almost ten years. It's about time I reached retirement age.

The three of them went to the supply and marketing cooperative. There were many more things inside than before. Zhang Hongmei walked around and bought a lot of things, mostly food, and also bought a lot of condiments.

"Shall we go to the county and take a look?"

Lu Jing and Liu Xu certainly wouldn't object; they were fine with anything. They could go anywhere.

They arrived in the county at noon. "Let's go eat and try the food at a restaurant."

There's a lot more available now, they even have pig's trotters, I ordered two, plus sauerkraut stewed tofu, a bowl of steamed egg custard, and three bowls of rice.

"You two hurry up and eat, I think it's pretty good," Zhang Hongmei urged the two of them, while she herself lowered her head and ate.

I haven't eaten out for many years, but I think the food is still pretty good. The chef is skilled; the braised pig's trotters are tender and flavorful.

After lunch, the three of them went to the supply and marketing cooperative and remembered the waiter named Xiao Jiang.

But after looking around, I couldn't find it. Does that mean they're quitting too? This was a great job.

"Comrade, could you tell me if there's a saleswoman named Xiao Jiang?"

"Hmm? Our director's surname is Jiang, and there are no other surnames with that surname."

"Oh? I wonder if your director is here?"

The waiters nowadays are different from before; they're no longer indifferent. Their service attitude has improved a lot, so Zhang Hongmei wasn't annoyed by what she said.

"Our director is here. Wait a moment, I'll go get him for you."

A moment later, Zhang Hongmei smiled as she looked at Xiao Jiang who came out.

"Are you Zhang Hongmei?"

"Yes, Sister Jiang still recognizes me?"

"You haven't changed much? Of course I recognize you! Okay then?"

"I'm bringing the kids back to stay for a few days. I'll come visit you whenever I have time."

"Come on, come sit in my office for a while."

The three followed Xiao Jiang into the office.

Who are these two?

"They are my friends."

“Hongmei, it’s been twelve or thirteen years since we last saw each other. You’re still the same as ever, you’re dazzling to my eyes.”

"Sister Jiang, you've aged quite a bit. Are you worried about this?"

"No, things weren't peaceful at home. I got divorced the year before last. I'm already thirty-two, how can I not look old?"

"If you can't live together, you can get a divorce. It's nothing. Who gets custody of the children?"

"I can't have a child, and I've been to many hospitals but they can't find anything wrong. Their family keeps saying it's my fault, that I don't know how to carry a child."

But they found another young, unmarried woman, and after two years of marriage, she still hasn't gotten pregnant.

"Didn't you look for it again?"

Xiao Jiang shook her head. "I'm not interested in that anymore. I'm fine living on my own. If I were to find someone else, wouldn't I just be a stepmother? I'd have to take care of the old and manage the young, and I wouldn't even get any benefits. How could I possibly be so upset?"

"Haha, you're still the same Little Jiang from back then."

"And you?"

"I'm doing fine, I have four children. They're all nine years old this year."

"Hehehe, what good fortune. You're in the capital, aren't you?"

"Yes, I live in the capital."

"Is there anything you need to buy today? I'll figure something out for you. Although supplies are much better than before, we still lack good stuff."

Zhang Hongmei shook her head. "I don't need anything. I just came out for a stroll because I was bored, and I thought of you so I came to see you."

"I'm fine. I eat alone, and my family isn't hungry."

"Sis, you should find someone else. You'll have a companion when you get old. Or I can introduce you to someone?"

"Haha, you want to be a matchmaker?"

“It’s my brother. He’s been divorced for seven or eight years and hasn’t remarried. He has a son who lives in the capital with his grandparents. He works at a cotton mill in the city. Let me tell you, my brother is very honest.”

"Hehe, that sounds pretty good. Okay, if there's a chance, I'll have him come here to see me. We'll meet. We're on the same page. If we like each other, great. If not, that's fine too."

"Hehe, okay, my sister Jiang is still as straightforward as ever."

Zhang Hongmei found it amusing; she really did have the potential to be a matchmaker.

"Sister Jiang, I have to go back now. I'll have my older brother come to see you tomorrow."

Xiao Jiang saw them off, and the three of them didn't buy anything before driving home.

"Lu Jing, do you think I'm addicted to being a matchmaker? I was really bored today, and I just felt like staying at home all the time was meaningless, so I thought I'd go out for a walk. I never expected that I could introduce a girl to my brother Jianguo."

Lu Jing and Liu Xu both smiled. "Madam, perhaps it's their destiny."

"Actually, I've always really liked Sister Jiang. Don't you think her temperament is a bit like Wang Ying's?"

Lu Jing nodded. "They're all straightforward people."

They were overjoyed, but the children on the mountain were exceptionally excited.

They had given up hope for the day and were planning to head down the mountain after lunch. It had been three days in a row, and they hadn't even seen a wild boar.

They lingered by the pool, thinking that it wasn't easy to come up here, and decided to go down the mountain in another direction.

Perhaps their luck had finally turned. Before they even reached the halfway point of the mountain, they ran into the wild boar.

Then, Gu Yaozu, who had been hanging his head in dejection, charged over with a roar.

It was a huge wild boar, weighing several hundred pounds. Its sharp tusks even seemed to be gleaming.

"Boss, I'll go first, you guys watch." Gu Yaozu said, drawing his machete and rushing forward.

The bodyguards also gathered around; this was a situation that couldn't be allowed to go wrong, otherwise even the old commander would have been furious.

Zhang Ruifeng was rubbing his hands together, eager to go up in a bit.

The Zhang brothers, Zhenye and Weiyu, usually don't make a move at this time, not because they don't want to, but because they don't have the opportunity. Those two warmongers would definitely be at the forefront.