Chapter 167: Li Xuan's Blind Date

It turns out the part most easily damaged during childbirth is the pelvic floor muscle.

Many women find it becomes loose after giving birth.

Si Rong frowned as she looked up the scientific exercise recommendations that followed.

Then, she returned to the bedroom to exercise on her own.

……

Matchmaker Hua was feeling a bit troubled.

It was the end of the year, and she had even started deep-frying New Year goods, yet someone had found their way to her home to ask her to play matchmaker.

"Let's talk after the New Year; what girl would be willing to go on a blind date with you right in the middle of the New Year?"

Matchmaker Hua had intended to send the person away, but then she saw the small stack of 'Great Unity' banknotes the other party handed over.

She immediately beamed, "Come to think of it, the end of the year is actually quite suitable for blind dates; a good thing combined with a good day makes for a double blessing."

As she spoke, she sized up the man in front of her; he was about forty years old, refined and fair-skinned, and his black-rimmed glasses added a scholarly air to him.

This kind of temperament was not something one could cultivate in an ordinary household.

Logically speaking, a man like this shouldn't have ended up in the blind date market.

The man seemed to notice her scrutinizing gaze and smiled slightly, "Auntie Hua, I'm here to run an errand for my father."

The person who actually wanted to go on a blind date was his father.

"How old is your father this year?"

When speaking to such a polite, cultured person, Matchmaker Hua unconsciously became polite herself.

She suddenly felt the man in front of her looked familiar and quickly searched her mind for his identity.

"My father is sixty-three this year."

Matchmaker Hua: ……

"Are you the youngest son of Old Commander Kong?" she asked with pleasant surprise, having suddenly remembered.

Her hands and feet felt a bit awkward, and she had a sense of being honored by his presence in her home.

"Yes." The man tilted his head and smiled, looking amiable and harmless, "Please put in some effort for us, Auntie Hua. My siblings and I all hope someone can take care of Father; it would be best if she were younger and of good character and appearance."

Matchmaker Hua pondered to herself.

By rights, although the old Commander had already retired, with such status and family background, it should be easy to find a second wife.

But listening to the meaning behind Commander Kong's youngest son's words, he wanted to find someone young to be both a Little Mother and a nanny.

That would be hard to find.

Suddenly, she fished a person out from the depths of her memory.

"Rest assured, this matter is in the hands of your Auntie Hua."

……

Li Xuan let out a long sigh.

There was almost no rice left in the pot at home, and with only two days left until the New Year, she didn't know when there would be news from Matchmaker Hua.

These past two days, she had frequently thought of Shen Lan and their plans.

This short-lived man was truly useless; if she had chosen a different man back then, perhaps everything in the Si Family would be theirs by now.

Now that Si Rong was living a good life with both a son and a daughter, she was so jealous she couldn't sleep at night.

"Is there anything to eat?"

Shen Yuan was listless; she had originally thought their previous life was bitter enough, but she never imagined there was no 'most bitter,' only 'more bitter.'

Now she was already malnourished from hunger, and whenever she met former classmates on the street, she would keep her head down and sneak away along the wall.

"There are still two sweet potatoes." Li Xuan didn't have a pleasant look for her either, "They'll be roasted soon."

"But I'm hungry now!" Shen Yuan urged.

"If you're hungry, go to sleep; you won't be hungry once you're asleep," Li Xuan said again.

Shen Yuan: ……

She lay on the bedding, staring blankly at the ceiling, "Why did you give birth to us back then? Just to let us suffer with you?"

Li Xuan had long been fed up with her, and coupled with the lingering anger she held toward Si Rong, she got up and slapped her across the face.

"I did give birth to you without your consent, but weren't you quite happy when you were living the good life before?"

"This is the life you get with me; if you don't like it, get out!"

Only when pushed to the brink do the baser instincts of human nature reveal themselves.

Every man for himself, or heaven and earth will destroy him.

She could barely look after herself now; her children were just burdens.

Shen Yuan covered her face and got up to run, but was stopped by Shen Chi, "Forgotten the lessons from before?"

He now understood why it was always men who could ascend to the emperor's throne in ancient times; women were creatures with long hair and short insight.

When trapped in a predicament, they only knew how to blame heaven and others, having no idea how to use their own strengths to improve their situation.

His mother was slightly better, but Shen Yuan had truly been spoiled rotten by Si Rong in the past, completely ignorant of the realities of the world.

Therefore, a doting mother like Si Rong was not suited to raising children.

This thought eased much of the guilt Shen Chi felt about his plan to get rid of Si Rong's children.

He was doing this for Si Rong's own good, otherwise, the world would just have two more fools like his little sister.

"Everyone calm down, everything will get better."

He took the fire poker from Li Xuan's hand and began to roast the sweet potatoes.

It was at this moment that Matchmaker Hua arrived at the door.

Seeing the plight of the mother and her two children, she immediately felt a sense of pity.

She sighed with emotion, "You orphans and widows have truly suffered."

She added, "I have come to bring you good news."

The gloom in Li Xuan's heart was swept away in an instant.

She knew it; the heavens would not fail a beauty like her.

"You've come such a long way, it really is a bother for you."

There was nothing good in the tent to entertain Matchmaker Hua with, but fortunately, Matchmaker Hua did not seem to mind.

Li Xuan felt a bit embarrassed discussing these things in front of her children, so she did not ask as bluntly as she wanted, only asking about what she cared about most.

"Is the other party a military officer?"

Matchmaker Hua nodded.

"He is even a Commander!"

Although he has retired.

Li Xuan felt another wave of excitement; although she did not know much about the military, she knew that a Commander was definitely higher-ranking than a Division Commander.

Once she finally endured through her hardships and became the Commander's Wife, her status would instantly surpass Si Rong's!

If it weren't for the fact that Matchmaker Hua was still present, Li Xuan would have been on the verge of tears of joy.

"When will we meet?"

Her words carried an eagerness and a tremor caused by being overly excited.

Although she had long known that with her looks and character, remarrying would not be difficult, she still could not control her excitement.

"The other party is just as straightforward as you!" Matchmaker Hua smiled even more happily, "You can meet tomorrow!"

She then subtly reminded Li Xuan, "The other party is a bit older than you, but being older means he will know how to cherish you, and he is high-ranking and powerful, so you should dress up well tomorrow."

"Alright, I understand."

Li Xuan did not pay any attention to her reminder at all, only grasping one key point: high-ranking and powerful.

For a man, the most important things are power and status; back when Shen Lan was a Deputy County Magistrate, he was quite charming, but after he went to sell rotten eggs, his entire person lost its luster.

Since she was meeting a Commander tomorrow, Li Xuan would certainly have to put some effort into her appearance.

But she had not bought new clothes in a long time and only had her old clothes from before.

Shen Chi knew the matter was of great importance and took out his last savings to buy clothes for his mother to dress up.

He hoped his mother could successfully remarry.

He was also willing to have a stepfather who was a Commander.

Soon, the next day arrived, and Li Xuan dressed up extremely gorgeously early in the morning, preparing to go to the appointment.

The other party had booked a Western restaurant.

Li Xuan had not been to such a high-end place in a long time; the other party had not arrived yet, and she had come a bit early.

After waiting for half an hour, Li Xuan finally saw the person arrive; it was a middle-aged man with an outstanding temperament.

Li Xuan felt that the two of them were a perfect match.