The matchmaker was in her fifties, plump, and surnamed Jin. Everyone called her Matchmaker Jin.
As soon as the matchmaker arrived, Xiaoman's mother brought out the peanuts and melon seeds from the house. "Please have some first. I'll have the children go to town to buy some snacks."
Xiaoman's mother turned around and called out into the house.
Xiaoman agreed and came out, where she immediately saw Matchmaker Jin. Matchmaker Jin didn't recognize Xiaoman, but Xiaoman knew her. She was quite a figure in the area, having arranged both good and bad marriages.
Xiaoman would say she only caters to certain people. If she sees a powerful family, she'll introduce their child to a good match; if she sees an easy family to bully, she'll just fool them.
Xiaoman wanted to see if she thought the Wang family was powerful or easy to bully. "Mother, did you need something?"
"Okay. Go to town and buy some snacks."
Xiaoman wanted to hear what the matchmaker, Jin, had to say. However, they wouldn't finish talking in a short time. She only needed to know who Jin wanted to pair her up with to know what she thought: "Okay."
"Mom will give you money."
"No need, I have some."
"Yes, Mother was so happy that she forgot. Then you should go quickly."
"Hmm." Xiaoman thought to herself, "You're getting excited too soon," and then went out.
She had only walked a short distance when she ran into her father: "Dad."
"Hey. Where are you going?"
"Matchmaker Jin is here, and Mother asked me to go to town to buy some snacks."
"Oh dear, the matchmaker is here? Father, we must hurry back."
"Then you can go back. I'm going to town."
"Go ahead. Pick the good ones to buy."
"Um."
Not long after leaving the village, Xiaoman saw Han Bin.
Han Bin smiled broadly: "Xiaoman, where are you going? I was just about to look for you."
"Looking for me? Is something wrong?"
"My grandma and my mom have made up."
"So, after making up, they'll team up against you?"
"No, no. Yesterday..." Han Bin recounted what happened yesterday.
"So what are you doing here today?"
"I have good news to share. As soon as my grandma agreed, I wanted to tell you."
"I understand, you can go now."
"No," Han Bin didn't want to leave, "I've come all this way, won't you invite me in for a drink of water?"
"We have guests at home."
"Guest? Who is it?"
Xiaoman glanced at Han Bin. Was he close to their family? But it wasn't entirely wrong to say, "Matchmaker Jin."
Han Bin's voice suddenly rose: "A matchmaker?!"
"Um."
Han Bin was quite happy today, but now... "Who...who is she going to arrange a marriage for?"
Xiaoman rolled her eyes at him. Meaning: Is that even a question?
"For you?" Han Bin felt the sunlight was so glaring today.
"Um."
"What kind of person did she introduce to you?"
"have no idea."
"How could I not know? You usually seem so shrewd, how come you let me down at this crucial moment? Let me tell you, marriage is a lifelong commitment. If she introduces you to a bad one, you'll never have a good life. Let me tell you, eight out of ten things a matchmaker says are lies. No matter how good she sounds, you can't believe her."
"Why are you so agitated? Do you think I'm that stupid? Don't worry, she can't fool me. Go back now, I don't have time to entertain you today."
Han Bin didn't want to leave: "Where are you going?"
"My mother asked me to go to town to buy some snacks."
Han Bin thought to himself, "Buy her snacks? A few peanuts will suffice."
Xiaoman looked up at the sun: "It's getting late, I'm leaving. You should go back too."
"I'll go with you." Han Bin wanted to see what kind of person the matchmaker had introduced to Xiaoman.
"Need not."
"You're so bored. Don't you like listening to what's going on outside? Let me tell you, there's something called a phonograph..."
On the way, Xiaoman learned several new things.
When they arrived at the pastry shop, Xiaoman glanced around and chose a mid-priced one.
Just as the girl selling pastries was about to weigh them for Xiaoman, Han Bin stopped her, saying, "I don't want this one, I want that one."
The girl selling pastries looked in the direction Han Bin was pointing: "Are you sure?" That kind of pastry was the cheapest in their shop.
"Confirmed. Let's weigh it."
The girl selling snacks glanced at Xiaoman.
Han Bin: "Xiaoman, let me tell you, you can't buy the best. If you buy the best, the matchmaker will think your family is rich and will ask your family for more money."
Xiaoman was confused: "Are you asking my family for money?"
"Yes. Thank you for the matchmaking fee."
The girl selling pastries glanced at Han Bin. She thought to herself: What matchmaker's fee? That's called a matchmaker's gift. Besides, unless it's for a son-in-law moving in, the matchmaker's gift is always paid by the groom's family. Could it be that this girl is planning to find a son-in-law to move in?
Actually, Han Bin had no idea about any of this. He was a man, and he spent all his time in the army. He just didn't want to treat that matchmaker to anything good. He vaguely remembered something like this, so he brought it up.
Xiaoman looked at the girl selling pastries and said, "Weigh it." It wasn't that she was afraid the matchmaker would ask for too much money; she just felt that the matchmaker wasn't a very good person.
The girl selling pastries had just finished wrapping them up when Han Bin took them: "How much?"
"One dollar and fifty cents."
Just as Han Bin was about to take out his money, Xiao Man handed it to him.
As Xiaoman came out of the shop, she looked at the pastries in Han Bin's hand and said, "I'm going back now."
"Okay. Have you ever seen a cannon?"
Xiaoman didn't say anything.
Han Bin noticed that Xiaoman listened intently whenever he talked about things outside the home and things ordinary people didn't understand. When he mentioned weapons, Xiaoman listened even more attentively. "Let me tell you..."
When they arrived at Hongqi Village, Han Bin recounted all the weapons he knew. When he ran out of things to say, he would repeat what he had already mentioned, and Xiaoman didn't say anything.
After listening to him all the way, Xiaoman felt embarrassed to send Han Bin away, so she took him home.
Xiaoman's parents and the matchmaker, Jin, were talking. They stopped talking when they saw Xiaoman and Han Bin.
Han Bin: "Uncle, Aunt, I've come to see you."
Xiaoman's father: "Okay, okay, come and sit down."
Han Bin first placed the snacks on the table, then moved a stool and sat down next to Xiaoman's father: "Uncle, who is this auntie?"
As Xiaoman's mother unwrapped the snacks, she said, "You can just call her Aunt Jin."
"Aunt Jin?" Han Bin glanced at the matchmaker Jin. "I heard there's a matchmaker around here with the surname Jin. Aunt Jin, do you know that matchmaker?"
"I'm the matchmaker. Young man, which village are you from? Are you married? Do you have a girlfriend? If not, Aunt Jin will introduce you to a good one."
"You're the matchmaker Jin? My apologies for not recognizing you. Matchmaker Jin, what brings you here?"
"Haha... I've found a good family for Miss Wang."
"Oh? How so? Tell me about it."
The matchmaker looked at Xiaoman and said, "You silly child, Miss Wang is still here, how can you ask such a question? Miss Wang must be embarrassed."
Xiaoman's mother put the snacks on a plate: "Aunt Jin, have some snacks."
"Okay." Matchmaker Jin looked at the pastries on the plate, a little disgusted, but still reached out and took one.
Han Bin: "Matchmaker Jin, what kind of person are you going to find for Xiaoman?"
Matchmaker Jin: "You silly child. Why are you still asking? Miss Wang should be shy."
Xiaoman: "I'm not shy, go ahead and say it."
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