A chorus of voices rose from the courtyard, and the commotion left Mrs. Jia absolutely livid—it was the last thing she wanted to hear. She stormed back outside, plunging headlong into a "battle" with the neighborhood busybodies. The scene was explosively chaotic.
Meanwhile, Qin Huairu felt a surge of regret. Why had she ever agreed to marry Jia Dongxu? If she had married Li Jianjun instead, she could have been living the life she always wanted.
"Jia Dongxu, Mrs. Jia, it’s both of you who have ruined my life," she cursed silently to herself.
***
Meanwhile!
Li Jianjun had no idea what was happening back at the compound, and even if he had known, he wouldn't have cared. He had already arrived at Yu Li’s home. Having a bicycle certainly made things convenient.
As he reached her doorstep, he saw Yu Li waiting there from a distance, accompanied by a very pretty young girl. Today, Yu Li looked especially radiant. She was wearing a lovely dress paired with a plaid shirt and small leather boots. With her refined features, she was easily a match for any future movie star. Most importantly, she possessed a natural, effortless beauty.
"Yu Li, I’m here." Li Jianjun pulled up on his bike.
"Jianjun? You’re here? Why did you bring so many things? This is such a waste! My family could never eat all this." Seeing the sheer amount of gifts, Yu Li felt a twinge of concern for his wallet. But as she looked at Li Jianjun’s handsome face and his tall, six-foot frame, she found herself momentarily dazed. He was just too dashing.
"Sister?" The girl beside her piped up, "Is this your date? He’s incredibly handsome!"
Yu Haitang was equally stunned. She didn't have school today, so she had been waiting with her sister. She hadn't expected Li Jianjun to be this striking, and she found herself instantly smitten.
"Haitang, hush," Yu Li scolded, shooting her a glare. "Jianjun, I’m sorry. This is my younger sister, Yu Haitang."
"Hello," Li Jianjun said, glancing at Yu Haitang. She was certainly pretty, but she seemed more like a child, lacking the poise that Yu Li possessed.
"Hello, brother-in-law!" Yu Haitang said with a grin.
Hearing the commotion outside, Yu Li’s parents came out to greet them. When they laid eyes on Li Jianjun, their faces lit up. He was exactly as the matchmaker had described—truly an exceptional young man.
"Jianjun, you shouldn't have gone to such trouble! Come in and sit down. Old man, hurry up and help him with those bags," Mother Yu said with a smile.
"Right away!" Father Yu chuckled, and they all pitched in to carry the gifts inside.
The entire family was incredibly warm toward Li Jianjun. He was clearly a top-tier catch—handsome, charming, and a Grade 6 technician. Who could compare to that?
Yu Haitang was the most excited of all, chirping away in Li Jianjun's ear and barely letting him get a word in. Yu Li was left speechless. Did the girl forget who the actual date was?
"Yu Li, Haitang, come into the kitchen and help me with the food," Mother Yu commanded once they were inside. Yu Haitang pouted, but she had no choice but to follow her mother into the kitchen.
Father Yu stayed behind to chat with Li Jianjun. He wanted to get a better sense of the man who might become his son-in-law, and he was being very cautious. As they talked, however, he realized his own knowledge base was struggling to keep up with Li Jianjun’s. The young man was exceptionally well-read.
"Excellent, truly excellent," Father Yu thought, feeling even more pleased. This young man was full of talent; it would be a blessing for his daughter to marry him.
By noon, the meal was ready, and they all sat down to eat.
"Jianjun, eat more. You must come visit us often," Father Yu said with a smile, echoed by Mother Yu.
"I will, I certainly will. And ma’am, the food you make is even better than what the head chefs at our Rolling Mill serve," Li Jianjun replied with a polite smile.
"This boy—he certainly knows how to talk," Mother Yu beamed, feeling genuinely delighted.
Seeing them all laughing and chatting, Yu Li felt a warm glow in her heart. She felt certain that this match was meant to be. However, she noticed Yu Haitang’s gaze lingering on Li Jianjun again, which left her feeling somewhat frustrated. What was the girl doing, staring at her man like that?
After the meal, Yu Li dragged Li Jianjun out for a stroll. It was the weekend, after all, and there was no harm in going out to have some fun.
"Hey, hey!" Yu Haitang wanted to tag along, but her mother grabbed her by the arm.
"Haitang, where do you think you’re going? They’re a young couple heading out—what business do you have tagging along? Come on, get back here and wash the dishes."
"..." Yu Haitang opened her mouth to argue, but one look from her mother silenced her. She had to settle for washing the dishes, feeling a pang of envy for her sister, who had managed to find such a wonderful man.
As Haitang scrubbed the dishes, Mother Yu turned to her husband. "It looks like our eldest is ready to be married off."
"Indeed," Father Yu agreed. "I really like this boy, Jianjun. He’s mature, steady, well-educated, and he treats our daughter so well. He is truly a fine choice for a son-in-law."
"Yes. It looks like we won't have to worry about our eldest anymore. But the younger one..."
"Give it a year or two, and we’ll have Matchmaker Wang look into it then."
"That sounds right."
***
Before long, Yu Li and Li Jianjun were walking through the streets. Since it was the weekend, the area was bustling with people, mostly youth.
As they browsed, Li Jianjun noticed a recurring pattern: Yu Li would look at everything but never buy anything, even when it came to clothes.
"Yu Li, if you like something, I'll buy it for you. Don't be shy," Li Jianjun said. Without waiting for a response, he went ahead and bought every piece of clothing she had tried on.
"Jianjun, this isn't right! It’s too expensive. I only needed one piece," Yu Li said, feeling genuinely embarrassed.
"It’s fine," Li Jianjun replied, heading to the counter to pay.
Yu Li felt a wave of profound gratitude. He was truly a wonderful man. She felt sure that life with him would be nothing short of blissful.
"Jianjun, thank you. No one has ever treated me this well before," she said, her eyes glistening.
"I’ll treat you even better in the future. Come, let me take you to get something delicious to eat."
With that, Li Jianjun took Yu Li’s hand and led her off to find something good to eat.