Chapter 55 : Want Han Zhenyu to be your son-in-law?

Chen Dongsheng didn’t see anything wrong with his daughter doing some physical work, he felt she had been pampered for too long.  

At her age, she still couldn’t cook, and her mother had to help her wash her clothes.  

In the past two years, since the factory hadn’t allocated housing, they had been living with their son and daughter-in-law. This led to constant conflicts between Honghong and her two sisters-in-law over housework.  

This was one of the reasons Chen Dongsheng had agreed to let his daughter date a young man from the countryside.  

Since their family was better off than the man’s, marrying into his family would be considered “marrying down.” This way, even if Honghong had some shortcomings, the son-in-law wouldn’t dare upset her.  

Yu Huimin, on the other hand, felt distressed seeing her daughter tired and hungry. She quickly cooked noodles and even made two poached eggs for her.  

After Honghong finished the big bowl of noodles, Yu Huimin smiled and said, “Honghong, I passed by the transport team today and saw the truck delivering goods to the south had returned.”  

Chen Hong looked up in surprise. “Mom, really?”  

Seeing her daughter’s reaction, Yu Huimin grew suspicious and asked, “Honghong, didn’t you know? Hasn’t Han Zhenyu come to see you?”  

She quickly realized that since her daughter had been working in the warehouse all day, even if Han Zhenyu had gone to the union to find her, they likely wouldn’t have met.  

Chen Hong lowered her head shyly and pouted, “Mom, what are you talking about? We’re not at that stage yet.”  

Yu Huimin was surprised. “Ah? Aren’t you two dating?” Even Chen Dongsheng put down the newspaper he was reading.  

Chen Hong blushed, realizing her parents had misunderstood. She explained, “I do like him, but we haven’t made it official yet.”  

She never considered the possibility that Han Zhenyu might not reciprocate her feelings. Fearing her parents would object to their relationship, she declared firmly, “Dad, Mom, I just like him, and I won’t marry anyone else.”  

It was only then that the couple realized their earlier assumptions had been mistaken.  

When Chen Hong had made a similar statement before, they had thought the two were already dating. They hadn’t realized things were still ambiguous.  

Yu Huimin asked, “Honghong, how long have you known Han Zhenyu? Does he feel the same way about you?”  

Chen Hong thought back to their encounters. Han Zhenyu always smiled when he saw her, which she took as a sign that he liked her too.  

She nodded, blushing. “Dad, Mom, we’ve known each other for several months.”  

“Then why, after so long, hasn’t he asked you to date him?” Yu Huimin asked, growing suspicious.  

Considering their family’s strong financial situation, it seemed odd for a young man from the countryside to remain ambiguous instead of seizing the opportunity to win her over.  

“Mom, you know their transport team is always on the road, and I have to work, so we don’t see each other often,” Chen Hong said, glancing nervously at her parents. Then, blushing deeply, she mustered her courage. “Dad, aren’t you familiar with the leader of the transport team? Could you ask him to pass on a message?”  

Chen Dongsheng and Yu Huimin exchanged a stunned look.  

Their own daughter was asking them to act as matchmakers! It was clear how much she liked this young man.  

Seeing her parents’ silence, Chen Hong’s face turned even redder.  

Fearing they might think she was shameless, she quickly added, “Dad, Mom, Han Zhenyu must be worried that our family would look down on him because he’s from the countryside. That’s why he’s too embarrassed to speak up.”  

Chen Dongsheng, having previously inquired about Han Zhenyu at the Ministry of Transport, knew the young man was well-regarded.  

However, he couldn’t shake the suspicion that Han Zhenyu might be deliberately keeping his daughter in suspense, waiting for her to make the first move.  

Yu Huimin, remembering her own encounter with Han Zhenyu, felt that her daughter’s reasoning made sense. The young man had been polite and carried himself with confidence, neither overly humble nor arrogant.  

Still, she worried that if Honghong took the initiative, she might end up being controlled by the young man in the future, a situation they wanted to avoid.  

They needed to find a way for the man to take the first step, ensuring they could maintain the upper hand.  

Seeing her parents remain silent, Chen Hong grew so anxious she was nearly in tears.  

Just as she was about to plead further, there was a knock at the door.  

Since she was closest, Chen Hong got up to answer it.  

Standing there was her aunt, Chen Sujuan.  

“Aunt,” Chen Hong greeted softly, lowering her head.  

“What’s the matter? What’s going on?” Chen Sujuan asked with a smile, gently touching her niece’s face. “Tell me, did your parents scold you? I’ll help you vent your anger.”  

Chen Hong bit her lip and whispered, “No.”  

Chen Sujuan handed her the snack she was carrying. “Take this back to your room and eat. I need to talk to your parents.”  

“Oh.” Chen Hong glanced at her parents, then obediently went into her room.  

Once the door was closed, Chen Sujuan leaned in and whispered, “What’s wrong with Honghong?”  

Knowing how much her sister-in-law loved her daughter, Yu Huimin didn’t hold back and shared the whole story.  

Chen Sujuan frowned. “No way. How could a country boy be good enough for our Honghong? With our family’s status, the least we should aim for is a dual-income household.”  

“Her father and I have tried to talk sense into her, but she’s so stubborn,” Yu Huimin said helplessly. “She’s set her heart on that boy and insists she won’t marry anyone else.”  

“But we can’t just let her have her way,” Chen Sujuan said firmly. She glanced at her elder brother and sister-in-law and continued, “I came here today because of Honghong.  

“Director Shi from the supply and marketing cooperative has a son 23 years old, very handsome, and currently working in the personnel department of our factory.  

“It seems he saw Honghong a few days ago and fell for her at first sight. Yesterday, he even sent someone to talk to me, saying he’d like to date her.  

“I went to the personnel department today to take a look. The young man is well-mannered, comes from a good family, and would be a perfect match for Honghong.”  

The couple was clearly tempted. The young man’s background was impressive.  

With his father being the director of the supply and marketing cooperative, their future would be secure. The young man also had a stable job in the personnel department, while their daughter worked in the trade union both in the same machinery factory.  

After marriage, they might even be able to secure a small single-room apartment.  

But they also knew their daughter well. While beautiful and holding a good job, she had many flaws.  

She couldn’t do housework, spent excessively on clothes, loved snacks, and had to eat meat every two days.  

Her monthly salary barely covered her own expenses, often requiring extra financial support.  

If she married someone from a well-off family, the tolerance might only last so long before conflicts arose.  

Han Zhenyu, on the other hand, was different.  

Though from the countryside, he was about to be converted to a regular employee and would soon have a city household registration.  

His position in the transport team came with a decent salary and opportunities for additional earnings during business trips, ensuring he could comfortably provide for their daughter.  

Moreover, with their entire family working in the machinery factory, the young man would think twice before upsetting Honghong.  

The more they thought about it, the more Chen Dongsheng and Yu Huimin felt that Han Zhenyu was the right match for their daughter.  

They explained their reasoning to Chen Sujuan.  

Although Chen Sujuan was strong-willed, her love for her niece made her consider the situation seriously. Aware of Honghong’s flaws, she pondered for a while and said,  

“Since you’ve already looked into this, let’s find a matchmaker to arrange the marriage. It’d be best to get them married before the New Year.  

“The new family housing building being completed after the New Year might have options. I’ll see if I can help them get a unit there.”  

Yu Huimin’s eyes lit up at the idea. The new building’s facilities were much better than their old one, and securing even a small apartment there would be wonderful.  

Chen Dongsheng, however, was more realistic.  

He pointed out, “I heard there are strict requirements for the new building. Both spouses must work at the machinery factory, one must have over five years of tenure, and the family must have at least three children to qualify.”  

Chen Sujuan replied, “Even if they can’t get into the new building, someone else will move there, leaving their old apartment available. We could arrange for them to get a one-bedroom unit in the current building. That would still be better than a single room in a shared building.”  

Although Yu Huimin was a bit disappointed, she agreed that a one-bedroom apartment would be an improvement. Smiling, she asked,  

“Sujuan, who do you think would make a good matchmaker?”  

Chen Sujuan thought for a moment. “Isn’t Director Li from the transport team Han Zhenyu’s leader? Why not ask him to handle this?”  

“Good idea,” Chen Dongsheng agreed with a smile. “I’ll go to the transport team tomorrow and talk to him. The sooner we settle this, the better.”