Chapter 76: The Son-in-Law

On the first day, Qiu Qianjin returned empty-handed. Qiu Yinuo didn’t ask how things went and instead made sure he was well-fed every day with delicious meals and warm hospitality.

After a few days, even Qiu Qianjin began to feel embarrassed. An entire week had passed without any progress.

“Sis, you really don’t have to keep making such fancy meals for me. I didn’t find out anything.”

“No rush. Don’t be too eager to make progress. There are people who may try to take advantage of you,” Qiu Yinuo advised calmly.

That was exactly what Qiu Qianjin had been worried about. He had spent the entire week sticking close to that old beggar, and no one else dared to make a move, afraid of being made a scapegoat.

After all, the people from the Cultural Association were not to be trifled with. One wrong step and he could end up with a label he’d never be able to shake off, no matter how he tried to explain himself.

“Sis, what have you been up to these past few days?” Qiu Qianjin asked.

Qiu Yinuo replied hoarsely, “Just chatting with the neighbors nearby.”

“What kind of chatting makes your voice go hoarse?” Qiu Qianjin suddenly thought of himself freezing and starving out there every day, while his sister’s voice was practically worn out from chatting at home. He felt a sudden pang of misery.

Qiu Yinuo shot him a sharp look and said with her rough voice, “Be good, listen. Once this matter is settled, I’ll take you to the city for a stroll.” Then she added a large piece of fish to his bowl. “Eat up. Our Jinzi’s gotten so skinny. If your cousin Qingqing knew how much you’re doing for her, she’d be endlessly grateful.”

Qiu Qianjin blushed at the praise. “Sis, can you not talk like that? You’re scaring me!”

“…”

She gave him a fierce glare. Qiu Qianjin immediately patted his chest and said, “Yes, that’s the feeling. That’s the sister I know.”

…

The next day, as soon as Qiu Qianjin left, Qiu Yinuo also headed out.

By now, they had been away for almost a week.

If they wanted to see this matter through to the end, it would take more time.

Qiu Yinuo first went to the post office to call the tractor factory and requested a few more days off. The factory director was very understanding.

“There’s nothing new in development right now, so we’re managing fine. If you’ve got things to handle, take your time. Just make sure you make up for the days once you’re back.”

“Of course. Sorry to trouble you, Director.”

After hanging up, Qiu Yinuo also sent a telegram home. She checked the rate—it was three cents per character, definitely not cheap.

She only sent two characters: “Late return.”

…

After feeding two cornbread buns to the old beggar every day, Qiu Qianjin finally “moved” the man’s heart.

“I’ve been here for years. Who exactly are you trying to ask about?”

Qiu Qianjin had grown cautious. He slapped the old beggar on the back and said, “What are you talking about, old man? I’m not trying to find out anything.”

“You better think carefully.”

Seeing that the beggar wasn’t going to speak further, Qiu Qianjin immediately softened his tone and pulled the old man into a quiet corner.

Lowering his voice, he said, “Look, I won’t beat around the bush. I’m actually here to find out about President Chen. What kind of person is he? Who’s in his family? Do you know where he lives? And are his family members easy to get along with?”

The old beggar gave him a suspicious look. “Why are you asking about him?”

“To be honest, the matchmaker in our village brought up a proposal for my sister. She said the man was the president of the Cultural Association, a proper gentleman, and that he was looking for a loyal and honest woman to carry on the family line. My mother got nervous hearing how good his background is, so she sent me to look into it first.”

Due to the lack of hunger in the past few days, the old beggar, being a straightforward person, quickly waved his hand at Qiu Qianjin. “That’s absolutely out of the question. You should tell your mom to forget about that idea. What kind of matchmaker is this? They’re just trying to rip people off.”

“Old man, can you tell me more about it?”

“That heartless bastard isn’t someone who wants to live a decent life. He snatches up any pretty girl he sees and drags her home. His whole family’s a mess—when the son’s done playing, the father takes over…” The old beggar went off with a flurry of crude details, sending chills down Qiu Qianjin’s spine.

That wasn’t even a person anymore—he was a beast.

After the old beggar finished speaking, he advised Qiu Qianjin, “Since you know now, hurry back and tell your mom to forget about this. Don’t let your sister get caught up in this. And you, don’t come back here anymore.”

“Old man, is everything you said true? Where did you hear all this?”

The old beggar waved his hand hastily. “Don’t ask if it’s true or not. You can figure it out for yourself!”

Ignoring Qiu Qianjin’s attempts to stop him, the old beggar slowly stood up and shakily walked away.

That evening, when Qiu Qianjin returned home, he immediately told his sister about what he had learned.

“You’ve gathered quite a bit of useful information these past few days. Starting tomorrow, we’ll change our tactics.”

“Does that mean I don’t have to be a beggar anymore?”

“Yes!”

Qiu Qianjin was overjoyed. “Great! These past days have been unbearable.” To avoid the neighbors nearby, he had to wake up before dawn every day. He made up his mind, “Tomorrow, I’m going to sleep in!”

“Probably not,” his sister replied.

“Why not?”

“Because tomorrow you’ll be following me to track down President Chen.”

The two siblings followed President Chen secretly for four days. He wasn’t busy, and whenever he went to work, he would hurry back home after just checking in. He would stay at home for most of the day, sometimes only going out late at night.

Usually, it was too late at night to follow him properly.

On this particular day, they followed President Chen home once again.

To Qiu Qianjin’s shock, he found his sister chatting amiably with the neighborhood gossips.

He stared, dumbfounded. When had his sister infiltrated the enemy’s ranks?

Qiu Yinuo deliberately lowered her voice and said, “Sister, this is my younger brother. What do you think of him?”

The woman gave Qiu Qianjin a once-over and remarked, “He’s a bit too skinny. I’d worry the carrying pole would snap if he tried fetching water.”

Qiu Qianjin nearly choked on his breath. What kind of person was this?!

“It’s not easy to find someone to be a live-in son-in-law for the girls around here.”

The woman’s voice was so soft Qiu Qianjin didn’t catch all of it—he only heard the words “son-in-law.” “What son-in-law? Sis, who are you talking about?”

Qiu Yinuo shot him a glare. “Shut up and go wait over there.”

“Oh.”

Seeing that Qiu Qianjin obediently stepped aside, the woman smiled with satisfaction. “Hey, your brother’s pretty well-behaved. That’s important.” She lowered her voice again and said, “I heard that President Chen’s daughter is looking for a live-in son-in-law. Your brother looks decent. Maybe she’ll take a liking to him.”

Qiu Qianjin’s eyes widened in shock. In his heart, he cried out, Good heavens!

They really were siblings—even the excuses they used were the same.

He hadn’t even had the chance to ‘sell out’ his sister yet, and she had already sold him off.

“Really? Sister, could you help arrange something soon for my brother? Let the young ones meet, spend some time together, then we’ll see if they’re a good match,” Qiu Yinuo said.