Chapter 9: The Matchmaker’s Candidate Is That Ticket Scalper

Maybe right now she needed a strong man to lean on, but not for a lifetime.

She felt she couldn’t spend her whole life with someone who couldn’t even write his own name. If she agreed now and left later, it would only ruin him.

Forget it, she thought. She’d wait until tomorrow and figure out a tactful way to refuse.

As for the village’s old pervert, if he dared to come again, she had a way to make sure he wouldn’t come back.

That kind of scoundrel could face the death penalty—immediate execution.

…

She didn’t sleep at all that night, yet surprisingly got up early the next day.

Feng Mian freshened up, took care of her skin, ate a simple breakfast, then put away all her cooking utensils and bowls into the stone cabinet in the kitchen, locking it with a small padlock before opening the front door.

Not long after, Grandma Zhang came, her face beaming with joy.

“Mian Mian, I heard the matchmaker Xu came by yesterday, right?”

Feng Mian smiled: “Yes. Grandma, have you eaten breakfast?”

“Yes, yes. I should have come over yesterday, but I was busy with your grandfather’s matters.”

“What’s wrong with Grandpa?”

“Nothing serious, just his old ailment acting up. He’s fine now.”

“Oh, by the way, Mian Mian, you’re meeting the candidate today, right?”

“Aunt Xu said it’s today.”

“Oh, then he should be here soon. Have you cleaned up your room? Come on, Grandma will help you tidy up.”

Feng Mian said, “I’ve already cleaned.”

Zhang Qin wanted the marriage to go smoothly, so she came personally to inspect. If she found anything off, she would fix it herself.

After checking the three thatched huts, everything was so clean and tidy even she was surprised.

She happily said, “Not bad, Mian Mian. Anyone who marries into this house will have it good. Where else can you find such a capable daughter-in-law?”

Feng Mian smiled but said nothing.

Soon, they heard Matchmaker Xu’s loud voice outside calling.

“Mian Mian, are you home?”

Zhang hurriedly said, “Come on, hurry up, they’re here.”

Feng Mian followed Zhang out and saw that besides Matchmaker Xu, there was a middle-aged couple and a younger man.

When Feng Mian saw the younger man, she froze.

In her heart: Isn’t this the ticket scalper she saw last time? Could he be the one they want her to marry?

If he’s a scalper, he should know how to write his name, right?

What was his name again? She forgot.

“Mian Mian,” Zhang chatted with the visitors for a while, noticing Feng Mian was zoning out, so she quickly nudged her.

Feng Mian gave an embarrassed smile and hurriedly invited them inside.

The family started inspecting her house, going through the three rooms.

“The three rooms aren’t small,” said the middle-aged woman.

Matchmaker Xu smiled: “Not small at all. It’s more than enough for a young couple. The girl is hardworking, too. Look at how clean and neat inside and outside—whose home is this tidy?”

The middle-aged woman wasn’t pleased. She thought marrying into such a family was giving them too much face.

But she heard the girl had no parents.

No parents means no control.

“Looks alright, huh? Oh, this quilt cover looks new.”

Feng Mian’s face darkened, very displeased.

How did this woman have zero sense of boundaries? She even reached into Feng Mian’s bedroom to touch her quilt.

Without showing any reaction, Feng Mian shoved the quilt further inside and said, “It’s not new. It’s been used for a few years. I just wash it clean.”

“Heh, girl, why push it away? I’m not the one who wants it.”

Feng Mian thought to herself, You clearly do.

Matchmaker Xu kept giving that woman meaningful glances, but she didn’t get it—or pretended not to.

She had no choice but to say, “How about letting the two young people talk to each other? Whether it works out depends on their willingness.”

She wanted to remind that woman: the marriage hasn’t even started, don’t ruin the girl’s good impression.

The woman turned around and said, “Big brother, why don’t you chat with the girl instead of standing there like a block of wood? If it doesn’t work out, we don’t have money to get you a wife. Don’t blame me for you ending up a bachelor.”

Feng Mian was speechless—what kind of person was this?

She’s a grown woman, can she really be a block of wood? Does she need you to say that?

Zhang also urged Feng Mian to talk.

Feng Mian gave Zhang a meaningful look, asking her to keep an eye on that woman.

Zhang gave her a reassuring glance.

As soon as Feng Mian stepped out, Zhang smiled and said, “Gu family nephew and niece-in-law, come sit down. The two kids talk; us adults can chat too.”

“Alright, Auntie, let’s talk.”

…

Feng Mian led the Gu family young man to an empty patch behind the house. It was their first ever blind date, and she had no idea how to start. She stood there silently for a long while, suddenly realizing she herself was the blockhead here.

“Ahem,” the guy probably felt awkward too.

“I remember your name is Feng Mian?”

“Oh.”

“Do you still remember me?”

Feng Mian smiled, “Yes, the ticket scalper.”

Gu Yuelin frowned slightly.

Oh, so the first thing she remembers about me is that I’m a ticket scalper?

“So, what do you think of me?”

Huh?

Cough cough cough…

That’s so direct!

Feng Mian glanced at him sideways, then quickly looked away.

“You’re a good person.”

She said he was a good person because he had helped her back then.

Helping a stranger—that counts as being a good person.

But when it comes to marriage, just being a good person isn’t enough.

Feng Mian asked, “Can you write?”

Gu Yuelin didn’t think much and assumed this was one of the girl’s requirements.

He casually folded a stick, scraped some dirt, using the dirt as paper and the dry twig as a pen, and wrote his name.

Then he also wrote Feng Mian’s name.

Feng Mian was surprised; his handwriting was pretty good.

“Did you go to school?”

Gu Yuelin nodded, “I graduated from high school.”

Feng Mian was surprised again. Not many guys around here have a high school education. His stepmother didn’t seem like a nice person—how did she let him study that far?

Gu Yuelin probably guessed what she was thinking and explained, “My mom told my dad before she passed that no matter what, I had to go to school.”

Feng Mian recalled he said his mother was a sent-down youth.

“I studied until high school. At eighteen, I joined the army. Because of some stuff… I was discharged at twenty-one. After that, I’ve been earning money at home.”

After hearing his story, Feng Mian was conflicted.

He was tall and handsome, educated, had military experience, and the matchmaker said he was hardworking—these were great qualities for someone in this day and age.

“Finding a wife willing to marry you shouldn’t be hard, right? Why choose to marry into her family?”

Gu Yuelin straightforwardly said, “I want to leave that home. If I marry and bring a wife back there, I’d only be making the girl suffer.”

He was smart and clear-headed, and it was obvious he had plans for the future. He wasn’t like a typical rural boy who intended to farm for his whole life.

His home clearly was ruled by his stepmother.

As the eldest son and future eldest daughter-in-law, they’d probably get picked clean by that whole family.