Everyone has their pride, but being repeatedly rejected by Qin Huairu in front of the entire compound—even the thickest-skinned person couldn’t bear it!
What stung the most wasn’t just Qin Huairu’s rejection, but her immediately turning around to confess to Zhang Yuanlin.
Jia Dongxu’s mind flashed with countless scenes: his smugness in front of Zhang Yuanlin that morning, his bragging in the compound, and all sorts of unrealistic fantasies.
The humiliation was bad enough, but being slapped in the face like this made Jia Dongxu wish he could disappear.
He initially wanted to storm out of the compound and never return, but realizing he had nowhere else to go, he could only retreat home to vent his frustration.
Matchmaker Zhang was utterly stunned, never expecting the situation to unfold this way.
But she quickly collected herself, made an excuse to slip away, and before leaving, couldn’t resist grumbling at Jia Zhangshi, blaming her for the failed matchmaking and declaring that she’d likely never work as a matchmaker again—urging Jia Zhangshi not to seek her out in the future.
Once it was over, Matchmaker Zhang feigned anger as she left, but the moment she stepped outside, her steps turned light and cheerful. Shaking off Jia Zhangshi was truly a cause for celebration.
Back in the compound, Zhang Yuanlin was also slightly taken aback by Qin Huairu’s sudden confession.
In his plans, Qin Huairu was already within his grasp—a confession was inevitable sooner or later. But he hadn’t expected it to happen now, and certainly not in such a manner, completely disregarding the Jia Family’s dignity.
Well, that was fine too. A harsh blow to the Jia Family—just watching it unfold felt immensely satisfying.
In the original storyline, the Jia Family had always taken the most advantage in the compound. While other households suffered mishaps and troubles, the Jia Family remained unscathed, living comfortably.
Initially, Zhang Yuanlin hadn’t intended to have any dealings with the Jia Family. But he never expected that old hag Jia Zhangshi, in her quest to marry off Jia Dongxu, would set her sights on Zhang Yuanlin’s home.
Was that tolerable?
He had to intercept Jia Dongxu’s prospective match and crush the Jia Family thoroughly!
Still, Zhang Yuanlin felt the need to question her a bit—agreeing too eagerly would make him seem predictable.
“Sister Qin, this is no joking matter. As the ancients said, mutual affection is the foundation of lasting love. I admit, you’re my type, but I’m curious—why wait until now to confess your feelings?”
Moreover, Zhang Yuanlin’s question was also meant to offer an explanation to everyone present. The situation was too abrupt; he didn’t want people to think he had forcibly taken Jia Dongxu’s intended bride. He needed Qin Huairu to state her reasons clearly for all to hear.
After just a few seconds of thought, Qin Huairu spoke without hesitation.
“First, I’ve always had feelings for Brother Zhang.”
“Second, Brother Zhang’s sudden appearance gave me a strong sense of security.”
“Third, Brother Zhang protected me—he didn’t let Jia Dongxu bully me or allow Jia Zhangshi to humiliate me. I have no way to repay him except by offering myself!”
Her tone was as firm and resolute as Zhang Yuanlin’s when he had taken control of the situation, making it hard to doubt her sincerity.
As Qin Huairu finished speaking, the onlookers buzzed with discussion, and most expressed approval.
Her reasons were logical and reasonable.
After all, everyone had witnessed Jia Dongxu’s excessive behavior that day. Even if Zhang Yuanlin hadn’t stepped in, Qin Huairu’s father wouldn’t have stood by idly.
Second, Jia Zhangshi was sharp-tongued and spoke harshly. Even if people weren’t present, they could easily picture her spraying saliva while ranting.
She needed to be taught a lesson, and a thorough one at that—this was the unanimous sentiment among the residents of the compound.
Setting aside other matters, just the image of Jia Zhangshi being reprimanded was enough to make many feel a sense of satisfaction.
Truth be told, there weren’t many rivals in Zhang Yuanlin’s age group.
Jia Dongxu was one, but he had already been eliminated.
Shazhu could also be considered one, but his father was still single, and even if he had the money to marry, it wouldn’t be his turn yet.
Lastly, there was Xu Damao, who was slightly younger, but he was even less of a concern.
Zhang Yuanlin knew what kind of people Xu Damao’s parents were—they would definitely seek a wealthy family for their son.
With this calculation, after eliminating Jia Dongxu, Zhang Yuanlin was practically unbeatable.
Qin Huairu mustered her courage and openly expressed her feelings, waiting only for Zhang Yuanlin’s response.
But before Zhang Yuanlin could answer, Qin’s father voiced his concerns.
“Xiao Zhang, there’s something I need to make clear to you. Our family has rural household registration, so my daughter won’t be eligible for many of the subsidies and benefits that urban households receive.”
Zhang Yuanlin nodded. He had already considered this.
If there were no differences in benefits, rural folks wouldn’t be scrambling to become urban residents.
Especially in a few years when ration coupons would be implemented, each person would receive fixed allocations, but those with rural household registration would not be included.
But Zhang Yuanlin wasn’t worried. He had ways to handle it and didn’t care much about the perks of urban household registration anyway.
“Uncle, don’t worry. A married couple should share joys and hardships together. No matter what life brings in the future, I will face it together with Sister Qin.”
Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu asked excitedly:
“Brother Zhang, does that mean you agree?”
Zhang Yuanlin smiled faintly and said:
“You are an exceptional woman, and it just so happens that I am unmarried and you are unattached. Our meeting here must be fate. I don’t have any family arrangements for matchmaking, and I thought I wouldn’t get married until my thirties. So, how could I refuse this marriage arranged by destiny?”
Qin Huairu’s face flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly.
She thought to herself, Brother Zhang’s words are still so charming!
The older folks watching the young couple exchange such affectionate words couldn’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable. In their days, marriages were arranged by parents, and love often grew after marriage. For them, staying together was more about familial duty than emotional attachment.
The younger ones, however, took mental notes. The kind of mutual affection between Zhang Yuanlin and Qin Huairu was what they yearned for, especially since Zhang Yuanlin’s sweet talk could easily serve as their guide!
“Hah! I never noticed it before, Zhang Yuanlin, but you sure have a silver tongue. I bet you’ve charmed quite a few girls out there, haven’t you?”
Jia Zhangshi couldn’t stand such a scene and seized the opportunity to cause trouble.
Zhang Yuanlin frowned, thinking how thick-skinned this wretched old woman was. Even after suffering such a loss, she still had the nerve to stir up trouble!
“Jia Zhangshi, do you have any proof before spouting nonsense? Do you think your son earns too much money?”
At Zhang Yuanlin’s words, Jia Zhangshi shrank back, not daring to provoke him further.
Qin Huairu also looked displeased. The pleasant atmosphere had been ruined by that nasty old woman!
Just then, Qin’s mother said with a cheerful smile:
“Good, wonderful! I’ve been hoping you two would end up together. Now it’s finally happened, fulfilling our wishes!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Jia Zhangshi, who could never keep her mouth shut, started making sarcastic remarks again.
She didn’t dare make unfounded accusations, but surely she could stir up trouble, right?
What her own son failed to accomplish, Jia Zhangshi didn’t want anyone else to succeed either!
“Calling it wonderful already? The bride price hasn’t even been discussed! I’d like to see how much Zhang Yuanlin can come up with!”
Qin’s father snorted coldly, looking at Jia Zhangshi with anger as he said:
“For someone who claims to be from the city, you can’t go half a sentence without mentioning money. I think you’re the one who came from some backwater, haven’t you ever seen money before?”
“Let me tell you, when my daughter marries Zhang Yuanlin, not only will I not ask for a single cent in bride price, but I’ll also have her bring ten dollars and a bunch of dowry including free-range chickens and ducks!”
“Besides, Young Zhang has no elders in his family. I don’t think we need to hold a wedding banquet either. That means Young Zhang can marry my daughter without spending a single penny!”