Chapter 4

Zheng Xiaorou’s eyes widened in surprise. “What did you say?”

Lu Yongzhang repeated himself earnestly.

The two of them standing together drew attention, and scattered gazes from the alley fell on them from all directions.

She tugged at his sleeve, whispering, “Let’s go.”

Once inside, she said she felt quite guilty. “Of course, it’s convenient. But I can’t accept this. I troubled you and already found a matchmaker for us.”

As the sunset cast a warm glow over them, Zheng Xiaorou’s expressions were vibrant in the lively atmosphere, each smile and frown familiar to him.

Lu Yongzhang’s gaze softened unconsciously. “These things are what I should do. You can cancel your other arrangements.” Remembering what he had just heard from the thug, he asked, “Did you go out today to look for a job?”

Zheng Xiaorou was embarrassed to admit she hadn’t found one, so she nodded shyly.

Not only her group but also many who returned to the city last year were still waiting for arrangements from the youth and street offices.

From his peripheral vision, Lu Yongzhang noticed her biting her lip, and he realized she wasn’t being truthful.

After several attempts to probe, he knew she didn’t have memories from her past life, but these small habits still felt familiar to him.

After escorting her to the entrance, he glanced up at the Zheng family’s front door. “The matchmaker will come by tomorrow after work, around 7:30. As for the job situation, I’ll help you figure something out.”

Today, the matchmaker said that, based on her experience, this was a time that worked for most people.

“Okay,” Zheng Xiaorou replied. After pushing open the door, she turned to look at him seriously and said, “Thank you.”

This thank you was more about the job problem.

No matter how outrageous her initial motivations were, Lu Yongzhang’s response and support greatly exceeded her expectations.

She sighed internally, unsure how to navigate things once this was all over.

How would she ever repay this immense favor?

When Zheng Xiaorou mentioned that the matchmaker would be coming tomorrow at the Zheng family dining table, the entire family fell silent momentarily.

Father Zheng poked at the plate of pickled vegetables and edamame with his chopsticks, his expression stern. “If the other party is capable, then let them come.”

Zheng Tianlei exchanged glances with their mother, but Mother Zheng ignored him. He had no choice but to stammer out, “Dad, let’s agree on something first. Be polite to them, and don’t put my Brother Lu in an awkward position. Regardless of whether my sister ends up with that person, they’ll still be neighbors.”

“What do you mean by ‘neighbors’? I’m marrying off my daughter, and they’re marrying in!” Father Zheng declared emphatically. “Our daughter has nothing to worry about regarding marriage!”

Zheng Tianlei couldn’t help but chime in. “Dad, you’re the one who said my sister doesn’t have a job… She’s only got her looks going for her! All my classmates say that nowadays, having a job is essential for finding a partner!”

Father Zheng fell silent this time.

—o—o—o—

The next day, the members of the Zheng family who were supposed to go to work did so, while Zheng Tianlei went to school, leaving Zheng Xiaorou alone at home.

After she finished tidying up the dishes, she decided to visit Li Xingguo’s home first. As soon as she opened the door, she ran into the neighbor’s old lady, who had been leaning against the door.

The old woman’s expression stiffened. “Oh, Xiaorou, are you heading out? Looking for a job, right?”

Zheng Xiaorou let out a soft “oh” and turned to lock the door.

“Your mother mentioned this morning that the matchmaker is coming over today?”

So, her mom had indeed spilled the beans.

Zheng Xiaorou had anticipated this situation; although she hadn’t been home for many years, Mrs. Lu’s habit of turning one good piece of news into ten was as consistent as ever.

She turned back to the old woman and smiled. “Yes.”

For the moment, she set aside her discomfort. A favor from Lu Yongzhang was still a favor, whether it was one time or a hundred; she would deal with it later!

Once she had walked away, the neighbor’s old lady pulled over the woman from across the street, who had come out to buy groceries. “Did you hear? The Zheng family’s daughter is having someone come over today. I’m curious to see what kind of match Lu Zhen’s precious daughter can get! Could it be that… a son-in-law from Yunnan is pursuing her?”

“Hahaha… Why won’t she just admit that their Xiaorou has been married before? It’s not shameful! The girl from the alley next door also married in the countryside, and she came back from her divorce just fine!”

“Exactly! Lu Zhen is all about saving face!”

The two women laughed for a long time, finally patting their vegetable baskets and exchanging sly glances. “Let’s see what kind of match this daughter is bringing home!”

Meanwhile, Zheng Xiaorou headed straight for Li Xingguo’s home.

After knocking for a long time with no response, a neighbor poked her head out. “They’ve all gone out today.”

That was strange; Li Xingguo hadn’t secured a job yet, so where could he be at this hour?

The neighbor continued, “The whole family left early this morning. Looks like they have something important to attend to.”

“Thank you! I’ll leave them a note.”

With no other option, Zheng Xiaorou asked the neighbor for an old calendar, then wrote on a blank page that there was no need to trouble Aunt Xu to come over as the matchmaker, and slipped it under the door.

Once that was done, she went to the street office to complete the paperwork she hadn’t finished since returning to the city.

Afterward, she bought some vegetables and returned home, listening to the radio while she prepared the food.

Since she was currently unemployed, she naturally took on the responsibility of cooking during the weekdays.

As evening approached, the alley came alive again with the hustle and bustle of daily life, and her family gradually returned home.

Lunch was simple: stir-fried loofah, a savory pickled vegetable soup, and a salted egg cut into quarters placed in the center of the table.

After finishing the meal, Father Zheng stood up and said, “Everyone, get ready.”

Mother Zheng pushed her son and daughter up the stairs. “Go change your clothes! Don’t embarrass yourselves when the guests arrive.”

Zheng Tianlei howled, “Mom, I’m just a bit sweaty. If I wash up now, I’ll still sweat again when I sleep later, and you’ll just scold me!”

“Change your clothes as I told you. Don’t you have a clean undershirt that you haven’t worn? Go change!”

Zheng Xiaorou took a deep breath and returned to her room to change into a new outfit for receiving guests.

After changing, she inexplicably felt compelled to pull back the curtains and peek across the street. The Lu Yongzhang family hadn’t turned on their lights. Had they gone to pick up the matchmaker?

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind: Lu Yongzhang would eventually have to consider marriage. What would happen if his future wife found out about this?

As she was lost in her thoughts, the sound of thumping footsteps came from the staircase. Mother Zheng shouted upstairs, “Xiaorou, hurry down! The matchmaker has arrived!”

Zheng Xiaorou glanced at the still-bright sky. It was still early for seven-thirty, right?

Lu Yongzhang couldn’t have misremembered the time.

But downstairs, the atmosphere had already become lively.

Mother Zheng was enthusiastically setting out fruits and snacks for the guests on the square table, preparing to welcome Xu Yafen.

She was smiling as she said, “Originally, the man was supposed to invite me over tomorrow, but it just so happens that I have an impromptu meeting tomorrow, so I decided to come today instead.”

Lu Yongzhang had also invited Xu Yafen?

Zheng Xiaorou felt a mix of anxiety and unease, her smile stiffening on her face.

From the small talk between Mother Zheng and her, it was clear that Xu Yafen, although not from their street, was indeed a familiar face in the area.

The two of them chatted enthusiastically.

Zheng Xiaorou obediently sat to the side, and after a round of conversation, Xu Yafen finally shifted her attention to her, creating the illusion of just now noticing her. “You must be Xiaorou, right? We in Xingguo often say that Xiaorou is the most outstanding girl at their rubber factory. It’s rare to see such a good girl who is also so devoted.”

Devoted?

Mother Zheng deftly took over the conversation, “That’s right! This child says she already has a partner and doesn’t need us to arrange anything. At first, we didn’t believe it!”

She pinched her husband’s hand, then poured a cup of chrysanthemum tea for Xu Yafen. Father Zheng cleared his throat and said, “Our Xiaorou really is sensible and can handle household chores, too.”

Father Zheng’s determination to promote her was quite evident, showing no signs of restraint.

Xu Yafen cheerfully took a sip and replied, “Speaking of which, this boy is quite good. He has been writing to Xiaorou for so many years, and I’ve heard that his family is well-off. You two can rest assured; knowing someone like this is much better than starting from scratch.”

The more Zheng Xiaorou listened, the more uneasy she felt, furrowing her brow. “Aunt Xu, Lu Yongzhang… he wouldn’t do that! Could it be that he has been secretly talking about this?”

“Yes, yes, yes! That boy is named Lu Yongzhang. Just hearing that name sounds cultured, don’t you think? So, how about it? The two kids can be considered to have made their intentions clear. Why don’t they start getting to know each other?” Xu Yafen looked at Father Zheng and Mother Zheng, her face filled with anticipation, waiting for their definitive response.

Mother Zheng’s expression stiffened when she heard about the correspondence between the two, and without regard for the presence of others, she turned to Zheng Xiaorou and asked, “Xiaorou, tell the truth. Have you two written to each other?”

Zheng Xiaorou’s heart skipped a beat.

Before going to the countryside, she had never even met Lu Yongzhang.

“Uh, yes.” She lowered her head, pretending to be clueless, her mind racing.

Xu Yafen clearly mixed up information about Cheng Qian and Lu Yongzhang!

The matter with Cheng Qian was undoubtedly something that Li Xingguo had blabbed to his mother.

This was a disaster!

She could bet her mother had already sensed that something was off. Zheng Xiaorou silently wailed in her heart for a while, then began to plan how to survive the evening’s interrogation.

But soon, she realized that this wasn’t even the worst part. In a little while, the matchmaker that Lu Yongzhang had found would arrive, and then her family would never believe her again.

The atmosphere instantly dropped to freezing point.

Xu Yafen sensed that something was amiss and was about to think of a way to smooth things over when Zheng Tianlei suddenly jumped up from his stool, excitedly shouting, “Brother Lu, you’re here!”

“Hmm.” Lu Yongzhang’s voice always sounded composed and respectful. “Are your parents here?”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Zheng Tianlei sounded as if he were a feather, his voice a bit airy.

Zheng Xiaorou heard Lu Yongzhang softly say, “Mom, Aunt Lin, this way, please.”

Unable to resist, Zheng Xiaorou glanced over. Their eyes met across the room, and he offered a reassuring smile. At that moment, it felt like a large stone suddenly dropped from her heart with a loud thud.

A pleasant scent of floral cologne wafted in with the footsteps. Xu Yafen, holding a cup and drinking chrysanthemum tea, stood up abruptly as soon as she saw who had entered, her voice trembling with excitement. “Director, you’re here?”

Lin Wanzhen paused, her tone gentle. “Xiao Xu is here too? Do you live nearby?”

“N-no, I came today to be a matchmaker,” Xu Yafen stammered.

Lin Wanzhen was the director of the neighborhood office for that street. She had done such a good job that she received a transfer notice from the district office!

It was rare for someone of such high authority to be encountered; usually, Xu Yafen only saw her once a month during regular meetings. She never expected to run into her while matchmaking today!

Xu Yafen moved her chair aside. “Director Lin, please have a seat! What brings you here?”

Lin Wanzhen smiled. “What a coincidence! I’m here today for matchmaking as well!”