◎ Matchmaking in Progress ◎ 

According to the plot, Liang Baozhen and Xu Shengjie meet in their thirties. By then, both have been shaped by the years and have spent their lives supporting each other. 

Xu Shengjie was a gentle person who always considered everything about her. The days after their marriage are indeed very happy, but unfortunately, they regret having wasted over ten years before this. 

Recalling the regrets written by her white-haired self in her dream, Liang Baozhen decides to give it a try. Rather than marrying someone unknown in the future, she might as well be with Xu Shengjie from the start. 

He is kind and gentle and will definitely not let her down. 

*** 

When Lai Fengxia went to the city with the news, Xu Shengjie was making a stool in the yard. 

His younger siblings were about to enter the first grade of junior high school. They had both grown taller and the old stools were no longer suitable for them, so he went to get some wood and made them himself. 

“Aunt, I have good news!” Lai Fengxia was full of joy. She walked up to Zhou Yun and started talking about the blind date. “It’s the third daughter of the Liang family in our village, Liang Baozhen, who I mentioned last time. She’s very pretty, and she even graduated from high school. She’s also very hardworking and filial to her parents… In short, there’s nothing wrong with her.” 

Zhou Yun thought it was really good, but she was a little worried. “It won’t be like the last time right… Can you find out if she has had a match before?” 

She hoped there wouldn’t be another setback; her old bones couldn’t handle it anymore! 

“No, no!” 

When Lai Fengxia mentioned Chen Siming, Zhou Yun couldn’t help but curse, “What a disgrace!” 

He turned around and pointed at his grandson, who was working in the yard, and said, “Our Shengjie would never do such a thing. He is a straightforward child who only sticks to one path.” 

Xu Shengjie who was currently sawing wood overheard what they were talking about. He paused and listened for a moment. 

The last time Aunt Lai asked him for his opinion about matchmaking him with that girl, he remembered the few times he had seen her, each with slightly different circumstances. He nodded absentmindedly, and by the time he realized it, Aunt Lai had already left happily. 

*** 

Liang Baozhen and Xu Shengjie’s matchmaking was scheduled at a state-owned restaurant in Hongqi Commune town. 

This time, both families allowed the children to assess each other directly, and it was up to them to see if they liked each other. 

The state-owned restaurants in the county were not doing well. Meals required ration tickets and were expensive, so ordinary people could not afford to go. Only factory workers from nearby factories would come there occasionally to have a bite. 

Liang Baozhen was wearing a dark blue shirt with ruffles today, which smelled fresh of soapberry. It was the best outfit she had, with only one small patch on the lower arm, which she had skillfully repaired to be almost unnoticeable. 

Since it was her first time going into a matchmaking, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Through the glass window of the state-owned restaurant, she immediately saw Xu Shengjie sitting upright. His hair was cut very short, but it even made him look even more heroic. His appearance was indeed fitting of a former soldier. 

Before entering, she set a task for herself. She decided to give it a try and see what the person from her dream was really like. 

Xu Shengjie had been sitting at the table for a few minutes, wearing a blue shirt and black trousers. His younger siblings had chosen this outfit for him before he left, saying it would leave a good impression on their sister-in-law. Xu Shengya and Xu Shengwei even pulled at their brother’s trouser legs to brush them off, fearing that they would get wrinkled. 

The two of them had no idea that the fabric was like that, and there was nothing they could do. 

He tried to correct his siblings’ way of addressing his potential match, but no one paid him any attention. It seemed to the Xu family that this outing for a blind date would definitely result in bringing someone home. 

“Comrade Xu?” 

A clear voice suddenly reached his ears. Xu Shengjie looked up and saw Liang Baozhen standing gracefully in front of the table while looking at him. 

He confirmed once again that this was the same person who had taken away the wild hare last time and the girl who had bought the urea bags from the supply and marketing cooperative.

 

“Comrade Liang, hello.” Xu Shengjie stood up, his tall figure like a towering mountain, straight and imposing 

Liang Baozhen was still thinking after she sat down. His figure was indeed almost the same as the one she saw in her dream. However, Xu Shengjie was tall and serious, especially with his sharp jawline. When he was stern, he looked rather intimidating, and even when he spoke, there was an unintentional coldness.

 

Was he really gentle? He seemed a bit different from her dream. Liang Baozhen had doubts in her heart.

 

This was the second time they met. Thinking back to their first meeting, they both tacitly avoided the unpleasant things that happened before. Xu Shengjie was not good at speaking, so he planned to have a meal first to get to know each other better. 

“What would you like to eat?” It was lunchtime, and even if he wasn’t hungry, he began to feel hungry after sitting for a while. 

 “Yangchun noodles, please.” Liang Baozhen remembered that in her dream, the two of them enjoyed noodles the most. 

Xu Shengjie’s hand paused slightly as he was ordering food. Before leaving the house, his grandmother had specifically reminded him not to order dishes that made loud noises, saying that girls like to appear more reserved, and it would be embarrassing. 

Does this person not consider him an outsider? 

After paying for four liang of food tickets and 18 cents, Xu Shengjie ordered two bowls of noodles and four of the store’s signature sugar-coated biscuits. 

The Yangchun noodles in the state-owned restaurant are made from Fuqiang flour. The noodles are chewy and have a wheat aroma. The soup base is top-quality pork rib soup, made from fresh pork bones that are simmered for hours. There is some layer of oil floating on the soup, which is perfect for those who lack oil and fat in their food. 

The two strangers were eating noodles quietly. Xu Shengjie raised his eyes and glanced at the opposite side. Liang Baozhen was eating very attentively, but she did not eat the noodles with the boisterous manner of a typical man. In contrast, the workers from the factory made loud noises when slurping noodles. 

It seemed that his grandmother had worried too much. 

It was Liang Baozhen’s first time eating at a state-owned restaurant. Although it was just a bowl of noodles, it was delicious. Even the meat bun she had last time left a memorable impression.

 

She secretly glanced at the man across from her. He ate quickly but didn’t look awkward. In her dreams, she had scolded him many times for eating too fast, saying it was bad for his health. He always promised to change, but never did, which made her quite angry in her dream. 

“You eat so fast?” Liang Baozhen’s bowl still had half of the noodles left, while Xu Shengjie had finished his. 

“I’m used to it.” Xu Shengjie wiped his mouth and remembered his time in the military. “In the military, mealtimes were short. On the battlefield, you could only grab a few bites whenever you could.” 

“Oh.” The response was exactly the same as in her dream! Liang Baozhen buried her head and continued eating. 

Oh, what does that mean? Xu Shengjie looked at the black hair on the top of her head and couldn’t help wondering if he had said something wrong. He looked at the empty bowl and decided to eat a little slower next time. 

If he could control himself. 

After finishing their noodles, the two looked at each other and spoke almost at the same time. 

“I…” 

“You…” 

Xu Shengjie gave way and nodded his chin to signal Liang Baozhen to speak first. 

“Comrade Xu Shengjie, let me introduce myself.” Before coming, Song Chunhua reminded her that since both parties would spend their lives together, they should know each other well before getting married and not hide anything. “My family is in Damei Village, Hongqi Commune, and there are eight people in my family…” 

Xu Shengjie had already heard about this from Lai Fengxia. After Liang Baozhen finished, he began to introduce himself. 

“My family is simple, with four people in total: my grandmother, me, and my younger brother and sister. My parents passed away early, and it was my grandmother who raised us. Later, I joined the army for a few years and was just discharged this year.” Xu Shengjie paused and told the truth, “My sister was born with a health condition. She’s always been frail and needs regular medication. The family used to have higher expenses, but now I have saved some money from my time in the military, and I have transferred to the State Cotton Factory, so I can support four mouths at home without any problem.” 

Looking at Liang Baozhen’s clear eyes, which did not show any change of expression when she heard that his sister was sick, Xu Shengjie felt relieved. Last time, he followed his grandmother’s order to meet a potential match, the woman frowned when she heard that his sister was sick and disdainfully asked how long he planned to support his sister and whether his family could afford to eat. 

It’s understandable, but the disdain was too obvious. 

“Don’t you have anything to ask?” Xu Shengjie said briefly and looked at Liang Baozhen. Having a sick person in the family is no small matter, and it would be understandable if she couldn’t accept it. 

Liang Baozhen thought of Xu Shengya, a beautiful little girl who had been sick since childhood. Because of her illness, she was often pointed at by others, which made her timid and full of low self-esteem. But in her dreams, she was very kind to Liang Baozhen and loved to stick around and talk with her. Unfortunately, due to the lack of advanced medical technology at the time, her illness never received proper treatment and eventually wore her down. 

“It’s really pitiful for such a young girl to take medicine all the time. Next time I have a chance, I will bring her some sweet sorghum to relieve the bitter taste in her mouth.” 

Xu Shengjie had never expected the young girl in front of him to say such a thing. He gave a small smile. “Thanks.” 

Even though it was only the second time the two had met and the first time they had spoken to each other, they gradually started chatting away, one conversation after another, freely and casually. Xu Shengjie never imagined that one day he would be able to sit down and talk with someone for a long time. 

Liang Baozhen looked at the man in front of her. His eyes were open and honest, with nothing that made her feel uncomfortable. He was different from other people she had met. He didn’t have those slightly vulgar looks or very impolite inquiries. 

The two stayed in the state-owned restaurant for more than half an hour. After getting up and walking out the door, Liang Baozhen said goodbye, “Comrade Xu Shengjie, I’m going to the town entrance to take a bus home.” 

Xu Shengjie nodded, and the two tacitly avoided discussing the result of the matchmaking. Liang Baozhen turned and left. The breeze blew through her shiny black braids, and the hem of her clothes fluttered with it. 

“Comrade Liang Baozhen.” Xu Shengjie stared at her pretty figure for a few seconds before speaking. When he saw her turn around and look at him, his thin lips moved again, as if he had used all his strength to say a few words, “My salary is enough to support five people.” 

The author has something to say:  

Xu Shengjie: This is the most sentimental thing I’ve ever said.