Originally, matchmaking matters were always discussed behind closed doors, and outsiders would never know what the process was like.
If successful, everyone would become one family, and Qin Huairu would have to consider their family’s reputation. Even if she knew she had been cheated, she couldn’t speak out about it.
If unsuccessful, this family would leave and never return, so there was even less to worry about.
Of course, Jia Zhangshi had accurately judged that the other party came from the countryside—lacking experience, courage, and even getting lost when entering the city—making them incredibly easy to manipulate!
But reality slapped Jia Zhangshi hard in the face. The Qin family, whom she looked down upon, not only did not swallow their pride but actively exposed the Jia family’s stingy behavior.
This was something Jia Zhangshi had never anticipated, leaving her no choice but to resort to feeble excuses.
However, the Qin family was no longer the one that idolized and feared city dwellers. Now, they had confidence, insight, and the courage to face troubles and problems.
All of this was thanks to Zhang Yuanlin’s guidance, as he had shown the Qin family what it meant to carry oneself and live like a high-class individual.
Even though Zhang Yuanlin seemed unattainably superior in the Qin family’s eyes, they still looked down upon the morally inferior Jia family.
Seeing the atmosphere tense up again, Matchmaker Zhang had no choice but to step in and mediate once more. This was her duty, and even if she wanted to wrap things up quickly, now was not the time. She had to put on a convincing performance to ensure she could extricate herself smoothly in the end.
“Hehe, Qin Huairu’s father, my elder sister here has explained that she did this mainly to avoid waste. If it’s not enough to eat, we can always add more dishes. After all, the ingredients are all here!”
Unexpectedly, Qin Huairu’s father didn’t give Matchmaker Zhang any face at all and snorted coldly:
“There are three of us and two of them—five people in total. Is it really necessary to be so calculating over four dishes?”
“Even if we can’t finish it all, the leftovers can be saved for dinner. It’s not like they’re being forced to throw it away. They make it sound so righteous, but in reality, it’s just a lack of respect for our family!”
Qin’s mother also chimed in, having been holding back her grievances with no chance to speak. Now was the time to voice her thoughts.
“That’s right! Their family simply doesn’t respect others. They keep bringing up ‘country folks’ as if they’re so much nobler, yet their actions are worse than people in our village!”
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi immediately flared up—she had never been one to back down from a shouting match.
But Matchmaker Zhang was quick to react, stepping in to block the furious Jia Zhangshi and whispering:
“Elder sister, I can see that your son likes Qin Huairu. Even if it’s for the sake of your son’s marriage, just bear with it. I’ve worn out my legs running around for your family to find this one match. If such a good girl doesn’t work out, I might as well quit being a matchmaker. Let’s not say anything more for now—focus on the main matter at hand!”
Beside them, Jia Dongxu also anxiously whispered:
“Mom, I want to marry Qin Huairu. I don’t want anyone else—just her!”
Unable to resist, Jia Zhangshi had no choice but to relent, thinking to herself that she could always find a way to put the new daughter-in-law in her place after she entered the household.
“Fine, let’s focus on the main matter for now!”
Matchmaker Zhang nodded seriously on the surface, but inside she was cursing wildly.
After all this, you still think you can reach an agreement?
Dream on!
If this match actually works out today, I’ll divorce and remarry myself!
Then, Jia Zhangshi cleared her throat twice and said with a stern expression:
“Our family has a good habit of frugality, which your family doesn’t understand. It’s normal for you to misunderstand, but I don’t blame you—this is because I’m magnanimous!”
“Since we’re not eating together anymore, fine, let’s make things clear right here outside. Our family has genuine urban household registration. My son works at Hongxing Steel Rolling Plant with a monthly salary of twenty-seven yuan and fifty fen. Once he passes the year-end grading exam, his salary is guaranteed to exceed thirty yuan.”
“And that’s not all. If you marry into our family, we’ll immediately buy a sewing machine from the Department Store. Do you even know what a sewing machine is? Just guide the fabric through, and clothes make themselves! Of course, you probably can’t imagine what it looks like just from my description. After marrying over, when we buy it, you’ll see—but you’ll have to come to our place to look at it since the sewing machine will stay in our home. And this will be the first one in our entire compound!”
“Finally, about the bride price. I’ve inquired—in rural areas, it’s usually just three to five yuan. Our family offers eight yuan! With this amount, you’ll be the envy of your village when you return. So, with conditions like ours, what else could you possibly have to say?”
Jia Zhangshi spoke confidently before the entire compound, having prepared these words in advance, so they flowed smoothly.
Zhang Yuanlin, listening from the back of the crowd, couldn’t help but click his tongue.
This situation was truly putting Jia Zhangshi in a tough spot. These were originally matters to be discussed behind closed doors, where whether they sounded harsh or not would only be known by the two families.
But now, speaking in front of the whole compound, it seemed the Jia Family was about to become the butt of another joke.
Because the Qin Family would definitely refuse publicly—and without holding back.
Zhang Yuanlin knew better than anyone how the Qin Family had changed. Their transformation stemmed from him, so of course he understood best!
Matchmaker Zhang, experienced and well-traveled, had seen many couples part on bad terms. Today, another pair was about to be added to that list.
Across the way, the three members of the Qin Family were burning with anger, their faces flushed from restraining themselves.
They wanted to curse, but thinking of Zhang Yuanlin, they held back—they had to maintain their dignity!
Moreover, this was someone else’s compound. If it wasn’t meant to be, then so be it. Making too big a scene would indeed be inappropriate.
Qin Huairu, who had remained silent until now, couldn’t take it anymore and spoke up proactively:
“Aunt Zhang, I don’t like Jia Dongxu. Let’s leave it at that. We’ll be going now.”
Since the other side clearly looked down on her family, what was the point in staying? Better to just leave.
Qin Huairu was a sensible girl who didn’t want to see her parents being bullied, so she took the initiative to speak up, even if it meant drawing the other party’s anger onto herself.
But Jia Dongxu wouldn’t have it! He had been building up momentum since morning, boasting all over the compound. If this fell through, how could he ever hold his head up in the compound again?
“No, this can’t be! We haven’t even gotten to know each other properly yet!”
Qin Huairu ignored him, not even bothering to look him in the eye.
Jia Dongxu then turned to beg Matchmaker Zhang.
She just shrugged, indicating there was nothing she could do, while inwardly cursing, “You little bastard, you’d better stay single forever and stop tormenting other girls!”
Left with no choice, Jia Dongxu had to beg his mother.
“Mom, I want to marry Qin Huairu! If the food isn’t enough, add more. If the bride price isn’t enough, increase it! I don’t care—if it’s not her, I won’t marry anyone!”
As he spoke, Jia Dongxu actually burst into tears, which directly exposed his true nature and instantly drew roaring laughter from the crowd.
The Qin family also sneered, nearly resorting to sarcastic remarks to retaliate for the grievances they had just endured. But at the thought of Zhang Yuanlin’s refined elegance and effortless grace, they held back.
Ever since setting their sights on Zhang Yuanlin as the ultimate goal, Qin Huairu and her family had been striving to align themselves with him—whether through imitation or contemplation. In short, they sought to change themselves, all to appear more worthy of Zhang Yuanlin.
Seeing her son so pathetic, crying and making a scene over a woman, Jia Zhangshi—once an unrivaled master of public tantrums—felt utterly helpless and had no choice but to reluctantly compromise.
“Fine, fine! Ten yuan for the bride price—that’s already the average standard for city weddings!”
Qin’s mother couldn’t hold back any longer, thinking to herself, “What kind of person is this Jia Zhangshi? She’s even more disgusting than the shrews back in our village!”
“It’s not about the money! Even if you offered fifteen yuan, we wouldn’t agree!”
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi seemed to have seized upon a weakness. She immediately sprang up, pointing at the Qin family and scolding furiously:
“Ah, so you’ve finally shown your true colors!”
“I knew all your nitpicking had an ulterior motive! Picking a fight the moment you arrived—does this look like a serious matchmaking session? You’re just looking for an opportunity to raise the price!”
“How outrageous! A bunch of country bumpkins actually have such cunning schemes—you’re truly obsessed with money! I won’t agree to this marriage now! If you’re already thinking of hiking the price, you’ll probably drain our Jia Family’s savings in the future!”