Chapter 146 The Strange Man "Li Chunzhi, listen to this..."
"Li Chunzhi, you can hear me, right? If you can hear me, then come out. I want you to tell me yourself that you're dating that guy surnamed Hou. I won't leave until I hear it with my own ears. I'll keep shouting at your doorstep!"
Old Sun was not giving up and stretched his neck to shout into the house.
He's been shouting here for a while now.
Mingxi kept a straight face and remained expressionless. She really wanted to throw Old Sun out of the yard.
She couldn't help but pout and look at Aunt Ma. Couldn't she just throw Old Sun out?
Aunt Ma shook her head.
To be honest, she also wanted to throw that troublesome old man Sun out of the yard, but unfortunately, she couldn't.
Old Sun's shouting not only annoyed Mingxi and Aunt Ma, but also made Aunt Li, who was constantly being yelled at by Old Sun, unable to bear it any longer. She opened the window and shouted back at Old Sun.
"Sun Baomin, what's wrong with you? What's gotten into you? You want to hear me say it myself? Fine, then I'll tell you. I'm dating Lao Hou right now, and we've been dating for a while now. Did you hear me clearly? If you didn't understand, I'll say it again: Lao Hou and I are dating right now!"
Old Sun: "You, you, you... how could you date someone surnamed Hou? You're my wife! I married you properly!"
Aunt Li rolled her eyes, too lazy to give Old Sun any face: "We're divorced! I'm divorced from you! We have nothing to do with each other now. Who I date or marry is none of your business. Your nagging won't change anything!"
Old Sun was nearly fainting with anger, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself to say, "That won't do, back then I was..."
Aunt Li interrupted him impatiently, "Alright, so what if it's just how much dowry you gave me when you married me? You've been nagging about this for almost forty years, are you ever going to stop? I married you, I didn't sell myself to you. The dowry my family asked for was a normal amount, not a penny more. All these years, whenever I'm even slightly dissatisfied, you bring this up again. What, did you find it so difficult to pay ten yuan as a dowry? If you really think it's that difficult, I'll give the money back to you right now!"
As she spoke, Aunt Li reached into her pocket and threw the money to Old Sun; she really didn't need the ten yuan.
Old Sun stared wide-eyed at Aunt Li, his face filled with disbelief and suspicion.
Is this still the Li Chunzhi he knows?
Before he divorced Aunt Li, no matter what he said or how much he argued, Aunt Li never talked back. But now, Li Chunzhi not only talks back, but also says she wants to return the dowry he gave her and completely sever ties with him.
When did Li Chunzhi become like this?
It's just that Aunt Li didn't know what Old Sun was thinking, otherwise she would definitely have rolled her eyes.
Before her divorce, she had a good temper and tolerated Old Sun, never saying anything harsh. But what happened? Old Sun took advantage of her kindness and exploited her relentlessly. Now that she's divorced, she can't continue to be good-tempered and let Old Sun take advantage of her.
Hey, you know what, you really shouldn't say it.
This man is just so shameless. Aunt Li used to be good-tempered and never argued with Old Sun, but he always took advantage of her kindness. Now, Aunt Li has turned cold and is giving Old Sun a good scolding. Old Sun is speechless. He mumbles and grunts for a long time, but can't utter a single word.
Aunt He, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand seeing Aunt Li trying to return the money to Old Sun. She shouted, "Why should you return the money to Old Sun? If you ask me, Old Li, you shouldn't have returned the money!"
Aunt He: "You've been with him for almost forty years, given birth to three children for him, and taken care of his mother until her death. What can ten yuan dowry even buy? Even if he hired a nanny, ten yuan wouldn't be enough for her monthly salary. And you, after working for him for half your life for ten yuan, now you want to pay him back? There's no such thing as a free lunch! You should be the one to give him the money back!"
"Cough cough cough—"
As soon as Aunt He finished speaking, Mingxi started coughing violently.
She looked at Aunt He and kept winking. No, Aunt He, you have to be clear about what you're saying. I've been a nanny for half my life!
However, what Aunt He said, though rough, made perfect sense and was entirely correct.
A nanny can earn more than ten yuan a month, and Old Sun only spent ten yuan as a bride price to have Aunt Li serve him for half a lifetime. This is simply too good to be true. Old Sun should compensate Aunt Li.
She raised her hand in support: "Aunt He is right!"
Old Sun turned his head and glared at Mingxi. "Hey, why are you everywhere?"
Mingxi wasn't afraid of Old Sun at all. If Old Sun glared at her, she would glare back.
Mingxi's bright black and white eyes widened as she glared fiercely at Old Sun, making him feel extremely uncomfortable under her direct gaze.
He turned his face away, deliberately ignoring Mingxi.
But the others in the courtyard didn't let him off the hook either.
Aunt He's words may sound a bit rough at first glance, but they are indeed correct.
Everyone knows what kind of person Aunt Li is. Over the years, everyone has witnessed how she took care of Granny Sun and treated Old Man Sun. She worked so hard and sacrificed so much, and in the end, Old Man Sun divorced her and even wanted his dowry back. That's truly unethical.
"Old Sun, I have to say something to you about this. You didn't do a good job."
"Exactly, I'm a man too, and I also think what you're doing is inappropriate. Old Li has been with you for so many years, and now that you're getting a divorce, you still want the bride price back? What kind of talk is that!"
"If you say that, you'll embarrass us men."
Seeing the disdainful looks from everyone, Old Sun was furious. Who said Li Chunzhi had to return the bride price?
It was Li Chunzhi who brought it up, and he didn't say a word!
Old Sun was furious and didn't know how to explain, so he finally pounded his chest and roared to the sky, "Aaaaaah!"
Mingxi: ? ? ?
No, is Old Sun alright? Why did he go crazy?
After his impotent rage subsided, Old Sun beat his chest and stamped his feet, then angrily went back into the house.
As soon as Old Sun left, everyone gathered around Aunt Li's house to gossip about her love story with Teacher Hou.
Seeing that there were many people, Mingxi didn't join in the fun. She went home to say goodbye to Zhao Sulan, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and pushed her bicycle out again.
She was going to find Ran Jing this time.
Ran Jing was a woman who had previously asked Mingxi to introduce her to a potential partner, but her situation was rather special. When she came to Mingxi, she had just been forced by her family to break up with her ex-boyfriend.
Her ex-boyfriend was no good. In Mingxi's words, he was a scumbag who used psychological manipulation. When he was dating Ran Jing, he constantly put Ran Jing down, driving her, a perfectly good woman, to the brink of depression and almost causing her to commit suicide.
After Ran Jing's parents found out, they forced her to break up with the man and said they would introduce her to a new, better partner, which is why they came to Ming Xi. However, since they hadn't found anyone suitable at the time, Ming Xi didn't introduce anyone to Ran Jing.
As time went by, Mingxi forgot about Ran Jing until she saw the documents today and remembered her.
She had met Ran Jing once and vaguely remembered that she was a quiet and reserved woman.
Just then, a name suddenly popped into her mind—Wang Tianyang.
That's perfect. Wang Tianyang isn't much of a talker either, and the two of them have similar personalities, so they might get along well.
With that thought in mind, Mingxi hopped on her bicycle and headed towards the Ran family home, intending to introduce Wang Tianyang to Ran Jing.
As the car drove out of the alley, Mingxi saw a man standing near the toilet at the alley entrance. His back was to her, so she couldn't see his face clearly. Mingxi didn't think much of it and rode away.
Mingxi rode her bicycle very fast and soon arrived at the Ran family's house. When the Ran family saw Mingxi coming, they immediately greeted her warmly and invited her to sit down and served her tea.
Ran's mother: "Comrade Ming, is there something you need? Why did you suddenly come over today?"
Mingxi smiled and said, "It's like this, about the thing I mentioned before about introducing Ran Jing to someone, I've made some progress, I've found a guy I think is quite suitable. I brought his information over, would you like to take a look?"
Ran's mother was somewhat tempted. She sat down, moved closer to Mingxi, and said, "How about this, Comrade Ming, why don't you tell me first?"
Mingxi gave an awkward but polite smile: "Well, how about I introduce you to Comrade Ran Jing when she comes out? By the way, where is Comrade Ran Jing? Isn't she home? I haven't seen her."
Ran's mother: "Oh, Ran Jing is inside."
She chuckled twice, closed the distance between herself and Mingxi, and said, "Xiaoming, you know that Ranjing's last relationship didn't go well, so she has to be more careful in her next one. Just to be considerate of my feelings as a mother, please tell me about this guy in advance so I can see if he's suitable."
Actually, Ran Jing's mother didn't necessarily want Ran Jing to find a new boyfriend. She just wanted Ran Jing to meet new friends, get to know more outstanding men, and forget about her scumbag ex-boyfriend.
Even after getting to know each other, Ran's mother was still uneasy. Once bitten, twice shy; after what happened with Ran Jing's ex-boyfriend, now any man appearing before Ran Jing was subject to rigorous scrutiny. Only after confirming the man was trustworthy would his information be presented to her.
Mingxi frowned, though she felt that Ran's mother's behavior was inappropriate.
But considering Ran Jing's situation, she could understand to some extent.
So I nodded and agreed.
“Aunt Ran, this is Wang Tianyang's information. You can take a look. He works at a machinery factory, a very nice person, with a harmonious family and easy-going parents. He has three siblings; his eldest sister is already married, and his younger brother and sister are the only ones left at home. However, his family situation is like this: although they haven't officially separated, it's practically the same…”
Mingxi explained Wang Tianyang's conditions to Ran's mother.
When Mingxi introduced Wang Tianyang's job, Ran's mother's expression was indifferent. Both of them worked in the family, and Ran Jing herself also had a job as a nurse at the district hospital, which was quite good.
In comparison, Wang Tianyang's conditions were just so-so.
However, when the topic turned to the Wang family's situation, Ran's mother's eyes lit up.
As someone who's been through it all, she knows best that marriage isn't just a matter between two young people, but also a matter for their families. The quality of the other person's family background is an important factor in choosing a partner.
After Mingxi explained the Wang family's situation, Ran's mother was quite satisfied.
According to Mingxi, Wang Tianyang's family atmosphere is good. His parents are fair and just, and there is no bad habit of favoring boys over girls. They also do not spoil their child excessively.
Moreover, Wang Tianyang's mother knows how to teach her son, cultivating his ability to cook and do housework from a young age. She doesn't seem like the kind of person who is unreasonable and would make things difficult for his daughter-in-law.
The Wang family's children are all quite successful and have jobs. Although his younger siblings are not married, they are not freeloaders who expect their older siblings to support them.
Overall, the Wang family's conditions are quite good; they could be considered above average in the entire North City.
Ran's mother thought Wang Tianyang was a good catch. She smiled and slapped her thigh, saying, "Xiaoming, wait a minute. I'll go call Ran Jing out. We'll continue talking when she comes out."
This meant satisfaction, and that Mingxi agreed to introduce Wang Tianyang to Ran Jing. Mingxi understood immediately.
After saying that, Ran's mother stood up, turned around and went to the inner room to call Ran Jing out.
The last time Mingxi saw Ran Jing was in August, almost four months ago. Ran Jing was in much better condition than when Mingxi last saw her. She looked much healthier and her eyes were more bright, but she was still a little timid and spoke softly, as if she was afraid of disturbing Mingxi.
She greeted Mingxi softly and sat down.
Mingxi nodded to her and got straight to the point: "Comrade Ran, I'm here today to introduce you to someone. I have a suitable man on hand; here's his information, you can take a look. His name is Wang Tianyang..."
Mingxi gave another introduction to Wang Tianyang's situation. After listening, Ran Jing pushed away Wang Tianyang's information with little interest.
She's not really interested in dating right now.
To be honest, if her parents hadn't been so eager for her to find a new partner and forget her previous boyfriend, she wouldn't have approached Mingxi to ask her to introduce her to someone.
Seeing her like this, Mingxi thought that she probably didn't like her and was about to sigh when he saw Ran's mother pulling Ran Jing aside and saying something.
"Honey, why don't you think about it again? I think this guy is a good catch. Most importantly, Xiaoming said he has a good personality, is quiet, and doesn't talk much. You two have things in common, so you should be able to get along well."
Ran Jing: "I..."
Ran's mother: "Really, daughter, you should think about it carefully. You two can meet up. Don't treat it like a blind date. Just treat it as a simple outing to have fun. The most important thing is to have a good time. Even if you don't end up dating, you can still make a friend."
Ran Jing hesitated for a moment; she was indifferent whether she went or not.
However, since Ran's mother has said so, she might as well agree to go and meet the potential matchmaker.
And so, Ran Jing nodded and agreed to meet Wang Tianyang.
After leaving the Ran family, Mingxi went to the Wang family to inform them about the matchmaking and to finalize the time and place.
Everything was agreed upon, and it was already dark outside.
It gets dark early in winter, and Mingxi doesn't get off work early either. By the time she finished running around, it was already past seven o'clock.
As December approached, the weather grew colder day by day. This caused the sun to set and the night to fall, making it even colder. Mingxi left the Wang family's house, put on gloves, and rode her bicycle home.
The cold wind howled and tried to get into Mingxi's collar. Mingxi exhaled, and white smoke rose from her breath. She shrank her neck and tried to burrow into her collar.
She could at least protect her neck a little, but her face was completely exposed, left to be buffeted by the biting wind. She felt a sharp pain in her nose and cheeks from the wind.
She reassured herself that everything would be alright once she got home, and quickened her pace. And so, the bicycle crossed the road and turned into the alley.
As soon as she turned in, Mingxi could vaguely see a person standing at the entrance of the alley by the dim light of the street lamp. The figure looked somewhat unfamiliar, so Mingxi slowed down and turned her head to look at the person with curiosity.
It was a person wearing a woolen hat and a military overcoat. The person was wrapped up quite tightly, and Mingxi couldn't tell the gender at a glance, but judging from the height, the person should be about 1.7 or 1.8 meters tall and looked quite strong, so Mingxi guessed that the person should be a man.
Mingxi frowned, sensing that this matter was not simple.
Although it's not yet the dead of winter, the temperature has dropped recently, and it's chilly at night. Can't you see there's no one in the alley? This man standing alone at the alley entrance so late at night, not going home, looks really strange.
Perhaps Mingxi had been staring at the other person for too long, because the other person noticed and looked up in Mingxi's direction. Mingxi was very perceptive of danger; upon realizing the other person was looking at her, she immediately pulled her neck back, pretending nothing had happened, and continued riding into the alley.
The other person probably didn't notice anything, just glanced at Mingxi, and then looked down again.
Mingxi controlled herself and didn't look back. She rode all the way to the gate of No. 68 Courtyard, got off the bike, and pushed it inside.
She wasn't afraid that the person at the alley entrance would know she lived in courtyard number 68.
There are so many people living in the courtyard, so even if that person really follows her, she has nothing to be afraid of.
Mingxi pushed her bicycle into the yard and parked it outside her own door. As soon as she parked, she saw her door open, and Zhao Sulan lifted the curtain, letting in the warm yellow light from inside.
Zhao Sulan: "You're back? Are you cold? Come inside and warm up."
Mingxi quickly followed Zhao Sulan into the house. The stove inside was burning brightly, making the whole house warm. Mingxi put down her bag, skipped over to the stove, lifted the lid, and warmed herself by the fire.
"It's so cold! It's freezing today. When I came back just now, I felt like my nose and ears were going to freeze off."
Zhao Sulan: "You're exaggerating. Tomorrow is only December 1st. It's not even December yet, how can it be that cold?"
Mingxi: "It's so cold, Mom! I feel like it's going to snow tomorrow!"
Zhao Sulan: "It's not that bad. It'll be a few more days before it snows."
Mingxi pouted, and Zhao Sulan noticed: "Stop pouting. I've dug out your hat and scarf. Wear them to work tomorrow so you won't get cold while riding your bike."
"Hehe, okay!" Mingxi stepped forward, hugged Zhao Sulan's waist, rubbed her head against Zhao Sulan, and said coquettishly, "Mom, you're so good."
Zhao Sulan smiled and patted Mingxi on the back: "Alright, stop being so cute, let's eat, the food is ready."
Mingxi sniffed: "What are we having for dinner today? I think I smell something delicious?"
Zhao Sulan: "We're having wontons today. I've wrapped them up but haven't cooked them yet. Sit down and I'll go cook them."
Mingxi rolled up her sleeves: "Mom, I'll help you!"
Zhao Sulan made large wontons, which are about the size of dumplings, with a big filling wrapped in a thin skin. They look like little gold ingots, plump and cute.
Cooking wontons is quick. Put water in a pot and bring it to a boil. Once the water boils, put in the wontons. After it boils again, add cold water. After adding cold water three times, the wontons are cooked.
The stove was burning brightly, and the wontons were cooked in just over ten minutes. Zhao Sulan invited Mingxi to sit down and eat.
Following Zhao Sulan's voice, Mingxi picked up the spoon and started eating.
Today, Zhao Sulan made pork, wood ear mushroom, and egg wontons. The wood ear mushrooms were a gift from Yang Weihong, who had collected them in the countryside recently. Zhao Sulan soaked some, chopped them, and mixed them with the minced pork and scrambled eggs to make the filling. The wood ear mushrooms were tender and had a slightly crunchy texture, which enriched the flavor and texture of the wonton filling.
Mingxi ate them one after another, thoroughly enjoying them.
She had been running around all day and was really hungry, so she wolfed down her food, quickly eating until she was about 70% full. She stood up, holding the bowl, and ladled out another bowl of wonton soup, ready to fill the gap.
While drinking dumpling soup, Mingxi told Zhao Sulan about the person she had seen at the entrance of the alley earlier.
"When I came back just now, I saw a person standing at the entrance of the alley. It's so cold, why isn't he going home? He's just standing there like an idiot. Something felt off."
Zhao Sulan frowned: "Still standing there so late at night?"
Mingxi nodded.
Zhao Sulan also felt something was wrong; it was indeed strange on such a cold day.
Mingxi stroked her chin: "And I remember that when I rode my bike to the Ran family's house this afternoon, I also saw a figure at the entrance of the alley. I didn't see the face, but the figure seemed quite unfamiliar."
Zhao Sulan: "Do you think the person you met in the afternoon and the person you saw in the evening are the same person?"
Mingxi frowned in distress: "That's hard to say."
She didn't see the person's face in the afternoon, and in the evening, the person was wrapped up tightly, so she saw nothing at all.
However, judging by their physiques, the two are quite similar; both are tall and muscular.
Thinking back on it, Mingxi really felt that the two people might be the same person.
Thinking about it this way, she felt even more uneasy.
I initially thought it was strange that the other person was standing outside alone late at night, getting chilled in the wind, instead of going home. But now, with the added fact that the other person had been standing there from the afternoon until the evening, it's clear to anyone with eyes to see something is very wrong.
Could this person be a bad guy?
Mingxi immediately became alert and said, "Mom, do you think this person might be a thief staking out the place?"
Zhao Sulan: "That shouldn't be the case."
Thieves usually act late at night, when people are sound asleep. They don't stake out places right after people get off work.
Mingxi: "Anyway, I feel like something's not right."
Zhao Sulan nodded. Although the other party was probably not a thief, she also felt that the other party was definitely not a good person.
She immediately instructed, "Okay, after we finish eating, you come with me to Aunt Ma's house and tell her about this."
Although I don't think the person standing at the alley entrance is a good person, they haven't done anything yet, so it's not appropriate to just kick them out.
Let's report this to Aunt Ma and see what she thinks we should do.
After finishing their meal and cleaning up, Mingxi went to the Ma family's house with Zhao Sulan. Aunt Ma didn't take the matter lightly; she immediately wrote down what Mingxi said and promised to go to the neighborhood office to report the situation the next day.
Mingxi didn't care how Aunt Ma reported the matter to the street office, nor did she care how the street office ultimately handled it. As long as the matter was reported, she felt at ease.
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