Chapter 43 A Family of Wimps "Mom, look..."
"Mom, look how amazing I am! Today alone, three people came to the door asking me to introduce them to potential partners."
When Zhao Sulan got off work that evening, Mingxi walked up to her smugly, showing off the documents he had prepared.
Zhao Sulan slapped Mingxi's shoulder so hard it made a loud cracking sound: "Wow, you're even better than me!"
Mingxi proudly shrugged, but she still had to admit: "Actually, it was Guan Lixin's doing. He was showing off to everyone that he had a girlfriend, and after people inquired, they found out that I was the one who introduced him to her, so they came looking for him."
“Maybe other people just think that Guan Lixin, a guy from the alley, can find a partner through my introduction, so they come to me.”
Zhao Sulan gently patted Mingxi: "Don't say that, Lixin is a very good kid."
Mingxi opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue, and made a face.
Just then, Zhao Sulan's attention was drawn to a name she remembered in the file in Mingxi's hand: "Wei Yong'an? Is Wei Yong'an the one who came to introduce you to someone today?"
“No, it’s Wei Yong’an’s mother.” Mingxi: “What, Mom, do you know Wei Yong’an?”
Upon hearing this, Zhao Sulan's expression turned strange: "Wei Yong'an's mother? Wasn't Wei Yong'an's mother long ago?"
Mingxi: "Huh?"
She was completely bewildered: "Wei Yong'an's mother is dead?"
Who came today?
It can't be a dead person, can it?
"She was a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her fifties. She said her name was... something like Bai." Mingxi thought for a while before remembering, "Oh, right, she said her name was Bai Shuzhen!"
Zhao Sulan suddenly realized: "So it was her!"
But then her expression became even stranger: "Bai Shuzhen asked you to introduce Wei Yong'an to a potential partner?"
“Yes.” Speaking of this, Mingxi was still puzzled: “Mom, what’s the situation with Wei Yong’an? Bai Shuzhen told me that Wei Yong’an was married once before. His ex-wife had a bad temper, and they divorced over some trivial matters. After the divorce, she continued to ruin Wei Yong’an’s reputation. But when I asked her about the specific reasons for Wei Yong’an’s divorce from his ex-wife, and what his ex-wife was saying and how she ruined his reputation, Bai Shuzhen wouldn’t say anything. Later, she even got angry with me.”
She scratched her cheek: "Could it be that Wei Yong'an did something to wrong his ex-wife?"
"Bai Shuzhen didn't tell you why Wei Yong'an got a divorce?" Zhao Sulan scoffed. "It would be strange if she did!"
"Wei Yong'an and his ex-wife got divorced because of Bai Shuzhen!"
Zhao Sulan: "You don't know, Bai Shuzhen isn't Wei Yong'an's biological mother, she's his stepmother. When Wei Yong'an's mother passed away from illness, less than a month later, Wei Yong'an's father and Bai Shuzhen got their marriage certificate. Although both Wei Yong'an's father and Bai Shuzhen said that they met through a matchmaker after Wei Yong'an's mother's death, the fact that they got their marriage certificate in less than a month made everyone wonder if Bai Shuzhen and Wei Yong'an's father had something going on between them."
“Wei Yong’an was about ten years old at that time and could remember things. Because of this, his relationship with his biological father and his stepmother Bai Shuzhen was never good. After he was admitted to a vocational school, he left home.”
"After Wei Yong'an started working, he started dating someone but didn't tell his family until close to the wedding. The couple lived outside after the wedding, and their relationship was great at that time. It was only later that Wei Yong'an's father caused trouble."
At this point, Zhao Sulan curled her lip, her eyes full of disdain: "A few years ago, Wei Yong'an's father was dying. Before he died, he called Wei Yong'an home. Do you know what he did?"
Mingxi shook her head.
How would she know that?
Zhao Sulan: "Before he died, that old man grabbed Wei Yong'an and told him that Bai Shuzhen had a hard life. He said that when Bai Shuzhen married him, she was still a virgin, but she ended up being the mother of Wei Yong'an, a half-grown boy. Plus, there were all the rumors and gossip, which made Bai Shuzhen feel wronged. In addition, Bai Shuzhen had taken care of him and the family all these years, which was not easy. He was worried about her passing away, so he asked Wei Yong'an to take good care of Bai Shuzhen after his death and to see her off in her old age."
Mingxi had taken out her melon seeds to listen to Zhao Sulan's gossip, and was eating them as she listened, but after hearing this, she couldn't even finish eating her melon seeds.
No, even if Bai Shuzhen is wronged and has had a hard time, it has nothing to do with Wei Yong'an, right?
Wasn't that caused by Old Man Wei himself?
How did this matter end up falling on Wei Yong'an?
Mingxi couldn't help but ask, "Mom, doesn't Bai Shuzhen have any children?"
"Yes! Bai Shuzhen not only has children, but two, a boy and a girl."
Zhao Sulan spat and said, "That's why they say Old Man Wei washes coal in the river—he's got nothing better to do. Just because Bai Shuzhen has children, he forced Wei Yong'an to promise to take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her off when she dies. You don't know, back then Old Man Wei was on his last breath, and he still managed to call over the leaders of the street office and the textile factory, forcing Wei Yong'an to promise to take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her off when she dies. His exact words at the time were, if Wei Yong'an didn't agree, he wouldn't be able to breathe his last in peace."
Mingxi felt so nauseous she wanted to vomit.
Saying such things in front of so many people before one's death—isn't that blatant moral blackmail?
If Wei Yong'an doesn't agree, what will others think of him?
Yes, Wei Yong'an was willing to go all out and disregard his pride if he refused his father's demands. But don't forget, Old Man Wei had already invited the leaders of the neighborhood committee and the textile factory—who were Wei Yong'an's superiors.
The old state-owned factory was a place where human relationships mattered the most. No matter how much Old Man Wei went too far, no matter how wronged Wei Yong'an felt, if he refused, others would see him as cold-blooded and heartless, unwilling to even grant his father's last wish before his death.
If even his own father, who gave him life and raised him, can be so cold-blooded and ruthless, how could the leader dare to cultivate Wei Yong'an as a trusted confidant?
Therefore, if Wei Yong'an wants to continue working in the state-owned factory and even climb the ranks, he must agree to take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her off when she dies.
Although she had a rough idea of the outcome, Mingxi still asked, "So Wei Yong'an agreed to take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her to her death?"
Zhao Sulan nodded: "Of course I agreed. What else could I do but agree? So many people are watching."
Mingxi: "And then what happened?"
Zhao Sulan: "Later, when Old Man Wei died, Bai Shuzhen went to live with Wei Yong'an's house with a lot of bags and rolls. She had a point, after all, Wei Yong'an had promised to take care of her in her old age and see her off when she died."
She clicked her tongue twice and said, "Bai Shuzhen is indeed someone who has spent half her life with Old Man Wei. She has a whole set of disgusting tricks up her sleeve. When she first moved in with Wei Yong'an, she would get up early every morning to go to the market to buy groceries. When people asked her, she would say that she was buying food for Wei Yong'an and his wife. In fact, she was buying all the vegetables that Wei Yong'an and his wife wouldn't eat."
"She would even run into the yard in the dead of winter to wash Wei Yong'an and his wife's bedsheets; she would barge into their house late at night without a word... She did all sorts of dirty tricks to disgust Wei Yong'an and his wife. Later, when she saw that Wei Yong'an's ex-wife hadn't gotten pregnant, she forced her to drink boy's urine, black dog blood, and eat all sorts of weird folk remedies. When Wei Yong'an and his wife refused, she would secretly put it in their food, causing chaos in their home. Wei Yong'an's ex-wife then fought with Wei Yong'an and tried to drive Bai Shuzhen away."
Mingxi clicked her tongue in amazement.
If she were Wei Yong'an's ex-wife, she would probably also collapse if she encountered such a stepmother-in-law.
Zhao Sulan continued, "Bai Shuzhen is good at pretending. Outsiders all think she's a good person. Although she's a stepmother, she does a better job than most biological mothers. So outsiders all think that Wei Yong'an's wife is wrong."
"In addition, Wei Yong'an had promised Old Man Wei that he would take care of Bai Shuzhen in her old age and see her off when she died, so he couldn't kick Bai Shuzhen out. He could only persuade his ex-wife to be patient. His ex-wife couldn't bear it any longer, so she asked Wei Yong'an for a divorce. Wei Yong'an didn't want to delay her, so he agreed."
Mingxi: "So that means Wei Yong'an is a decent person."
At least he knew the other person had a hard time, so he didn't force them to suffer or become a burden.
Zhao Sulan nodded: "That's true. Wei Yong'an is a good person. Knowing that his ex-wife was wronged, he gave her all the family savings when they divorced, leaving himself with almost nothing. It's just that he ended up with Bai Shuzhen."
She said, "Wei Yong'an's ex-wife did indeed have a bad temper. After the divorce was finalized, she gathered a group of her relatives to move her dowry. She said it was to move the dowry, but actually it was to spread rumors about what Bai Shuzhen had done. She recounted every single thing Bai Shuzhen had done after the dowry was moved, which is why those disgusting things about Bai Shuzhen got out. This whole commotion made Bai Shuzhen infamous; it caused quite a stir, and most of the northern part of the city knew about the wicked mother-in-law named Bai Shuzhen."
Mingxi scratched her head. How come she didn't know?
She thought for a moment, oh, back then the original owner was focused on taking the college entrance exam, ignoring everything else and only studying the classics.
Zhao Sulan: "Because of Bai Shuzhen's presence, no one has been able to introduce Wei Yong'an to any other potential partners."
Nobody wants their daughter to suffer after marrying him off.
However, Bai Shuzhen's reputation worsened because of this incident. Although there were some rumors that she and Old Man Wei had been in contact before, generally speaking, people had a good impression of her, thinking that she was good at talking and dealing with people, and that she didn't make things difficult for the children left behind like other stepmothers.
But now everyone understands that she's a wicked person with a sweet exterior but a bitter heart. Old rumors about her and Old Man Wei have resurfaced, affecting even her two children.
Zhao Sulan counted on her fingers for a moment, then suddenly said, "No wonder, no wonder."
Mingxi: "What's wrong?"
Zhao Sulan: "If I do the math, Bai Shuzhen's two children are now twenty and eighteen, respectively, both of whom are of marriageable age. No wonder she was so eager to find a partner for Wei Yong'an."
As long as Wei Yong'an doesn't find a partner, her image as a wicked mother-in-law will remain.
This makes it difficult for her two biological children to find partners, especially her son. When matchmakers try to find a spouse for her son, the other party has to think twice. Will she torment herself in the same way she tormented Wei Yong'an's ex-wife?
Bai Shuzhen can only try to clear her name by finding Wei Yong'an a partner as soon as possible.
After Zhao Sulan explained it to Mingxi, he understood Bai Shuzhen's plan.
No wonder Bai Shuzhen was anxious.
No wonder she only had one requirement: to find a girl with a good temper.
Girls with good tempers are easy to manipulate, and it's also easy to clear their name, right?
Fortunately, Mingxi realized something was wrong and didn't agree to Bai Shuzhen's request, otherwise she would have been in real trouble.
Mingxi: "Oh, right, Mom, have you heard of Meng Dongchun and Lin Hai?"
She now sees something wrong with everyone and can't help but ask Zhao Sulan for advice, afraid of accidentally falling into a trap again.
"Who? Meng Dongchun?" Zhao Sulan frowned. "The name sounds familiar, but I've never heard of the second one."
Mingxi explained, "These two came to me today asking for my help in finding them partners. I wanted to find out more about them. If I introduce them to people without knowing anything about them, wouldn't that ruin my reputation?"
"Pfft—"
Zhao Sulan couldn't help but laugh out loud. She looked up at Mingxi and said, "Wow, you're quite something now. You're even starting to care about your reputation."
Mingxi pouted: "I'm a well-known matchmaker in this area, after all."
"Okay, okay." Zhao Sulan nodded with a smile, not forgetting to give Mingxi some advice.
"If you want to find out about them, go find your Aunt He. Your Aunt He is a professional."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow and nodded.
When it comes to gathering information, Aunt He is indeed a professional.
"Okay, then I'll go to Aunt He's house."
After saying that, Mingxi got up and headed to Aunt He's house. When she arrived, she explained her purpose to Aunt He. As usual, she didn't want Aunt He to work for free, so she gave Aunt He two yuan.
When offered the opportunity to earn extra money, Aunt He readily agreed. After receiving the money, she didn't even bother cooking and immediately set off to inquire about the situation.
Grandma He and her husband, Old Zheng, exclaimed, "What are we going to eat tonight if you don't cook, old lady?"
Aunt He: "I don't cook, can't you cook for yourself? You just want to eat whatever's served to you every day, right?"
Old Zheng: "Alright, I'll cook it. What do you want to eat?"
Aunt He said impatiently, "Just make something whatever you want. I'm busy and don't want to waste my breath talking to you."
She's so indecisive; I have to ask her what we eat. Doesn't she know she's busy making money?
What a waste of time!
Aunt He finished speaking and rushed out the door.
The next morning, Aunt He came to find Mingxi with the results of her inquiries.
"Mingxi, I've found out everything you asked me to find out!"
Mingxi had just gotten up and was still a little dazed. She rubbed her head and said, "Ah, okay, Aunt He, tell me what happened."
Aunt He: "Yesterday I went to the Meng family's area first. Just like what Meng Dongchun's sister-in-law said, Meng Dongchun has a bad temper and is the boss at home. Her parents listen to her. But according to her neighbors, she is actually quite easy to get along with. Her sister-in-law doesn't get along with her, probably because her sister-in-law's family is sexist. After marrying into the Meng family, her sister-in-law was thinking of using her family's things to support her own family. When Meng Dongchun found out, she scolded her severely. The two of them had a falling out over this."
Mingxi nodded.
Just from what Jin Juan said, she could tell that the other person had a tendency to favor sons over daughters.
Aunt He: "I went to the machine factory to inquire again. The people there said that although Meng Dongchun has a big temper, she is reasonable and has never lost her temper. Unlike other master craftsmen who teach their apprentices some skills but hold back some, she teaches her apprentices without reservation, so the people in the factory admire her."
At this point, Aunt He took a breath and continued, "I also inquired about her previous in-laws. Meng Dongchun and her ex-husband met through a blind date. They met a few times, and he was attracted to Meng Dongchun's ability to earn money, so he took the initiative to propose marriage. Meng Dongchun felt that he was decent-looking and had an honest personality, so she agreed to the proposal. When they returned the gifts at the wedding, everything seemed normal until the wedding day when he started playing tricks, which is when Meng Dongchun started making a scene."
Mingxi has made a lot of progress recently, and she understood what the other person was thinking as soon as she heard these words.
He simply admired Meng Dongchun's competence but feared she was too capable to be controlled. So he deliberately used tricks on their wedding day to test Meng Dongchun's temperament.
They were betting that Meng Dongchun wouldn't cause trouble on the wedding day.
I plan to say some nice things to the other person after the wedding and let the matter drop.
This put Meng Dongchun in a difficult position, and she couldn't say anything in response.
But to everyone's surprise, Meng Dongchun couldn't tolerate even the slightest imperfection and started causing a scene at the wedding.
Aunt He also looked down on the other side's methods. She curled her lip and said gloatingly, "When I went to inquire, I found out that the family on the other side didn't have a good ending."
She said, "Meng Dongchun made such a big fuss that the divorce alarmed the neighborhood committee and the man's workplace. A few years ago, the regulations were strict. His family's use of such feudal customs at the wedding displeased the leaders of the neighborhood committee and the workplace. He was criticized by name by the neighborhood committee, and the factory also gave him a punishment for being backward in his thinking and fined him several months' salary."
The fine of losing wages is not a big deal; the main issue is the disciplinary action for having outdated thinking.
Nowadays, state-owned factories place great importance on the moral character of their employees. With such a disciplinary action in place, the person will not be able to expect any awards or promotions for the next few years.
In addition, after being publicly criticized by the neighborhood committee, this family can forget about ever holding their heads high among their neighbors.
"Cool!"
Mingxi couldn't help but shout "Good!"
They deserved to end up like this!
Mingxi blinked: "And Lin Hai's family too."
"Lin Hai's family..."
Aunt He sighed, "Lin Hai's house is quite complicated."
Mingxi raised an eyebrow.
Aunt He: "I first went to the auto repair shop to inquire. The people there all spoke well of Lin Hai and the Lin family, saying that Lin Hai was honest, hardworking, and had a good personality, and that Lin's father was the same way. Apart from being a little quiet, he had no other faults. But when I asked the Lin family's neighbors later, I found out that there was more to the story."
Aunt He: "Did you know that the Lin family hasn't separated, and Lin Hai's family still lives with his grandfather?"
Mingxi's eyes widened: "What? Lin Hai's father's generation hadn't separated the family property yet?"
Although it's customary for the parents not to separate the family while they are still alive, in the northern part of the city, the family usually automatically separates when the grandchildren get married.
Lin Hai is already twenty-five years old, and his father's generation still hasn't separated their households and lives together.
Mingxi frowned subconsciously.
Aunt He: "That's right, Lin Hai's father's generation hadn't divided the family property yet. And Lin Hai's family, well..."
She sighed deeply and said, "It all started with Lin Hai's father's generation. Lin Hai's father had three siblings, and he was the third oldest. He had an older brother and sister, and a younger brother. He was the least valued among them. Lin Hai's grandfather used his connections to get Lin Hai's eldest uncle a job at the grain station, and he used his connections to get his eldest aunt a job at a state-run restaurant. He also supported his youngest uncle to go to vocational school and then get a job on the railway. But he didn't care about his father at all. His father got into the auto repair shop by sheer luck; he was recruited through a job posting."
"By Lin Hai's generation, his uncle and aunt had children early, and Lin Hai's grandfather still doted on his eldest grandson and youngest grandson, but neglected Lin Hai and his sister, who were of average age. After graduating from high school, Lin Hai could have taken over the family business and not gone to the countryside, but at that time, one of Lin Hai's uncle's two sons had to go. They couldn't bear to part with their own child, so they forced Lin Hai to take his place and go to the countryside. Lin Hai's parents were unwilling and made a scene, but with the elders in charge, they made the decision and Lin Hai went to the countryside in the end."
Mingxi frowned even more deeply.
Lin Hai went to the countryside, that must have been in 1973 or 1974, right?
Back then, nobody knew that the college entrance examination would be reinstated, or that educated youth sent to the countryside would be able to return to the city.
Once you go to the countryside, you may very well be stuck there for the rest of your life.
Did Lin Hai's parents compromise simply because of their elders' orders?
Mingxi couldn't help but ask.
Aunt He: "I asked around, and people said that Lin Hai's whole family are honest people."
To say it's honest might not be the right word; "cowardly" would be a more accurate description.
Lin Hai could have gotten a factory job after graduating high school, but because of his elders, he was sent to the countryside for four years as part of the "Down to the Countryside Movement." After returning to the city, his uncle's family didn't offer any support. Even though they saw Lin Hai was unemployed, they didn't offer to help him find a job, and just watched him do odd jobs for several years. If the auto repair shop hadn't been hiring again this year, Lin Hai would still be doing odd jobs.
And there's Lin Hai's sister.
She was such a pretty girl. Last year, when the performing arts troupe was recruiting, she was almost selected. However, during the final assessment, her cousin locked her at home, causing her to be late and miss the assessment.
Although a fight broke out later, forcing her uncle to spend money to buy her a job on the railway.
But the difference between being a train attendant on the railway and joining a performing arts troupe as a soldier is enormous.
And so, the whole family accepted it and stopped making a fuss.
Mingxi scratched his head, wondering how this person could be so spineless.
If it were her, she would have turned the whole family upside down, but the Lin family actually accepted it and didn't even split up the family. They still live together now.
Aunt He: "That's right. How can someone be so spineless? I heard from the Lin family's neighbors that Lin Hai's sister has the worst temper in the family. Although she bursts into tears as soon as she opens her mouth, at least she can argue with people."
Mingxi: "..."
They're really a bunch of pathetic losers.
Aunt He said, "If you're going to introduce someone to Lin Hai, you'd better introduce him to someone with a strong temper. Otherwise, if he marries into the Lin family, won't he be bullied by the other branches of the Lin family?"
Stubborn-tempered...
Mingxi subconsciously thought of Meng Dongchun.
To be honest, Lin Hai is quite suitable for Meng Dongchun in terms of conditions.
Meng Dongchun just wants to be obedient and compliant.
Lin Hai's whole family is honest and obedient!
Mingxi: "Aunt He, what do you think about me introducing Meng Dongchun to Lin Hai?"
Aunt He paused for a moment.
"Meng Dongchun... Meng Dongchun is really suitable!"
Mingxi stroked her chin, thinking it over and over and it seemed more and more suitable, except for one problem.
Meng Dongchun is in her second marriage.
They got divorced without even going to the bridal chamber.
But she did get a marriage certificate with her ex-husband, so it could be considered her second marriage.
If you really want to introduce two people, you should ask both sides for their opinions first.
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Author's Note: In the next chapter, Sister Meng will make her grand entrance and wreak havoc! [Sunglasses][Sunglasses][Sunglasses]
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