Chapter 47 Huang Pingping's Wedding "I'm here today..."
"I've come here today to ask Comrade Ming to help me find a partner," Wei Yong'an said, sitting upright with a serious expression.
Upon hearing this, Mingxi couldn't help but furrow her brows.
She said, "Comrade Wei, you may not know, but I already refused this matter when your mother came last time."
Wei Yong'an nodded: "I know. Last time, because of my divorce, you and my mother had a little disagreement. My mother has a bad temper and is stubborn, so please don't mind."
"And, regarding the reason for my divorce from my ex-wife that you asked me about before, if you still want to know, Comrade Ming, I can tell you without reservation. My ex-wife and I divorced because of my mother. My mother had a problem with my ex-wife not having children and forced her to try many folk remedies. Of course, this behavior is definitely wrong. We comrades of this generation who have received education know that having children is affected by many factors and requires a systematic medical examination to determine the problem. But my mother lacked scientific education, was easily swayed by superstitions, and suffered from the common problems of older people, coupled with my mother's temper..."
As Wei Yong'an finished speaking, he looked up at Ming Xi and gave her a helpless smile.
"Comrade Ming, you've dealt with my mother before, so you must know how difficult she is. I was busy with work at the time, and when I was home, I tried my best to mediate the conflicts between her and my ex-wife, but when I wasn't home, I couldn't manage so much. Later, my ex-wife couldn't stand my mother's personality anymore, so she chose to divorce me. On this point, I support my ex-wife's choice. Our divorce was amicable, and we remained friends afterward. When she remarried last year, I even gave her a wedding gift."
Mingxi raised her eyebrows.
Wei Yong'an truly deserves his position as the propaganda director of the textile factory at such a young age; he's definitely got some skills.
In just a few words, he firmly established himself as a pitiful man caught between a difficult mother and wife.
In the middle, he seemed to be speaking up for Bai Shuzhen, but he was actually shifting the blame, showing that he thought differently from Bai Shuzhen and that he did not join Bai Shuzhen in pressuring his ex-wife.
So even after the divorce, his ex-wife still had a good impression of him, and the two could still be friends.
This once again demonstrates Bai Shuzhen's inhumane behavior. Even those unaware of Bai Shuzhen's past actions cannot help but condemn her.
Mingxi clicked his tongue and couldn't help but glance at Wei Yong'an again.
It seems that Bai Shuzhen's reputation as a vicious stepmother has spread so far, and it is inseparable from Wei Yong'an.
Wei Yong'an felt Ming Xi's scrutinizing gaze and smiled, "What, Comrade Ming, is there anything else you want to ask?"
Mingxi: "Uh..."
She scratched her head: "Does your mother know you asked me to introduce you to someone?"
Wei Yong'an chuckled: "Don't worry about that, my mother knows. After she had that unpleasant argument with you last time, she regretted it as soon as she got home, but she was too embarrassed to apologize to you."
Will Bai Shuzhen regret it and want to apologize to her?
Mingxi didn't believe a single word.
Wei Yong'an: "When I told my mother I wanted to ask you to introduce me to someone, she was shy and embarrassed to trouble you again. But everyone knows that Comrade Ming is very capable and has introduced several couples to each other, so my mother still agreed to let me come."
To be clear, Wei Yong'an's words were at least 80% exaggerated.
Aside from praising her abilities, it's probably only Bai Shuzhen who knew that Wei Yong'an was coming to her to introduce her to a potential partner.
However, Mingxi didn't care what was real and what was fake.
As long as Bai Shuzhen knows about this, she won't cause trouble for her because of it.
Mingxi picked up her teacup, took a sip of water, and said, "Okay, then I'll take the job. Tell me your requirements."
Wei Yong'an: "As you know, I've been through a marriage before, and I'm thirty now. Unlike young people in their twenties, I don't have that much time to waste. So I don't want to waste too much time on romance. I want to find a lesbian who is straight to marriage."
Mingxi nodded, "That's understandable."
Wei Yong'an: "As for other things, I hope the woman has a higher level of education. I myself graduated from high school, and I hope my wife has at least graduated from junior high school, so that we can have common topics."
Mingxi nodded, agreeing that this was a reasonable request.
Wei Yong'an: "Secondly, I have no other requests."
Mingxi thought for a moment and asked, "What are your thoughts on the woman's family background? Would you be okay with it if she had a rural household registration?"
"Also, since you're getting married for the second time, I'd like to ask one more question: can you accept that the woman is also getting married for the second time?"
Wei Yong'an: "I can accept it from the countryside."
"As for whether the woman is divorced..." Wei Yong'an paused, "I still hope she is getting married for the first time. It's not that I discriminate against women who have been married before. It's just that I think my own conditions are pretty good. Comrade Ming, you understand what I mean, right?"
"I understand, I understand." Mingxi nodded.
Wei Yong'an's statement is correct.
Although he was remarried, he had no children, was good-looking, and had a good job as a manager in a textile factory, earning over one hundred yuan a month.
If it weren't for his stepmother Bai Shuzhen, who held him back, there would be plenty of suitors eager to marry someone with his qualifications.
Wei Yong'an smiled and said frankly, "After all, I am getting married for the second time. If I marry, the woman will be at a disadvantage, so I am willing to offer a bride price of three hundred yuan."
Three hundred yuan is not a small amount.
But Mingxi really needs to think carefully about introducing him to potential partners.
Wei Yong'an is a very cunning and calculating person; you can tell just by comparing his reputation with Bai Shuzhen's.
Moreover, he is very shrewd. On the surface, he is adept at handling situations and speaking eloquently, leaving no room for criticism. At the same time, he is also very clear-headed, fully aware of himself, and knows exactly what he wants.
However, judging from the fact that Wei Yong'an gave all his money to his ex-wife when they divorced, it can be seen that he is not a greedy person.
Simply put, it means being shrewd and calculating, but with a bottom line.
You can't introduce a woman with a strong personality to someone like this, because he is already a strong person, and if another strong person comes along, the two of them will definitely fight.
Being too docile is no good either. With Bai Shuzhen around, anyone who's too docile is guaranteed to get bullied.
Mingxi thought for a moment, then pulled out a notebook containing information on female comrades and said, "According to your requirements, I do have a female comrade who meets the criteria."
"Her name is Ma Meixia. She graduated from junior high school. Her family owns a steel rolling mill. This woman is beautiful and capable. I have a photo of her here that you can take a look at."
As Mingxi spoke, she handed over a photo. The photo was taken during the Chinese New Year. Ma Meixia had her long hair braided into two pigtails, and she was wearing a red V-neck sweater with a radiant smile.
Wei Yong'an took the photo, glanced at Ma Meixia's face in it, and didn't linger for long.
When looking for a partner, looks are certainly important.
But for him, looks are only one aspect; he's not looking for a pretty face.
Mingxi: "Comrade Ma is very capable, and she has quite a few male suitors. However, Comrade Ma has high standards, and she demands a high dowry."
Wei Yong'an: "The bride price is negotiable. If possible, I'd like to arrange a meeting with Comrade Ma. Is that alright?"
Mingxi: "I'll have to ask Comrade Ma to find out. How about this, I'll go make that trip this afternoon and get back to you tomorrow?"
Wei Yong'an frowned: "Tomorrow won't work. I have to go on a business trip out of town tomorrow and won't be back until the week after next."
"How about this, Comrade Ming, you ask Comrade Ma first to see when she will be available, and then we'll confirm the time when I get back."
Mingxi nodded: "Okay."
"Then it's settled." Wei Yong'an stood up. "I'll come back to see Comrade Ming when I get back."
"Okay." Mingxi stood up and saw Wei Yong'an out.
Zhao Sulan and Mingxi saw the person out together. After Wei Yong'an left, the mother and daughter went out to the barbecue restaurant to eat barbecue.
On the way, Zhao Sulan remarked to Mingxi, "Everyone used to say that Wei's son was an honest man, but it seems that's not the case."
Mingxi nodded, "That's right!"
Everyone says Wei Yong'an is pitiful, that he was tricked by his own father before he died and bullied by his stepmother.
However, judging from the current situation, although Wei Yong'an agreed to his biological father's request, everyone said that Wei Yong'an was wronged and scolded the old man for not doing anything right. Even the leaders of the textile factory said that Wei Yong'an was a kind and righteous person and a filial son. He was willing to take care of his stepmother in her old age and see her off when she had her own biological son.
And then there's Bai Shuzhen; her reputation is completely ruined now. On the other hand, Wei Yong'an, even though he gave all the money to his ex-wife after the divorce, still has a good reputation. With his current reputation, even if he breaks his promise and doesn't take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age, and sends her away, no one will say anything bad about him.
Looking at it this way, Wei Yong'an is definitely the winner.
Mingxi couldn't help but suspect that Wei Yong'an's previous refusal to find a partner was intentional, just to ruin Bai Shuzhen's reputation.
Otherwise, if a leader really wanted to find someone to marry, he might not be able to find anyone in the city, but surely there would be someone in the countryside willing to marry him?
After finishing their barbecue, Mingxi and Zhao Sulan went to the Ma family's house, still smelling strongly of barbecue.
The Ma family and the Zuo family lived in the same courtyard, but after Zuo Ying married Du Hai, she moved to the Du family's house, leaving the two rooms on this side empty.
Mingxi stepped into the courtyard and arrived at the Ma family's house on the left. She knocked on the door, and Ma Meixia opened it. When she saw Mingxi, her face lit up with joy: "Comrade Ming, did you come here because there's news about introducing me to someone?"
Mingxi nodded: "Yes, I just received a male colleague today, and I think his conditions are quite in line with your requirements."
Ma Meixia: "What are his conditions?"
Mingxi: "The other person's name is Wei Yong'an. He is thirty years old and is the director of the publicity department of a textile factory. He has a stepmother and two younger siblings who are not very close to him, who are his stepmother's children..."
She carefully reviewed Wei Yong'an's information, and Ma Meixia's face lit up with surprise.
Wei Yong'an has a simple family background and is also a cadre in a textile factory!
This offer is like a windfall!
But then Mingxi changed the subject: "However, there's something I need to tell you beforehand. This isn't Wei Yong'an's first marriage. He was married once before and got divorced. The reason for the divorce was because of his stepmother."
She briefly recounted how Wei's father had asked Wei Yong'an to take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her off before he died, and how Bai Shuzhen had caused trouble for him after living with Wei Yong'an.
Ma Meixia scoffed lightly: "Spoiled. This old woman is just spoiled. They're not even his own sons, yet he dares to boss people around and cause trouble at home. He deserves to be taught a lesson."
Ma Meixia was eager to get started, seemingly having already put herself in the role of Wei Yong'an's wife, ready to have a big battle with Bai Shuzhen.
Mingxi: ...
Alright, at least I can see that Ma Meixia won't be bullied by Bai Shuzhen.
Mingxi: "So you're satisfied with Wei Yong'an's terms? In that case, see when you're free next week. Wei Yong'an wants to meet you."
Ma Meixia: "Why does it have to be the week after next? I have time anytime."
Anyway, she doesn't have a job, so she can watch it whenever she wants.
Mingxi: "Comrade Wei doesn't have time. Wei Yong'an is going on a business trip tomorrow and won't be back until the week after next."
"Oh, I see." Ma Meixia said, "Then I'm the same way. I'm available anytime. Let's see when Wei Yong'an is back from his business trip and make an appointment whenever he's free."
Mingxi nodded: "Okay."
After finishing their business, Mingxi was about to leave when Ma Meixia called out to him. Her eyes blinked, gleaming with a sharp light: "Hey, Comrade Ming, since Wei Yong'an is a leader in the textile factory, how much do you think he earns a month? It must be over a hundred, right? Do you even know how much over a hundred he earns?"
“How would I know? You should ask him when you meet him,” Mingxi replied.
Ma Meixia: "I feel so embarrassed. As a girl, if I ask someone how much he earns on our first meeting, people who don't know the situation might think I'm after his money."
Although she was after Wei Yong'an's offer, she would still feel embarrassed to do it openly.
Mingxi: "...Then I'll ask him for you next time I see him."
Ma Meixia's eyes crinkled with laughter: "Then you should help me find out more, and the more clearly you find out, the better."
Ma Meixia makes no secret of her concern for money. As the saying goes, a woman marries a man for food and clothing. Since she's already going on blind dates, of course she wants to find a man with good conditions who can provide for her financially.
Otherwise, would she find a beggar?
She's not a staff member of the neighborhood committee, and she doesn't have any interest in poverty alleviation.
Mingxi agreed to Ma Meixia's request, which she considered normal.
When it comes to blind dates, if men are picky about women's looks and family background, isn't it normal for women to be picky about men's jobs and salaries?
After leaving the Ma family, Mingxi wrote down Ma Meixia's request so that she wouldn't forget it when Wei Yong'an returned from his business trip.
The next day, Wei Yong'an went on a business trip, which lasted for more than a week. Before he returned, Mingxi received two invitations. The first one was a wedding invitation from Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng.
When Sun Xiuzhen came to deliver the wedding invitation, Mingxi was a little surprised. When she brought the Wu family to propose marriage a while ago, the engagement date for both sides had not yet been set. Why did she send the wedding invitation directly?
After Sun Xiuzhen explained, Mingxi finally understood.
It turns out that right after the marriage proposal, Sun Xiuzhen and Wu's mother went to the western suburbs to find a fortune teller to calculate an auspicious date. The fortune teller, based on Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng's birth dates, determined that they only had one auspicious day left for marriage this year: the Dragon Boat Festival. Other days were unsuitable for marriage; if they insisted on getting married, their marriage would at least be unhappy, and in more serious cases, they might even die a violent death.
These words startled both Sun Xiuzhen and Wu's mother.
To be honest, neither Sun Xiuzhen nor Wu's mother were particularly superstitious people, but the fortune teller's words were too frightening, so they thought it best to avoid them if possible.
With that in mind, both sides decided to skip the engagement and go straight to the wedding, and the date was set for this Saturday, which is the Dragon Boat Festival.
Although Mingxi did not believe in superstition, she could understand the actions of the Huang and Wu families.
She accepted the wedding invitation with a smile and promised to be there early on Sun Xiuzhen's wedding day.
Sun Xiuzhen: "You have to come early. Pingping told me that no one else can be absent on the wedding day, but you have to be there."
She laughed and said, "Actually, she was supposed to come with me today to deliver the wedding invitations, but she has to go to the tailor shop to alter her wedding dress, so she doesn't have time to come."
The wedding date was set in a hurry, and the Huang and Wu families had a lot to prepare, such as booking a restaurant for the banquet, the wedding attire for the newlyweds, and sending out invitations to relatives and friends. The Huang and Wu families were so busy that Huang Pingping couldn't find the time to do anything else.
Mingxi smiled and agreed, "Okay, I promise I'll be there before dawn on the wedding day. You can tell Pingping not to worry!"
After seeing Sun Xiuzhen off, Mingxi welcomed two more familiar faces – Aunt Zheng and Aunt Fu.
After Mingxi's mediation, the two older women agreed to the marriage of the two children, but they still couldn't stand each other.
Even getting through a door requires arguing over who gets in first.
"Hey Zheng, why are you pushing? I was here first, so I should have gone in first!"
"Hey Fu, can't you be reasonable? What do you mean you were here first? My hand clearly touched the doorknob first. I was here first, okay?"
"I stepped across the threshold first, so I was here first and should be the one who went in first!"
"Why look at the feet? You should look at the hands, my hands..."
Hearing the two middle-aged women arguing incessantly at the door, clinging to the doorframe and refusing to let each other in, Mingxi quickly stepped forward: "Aunt Zheng, Aunt Fu, you've arrived?"
She was really afraid that if she didn't come over soon, the two older women would squeeze her door frame until it fell down.
When Aunt Zheng and Aunt Fu saw Mingxi, they both stopped talking and let go of each other's hands.
Aunt Zheng tidied her hair: "Comrade Xiaoming, I've come today to deliver your wedding invitation!"
Aunt Fu straightened her clothes and said, "Comrade Xiaoming, I've come here today to deliver your wedding invitation."
The two middle-aged women spoke in unison, and then, without prior arrangement, they both turned and glared at each other.
"How dare you steal my lines!"
"Who stole your lyrics? These are clearly my lyrics!"
Mingxi: "Uh, ladies, why don't we come in and sit down to talk?"
Aunt Zheng glared at Aunt Fu beside her, and before the other could react, she stepped into the house first. Aunt Fu shouted, "Hey! Zheng Yunfen, you cheated!"
Aunt Zheng: "Who cheated? You're the one who didn't want to leave. I came in first, so you can't let others go before you?"
"You!" Although Aunt Fu was unwilling to fall behind, she couldn't argue with Aunt Zheng, so she could only huff and snort before walking into the house.
The two sat down and explained their purpose: they had come to deliver wedding invitations.
Luo Huan and Zhu Zhaohui are getting married, and the wedding is scheduled for this Sunday.
Mingxi's first reaction upon hearing this was to let out a soft sigh.
Fortunately, it was scheduled for Sunday. If it had been scheduled for Saturday, it would have clashed with Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng's wedding, and she wouldn't have been able to attend.
However, just as she breathed a sigh of relief, she became curious about why Luo Huan and Zhu Zhaohui's wedding date was set so hastily.
They even skipped the traditional six-rite betrothal ceremony and engagement, and went straight to the wedding?
Could it be that they consulted a fortune teller and discovered that they only have one auspicious day left to get married this year?
Mingxi couldn't contain her curiosity and asked directly.
It would have been better if I hadn't asked, because asking has stirred up a hornet's nest.
Upon hearing this, Aunt Fu angrily pointed at Aunt Zheng and said, "It's all because of Zheng Yunfen! She's the one who caused all this trouble!"
Aunt Zheng: "Fu Peizhi, don't talk nonsense. What do you mean I caused this trouble? Why don't you say it's because you're stubborn and won't listen to others, making things difficult for the two children?"
Aunt Fu: "Isn't that because you kept arguing with me? If you hadn't argued with me, I wouldn't have..."
The two middle-aged women started arguing again after a disagreement. Mingxi listened for a while and finally understood what was going on. It turned out that the two women hadn't given up on opposing each other, and they started arguing again while discussing their children's marriage.
They started arguing about the bride price and dowry, each trying to outdo the other. Aunt Zheng said the bride price was 100 yuan, while Aunt Fu said the dowry was 150 yuan. Aunt Zheng said no, the bride price had to be increased to 200 yuan...
And so, they bid against each other like in a competition, almost putting all their savings on the line.
Of course, the two kids eventually called it off, since they couldn't let both sets of parents go bankrupt just for a wedding.
The two children were finally engaged, and the bride price and dowry were both set at 150 yuan.
The matter was settled, but the two women started arguing about other things: how many tables to book for the wedding, how many relatives to invite from each side, whether the banquet should be held at a restaurant or at home, and what kind of clothes the two children should wear at the wedding...
In the eyes of these two middle-aged women, they can argue about anything, and they want to argue about everything.
Luo Huan and Zhu Zhaohui couldn't stand it anymore. While the two older women were still arguing, they stole the family's household registration booklet and secretly went to the neighborhood office to get a letter of introduction. After that, they quietly got their marriage certificate without telling anyone.
The two older women only found out what the two young men had done when they saw them bring their marriage certificate home.
Needless to say, the two middle-aged women gave the two children a good scolding.
But after all the scolding, we still have to face what we have to face.
That was the wedding of the two children.
Now that they've obtained their marriage certificate, the wedding must be brought up as soon as possible. The two older women stopped arguing and decided to keep everything simple and get it over with quickly.
And so, the wedding was set for this Sunday, in the courtyard where both families lived.
After listening to the two middle-aged women, Mingxi couldn't help but sigh. Luo Huan and Zhu Zhaohui were indeed people who could do great things. They did all sorts of rebellious things, from eloping to stealing household registration books to getting married.
However, this trick really worked. If the two children hadn't made the decision to get their marriage certificate so quickly, given Aunt Zheng and Aunt Fu's personalities, they might have been arguing until next year.
Sure enough, the two middle-aged women started arguing about which side Mingxi should be represented as a guest.
Aunt Fu felt she was closer to Mingxi, so Mingxi should attend the wedding as a guest from the Luo family. Aunt Zheng, on the other hand, believed Mingxi was the matchmaker, and matchmakers usually attend as guests of the groom's side, so Mingxi should be considered a guest from her side.
The two middle-aged women argued back and forth, making Mingxi's ears hurt. She couldn't help but want to say, "How about cutting me in half, one half for Aunt Zheng and the other half for Aunt Fu?"
In the end, it was the experienced Zhao Sulan who stepped in and mediated the conflict between Aunt Zheng and Aunt Fu, allowing Mingxi to attend as a guest of the groom's family.
After she said that, Aunt Zheng was happy, but Aunt Fu's mouth fell down. Zhao Sulan quickly pulled Aunt Fu aside to explain.
"It's our custom for the matchmaker to attend as a guest of the groom's family; it doesn't mean anything. Mingxi's heart is definitely with you."
Aunt Fu was just trying to prove Aunt Zheng wrong, and didn't really care which side Mingxi was on. After Zhao Sulan's persuasion, she let out her anger and stopped being upset.
She followed Zhao Sulan back, proudly raising her chin and giving Aunt Zheng a disdainful glance.
Hmph, what's the use of your happiness? Old Zhao already told her that it's customary for matchmakers to count guests from the groom's side, and Xiao Ming's heart is still on her side!
Although Aunt Zheng didn't understand what Aunt Fu was so smug about, she was happy that she had achieved her goal and didn't bother to argue with Aunt Fu.
And so, both women left the Ming family home satisfied.
Mingxi watched the two middle-aged women's backs and couldn't help but give Zhao Sulan a thumbs up.
Old ginger is spicier; it still takes her mother's help to get things done.
-
Days passed by, and Saturday arrived quickly—Huang Pingping's wedding day.
Mingxi kept her promise and set off for the Huang family early in the morning, before dawn.
When she arrived, many relatives had already come to the Huang family's house. Sun Xiuzhen introduced Mingxi to the relatives as the matchmaker who introduced Huang Pingping to a potential partner, and unsurprisingly, she received a chorus of surprised looks.
Mingxi was already used to it. She walked into Huang Pingping's room with a look of surprise and astonishment.
Outside the room, there was a bustling crowd, but inside there were only two or three people.
Seeing Mingxi arrive, Huang Pingping exclaimed with delight, "Oh, Mingxi, you're here! Come, come, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, this is my best friend, and this is my best colleague at work..."
Huang Pingping introduced everyone in the room to Mingxi one by one, and then introduced Mingxi to everyone as well. Mingxi smiled and greeted the others in the room.
Mingxi had heard Huang Pingping complain before that, despite her family's good financial situation, she didn't actually have many friends.
Logically speaking, Huang Pingping should have had many friends around her because of her good family background. However, one cannot underestimate people's jealousy. Huang Pingping was envied by her peers from a young age because she was an only child and had good family background, which led to her being isolated.
Mingxi understood this situation because the original owner of this body had experienced the same thing when she was a child. Zhao Sulan only had this one daughter, and she always tried her best to give her the best. While other children might only get to eat fruit candy a few times a year, the original owner could fill a whole pocket with it every day.
The other children were incredibly jealous. They were jealous that Mingxi's family treated her so well, even though they were all just little girls; they were jealous that Zhao Sulan gave Mingxi whatever she wanted, even though her family wasn't wealthy...
Because of this imbalance, everyone collectively isolated Mingxi, causing her to play by herself or with older children in the yard for a long time.
Huang Pingping lives in a tenement building, where she has few playmates and even fewer friends. Those who can come into her house are her closest friends.
Huang Pingping introduced Mingxi to her few friends, indicating that Mingxi was also one of her trusted friends.
After exchanging greetings, Huang Pingping pulled Mingxi aside for a private chat: "Why did you come at this hour?"
Mingxi smiled and said, "Didn't you ask Aunt Sun to tell me to come over early this morning? So I made sure to leave early this morning. How about that, early enough?"
Huang Pingping's eyes were full of joy, but when she heard Mingxi ask this, she deliberately pouted and said proudly, "It's alright, it's not that early. So many relatives have already come to my house."
Mingxi leaned forward, her face close to Huang Pingping's: "Hey, don't pout. It's such a nice day today, and you've put on such beautiful makeup. You mustn't pout, or your makeup will smudge and look bad."
Upon hearing this, Huang Pingping looked nervous and hurriedly went to look in the mirror.
"I forgot I put on makeup today. Can you quickly check if my makeup has smudged?"
Mingxi cupped Huang Pingping's face in her hands, scrutinizing her from head to toe for a long time without saying a word. It wasn't until the other woman grew impatient and couldn't help but ask that she finally chuckled and said, "Even without flowers, she's still beautiful!"
Huang Pingping: "Hmph!"
She rolled her eyes at Mingxi and said coquettishly, "Are you kidding me?"
"Hehehe..."
Mingxi, having been seen through, could only smile awkwardly.
Huang Pingping didn't hold it against Mingxi. She lifted her skirt, twirled around, and asked, "Seriously, do I look good today?"
Mingxi didn't hesitate at all: "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"
This isn't Mingxi trying to fool people; Huang Pingping really does look beautiful today.
Today, she wore a red blouse with a cluster of vibrant peonies embroidered in gold thread on the chest. The blouse was tucked into a full red skirt, accentuating her slender waist. The skirt was also embroidered with the same peonies in the same color thread as the blouse. As she moved, the skirt swayed, and the gold-embroidered peonies seemed to move as if real flowers were being blown by the wind.
Huang Pingping applied a fine foundation to her face, concealing minor blemishes. Her bright red lipstick accentuated her delicate eyebrows and pearly white teeth.
Mingxi said earnestly, "You are the most beautiful bride I have ever seen."
"Really?" Huang Pingping exclaimed in surprise, but couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "How many brides have you actually met?"
Mingxi joked, "That doesn't detract from how beautiful you look today. When Wu Zhensheng comes over, he might be stunned!"
"Oh, you're always joking..."
Huang Pingping blushed with embarrassment.
Mingxi chatted with Huang Pingping inside for a while, when Sun Xiuzhen came in carrying a bowl of egg noodles. She handed it to Huang Pingping and said, "You won't have time to eat for the next day, so have a couple of bites to tide you over."
Huang Pingping didn't waste any time with Sun Xiuzhen, and took the bowl and chopsticks to eat heartily.
Huang Pingping's wedding was arranged to be held at a hotel. According to the schedule, Wu Zhensheng would first leave from his home to pick up Huang Pingping from her family's house, and then ride his bicycle around to the hotel. The wedding officially started at 11:00 AM at the hotel. After the ceremony, Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng, the newlyweds, still had to do their part, toasting guests and seeing them off. After all the hustle and bustle, it was estimated that the wedding wouldn't be over until 4 or 5 PM.
There was no time to eat in between.
Nearly twelve hours, which is equivalent to a whole day, means that neither of them can eat anything. Even an iron man couldn't stand that.
I can only eat something to fill my stomach right now.
After dinner, Mingxi helped Huang Pingping touch up her makeup. By then it was broad daylight, and Huang's father came downstairs to set off firecrackers.
Firecrackers crackled and popped, instantly spreading joy throughout the courtyard. Guests coming and going all wore smiles, and adults and children chatted and played around with laughter.
As the sound of firecrackers went off outside, Huang Pingping inside the house grew increasingly nervous. Just then, a shout rang out from outside: "The groom is here!"
Huang Pingping was so nervous that her hand holding Mingxi's was trembling. Mingxi gently patted her shoulder and said, "Don't be nervous, I'll go out and take a look."
Huang Pingping nodded: "Okay!"
Mingxi crawled out of the house and came to the outside corridor. She leaned against the wall of the corridor and looked out, just in time to see Wu Zhensheng riding a bicycle with people riding in from outside the courtyard.
Wu Zhensheng rode downstairs, parked his bike, and came upstairs surrounded by people. Mingxi quickly went back inside and told Huang Pingping that Wu Zhensheng had come up.
Not long after, shouts came from outside: "The groom is here to pick up the bride! Bride, open the door quickly!"
Mingxi and several others in the room shouted, "We won't open it unless you give us a red envelope!"
"Give it to us, we'll give it to you!"
The next second, a red envelope was slipped through the crack in the door.
Everyone laughed again: "The groom is so easy to talk to! Then we want more!"
Before anything could be said outside, Huang Pingping inside couldn't sit still any longer. She shouted, "Hey, don't go too far!"
As soon as he said that, everyone inside and outside the house burst into laughter.
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, the door was opened, and Wu Zhensheng immediately saw Huang Pingping blushing.
One glance was enough to make him lose his composure.
The guests inside and outside the house were laughing happily, but seeing that the groom didn't react, Mingxi teased, "Why isn't the groom saying anything? Is it because the bride is too beautiful and he's staring blankly at her?"
Wu Zhensheng then came to his senses. He blushed and walked to Huang Pingping's side, saying, "You look very beautiful today."
Huang Pingping's face was already burning hot, and now it turned even redder.
Two young people, their faces as red as monkey bottoms, went downstairs, got into their car, and rode off to the wedding venue amidst everyone's blessings.
Wu Zhensheng borrowed more than a dozen bicycles from somewhere, each with a big red flower made of ribbon tied to the front. With more than a dozen bicycles following behind, it was extremely eye-catching, and passersby all along the way turned around to look at him.
Once at the hotel, Mingxi parted ways with Huang Pingping.
Huang Pingping, as the newlywed, was to entertain the guests today, so Mingxi, who couldn't come along, sat down alone.
To thank Mingxi for pulling Huang Pingping out of Feng Fan's deep pit and for introducing Huang Pingping to Wu Zhensheng, such a good young man, Sun Xiuzhen highly valued her and arranged for her to sit at the head table.
As soon as Mingxi sat down, she realized that the people at the table were not ordinary people. They all seemed to be leaders from the steel plant and the street office. She was not familiar with the leaders from the steel plant, but she knew the leaders from the street office.
She immediately recognized Director Wang from the subdistrict office and Director Shen from the women's federation.
However, she didn't go up to say hello.
She knows the person, but the leader doesn't know her. If she goes up to greet him, he probably won't pay any attention to her.
Forget about ignoring her, I bet even the leaders haven't noticed her!
Sigh, Mingxi underestimated herself. Just as she recognized Director Wang and Director Shen, the two of them also noticed her.
It was quite eye-catching that Mingxi, such a young and unfamiliar girl, was seated at the leader's table.
Director Wang and Director Shen couldn't help but wonder to themselves, "Who is this little girl? She looks unfamiliar, but I feel like I remember her."
Could it be that some leader's child is attending in place of their parents?
Director Wang was incredibly curious, so she quietly got up and went outside to stop Sun Xiuzhen, who was entertaining guests, to ask about Mingxi's identity. When she learned that Mingxi was not the daughter of any leader, but the matchmaker who brought Huang Pingping and Wu Zhensheng together, she felt relieved.
So she was just a matchmaker.
But why would a matchmaker look so familiar to her?
Director Wang pondered for a moment and then sat back down in her seat. As soon as she sat down, she remembered something.
Isn't Mingxi the little girl who took Qin Qiaorou to the neighborhood office to demand an explanation?
She even got a scolding because of this little girl!
"So it was her!"
Director Wang muttered something under his breath, which was overheard by Director Shen. She quietly leaned over and asked in a low voice, "Who are you talking about? Is it that young lady at our table? Do you know her?"
Director Wang truthfully replied, "Director Shen, I was referring to her. Her name is Mingxi, and she's a matchmaker. She's the one who introduced this couple to us today."
"Oh? A matchmaker?" Director Shen looked at Mingxi curiously; it was rare to see a matchmaker so young.
Seeing her interest in Mingxi, Director Wang specially introduced her: "You should remember this young comrade. Do you remember Comrade Qin from the cannery a while ago? She's the one who was abused by her in-laws, Comrade Qin Qiaorou. It was this young comrade who led Comrade Qin to our street office, and later to the Women's Federation."
Director Shen: "Really? I didn't know there was such a hidden story behind this."
Director Wang touched her nose, feeling guilty when the topic came up.
When Mingxi brought Qin Qiaorou to the neighborhood office to cause trouble, she could have handled it, but because the Jia family was difficult to deal with, she thought it was better to avoid trouble, so she let the group cause trouble at the Women's Federation.
Director Shen had no intention of bringing up past grievances. She simply felt that Mingxi was a good young comrade, full of energy and seemingly capable at work, and quite suitable for working in their Women's Federation.
Mingxi had no idea that she was being watched.
She was wondering what delicious food would be served at the banquet later.
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Author's note: Haha, everyone's imagination is amazing! You actually came up with the idea of marrying Bai Shuzhen off. How interesting!
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