Chapter 64: The Blind Date

As soon as they entered the state owned restaurant, Song Yuan spotted her blind date right away he was the only man in the entire establishment. The man sat with his back to them, so she couldn’t see his face. However, from his slim frame alone, he seemed quite different from the men at the family compound. She wondered if he could even withstand one punch from her.

On the table, prominently displayed, was a copy of How the Steel Was Tempered, their agreed upon signal to recognize each other.

Since it wasn’t yet mealtime, there were only a few patrons, leaving plenty of empty tables.

Xiao Qingru nudged Song Yuan’s arm and whispered, “I’ll sit over there,” pointing to an empty table nearby.

Song Yuan nodded. “Be sure to help me assess him.”

“No problem.”

After taking a deep breath, Song Yuan walked toward her blind date. She was here now, so backing out wasn’t an option.

When he saw her, his eyes lit up. “Are you Comrade Song?”

“Yes. Are you Li Jiangang?”

“That’s me.”

Li Jiangang stood and gestured for Song Yuan to sit, pouring her a glass of water.

Song Yuan sat down. So far, she didn’t feel particularly drawn to or repelled by this man. Her heart remained calm, without any special feelings. She figured that must be how most people felt on a blind date. Instant chemistry was rare, something precious and not to be counted on.

“Comrade Li, you must already know about my family situation from the matchmaker?”

“Yes, I’ve heard.”

“Then, do you have any thoughts? I need to return to school later, so my time is limited.”

Li Jiangang cleared his throat. “Comrade Song, the matchmaker probably also told you about my family, but I think it’s better if I explain directly. Some details might not have been entirely clear.”

“Go on,” Song Yuan said, sitting with a polite but neutral expression that made her look every inch the well bred young woman from a good family. Li Jiangang seemed satisfied with this.

“I understand that your father is in the military and that your family is well off, but my family’s circumstances aren’t lacking either. My father is a veterinarian, and my mother is the only doctor in the Qianjin Production Team. You won’t find another family like ours in the entire commune.”

Song Yuan’s lips twitched. “Please, continue.”

Li Jiangang had anticipated a look of gratitude from Song Yuan upon hearing about his family’s advantages. When she didn’t react that way, he was somewhat disappointed.

“You shouldn’t feel like marrying into my family is a step down, nor should you look down on our family. From some perspectives, our family’s situation might even be better than yours.”

Song Yuan bristled at these words. Was he comparing their families, questioning her character, or trying to control her? Could he really be here to discuss marriage?

She almost got up and left, feeling it was absurd to be spoken to this way, but she restrained herself, knowing her family would want a full report on how the date went.

Seeing that she remained silent, Li Jiangang interpreted her reaction as agreement, a faint smile crossing his face.

Li Jiangang went on, “I have two older sisters who practically raised me, so once we’re married, you’ll need to respect my parents and sisters. Anything good we have should go to our elders first.”

He continued with instructions on family responsibilities, expectations about not working at her current teaching job because it wasn’t lucrative, and emphasized that all dowry items would need to be brought back to his family. “I’m sure you can understand,” he added.

Then, he added, “Also, I’ve heard you have two younger brothers still in school. Once you marry me, you’ll be part of our family, so you can’t be giving them money or support. They shouldn’t expect our family’s help.”

“I’m not trying to be stingy, just setting expectations upfront. If this all sounds reasonable, we could make arrangements soon to register our marriage.”

Song Yuan clenched her hand under the table, trying to contain herself.

Li Jiangang continued, “You may think I’m being blunt”

Before he could finish, a glass of water splashed down over his head. Startled, he turned around to see Xiao Qingru, who had been watching from the nearby table.

“Need any help drying off?” she asked coolly.

Li Jiangang stifled his frustration. “No, thank you, Comrade,” he muttered.

“Just helping you cool down. No need to thank me,” she replied, turning and leaving the restaurant.

As Li Jiangang grumbled under his breath, calling her names, Song Yuan laughed out loud. “It’s good to see that there are still kind people in this world who uphold justice.”

Li Jiangang’s eyes flashed with anger. “You’re siding with that lunatic? You won’t find anyone in the production team with better prospects than me!”

Song Yuan stood up, leisurely dumping her own glass of water over his head. There was no better way to end the date than this.