Chapter 83: Looking at each other, Mingxi was momentarily confused...
Mingxi was momentarily confused about Zhu Jianmin's thoughts, but she didn't show it on her face. So what if he brought his daughter to the door? There wasn't any law against it.
Besides, Qiao Aimei knew that Zhu Jianmin had a daughter, so there was nothing wrong with Zhu Jianmin bringing Zhu Lingling over.
Mingxi convinced herself, put on a smile, and led Qiao Aimei over.
Upon seeing Mingxi and Qiao Aimei at the door, Zhu Jianmin immediately grabbed Zhu Lingling and stood up, calling out to Mingxi, "Little Ming, the matchmaker!"
Mingxi, leading Qiao Aimei, quickly approached and said with a smile, "Let me introduce you two. This is Zhu Jianmin."
"This is Qiao Aimei."
Zhu Jianmin extended his hand: "Hello, Comrade Qiao."
Qiao Aimei quickly reached out and gently shook hands with Zhu Jianmin: "Hello, Comrade Zhu."
After the two greeted each other, Zhu Jianmin pulled over Zhu Lingling, who had a curious look on her face, and introduced her to Qiao Aimei: "I haven't introduced her yet. This is my daughter, Zhu Lingling."
After her father introduced her name, Zhu Lingling, like a little adult, mimicked Zhu Jianmin's gesture, extended her hand, smiled gently at Qiao Aimei, and said, "Hello, Comrade Qiao."
She was such a little girl, yet she was mimicking the adults' polite greetings, it was so funny that the three adults present couldn't help but laugh.
Zhu Lingling tilted her head, seemingly not understanding why the adults laughed when they heard her words.
Mingxi smiled and corrected Zhu Lingling: "Lingling, Aunt Qiao is your elder, you should call her Aunt Qiao."
Zhu Lingling stared with her round eyes, and upon hearing Mingxi's words, she realized her mistake and quickly corrected herself.
Hello, Aunt Qiao!
Her hand was still outstretched. Qiao Aimei reached out and gently shook Zhu Lingling's small hand, saying, "Hello, Lingling."
Being treated like an adult by Qiao Aimei immediately stirred up Zhu Lingling's emotions. She stared at Qiao Aimei with her bright black eyes and said, "Aunt Qiao, you are so young. I feel that I should not call you Aunt Qiao, but Sister Qiao."
She leaned forward enthusiastically, tilted her little face up, and said, "Sister Qiao, may I call you that?"
Qiao Aimei didn't have many opportunities to interact with children; the only child she had the most contact with was Wang Zhaodi's younger brother. That child grew up spoiled by Wang Zhaodi and Qiao Zhenjun, and from a young age developed a domineering and unreasonable attitude. He was like a little devil at home and never treated Qiao Aimei as his older sister.
At home, Wang Zhaodi called Qiao Aimei "little bitch," and Qiao's younger brother followed suit, calling Qiao Aimei "little bitch" all the time at home, never calling her "sister."
At this moment, when Qiao Aimei saw Zhu Lingling, such a cute little girl, obediently calling her "sister," she felt her heart melt and couldn't help but respond.
She nodded: "Okay, you can call me Sister Qiao."
Zhu Lingling said crisply, "Okay, Sister Qiao!"
After she finished speaking, she gave Qiao Aimei a sweet smile, and Qiao Aimei couldn't help but smile back.
But when she turned around and saw Zhu Jianmin's complicated expression, she realized what she had done.
She came here today to meet Zhu Jianmin. She asked Zhu Jianmin's daughter to call her "sister," which would make her and Zhu Jianmin from different generations.
Qiao Aimei paused, biting her lip, unsure of what to say.
Mingxi quickly stepped forward to smooth things over: "Whether she's called 'sister' or 'auntie,' it's just a form of address. It doesn't matter what you call her. Let Lingling call her whatever she wants. Anyway, we don't have any outsiders here."
She smiled and said, "We've been here for a while now, why don't we sit down first?"
Zhu Jianmin then realized what was happening and quickly said, "Yes, Comrade Qiao, Comrade Ming, please sit down first, let's sit down and talk slowly."
The four people sat down. Zhu Jianmin said, "It's getting late, Comrade Ming, Comrade Qiao, you must be hungry. Let me order first. The menu is here. Is there anything you'd like to eat? Don't be shy, order whatever you like."
He handed the menu to Mingxi. Although Zhu Jianmin told her not to be polite, how could she really not be polite? Mingxi flipped through the menu, ordered a stir-fry dish that she couldn't go wrong with, and then passed the menu to Qiao Aimei.
"Aimei, what would you like to eat?"
Qiao Aimei had rarely been to a restaurant in her life. Looking at the menu, she was completely bewildered and had no idea what to order.
She took the menu, her fingers unconsciously curling up as she fiddled with the edges of the paper menu. She stared at it for a long time before finally pointing to a random scrambled egg.
Seeing that she only ordered such an inexpensive dish, Zhu Jianmin assumed she was being shy and generously said, "Comrade Qiao, don't be polite with me, order whatever you want."
Qiao Aimei looked embarrassed and was about to say something when Zhu Lingling's eyes lit up: "Dad, can I order whatever I want to eat too?"
She opened her little mouth and rattled off the names of the dishes: "I want braised pork, sweet and sour pork, candied sweet potato, salt and pepper shrimp, and that fluffy corn!"
Zhu Jianmin: "That's pine nut corn, not loose corn."
Zhu Lingling: "Yes, it's that pine nut corn."
She nodded, her chubby cheeks trembling and rising and falling with her movements.
Zhu Jianmin was speechless. He had been led astray by Zhu Lingling. It wasn't about whether it was loose corn or pine nut corn.
He stopped smiling and said, "No. We're treating your Sister Qiao and Sister Ming to dinner today. You can't just order whatever you want. We have to ask your Sister Qiao and Sister Ming's opinions."
Although Zhu Jianmin was serious, he still spoke softly and earnestly to Zhu Lingling: "Lingling, let's think about it from a different perspective. If you went out to eat with someone and they didn't even ask for your opinion and just ordered a bunch of things they liked, wouldn't you be unhappy?"
"Definitely!"
Zhu Lingling nodded emphatically.
She stood with her hands on her hips, her chubby little face tense. Even without Zhu Jianmin saying anything, she couldn't help but get angry just thinking about such a scene.
Zhu Jianmin: "So, do you think what you just did was appropriate?"
Zhu Lingling said with great empathy, "It's not appropriate!"
She's the kind of child who admits her mistakes and corrects them immediately. Realizing her error, she turned around and apologized: "Sister Qiao, Sister Ming, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ordered a bunch of things I like without considering your opinions."
Mingxi and Qiao Aimei certainly wouldn't get angry with a child over such a small matter. They smiled and patted Zhu Lingling's head.
Zhu Lingling swallowed hard, covered her mouth with both hands, and said, "Sister Qiao, you order. Order whatever you want to eat. I won't fight you for it this time."
Qiao Aimei, being watched by Zhu Lingling and Zhu Jianmin, lowered her head and said, "I don't really have anything I want to eat. How about we order the dishes that Lingling mentioned earlier?"
Zhu Jianmin: "It's okay, don't spoil the child. Let him eat whatever he wants."
Qiao Aimei: "I really don't have anything I want to eat."
Mingxi noticed that Qiao Aimei genuinely didn't know what to order, and smiled as she helped her out: "Aimei is like this, she's not picky about food and doesn't have any particular preferences, she's fine with anything."
Hearing Mingxi say this, Zhu Jianmin could only nod and say, "Alright then."
He called over the waiter to order, and Zhu Lingling instantly became the happiest person in the room. She smiled so hard that all her little teeth showed, and she happily stood on her tiptoes.
Qiao Aimei glanced at Zhu Lingling and thought the little girl was really cute, and also thought that Zhu Jianmin had raised Zhu Lingling very well.
Although Zhu Jianmin is now a grown man taking care of a child, Zhu Lingling's clothes are always clean and tidy, and even the braids in her hands are styled into different scorpion braids, which shows how much Zhu Jianmin cares for Zhu Lingling.
You can tell from the girl's personality that Zhu Lingling has grown into such a warm, confident, and lively girl, which shows that Zhu Jianmin must have given her enough love and taken good care of her.
Qiao Aimei remembers that when Qiao Zhenjun wanted to remarry, she was very unwilling.
Many people told her that after she got a stepmother, her father would stop loving her. She was just a child and didn't understand anything. She even went to Qiao Zhenjun to make a scene because of this, not wanting him to remarry.
Of course, the commotion didn't work out, and Qiao Zhenjun still married Wang Zhaodi.
Qiao Aimei was only three years old at the time, and people still gossiped about her. How much more so when Zhu Lingling was already old enough to understand things? Surely people would say the same things to her.
But Zhu Lingling showed no sign of anxiety or reluctance, as if she wasn't afraid at all that Qiao Aimei would treat her badly after becoming her stepmother.
Qiao Aimei was filled with mixed feelings. While Zhu Jianmin was still talking to the waiter, she leaned close to Zhu Lingling and whispered, "Lingling, do you know why your father and I came here today?"
Zhu Lingling raised her face, her clear black and white eyes filled with question marks: "I know, you're here for a blind date."
She looked at Qiao Aimei, wondering why this Sister Qiao would ask such a strange question.
Doesn't Sister Qiao know why we're here today?
Could she have been tricked into this blind date by her lousy dad?
Zhu Lingling's delicate eyebrows immediately furrowed. No way, her stinky dad wouldn't be that bad, would he?
Moreover, she remembered that when Sister Ming came to her house a few days ago, she clearly said that Sister Qiao had agreed to a blind date.
Could it be that Sister Ming is in cahoots with that stinky dad, and the two of them conspired to deceive Sister Qiao?
Despite her small stature, Zhu Lingling possesses a strong sense of justice and a protective instinct. She leaned close to Qiao Aimei's ear and whispered, "Sister Qiao, didn't you know you came here today to go on a blind date with my dad? Did Dad and Sister Ming lie to you?"
Qiao Aimei was both amused and exasperated.
I never expected the little girl to have such a rich imagination; she came up with so much just from one sentence I uttered.
It's also her fault for not explaining herself clearly earlier.
She quickly explained, "No, no, your father and Sister Ming didn't lie to me."
Zhu Lingling patted Qiao Aimei reassuringly with her chubby little hand: "Sister Qiao, don't be afraid. Tell me with confidence. If it's true, I'll stand up for you!"
Zhu Lingling had a stern face, as if she was just waiting for Qiao Aimei to nod so she could put aside her own family ties and severely punish Zhu Jianmin and Mingxi.
Mingxi, who overheard their conversation: ...
She stared with dead fish eyes, wishing she could shout, "Please, Heaven, judge who is loyal and who is treacherous!"
She's a legitimate matchmaker; she never does anything shady or deceptive!
Qiao Aimei was also shocked by Zhu Lingling's serious expression. She quickly explained, "No, Lingling, you misunderstood. Your father and Sister Mingxi didn't lie to me. I know I came here today to meet your father. I just asked you because... I just thought you didn't know."
Mingxi: Thank goodness, thank goodness, someone still cleared her name.
Qiao Aimei pursed her lips, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "I came here today to go on a blind date with your father. If we succeed, I will marry your father and become your stepmother. Aren't you afraid? Aren't you afraid that I will take your father away? Aren't you afraid that your father will treat you badly after you have a stepmother? Aren't you afraid that I will treat you badly in the future?"
Zhu Lingling: "Why be afraid?"
She tugged at her two braids, unable to understand why Qiao Aimei would ask such a question.
Her clear black and white eyes looked at Qiao Aimei: "Are you the kind of wicked stepmother who would treat me badly, beat me, and not feed me?"
Qiao Aimei paused for a moment, then shook her head.
Zhu Lingling grinned, showing her tiny teeth, and said, "I also think that since you're so beautiful, Sister Qiao, you definitely can't be a wicked stepmother, so I'm not afraid of you."
"Besides, my dad is a person, not a toy. He has his own thoughts, and they can't be taken away just because someone says something. If he says he will be good to me, he will always be good to me, and that won't change just because he marries someone else."
Despite her small stature, Zhu Lingling has a very clear mind.
Of course, this is also due to Zhu Jianmin's good teaching. From when Zhu Lingling was young, Zhu Jianmin told her that she would be his most beloved daughter, and this would not change because of anything, whether she got married or had other children.
Zhu Lingling grew up with Zhu Jianmin's assurances, and she has enough trust in him to not worry about losing him.
Qiao Aimei suddenly fell silent, her lips pursed, seemingly lost in thought.
Zhu Lingling looked up at Qiao Aimei, and seeing that she had no questions for her, she continued to lower her head to fiddle with the small flower decorations on her dress.
Mingxi could understand Qiao Aimei's feelings to some extent.
Qiao Aimei and Zhu Lingling actually have similar family situations. Both lost their biological mothers at a young age, and their fathers remarried, leaving them with a stepmother.
However, their lives took a turn fork in the road, leading to two extreme outcomes.
Qiao Aimei represents the extreme of unhappiness, while Zhu Lingling represents the extreme of happiness.
When Qiao Aimei saw Zhu Lingling, she couldn't help but think of herself.
Zhu Jianmin quickly finished ordering the food. He turned around and officially began the blind date process. He cleared his throat and said, "Comrade Qiao, Comrade Xiaoming should have already told you about my situation, right? I've been married twice before. My first wife passed away, and my second wife divorced me. Now I'm raising my child alone."
Qiao Aimei nodded; Mingxi had told her about this situation.
Zhu Jianmin: "Besides this, let me tell you about my family situation. My parents are still alive. They used to work at the meat processing plant."
At this point, he smiled and joked, "My whole family are pig butchers; you could say we're a family of pig butchers."
Zhu Jianmin: "My parents had three children. Besides me, I have an older sister and a younger brother. My eldest sister got married early, and her child is now in junior high school. My younger brother also got married two years ago. Our family separated after my younger brother's wedding. Now I live with my daughter, but my parents occasionally come to see if I need any help. However, if we get married, my parents won't come to disturb our lives; they will just occasionally invite us back for meals."
He said, "My wife and I are living a carefree life, unlike other elderly people who want to live with their children. My mother always says, 'Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, I'll enjoy my blessings regardless of them.'"
Mingxi raised her eyebrows, feeling that Mr. and Mrs. Zhu were in such good spirits.
Qiao Aimei was so shocked when Zhu Jianmin mentioned marriage that she was lost in thought and it took her a while to come back to her senses.
Zhu Jianmin vaguely sensed Qiao Aimei's thoughts and said, "I'm here for a blind date with marriage in mind. I know you're still young and may not have these thoughts yet, but that's okay, you can take your time to think about it. But let me first introduce myself to you."
He said, "I've already told you about my family situation, so let me tell you about myself. I work at a meat processing plant, and my monthly salary is seventy-two yuan. In addition to my salary, I also receive a five-yuan food allowance each month, plus some other miscellaneous subsidies, so I make about eighty yuan a month. Our plant has good benefits, and we occasionally give out some meat every month. I can't guarantee anything else, but if you marry me, I definitely won't skimp on your meals."
Zhu Jianmin's words were absolutely true, without a trace of exaggeration.
Meat processing plants are known for their high wages and good benefits.
Qiao Aimei also knew about it.
As for Zhu Jianmin saying he wouldn't skimp on food for Qiao Aimei, she thought it was a good thing. People can't live without eating, and Zhu Jianmin's words made her feel good. He was a genuine person who didn't engage in empty talk.
Seeing that Qiao Aimei didn't seem to mind, Zhu Jianmin continued talking.
“In my family, the woman is in charge of the money. If we get married, it will be the same. Every month after I get my salary, I will hand it all over to you. You just need to leave me five yuan for pocket money. I don’t smoke, I don’t drink, and I don’t have any other bad habits. Five yuan is more than enough for me.”
Qiao Aimei paused, glancing at Zhu Jianmin with surprise.
She hadn't expected Zhu Jianmin to voluntarily offer to hand over his salary. She had never managed money before.
Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a long time, Zhu Jianmin assumed she thought five yuan was too much. He pursed his lips, looked a little pitiful, and said, "If five yuan isn't enough, three yuan will do."
His dad also gets three yuan a month in pocket money, so it wouldn't be wrong for him to get the same treatment as his dad.
Qiao Aimei paused for a moment, then pointed one finger at Zhu Jianmin and the other at herself, saying, "You don't have to hand over your salary; we can manage our own money."
Zhu Jianmin: "That won't do. It's always been the rule in our family that women manage the money. Whether it's my dad or my brother, their salaries are all handed over to their wives. I can't break the rules."
Qiao Aimei: "...Okay."
Zhu Jianmin: Oh right, there's also the house. I haven't told you about the house yet.
He said, "I currently live in a factory-allocated apartment, a two-bedroom unit in a tenement building. The apartment isn't very big, but if we get married, the three of us can barely fit in. However, if we have children in the future, it might be a bit tight. But I don't plan to have children within the next five years. Maybe after five years, our company will have new housing allocation slots."
Zhu Jianmin was ostensibly talking about houses, but he was actually talking about children.
Upon hearing this, Mingxi couldn't help but glance at Zhu Lingling beside her. Zhu Lingling showed no surprise, clearly indicating that Zhu Jianmin had already told her about this.
Mingxi then turned to look at Qiao Aimei, carefully considering her expression, and said, "Comrade Zhu, you didn't say before that you didn't plan to have children within the next five years, did you?"
Zhu Jianmin honestly said, "I'm doing this for my Lingling's sake. Her biological mother is gone, and I'm her only father. I don't want her to suffer. If we have a second child, my attention will inevitably be divided. That's just how it is. Even if I want to treat them equally, it's very difficult to be completely fair. So I don't actually plan to have a second child. Even if I do, I'll wait until Lingling is a little older, after she goes to junior high school, before we consider it."
He spoke frankly: "I know that doing this might be a bit unfair to Comrade Qiao, but this is really what I think, and I don't intend to hide it from you."
Zhu Jianmin is quite honest, Mingxi thinks he's very down-to-earth.
After all, saying these words would inevitably affect Qiao Aimei's attitude towards him. If it were another man, she might not have said them at all.
First, win her over and make it a fait accompli; then we can talk about marriage later.
Don't be fooled by how shameless this may seem; in fact, many more people do this. It's rare to see someone like Zhu, who speaks frankly and directly from the moment they meet.
Mingxi looked at Qiao Aimei, who didn't seem to care much about the matter.
She herself hasn't even thought about having children yet.
But hearing Zhu Jianmin say that, I couldn't help but think of Qiao Zhenjun again.
She came to a clearer understanding of the differences between Qiao Zhenjun and Zhu Jianmin as fathers.
Mingxi wasn't sure what Qiao Aimei was thinking, so she planned to ask her for her opinion after the meeting was over.
Seeing that neither of them spoke, Zhu Jianmin spoke again: "Let me promote myself a bit more. I'm quite efficient at work. If we get married, I'll take care of the housework after we get married, and you won't have to lift a finger."
At this point, he scratched the back of his head and said, "Actually, I'm pretty good at cooking. If you'd like, you can come to my house next time and try my cooking."
Mingxi chimed in, "Aimei, Comrade Zhu is right. When I went to his house to see him before, I happened to catch him cooking once, and the taste was quite good."
Qiao Aimei: "You can cook?"
Zhu Jianmin: "Yes, I can. I learned to cook from my dad when I was little. My parents were both in the pig slaughtering business. My dad has a unique skill: braised pig's head. When he puts a pot of braising liquid in, it smells so good it makes your mouth water. I learned this skill from my dad when I was young, and everyone who has eaten my braised pig's head says it's delicious. Come to my house sometime, and I'll make it for you so you can try it and see. Besides pig's head, I'm also pretty good at cooking. What dishes do you like to eat? I can make them all..."
Zhu Jianmin began to speak at length, and Qiao Aimei listened attentively, occasionally chiming in with her own words.
The two gradually opened up to each other and became much more familiar, no longer as distant as before.
Soon, the waiter brought the dishes up. When Zhu Lingling saw her favorite dishes being served, she excitedly waved her chopsticks, her little mouth greasy from eating.
Zhu Jianmin kept an eye on Zhu Lingling out of the corner of his eye, reminding her from time to time to be careful not to burn herself, or to eat some vegetables.
Besides keeping an eye on Zhu Lingling, Zhu Jianmin also kept an eye on Qiao Aimei. Seeing that she was too shy to pick up food, he warmly invited her to eat, served her food and poured her water, and kept busy taking care of her.
As everyone ate and chatted at the table, Zhu Jianmin brought up the rumors circulating outside.
“I’m not afraid of being laughed at by you. Some people outside say that my family has been in the pig slaughtering business for three generations. We have committed too many sins and they are all coming back to haunt me. I am destined to be a wife-killer. Either the women who marry me will not live long, or our marriage will not last long.”
Qiao Aimei also talked about what others were saying about her: "People say I'm heartless. They say I even sent my stepmother, who raised me for more than ten years, and my biological father to the police station. They say I'm cold-hearted and cold-blooded, and that I definitely wouldn't be able to live with them if I married them."
That's human nature; people tend to mind their own business.
Back when she was being bossed around and abused by Wang Zhaodi at home, the neighbors in her courtyard all said that Wang Zhaodi was heartless and a cruel stepmother, and told her not to listen to Wang Zhaodi too much.
But when she actually resisted, she sent Wang Zhaodi to the police station.
They said she was too heartless, saying that no matter what, Wang Zhaodi had raised her for so many years, and they were all family, so why make such a scene?
A few days ago, when she went home to get something for Qiao Zhenjun, a neighbor approached her and said that she shouldn't have made such a big fuss. Although Wang Zhaodi and Qiao Zhenjun were wrong, she shouldn't have been so cold-blooded as to send them to jail.
Some people even told her that she should go to the police station to write a letter of understanding and ask the police to release those two people.
Look at them, with just a few words, all the grievances she suffered over the years seem to have vanished.
Mingxi looked at Zhu Jianmin and Qiao Aimei as if they were two bitter gourds.
She offered a comforting word of advice: "Sigh, some people just have a big mouth and say whatever comes to mind. There's no need to pay attention to them. Anyone with a brain knows that what they're saying is definitely false. If you believe someone who says such things, then you don't need to pay attention to them at all. If they can believe something like that, they probably don't have much of a brain."
Qiao Aimei didn't say anything, but Zhu Jianmin nodded: "Comrade Xiaoming is right, that's exactly what I'm thinking now."
He even had the mood to turn around and comfort Qiao Aimei.
"Comrade Qiao, don't listen to those people's nonsense. If you ask me, your biological father and stepmother should go to jail. I won't even talk about your stepmother, but as for your biological father, I'm a father too. If my wife treated my daughter like that, I would divorce her that very day. How could your father, a grown man, not be able to control a woman? He just thinks that his daughter is not as important as his new wife, and he's willing to sacrifice his daughter to appease his new wife."
Men understand men best, and Zhu Jianmin saw right through Qiao Zhenjun's selfishness.
As a man, he found such male compatriots disgusting.
Qiao Aimei: "I only just realized this myself."
She couldn't help but lament her own foolishness; something that even an outsider like Zhu Jianmin could see clearly and understand, she hadn't noticed for over a decade.
Zhu Jianmin: "Hey, it's nothing."
After all, Qiao Zhenjun is Qiao Aimei's biological father, so it's normal that she has some illusions about him and can't see his true colors.
Seeing that Qiao Aimei's mood had dropped, Mingxi quickly changed the subject: "Ahem, well, we've almost finished eating. Do you two have any plans for later?"
Zhu Jianmin: "I bought three movie tickets. I wonder if Comrade Qiao would like to watch a movie?"
Qiao Aimei: "What movie?"
Zhu Jianmin: "It's 'Little Flower'."
Qiao Aimei: "I've never heard of this film. What's it about?"
Just as Zhu Jianmin was about to speak, Zhu Lingling raised her hand and interrupted, "I know, I know, I'll tell Sister Qiao!"
She said, "It's a story about a younger sister looking for her older brother. The sister's name is Xiaohua, and she was sent away by her parents..."
Zhu Lingling chattered on and on, saying, "Sister Qiao, this movie is really good! I went to see it with my dad last year when it was shown in theaters, and it's back again this year, so why don't you come and see it with us!"
Qiao Aimei listened for a while, then nodded: "Okay."
Mingxi understood from this that Qiao Aimei also had feelings for Zhu Jianmin; otherwise, she definitely wouldn't have agreed to go to the movies.
The next day, Mingxi went to work and pulled Qiao Aimei aside for a private talk. She asked, "Aimei, what do you think of Zhu Jianmin? Do you think he's a good person?"
Qiao Aimei blushed and lowered her head, saying, "I think he's a very nice person."
She paused for a moment and said, "Last night after we watched the movie, I said the same thing to him. He and Lingling also think I'm a good person. We plan to date for a while and see if we're compatible."
A hint of surprise flashed in Mingxi's eyes.
Although she guessed that Qiao Aimei was interested in Zhu Jianmin, she did not expect the two to act so quickly and become a couple on the very night they met.
She was somewhat surprised, but upon reflection, she wasn't really that surprised.
Mingxi was thinking about it when she got home last night: how could Qiao Aimei and Zhu Jianmin have taken a liking to each other?
She had been a matchmaker for some time and felt she could judge people to some extent, but she immediately felt that Zhu Jianmin and Qiao Aimei were not a good match.
Their age, family background, and marital status are all unsuitable.
Mingxi could understand why Zhu Jianmin was interested in Qiao Aimei, but how could Qiao Aimei be interested in Zhu Jianmin?
Mingxi thought about it all night and finally figured it out.
Qiao Aimei is actually very lacking in love. She is a typical example of someone who came from an unhappy family, whose father was absent for a long time and who lacked paternal love.
It's often said that a person's childhood can influence their entire life. Qiao Aimei grew up in an environment where her father was absent, and she may have longed from a young age for a man to appear in her place, to protect and love her. This likely shaped her preference for older men with a nurturing, fatherly personality.
Zhu Jianmin happened to run into him.
A doting, strong, and caring single father is exactly Qiao Aimei's ideal type.
So it's not surprising that Qiao Aimei fell for Zhu Jianmin.
Neither Zhu Jianmin nor Qiao Aimei are the type to procrastinate, so it's not surprising that they became a couple after they hit it off.
Mingxi was shocked for a moment, but quickly accepted the fact.
However, the older women in the office started to get excited when they heard that Qiao Aimei was dating someone.
Sister Wang: "Aimei, what's your boyfriend's name? Where does he live? What does he do?"
Sister Zhang: "Aimei, how long have you known each other? Why didn't you get to know each other better before you started dating so quickly?"
Yu Xiaomin: "Aimei, is the other party a scammer?"
"..."
Under the watchful eyes of the older women, Qiao Aimei honestly explained Zhu Jianmin's situation, also revealing that Zhu Jianmin was introduced to her by Mingxi.
Everyone felt much more at ease when they heard that Zhu Jianmin was introduced by Mingxi.
They still believed that Mingxi wouldn't betray Qiao Aimei.
Mingxi also explained Zhu Jianmin's conditions to her eldest sister.
Sister Wang had heard Mingxi mention Zhu Jianmin before, and she thought he was a pretty good catch.
Although he has a child, he is a good person overall. He has a good job, owns his own house, and they have separated their households. His parents don't live with him, so there are no conflicts between him and his mother. Zhu Jianmin is also a good person. He is honest and reliable, someone you can settle down with. He can handle housework and childcare all by himself, which makes him better than 80% of men.
And to be honest, Qiao Aimei's qualifications actually held her back a bit in various aspects.
Her biological father and stepmother are both in prison. Although they are still alive, it's almost the same as being without parents. People who value family background can't accept this.
She is currently unemployed. Although Director Shen introduced her to a labor service company, she hasn't reported to the company yet, so whether she can find a job and what kind of job she can find are still unknown.
The only advantage Qiao Aimei could have was that she owned a house.
However, she still had to be wary of the man. If his family wasn't well-off, he might just be after the house and planning to exploit her.
Qiao Aimei has no one else to rely on; she's all alone. If she really marries someone like that, it's uncertain whether she can keep the house.
Let alone getting married, even if she didn't get married, it's uncertain whether Qiao Aimei could keep her house.
Don't be fooled by the fact that Qiao Zhenjun said he was leaving the house to her; this was something that neither Wang Zhaodi's family nor her son knew about.
Once they find out, they'll definitely come knocking and cause trouble.
Sister Wang lived in the same area as Wang Zhaodi's parents' home, so she knew a bit about the family's personalities. To put it nicely, they were shrewd; to put it bluntly, they were insatiably greedy.
They haven't realized what's happening yet. Once they do, and find out that Qiao Aimei has sent her daughter to jail and occupied Qiao Zhenjun's house, they'll definitely come knocking and cause trouble.
Thinking about it this way, Sister Wang felt that it was actually a good thing for Qiao Aimei to be dating Zhu Jianmin.
At least Zhu Jianmin can protect her a little.
The women in the office had different opinions. Some, like Sister Wang, thought the two were a good match, while others thought they were completely incompatible. But no matter what everyone thought, Qiao Aimei and Zhu Jianmin started dating sweetly.
Zhu Jianmin was an honest man. The day after he started dating Qiao Aimei, he went to the Women's Federation to bring her a pig's head.
As previously agreed, it was his dad's exclusive recipe for braised pig's head.
Two large lunchboxes were full; one was for Qiao Aimei, and the other was for Mingxi, the matchmaker.
The portions were so generous that Mingxi and Qiao Aimei couldn't finish them, so they took them to the cafeteria at noon and shared them with everyone from the Women's Federation.
I must say, this braised pig's head is really well made.
Mingxi was stuffed.
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