Chapter 44 Where Did This Mad Dog Come From? That evening…
As evening approached, the sun hung in the sky like a giant fireball. Mingxi greeted Zhao Sulan and headed towards the Lin family home, following the address left by Lin's mother.
The Lin family lived in the south of the city. Mingxi walked quickly and soon arrived at the gate of the Lin family's courtyard. All the houses in this area were private houses, not public houses allocated by the factory. Many of them were originally large courtyard houses that had been converted into smaller courtyards. The Lin family's courtyard was one of these, a separate courtyard converted from the east wing of a large mansion.
It was rush hour, and people were coming and going in the alley. A middle-aged man with slicked-back hair walked in from the alley entrance. Seeing Mingxi standing at the courtyard gate, he coughed twice and asked, "Ahem, young comrade, what brings you here? Why are you standing here?"
Mingxi smiled and said, "Comrade, is this where Lin Hai lives? I'm looking for Lin Hai."
Upon hearing this, the middle-aged man unconsciously looked Mingxi up and down: "You're looking for Lin Hai? He lives here. What's your relationship with him? What brings you here?"
Mingxi didn't notice the probing look in his eyes at the time, and said with a smile, "I'm the matchmaker his mother found to introduce him to potential partners. I'm here today because things are looking promising for him."
"Cough cough, what did you say? You're the matchmaker?" The middle-aged man was so shocked by this unexpected answer that he almost choked on his saliva.
Realizing that his reaction was too strong and unbecoming, he calmed himself down, put his face down, and put his hands behind his back.
"Young comrade, it's not appropriate to joke about this kind of thing."
Mingxi smiled and asked, "What do you mean by that?"
The middle-aged man opposite her raised his eyelids, glanced at Mingxi, and said, "You look to be no more than twenty, right? How could such a young girl be the matchmaker who introduced Lin Hai to a potential partner?"
Mingxi felt that after she told the other party that she was the matchmaker who introduced Lin Hai to a potential partner, the other party's attitude towards her subtly took on a hostile tone.
The other party hid it very well. If she weren't the person involved, she might just think that the other party was surprised that she was so young.
But as the person involved, Mingxi clearly sensed that the other party's surprise was mixed with contempt.
Mingxi became unhappy.
To look down on her?
Having been a matchmaker for so long, aside from whispering behind her back, this is the first person to openly show contempt for her to her face.
However, Mingxi still had a smile on her face, even brighter than before: "Really? Big brother, are you telling the truth? I look like I'm only twenty. It seems my skincare routine has been effective."
Middle-aged man: ? Brother?
Mingxi looks younger than his daughter, is it appropriate for her to call him "big brother"?
Mingxi continued, "You don't know, I'm almost forty this year, and my kids are all in their final year of high school. When you told me I look like I'm only twenty, I was so happy!"
Her expression was sincere, her face showing only the joy of being praised for her youth, without a trace of joking or teasing, which left the middle-aged man opposite her completely bewildered.
Huh? This young girl in front of me is almost forty?
Just as the man was questioning his existence, Lin's mother, who was in the yard, heard the noise and peeked out.
"Oh my, Comrade Xiaoming, what brings you here!"
Seeing the person she was looking for, Mingxi stopped teasing the middle-aged man beside her. She smiled and stepped forward, drawing out her words, "Auntie—I've come to tell you some good news! There's been progress in finding a partner for Lin Hai!"
"Oh! That's great news!" Lin's mother casually wiped her hands with her clothes and pulled Mingxi, saying, "Come on, let's go inside and talk."
"Ahem, Second Sister-in-law."
The neglected middle-aged man spoke up to assert his presence.
Hearing the voice, Lin's mother looked over, her expression freezing for a moment. She greeted the person in a nonchalant tone, "Oh, third son, you're back."
Mingxi turned around and glanced back curiously.
So this is Uncle Lin.
That's the same Uncle Lin who locked Lin Hai's sister in the house so his daughter could compete with her for a spot in the performing arts troupe.
I heard that his daughter tried many methods but still failed to get a spot in the performing arts troupe.
Lin's mother and Lin's third uncle's relationship was obviously not very good. After exchanging greetings, they had nothing more to say and pulled Mingxi into the east side room of the courtyard.
Upon entering, Mingxi discovered that the two-room east wing had been partitioned into three small rooms. The outer room contained a double bed, a wardrobe, and a square table. The two inner rooms had their doors closed, so Mingxi couldn't see inside, but she guessed they were Lin Hai's and his sister's rooms.
Lin's mother warmly invited Mingxi to sit down at the octagonal table, and she picked up the kettle next to her to pour water for Mingxi.
"Comrade Xiaoming, do you think there's any progress on the matter of introducing a potential partner to my Lin Hai?"
Mingxi: "Yes, I have two suitable female colleagues here. I brought their information with me. Would you like to hear their names?"
Lin's mother: "Hmm, tell me about it."
Mingxi: "The girl at the front is named Ma Meixia. She is twenty years old, graduated from junior high school, and is currently unemployed. Her father works in a steel rolling mill."
Ma Meixia was Zuo Ying's neighbor. Seeing that Zuo Ying had met Du Hai through Mingxi's introduction, she asked Mingxi to introduce her to someone. Mingxi agreed, but introducing someone to Ma Meixia was not an easy task.
Mingxi: "This Comrade Ma is beautiful and capable, but there is one problem: Comrade Ma's family is asking for a rather high dowry."
She held up her hand and counted: "I need three hundred yuan, and a bicycle too."
It was precisely because Ma Meixia's standards were too high that Mingxi had been unable to find a suitable match, and she had never mentioned Ma Meixia's name when introducing her to others before. Today, she had no hope either.
Sure enough, Lin's mother gasped when she heard this.
Three hundred yuan, and I also want a bicycle!
Her family can't afford to marry her.
Lin's mother looked troubled: "Well, Comrade Xiaoming, this bride price is a bit too high. Didn't you say you had two suitable women? What about the other woman?"
Mingxi: "The second woman didn't ask for a bride price and even offered to give 200 yuan as a dowry."
"Then tell me about this woman!" Lin's mother's eyes lit up.
Whether or not there's a dowry isn't a big deal; her family doesn't plan to make money from marrying a wife anyway. The main thing is that there are no requirements for the bride price, which is much better compared to the previous Ma Meixia.
Mingxi: "This second female comrade's surname is Meng, her name is Meng Dongchun, she is a welder in the steel rolling mill, she is twenty-eight years old this year. Speaking of Comrade Meng, she is remarkable. She is a college graduate of the Workers-Peasants-Soldiers University. After graduation, she joined the steel rolling mill. She was our steel rolling mill's first female welder, and also the first level seven welder."
Lin's mother: "That's amazing!"
Even if she didn't go to work, she knew the value of a Level 7 worker. Many experienced workers in the factory might not even have a Level 7 certificate after a lifetime of work. It's truly remarkable that Comrade Meng, a woman in her early twenties, could achieve this.
As for the fact that Meng Dongchun was three years older than Lin Hai, Lin's mother completely ignored it.
So what if I'm three years older!
As the old saying goes, "A woman three years older than her husband is like a golden brick."
Comrade Meng is so outstanding, even being 13th in college is nothing!
Lin's mother was initially overjoyed, but after the initial excitement came some uncertainty. She rubbed the hem of her clothes and asked, "Um, Comrade Meng is so outstanding, would she even be interested in our Hai Zi?"
Mingxi smiled and said, "You don't need to worry about that. Comrade Meng doesn't have high requirements. She just wants to find a man with an honest personality who can live a good life with her."
Lin's mother: "Then our Hai Zi is fine, he has an honest personality!"
Mingxi smiled and nodded, then frowned, looking somewhat troubled. Lin's mother asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Does Comrade Meng have any other requests?"
Mingxi: "It's not that Comrade Meng made a request, but rather—"
Lin's mother asked anxiously, "But what is it? Comrade Ming, don't keep me in suspense!"
Mingxi: "It's like this, Comrade Meng, she was married once before, the situation is like this..."
She truthfully told Lin's mother that Meng Dongchun had been married, but had divorced that very day.
Lin's mother's eyes widened: "This, this..."
She thought Meng Dongchun's temper was a bit too much, causing a scene at the wedding. But then she thought, Meng Dongchun is a level seven welder, someone who doesn't even respect the factory manager. Isn't it normal for someone like that to have a temper?
The only one to blame is Meng Dongchun's ex-husband, who had nothing better to do than create such a mess at their wedding.
Lin's mother had no objection to Meng Dongchun's actions, but she was a little conflicted. Meng Dongchun's situation was considered a second marriage, while her son's was a first marriage.
However, on the other hand, if Meng Dongchun hadn't been remarried, her son wouldn't have been a good match for her.
Just as Lin's mother was struggling with her decision, Lin Hai and Lin's father came home from get off work.
Mingxi came face to face with Lin Hai. Lin Hai was quite good-looking, over 1.8 meters tall, wearing a faded white short-sleeved shirt that revealed his bronze skin. He had a very short buzz cut, and his features were sharp, giving him a ruggedly handsome look reminiscent of modern tough guys.
When Lin Hai's mother saw him return, she quickly introduced him to Ming Xi. Lin Hai knew that Ming Xi was the matchmaker who was introducing him to potential partners, and a shyness that didn't seem outwardly apparent appeared on his face.
He blushed as he greeted Mingxi, who nodded in response.
Lin Hai seems a bit too honest.
Just then, Lin Hai returned, and Mingxi could ask him for his thoughts, so she quickly told him about Meng Dongchun's situation.
Unlike his mother, Lin Hai didn't hesitate. He understood that even if Meng Dongchun's conditions were a second marriage, it was still a step up for him, so he nodded in agreement without thinking.
Mingxi beamed with joy. If Lin Hai agreed, then she only needed to ask Meng Dongchun for his opinion.
After leaving the Lin family, Mingxi immediately headed for the Meng family. The Meng family and the Ming family were not far apart. She followed the address Jin Juan had given her and happened to run into Jin Juan and Meng Dongchun, who had just returned from get off work, at the door.
Meng Dongchun is also tall. Mingxi is not short either, and her height of 1.65 meters is considered tall nowadays, but Meng Dongchun is half a head taller than her.
Mingxi estimated that the other person was about 1.7374 meters tall.
She has a rather heroic appearance, with sharp features, striking eyebrows, a high nose bridge, a high ponytail, and a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her strong forearm muscles.
Looking at it this way, Meng Dongchun's features do indeed have a somewhat androgynous appearance. Although Mingxi has never met Grandpa Meng, she can understand why Jinjuan said that Meng Dongchun looks like her grandfather.
Mingxi greeted Jin Juan and Meng Dongchun, then introduced Lin Hai's situation and truthfully told them that she had heard about Meng Dongchun's conditions and was willing to accept them.
Meng Dongchun raised an eyebrow: "Okay, then let's arrange the matchmaking. I'm free tomorrow."
Tomorrow is Sunday, and Lin Hai should be off work and have time to visit, but Mingxi still made an extra trip to confirm with Lin Hai whether he has time.
After confirming, she ran back to the Meng family home to tell Meng Dongchun.
With everything settled, Mingxi went to Meng Dongchun's house the next morning to pick him up and head towards the Lin family's residence.
The meeting was arranged at Lin Hai's house.
When Mingxi led Meng Dongchun to the gate of the Lin family, she saw Lin's mother, father, Lin Hai, and Lin Hai's sister, whom she had never seen before, standing at the gate waiting for her.
Upon hearing Mingxi and Meng Dongchun's voices, the family of four instinctively straightened up, just like hotel greeters waiting for inspection.
Mingxi's smile faltered for a moment, and she quickly stepped forward to introduce them: "Comrade Meng, this is Comrade Lin Hai."
"Comrade Lin Hai, this is Comrade Meng."
Lin Hai quickly extended his hand: "Hello, Comrade Meng."
Meng Dongchun's gaze swept upwards, lingering for a second longer as it passed over Lin Hai's firm abdomen, before continuing upwards and finally settling on Lin Hai's handsome face.
She raised an eyebrow, smiled, and then extended her hand: "Hello, Comrade Lin."
Lin Hai blushed under Meng Dongchun's intense gaze.
Mingxi smiled and invited, "Let's go inside and sit down to talk."
Lin's mother realized what was happening and quickly said, "Come on in, sit down and let's chat. We've prepared tea and fruit."
Lin's mother led everyone into the yard, and as soon as they entered, they heard a sharp and sarcastic voice: "Second son's wife, who is this? Why didn't you tell us in advance that you had guests?"
Mingxi looked over upon hearing the sound and saw a middle-aged woman with triangular eyes.
Lin's mother: "Sister-in-law, this is the blind date that Lin Hai is here to meet. I told you about her yesterday, did you forget?"
Aunt Lin twitched her lips: "Did you say that? Oh, I think you did. Sigh, I thought you were joking, so I didn't take it to heart. Look at you, if you had told me in detail, I would have bought extra groceries when I went out today. Now we're all unprepared, how are we going to have lunch..."
Mingxi frowned slightly.
Aunt Lin's words are quite interesting.
First, Lin's mother joked, implying that Lin Hai's family wasn't taking the meeting with Meng Dongchun seriously. Then, she mentioned not buying much food and not having prepared anything at home, implying that Meng Dongchun wasn't welcome to stay for dinner.
If this were a gentle and inexperienced woman, she would probably have turned away in shame and anger after hearing these words.
However, Meng Dongchun was clearly not that kind of girl. She slightly raised her head to look at Aunt Lin, without any embarrassment on her face. Instead, she had a hint of amusement.
It was as if Aunt Lin was a clown on a theatrical stage.
Aunt Lin immediately became displeased when she saw her like that.
What's going on? Logically, shouldn't this girl blush and feel shy after hearing what she said? Why isn't she following the script at all!
Aunt Lin's face darkened, and she continued, "Second son's family, this is not appropriate. When our eldest son was looking for a partner at home, you helped prepare a whole table of dishes. You were so busy back then, so why don't you want to ask us for help when it's your Hai Zi's turn to look for a partner? Are you afraid of troubling me? This is just being distant!"
These words were spoken affectionately, but the underlying meaning was still the same: Lin Hai's family didn't take Lin Hai's matchmaking today seriously.
Lin's mother was so angry at what her aunt had done that her lips were trembling. Lin's father had a dark face. Lin's younger sister puffed out her cheeks and her eyes were red. She was about to stand up and refute him, but Lin Hai tugged at her sleeve and made her stand behind him.
Lin Hai: "Aunt, you don't need to bother. I booked a table at the restaurant early this morning. We'll go out for lunch later."
After saying that, Lin Hai turned around and pushed open the door of the east wing room: "Comrade Meng, please come in."
Meng Dongchun, having witnessed the commotion, was in a good mood. She glanced at Lin Hai with a smile before stepping into the house.
Mingxi and Lin Hai's family followed them into the house, leaving only Aunt Lin alone in the yard, her face contorted with anger.
Through the window, Mingxi caught a glimpse of the other person glaring at her, before angrily shoving into the west wing across the street.
Tsk tsk tsk.
It seems that quite a few people in the Lin family don't want Lin Hai to be able to finish his meeting smoothly.
However, the internal conflicts within the Lin family had nothing to do with her, a matchmaker.
Once inside, Lin's mother poured tea for Mingxi and Meng Dongchun while explaining, "Comrades Ming and Meng, don't listen to Haizi's aunt's nonsense. Our family knew you were coming to meet today, and we started preparing last night. We originally wanted to invite you to lunch at our house, but there are many people at home, and we were afraid you would feel awkward, so we made a reservation outside."
Mingxi smiled and said, "Auntie, we know you welcome Comrade Meng very much, otherwise you wouldn't have come to the door to greet us."
Lin's mother: "Yes, yes, we very much welcome Comrade Meng."
Seeing that Mingxi and Meng Dongchun did not look unhappy, Lin's parents and Lin's younger sister all breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Daiyu whispered, "Sister Meng, our family really welcomes you. My brother was so excited last night that he didn't sleep a wink. He did a thorough cleaning of the house, even sweeping the roof."
Mingxi: No wonder.
As soon as she came in, she felt that the room seemed much brighter and cleaner than yesterday.
Lin Hai blushed immediately upon hearing his sister's revelation.
Meng Dongchun had just been amused by Lin Daiyu's revelation when he saw Lin Hai's flushed face and couldn't help but tease him, "Comrade Lin seems to blush very easily."
She had only been with Lin Hai for five minutes when he blushed for the second time.
He looks tall and strong, someone you don't want to mess with, so why does he blush so easily?
Lin Hai was already shy, and upon hearing this, his face burned even more intensely. The blush spread from his cheeks to his ears, and even his bronze skin couldn't hide the redness on his face. He looked like a ripe red apple.
He blushed and couldn't speak, so Mingxi could only step in to smooth things over: "Well, Comrade Lin is just a shy person. Besides, he doesn't have much contact with female comrades, so he was even more shy when he first met a beautiful female comrade like you, Comrade Meng. Please don't take offense, Comrade Meng."
Meng Dongchun chuckled lightly: "Don't mind."
Upon hearing this, Lin Hai, suppressing his embarrassment, looked up at Meng Dongchun, only to meet her gaze.
Meng Dongchun seemed to find it amusing and smiled.
Lin Hai felt that smile penetrate his heart.
Seeing the reactions of the two people, Mingxi felt that this matter had a chance. However, she did not show it and still went through the motions of introducing them to both sides. After the introductions, Meng Dongchun and Lin Hai spoke alone.
Meng Dongchun didn't mince words and went straight to the point: "You must have heard from Comrade Ming about my previous divorce, right? What do you think?"
Lin Hai was taken aback by the question. He instinctively sat up straight and placed his hands neatly on his thighs, like a student being questioned by a teacher.
“I think you did the right thing. Your ex-husband’s family is awful. The neighborhood committee has repeatedly warned against extravagance and urged everyone to keep things simple, but he still insisted on this feudal custom at his wedding. It’s a sign of backward thinking!”
Lin Hai nervously rubbed the seams of his trousers: "There are no people in our family with such backward ideas, and we would never engage in such feudal customs."
Meng Dongchun laughed. Did Lin Hai think she was going to give a political education class based on that answer?
She bluntly stated, "He's not backward-thinking. The reason he's having this custom at the wedding is to put me in a dominant position. Because I'm too strong-willed, he's afraid he won't be able to control me after marriage, so he's deliberately making things difficult for me at the wedding. As for you, aren't you afraid that I'm too strong-willed and you won't be able to control me after marriage?"
"I..." Upon hearing Meng Dongchun mention marriage, the heat that had just dissipated from Lin Hai's face returned. His palms were sweating, and although he was nervous, he was determined: "I'm not afraid."
He said, "I don't think marriage is about one person dominating the other. Two people can discuss things together. If you're not willing to discuss things with me, then I'll listen to you, and I have no objection."
Meng Dongchun was taken aback, then burst out laughing.
She had been on several dates before, and she would ask this question every time. Lin Hai was the first person to say it.
Lin Hai and Meng Dongchun were chatting enthusiastically inside when the door to the east wing was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Then, Aunt Lin, who had spoken outside earlier, Uncle Lin, whom Mingxi had met yesterday, and a curly-haired woman whom they had never seen before barged in.
"Second brother's wife, you've been scammed!"
Aunt Lin's face was filled with anxiety, but her eyes were shining with excitement. She said in a sharp and high-pitched voice, "Second son's wife, you've been fooled! Do you know who this girl who is being asked to marry Lin Hai today is? She's Meng Dongchun! The Meng Dongchun who caused a scene at her wedding and ended up getting a divorce!"
She said, "I didn't recognize the girl at first; it was the third son's wife who recognized her."
Mingxi looked at the curly-haired woman she was pointing at and realized that this was Aunt Lin, Uncle Lin's wife!
Aunt Lin the Third was better at putting on a show than Aunt Lin the First. She feigned concern for Lin's mother, saying, "Second Sister-in-law, don't misunderstand. My sister-in-law and I didn't mean to sabotage Lin Hai's matchmaking. We just feel that this Comrade Meng isn't a good match for our Haizi. Comrade Meng is a divorced woman, while Haizi is getting married for the first time. Besides, Haizi is a man; he can find any woman he wants, why does he have to be like this…?"
She glanced at Meng Dongchun, pursed her lips, and said, "Why did you have to find such a restless and bad-tempered woman?"
Lin's mother's face was ashen: "Shut up!"
Aunt Lin: "Sister-in-law, what are you saying? We're doing this for your own good. What do you mean by telling us to shut up?"
Aunt Lin: "That's right, that's right. We all think Hai Zi is good, so why are you so ungrateful? Do you really want to marry a woman like this?"
As she spoke, she glanced at Meng Dongchun with disdain.
"That's right, our Haizi can't marry such an unruly woman who has no respect for her elders!"
Uncle Lin also joined the fray at this moment. After making sarcastic remarks about Meng Dongchun, he turned his gaze to Mingxi. He now knew that Mingxi was teasing him when she said she was almost forty. The thought that he had actually been tricked by such a young girl like Mingxi made him furious.
"And second sister-in-law, where did you find this matchmaker? Why are you introducing all sorts of random people to Hai Zi? It's true what they say, 'a young man with no experience is unreliable'!"
Mingxi knew this person was up to no good. Just as she was about to jump out and retort, she heard Meng Dongchun sweep his contemptuous gaze over Uncle Lin and the other two and say, "Where did this mad dog come from, barking like this?"
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Author's Note: The prediction failed; Ms. Meng didn't have a chance to unleash her full potential. The next chapter will truly show her dominance.
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