Why did she run off?
Jiang Ye was baffled.
Since there were many people around, he didn’t chase after her. Instead, he waited for the adults to enter the house before following them inside.
Once everyone was seated, Ruan Tang poured tea for them all. The matchmaker watched her, growing more and more satisfied the longer she looked, feeling genuinely happy for Jiang Ye.
Since everyone was aware of the situation between the two, inviting the matchmaker was merely a formality. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the matchmaker got straight to the point.
She smiled and said, “These two are a perfect match—talented man, beautiful woman, clearly meant for each other.”
“Sister, regarding the bride price, if you have any requests, feel free to bring them up so we can discuss them.”
Although the matchmaker asked this, the bride’s family typically wouldn’t actually make demands. Instead, they would first see how much the groom’s family was willing to offer.
Ruan Mu glanced at Ruan Fu and replied with a smile, “Whatever works is fine. We don’t have any specific requests. I’m sure Jiang Ye won’t treat our Tangtang poorly.”
Suddenly called upon, Jiang Ye quickly spoke up, “I definitely won’t treat her poorly. I’ll be very, very good to her.”
His attitude was exceptionally sincere.
His gaze fell on Ruan Tang, who happened to look up just then, and their eyes met. Out of politeness, she casually added, “I won’t treat you poorly either. I’ll be good to you.”
Hearing this, Jiang Mother and the matchmaker both broke into knowing smiles.
Next, the matchmaker asked, “How about a bride price of six hundred yuan, plus the Three-Revolutions-and-a-Roar?”
Ruan Mu and Ruan Fu exchanged glances, both feeling quite satisfied.
In this era, unless the bride was exceptionally outstanding and had a job, and the groom’s family was well-off, the Three-Revolutions-and-a-Roar was rarely offered. Now, their Tangtang was getting it, along with a six-hundred-yuan bride price. To be honest, this exceeded their expectations.
Originally, they had agreed to the marriage only to keep Ruan Tang from being sent to the countryside. But now, it seemed Jiang Ye might be a good choice after all.
Noticing the change in their gazes, Jiang Ye breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and sat up even straighter, afraid they might find fault with him.
Sitting in the corner, Ruan Tang, who had been sitting upright, finally relaxed her posture.
The bride price offered by the Jiang family was substantial. Barring any surprises, her parents would likely agree. It seemed she wouldn’t have to go to the countryside after all and could avoid the tragedy from her dream.
Because she was quite satisfied with the bride price offered by the Jiang family, Ruan Mu’s attitude toward Jiang Ye also changed noticeably.
She said, “Jiang Ye is a good-looking young man, always smiling and polite. You can tell at a glance he’s easy to get along with.”
“Tangtang has a straightforward personality. Sometimes she speaks without thinking, and her words can come out a bit harsh. Please bear with her.”
“But she’s obedient and well-behaved. If she does anything wrong, just teach her. She knows how to cook, wash clothes, and handle household chores. When you’re all at work, just leave the housework to her. She’ll definitely keep the house clean and tidy.”
Hearing her words, Jiang Mother and Jiang Ye both frowned almost simultaneously.
The matchmaker, however, beamed at Ruan Mu’s words, knowing the marriage was as good as settled.
She was about to move on to the next step. “Since you all…”
But just as she began speaking, a woman interrupted her.
“So lively! It seems we’ve arrived just in time!” Wu Mengzhi walked in, leading Su Jincheng.
The Ruan family’s living room was already small, and with their uninvited arrival, the cramped space felt even more crowded.
Seeing them, Ruan Mu’s expression instantly darkened.
Standing up, she said, “Why have you come to my house? The two children are no longer involved with each other, and our sisterly bond is over. Please leave.”
Since Ruan Mu had spoken, no one else moved.
Only Jiang Ye’s expression turned grim.
Wu Mengzhi acted as if nothing had happened, grabbing Ruan Mu’s hand with a smile and saying, “Sister, we were indeed wrong before. We came to apologize to you.”
After speaking, she signaled Su Jincheng to place the gifts on the dining table in the living room.
Once the items were set down, Wu Mengzhi continued, “The reason Jincheng made a mistake was entirely because he was bewitched by that seductress. He won’t do it again in the future.”
“Sister, it’s better to be cautious about Tangtang’s lifelong matter. Some people are notoriously unreliable. If you marry Tangtang to him, aren’t you pushing your own daughter into a pit of fire?”
“Jincheng did make a mistake, but over all these years, he only made the kind of mistake any man might make. It doesn’t warrant such severe punishment!”
“Besides, his character is sound—he works diligently, respects his elders, and has the ability to earn a living and support a family. He’s a good choice for a husband.”
“If you agree to let Tangtang marry Jincheng, we’re willing to offer a bride price of one thousand, along with the Three-Revolutions-and-a-Roar, and we’ll arrange a job for Tangtang as well.”
At these words, Ruan Mu’s expression softened considerably, and a hint of hesitation appeared in her eyes.
She glanced at Ruan Fu, silently seeking his opinion.
Seeing this, Jiang Ye prepared to stand up and plead his own case, but Jiang Mother promptly held him back, shaking her head at him.
The matchmaker was also thrown into confusion by the situation. She had never experienced anything like this and truly didn’t know what to do.
Jiang Mother gently patted her hand, signaling her to stay calm.
Noticing Ruan Fu and Ruan Mu’s hesitation, Wu Mengzhi added fuel to the fire.
“Xiang Bei will graduate from high school next year. When the time comes, I’ll take care of arranging a job for him. You won’t have to worry about it anymore.”
As Ruan Mu’s longtime close friend, she knew exactly what mattered most to her.
Hearing this, Ruan Mu’s eyes immediately lit up.
She tugged at Ruan Fu’s sleeve and said, “Husband…”
If Wu Mengzhi could really help arrange a job for him, it might be worth considering.
After all, in terms of character and family background, the Jiang family couldn’t compare to the Su family. If Tangtang married into the Su family, she wouldn’t have to worry about meddling sisters-in-law either.
But still…
“Can Jincheng really break things off with Cai Xiaolan?” Ruan Mu voiced her thoughts aloud.
Su Jincheng had kept his head lowered the entire time since entering, but upon hearing this, he looked up at his mother.
Wu Mengzhi assured her, “He absolutely can. You can rest completely assured about that.”
The reason she was so confident was that she had already reached an agreement with Cai Xiaolan’s sister-in-law to secretly sign Cai Xiaolan up to be sent to the countryside.
The day before yesterday, Ruan Tang called off the engagement, and yesterday, Jincheng lost his job.
Similar incidents had happened in the factory before, but the usual response was criticism, education, and writing a self-criticism—no one had ever been directly fired.
Su Zhenghua was also targeted by his rivals because of his son’s actions. He came home furious, blaming her for failing to manage their child properly and causing such a scandal, which made him lose face at work.
Cai Xiaolan’s family background was poor, her reputation was now ruined, and she could never be allowed to enter the Su family.
Moreover, she firmly believed in the fortune-teller’s words.
Back when Jincheng was engaged to Ruan Tang, their family’s fortunes had indeed improved.
But the recent events made her uneasy. To be safe, it was better to marry Ruan Tang.
Seeing Wu Mengzhi so confident, Ruan Fu’s mind began to stir.
To be honest, disregarding family background and focusing solely on personal capability, Jiang Ye was indeed no match for Su Jincheng.
One was an idle loafer who did nothing, while the other was a clerk in the Propaganda Department—their work abilities spoke for themselves.
In terms of temperament, Jiang Ye carried too much unbridled arrogance and might cause serious trouble someday, whereas Su Jincheng was much gentler and relatively easier to get along with.
After careful consideration, Ruan Fu finally asked, “Can you guarantee Xiang Bei’s job?”
With these words, everyone understood their intentions.
Jiang Mother felt somewhat disappointed in Ruan Fu and Ruan Mu.
Not because they chose the Su family, but because their hearts were biased.
Ah, Jiang Shu had truly called it right.