Chapter 42 The Sharp Eyes of the Aunties
Sure enough, a few days later, the woman still hadn't replied. Aunt Hao got anxious and went to ask the matchmaker, who also hesitated and gave vague answers.
Aunt Hao sensed something was wrong and had some suspicions in her mind. She pressed him in a less-than-friendly tone, "Sister, tell me the truth, is this a good match or not? My family isn't the kind of family that's persistent and clingy. If it's not going to work out, I'd better find someone else for my Qingshu as soon as possible. Dragging this out isn't a solution, don't you think?"
Now that things have come to this point, if I were to keep it a secret, I would really offend people. I still need to make a living in this industry, and I can't afford to ruin my reputation.
So the matchmaker could only sigh, "Sister, I'm so sorry. I did get injured on the way when I stood you up that day, but a few days later, the girl changed her mind. I... I'm too ashamed to tell you."
Aunt Hao's face darkened instantly. "You're too embarrassed to tell me, but you've been dragging this on and on?" Even though she already had some suspicions, she was still very unhappy. If you're not happy, just be happy. What's with deliberately dragging things out like this?
The matchmaker chuckled awkwardly, "Isn't it because I'm too ashamed to face you?"
Aunt Hao stared at her expressionlessly without saying a word.
"Hey, don't look at me like that. I have my own difficulties too!"
The matchmaker knew she was being dishonest, and fearing that Aunt Hao would gossip and ruin her reputation, she could only say, "To tell you the truth, it's not that I want to delay, but the woman's side asked me to give you vague answers for now. I had no choice."
"Don't be angry. It might not be a good thing if this happened to your family. That girl saw someone else on her way to the hospital and got really close to him, so she didn't want to come for the blind date. But her family thinks your family is better off and they're reluctant to let her go, so they've been dragging it out..."
She was also heartbroken. She was just trying to be a matchmaker, but who would have thought she would meet someone like this?
That day, she mentioned the matter to Wu Meifang's parents after taking her home, but they didn't take it to heart. They just told her to tell the man that they would reschedule the blind date, but they didn't give a specific date. At that time, she started to have doubts.
Two days later, Wu's mother came over and told her to stall the man's side a bit. She immediately understood what she meant.
It's just that they don't want to give up either side.
In her opinion, the Wu family members are not easy to get along with, and it's a good thing that they can't become in-laws with such people.
Hearing this, Aunt Hao's face darkened even more. She slammed her hand on the table and angrily said, "What the hell?! If you don't like my Qingshu, don't agree to come for a blind date! You agreed and then did this, trying to back out but not saying so directly. You've been dragging this out like this, treating our family like monkeys!"
That makes sense, but Aunt Hao was still furious.
What does the Wu family take Qingshu for? They let her go on blind dates whenever she wants, and not go on them when she doesn't. Oh, so that guy over there isn't as good as Qingshu, so they're just keeping her waiting for Wu Meifang to change her mind?
What a pipe dream!
The table shook three times, startling the matchmaker, who quickly reassured her, "Oh dear, don't be angry, don't be angry,"
Aunt Hao glared at the matchmaker and cursed, "The Wu family told you to stall us, and you actually listened to them and kept stalling! What a waste of all these years of knowing each other!"
The matchmaker smiled awkwardly. Wasn't it the Wu family who had given her the money? But it wasn't appropriate to say that in front of Aunt Hao. So she could only try to appease the irritable Aunt Hao and repeatedly assured her that she would find someone even better and wouldn't charge her any money. Only then did Aunt Hao agree.
In the courtyard.
Upon learning that her son and Wu Meifang had officially started dating and that their relationship was blossoming, Aunt Yan was in a great mood. Even seeing Bai Xiaohui's face constantly in front of her didn't bother her as much anymore.
With a smile on her face, she hummed a tune as she slowly washed the family's clothes.
"Oh, Lao Yan, you're the most capable and virtuous one. Look at you, who in our yard can compare to you? You never let your daughter-in-law lift a finger when it comes to the clothes at home; you do it all by yourself." Aunt Cao glanced at the mountain of clothes piled up in her basin and teased her with a smile.
Aunt Yan proudly raised her chin, "They're no match for me. Their clothes aren't as clean as mine! My husband Qin and my sons love wearing the clothes I wash. My kids have never complained that my clothes aren't clean."
Aunt Cao pursed her lips and replied perfunctorily, "Yes, yes, you're really amazing!"
I thought to myself, of course she likes it! She doesn't have to wash her own clothes and has clean clothes to wear every day. If I asked her, she would like it too!
But Aunt Yan was completely oblivious to the ambiance. She glanced at the few pieces of clothing in Aunt Cao's basin, her eyes filled with disdain.
“The children are all at work, so shouldn’t we, as the elderly, help them out? It’s always been this way. Those who only care about their own enjoyment are selfish and will not have a good ending. We can’t be like them.”
Aunt Cao wasn't annoyed. She smiled and said, "Oh dear, you can't say that. Only a fool would put in so much effort for his son and still get complaints. Let's wait and see what kind of good end will come of such a stupid thing. Old Yan, we can't be like that kind of stupid person."
Aunt Yan's face darkened. This was directed at her; her eldest son had said a few words about the slightly salty cooking she had made yesterday.
But Aunt Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with it. When there's nothing to say, you have to say a few words. Otherwise, how can you improve things next time? It's just that her son's voice was a bit loud. How did Aunt Cao, that gossip, hear it?
As the two were talking, Aunt Hao came over with a laundry basin, her face dark.
Aunt Yan's eyes darted between Aunt Hao's face, and she guessed what was going on. She deliberately asked loudly:
"Hey, Lao Hao, how's your Qing Shu's blind date going?"
It would have been better if she hadn't asked. The moment she did, Aunt Hao's face darkened even more, and she glared at Aunt Yan.
What's wrong with Lao Yan these days? He always seems to bring up the very things that don't go well!
The blind date I went on the other day was the same; the things she said were really unpleasant!
Not only was Aunt Yan unafraid of being glared at, but she also seemed determined to get to the bottom of things, continuing to press, "Old Hao, what exactly happened? Why haven't we heard from you for so many days?"
Aunt Hao's voice was filled with anger, "Don't even mention it, it's a deal!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the older women and young wives washing clothes nearby all gathered around.
Even Cheng Jiajia, who was originally watching Aunt Cao and Aunt Yan argue at her doorstep, secretly perked up her ears.
She wanted to hear if, as she and Yu Junsheng had guessed, Zou Qingshu had been betrayed.
Aunt Yan smiled slightly. So what if your husband is the caretaker of the compound? So what if he's an eighth-grade worker? Your son is still overshadowed by your own son!
"Hey, Lao Hao, what's going on?"
"Yeah, didn't they say the girl's side was quite satisfied with Qing Shu?"
Everyone asked in quick succession, looking very concerned.
Some people genuinely care, some are just watching the spectacle, and others are simply gloating.
Aunt Hao naturally understood the character of these old neighbors. But regardless of what everyone was thinking, she still told them what she had heard from the matchmaker.
"Oh dear, that girl isn't a good one. On her way to the hospital, she took a fancy to some pretty boy whose background she didn't know..."
Aunt Hao's words were unpleasant; she did it on purpose.
Since the other party is capable of doing something so utterly disrespectful to their family, why should they show them any respect? Their family is not a pushover who can be easily manipulated without fighting back.
Besides, if she really tried to hide it, people might think there was something wrong with her Qingshu, which is why the woman changed her mind at the last minute.
Aunt Hao would never allow such a situation to happen, so she publicized Wu Meifang's heroic deeds.
Cheng Jiajia was stunned. Although she and Yu Junsheng had some guesses, they didn't really know how Qin Ziwen had managed to steal the prize. It was the same old story: the hero saves the damsel in distress!
Cheng Jiajia couldn't help but sigh, "This trick works no matter the era!"
"This is really something. This girl is so shameless. She doesn't know anything about the guy, and she's just throwing herself at him like that. What if he's a scammer?"
"I don't think that guy is any good either. He met a young woman on the street, didn't even get to know her properly, took her to the hospital, and then they started dating? I just can't believe it. Love at first sight doesn't happen that fast, does it?"
Sure enough, as soon as Aunt Hao explained the situation, everyone started gossiping about Wu Meifang and belittling the man who had suddenly appeared.
"Maybe he's just deliberately trying to live off women," said Aunt Cao, who seemed to have seen a lot. "Before liberation, weren't there those gigolos who specialized in seducing women?" Her imagination was quite vivid. "Maybe even that accidental injury was staged."
Her eyes lit up as she spoke. "Look, even if we bump into someone while walking, we don't usually cause any serious injury, right? After all, it's not like bicycles or cars that go so fast. Can a normal person walking or running really injure someone to the point of needing to go to the hospital? It's not that serious, really not."
Everyone's eyes lit up immediately. That makes sense, that makes perfect sense!
Even Aunt Hao thought it made perfect sense.
An older woman clapped her hands excitedly, "Hey! I think that's probably the case."
Cheng Jiajia: ...Wow, Aunt Cao is amazing! You might actually be right!
No one noticed that ever since Aunt Hao uttered the words "pretty boy," Aunt Yan's expression had turned quite unpleasant. As they listened to each of them denouncing and belittling Wu Meifang and that pretty boy, her face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Seeing that these people were saying increasingly outrageous things, getting closer and closer to the truth, she couldn't help but shout, "Enough! Stop talking!"
A moment of silence fell over everyone, and they looked at Aunt Yan, puzzled. What was wrong with her?
The middle-aged woman who was yelled at looked unhappy. "No, Lao Yan, what are you doing? We're talking about that pretty boy, what's it to you? Why are you so angry! Anyone who didn't know better would think you know that pretty boy!"
That pretty boy is my son, so what does it have to do with me?!
Pshaw, her son isn't a pretty boy at all. He just looks a bit refined. How is that a pretty boy?
Grandma Yan was unable to speak; she could only stare wide-eyed and pant heavily.
Her appearance was so strange that it immediately aroused everyone's suspicion.
"No, Lao Yan, something's not right with you."
"Could it really be someone you know, Lao Yan? You'd better tell the truth!"
Aunt Hao looked her up and down with suspicion, feeling that Aunt Yan had been acting very strangely lately.
Before, although the two were not particularly close, they could still exchange a few words. But lately, Aunt Yan would always say strange things in front of her. It seems to have started from the day Qing Shu went on a blind date.
Aunt Hao couldn't help but wonder if it was really as others said, that the man was someone Aunt Yan knew.
Aunt Yan noticed the suspicious looks from everyone and her heart skipped a beat. The matter couldn't be exposed now. Once their marriage with the Wu family was settled, anything would be fine, but not now.
She forced herself to remain calm, and said with a displeased expression, "What's going on? Don't talk nonsense. I can't stand you making wild guesses about this girl. You don't know anything, but you're talking like it's the truth. This is not good for the girl's reputation." She refused to discuss whether she knew her or not.
Aunt Cao curled her lip. "That girl made a mistake herself, can't we even say something? Besides, we've watched Qing Shu grow up. If we don't side with him, are we supposed to side with that woman who stood up the pigeon and that pretty boy? What kind of logic is that?" She looked down on people like Aunt Yan, so hypocritical!
"That's right, Lao Yan, your thinking is wrong!"
"I remember Qing Shu used to play with your third son when he was little. Why don't you think about him at all?"
Aunt Yan's face turned pale from everyone's comments, and she was on the verge of collapse. Fortunately, just then...
Someone from the next yard called out.
"The vegetable vendors organized by the neighborhood committee have arrived! They've parked a whole truck at the alley entrance, everyone hurry over!"
"Oh dear, I need to hurry and get in line. I'd better stock up on vegetables this year!"
"Old Guo, hurry, hurry, you're fast, go get in line, I'm going home to get the money!"
Everyone rushed home to get their money and coupons, no longer caring about what Aunt Yan thought or not.
Aunt Hao also rushed home on her whirlwind, calling out, "Old Zou, hurry up, get in line!"
Just kidding, this is the only vegetable we have to eat all winter, so it's much more important than arguing and watching the fun!
Everyone rushed out to queue, afraid that if they were late, there wouldn't be any left.
Aunt Yan breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her brow. What a close call! These old women are really bored out of their minds! What business is it of theirs, they're all so enthusiastic!
Cheng Jiajia watched this unfold, raising an eyebrow. It seemed Yu Junsheng had guessed correctly; that mother and son had indeed snatched the prize that day.
I wonder what method Qin Ziwen used to make that Wu family girl fall for him so quickly. Judging from Cheng Jiajia's usual opinion, he doesn't seem like someone with that much charm.
Cheng Jiajia was very puzzled.
However, no matter how confused she was, buying winter vegetables was more important. Cheng Jiajia ran home to get Yu Junsheng's ration coupons and money, and then followed Aunt Cao and the others.
Outside, a truck loaded with cabbages was parked at the entrance of the alley. Several comrades from the street office were maintaining order in front of the truck to prevent the crowd from looting. Two comrades from the vegetable station were responsible for collecting money and tickets and weighing the cabbages for everyone. Their movements were very skilled and efficient.
Unfortunately, they came out of their compound late, and the line outside was already quite long.
Seeing this scene for the first time, Cheng Jiajia obediently followed behind Aunt Cao and Aunt Hao, curiously looking at everything in front of her, just like a little quail who had never seen the world before.
Before long, Cheng Jiajia was surprised to find that people here didn't buy cabbages one by one, but by the hundreds of kilograms!
Originally, Yu Junsheng's winter vegetable supply was 100 jin, which Cheng Jiajia thought was a lot. But when she saw the older women buying six or seven hundred jin one by one, Cheng Jiajia was stunned.
"Why did they buy so much? Can they even finish all of this?"
Seeing her stunned expression, Aunt Hao's originally gloomy mood brightened up a bit, and she said with a smile, "Little Cheng has never seen a scene like this before, has she?"
"That's how we buy winter storage vegetables here. It looks like a lot, but it's actually enough for a whole family to eat for the whole winter. Winters are long here, and many families don't have enough even if they eat sparingly."
Cheng Jiajia really didn't know this. In her previous life, she was a southerner, and the original owner's hometown was not in the north. She had no memory of these things.
Aunt Hao thought she was worried that there wouldn't be enough food for her family, so she comforted her, "Xiao Cheng, don't worry. Jun Sheng's supply is only for the two of you. Eat sparingly, and you can have some pickled vegetables with it."
What could Cheng Jiajia do but nod? She really didn't know if there was enough to eat. After all, neither she nor Yu Junsheng were people who would skimp on their food.
As they chatted, the line ahead of them shortened, and it wouldn't be long before it was their turn.
Cheng Jiajia was initially annoyed that she wasn't going to carry the 100-plus kilogram cabbage back by herself. She didn't want to expose her strength to her neighbors in the compound.
Unexpectedly, by the time it was her turn, it was almost noon, just as Yu Junsheng was coming home from get off work.
Upon seeing this, he hurriedly called out, "Wife, I'll do it, I'll do it!"
He shared the same idea as Cheng Jiajia: they didn't want her to reveal her extraordinary strength. After all, Cheng Jiajia's strength was rather strange, and the situation was about to become unstable; it wouldn't be good if she were labeled a monster or demon.
For the past ten years or so, their best course of action has been to keep a low profile and not show any difference from others.
Yu Junsheng had Cheng Jiajia stand guard at the alley entrance, borrowed a flatbed cart, and together with Grandpa Guo and Grandpa Zou, they made two trips to transport the cabbages back to the three families.
Cabbages can't be left lying around after they're brought back; they have to be stacked in a cellar and covered with a straw mat so they can be stored for a longer time.
Several men worked all afternoon to stack the cabbages in the cellar.
Grandpa Guo rubbed his aching back, his sharp eyes scanning his neatly stacked cabbages, a surge of boundless ambition welling up within him:
"This year I'm going to keep a close eye on this cellar and see which shameless little thief dares to come here! Humph, the one who can take advantage of me, Old Man Guo, hasn't even been born yet!"
The compound has a communal cellar specifically for storing winter vegetables, and each household has its own designated area. However, some people are still dishonest and like to steal vegetables from other households. Last year, several families complained that their vegetables were missing.
Although Grandpa Guo's house was not robbed, he was very worried that the thief would target his house this year.
Yu Junsheng's lips twitched. "...Grandpa, you're really overthinking it. Your name is legendary. Who would dare to steal from your house?"
...
It is said that since falling into the water, Bai Xiaohui felt that she and Qin Ziwen had become closer. In addition, Qin Weimin and Bai Zhenzhu of the Qin family were happy to see the two children together. It can be said that in her heart, she had already decided that the two would get married in the future.
So recently, Bai Xiaohui has been very clingy to Qin Ziwen, often going to talk to him and so on.
However, Bai Xiaohui noticed that Qin Ziwen had been missing after get off work for the past few days, and when she asked his family, they didn't know what he was doing either.
She felt inexplicably uneasy.
Considering Aunt Yan's attitude towards him, he suspected that the old woman had arranged for him to go on blind dates with other people, since it wasn't a new thing that the old woman had disliked him.
Bai Xiaohui was a little anxious. "Mom, what do you think Ziwen has been doing these past few days? Why is he always away from home? He hasn't been working overtime at the factory. Could it be that Yan has arranged a blind date for him?"
Bai Zhenzhu thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Probably not, otherwise your Uncle Qin would have told me."
However, it's possible that the woman surnamed Yan has been doing something behind Qin Weimin's back. She rolled her eyes and came up with an idea, "Go and wait for him at the factory gate and see what he's been up to lately."
Bai Xiaohui's eyes lit up instantly. Her mother was indeed her mother, so smart!
Bai Xiaohui was a woman of action. Seeing that there was still time, she immediately went to the entrance of the machinery factory to keep watch. Afraid of being discovered by Qin Ziwen, she hid in an alley on the side of the machinery factory, peeking out and looking around.
Cheng Jiajia, who happened to be in the area looking for job openings: "..."
She looked at Bai Xiaohui, who was acting suspiciously, speechless. What was she doing?
Why did it turn into a spy rendezvous?
However, her intuition told her that there was something fishy going on, so Cheng Jiajia quickly hid before she could think straight.
Fortunately, she dodged quickly. As soon as she turned around, Qin Ziwen came out from inside, and Bai Xiaohui immediately followed him quietly.
Cheng Jiajia lagged far behind the two of them. Judging from Bai Xiaohui's appearance, she looked just like one of those wives who went to catch their husbands cheating in their previous life. Wasn't it obvious that there was going to be a show to watch?
How could we miss out on the fun? Hehe!
Bai Xiaohui followed Qin Ziwen to the entrance of Chengnan Elementary School, where she saw him chatting and laughing with a young female teacher.
Judging from their appearance, their relationship is definitely not simple.
Bai Xiaohui gritted her teeth, watching the two of them behaving intimately, wishing she could rush out and scratch that vixen's face to pieces!
It's all her, it's all her!
It's all because her brother Ziwen ignores her!
Bai Xiaohui was furious, but she remembered her mother's instructions: whatever it was, she should go back and talk to her mother for advice, and she must not act impulsively again.
Bai Zhenzhu realized that her daughter hadn't learned her cleverness at all, which was why she gave her daughter so many instructions.
Cheng Jiajia: Wow! It really is a drama of the "first wife" catching her husband cheating. What surprised her was that Bai Xiaohui could actually tolerate it? She saw the girl...
After returning home, Bai Xiaohui, with tears in her eyes, told her mother what she had seen that day, "Mom, it seems that Ziwen is really dating someone, what should I do?"
Bai Zhenzhu hadn't expected that it really was the man surnamed Yan who was behind it all. Her expression darkened for a moment before she leaned close to her daughter's ear and said, "Listen to me..."
...
As dusk fell, Qin Ziwen and Wu Meifang returned from their date, both in high spirits.
As soon as he entered the Third Hospital, he ran into Bai Zhenzhu. He greeted her awkwardly, "Aunt Bai, busy?" Although his mother and Aunt Bai did not get along, Qin Ziwen did not have any ill feelings towards her.
Bai Zhenzhu was carrying a few cabbages and was about to put them in the cellar when she saw Qin Ziwen. Her eyes lit up. "Third brother, you're back just in time. Auntie has been carrying cabbages all afternoon and her back is almost broken. Do you have time? If you have time, help Auntie carry some. In this yard, only our house is left to be tidied up."
Bai Zhenzhu sighed softly, "There's no man in this house, so it's inconvenient to do anything, sigh!"
Since things had been said to this extent, and besides, Bai Zhenzhu often gave him candy when he was a child, Qin Ziwen agreed even though he wasn't very willing.
"Auntie, wait a moment, I'll go home and put my things down, then I'll come back and help you. Your back hurts, so go and rest!"
"Oh, good! Third brother, you're such a good boy! Thanks to you, Auntie will go and rest for a while!" Bai Zhenzhu praised.
...
Bai Xiaohui, wearing only a thin vest, crouched down and listened to the sounds above. She vaguely heard Qin Ziwen agree to let her mother come and move the vegetables, and her expression brightened with joy.
After today, Qin Ziwen will have no choice but to marry her, Bai Xiaohui said excitedly.
After a while, we heard footsteps coming from this direction again, followed by the sound of the cellar door being opened.
Hearing the commotion, Bai Xiaohui was about to shyly throw herself into Qin Ziwen's arms when she saw who it was. She slammed on the brakes, her pupils dilated in shock, and she quickly covered herself in front of her chest, shrinking into a corner. "Ahhh! It's you?!"
Grandpa Guo: "!!!"
Grandpa Guo was clearly even more shocked than she was, looking as if his innocence had been insulted. He closed his eyes and screamed, rolling and crawling around.
"Ahhh!"
"There's a female hooligan!"
"Someone's being indecent!"
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