Xia Xi looked at the time on the wall, "I'm afraid if we eat too late, my parents will worry."
"I'm here, I'll go back and explain to them."
Xia Xi hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
After eating, when the two of them walked out of the Public Security Bureau gate, it was already six in the evening.
Lu Jing got on his bicycle and put his foot down, "Get on quickly."
Xia Xi got on the bike and urged, "Hurry! My parents finish work at seven. We need to get home before they do."
Lu Jing couldn't help but laugh, "Are you that afraid of them?"
"They're very strict."
Lu Jing smiled and said nothing.
Xia Xi started urging again, "Hurry, faster."
Lu Jing pedaled with all his might, almost making sparks fly from the bicycle.
The one-hour journey was completed by the two of them in forty minutes.
As Xia Xi got off the bike, she saw Lu Jing was covered in sweat. She said softly, "Thank you for your hard work today. I'll treat you to a meal another day."
Saying that, she pushed the bicycle and went inside.
As it turned out, Xiang Cuihua was at home.
As she entered, Xiang Cuihua started scolding, "So you know how to come back. I thought you were lost and couldn't find your way home. Where were you gallivanting!
In this hot weather, you won't stop until you've gotten yourself sick, will you?"
Xia Xi leaned the bicycle against the wall and said, "I went to the city to buy books and ran into Big Brother Lu apprehending a criminal. The criminal tried to snatch my bicycle, but I kicked him over. I went to the Public Security Bureau to cooperate with their investigation, which is why I'm so late.
Mom, you can't scold me. The team leader at the Public Security Bureau even praised me."
Lu Jing was a soldier, and his hearing was superior to that of ordinary people.
He naturally heard all of Xia Xi's fabricated story.
He couldn't help but smile.
Still so clever and mischievous, lying without batting an eye.
Lu Jing entered the house with a smile.
Aunt Lu asked mysteriously, "Are you two together now?"
"No! I just finished. Mom, when is the matchmaker you found coming?"
Lu Jing had a feeling, an urgent feeling.
It was as if if he didn't hurry, he would miss something.
Aunt Lu looked troubled, "The production brigade is busy picking chili peppers, and you're not around in the city. How can I arrange this? You're not going out anymore, are you? Then I'll make the arrangements."
The chili peppers were picked.
The entire production brigade breathed a sigh of relief.
Next was to pick the chili stems and the matter of the Worker-Peasant-Soldier University quotas.
The chili peppers were piled up in the warehouse.
You could sit on the side and trim the chili stems.
Of course, this was women's work; the strong laborers still had to go to the fields to harvest corn.
"Mom, you arrange it."
"Alright!"
Little did they know...
The next day.
A matchmaker arrived.
Lu Jing went out and happened to run into her.
He recognized her; it was Aunt Li from the east of the village. He immediately called out, "Aunt Li, what are you busy with?"
Aunt Li's eyes crinkled into a smile, "It's a happy occasion for the Xia family."
Lu Jing's heart skipped a beat.
Everyone knew she was a matchmaker.
His mother had agreed to make arrangements last night; it couldn't be this fast.
Could it be someone else?
Lu Jing panicked and rushed inside, "Mom! Aunt Li went to Aunt Xia's house."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Lu exclaimed, "Oh dear, is Matchmaker Li going to find a partner for Xiao Xi?"
She became anxious and wanted to go over immediately.
But then she thought, no, she had to go find Matchmaker Ma right away.
She had to hurry, go immediately.
Lu Jing listened from under his own courtyard wall.
Xiang Cuihua didn't go out today.
She had been tired for several days and wanted to rest. She sent the second daughter-in-law to pick chili stems.
She actually felt sorry for her daughter-in-law.
The second daughter-in-law had only been married for less than a year, and picking chili peppers was too tiring. She couldn't bear for her to do it.
Now, picking chili stems could be done sitting inside and wasn't tiring, and the work points were still good, so she let the second daughter-in-law go.
When she went into the courtyard, she saw Matchmaker Li.
She thought it was someone the Lu family had found.
She welcomed her in warmly and even offered her brown sugar water.
Matchmaker Li immediately smiled and said, "Don't be busy. I'll get straight to the point. I'm here to propose marriage for your youngest daughter.
Do you know the third son of Accountant Wang from the neighboring village? He's handsome and talented, and he's a cadre in the commune. He and your Xiao Xi are a perfect match."
Xia Xi, who was in the room, heard this.
Did she know this man?
She didn't think so.
It seemed like this hadn't happened in her previous life.
She remembered.
In her previous life, she had been so distraught at home that her mother had fallen ill for several days, and her father had racked his brains over the matter.
Perhaps Matchmaker Li had come then, but it didn't work out, and she was sent away.
Xiang Cuihua thought it was the Lu family, but it wasn't. She waved her hand and said, "Our daughter is still young; we're not considering it for now."
She knew about the third son of Accountant Wang from the neighboring village.
He was ambitious but lacked ability.
He was incompetent and had a bad temper.
His job in the commune was obtained through his uncle.
The boy wasn't tall either, only about 1.7 meters, and he had small, squinting eyes, always looking half-asleep.
He was nowhere near as spirited as Lu Jing.
No, no.
She didn't want her beautiful daughter to marry into such a family; it would affect the appearance of her future grandchildren.
Matchmaker Li exclaimed, "Sister Xiang, what are you being picky about? Your Xi Yatou is already nineteen, and at twenty, it will be even harder to find a match.
The Wang family's conditions are so good, why don't you consider it? The Wang family's uncle is a leader in the town, didn't you know? If you form such a connection, your old man might have a chance to move up."
Xiang Cuihua snorted, "My old man doesn't want to move up. You can go back; we're not considering it for now."
Matchmaker Li was unwilling to leave and kept rambling.
Just then, someone else knocked on the door.
Xiang Cuihua immediately went to open it.
Matchmaker Ma entered with a smile, "Oh! Sister Li, you're here too! What a coincidence!"
Matchmaker Li's face immediately changed, "Are you also here for Xi Yatou?"
Matchmaker Ma crossed her arms, "My offer is very good. He's a soldier, a deputy battalion commander. After marriage, he can accompany the troops!
He's handsome, has a good temper, and is 1.8 meters tall. Moreover, the two children know each other; they grew up together, childhood sweethearts. Aren't they a perfect match?"
Xiang Cuihua was delighted inwardly.
The Lu family was finally making a move.
Xiang Cuihua deliberately asked, "What's his name?"
"Lu Jing, Deputy Battalion Commander Lu!"
Matchmaker Li snorted, "Soldiers are all rough. Xi Yatou is an intellectual; what could she possibly talk about with a rough man? The third son of the Wang family is different; he's a commune cadre, an intellectual. They have common topics.
Jing Wa is five years older than Xi Yatou, isn't he? That much older. And Jing Wa always used to bully Xi Yatou when they were kids. It's not suitable.
Even a rabbit doesn't eat grass near its burrow; this is too close!"
Matchmaker Ma, however, said, "It's good that they're close; she can visit her maternal family anytime. If there's anything, the two families can help each other. Right, Sister Xiang?"
Xiang Cuihua smiled, "Come in, have some water, and rest."
Matchmaker Ma immediately followed her inside.
Matchmaker Li was also unwilling to leave and tagged along, sitting down and constantly chattering, "Sister Xiang, you don't need to be picky; the third son of the Wang family is definitely better."
Matchmaker Ma countered, "The Wang family has many sons, and it's difficult to get along with sisters-in-law. The Lu family is different; the Lu family has only one son, so there are no sisters-in-law, only sisters-in-law relationships."
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