Chapter 49: Getting Closer (Part 2)

Now, only an unmarried man and woman, along with their little matchmaker, remained.

Neither of them was shy. Since they had agreed to get to know each other, they took the conversation seriously.

Mu Mian stayed between them the whole time but didn’t interrupt. She just glanced at one, then at the other.

Hmm, her brother had once again mistaken a weed for a wild vegetable. When they got home, she would have to sort through them carefully. She wasn’t a rabbit. She didn’t like eating weeds.

Her Sister Sihui, on the other hand, didn’t mistake the plants, but she spent one or two minutes digging up a single vegetable.

Anyone who saw that might think the vegetable was embedded in the ground. But really, wasn’t it just a simple pull?

Mu Mian watched with interest for about five or six minutes when, suddenly, a dog barked from the direction where Shiyi had run off.

Squatting on the ground, Mu Mian looked up. “What’s he barking at? Did Shiyi catch a rabbit?”

Mu Zhuo, being taller, could see farther. “Looks like he’s chasing a sparrow.”

Mu Mian perked up. She stood and said, “Let’s go take a look.”

That dog loved competing with birds, but it never caught them.

After all, birds had wings. A dog running on the ground could never catch something flying in the sky.

Shiyi never gave up, though—he lost every time, but he kept trying.

Mu Mian didn’t forget her matchmaking duties either. She looped her arm through Nie Sihui’s and said, “Come on, come on, Sister Sihui, let’s dig over there!”

Maybe it was because of Shi Xiaolian’s influence, but Mu Mian had recently developed a habit of taking small detours whenever she wandered the mountains.

After some twists and turns, she still didn’t get to see the grand chase between the dog and the sparrow.

Shiyi was too fast, leaving behind only a black blur.

However, this place was quite secluded.

There was no one around, and not much wild vegetables either.

But that wasn’t important. It was a great place for a conversation.

While the two were engrossed in their chat, Mu Mian quietly stepped away.

A good matchmaker knew when to be present and when to disappear.

When others were around, she acted as a perfect cover.

When they were alone, she made sure not to be a third wheel.

Since she had nothing else to do, she started picking up small dry branches.

Every now and then, she peeked from behind a tree, straining her ears to hear what her brother and Sister Sihui were talking about in her absence.

Earlier, when she was around, the conversation had been very proper.

Her brother had talked the entire time, explaining his training schedule, how often he could take leave, and what the conditions were like in the family compound.

It was exactly like a formal matchmaking session—nothing sweet about it.

Mu Mian perked up her ears for a long time but heard nothing.

At some point, her brother and Sister Sihui had moved farther away.

Like a little thief, Mu Mian stealthily crept closer and pressed herself against a large tree, continuing to eavesdrop.

When someone focused too hard, they often overlooked small details.

Mu Mian thought she was hiding well—after all, the tree was big, and she wasn’t fat, so she could stay perfectly concealed.

But from Mu Zhuo and Nie Sihui’s perspective, all they could see was…

Two tiny hands clutching the side of a big tree, with a little foot poking out near the roots.

It was obvious what kind of position the little girl was in behind the tree.

Mu Zhuo and Nie Sihui exchanged glances and chuckled at the same time.

Nie Sihui whispered, “It’s rare to see Xiao Mian act silly.”

That little girl was always so clever.

Mu Zhuo was also amused by his little sister’s cuteness, instantly reminded of their childhood.

Back then, whenever he carried his little sister, she would cling to him just like this—tiny hands and feet wrapped around him, a small, adorable bundle.

Mu Zhuo leaned in closer to Nie Sihui and whispered, “She’s exactly the same as when she was little.”

Meanwhile—

Completely unaware of everything, Mu Mian cautiously peeked out from behind the tree.

Then, she noticed…

Her brother and Sister Sihui were standing quite close together!

Mu Mian’s eyes widened slightly.

What were they talking about? And why were they whispering?

It had to be something they didn’t want her to hear!

Mu Mian was thrilled. Her curiosity was burning.

She tiptoed forward again, hiding behind another tree.

Now she could hear them.

Wait… why did she hear her own name?

Just as Mu Mian was about to listen more carefully, she caught something in her peripheral vision.

Down the slope, Xu Lele and Shi Xiaolian were walking towards her.

At the same time, Xu Lele spotted her too.

The little girl waved her arms, about to call out loudly.

Mu Mian quickly put a finger to her lips and shushed her.

Xu Lele immediately swallowed her words, grabbed Shi Xiaolian’s hand, and hurried up the slope.

In just a few moments, the two reached Mu Mian.

With a sneaky expression, Xu Lele whispered, “What’s going on? What are you up to?”

Mu Mian shushed them again. “I’m watching my brother and Sister Sihui getting to know each other. What are you two doing here?”

Shi Xiaolian replied, “We ran into each other on the way. She said she saw a wild pheasant here yesterday and insisted on dragging me over to look for it.”

Xu Lele turned to Mu Mian and said, “I just went to your house to find you. Grandma Zhao said you weren’t home.”

Mu Mian grinned. “Hehe, I’m busy playing matchmaker.”

Shi Xiaolian asked, “So your brother and Educated Youth Nie are officially together now?”

Mu Mian shook her head. “Not yet. They’re still getting to know each other, but I think it’s just a matter of time.”

Xu Lele curiously stretched her neck to peek in their direction. “What are they talking about?”

Mu Mian perked up her ears as well and, in an attempt to be sneaky, pulled her two friends down the slope to hide.

From their hiding spot, the three of them listened as Mu Zhuo and Nie Sihui chatted nearby. The conversation went back and forth.

One said, “When my little sister was a kid, she…”

The other responded, “When I first arrived, Xiao Mian…”

They took turns talking, and every single topic revolved around Mu Mian.

Shi Xiaolian gave Mu Mian a sidelong glance. “This is what you call dating?”

It didn’t sound like that at all.

Xu Lele, ever the innocent one, asked in all seriousness, “Do men and women always talk about this kind of thing when they’re getting to know each other? Was it the same for my big brother and sister-in-law? What did they say about me?”

Then, she pouted. “Hmph, my big brother definitely didn’t say anything good about me! He always calls me a little troublemaker reincarnated.”

Mu Mian, the subject of the conversation: “……”

Something felt off. This wasn’t how she imagined it at all.

She decided to listen a little longer!

—

As it turned out, listening longer didn’t change anything.

Those two really were just talking about her—and they were quite enthusiastic about it.

Her big brother was one step away from spilling the story of how she wet her pants as a kid.

Mu Mian pouted. She never knew that being a matchmaker could be used like this.

She had expected them to say something sweet.

Like how her mother, Liu Shuangcui, had once said that her father, Mu Fugui, gave her a bouquet of wildflowers the second time they met and affectionately told her, “You’re more beautiful than the flowers.”

Her big brother clearly didn’t inherit their father’s romantic side at all!

But regardless, at least they were interacting with the goal of getting to know each other better.

That was worth celebrating!!

Now that her curiosity had been satisfied, Mu Mian stopped eavesdropping on the two.

The three girls sat in a row.

Mu Mian nudged Shi Xiaolian with her elbow and whispered, “Speaking of which, my dad was thinking about having your sister marry my brother a few days ago.”

Shi Xiaolian immediately said, “They wouldn’t be a good match. My sister wouldn’t want to move so far away.”

Mu Mian nodded in agreement. “Great minds think alike. I don’t think they suit each other either.”

Then, her curiosity got the better of her. “Have you ever thought about what kind of person your sister should marry?”

She had once told Aunt Yang that her future sister-in-law had to meet her approval. She felt like that sentiment applied even more to Shi Xiaolian.

It was easy to imagine that if Shi Xiaolian disapproved, Shi Xiaozhu probably wouldn’t even consider dating someone.

She had always put her mother and little sister first—everyone else came after.

Xu Lele casually plucked a handful of wild grass and stuck a blade between her lips to play with.

Before Shi Xiaolian could answer, she started rambling, “My mom really likes Sister Xiaozhu too. She was thinking about pairing her up with my second brother.”

Shi Xiaolian immediately objected, “Your second brother won’t do either.”

Xu Lele turned her head in confusion. “Why not? My second brother isn’t like Mu Mian’s big brother. He wouldn’t have to move far away.”

Shi Xiaolian was momentarily stumped. “It just wouldn’t work. They’re not a good match.”

Mu Mian glanced at Shi Xiaolian.

She understood now.

Shi Xiaolian just didn’t trust anyone to take care of her sister.

She was like a father scrutinizing potential sons-in-law—no one looked good enough.

Sure enough, in the next second, Shi Xiaolian said, “My sister doesn’t have to get married. I can take care of her for the rest of her life.”

Mu Mian: “……”

She hadn’t expected this at all.

Shi Xiaolian was a hidden, hardcore sister-obsessed protector.

She didn’t constantly talk about her sister, but in her heart, she had already planned out her sister’s entire future.

Xu Lele, being the little girl she was, had a different perspective. “Taking care of her for life? That must cost a lot of money.”

Shi Xiaolian seriously answered, “I don’t know. I haven’t started yet.”

Xu Lele chuckled. “I don’t cost much! I wonder if my parents would be willing to support me forever.”

Then, as if realizing something, she quickly added, “But never mind. When I grow up, I want to make my own money!”

Mu Mian wholeheartedly supported her. “Yes! We’re going to make big money in the future!!”

Xu Lele scooted closer and leaned in with bright eyes. “When I get rich, I’ll go to the state-run restaurant every day to eat meat. I’ll buy different hair ties every day, and oh, new clothes too. Sister Mianmian, what do you want to buy?”

Mu Mian thought for a moment.

Of course, she wanted to buy houses!

Lots and lots of houses!

She wanted to buy them everywhere!

But just as she was about to say it, Shiyi suddenly came running over from behind. There was a bit of a bird feather stuck to the corner of its mouth.

Mu Mian rubbed the dog’s head. “Did you actually catch one?”

Shiyi obviously couldn’t answer. It just nuzzled into Mu Mian’s palm affectionately.

Mu Mian picked the feathers off its mouth and, seeing no blood, figured it probably hadn’t caught anything.

After sitting there for a while, Xu Lele was already getting restless.

Usually, even when she was alone, the little girl loved running around in the mountains.

Right now, Xu Lele was still thinking about the pheasant she saw yesterday. She tugged at Shiyi and said excitedly, “Pheasants are much easier to catch than sparrows. Shiyi, let’s go find some chickens! Sister Mianmian, are you coming?”

Mu Mian shook her head. “I’ll be looking for my brother in a bit. You take Shiyi with you.”

If she left now and some villagers happened to see her brother alone with Sister Sihui, wouldn’t that be bad?

If they were officially together, it wouldn’t matter. But they hadn’t confirmed their relationship yet.

Xu Lele was so eager to leave that she didn’t even bother calling Shi Xiaolian along and just dragged Shiyi with her.

Mu Mian glanced in her brother’s direction. Since there weren’t any wild vegetables to pick, the two of them were gathering firewood instead.

In just this short while, they had already collected quite a lot.

When Mu Mian looked back, she noticed that Shi Xiaolian was still sitting nearby.

She let out a surprised “Eh?” and asked, “You’re not going home?”

After all, the recruitment day was coming up soon.

Shi Xiaolian had taken on all the big and small chores at home so that Shi Xiaozhu could have more time to study.

Shi Xiaolian replied, “I’ll go back later. If I seem too concerned about the recruitment, my sister will get nervous.”

Mu Mian chuckled. “You finally realized that?”

When things concerned herself, Shi Xiaolian always acted indifferent. But when it came to her sister, she cared even more than Shi Xiaozhu herself.

It was probably because the more you care, the more anxious you become.

Shi Xiaolian didn’t comment on that. Instead, she turned to glance at Mu Zhuo and Nie Sihui, then looked back at Mu Mian.

Mu Mian was puzzled. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, she grinned proudly, her eyes sparkling. “Did you also notice that I have a talent for matchmaking? Look how well my brother and Sister Sihui suit each other!”

In terms of education, they were actually on the same level. Sister Sihui hadn’t gotten her high school diploma due to special circumstances.

When it came to work, her brother was obviously doing better for now. But once things opened up in the future, she believed Sister Sihui would also seize the opportunity.

As for following her husband in the military, Sister Sihui wouldn’t have any trouble leaving her family behind.

So, they were a perfect match—practically made for each other!

Shi Xiaolian simply responded with a soft “Mm” and then glanced at Mu Mian twice more.

Mu Mian, who had still been thinking about her brother and Nie Sihui, finally sensed that something was off. “Is something wrong?”

Then, as if she had suddenly remembered something, she excitedly leaned closer to Shi Xiaolian, nearly knocking her over. “What is it? What is it?”

Could it be another great opportunity, like finding ginseng?

She was ready.

More than ready!