Chapter 173 Good News for Everyone Time is like…
Time seems to have been accelerated; in the blink of an eye, the second half of 2018 has passed, and another Lunar New Year's Eve is upon us.
A lot has happened in the past six months.
First, there was Wu Haiyan and Wang Weiping. The two were mutually attracted and soon officially became a couple.
As the first successful match introduced by Zhenzhen Marriage Agency, Mingxi made a special trip to visit them and even helped them take a set of couple photos. After obtaining Wu Haiyan and Wang Weiping's permission, Mingxi posted the photos on the wall of the marriage agency.
This is a truly living advertisement!
Whether this "living advertisement" tactic was effective is debatable, but the matchmaking agency's business did gradually get back on track. Once the rush of opening and registration was over, the busiest period for the agency was also over, and Zhao Sulan and Aunt He were able to handle things on their own.
Mingxi doesn't need to be in the shop day and night; she can just come and take a look when she's not busy on her days off.
Another big event in the second half of the year is the opening of Guan Lixin's new store.
Guan Lixin is incredibly proactive. In June, when he held a profit-sharing meeting with Mingxi and Shouhou, he first mentioned his plan to open a branch store. In the blink of an eye, in August, the new store opened with great fanfare.
His new store takes a cheap and affordable approach, unlike his previous boutique women's clothing store. The store's decor is not as sophisticated, and the layout and product selection are not as exquisite, but it has all the necessary services.
On the day the new store opened, Mingxi also went to cut the ribbon.
Believe it or not, the new store is doing really well.
During the hour or so that Mingxi stayed in the store, she watched customers come and go, and the number of customers in the store did not decrease at all.
Guan Lixin himself said that his new store's daily turnover is several thousand yuan.
He didn't buy the shop; he rented it. Because the location is a bit out of the way and the shop isn't very big, the rent isn't expensive—only twenty yuan a month. The shop isn't big, so there are naturally few employees. Including the manager, there are only four people in total. The employees' salaries, plus rent, utilities, and the cost of goods—all these expenses don't amount to much.
This store made a profit of almost 10,000 yuan in August alone.
That's quite a lot.
After all, the average wage these days is only a few dozen yuan, which is decades' wages for an ordinary person.
In the same month, the Guan family had another piece of good news: Guan Lixin's eldest son was born.
He Li went into labor on August 31st. When she gave birth, she was actually more than ten days past her due date. The Guan family and the He family were extremely anxious, fearing that something might happen to the baby in her womb. They went to the hospital for check-ups several times because of this.
But no matter how many tests were done, the doctor only said one thing: the child is fine.
The families on both sides of the border were extremely anxious. Finally, on the 31st, He Li took her first step, and everyone breathed a huge sigh of relief.
If this doesn't start soon, they're already thinking of having a C-section.
After He Li's efforts all night, the baby was finally born in the early morning of September 1st, a big, healthy boy weighing eight pounds and eight ounces. Both of Guan's parents said that the baby looked like Guan Lixin, exactly like Guan Lixin when he was a child. Mingxi, who had also been to the hospital to see him, did not quite agree with this statement. She thought that Roudan was much better looking than Guan Lixin.
Yes, Roudan (Meatball). Because he was born chubby and plump, just like a meatball, Guan Lixin's son was named Roudan.
Of course, it's a nickname.
Rou Dan's formal name was given by Guan's father. As soon as He Li became pregnant, Guan's father and mother began to prepare a name for the child. The old couple racked their brains and finally decided that the child's formal name would be Mingyi, so they called him Guan Mingyi.
In fact, Mr. Guan initially thought of many auspicious names, such as Guan Zhenglin, Guan Chengqian, and Guan Tianqiong. However, upon further reflection, he felt that these names were too grand and that the child might not be able to bear them.
Elders say that if a child's name is too grandiose, the child's weak constitution will not be able to bear it and they are prone to dying young.
After thinking it over, Guan's father crossed out all the other names, leaving only Guan Mingyi.
When Guan Lixin and He Li heard the name, they thought it was good. They didn't have high expectations for the child. They didn't expect him to become a great person or something extraordinary. They only hoped that he could be reasonable, distinguish right from wrong, and know good from evil, and become an upright and kind person.
And so, Guan Lixin's son's name was decided.
Of course, not many people call him by his full name, Guan Mingyi. Whether it's the Guan family, the He family, or even friends like Mingxi, they all call him by his nickname, Roudan.
This isn't adults deliberately bullying children; it's just that Rou Dan (Meatball Baby) lives up to its name—chubby all over with a round face, really resembling a big meatball.
Roudan was born stronger than other babies. In addition, he had a big appetite and drank milk several times a day. He would finish a can of formula in just a few days. When he was a month old, he was even more chubby. The neighbors who came to the alley for the full moon celebration were all surprised that the baby was so chubby and was a whole size bigger than other babies of the same age.
Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but feel envious, and they all muttered behind his back that Guan Lixin really made money by going into business, and he was able to raise his children so well. They had never seen anyone else raise their children so well.
When it comes to doing business, everyone's attention turns to Mingxi. After all, there are only two businesses in the alley: Guan Lixin and Mingxi. When talking about Guan Lixin, Mingxi is always brought up for comparison.
The difference is striking when compared to this. Mingxi's matchmaking agency looks lively, but it doesn't make much money. After all, everyone can see that while there are many people coming and going, they're lucky if they can close one deal a day.
Not to mention that Aunt He also has to be paid a salary.
If things continue like this, it's uncertain when we'll break even.
When something good happens, those who are envious can't help but make sarcastic remarks to Mingxi. On the surface, everyone says nice things, telling Mingxi not to worry and that she will recoup her losses sooner or later. In reality, they are all just waiting to see Mingxi make a fool of herself and wait for her to lose money.
Mingxi wasn't angry. She pretended to cry a couple of times about being poor and playing the victim, but after the other person left, she couldn't help but laugh.
Her matchmaking agency didn't make much money. Except for the first month when business was a bit better, she only earned about two or three hundred yuan each month after that.
After deducting the costs of water, electricity, and paying Aunt He's salary, the amount that would ultimately be in her pocket was only a little over a hundred yuan.
If you factor in the cost of buying the house, then even breaking even is a long way off.
However, Mingxi had her own set of reasons.
The house she bought for the matchmaking agency is in a good location, and it might be demolished at any time. Whether it's a replacement house or demolition compensation, she'll still profit.
Moreover, she initially opened this matchmaking agency to make things easier for Zhao Sulan and, incidentally, to make some money.
Earning a little over a hundred yuan a month now is an unexpected surprise.
A little over a hundred yuan isn't a lot, and it's nothing compared to what's in front of Guan Lixin's clothing store, but compared to others, it's definitely a lot. You know, the monthly salary of a steel rolling mill director is only a little over one hundred and twenty yuan.
Mingxi is already very satisfied with the current situation.
She has a salary, Guan Lixin's clothing store gives her a share of the profits, and with the income from the matchmaking agency, her family is not short of money.
However, it's better to keep a low profile and make a fortune quietly; there's no need to show off everywhere, lest you attract unnecessary trouble.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few people in the alley who are secretly envious of Ming's family.
Some people were envious of Guan Lixin, but that's just how people are. Guan Lixin's family had always been one of the better-off families in the alley, so while people admired him, their envy was limited.
Those who are envious of the Ming family are different. In the past, the Ming family was all show and no substance. Ming Xi lived a good life, eating and dressing well. But everyone wasn't stupid. They knew that Zhao Sulan's salary wasn't much, and they all spent money on Ming Xi to make her seem like she was doing well.
Actually, the Ming family's circumstances were quite ordinary for a family living in the alley.
Who would have thought that starting last year, the Ming family would suddenly turn their fortunes around, and Mingxi, who had failed to get into university for three years and was stuck at home, actually found a job and got a government job?
Now even the old widow surnamed Zhao has retired and turned to open some kind of matchmaking agency, becoming a big boss?
Seeing the Ming family, who were once inferior to them, suddenly leave everyone else behind, who could feel at ease? Who wouldn't feel upset?
There were many people in the alley who hoped for bad things to happen to the Ming family.
Because Mingxi kept a low profile and poured out her grievances, everyone felt much more at ease, at least there was no open and sarcastic banter.
Mingxi keeps a low profile on the surface, but she never compromises herself in private. For example, in September and October, she took advantage of the fact that the matchmaking agency needed to entertain guests and couldn't be cold, so she hired someone to renovate the courtyard of the matchmaking agency, installing radiators and a small boiler. Although she had to heat it herself, just like running a stove, she had to add coal briquettes at fixed times.
However, radiators are much more comfortable than stoves. Firstly, there is much less smoke. Secondly, while the boiler burns 24 hours a day, the radiators are always warm and cozy.
After winter set in, Mingxi took Zhao Sulan to stay at the matchmaking agency. There were several rooms there that were usually empty anyway.
Guan Lixin was envious and said he would install a boiler in his home tomorrow.
It's tough on Wei Ning. He used to live in the same alley, and he could get to Ming Xi's house as soon as he got up early every day. Now that Ming Xi lives near the matchmaking agency, he has to go through two more alleys to see her.
To pick up and drop off Mingxi on my way to and from get off work, I have to walk a lot more than before.
Mingxi felt sorry for Wei Ning and didn't want him to run away, but Wei Ning was happy to do it.
That year also brought good news for Meng Dongchun; at the end of the year, Meng Dongchun announced that she was pregnant.
Meng Dongchun is twenty-nine years old this year, which is not young at all. She wants to have children, so she has not used contraception since marrying Lin Hai. However, perhaps it is not her time yet, so she tried for a year last year, but there was no good news.
Now that she's finally pregnant, the first thing she does is announce it to the world, not only to Mingxi's side, but also to the Lin family, with whom she's always had a strained relationship.
When Mingxi went to see Meng Dongchun, she happened to run into Old Lin. Seeing Old Lin's shaky figure leaning on his cane, Mingxi was curious about why he was there.
Meng Dongchun explained to Mingxi that Old Lin had come to deliver something to her.
Judging from Meng Dongchun's tone, Mingxi guessed that Old Lin had regretted it.
Ever since Meng Dongchun married Lin Hai, the second branch of the Lin family moved out and the whole family lived in her place. They rarely went back to the old Lin family house, and even last year during the Spring Festival, they didn't go back because they were angry with Lin's third aunt.
Old Lin only had the eldest and third branches of the Lin family by his side.
When the Lin family was still living in the Lin family, it was Lin's mother who took care of old Lin. Now that Lin's mother is gone, only Lin's eldest aunt and Lin's third aunt are left. One of them is lazy and the other is cunning. They don't care about taking care of old Lin at all.
In addition, without the wages handed over by the second branch of the Lin family, Old Lin suddenly had no money to subsidize the first and third branches, and Uncle Lin and Third Uncle Lin's attitude towards Old Lin deteriorated day by day.
Even Mingxi had heard about the constant chaos and commotion at the Lin family's old residence.
It's estimated that Old Lin had long wanted to make peace with Lin Hai's family, but since Lin Hai's family wouldn't return to the old house, Old Lin's good intentions were useless.
Now that the news of Meng Dongchun's pregnancy has reached the old house, Old Lin is seizing the opportunity to back down gracefully.
When Meng Dongchun heard Mingxi's analysis, she didn't deny it. Instead, she nodded and said that Old Lin's words did indeed imply that they should move back.
Old Lin must be regretting it now. His life is nothing like the easy life he had when the Lin family was all at home.
But regret?
It's no use!
Meng Dongchun was living a good life on her own, so why did she want to go back to the Lin family?
Meng Dongchun was unwilling to move, and Lin Hai listened to his wife and had no intention of moving back. Lin Xi had been filming outside recently and was not at home, but she shared the same idea as Lin Hai: wherever her sister-in-law was, she would be there too, and she did not plan to move back.
Lin's mother originally didn't want to move back to take care of Old Lin, and seeing that her son, daughter-in-law, and daughter all thought the same way, she became even more determined not to move back.
Only Lin's father was deeply moved by the sight of Old Lin's trembling figure coming to visit, and he considered moving back home. But when he looked around, he realized that none of the five family members wanted to go back except for him, and he quickly wavered.
The next day, he declined Old Lin's invitation.
This infuriated Old Lin, who pointed at Lin's father and cursed him as a good-for-nothing who couldn't even control his own daughter-in-law.
Lin's father was quite frank, sticking out his neck as he said, "Lin Hai's wife is no ordinary person. She's a master craftswoman at the machine factory, a level seven technician. There are only a handful of level seven technicians in Beicheng, not to mention she's a college graduate. I'm just an ordinary person who didn't even finish junior high school and only managed to be a level five technician my whole life. Isn't it normal that I can't control her?"
He looked aggrieved, but his words were anything but: "Dad, don't talk about me. Look at you, you're so capable, but you still can't control Lin Hai's wife, can you?"
Old Lin was furious at his father's words. He swung his cane and knocked his father out of the house.
And so, the plan for Lin Hai's family to move back to the Lin family's old house fell through.
Besides Meng Dongchun's pregnancy, the Lin family has another piece of good news: Lin Xi has successfully embarked on the path of becoming an actress.
Lin Xi's acting career started purely by chance. Xu Fei took her photo home, and it happened to be seen by a director at the film studio. Because her appearance met the director's requirements, she was asked to play the third female lead.
When the studio director recruited Lin Xi, he didn't have high hopes. He thought that Lin Xi wasn't a professional and might not act well, but that was okay, they could adjust slowly.
When Lin Xi arrived at the film set with her bag, she didn't expect anything special; she went there with a learning mindset.
Unexpectedly, Lin Xi's acting skills were surprisingly good. She brought to life a seemingly weak but inwardly resilient female comrade. The director immediately decided to cast Lin Xi as the female lead in his next film.
As soon as her previous film ended, Lin Xi was put into a training class at the film studio, ready to wait for the start of filming for her next film.
The last piece of good news comes from Skinny Monkey: he's found a girlfriend.
On the day before the Lunar New Year, the skinny monkey announced this news to everyone in a hesitant manner, which shocked everyone.
Mingxi scratched her head, unable to understand: Who is the skinny monkey dating?
I've never heard of any female friends around Skinny Monkey, nor have I seen him be close to anyone.
Skinny Monkey's face turned as red as Guan Yu's. Under everyone's questioning, he finally spoke up: "You all know my girlfriend, she's Yang Weihong."
Mingxi jumped three feet high: "What?! Yang Weihong?! You're dating Yang Weihong?!"
Mingxi really didn't expect that Yang Weihong and Shouhou would start dating right under her nose, and she hadn't even noticed.
Skinny Monkey blushed and scratched the back of his head: "Speaking of which, I have to thank Mingxi for making Wei Hong and me a couple. You were our matchmaker."
Skinny Monkey's words were not exaggerated.
He got to know Yang Weihong entirely because of Mingxi.
Although Yang Weihong is now staying in Beicheng to run a stall business, she is unfamiliar with the place and doesn't have many friends. She is only close to Mingxi, and often brings gifts to the Ming family during holidays.
Because of Guan Lixin's relationship, Skinny Monkey also had a good relationship with the Ming family. Whenever he got his hands on something rare, he would either send it to the Guan family or the Ming family. Over time, the two of them became familiar with each other.
Yang Weihong's boxed lunch stall was located near the train station, and coincidentally, Shouhou's new store, which Guan Lixin had assigned to manage, was also located near the train station.
The two often bumped into each other in the neighborhood, and gradually became acquainted.
Mingxi didn't know who was the first to fall in love, but she secretly inquired and found out that Yang Weihong was the one who made the first move.
Mingxi was not surprised by the result.
To be honest, both Yang Weihong and Skinny Monkey are doing quite well. Yang Weihong's lunchbox stall earns a good amount of money, making her a small business owner with a monthly income of nearly a thousand yuan. As for Skinny Monkey, needless to say, he doesn't show it on his face, but he's actually already a millionaire.
If you really want to compare the two, Skinny Monkey's conditions are much better than Yang Weihong's.
Yang Weihong had been married before, and from another place. She also had an elderly grandmother living with her.
Although Skinny Monkey wasn't very educated and his family was classified as small business owners, class background wasn't as important anymore. Skinny Monkey was wealthy and had an older brother who was a truck driver, so his family wasn't considered a major burden.
Most importantly, he has never been married.
According to traditional marriage concepts, Yang Weihong's conditions are actually not as good as Shouhou's.
However, due to their personalities, the skinny monkey was inherently insecure. Mingxi had muttered to herself several times that the skinny monkey was too insecure and always felt that he was not good enough for others.
But Yang Weihong is different. She is bold and daring, as evidenced by her willingness to travel alone to Beicheng, thousands of miles away, to find Shen Mo. She is not self-conscious or insecure, and she is passionate and decisive.
She realized she had feelings for Skinny Monkey, so she grabbed him and confessed her love.
Skinny Monkey, on the other hand, hesitated for a long time before finally confessing to Yang Weihong that he wasn't completely oblivious to her feelings.
When Mingxi heard about this, she naturally teased Shouhou quite a bit. However, since both Shouhou and Yang Weihong were Mingxi's friends, she was naturally happy for them as they were together, marveling at the wonderful coincidence.
Skinny Monkey and Yang Weihong were both very proactive. On the eve of the Lunar New Year, he told everyone that he and Yang Weihong were dating. On the morning of New Year's Eve, when Yang Weihong came to his house to deliver some things, Mingxi heard that she was preparing to marry Skinny Monkey.
Both of them are getting on in years, and both Yang Weihong's grandmother and Shouhou's parents are in poor health. The two elderly people are looking forward to Shouhou and Yang Weihong getting married, so the two plan to hold their wedding next spring.
Needless to say, Mingxi offered her congratulations, and when Weining came to her house that evening, Mingxi couldn't help but share the news.
"Hey, you know what? Yang Weihong told me that they're getting married next spring!"
Wei Ning raised an eyebrow, not entirely surprised.
Mingxi knew that in the current situation, there were quite a few people like Shouhou and Yang Weihong, but she still couldn't help but sigh, "Wow, that's fast! I heard they've only been dating for less than two months, and they're already getting married. Are they really prepared for this?"
She and Wei Ning had been dating for almost a year, and Wei Ning had become like an unofficial member of her household, even getting to sit at the table for New Year's Eve dinner.
But when it comes to marriage, Mingxi still feels awkward.
Wei Ning smiled, knowing who Ming Xi was referring to as someone who wasn't mentally prepared. He took Ming Xi's hand and said calmly, "It's okay, take your time if you're not mentally prepared. I'm not in a hurry."
Mingxi blinked and turned her head to look at Wei Ning. At that moment, a firework explosion suddenly came from behind Wei Ning. The dark, silent sky behind him was suddenly illuminated by fireworks, and colorful stars bloomed everywhere. But in Mingxi's heart, Wei Ning's eyes shone brighter than the fireworks.
Her gaze lingered on Wei Ning's eyes, then after a few breaths, it slid down to Wei Ning's high, straight nose, and then to Wei Ning's bright red lips.
Mingxi took a deep breath and lunged at Wei Ning. Wei Ning seemed to sense her movement and caught her in time.
"What?" Wei Ning's voice was tinged with amusement and a hint of indulgence.
Mingxi didn't speak, but tensed up, held Wei Ning's head, and suddenly kissed his lips.
After a light touch, Mingxi was about to leave when Weining grabbed her arm. In an instant, Weining turned the tables and took the initiative, prying open Mingxi's lips. Their lips and tongues became entangled, and a light kiss turned into a deep kiss.
After a long while, Wei Ning finally released Ming Xi.
Mingxi's lips were bright red and seemed a little swollen. Her chest heaved dramatically as she glared at him, feigning anger: "You...you, how dare you!"
This is right in front of her house, and they dare to bully her like this. Aren't they afraid her mother will see them?
Wei Ning leaned closer, his warm breath brushing against her ear, and said in a sticky voice, "Hmm, what's wrong with me?"
Mingxi almost lost her breath again.
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Author's Note: I'm late again, sorry! I've just been feeling unwell. Please everyone, please take care of your health. It turns out a weakened immune system really can cause a lot of unexpected illnesses; I almost ended up in the hospital because of my period… But thankfully, I'm back to normal now! I can resume updates now.
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