The days passed uneventfully. Although some people still tried to arrange marriages for Lin Jingyue, they were usually turned away by a few words as soon as they opened their mouths.
She's living a very comfortable life now. She has a main job and a side business, earns a good amount of money every month, and her child is sensible and easy to take care of, requiring almost no effort from her. If she were to find another man, wouldn't that just add to her burden?
Besides, her main task is to raise children; the system didn't say she had to get married.
However, to avoid drawing attention, she usually wears less flashy clothes to work. Although wearing nice clothes is for pleasing oneself, in this era, being poor is a source of pride, so dressing simply is always a good thing.
As for nice clothes, well, there aren't many nice clothes these days. She can design them herself, but without a sewing machine, she can't sew them by hand.
"All done! Yingying, want to go to the cafeteria together?" Lin Jingyue finished working on the last document and turned to look at Zhou Yingying beside her.
She hasn't been behaving well these past couple of days, but her period came before, so it's not hormones causing the problem. There must be another reason. As her good coworker, I can at least offer some comfort, if not counseling.
Zhou Yingying forced herself to stay awake, bent down to get her lunchbox, and gave her a smile, "Sister Yue, I almost forgot it was almost time to get off work."
"Aren't you usually the most enthusiastic eater? You haven't been in a good mood these past few days? It's okay, it will pass!" Lin Jingyue gently patted her head like a caring older sister.
Am I that obvious?
"Your emotions are written all over your face, it's hard not to notice."
"Sigh, I didn't want to either." Zhou Yingying walked dejectedly beside Lin Jingyue. After struggling for a long time, she finally decided to speak up, "Sister Yue, you've been through this before. I'd like to learn from your experience, is that alright?"
"Hmm? What is it? Tell me."
The two walked to a corner where passing workers could see them, but couldn't hear what they were talking about.
"Well, I graduated this year, so my parents have started pressuring me to get married lately. But I feel like this is all too fast. They've already arranged blind dates for me these past few days, but I really don't want to."
She just graduated and has only been working for a few months. She's practically a newcomer to society and still quite immature. And yet, she's already about to become someone's wife?
While this is normal for women in this era, it is indeed a bit too fast for women who have received higher education.
Lin Jingyue didn't criticize Zhou Yingying's parents' behavior. Judging from how they found a job for their child, it proved they spoiled her. Since they spoiled her, the people they introduced her to wouldn't be bad either. They probably just felt that their child was grown up and it was time for her to get married.
Chinese parents are like this: they worry about everything, and they genuinely want what's best for their children. But the children feel this is restrictive, and then a new round of restrictions begins as they grow up.
"I just want to work hard for two years and don't want to get married so soon. But my mom has already started looking for matchmakers, and I have to go on a blind date in a couple of days. Just thinking about that scene makes me really not want to face it."
Zhou Yingying hasn't really grown up yet. She's introverted and doesn't really know how to handle people. Children who are pampered from a young age aren't very mature, so they often struggle to make decisions.
"Who told you that going on a blind date means you have to marry that person?"
"What's the meaning?"
Lin Jingyue gently brushed a stray hair from her forehead and said softly, "Your mother just wants to find you a suitable person, but whether they are suitable or not, you'll have to see for yourself. If you don't like them, you can find someone else. If you do like them, you might not be unwilling to get married."
"You can be more selective now and broaden your horizons. It doesn't mean you have to marry just because you meet someone, right? You can just tell your mother that it's not a good match, right? Nowadays, people value free love. If you don't want to, your mother can't force you, right?"
Marriage is a matter between two people; if the woman is unwilling, the man cannot get married. Forcing them together can lead to a police report.
Zhou Yingying suddenly understood, her mind clearing up. "That's right, Sister Yue, you understand better. But I'm just afraid, afraid of running into bad people. I'm not very good at judging people."
"I used to have a friend who I thought was nice to me, but later, after other people pointed it out, I found out that she was secretly having people isolate me. I was so good to her before, and she actually talked badly about me behind my back." Moreover, during that time, she was ostracized by the whole class, and only this friend played with her. She thought she had found a good person.
Lin Jingyue patted her shoulder, saying that judging people requires intelligence and there's no real experience to impart. "Just be like this: if someone makes you feel uncomfortable, then be cautious about getting along with them. Of course, your mother certainly wouldn't find you a bad one, right?"
It all comes down to first impressions; if you don't click, it's all just nonsense.
"If all else fails, just talk to your mother. She's definitely better at judging people than we are."
Zhou Yingying nodded in agreement, "You're right, I was just being stubborn."
"Have you thought it through? If you have, then let's hurry up and get the food. You'll be crying if there's no meat left."
"Go, go, go! Let's go get the food."
Lin Jingyue returned home with the food she had prepared, and the little guy also came home from school.
We had meat for lunch today, and Xiaomingyue's eyes lit up when she saw it.
Other families eat meat once a month, but her family eats meat twice a week. If outsiders saw this, they would be green with envy.
"Eat more meat. Girls need to eat more meat to grow tall and strong." Lin Jingyue put a piece of meat on her plate.
Little Mingyue followed suit, saying, "Mom, you eat too."
"Okay, thank you, honey!"
"How are you doing? Are you adjusting well to school? If there's anything you don't like, or anything that makes you unhappy, remember to tell Mom." She was worried that her child might be bullied at school and keep it bottled up inside, which could lead to health problems.
With guidance over the past few months, Xiaomingyue is no longer as reserved as before. She knows that her mother will support her, so she always presents a poised and generous image.
"Mom, I've made some friends. They say my new dress is pretty, and my new hair clip is pretty too. Mom, I'm going to wear that braid again tomorrow morning, it's so pretty! They all envy me because their moms only know how to braid one kind of hair."
She chattered on and on, while Lin Jingyue listened gently, a picture of serene contentment.
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