Chapter 142: Engagement

Who knows whether the old frontier man's loss of his horse is not a blessing?

The deaf old lady's meddling not only failed to ruin Shazhu and Yu Li's blind date, but mistakenly turned into a catalyst that promoted their marriage.

Under Shazhu's deliberate performance, this hero-rescues-beauty drama came to a successful close.

Yu Li thought Shazhu's appearance was a little mature, but he truly treasured his wife like a jewel, making her heart flutter like a deer, and she felt marrying him would also be a good choice.

The man has feelings.

The woman is interested.

They both took a liking to each other.

Marry a man, marry a man, for food and clothing.

Shazhu's substantial family background is also a factor.

Two brand-new bicycles, one of them a ladies' model.

The matchmaker, skilled at reading expressions, seeing Yu Li examining the ladies' new bike, hurriedly seized the chance to praise, saying the ladies' bike was prepared by Shazhu for his future wife, and that if Yu Li married in, the bike would be hers.

People's mouths.

Can't refuse.

Even the dead can be called alive.

The only unhappy person was He Yushui. In the little girl's mind, this bicycle was Shazhu's gift to her, a present for her entry into junior high. In the blink of an eye, it turned into Shazhu's wife's property — that is, Yushui's sister-in-law's. Though unhappy, the little girl knew today was Shazhu's happy day, hid any displeasure, and instead kept calling 'sister-in-law' to cheer on her older brother.

Yu Li's heart blossomed.

She was completely radiant.

She patted He Yushui's head, gave him a piece of fish, embodying the virtuous wife and good sister-in-law.

Hehehe.

Shazhu grinned.

This marriage.

He felt it was fine.

Yu Li's attitude toward Yushui revealed her thoughts.

"Sister-in-law, look at my brother's silly look."

He Yushui, relying on her youth and being a girl, threw herself into Yu Li's embrace and then made a face at Shazhu.

"Yushui."

"It's fine." Yu Li smiled, "I really like Yushui."

"I'm not worried about Yushui, I'm worried about you."

Shazhu made He Yushui realize how treacherous people's hearts can be.

Others marry a wife and forget their mother.

He, having a wife, forgets his younger sister.

Just moments ago he was calling her 'little sister', but once he got a wife he immediately forgot her completely and even began to despise her.

"Yushui, you eat like a little fat pig, don't hurt your sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law, look at my brother, he ignores me now." He Yushui, as if finding a lifeline, turned to Yu Li to tattle, after tattling she stared at Shazhu, "Having a wife, no need for a younger sister."

"Yushui, your brother is just joking with you."

Yu Li, speaking, took the chance to look around Shazhu's small house. As it was her first visit, she was very nervous, and shyness played a part, so she didn't scrutinize the home much; under the continuous joking of Shazhu and Yushui, her nervous heart eased, her excited shyness calmed somewhat, and she began to earnestly examine her future dwelling.

Yu Li's gaze fell on the new sewing machine in the corner.

"I previously bought a bicycle, rode it only seven or eight days, the Jia family across the way lost my bicycle, I had no money to compensate, and under the neighbors' witness, I compensated them with their sewing machine."

Explaining the sewing machine's origin was not Shazhu's main purpose; his main thought was to let Yu Li understand the feud between his family and the Jia family, so that when she married in she wouldn't be schemed against by Jia Zhangshi and suffer a hidden loss from the Jia family.

Yu Li smiled; she had heard from her mother about the feud between Shazhu and the Jia family, knowing the Jia people were unreasonable troublemakers, and she shifted her gaze from the sewing machine to the radio beside it.

Red Star brand radio.

Shazhu had just bought it not long ago.

That old radio, like the old bicycle, was sold at a reduced price to Yan Fugui.

Shazhu added some of his own money, and before the coupon era arrived, he bought everything he needed in one go, leaving only a watch unpurchased.

As the coupon era arrived, some people who had saved enough money to buy a bicycle or radio suddenly found they had money but were helpless, still needing coupons.

Under the circumstance of coupons being hard to come by.

Bicycles and radios became especially important.

Shazhu had prepared all these things, his job was good, his cooking skills superb; Yu Li, who couldn't cook, wouldn't need to cook with Shazhu.

The matchmaker was right.

Marrying Shazhu is like falling into a honey pot; Shazhu and his sister depend on each other, the siheyuan has two rooms, and when Yushui grows up and marries out, both rooms will belong to Shazhu.

His father followed a widow to Baocheng, and they had no contact for years; his mother died long ago, so if Yu Li marries in she can be Shazhu's family and still avoid the mother-in-law's ill temper.

There is a living example in the siheyuan.

Jia Family's Qin Huairu.

The matchmaker, to promote this marriage, specifically used Qin Huairu as an example to argue; Yu Li's mother also inquired, was satisfied with Shazhu, and also told Yu Li about the Jia family and Qin Huairu.

A man's handsome looks aren't important; what matters is how he treats you.

Yu Li's mother took a particular liking to Shazhu, telling her that Shazhu is a cultivated person.

Just now Yu Li also saw Shazhu's magnanimity; even though the deaf old lady went too far, Shazhu still addressed her respectfully as 'you'.

In light of these various factors, Yu Li is 120% satisfied with Shazhu; being able to raise her younger sister into a little fat pig shows Shazhu is a responsible person, and one should marry someone like that.

Yu Li gave the matchmaker a glance and slightly nodded her head.

Having received Yu Li's signal, the matchmaker understood her thoughts, and taking the opportunity, interjected, saying since you both have taken a liking to each other, why not get engaged?

These days.

A man and woman getting engaged is equivalent to settling their marriage.

Yu Li's face turned red all of a sudden.

Before the blind date, the family had already entrusted everything to the matchmaker, who took full responsibility. Yu Li's parents also confessed the truth to her; the old couple secretly observed Shazhu for a few days and inquired about him from many people. Based on the neighbors' descriptions of Shazhu and their own impression, they deemed him a good match for Yu Li; as long as Yu Li took a liking to Shazhu, the old couple had no objections and left the ensuing engagement entirely to the matchmaker.

The matchmaker said to get engaged; Yu Li had no objection, so they got engaged.

Shazhu also happily enjoyed the outcome.

Both parties hit it off immediately.

Crackling firecracker sounds rang out at Shazhu's doorstep.

The custom of the old Capital City.

On the day of the blind date, if the groom's family sets off a string of a thousand firecrackers outside their door, it means the two families have become one.

At this point, if a clueless man or woman comes to interfere, the outcome will be being beaten up by all the neighbors of the entire Siheyuan.

The resounding firecracker noise across the Siheyuan left many neighbors who still had designs on Shazhu feeling suddenly empty-hearted; still hoping that Shazhu and Yu Li's affair would fail, they offered their own female relatives to Shazhu as wives.

Good news came from the delivery room.

It succeeded.

Their schemes also came to nothing.

Each with a complex expression, they watched Shazhu bring Yu Li out from inside the house, intending to hand them happiness candy.

……

Shazhu had just left home.

The turtle grandson Xu Daming appeared before him.

He looked panting.

At a glance, Xu Daming was clearly someone who had run back.

Indeed.

Xu Daming, who was chatting and shooting the breeze with coworkers in the publicity department of Yagangchang, heard that Shazhu was having a blind date today; for some reason he suddenly thought of Liu Yufeng, mistakenly believing that Shazhu was desperate and on a blind date with Liu Yufeng; anxiously, he rushed back from Yagangchang in one go, and collided with Shazhu, who was out handing out happiness candy to the neighbors.

"Shazhu?"

Although he was calling out Shazhu's name, Xu Daming's gaze swept past Shazhu and landed on Yu Li's blushing face.

He sucked in a breath of cold air.

Damn Shazhu.

Not bad taste.

Based on Xu Daming's years of experience picking up girls, this girl Yu Li is a good wife who can manage a household.

He's had a stroke of dog-shit luck.

He married such a good wife.

Xu Daming certainly doesn't have those improper thoughts.

The turtle grandson still has his moral bottom line, for example, one must not violate a friend's wife; even if Yu Li looks like a fairy, as long as she is Shazhu's wife, she is Xu Daming's sister-in-law, and he feels only friendship toward her, no romantic love.

"Hey hey hey." Shazhu feigned displeasure and glared at Xu Daming, "What are you looking at? Be careful your eyeballs fall out—this is your sister-in-law."

"Sister-in-law."

"Call her sister-in-law."

"You're not older than me."

"Xu Daming, are you insisting I show my household register?"

"Fine fine fine, sister-in-law it is." Xu Daming greeted Yu Li, then promptly teased Shazhu: "Sister-in-law hello, I'm Xu Daming; I've long heard Shazhu talk about you, saying you're well-educated and reasonable."

Yu Li knew Xu Daming and Shazhu were on good terms, so she didn't take his joking words to heart at all.

"Head of the household, is he the Xu Daming you told me about?"

"That's right, head of household."

"This title."

This made Shazhu feel a bit pleased.

Yu Li's act of husband leading, wife following was not bad.

Shazhu smiled faintly and nodded.

"That's right, he's my good friend Xu Daming from the Siheyuan; you can also call him Shamao, and we are both inheritors of the 'Silly' generation."

"Shazhu, in front of your sister-in-law, I can't say something nice, still Shamao; I also want you to help me get introduced to a relative of hers."

"Don't even think about it; your sister-in-law's family only has this one fine girl, and she's already my wife." Shazhu laughed, opened the bag, grabbed a handful of candy—about seven or eight pieces—and handed it to Xu Daming, "This is our happiness candy; not much, just a token, please don't mind."

"No, no."

Xu Daming stared blankly as he received the happiness candy.

He still felt a bit doubtful in his heart.

His good brother Shazhu actually got engaged without saying a word.

I heard it was Shazhu himself who asked the matchmaker to arrange the match.

This made Xu Daming's heart flutter; he hesitated about whether he too should proactively go to a matchmaker like Shazhu did.

He thought it over.

He gave up the idea.

There's no rush on this.

……

In this current situation, with every household enduring hardship, seeing Shazhu bring Yu Li to hand out happiness candy to the neighbors, the Third Aunt from the front courtyard, the Er Da Ma from the back courtyard, and some nameless extra aunties all swarmed over like a bee hive.

Shazhu, done?

It's done, it's done, you must have heard the firecrackers just now, right?

I heard it, I just can't believe it.

You, just set your heart at ease; my wife, Yu Li, this is our courtyard's Third Aunt.

Third Aunt, good.

Tsk tsk, your wife is really lovely and has grace.

Third Aunt spoke insincerely, and inexplicably felt a pity for the eldest, Yan Jiecheng.

The barber's pole is hot.

Yu Li simply wasn't interested in Yan Jiecheng; she hadn't even heard his name.

Thank you, Third Aunt, have some candy!

Facing the enthusiastic aunts, Yu Li behaved very gracefully, handing out wedding candy to everyone while smiling and nodding in response, yet she revealed a sense of following Shazhu's lead as his wife.

Although it was her first visit, she won over everyone in the courtyard; even Jia Zhangshi, who doesn't get along with Shazhu, muttered curses at him, saying Shazhu had struck dog‑luck to marry a wife like Yu Li, who far surpasses Qin Huairu in every way.

Laoqianpo really could fantasize; watching Yu Li hand out wedding candy to everyone, her mind ran wild with random thoughts.

If her son had married Yu Li instead of Qin Huairu, how wonderful that would be!

Jia Zhangshi watched Shazhu and his wife enter the back yard hand in hand, and casually sighed: "Shazhu's wife is really handsome; it's a pity she married Shazhu. In my opinion, such a beautiful girl should marry into our family, to Dong Xu."

The aunts were all unhappy.

She should marry into your family, to Dong Xu.

You actually want your Jia Dongxu to take a secondary wife?

"Jia old woman, on the day of someone's engagement celebration, do you think saying that is appropriate?" Er Da Ma frowned; she had been married to Liu Haizhong for years and had picked up a bit of his foreman's catchphrase: "Everyone knows Jia Dongxu's wife is Qin Huairu—what do you mean? Are you still thinking of giving Jia Dongxu a concubine?"

Just a moment ago, Jia Zhangshi had still been fantasizing that Yu Li would be the Jia family's daughter‑in‑law.

In an instant her face changed dramatically.

Take a concubine!

If those three words reached certain people's ears, Jia Dongxu would likely be sent underground to work, and Jia Zhangshi wouldn't fare well either.

Realizing her slip of the tongue would bring disaster to the Jia family, Jia Zhangshi hastily squeezed out a smile and forced an explanation.

"He, Er Da Ma, I didn't mean that—I was just praising Shazhu's wife as nice; I have no intention of getting a second wife for our family's Dong Xu."

……

Shazhu's home.

Shazhu, accompanied by Yu Li, went around the courtyard handing out wedding candy to the neighbors.

I need to tell Yu Li about the situation in the courtyard.

Some people are worth befriending, others are best avoided forever, and so on—I need to make all that clear to Yu Li.

In Shazhu's heart.

Yu Li is already part of the courtyard.

Isn't that so?

Just finished speaking.

Yu Li then gave an answer by applying the lesson broadly.

"Head of household, you don't need to worry about me—I grew up in the courtyard too, I've seen people scheming over trivial gains; even if you say nothing today, I can tell: it's best to avoid the Jia family opposite, the Yi family next door, and the Long Laotaitai household in the back yard."

Shazhu reached out and flicked Yu Li's nose.

This is also a sign of high regard for Yu Li.

Even though they know the Jia, Yi, and Long Laotaitai families don't get along with them, they still put on a show of tolerance in front of outsiders.

This point.

Shazhu was very satisfied.

Yu Li, with just a handful of seven or eight candies, successfully set up before the neighbors the radiant image of Shazhu's virtuous wife.

Inside the Siheyuan.

Seeing Yu Li's actions, the neighbors all spoke in praise of her.

"You just need to know these; there are no good people in the courtyard—these are Xu Daming's exact words. Also, you should keep your distance from that woman Qin Huairu."

"Head of the household, I've remembered everything."

When Yu Li said this, she couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.

Logically speaking.

She also lives in a Siheyuan, but hers is completely incomparable to Shazhu's Siheyuan.

In a courtyard with over twenty households, only a handful are decent; the rest, more or less, have flaws, and nearly everyone needs to be wary of.

Speechless.

"I know what to do now, head of the household."

"Did you bring everything?"

"All set."

The engagement candy must be distributed in two places: Shazhu's Siheyuan hands out candy, and Yu Li's Siheyuan must also hand out candy; this is a declaration of sovereignty.

Shazhu rode his bicycle, carrying Yu Li as they headed toward her home.

As for He Yushui, Shazhu entrusted him to Xu Daming.

Watching Shazhu leave, and then glancing at Yu Li sitting on the rear seat of the bicycle, Xu Daming fixed his gaze on He Yushui.