Chapter 60 left Yang Shulin speechless with disbelief...
Yang Shulin stared at Tian Zhaodi in disbelief: "Mom?!"
Has his mother gone mad? How could she tell him to marry that ugly woman, Lu Fang?
Tian Zhaodi frowned, pulled Yang Shulin aside and whispered, "Son, listen to me, Lu Fang may not be pretty, but she's rich! Didn't you see how rich her family is today? That big house! All the furnishings! Washing machine, TV, refrigerator, good heavens, if you marry her, all of that will be yours!"
Yang Shulin's lips moved as if he wanted to refute, but in the end he said nothing.
Lu Fang's family is indeed well-off.
Seeing that he was wavering, Tian Zhaodi continued, "Besides, that brat Lu Fang is so fond of you. Even if you say such harsh things, she still insists on throwing herself at you. So after you two get married, won't she just do whatever you say without even daring to hesitate?"
Yang Shulin thought for a moment, then nodded casually, "That's about right."
He thought narcissistically that, although he didn't want to admit it, it was the truth: his charm was too great, and Lu Fang simply couldn't say no to him.
Tian Zhaodi: "Most importantly, son, think about it. Lu Fang is the only daughter in the Lu family. After Lu Fang and her husband die, won't all these things be yours? When that time comes, if you want to divorce Lu Fang, no one can stop you, don't you think?"
Yang Shulin continued thinking along the lines of Tian Zhaodi's words.
Once the old couple of the Lu family are dead, everything in the Lu family will be his. Then he'll kick Lu Fang out of the house, marry a young and beautiful wife, and have several big, fat sons...
"hey-hey……"
Yang Shulin just thought about it for a moment, and then burst out laughing with delight.
But when he looked up and saw Lu Fang's face, he couldn't help but turn his head away.
No, it's still too ugly. He can't even imagine living with this face every day from now on.
Yang Shulin: "No, Mom, I still can't stand it. Lu Fang is too ugly."
Tian Zhaodi: "So what if I'm ugly!"
She was disappointed in him.
If Lu Fang weren't so ugly, they wouldn't have gotten a chance!
Tian Zhaodi: "So what if my wife is a little ugly? She's from the city, she's rich, and she has a job! At most, you can just close your eyes when you're doing 'that'!"
Yang Shulin's face instantly turned red: "Mom, why are you just like Lu Fang, saying whatever comes to mind!"
Seeing Yang Shulin and Tian Zhaodi chatting in the corner for a long time, Lu Fang impatiently spoke up: "Hey, are you two done talking? Are you going to pay back the money or marry me? Hurry up, I don't have that much time to waste with you."
Tian Zhaodi smiled apologetically, "I'll be done soon, Xiao Fang, please wait a little longer."
Thinking that Yang Shulin and Lu Fang would be able to live a good life after they got married, she became more friendly towards Lu Fang.
Tian Zhaodi's smiling face turned pale the instant she turned away. She glared at Yang Shulin and said, "Would you rather marry Lu Fang, live a good life as a city dweller, or have our family burdened with a huge debt, toiling from dawn till dusk to pay back the money we owe Lu Fang?"
Yang Shulin: "I..."
Tian Zhaodi: "What do you mean, 'you pay back'? Your father and I are so old, do you really expect us to work hard in the fields with you to help you pay off your debts?"
She pointed angrily at Yang Shulin and said, "It's only because I'm not a man that I don't have anything to do with you! If I were a man, what business would it be of yours?"
Yang Shulin: "??? Mom?"
Tian Zhaodi: "Don't call me Mom. I'm not your mom. I don't have a son like you who doesn't appreciate a good life but insists on living a poor one!"
Yang Shulin was bewildered by Tian Zhaodi's sudden change of attitude and had forgotten that the reason he owed Lu Fang three hundred yuan was because Tian Zhaodi had spent that three hundred yuan of his dowry.
He was brainwashed by Tian Zhaodi's words and was thinking, why should he not have a good life and instead drag his parents through a hard life?
After hesitating for a long time, Yang Shulin finally gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and nodded in agreement: "Mom, I agree to marry Lu Fang!"
Tian Zhaodi smiled so hard her eyes narrowed into slits: "Oh, you're right to agree!"
She patted Yang Shulin on the shoulder and whispered, "Don't worry, Mom remembers your sacrifice. After the two old people in the Lu family pass away, Mom will definitely help you find a young and beautiful wife!"
Yang Shulin glanced at the energetic Lu's parents and couldn't help but wonder, "These two old people look healthier than me. Will he really not pass away before them?"
However, he still nodded: "Mom, you have to promise me that you'll find me a beautiful wife in the future!"
"Mmm, don't worry." Tian Zhaodi nodded perfunctorily, then pulled Yang Shulin to Lu Fang's side: "We've discussed it, Shulin is willing to marry you."
Yang Shulin nodded with his eyes closed, looking unwilling, as if he were being forced to go to the battlefield, with a tragic air of sacrificing himself for righteousness.
He truly felt in his heart that he was a great man who sacrificed his own happiness for his family.
Mingxi couldn't help but pout when she saw him like that.
He appears so unwilling; anyone who doesn't know better might think he's incredibly aloof.
Lu Fang was also unhappy. She slapped Yang Shulin on the back: "Open your eyes! Isn't marrying me a good thing? Who are you trying to impress with your eyes closed and that long face?"
Her slap nearly knocked Yang Shulin to the ground. Yang Shulin staggered, instinctively yelling, "You!"
Lu Fang: "What do you mean 'you'? Let me tell you, if you want to marry me, then you're mine. So cheer up and stop looking so unhappy like you're unwilling. If you're really not happy, then let's not get married. You can just give me back my dowry."
Upon hearing this, Tian Zhaodi quickly tugged at Yang Shulin's sleeve.
Yang Shulin had no choice but to force a smile: "No, you misunderstood, I'm not unhappy."
Lu Fang glanced at him and snorted, "That's more like it."
She pulled Yang Shulin along, saying, "Let's go home and into our bridal chamber."
Mingxi choked and coughed violently: "Cough cough cough—"
Her colleagues following behind her were also coughing.
It's still broad daylight, are they already going to the bridal chamber?
No, it's not about whether it's daytime or not, but that they all know Lu Fang is going to have her wedding night with Yang Shulin. Is that really okay?
Yang Shulin was extremely embarrassed. His face turned red, and he grabbed Lu Fang, saying, "What nonsense are you talking about! What do you mean by going to the bridal chamber!"
Lu Fang said nonchalantly, "So what? Who doesn't consummate their marriage and do 'that'? You're so shy, are you impotent?"
At this point, she paused, "You're not really impotent, are you? I got married to do 'that,' and if you really can't, then I'm not doing it! I can't buy a mule with three hundred dollars!"
Mingxi couldn't help but chuckle. Mules are infertile, so her comment about Yang Shulin was clearly meant to make fun of him.
Yang Shulin's face did indeed look grim.
Who says he can't do it! He can!
"Smack!"
Lu Fang slapped her again: "Say something! Are you even capable? If you're not, don't waste my time."
"I can do it!"
These two words seemed to have been squeezed out from between the teeth of a poplar tree.
That wasn't the end of it. When Lu Fang heard this, her eyes were still filled with suspicion. She squinted and glanced at Yang Shulin's lower body, as if she was wondering if he was telling the truth.
Seeing her like this, Tian Zhaodi quickly stepped forward to speak up for Yang Shulin: "Xiaofang, my Shulin is fine, I'm not lying to you, he really has no problems at all!"
Yang Shulin was filled with shame and indignation. He really didn't want to hear his mother and future wife discussing his prowess in front of outsiders!
He tugged at Lu Fang; this time, it was he who wanted to leave.
Lu Fang remained noncommittal and led Yang Shulin outside.
The Lu family and the satisfied Yang family followed the two young men and left together.
The women's federation colleagues were left bewildered in the wind.
Yu Xiaomin: "Yang Shulin and Lu Fang, did they get together?"
Her eyes widened in disbelief; she couldn't understand how these two could have ended up together after all the chaos at their wedding.
Mingxi nodded, her face also showing a complex expression.
It must be said that although Qian Jinhua was greedy for money, she had been a matchmaker for so many years and was quite good at judging people.
Lu Fang and Yang Shulin may seem mismatched on the surface, but in reality, they meet each other's requirements.
Lu Fang's requirements for a partner are that he be honest, easy to control, and have a good personality.
Although Yang Shulin had a lot of wicked ideas, he was timid. Even if he had some ideas, he would only ask Tian Zhaodi to step forward and be the bad guy. He wouldn't dare to step forward and do something bad himself.
Lu Fang married him, and after the marriage, the two of them lived in the Lu family home, separated from Tian Zhaodi. Even if Yang Shulin had bad intentions, he couldn't do anything about it.
Most importantly, Yang Shulin is a rural resident and doesn't have a job. He married Lu Fang and lives in the city, but he's not a city dweller. He doesn't even have a ration quota and has to rely on Lu Fang for food.
If he dared to upset Lu Fang and get kicked out, he would have no choice but to slink back to his hometown.
Based on this alone, he wouldn't dare to displease Lu Fang.
As for Yang Shulin, his criteria for finding a partner are that she be from the city, wealthy, from a good family, and preferably beautiful.
Although Lu Fang isn't pretty, she has great qualities.
Being rich and an only child, Yang Shulin couldn't find another partner with such qualities even if he searched high and low.
Despite his seemingly unwilling demeanor, he actually knew that marrying Lu Fang was a bargain for him.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have nodded in agreement.
Qian Jinhua probably introduced the two people because she thought that they met the criteria and that even if they were unhappy after the affair was exposed, they would still be willing to stay together.
Mingxi touched her nose and had to admit that Qian Jinhua was quite good at judging people.
If she hadn't been so greedy and had instead tried to mediate between the two of them, things might not have escalated to this point, and she wouldn't have been arrested and taken to the police station.
Yes, the police station.
Speaking of which, Mingxi was quite curious about Qian Jinhua's fate. How long would she have to serve her sentence?
Qian Jinhua's actions could be considered fraud, right? She should probably spend three to five years in jail. However, she returned the stolen goods very readily, both the referral fee and the dowry she had previously embezzled. Considering this, she probably won't be sentenced for too long.
Mingxi was pondering this when Director Shen walked in. She bent her fingers and tapped the table twice, saying, "Everyone's here, right? Well, let me say a few words."
"Have you all heard about the case of a matchmaker committing marriage fraud that happened in our area yesterday?"
"I've heard about it!"
"Director, are you talking about Lu Fang and Yang Shulin? They just came by!"
"Yes, they were just making a scene here. Yang Shulin didn't want to marry Lu Fang, and his mother wanted us to help him cancel the wedding. But in the end, he agreed to marry Lu Fang, and now the two of them have gone home to consummate their marriage!"
As soon as they left the bridal chamber, the office erupted in laughter once again.
Director Shen frowned, wondering what all this was about.
She was initially unwilling to get married, but eventually agreed to do so.
Seeing Director Shen's confusion, Mingxi offered to explain, "Director Shen, it's like this, just now..."
She explained at length, and Director Shen finally understood.
Director Shen has really broadened her horizons. In all her years, she never imagined that two people who had fallen out so badly could still get back together in the end.
"Cough cough."
She cleared her throat and said, "Whether Yang Shulin and Lu Fang are together or not is not the focus of our work. Our focus should be on Qian Jinhua's fraudulent activities using her role as a matchmaker, and her illegal appropriation of the dowry money that should have belonged to Yang Shulin."
Director Shen straightened his expression and said sternly, "This is already the second case of suspected marriage fraud in our area recently. And this is only the second case of marriage fraud that we know of. There are countless other cases that we don't know about, and we must take this seriously!"
She said, "I've decided to summon all the professional matchmakers in our jurisdiction for a meeting, and to strictly regulate their requirements so that they do not make false claims when introducing potential partners and are not allowed to help either party conceal their own information. In addition, Qian Jinhua's incident has also served as a wake-up call for us."
Director Shen paused for a moment, then continued, "The matchmaking event organized by our Women's Federation is about to be held. At this crucial juncture, the emergence of two cases of marriage fraud serves as a reminder that we must strictly check the attendees. We must prevent people from impersonating others or attending the event for promotional purposes. We cannot become accomplices in marriage fraud cases. Do you understand?"
"I've got it!"
Director Shen: "Alright, let me assign tasks. Xiao Yu and Xiao Ming will be in charge of meeting with the matchmakers. Xiao Liu, you and Lao Wang will be responsible for reviewing the workers' information for the social event again. Xiao Wang, you're in charge of making the contact..."
As soon as Director Shen left, Yu Xiaomin let out a wail.
"Ah! Time to get busy again!"
Mingxi also looked utterly hopeless.
Yu Xiaomin: "Forget it, complaining won't help. Let's get to work. Xiaoming, go and contact the various neighborhood committees and inform them that we need to meet with the matchmaker. Ask them to cooperate."
Mingxi: "Okay."
Mingxi and Yu Xiaomin quickly got to work.
After several busy days, the verdict on Qian Jinhua's case came down. She was sentenced to ten years of labor reform, to be sent to the most arduous Northwest region for labor reform.
Mingxi was shocked when she heard the news; how could the sentence be so severe?
The Northwest is unlike any other place. Eating sand and carrying stones there, even a strong young man might not be able to endure it for ten years. Keep in mind, Qian Jinhua is almost fifty years old this year, and she's still a woman. How did she end up being sentenced to such a harsh place as the Northwest for labor reform?
After making inquiries, it turned out that Qian Jinhua's past matchmaking scams had all been exposed. She had done this kind of thing countless times before: introducing perfectly fine young men to divorced women with children, introducing perfectly fine women to men with intellectual disabilities, and so on…
Qian Jinhua lived up to her name perfectly, completely greedy for money. As long as she paid, no matter how poor the person's circumstances were, she could exaggerate their qualities and trick unsuspecting gay men into marriage.
She also has ways to deal with any disturbances that occur after the marriage.
When confronted by a man causing trouble, she threatened to take the woman to confront him for his harassment and shoot him. Most men would be frightened by this and wouldn't dare cause any more trouble.
If a woman comes to cause trouble, she'll threaten her with the argument of innocence, saying that since the woman has already consummated her marriage, she's no longer pure and won't be able to remarry, so she might as well accept her fate. If the woman has a stronger temper and isn't afraid of her threats, she'll team up with the man the woman married to have him beat her until she accepts her fate.
Even Li Ying, who recently caused a stir at the Women's Federation due to a marriage fraud case, was related to Qian Jinhua.
Li Ying and Chen Lei were also introduced by Qian Jinhua.
She knew perfectly well that Chen Lei was unemployed and was just filling in for a relative, but because Chen Lei had given her an extra red envelope, she concealed this fact when introducing him to Li Ying, only saying that Chen Lei worked at a lumber mill.
Police investigation revealed that Qian Jinhua had repeatedly assisted in and orchestrated marriage fraud, accumulating over a thousand yuan in illicit gains.
This is only what can be found through investigation.
The case was serious, spanned a long period of time, involved a large amount of money, and Qian Jinhua had already been listed as a typical case by the authorities, which is why she was sentenced so severely.
Her case hasn't been fully adjudicated yet, but she's already been taken away by the Municipal Public Security Bureau. They say they're going to take her to various places to give lectures on negative examples, and only after those lectures are over will she be sent to the Northwest for reform through labor.
When Mingxi heard about what Qian Jinhua had done, she exclaimed, "What a shrew!"
She was absolutely right to be sentenced to ten years of forced labor!
The fact that the Municipal Public Security Bureau took Qian Jinhua away to be used as a negative example gave Mingxi a new idea. She organized Qian Jinhua's case materials and explained them as a negative example at the meeting with matchmakers.
She emphasized that Qian Jinhua was sentenced to ten years of labor reform and the environment of the labor reform in Northwest China.
This terrified the matchmakers who had come to meet with them.
They hadn't initially taken the meeting seriously. When it comes to matchmaking, it's natural to praise the other person. As the saying goes, a matchmaker's mouth is a liar's mouth. While they weren't like Qian Jinhua, who would say anything outrageous for money, sometimes they still had to use subtle language to gently conceal any negative aspects.
However, the Women's Federation actually demanded that they not hide anything when arranging marriages, such as truthfully explaining the situation.
How can they be expected to act as matchmakers now?
The matchmakers were already against the idea, and when they arrived at the meeting place, they discovered that the people holding the meeting were two young people, Yu Xiaomin and Mingxi.
They were even more dismissive, thinking, "How dare these two little girls, barely out of their teens, lecture us?"
But after hearing about Qian Jinhua's fate, no one dared to be as contemptuous as before.
That means going to the far Northwest for labor reform!
Sending them to the Northwest with their physical condition is tantamount to sending them to their deaths!
With this in mind, the matchmakers no longer dared to disregard the Women's Federation's requirements and promised to provide truthful information when arranging marriages in the future, without daring to conceal anything.
After seeing off the matchmaker who had arranged the meeting, the Women's Federation welcomed another familiar face—Li Ying.
After Li Ying sued Chen Lei in court, it caused quite a stir, especially since Chen Lei later went to Li Ying's village to cause trouble, which led to a lot of discussion among the villagers.
Many people say that Li Ying is too heartless. She was already married, but just because Chen Lei didn't have a job, she made a fuss about getting a divorce and even took her husband to court. She is not honest and obedient at all, and no man would dare to marry her.
The gossip made things difficult for the Li family in the village. People said that Li Ying's parents didn't know how to raise their daughter. Even Li Ying's younger brother, who was of marriageable age, was unwanted by potential partners after hearing that he had such a restless older sister-in-law.
Li Ying couldn't stand the atmosphere and almost wanted to withdraw the lawsuit. However, Mingxi heard about her situation and specially came to her door to tell her that Director Shen could recommend her to the labor service company and help her find a job in the city.
Li Ying nodded in agreement without hesitation.
And so, Li Ying came to the city alone.
She was a capable young woman. Not long after she joined the labor service company, she was introduced to work as a nanny in the home of an elderly professor.
The job isn't difficult; it involves cooking, cleaning, and taking care of the elderly professor's daily needs. The pay isn't high, only eighteen yuan a month, but the important thing is that it includes room and board.
She was able to leave the village and escape the gossip.
Li Ying has managed to gain a foothold in the city thanks entirely to the help of the Women's Federation, and she came here specifically to express her gratitude.
She saw Mingxi's eyes light up and handed him the things in her hands, saying, "Comrade Ming, this is beef sauce I made myself. When I made it for Teacher Zhang last time, she said it tasted good. I thought you would like it too, so I made it and brought it to you."
Mingxi looked at the bottles in Li Ying's hand. She was very generous; each glass bottle probably contained a pound of beef sauce, and she had prepared a bottle for everyone. It was obvious that it must have cost a lot of money.
Mingxi felt embarrassed to take her things for free, so she quickly took out two yuan from her pocket and stuffed it into her hand.
"I know you mean well, but I can't accept this for nothing. I'll take the sauce, but you can keep the money."
Seeing this, the other people in the office also took out their money. Two yuan was nothing to them, but it was a lot to Li Ying.
"Li Ying, you've just started working in the city, and you haven't received your first month's salary yet, right? Here, take this money."
"Beef isn't cheap, and I see you've spent quite a bit. If you don't accept this money, we'll feel bad taking your stuff."
"Yes, you spent money and effort on this. We appreciate your kindness, but you must accept the money."
Everyone tried to dissuade her, but Li Ying quickly waved her hands and said, "No, no, you've all helped me so much. I'm doing this to thank you. If I were to accept money, what kind of person would I be? I can't accept this money."
She blushed and said, "Moreover, Teacher Zhang is a very kind person. Knowing that I had just started working in the city and might not have any money, he gave me an advance of one month's salary. You don't need to worry about me not having any money."
The "Teacher Zhang" she mentioned was her employer.
Seeing that Li Ying was really unwilling to accept the money, Mingxi and her group had no choice but to give up. Mingxi asked, "From what you've said, Teacher Zhang, who hired you, is a nice person. How was your work at her house?"
Li Ying said with a smile, "Teacher Zhang is such a nice person. She lives alone; her children all work in other places. She has a good personality and isn't picky. I don't have much to do; I just clean and cook three meals a day."
"Moreover, when Ms. Zhang heard that I hadn't finished junior high school, she encouraged me to continue my studies. She said I could study on my own first, and once I had learned enough, she could help me find a school so I could take the graduation exam. If I passed the exam, I could at least get a junior high school diploma. That way, even if I didn't become a nanny, I could find other jobs."
Mingxi: "That Teacher Zhang is really a nice person!"
Li Ying blushed and nodded: "I'm so lucky to have met an employer like Teacher Zhang."
She truly felt lucky to have met Teacher Zhang and Mingxi.
If it weren't for people like them, she probably would have resigned herself to going home with Chen Lei long ago.
Mingxi patted Li Ying on the shoulder: "It's not that you're lucky, it's that you have the courage to fight against fate."
If Li Ying hadn't looked so unwilling back then, Mingxi wouldn't have noticed her, nor would she have taken the initiative to tell her she could file for divorce. If Li Ying hadn't had the courage to go to court, she wouldn't be who she is today.
She thought that Teacher Zhang must have encouraged Li Ying to continue her studies because of some quality she had shown.
Li Ying's eyes reddened upon hearing this. She opened her mouth, at a loss for words, and said, "Comrade Xiaoming, how can you be so good at talking? I... I'm not as good as you say."
In her anxiety, she spoke with her local accent.
Mingxi patted her on the shoulder again: "By the way, I have good news for you. Chen Lei has been sentenced."
Previously, Chen Lei and his family were arrested and taken to the police station for causing trouble at the Women's Federation. Because there were many cases, the police station had not yet submitted them to the court when Qian Jinhua's case came up, and Chen Lei's family was implicated in Qian Jinhua's case.
So, Chen Lei's family, who were originally only charged with provoking trouble, were also charged with marriage fraud. With Qian Jinhua being sentenced, the sentences for Chen Lei's family were also announced.
As the mastermind behind the marriage fraud and disturbance, Chen Lei was sentenced to three years of labor reform, while the rest of his family members were sentenced to one year each.
Mingxi told Li Ying about Chen Lei's punishment, and Li Ying slapped her thigh in satisfaction and said, "Great!"
To be honest, Li Ying did have feelings for Chen Lei.
Although the two met through a blind date, Li Ying was genuinely attracted to Chen Lei as a person, and not just because of his circumstances.
But that's precisely why Chen Lei is so despicable. He claims he only did it because he likes Li Ying, but seeing Li Ying being completely fooled by his fake identity, he has no intention of being honest with her at all.
He didn't tell Li Ying the truth until after they got married, when he was sure Li Ying couldn't leave him easily.
What's even more despicable is that when the truth was exposed, he turned around and accused Li Ying of being materialistic. If Li Ying were truly materialistic, she wouldn't have only fallen for him!
Hearing Chen Lei's sentencing, Li Ying felt relieved. After shouting "Good!", she looked at Ming Xi, bit her lower lip, and said shyly.
"Comrade Xiaoming, don't you think I'm too heartless? My husband was sentenced to prison, and I even cheered."
Mingxi corrected her: "Chen Lei is not your husband. At most, he can only be considered your ex-husband, and he is the ex-husband whose marriage was dissolved. If we really want to talk about it, he is now at most a stranger to you."
"As an ordinary person with normal values, it is perfectly normal for you to cheer when you learn that a stranger who committed a crime has been sentenced."
After all, only criminals sympathize with other criminals.
Li Ying was stunned, not expecting Mingxi to say that.
Since suing Chen Lei, she has received a lot of criticism. Sometimes she can't help but ask herself if she was wrong, if she was too bad.
After all, Chen Lei was her husband, whom she married and had a marriage certificate with.
In all these days, only Mingxi has said this, saying that she is not wrong at all, that her choice is the choice of a normal person, and that her thoughts are the thoughts of a normal person.
Li Ying was so excited that she almost cried again.
Mingxi patted her to comfort her, "It's all in the past now."
Li Ying wiped away her tears and nodded: "Yes, it's all in the past!"
After chatting for a while, seeing that it was almost noon, Li Ying had to rush back to cook for her employer, so she hurriedly said goodbye.
Not long after Li Ying left, when Mingxi was about to go eat, Lu Fang came over carrying a large sack.
She saw Mingxi holding a lunchbox: "Hey, Comrade Ming, you're going to eat, right? Well, I've come at the perfect time!"
She put down the sack in her hand: "A relative of mine in the countryside had ripe watermelons and brought me a whole truckload. We can't finish them all, so I thought I'd share some with you as a way of thanking you for helping me mediate."
Mingxi quickly waved her hand: "No need, no need, we weren't much of a help."
She was speaking from the heart; she felt that the Women's Federation's mediation in Lu Fang and Yang Shulin's marriage was truly ineffective.
Lu Fang: "Hey, you can keep it then, it's not worth much anyway."
After saying that, she waved her hand and said, "Okay, I'm leaving now. I have to go to work this afternoon."
Lu Fang left with light steps, while Ming Xi was at a loss facing a large sack of watermelons. In the end, it was the people from the office who came out and helped carry the watermelons inside.
Knowing that the watermelon was delivered by Lu Fang, Yu Xiaomin's eyes widened in amazement: "As expected of Comrade Lu, she's really strong."
Mingxi nodded in deep agreement.
Speaking of Lu Fang, Sister Wang was curious: "I wonder how Lu Fang is doing after she married Yang Shulin."
She had never seen a couple whose wedding was so chaotic that they still managed to get married.
Mingxi scratched her head: "It should be pretty good."
She noticed that Lu Fang's complexion was rosy and she looked even better than on her wedding day.
At that moment, a woman in the office suddenly said, "I saw Lu Fang and Yang Shulin at the market yesterday."
Mingxi: "Huh?"
I didn't expect Lu Fang and Yang Shulin to have such a good relationship. They even went to the farmers market together!
"That's why they say women still need to get married. When I saw Lu Fang yesterday, she had a rosy complexion and a strong voice, while Yang Shulin was pale and his legs were trembling. Lu Fang was even carrying a bunch of chives at the time!"
The older sister spoke with an ambiguous smile on her face.
Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions became complex. They were all adults; who didn't know what chives were for?
Mingxi: "..."
Well, it seems that Lu Fang is still quite successful after marriage.
"Do chives really have any benefits? Yang Shulin is so weak, he probably needs to eat sheep penis, right?"
"Lamb penis is so expensive, you have to tell the butcher in advance, otherwise you can't buy it on the same day. I bought some for my husband before, and I had to tell him specifically."
"Tsk tsk, I didn't expect that, Lao Liu, you and your wife are quite passionate."
Almost all the older women in the office were married, so they talked about it without any reservations, laughing and chatting enthusiastically. Mingxi and Yu Xiaomin, two unmarried young women, blinked, unsure whether they should listen.
When Sister Wang saw the two young girls, she laughed and said, "Hey, you two be careful, there are two young girls in our office!"
"What's wrong with young girls? It won't hurt to listen more. Xiaoming and Xiaoyu, don't take this lightly. Learn from them. A harmonious sex life is an important factor in a harmonious marriage!"
"That's right, do you guys remember? A few years ago, there was a couple surnamed Wang in our area who were getting a divorce. Everyone said they had a good relationship, but no matter what we said, the woman just wanted a divorce and didn't want to live with her husband anymore. We mediated for a long time, but it still didn't work out, and in the end, the woman still divorced the man. As a result, the man remarried last year, and on his wedding night, he argued with his new wife. The new wife said that the man only lasted three seconds."
Ms. Wang: "Really? Only three seconds? That's way too short."
No wonder that wife wanted a divorce.
"It's not that my husband can last a minute."
Mingxi: ? ? ?
Did she find out something?
Sister Wang: "I remember that guy was quite young, not even thirty yet and he's already impotent? What will happen to him after he turns thirty?"
“That’s right. My husband used to last three or four minutes, but after the 31st, he only lasted one minute. He said it was because I had a baby that he lost interest. I think it’s because he can’t perform.”
"No need to think about it, it's because he's no good. My husband is the same; he's past thirty and he's no good himself, but he blames it on me..."
The older women got quite talkative when this topic came up, and they were still discussing it when they went back to work in the afternoon.
Mingxi and Yu Xiaomin, two young comrades: lol.
After finally getting off work in the evening, Mingxi and Yu Xiaomin left together with their bags, while the remaining women went to the market to buy groceries.
Yes, I heard they went to buy chives.
Mingxi: "..."
She had no interest in knowing what her older sisters' menu was for tonight, nor did she want to know what would happen after dinner.
She carried her bag and walked briskly home, but was stopped by Aunt He as soon as she entered the courtyard.
Aunt He: "Xiao Ming!"
She leaned closer, gossiping, "I heard your Women's Federation is going to hold a matchmaking event?"
Mingxi corrected: "It's a social gathering."
Aunt He waved her hand: "Isn't it all the same? They're all helping the young people in the factory find partners."
Mingxi really had no way to refute it.
Aunt He: "Are you short-staffed for that matchmaking event? Can I help out?"
Mingxi raised an eyebrow. When did Aunt He become so kind-hearted?
Wait, could it be that Aunt He just wants to go watch the fun?
As if she could read Mingxi's mind, Aunt He said, "Hey, don't think I just want to go and watch the excitement. If I wanted to watch the excitement, I could have gone anywhere. I just want to help and make a contribution to society."
Of course, it cannot be denied that she did have a slight desire to join in the fun.
It's a social gathering! I heard they're even having ballroom dancing!
Mingxi saw through it but didn't expose it, and said with a smile, "It's a blessing for our compound to have a comrade like you who wants to contribute to society. But, we really don't need your help. This event is a joint effort with many factories, and everyone will be coming to set up on the day of the gathering. We're not short of manpower."
Aunt He pouted regretfully.
However, she quickly perked up and eagerly inquired with Mingxi about which factories' employees would be attending the social gathering, and how many people would be participating...
This wasn't a secret, so Mingxi told Aunt He.
After Aunt He found out, she spread the news, and for several days in a row, the alley was abuzz with talk about the social gathering.
Actually, the factory had already publicized this, but only the single employees paid attention; the others really didn't know what to do. Now, when they hear that there will be ballroom dancing at the meeting, they all find it very novel.
Some people even came to Mingxi to ask if those who hadn't registered before could still register.
Mingxi also kindly told the other party whether they could sign up and how to sign up.
When she encountered married people who wanted to join in the fun, Mingxi told them the truth: this social gathering was very strict, and married gay people simply couldn't get in.
Mingxi was not lying at all. To prevent marriage fraud, Director Shen specially arranged for a team of security personnel to check at the door. Those who were not on the registration list could not enter the social event.
Amidst the lively discussions in the alley, the day finally arrived for the matchmaking event.
Early that morning, Mingxi and the others from the Women's Federation went to the Cultural Palace to begin preparations. In addition to the Women's Federation, there were also representatives from the trade unions, propaganda departments, and Women's Federations of various factories.
After all, this is the most important matchmaking event of the year, and it has also partnered with several factories. Reporters from the city newspaper are even coming to take photos. Everyone is preparing for this event very seriously.
Mingxi came over to help the Women's Federation decorate the venue. Each factory contributed funds to prepare some flowers, balloons, and ribbons, intending to make the venue more cozy.
Mingxi was holding a ribbon and preparing to hang it above the stage, but she wasn't tall enough. Even with a ladder, she was still a little short. When Sister Wang saw how much trouble she was having, she called over people from other departments nearby.
"Hey, any of you young men standing over there with empty hands? Come over and help us hang up these ribbons!"
Not long after Sister Wang called out, a young man came over and said, "Let me do it."
Mingxi recognized the voice and looked down: "Wei Ning? What brings you here?"
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