Upon arriving at the Courtyard, Li Jianjun carried a large haul of groceries back to the rear compound. His arrival was immediately spotted by several neighborhood matrons who hadn't gone to work that day.
At once, they were filled with envy. In these times, everyone was impoverished, and people rarely bought such quantities of meat unless it was for the Lunar New Year. Usually, they were the ones selling meat, not buying it. Seeing Li Jianjun return with so much food, they were green with envy.
Mrs. Jia, in particular, was sitting at her doorstep sewing shoe soles. When she saw the sheer volume of supplies Li Jianjun had purchased, her eyes turned red with jealousy.
"Damn that boy, buying so much food and not even offering a scrap to our Jia family. May it choke you to death," Mrs. Jia cursed under her breath.
She spat out a string of vicious insults in her heart. Fortunately, Li Jianjun couldn't hear her, or he surely would have slapped her twice.
Inside the house, Qin Huairu had also caught a glimpse of Li Jianjun’s haul, and she felt a sharp pang of envy as well. Since marrying into the Jia family, she had barely eaten any meat all year round. Suddenly, a wave of regret washed over her. If she hadn't listened to Mrs. Jia’s honeyed words back then and had married Li Jianjun instead, perhaps she would be living a comfortable life right now. Most importantly, Mrs. Jia didn't hold a candle to Li Jianjun—she wasn't even worth a single hair on his head.
Time flew by until shortly after two in the afternoon. Matchmaker Wang arrived with a beautiful young woman in tow. The girl was quite a catch, with a lovely figure and a pretty face.
"Matchmaker, is that man really as good as you say?" the girl asked.
"Of course he is," Matchmaker Wang replied with a smile. "He’s a Level 6 machinist at such a young age, and he's a fine-looking man to boot. If you let this one slip through your fingers, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"Ah! You're not exaggerating, are you?" the girl said, shocked.
"Why would I lie to you? Come on! We're almost there."
"Okay!"
Before long, they arrived at the Courtyard, drawing surprised stares from the matrons in the yard.
"Isn't that Matchmaker Wang? What's she doing here? And with such a pretty girl? What's going on?"
"Wait, they're heading toward Li Jianjun's house! What's the meaning of this?"
"Could she be a prospect for Li Jianjun?"
"That must be it. Li Jianjun is at the age where he should be settling down."
"True. I’ve always thought highly of him."
"Indeed! Look at how well he’s doing now. I really can't fathom why Qin Huairu didn't marry him back then, opting for Jia Dongxu instead."
"I wonder if she regrets it now."
The matrons whispered among themselves. Though they kept their voices low, Mrs. Jia’s sharp ears caught every word, sparking a new round of vitriol.
Meanwhile, inside Li Jianjun's home, he had already prepared a table full of food just as the matchmaker and the girl arrived. As soon as they stepped inside, the aroma hit them, and they were stunned by the spread. They hadn't expected Li Jianjun to be so generous—a table like this must have cost at least ten yuan!
"Li Jianjun, we're here!" Matchmaker Wang called out toward the kitchen.
"Coming!" Li Jianjun replied, walking out with a bowl of soup.
He was slightly taken aback when he saw them; the girl beside Matchmaker Wang looked somewhat familiar, though he couldn't quite place her. Still, she was undeniably beautiful.
"Li Jianjun, this is the girl I told you about. Her name is Yu Li. She doesn't have a job, but she's very hardworking," Matchmaker Wang introduced her quickly.
"Yu Li?" Li Jianjun realized who she was. He hadn't expected his blind date to be Yu Li—did this mean he had intercepted the woman destined for Yan Xiecheng? Letting Yu Li marry Yan Xiecheng would have been a waste of a good woman, indeed.
"Hello, my name is Yu Li," she said, smiling and extending her hand toward Li Jianjun.
Her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw him. She hadn't expected Li Jianjun to be so handsome and talented. How could she not be charmed?
"Hello, I'm Li Jianjun. Come, come, sit down. Let's eat and talk," Li Jianjun said, recovering his composure. After shaking Yu Li's hand, he invited them to sit, and they began their meal.
Yu Li and Matchmaker Wang were amazed by the quality of Li Jianjun's cooking.
"My word!" Matchmaker Wang exclaimed. "Jianjun, how are you such a good cook? This is the best food I've ever tasted."
"I've always lived on my own, so over time, my cooking skills naturally improved," Li Jianjun said with a smile.
It was true; he had been independent for a long time, and practice made perfect. Yu Li, watching him, felt even more drawn to him. This man was truly remarkable—he seemed capable of everything.
As the conversation flowed, Yu Li found herself increasingly impressed. She had initially assumed that a machinist might lack refinement, but she discovered he was knowledgeable and carried an air of culture. Even Matchmaker Wang was surprised, though she was mostly delighted; she felt certain this young couple would hit it off, which meant a handsome red envelope for her later.
Outside, at the Jia family's doorstep, Mrs. Jia had finished her rant and was resting when the smell of the food wafted over, igniting her fury once more.
"Damn that Li Jianjun! Cooking such good food and not giving a bite to the Jia family. Truly damnable."
"May it kill you, you wretched man. You’re destined to be a bachelor forever."
Mrs. Jia continued her insults, leaving Qin Huairu inside feeling utterly speechless. Qin Huairu, however, was also desperate for meat; she was pregnant and approaching her due date, a time when she was in dire need of nutrition.
*Sigh.*
*Jia Dongxu, when will you ever surpass Li Jianjun?* Qin Huairu thought to herself.
Just then, a man from the complex came running back in a panic. Upon seeing Mrs. Jia, he rushed over.
"Goodwife Jia! Hurry, hurry! Your son, Jia Dongxu, has had an accident! They're rushing him to the hospital now!"
"What?" Mrs. Jia froze before shouting angrily, "What nonsense are you spouting? My Dongxu, how could he have an accident? Don't you dare talk rubbish!"
Her son had been perfectly fine today; how could something have happened? The man must be lying—yes, that had to be it.