Researcher Tang got up to open the door, and a woman peeked in.
"We have guests."
Researcher Tang smiled enigmatically. The elderly couple were quiet and reserved, rarely interacting with their neighbors. The woman was clearly there for Zuo Ling.
"Oh, we have a guest. Why don't you come back later?"
The woman's eyes were practically glued to Zuo Ling; she couldn't possibly wait a while before coming back.
"This must be Miss Zuo from the plantation, right? Oh my, seeing is believing, she's so beautiful."
The woman walked up to Zuo Ling on her own and grabbed Zuo Ling's hand, refusing to let go.
Zuo Ling laughed awkwardly, trying to pull her hand away twice, but couldn't.
The woman introduced herself:
“My surname is Ding, you can just call me Aunt Ding. Zhou Yuanyuan’s mother and I both work in the subdistrict office. She is in charge of the military dependents’ home, and I am in charge of the first district.”
"Hello, Aunt Ding."
Zuo Ling forced a polite smile.
"Okay, okay, I heard your brother is engaged to Zhou Yuanyuan?"
"It's not decided yet, you must have misheard."
That old Huang is really underhanded; he can spread baseless rumors with incredible accuracy.
The woman slapped her thigh:
“I’ve met your brother. He’s a good young man. My daughter is 25. She’s just as pretty as Zhou Yuanyuan. She has a gentle personality. You two will definitely get along well as sisters-in-law.”
Zuo Ling: "..."
What nonsense! Are all mothers these days so eager to push their daughters away?
"This... I can't make that decision; you'll have to ask my brother."
"Alright, I see you're not young anymore. My nephew is 29, very handsome, a company commander in the army, you two are a good match. I'll have him take leave, and you two can meet sometime?"
The cannon is spinning pretty fast, Zuo Ling was speechless.
"Aunt Ding, I've been married before, and I'm eight years older than your nephew."
The woman's eyes widened: "You... are 37? Oh my goodness, you really don't look it."
Zuo Ling looked at her with a smile, wondering if she had nothing to say now.
"What's wrong with being a little older? Being a little older means you'll know how to care for others. 'A woman three years older is like holding a gold brick,' so let's hold a few more and make the one who only holds one jealous."
The woman's words were astonishing, and Zuo Ling was quite taken aback.
Knock, knock, knock, knock, someone is knocking on the door again.
Researcher Tang opened the door, and two women, both from the expert institute, were standing there.
A loud-voiced woman said:
"Old Tang, we have guests at home... Oh my, whose daughter is this? She's really pretty."
Ding's eyes widened in alarm as the prying party approached.
Another, more refined woman spoke softly:
"It's Miss Zuo from the plantation. You can tell at a glance that she has a better temperament than Miss Zuo. You can't find many people with better temperament in the entire plantation."
The loud-voiced woman glanced at the refined woman and said, "You're so good at talking!"
"Ah, I knew it! So it's Miss Zuo. Miss Zuo's name is legendary, but seeing her in person is much better than hearing about her."
"..."
The following conversations were similar: one introduced his daughter to Pei Nansheng, and the other introduced his nephew to Zuo Ling.
Each one was more direct than the last, all eager to speak, without any preamble. Researcher Tang's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he listened.
I don't have much contact with Lao Ding, but I run into the other two in the same courtyard from time to time. They're quite polite and reserved. Is this... something supernatural?
Before Zuo Ling could answer, Ding Shi turned hostile towards the two of them:
"Don't you know the order of things? We're having a talk right now, what are you doing causing trouble?"
The loud voice showed no mercy.
"Hey, Lao Ding, with your daughter's looks, how can you possibly introduce her to someone else?"
The refined-looking woman covered her mouth and chuckled: "Old Ding, your daughter has mentioned several companies already. That's enough, don't be too picky."
Both men pointed their guns at Ding.
Ding was so angry that her face turned red:
"Stop spewing nonsense, Lao Tao. What kind of good thing is your daughter? She's flirting with this guy today and hooking up with that guy tomorrow."
Old Tao's booming voice was like thunder:
"You're talking nonsense. If you keep spouting this rubbish, believe me, I'll tear your mouth apart."
"..."
The three of them kept bringing up each other's shortcomings and sores until Zuo Ling couldn't stand it anymore. She said goodbye to Researcher Tang and left in a hurry.
"Hey, Miss Zuo, wait for me, don't listen to them..."
"Miss Zuo, Miss Zuo..."
The three of them were pulling and tugging at each other, none of them willing to let the other step out of the door. Even after Zuo Ling had walked far away, the three of them were still struggling.
Researcher Tang's face darkened: "Get out of here, all of you. If you want to fight, go outside and fight, don't fight in my house."
They're all grown up, so shameless! She felt embarrassed for the three of them.
The brother and sister arrived home one after the other.
Zuo Ling asked Pei Nansheng, "Why are you back so early?"
"I'm tired, I can't just take a day off."
"Okay, okay."
Zuo Ling poured herself a glass of water and, as if telling a joke, recounted what had happened at Professor Jin's house.
"My God, this is ridiculous! They're shameless! It's terrifying!"
Pei Nansheng pinched his brow:
"Let's go to Sichuan. By the time we come back, things will probably have faded."
Something's up. "Could it be that the market is also trying to set you up with potential partners, and you couldn't handle it, so you came back early?"
Pei Nansheng: "..."
"Oh, there really are some. Tell me, tell me, whose daughters are they? Has anyone seen them?"
My brother's melon is fresh and hot, and tastes delicious.
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
The brother and sister both looked out of the courtyard and saw four unfamiliar faces: two old people and two young people.
There were only a few, one man and one woman.
Zuo Ling rubbed her forehead, while Pei Nansheng burst into laughter.
You like gossiping, right? Here's your gossip, go ahead and enjoy it.
The four people were stunned by the laughter.
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