Chapter 86 Dong Chunling's Disappearance Ming Xi was annoyed by Dong Chunling, but...
Mingxi was extremely annoyed by Dong Chunling, but Dong Chunling's latest incident had caused quite a stir, and Mingxi heard Aunt He talking about Dong Chunling's latest news every day.
I heard that Dong Chunling made a scene at home, which angered her father so much that he said he would sever all ties with her if she didn't divorce Yan Zhiwen.
I heard that even so, Dong Chunling still refused to divorce Yan Zhiwen, and on the very night she threatened suicide, she happily went back to Yan's house.
I heard that Yan Zhiwen is determined to get a divorce, and has even brought his mistress home, but Dong Chunling refuses to divorce him. She even said that as long as they don't divorce, she will be the mistress and the other woman will be the concubine. She is willing to take care of the mistress during her postpartum period and raise the child that the mistress has with Yan Zhiwen. She promises to raise that child as her own.
Even though Mingxi was a worldly woman, she was still dumbfounded when she heard this. She frowned, looking like an old woman staring at her phone on the subway, and asked, "No, really? Dong Chunling really said that?"
Aunt He: "Of course she said it!"
Indeed, no one but Dong Chunling could have said such a thing; even if they made it up, they couldn't have come up with something so outrageous.
Mingxi couldn't help but scratch her head. Even if Dong Chunling was unwilling to admit that she had failed in choosing a man, she shouldn't have gone to this extent.
It's bad enough that they have to pay out of their own pockets to serve Yan Zhiwen, but now they have to pay out of their own pockets to serve Yan Zhiwen's mistresses as well.
Since she's so willing to serve others, it would be much better if she went out and found a part-time job as a nanny. At least being a nanny would bring money home, and she wouldn't have to pay out of her own pocket.
Mingxi shook her head, feeling that she was still too normal to understand how a madwoman like Dong Chunling could think.
"Wait, that's not right. Yan Zhiwen has brought his mistress home. Don't the people in his compound have any objections?"
Having illicit sexual relations is a crime. No one reported Yan Zhiwen before, firstly because it wasn't worth it; although they were neighbors in the same courtyard, it was ultimately Yan Zhiwen's family matter and had little to do with others; secondly, they hadn't caught him in the act, and in such cases, there's always room for excuses. Yan Zhiwen isn't stupid; he's quite cautious when having affairs. It's only because Dong Chunling is his wife and sensitive to these matters that she always noticed something amiss. Outsiders would find it difficult to detect anything unusual, let alone catch him in the act.
But the situation is different now. This time, Yan Zhiwen brought everyone home and did all this mess right under the noses of all the neighbors.
Does this mean no one has any objections or wants to report him?
Aunt He: "Oh dear, how can we report this? Yan Zhiwen just told everyone that the woman he brought home was Dong Chunling's cousin, and that she was staying at Yan's house because it was inconvenient for her to stay there."
"puff--"
Mingxi was drinking water when she suddenly spat it out: "Dong Chunling doesn't have a cousin!"
Having lived in the same alley for so many years, how could the Dong family not know that Dong Chunling had no cousins at all?
Aunt He: "Who can say otherwise? But Dong Chunling has already said so, what can others say?"
That's true. Since Dong Chunling herself has said so, even if others know that's not the case, they can't say anything more.
Since it was a relative staying there, even if the people in the courtyard had objections, they couldn't do anything about the Yan family openly.
You can't possibly forbid other people's relatives from staying in the courtyard, can you?
The neighbors in the Yan family compound swallowed their anger, but the Dong family was indignant.
The Dong family was angry that Dong Chunling was so useless, and that Yan Zhiwen didn't take her seriously as his daughter-in-law. Yet, she still couldn't bear to part with Yan Zhiwen and endured the humiliation rather than divorce him.
They were also furious that Dong Chunling didn't care about the Dong family's reputation, actually telling outsiders that Yan Zhiwen's mistress was her cousin, a member of the Dong family. Anyone with eyes could see what that woman really did, yet Dong Chunling couldn't wait to pin this mess on the Dong family.
Anyone who didn't know better would think that the Dong family really had such an ignorant girl who actually went to stay at her married cousin's house.
After this incident, Mr. Dong completely lost his heart towards Dong Chunling.
He finally understood that he had given birth to an ungrateful daughter. In Dong Chunling's heart, the most important person was Yan Zhiwen. Compared to Yan Zhiwen, he and his wife, her biological parents, were completely insignificant.
Everyone in the alley, who all have children, felt sorry for the Dong couple when they talked about it. Aunt He couldn't help but murmur about it.
"Everyone says that raising children is for old age security, but I don't think so. In families like the Dongs, the children they have are like debt collectors; they don't even have time to cry."
Someone chimed in, "That's not necessarily true. Dong Chunling was spoiled by her parents. If they had taught her properly, she wouldn't be like this."
"That's hard to say. Some children are just inherently bad, and no matter how well you teach them, you can't teach them well."
"That's right, that guy from before..."
Everyone was gathered at the entrance of the alley, talking enthusiastically, when suddenly they saw Dong Chunling carrying a small bundle on her back, tears streaming down her face, walking into the alley.
Everyone looked at each other, wondering what was going on.
When Dong Chunling came back last time, her father made it very clear that if she didn't divorce Yan Zhiwen, she shouldn't come back, and the Dong family wouldn't acknowledge her.
Dong Chunling had also run back to the Yan family with a strong will. What happened this time? Why did she come back carrying a bundle?
Mingxi turned to look at Aunt He, whose eyes blazed with a desire to see gossip.
Mingxi: "Shall we go and see what's going on?"
Without hesitation, Aunt He nodded: "Let's go!"
They're all neighbors living in the same alley, so if the Dong family ever needs anything, they can go and help out.
The kind-hearted people all got up and followed Dong Chunling back to the Dong family home.
Brother Dong was washing clothes in the yard when he saw Dong Chunling return. His expression changed instantly, and he stood up defensively, asking, "What are you doing back? Did you argue with Yan Zhiwen again? Do you want us to back you up?"
“I’m telling you, no way! Dad has already told Mom and me that if you don’t divorce Yan Zhiwen, you’re not a member of the Dong family. We can’t talk to you when we see you, and we can’t let you in.”
Upon hearing this, Dong Chunling, who was already sobbing, burst into tears, as if they were free.
"Brother, do you have to be so heartless?"
Brother Dong wasn't having any of it, his expression serious: "Don't call me brother. You're not even a member of the Dong family. I don't have a sister like you."
Mingxi whispered to Aunt He, "Hey, judging from the Dong family's attitude, are they really going to harden their hearts and not get involved in Dong Chunling's matter this time?"
She thought the Dong family were just making threats and would eventually soften their stance.
Aunt He: "They should have been ruthless a long time ago. If the Dong family had been ruthless earlier, none of this would have happened."
With tears streaming down her face, Dong Chunling said sadly, "Brother, the way you're saying this really hurts me. Zhiwen would rather not have the money than not divorce me, divorce that damn vixen. And now you don't even acknowledge me. I might as well die."
Brother Dong's face turned cold: "If you don't want to live, then don't live. Don't keep making a fuss about suicide all the time. In the end, when people agree to do what you want, you won't want to die anymore."
He was thoroughly annoyed by Dong Chunling's suicide attempt.
Dong Chunling had no idea how, after her suicide attempt at home, she and her father had gone door to door to apologize to their neighbors.
Even after she apologized, people in the alley and courtyard still say that Dong Chunling is crazy, mentally unstable, and that her family should send her to a mental hospital.
If he hadn't gone to apologize to Mr. Dong, people would have said some really nasty things.
Dong Chunling froze as she tried to shed a tear. Mingxi whispered, "Is Yan Zhiwen really determined to divorce Dong Chunling?"
She even said she was willing to take care of the mistress during her postpartum period, so why does Yan Zhiwen still want a divorce?
Aunt He glanced at Mingxi and said, "It's definitely not Yan Zhiwen who wants a divorce, it's his mistress who wants him to get a divorce."
Yan Zhiwen's mistress is pregnant. She can still hide it now that it's early in the pregnancy, but she won't be able to hide it when it gets later. As a woman who is pregnant out of wedlock, how many scornful looks and gossip will she have to endure?
This is assuming that no one knows Yan Zhiwen is a married man. If others knew that Yan Zhiwen was married and that she was someone's mistress, they would definitely curse her behind her back.
Regardless of how good Yan Zhiwen is to her, and regardless of how Dong Chunling serves her.
Whenever she goes out, she is pointed at and gossiped about, and her child is destined to be called an illegitimate child.
Given this situation, it goes without saying that anyone with a brain would know that Yan Zhiwen and Dong Chunling would definitely have to divorce.
Mingxi: "That makes sense."
Dong Chunling bit her lip, her face looking extremely pale.
This time is different from the last time; she came back genuinely wanting to ask for help.
That vixen is pressuring him hard. This time, Yan Zhiwen is really going to divorce her. He has already given her an ultimatum, saying that if Dong Chunling doesn't go to the Civil Affairs Bureau with him to complete the divorce procedures before this Saturday, he will sue Dong Chunling at the Procuratorate.
Even if it goes to court, he still wants a divorce.
The burden Dong Chunling is carrying now was thrown at her by Yan Zhiwen, who said he wanted a divorce and wanted Dong Chunling to get out of his house.
Yan Zhiwen really did kick Dong Chunling out of his house. Dong Chunling shed tears and banged on the door of Yan's house for a long time, but Yan Zhiwen did not open the door.
She had no choice and nowhere to go, so she could only carry her bundle home. Unexpectedly, as soon as she got home, Boss Dong said this.
She was truly heartbroken at that moment, and tears streamed down her face.
"Brother, please let me in. Zhiwen doesn't want me anymore. He threw all my things out and completely kicked me out. If you won't let me go home, I'll have nowhere else to go."
Dong Chunling spoke pitifully, and Brother Dong's eyes softened.
At this moment, Mr. Dong came out. He was furious with Dong Chunling's repeated outrageous actions.
Because of Dong Chunling's messy affairs, his colleagues at work have been gossiping behind his back. Some nosy people even went up to him and asked when he had a niece.
What could Dong's father do? If he confronted others, they would say he was making a mountain out of a molehill and couldn't take a joke. In the end, he could only swallow his anger and try to cover up Dong Chunling's lie in a gentle and polite manner.
In the end, nothing happened to anyone else, but Mr. Dong was furious and almost got sick from holding it in for the past few days.
Seeing Dong Chunling return with her bag, Dong's father didn't give her a friendly look. He snorted and said, "Didn't you say you wouldn't get a divorce and would rather sever ties with us than be with Yan Zhiwen? Then why are you back now? We don't welcome strangers back to our home."
Dong Chunling: "Dad, Dad, I was wrong. Dad, please don't kick me out. Zhiwen doesn't want me anymore and has kicked me out of the house. If you kick me out too, I really will have nowhere to go."
If seeing Brother Dong's attitude had already made her somewhat panicked, then seeing Brother Dong's father truly terrified her.
She knew that Mr. Dong was the one who made the decisions at home, and if he didn't let her in today, she really wouldn't be able to get in.
Yan Zhiwen kicked her out, and if her family doesn't let her in, she'll really have to wander the streets.
She doesn't want to be homeless on the streets!
To be honest, Dong Chunling was also foolish.
Dong Chunling spent all her salary on Yan Zhiwen, leaving herself no money. In over two years of marriage, she hadn't saved a single penny.
Yan Zhiwen kicked her out and wouldn't give her any money; he just packed two pieces of clothing for her and threw them at her.
The two pieces of clothing that were taken out were from Dong Chunling's two most dilapidated and ugliest rooms. Yan Zhiwen's mistress didn't like them, so she agreed to let Dong Chunling take them.
She couldn't bear to let Dong Chunling take anything she liked with her.
Of course, Dong Chunling wouldn't admit she was stupid at this moment. She just said pitifully, "Dad, I don't have a penny in my hand right now. I only have two tattered clothes in my bag. If you don't let me go home, I really have nowhere to go."
Mingxi couldn't help but roll her eyes.
Isn't Dong Chunling known for causing trouble? Doesn't she always disrupt the peace at home?
Why did she stop making a fuss now? Yan Zhiwen only paid her a penny to kick her out, and she actually came back obediently.
Mr. Dong glared at him and said, "You were just kicked out by Yan Zhiwen like that?"
"You didn't make a scene with him? At home, you're always making a scene in front of me and your mother. If we don't do what you want, you cry and throw a tantrum, as if you want to stir up trouble. Why don't you make a scene with Yan Zhiwen? So you're only a bully at home?"
Dong Chunling remained silent, and the more silent she was, the angrier her father became.
He glared at her and raised his voice: "So what do you think? I'll ask you one more time, are you going to divorce Yan Zhiwen or not? If you're willing to divorce him, your mother and I will help you one more time to go and settle accounts with Yan Zhiwen."
Mr. Dong was angry at Dong Chunling for being so unruly, but he was even angrier at Yan Zhiwen.
Married for two years, Yan Zhiwen had so many affairs outside the marriage. This time, he was shameless enough to bring another woman home, yet he dared to give her nothing and send Dong Chunling back.
Yan Zhiwen clearly didn't take Dong Chunling or the Dong family seriously.
The fire in Mr. Dong's heart was burning fiercely, and unfortunately, Dong Chunling's next words added fuel to the fire.
"Dad, divorce isn't necessary. It's not Zhiwen's fault, and he didn't want to kick me out. It's mainly that vixen..."
Unable to bear it any longer, Mr. Dong slapped Dong Chunling across the face.
"Don't you have any shame? Have you no sense of decency? Even Yan Zhiwen is like this, and you're still speaking up for him?!"
Although Mr. Dong felt that Dong Chunling was disappointing, he thought that she was still his daughter. As long as she could come to her senses and was willing to divorce Yan Zhiwen, he would forgive her for her previous foolish actions.
Even at this point, Dong Chunling remained stubbornly unrepentant.
At this moment, Mr. Dong found his previous soft-heartedness laughable, and Mr. Dong felt the same way.
Not to mention the Dong family, even Mingxi and his group who came to join in the fun felt that the Dong family's good intentions had been wasted.
Dong Chunling had never been hit by her father before. When she was slapped, she was completely dazed and felt like the world was spinning.
She covered her face, her eyes filled with resentment: "Dad, you actually hit me!"
Seeing the resentment in Dong Chunling's eyes, Dong's father's already cold heart grew even colder.
For so many years, he had always doted on his daughter Dong Chunling. Whatever Dong Chunling wanted, he would get it for her without the slightest hesitation. Even when he said he was severing ties, it was to stop Dong Chunling from torturing Yan Zhiwen anymore.
Dong Chunling didn't see any of his fatherly kindness; instead, she resented him because of that slap.
Mr. Dong's face turned completely cold: "Don't call me Dad. I told you before that you had to choose between us and Yan Zhiwen. If you chose Yan Zhiwen, you would sever ties with us, and we wouldn't have a daughter like you!"
"Eldest son, go home and lock the door. Don't let any strangers into the house." Mr. Dong said this and turned to go home.
This unrelated person is clearly referring to Dong Chunling.
Old Master Dong glanced at her, snorted twice, turned around and followed his father back into the house, then closed the door.
Seeing the door tightly closed, Dong Chunling was dumbfounded.
She paused for a moment, then quickly ran up the steps and banged on the closed door repeatedly, shouting as she did so.
"Dad, Dad, I was wrong. Please don't really abandon me. Dad, open the door and let me in! Dad, brother, Mom, can one of you open the door?"
Dong Chunling kept calling out, her voice trembling with sobs, but even so, no one from the Dong family came to open the door.
Aunt He said, "Dong Chunling has really hurt Lao Dong's feelings this time. Just wait and see, Lao Dong won't forgive her easily this time."
Even if Aunt He hadn't said it, Mingxi could have figured it out.
No matter how angry Mr. Dong was, it was all out of disappointment that Dong Chunling was so hopeful.
But this time, the look in his eyes was one of utter disappointment; he had no hope for her whatsoever.
Dong Chunling thought that this time, her father would forgive her and open the door to let her in, just like before, as long as she humbled herself, admitted her mistake, and said a few soft words.
There was nothing exciting to see, so Mingxi shook her head, clicked her tongue twice, and turned to leave.
Who would have thought that those two shouts would provoke Dong Chunling? She turned around, her eyes bloodshot, pointed at Mingxi, and yelled wildly, "What are you tssing about? What I do with my family is none of your business! You're all just sitting around doing nothing all day, gossiping about other people's affairs and watching other people's drama unfold. Aren't you ashamed of yourselves?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present was outraged.
Although Dong Chunling was pointing at Mingxi, her words implied that she was also cursing the onlookers.
The middle-aged women present were almost all Dong Chunling's elders. When she pointed her finger at them and scolded them like that, they all felt extremely embarrassed and humiliated.
Aunt He pouted and said, "Watch your mouth. We are your elders. If you don't respect your elders and say whatever comes to mind, you'll get a sore mouth."
"Exactly, how dare you say we're just watching you make a scene? It's all your fault for being so restless and causing trouble every day."
"You're quite the talker, aren't you? Why do you only talk to us? Why don't you talk to your man? If you were this good to him, he wouldn't have kicked you out and you wouldn't have nowhere to go!"
"Of course! You have the nerve to talk about us? If I were you, and I ruined a perfectly good family, and turned my loving parents into this, I wouldn't even have the face to live..."
Dong Chunling only has one mouth. With so many people present, how could she possibly win an argument with everyone? In the end, she could only leave resentfully, holding her anger in her throat.
Aunt He was as proud as if she had won a battle after driving Dong Chunling away.
She walked back with her head held high and chest puffed out, looking triumphant, like a victorious rooster.
Dong Chunling's outburst further damaged her already poor reputation in the alley, but it didn't seem to affect her much because she didn't return for the next few days.
Mingxi didn't think much of it, only that Dong Chunling had gone back to the Yan family. She was busy and didn't have time to inquire about Dong Chunling.
What is Xi busy with? Well, she's busy introducing potential partners to people.
Last time Mingxi went to propose to the man, didn't she run into a last-minute issue with the dowry, which caused her to break up with her boyfriend?
Before leaving, she left her name and address with the woman she was being proposed to, telling her that she could contact her if she needed any introductions.
They actually came looking for us today.
Aunt He led her over: "Mingxi, this woman I met at the alley entrance said she was looking for you, so I brought her here on my way."
"Oh, oh." Mingxie thanked Aunt He and turned to look at the woman who had come looking for her.
"Woof...Wang Na, right?" Mingxi frowned and thought for a long time before finally remembering the other person's name.
Wang Na nodded and remarked, "Comrade Ming, you have a really good memory."
She didn't even have a chance to introduce herself to Mingxi that day, but Mingxi remembered her name just from hearing strangers call her that.
Mingxi sighed and said, "I'm here to introduce people to potential partners, so the most important thing is to remember the clients' information so that I don't make mistakes when introducing them. You can't afford to have a bad memory."
Wang Na: "It seems that being a matchmaker is not an easy task."
Mingxi led her inside and sat her down, poured her a glass of water, and said, "It's the same in every profession; it's easy to get started, but difficult to excel."
Wang Na nodded: "That's true."
Mingxi sat down, smiling at Wang Na: "By the way, I haven't asked yet, what brings you here today...?"
Wang Na straightened her back, sat upright, placed her hands on her knees, and said somewhat nervously, "I came here today to ask Comrade Ming to help me find a partner."
The guy who came to propose last time, after the whole mess on the day of the proposal, successfully went from being a potential partner to an ex-partner.
He later came to see Wang Na and said he was unaware of the issue of the dowry being withheld; it was his older sister who thought the Wang family was asking for too much and took it upon herself to negotiate a lower price during the marriage proposal. He was willing to pay the original dowry amount. He hoped Wang Na could forgive his older sister's outspokenness, considering they had known each other for over half a year.
Wang Na didn't believe that at all.
If no one in the family had told her, how could she have taken it upon herself to embarrass her family in such an important matter as proposing marriage?
It's obvious that this was all planned by the other family to deliberately embarrass her.
Moreover, she hasn't forgotten how the man's sister threatened her when she said she wanted to break up.
Although Wang Na had been intimate with her boyfriend, she was not foolish enough to tell anyone. The fact that the woman across the street knew must have been because her boyfriend told her.
Wang Na was clear-headed and knew that the other person was suspicious. He was willing to talk about intimate things in their relationship and use such things to threaten her. She was determined to break up with him no matter what.
The other party said he wanted everyone to know that she was not innocent, so she said she would sue the man for indecent assault.
Anyway, I'm going all out and won't let the other side have an easy time.
In the end, the other party backed down and dared not harass Wang Na anymore.
Wang Na is single again, but she still wants to get married as soon as possible. So, she thought of Mingxi, who had specially introduced himself to her that day.
Mingxi knew the other party's intentions, and smiled with a slight upturn of her lips.
As expected of her advertising campaign, the girl came knocking on her door.
Mingxi: "Okay, so you're introducing me to someone? Then tell me about your criteria."
Wang Na: "I work in a garment factory as a full-time employee, and my monthly salary is 25 yuan. My dad has a job at a power station."
Mingxi nodded.
Wang Na's qualifications were above average among the women who sought her out for introductions. Although her mother was unemployed, her father did; his job was at a large factory called the electromechanical plant, and it was quite good. Furthermore, Wang Na was an only child, which made things even better.
Wang Na herself has a job, a permanent one, and with that kind of qualification, she would generally not consider unemployed men.
Sure enough, Wang Na said the next second: "My requirements for a partner are not high. As long as he has a job and is a local, that's fine."
Mingxi pressed further: "Are those the only two points? Are there any other strict requirements, such as family background or whether you own a house?"
Wang Na thought for a moment and said, "Well, I don't have any special requirements. If he has a house, that would be great. If he doesn't, we can wait together for our work units to allocate housing. I'm also eligible for housing allocation, so if we wait together, our chances will be much higher."
Mingxi nodded. Actually, Wang Na's requirements weren't high at all; she had several people who could meet them.
Just to be on the safe side, Mingxi asked a few more questions: "Do you have any requirements regarding age or family background? Would you consider it if the child is from a single-parent family?"
Wang Na bit her lip: "Age is fine as long as it's not too old. I'm 25 this year, and I can accept him as long as he's under 30. However, it would be best if he didn't come from a single-parent family."
She had heard her mother say that children from single-parent families, especially those where a mother raises her son alone, tend to be very obedient to their mothers; to put it bluntly, they are "mama's boys."
Mothers tend to believe everything they say, and daughters-in-law are most likely to suffer from their mothers-in-law's temper after marriage.
Mingxi nodded: "Okay, I understand. Your requirements aren't too high. I have someone who meets the criteria. Let me tell you about their situation, and you can see what I think."
Wang Na nodded, and Ming Xi began to introduce him: "The man I'm going to talk about today is called Lü Ping. Both his parents are employed. Besides his older brother who is serving in the military, he works at the post office as an ordinary employee. His monthly salary plus subsidies is about thirty yuan. Lü Ping is the same age as you, twenty-five years old. I have a photo of him here, take a look."
Mingxi handed the photo to Wang Na.
To be honest, those who come to Mingxi asking her to introduce them to potential partners either have serious flaws in their family's financial situation or in their own personal circumstances.
If there were no flaws, one could find a partner on their own and wouldn't need Mingxi to introduce them to someone.
But Lü Ping was different. His family was well-off; both his parents worked, and his older brother was in the army. The whole family was on government payroll. As for Lü Ping himself, he was quite good. Mingxi had seen him in person; the young man was tall, handsome, and had a good job at the post office—a relaxed and stable job.
Then some people might ask, if Lü Ping is good in every way, why did he ask Mingxi to introduce him to a potential partner?
"Comrade Ming, according to what you said, this Comrade Lü is a very good catch, so how come he hasn't been in a relationship until he's 25?" Wang Na also had this question.
Mingxi explained, "I was just about to tell you that Comrade Lü Ping is quite qualified, but he has low emotional intelligence and isn't very good at speaking."
To say that Lü Ping is not good at speaking is to flatter him.
It should be said that he is very bad at speaking.
Lu Ping didn't originally ask Mingxi to introduce him to a potential partner; he asked another matchmaker, Wang, to do it.
When Wang, the matchmaker, first heard about Lü Ping's background, she thought he was a real gem. He was such a good catch, and his requirements weren't high; he just wanted to find a local woman who was a high school graduate, had a job, and came from a good family.
The requirements weren't high, and Wang the matchmaker had several women who met the criteria. She immediately arranged for Lü Ping to meet one of the women. She had already imagined the scene where Lü Ping and the woman hit it off, and she would receive a large red envelope as a referral fee.
Who would have thought that problems would arise the moment they met?
When the matchmaker went to the meeting, she led the women to the meeting place, introduced them to each other, and then went through the formalities, letting the two women chat on their own.
When letting the two sides talk amongst themselves, whether they are gay or lesbian, they will definitely ask the questions that interest them most or the most practical questions, such as their impressions of each other, their plans after marriage, and their families' expectations for the marriage...
But Lu Ping, when he sat down, the first thing he asked the woman was if she had eaten.
Actually, this is nothing unusual. Since the two sides are not familiar with each other, it is normal to start by exchanging pleasantries about safety.
But then something unusual happened. The woman politely said that she had finished eating before coming over, but Lü Ping started to pry, asking her what she ate, when she ate it, why she ate that, and why she didn't eat anything else.
The woman opposite him, hearing his barrage of unrelated questions, assumed he had a problem with her and was deliberately making things difficult for her, so she immediately turned her back and left.
Not to mention the woman, even the matchmaker Wang thought that Lü Ping was deliberately causing trouble. She grabbed Lü Ping and gave him a good scolding. Even after scolding him, she was still angry and went to Lü's mother to report the situation.
As a result, Lu's mother explained to Wang the matchmaker that Lu Ping didn't have a problem with the women; he just couldn't speak when he saw them.
He's fine in his daily life and work, but he's terrible at dating. He gets flustered when he sees a woman and can't talk properly. That's why Lü Ping hasn't found a partner yet.
He's usually fine, but he becomes speechless when he's looking for a romantic partner?
Wang, the matchmaker, had spent most of her life arranging marriages, but this was the first time she had encountered such a situation. She was skeptical and still had some doubts in her heart about whether Lü Ping was doing it on purpose.
However, she had already received a considerable introduction fee from the Lü family, so she continued to introduce another girl to Lü Ping. Based on her previous experience, Wang the matchmaker had given Lü Ping special training before the meeting.
Tell him not to ramble on and on. If he really doesn't know what to say, just compliment the girl on her looks.
Lu Ping was obedient; upon meeting the girl, he praised her for her beauty and the nice dress she was wearing.
Just as Matchmaker Wang breathed a sigh of relief, Lü Ping said, "The color of the dress is unsuitable. You're already dark-skinned, and wearing a pink dress makes you look even darker. You'd look better in a darker dress. What colors do you usually wear? Are you mostly wearing pink? Don't you think it makes you look darker?"
Needless to say, the woman was so angry upon hearing this that she left immediately.
Matchmaker Wang also felt a sudden darkness before her eyes.
The girl was furious and remained unhappy even after returning home. She complained that the matchmaker, Wang, introduced her to all sorts of people and declared that she would never need Wang to introduce her to anyone again.
No matter what Lü's mother said or how she explained, Wang the matchmaker refunded the fee and refused to introduce Lü Ping to any potential partners.
She introduced two women to Lü Ping, but Lü Ping drove them both away in anger. If she continued to introduce them, Lü Ping might ruin all the women in her group.
With a hidden agenda, Wang the matchmaker returned the money to Lü's mother and introduced her to Mingxi.
Despite her young age, Mingxi is a daughter who followed in her mother's footsteps. She has been watching Zhao Sulan act as a matchmaker since she was a child, so she is very experienced and no different from a matchmaker with more than 20 years of experience.
And so, Lü's mother led Lü Ping to find Mingxi.
When Lu's mother came to Mingxi's place, she obediently recounted the failed blind dates she had arranged with Wang the matchmaker. Although Mingxi knew that Wang the matchmaker certainly had no good intentions, she still agreed to help keep an eye out for suitable women and would notify Lu Ping if any came up.
Mingxi introduced Lü Ping to Wang Na because he thought Lü Ping was a good match for Wang Na.
However, she didn't hide it from Wang Na and truthfully recounted how Lü Ping had previously angered two girls by arranging a blind date with them.
"This Comrade Lü, well, he's exactly what I described. He's really quite good-looking and has excellent qualities, but he just doesn't know how to talk. To be honest, I'm not sure if he's suitable for marriage. After all, two people living together can't live without talking, right? If he's always spouting off, one of them will definitely find it unbearable. So you can think about it. If you can accept it, you can meet him in person. If you feel it's not right just by listening, then I'll find you another man."
After thinking carefully for a while, Wang Na asked, "Comrade Ming, do you know why Comrade Lü is like this?"
"I don't know."
Mingxi shrugged: "Not to mention me, even Comrade Lü himself and his mother don't know what's going on."
If he knew the reason, Lü Ping wouldn't have been unable to find a partner for so long.
Mingxi: "However, I suspect that Comrade Lü might be quite nervous every time he goes on a blind date. Because I asked Comrade Lü's mother, and she said that apart from being a little introverted, he has no other problems in life, and he can communicate normally with women. It's just that when there's a hint of a relationship, or when he's on a blind date, he doesn't know how to speak properly."
Wang Na: "So, Lü Ping's life is normal?"
Mingxi nodded.
Wang Na: "In that case, we can meet."
If Lü Ping couldn't speak normally in real life, Wang Na would definitely think he was sick and wouldn't be able to meet with him.
But since Mingxi said that Lü Ping has no problems in his daily life, it might just be due to tension or some other factor. She could still meet with him to see what the specific situation is.
Mingxi: "Okay, then I'll go see Lü Ping tomorrow and see when it's convenient for him to meet, and arrange a time that's convenient for both of you."
Wang Na stood up and said politely, "Comrade Ming, thank you for your trouble."
Mingxi quickly waved her hand: "No, no."
Mingxi saw Wang Na off. Just as they reached the gate, they saw two uniformed police officers walking out of the alley. Mingxi subconsciously looked towards the courtyard from which the two police officers emerged.
It turns out this is the courtyard where the Dong family lives?
Mingxi frowned, wondering what was happening, when suddenly she heard a burst of crying and shouting erupt from the Dong family's courtyard.
Mingxi and Wang Na waved goodbye and then walked towards the Dong family's courtyard. At this time, the neighbors from several nearby courtyards heard the noise and came out to check the situation.
Mingxi walked into the courtyard, where a crowd had already gathered. Mr. and Mrs. Dong stood in the center of the crowd. Mrs. Dong was sitting on the ground, wailing loudly, while Mr. Dong clutched his chest and held onto the shoulders of the person next to him, looking as if he couldn't bear it either.
People around were offering words of comfort, saying, "Don't overthink it, Mr. Dong. Maybe something bad has happened. Perhaps the child is just hiding on purpose."
"Yes, Mr. Dong, Mr. Dong's family, don't worry too much. The police said they're still looking for him, but maybe they'll find him soon."
"If all else fails, we can search together, Lao Dong. Think about whether your daughter has any close friends at their houses, or whether you have any distant relatives. Let's split up and search together. Maybe Chunling is hiding in someone's house..."
Mingxi listened for a long time before she finally understood that Dong Chunling had disappeared.
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