Chapter 134

Having sensed Yi Zhonghai's matchmaking intentions, Liu Fu could no longer maintain his pretentious demeanor.

Nowadays it's not a seller's market; a family with a daughter is pursued by a hundred suitors.

Liu Yufeng's ugliness, obesity, and short stature drove Liu Fu's deepest desire—to marry her off, even if it meant squandering the family fortune.

Someone stepped forward to act as matchmaker.

Stop harping on it.

Let's chat.

They got straight to the point as soon as they met.

"Does Master Yi have a suitable young man in mind?"

Yi Zhonghai smiled calmly, a faint pride flickering on his face, and he announced Shazhu's name in a somewhat boastful tone.

"Old Liu, have you ever heard the name Shazhu?"

The steel mill employing over ten thousand workers.

You might not know who the factory director is.

But you certainly know who Shazhu is.

Starting in 1951, Shazhu became a legend at the steel mill; although he didn't work there, stories of his glorious deeds circulated throughout the plant.

Old Liu's heart, were it not shielded by his chest, might have leapt from fright.

He had only a few simple requirements for a son-in-law.

Male, alive, and preferably close in age to Liu Yufeng.

As for Shazhu.

Liu Fu had never imagined Shazhu as his son-in-law.

They were all startled.

The cigarette in his hand dropped to the floor, and his face wore a strange expression.

"Master Yi, you're joking too big; our chubby girl isn't worthy of Shazhu—he's the head chef of our steel mill."

They thought Yi Zhonghai was just teasing him.

This was Liu Fu's initial thought, and it remained his final thought.

How could his family's daughter—fat, ugly, big‑eated, and even snoring in her sleep—ever hope to match the illustrious chef Shazhu?

"Old Liu, do you think I'm joking with you?" Yi Zhonghai spoke with a slight reproachful tone, then shifted to highlight his status: "I am the Head Steward of our Siheyuan; I share the Zhong Yuan with Shazhu; this boy has grown up under my watch; my words still carry some weight with him."

The next two sentences.

Yi Zhonghai heightened his tone.

He also appeared mysteriously self‑confident.

Who knows who gave him the nerve; the two families have been dead set against each other, yet they deliberately deceive outsiders who know nothing of the matter.

The hypocrite imposed his own likes on Shazhu, assuming that whatever he favored, Shazhu would favor too.

An ugly wife is a family treasure.

For a couple to live well, the wife must not be too beautiful; a beautiful wife often draws other men's interest—take Wu Dalang, whose wife Pan Jinlian was coveted by Ximen Qing, or closer to home, Xu Daming, whose wife Lou Xiaoe was eyed by Long Laotaitai.

"The double‑standard Yi Zhonghai set up Qin Huairu with his disciple Jia Dongxu, yet he tried to pawn off on Shazhu the ugly woman Old Liu had nicknamed 'Zhu Bajie's second sister'."

He merely wanted to gain favor with Liu Yufeng.

If Liu Yufeng feels grateful to Yi Zhonghai and keeps whispering into Shazhu's ear, the old‑age support arrangement remains a puzzling mystery.

Arising from such miscellaneous notions, the hypocrite pursued this with great zeal.

His brain must have been kicked by a donkey.

His rapport with Shazhu was already bad; whether Shazhu would welcome Yi Zhonghai's matchmaking is a later concern.

According to common sense, when arranging a marriage for Shazhu you should at least notify him, given that he is the principal party.

"Yi Zhonghai, however, acted first and sought approval later; only the matriarch, Long Laotaitai, and he himself knew of the matchmaking from beginning to end. As for Shazhu, perhaps in Yi Zhonghai's view, even if Shazhu married, he need not know his bride's identity—as long as the wife was brought to the Siheyuan on the agreed date."

"Master Yi, I truly don't know how to thank you; I entrust Liu Yufeng's matter to you." Seeing Yi Zhonghai speak so confidently, Old Liu felt the stone in his heart finally settle: "Once the matter is settled, I will surely have Liu Yufeng and Shazhu raise a cup of congratulatory wine to Master Yi."

"One cup isn't enough." Yi Zhonghai, with a pointed look at Old Liu, said, "You'll have to offer three cups."

"Liu Yufeng is an honest child who knows gratitude; since Master Yi has arranged such a satisfactory husband for her, she must treat Master Yi as her adoptive father and look after him; if she fails to do so, even I, her father, will not forgive her."

To marry off Liu Yufeng.

Old Liu effectively named his price for supporting Yi Zhonghai in his old age.

Yi Zhonghai also grasped the implicit meaning in Old Liu's words.

Acting the slut while erecting a chastity arch.

"Old Liu, why are you labeling me like this? I think highly of Liu Yufeng; just wait for my good news."

Yi Zhonghai strutted off with a swaggering, swaying gait, his face wreathed in triumph.

……

At the Yu household.

The matchmaker racked her brains to praise Shazhu, throwing every compliment she could think of at him.

From the conversation just now.

They vaguely caught on to some of the inside story.

It's all because of Shazhu's face.

It led the Yu family's mother and daughter to misjudge Shazhu's true age.

"Yu Li, Yu Li's mother, I, Matchmaker Wang, am not speaking off the cuff; the scrap‑collector Master He just now is the district's top young prospect."

"A good prospect is a good prospect, just a bit older; our daughter is a flower of the Siheyuan—if she married that scrap‑collector, wouldn't that be like putting a fresh flower in cow dung? Matchmaker Wang, I appreciate your kindness, but if there's a decent young man, you ought to keep him in mind for our Yu Li."

"Yu Li's mother, given our families' friendship, could I really push Yu Li into a pit of fire?"

we already did: "The matchmaker fired back a question, seizing the moment before Yu Li's mother could react, and quickly revealed Zhuzi's true age."

Names:... (explanatory, not Chinese sentence) -> skip.

Thus we need to output a list... -> skip.

We must be careful not to miss any.

Let's go through each line and extract names.

We'll list all unique names.

Line 【61】:

explanatory.

explanatory.

explanatory.

we did: "Line 【62】: I stated his age. No names."

I told my age.

we did: ": You can't still be misunderstanding, right? No names."

we did: ": Zhuzi looks a bit haggard and seems older. Contains Zhuzi."

we did: ": The important thing is, their situation is good, and their background is also very clean. No names."

we did: ": Someone so rare you'd need a lantern to find them. No names."

【85】

Yu Li seemed to have been electrocuted, standing frozen in place, while Yu Li's mom appeared to have been struck by lightning, turning into a wooden person.

【87】

What the heck?

【89】

With that face, saying he's thirty is just praising his youth.

【91】

Why would I lie to you? Master He is exactly twenty this year, born March 10, 1935; I went specially to their Jiēdào to check.

【93】

The matchmaker just can't stop talking.

【95】

Although it's clearly Shazhu's flaw, the matchmaker insists on portraying it as a virtue.

【97】

To make this marriage happen.

【99】

He's considering getting a vaccination.

If Yu Li's mom changes her mind, she'll surely go to the courtyard house to ask about Shazhu's character. As for the people living there, Matchmaker Wang knows them inside and out, except for Yan Fugui in the front courtyard and the Old Yang family; the rest are all troublemakers who can't stand to see Shazhu succeed. If Yu Li's mom were to ask them about Shazhu, they'd surely say nothing but negative things about him.

Also "those people" etc are not names.

【104】

Yu Li and her parents shook their heads.

【106】

Seeing the anxious Yu family parents, the matchmaker exclaimed angrily: "On the day of giving birth, Jia Dongxu didn't feed his wife for a whole day, leaving her weak and causing a difficult labor. With one life and the baby at stake, they asked whether to save the mother or the baby, but as the husband, Jia Dongxu didn't say a word. The head steward, Yi Zhonghai, suggested saving the baby but not the mother."

【108】

Yu Li and her parents gasped.

【110】

"Shazhu and a guy named Xu Damao objected then, saying, 'How can we not save the adult? If the child is gone, we can have another, but if the adult is gone, then there's nothing left.'"

【112】

The matchmaker's words seemed to sway Yu Li.

【114】

Seeing Yu Li nod in agreement, Yu Li's mom's face flickered with doubt.

【116】

Matchmaker Wang saw it all.

【118】

Unafraid and unmoved.

【120】

"You say, what's the use of a man being good‑looking? Shazhu is different—he looks old and isn't easy to marry off. But if you married Yu Li, such a beautiful wife, he'd surely dote on her to death. Marry a good husband, marry a good husband, wear clothes, eat food—Shazhu is actually an inheritor of Tan Family Cuisine, with family‑passed culinary skills, and his wages are high. In the courtyard house there are two rooms; if Yu Li marries in, she could manage the He family's affairs. If it weren't that our two families get along well, I really wouldn't want to introduce Shazhu to Yu Li."

【122】

Yu Li was about to speak.

【124】

"Lili, you couldn't possibly think that people call him Shazhu because he's a fool, right? You just saw him—aside from looking a bit older, there's nothing else wrong with him. 'Shazhu' stands for honesty and simplicity; if you marry him, you won't lose out."

【126】

Hearing her mother say that.

【128】

"What's Shazhu's background like?"

【130】

Even if there's no hope, they wouldn't ask about his specific background.

【132】

Put simply, it's just good versus bad.

【134】

The situation is looking very promising.

【136】

It's estimated they won't be able to marry and will spend their lives as bachelors.

【138】

Yu Li's mom nodded, greeted the matchmaker, and went back inside.

Shy Yu Li, inside the house, let her head droop very low.

"Lili, Mom is someone who's been through this, I know what you're thinking now, what the matchmaker Wang said is right—good looks don't make a man edible. Shazhu looks a bit old; being with him is like sticking fresh flowers on cow dung. We have to admit, cow dung has nutrition, and the things her family has prepared are all complete. Mom's gone, Dad's in Baocheng; if you go there you can directly take charge of the household, avoiding the mother-in-law's nastiness. If you agree, Mom will go to the Siheyuan that day to make inquiries."

Lili blushed.

She nodded.

……

Yan Family.

Yan Jiecheng took the opportunity when Yan Fugui returned at noon to mention to his father his wish to marry.

Marriage is a major matter.

Some things you need to prepare.

As for the house to live in after marriage, it goes without saying that one must have it; a couple can't possibly have no place to live, right?

That's the hardware.

Then there's the software, ranging from small items like toothpaste, washbasin, hot water bottle, and mirror, to big items like the newly popular "three turns and one sound" this year.

Items such as bicycles, watches, sewing machines plus radios—families with means would acquire them all at once, while those without means would grit their teeth and acquire at least one; for example, the Jia Family, when they initially married Qin Huairu, even though they had no money, they barely managed to achieve the dream of one "turn" by bleeding Yi Zhonghai dry.

Yan Jiecheng is about the same age as Shazhu; he is one year older than his younger brother Yan Jiefang.

As a member of the Yan Family.

He carries scheming in his bones.

If the second son, Yan Jiefang, were to get married a step ahead of Yan Jiecheng—even just an engagement—then in Yan Fugui's modest house, which isn't large nor many rooms, there would be a room bearing the name Yan Jiefang, which is tantamount to moving Yan Jiecheng's cheese.

Having his heart stirred is one aspect.

Prematurely seizing the room is another aspect.

As for Yan Jiecheng's choice of a wife in his mind, it remains the same as in his previous life: still Lili.

Shazhu, having lived again, has produced a bit of a butterfly effect, yet some characters' trajectories continue to unfold exactly as before, such as the relationship between Yan Jiecheng and Lili.

Lili may not know who Yan Jiecheng is, but Yan Jiecheng certainly knows that Lili is that person.

Strictly speaking.

It's because of Shazhu.

Having agreed to her mother's suggestion, Lili, who harbored the idea of a blind date with Shazhu, went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth so she could dress a little better for the date.

One entered.

One exited.

At the moment the two brushed past each other at the entrance of the supply and marketing cooperative, Lili's profile flashed into Yan Jiecheng's view, and he was instantly stunned as if seeing a heavenly being.

That could be called love at first sight.

Yan Jiecheng immediately formed an idea, vowing in his heart to marry no one but Lili; after finding out her surname, full name, and where she lived, he returned home to consult Yan Fugui for an idea.

Actually, it was just a way of pressuring Yan Fugui to fork over money.

Having Yan Fugui step forward to find a matchmaker and go to Lili's family to propose the match.

People of this era.

in their attitude toward marriage.

are relatively plain and simple.

Two men and women who don't know each other, under the matchmaker's silver tongue that could make the dead sound alive, meet; if they take a liking to each other, they become a couple, after which engagement and marriage arrangements will be made. For those in a hurry, engagement and marriage together take no more than half a year; for those not in a hurry, they will inevitably drag it out for a year. Even if they become a couple and get engaged, they are limited to walking side by side on the street, holding hands, and other intimate acts—all of which occur only after marriage.

"Dad, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and get the money."

Compared to Yan Jiecheng's urgency,

Yan Fugui was quite calm.

After Yan Jiecheng told him he wanted to marry, Yan Fugui began calculating in his mind, figuring he could save on buying a bicycle from the "three turns and one sound" set.

Buying Shazhu's used bicycle would look to be about seventy or eighty percent new.

When the wedding takes place, they will set up banquet tables in the Siheyuan, with Shazhu as head chef; the neighbors of the Siheyuan will inevitably have to contribute some gift money, and the school staff as well cannot be exempt.

"What's the rush?" Yan Fugui said leisurely: "Which family's girl?"

"The first Siheyuan counting from the east in Maozi Eye Hutong, the central courtyard belongs to the Yu family; the girl is called Lili."

"Not bad-looking?"

Yan Jiecheng's face.

turned red.

He incriminated himself without being prompted.

"How old are you this year, and what work do you do?"

"She's seventeen now, and in half a year she'll be eighteen." Knowing Yan Fugui's character, Yan Jiefang hesitated a bit when speaking of Lili's occupation, pausing for about thirty seconds or so, watching Yan Fugui's expression while carefully revealing the truth: "She has no job."

Yan Fugui has three sons, one daughter, plus the elderly couple.

Six people in total.

Only Yan Fugui himself has a job.

Upon hearing that Lili stays at home, Yan Fugui felt uneasy, for taking her in would be like adding another mouth to feed.

"Eldest son, this matter needs to be slowed down. Dad isn't disagreeing; the girl is only seventeen, and the state stipulates that women must be over eighteen. Dad thinks you should focus on finding a job now. Think about it: if you had a job, you could find a partner at your workplace, and the two of you would be dual-income earners, meaning the Yan Family would effectively have three people bringing in money."

"Dad, I've taken a liking to Lili."

"Just because you've taken a liking to Lili doesn't mean it'll work—does Lili like you back? A match requires mutual attraction; you can't be all hot and bothered on one side only."

Yan Fugui began doing ideological work on Yan Jiecheng.

Definitely.

Clearly it's petty stinginess and calculation.

Yet he insists on finding a lofty pretext.

Dad isn't unsupportive of you; our Yan family is a household of literary tradition, marrying a wife requires matching families—what kind of character is that Yu Li? You don't know, Dad doesn't know either, we just took her in like this. It's fine, nothing, but if it goes wrong, the loss will be our Yan family's face.

As the brother of Yan Jiecheng.

How could Yan Jiefang fail to see what scheme Yan Jiecheng is hatching?

"Brother, I think Dad makes sense; now is not the time for you to indulge in romance—you're looking for work, and once you have a job, there's no shortage of women."

"Old Two, I feel there's hidden meaning in your words."

"I'm doing this for the sake of our Yan family."

"Dad."

"In a few days it's Sunday; I'll take some time to inquire, if she really is a good girl, I'll have the matchmaker propose; if she's too young, we'll get engaged first."

Yan Fugui's little scheme.

It made a clacking sound.

Setting up the engagement banquet with one table, Yi Zhonghai and a few of the stewards treat a meal, which can bring in some income.

"The matter of taking a wife is settled as we said, but Eldest Brother, your job search—don't let them reject you later for having no job; also, after you marry, you'll definitely have to live in our home—you know our situation, Dad's meaning: treat the house as rented to you two, you pay some rent each month, plus food, water, electricity fees—you have to chip in; Mom cooks, so you don't pay for meals, but you must contribute some of your earnings each month."