When Qin Jingru heard that Wang Dabao knew Qin Huairu, a look of surprise immediately appeared on her face.
“Your sister and I live in the same compound, how could we not know each other?” Wang Dabao said cheerfully. “When you go to your sister’s place, be sure to come visit me. I’ll buy you some delicious food then.”
"So you all live in the same compound, that's great! I'll have to tell my parents about it later."
Qin Jingru was overjoyed. She knew that Wang Dabao must be from the city. Judging from his speech and manner, his family must be well-off. For Qin Jingru, who was determined to marry into the city, Wang Dabao was the perfect candidate.
But she wondered if Wang Dabao was married. He didn't seem to be much older than her, so he probably wasn't married yet. Qin Jingru wondered to herself, and decided to ask her parents for directions later.
The motorcycle caused quite a stir when it entered the village, with many children chasing after it.
Qin Jingru felt a little embarrassed, so she put down the two puppies, got off the sidecar, and walked over with Qin Mancang.
"Oh my, Mancang! Is this the son-in-law your Jingru found? He's really something! Is that a motorcycle?!"
"I told you Qin Jingru wouldn't fall for Liu Ertian from the next village, but you didn't believe me. Look, she's already brought him home."
"Is the son-in-law of the Qin family a government official? To be able to drive a motorcycle, he must be a very high-ranking official!"
"I can't help but envy them. The Qin family used to have Qin Huairu who married into the city, and Qin Jingru is even more impressive, she found a cadre who rides a motorcycle."
Listening to the villagers' discussions, Qin Jingru blushed deeply, walked with her head down, and sighed inwardly that she wished it were really as everyone said.
Qin Mancang quickly explained to the person that his daughter was not yet married and he couldn't ruin her reputation. Even if that young leader wasn't married, he might not necessarily be interested in his daughter.
After hearing Qin Mancang's explanation, everyone understood and said that it was only right to treat him to a meal.
Upon arriving at the Qin family home, Qin Jingru ran inside to explain to her mother for a while, and soon after, her mother came out to greet her.
"Oh, boss, thank you so much for today." Qin's mother was a little flustered, just like her husband Qin Mancang, she regarded Wang Dabao as an important person.
"Auntie, you don't need to be so polite, just call me Wang Dabao."
“Brother Da Bao and my sister’s family live in the same compound,” Qin Jingru interjected from the side.
Qin Jingru's parents were taken aback, but then their faces lit up with joy. Qin Mancang quickly ushered Wang Dabao into the house.
Qin's mother found a large porcelain bowl, poured in hot water, and carried it to Wang Dabao on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed): "Then I'll call you Dabao. I heard from Jingru that you and Huairu's family live in the same courtyard?"
“That’s right, Auntie, we do live in the same compound.”
Wang Dabao picked up the water, took a sip, and answered.
"Brother Da Bao, my sister came back and said that her family has meat to eat every day. Is that true?" Qin Jingru asked curiously from the side.
Previously, every time Qin Huairu came back, she would boast to her younger sister how good life in the city was, which led to Qin Jingru's longing for city life.
However, Qin Jingru still had some doubts about whether people could eat meat every day, which is why she wanted to learn about city life through Wang Dabao.
"Well... how should I put it?"
Wang Dabao hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Whether it's the city or the countryside, there are good and bad days. Take your sister's family for example, they can't afford to eat meat every day. Eating it once a month is fine."
"So you're not doing well?" Qin Jingru blinked her big eyes, ready to get to the bottom of it.
"You could say that."
Wang Dabao nodded, "Your brother-in-law Jia Dongxu doesn't earn much, and he has to support a large family. How can he not be struggling financially? I recently heard that he was demoted and had several months' salary deducted. How can he not be having a hard time?"
“I knew my sister always brags when she comes back, saying she’s tired of eating meat every day.”
Qin Jingru seemed to have caught Qin Huairu by the nose, and kept talking to her mother. Then she turned to Wang Dabao and asked, "Brother Dabao, your salary must be pretty high, right?"
"I?"
Wang Dabao was about to show off, "Not much, just three or four times that of your cousin-in-law Jia Dongxu. Besides, I live alone, I earn money and spend it all by myself, I can basically buy whatever I want to eat. That's why I said I'd treat you to a meal when you go to see your sister."
Wang Dabao's words stunned the three people next to him. Three or four times Jia Dongxu's salary?
When Jia Dongxu's salary was 27.5 yuan, Qin Huairu would come home and brag that it was over 30 yuan. Wouldn't three or four times that be 100 or 200 yuan?!
"My God, Brother Bao, you earn so much money every month, how do you ever spend it all?"
Qin Jingru stared in surprise with her big, dark eyes, looking incredulous. "Compared to this, my sister's family is indeed having a hard time."
"How can I not spend it all?" Wang Dabao shook the watch on his wrist. "This watch alone costs two months' salary."
Qin Jingru looked at the watch on Wang Dabao's wrist with envy.
Only then did she realize that there were poor and rich people in the city, and that her cousin Qin Huairu's family belonged to the poor group, while Wang Dabao in front of her belonged to the rich group.
Qin's mother glared at Qin Jingru from the side: "Your sister's family is not doing well compared to your brother Dabao. Compared to our family, they are much better off than us."
Qin's mother was right. Even if people in the city were poor, their lives were still better than most people in the countryside. At worst, they wouldn't starve to death.
Qin Mancang was equally stunned by Wang Dabao's salary. He had never imagined that someone could earn so much money in a month. Thinking back to his daughter's shy look when she saw the other man, he couldn't help but sigh.
With Wang Dabao's background and qualifications, he could easily find a girl in the city, if not a perfect match. How could he possibly choose a rural girl like his own daughter?
Wang Dabao's words revealed that he lived alone, a piece of news that made Qin Jingru feel as sweet as if she had eaten honey.
Wang Dabao's purpose in coming to the Qin family was to prevent Qin Jingru from being fooled by Xu Damao in the future. He came first to get acquainted with Qin Jingru's family so that she would look for him first when she arrived in the city.
Is Qin Jingru pretty?
She is indeed beautiful, as everyone in the surrounding villages agrees, but most importantly, she is easy to control and obedient.
It's impossible for Wang Dabao to have no feelings for Qin Jingru, otherwise he wouldn't have come here. But there's no rush now; getting acquainted with her is enough.
Having achieved his goal, Wang Dabao planned to take his leave and return to Wangjialou Village.
After politely declining the Qin family elders' invitation to dinner, Wang Dabao took the two children and rode away on his motorcycle.
Qin Jingru watched Wang Dabao's figure disappear, refusing to turn her head for a long time.
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