Chapter 533: Gossip Survival System (32)

Number 8 Compound, the Wang Family.

After the families of those three petty thieves came to make a scene, Niu Cuifen had absolutely no interest left in celebrating the New Year.

"Cry, cry, cry, you know how to cry now? When you instigated the hoodlums from your maiden family's side to pry open the Xie Family's door, why didn't you foresee this result? Don't give me that nonsense about being unintentional; if you were unintentional, would they implicate you? You can say that to outsiders, but do you think I don't know what's on your mind?"

Niu Cuifen scolded her daughter-in-law, who was lying on the bed in the inner room sobbing:

"Those people are pestering our family, and you don't think of a way to solve it, you only know how to cry. Crying is worth a fart! Today, thanks to Bureau Chief Gu coming to patrol twice, we weren't swindled by them, but what about next time? Even if they don't rob or swindle, just standing in the courtyard and cursing at our family is enough to make the Wang Family lose all face. If they come again, you can just roll back to your maiden family! If they want to curse, let them go to your maiden family to curse! Our family can't afford to support a big Buddha like you!"

Niu Cuifen was truly furious.

In order for her son and daughter to find good partners, she had always chosen to smooth things over whenever neighbors took advantage of them, let alone when she took advantage of others.

The new daughter-in-law, however, had caused such a huge disaster less than a month after entering the house; not only was she made a laughingstock for no reason, but how would her daughter's marriage prospects be handled now?

She would be seventeen at the New Year, and in two more years, she would graduate from high school; regardless of whether she got into university, she would definitely need to start looking for a husband's family.

With a sister-in-law who colluded with hoodlums to break into a neighbor's house, how would her Linlin find a husband's family in the future?

The neighborhood relations she had managed for half a lifetime were destroyed just like that by a fool who couldn't be brought out in public.

Although after last night's incident, the neighbors hadn't said anything to her face during the day, who knew if they were looking down on her family behind her back!

Thinking of this, Niu Cuifen felt a wave of irritation and glared at her helpless son: "I told you back then that the Lou Family wasn't a good family to marry into, and that you shouldn't marry a daughter with that kind of family style. Not only did you not listen to me, but you dared to get involved with her before you were even married. Now the bad luck has reached our doorstep, and eight out of ten people outside know that you've been married for less than a month and the seed in your wife's belly is already forty days old. One shameful thing after another, what kind of New Year is this, what kind of New Year's Eve dinner is there to eat! I'm already full from the anger!"

"Mom, that Bureau Chief Gu is here again."

Wang Lin said excitedly while leaning against the window.

She saw Gu Yu'an carrying a basket, knocking on the Xie Family's door, and talking to Xie Yang.

She couldn't help but frown: "Is he here to give gifts to the Xie Family? Isn't he a Bureau Chief?"

Niu Cuifen's heart skipped a beat; she couldn't be bothered to scold her son and daughter-in-law anymore. She lifted the curtain and pressed against the window glass to look outside—it really was him! He brought a basket when he arrived and left empty-handed.

"Could it be that he knows the Xie Family?"

This morning, she had found out that Bureau Chief Gu didn't have a partner yet and had only transferred from the military to the Public Security Bureau last month, so she had the idea of matchmaking him with her own daughter.

Although the other party was a Public Security Bureau Chief, her own daughter wasn't bad either; she was a high school student, and if she got into university in two years, she would be a state Cadre upon graduation, no worse than the man.

Just like that, when she saw him coming to patrol in the evening, she chatted with him for a few sentences and intentionally or unintentionally mentioned her daughter who was in high school, though she didn't know if Bureau Chief Gu had taken it to heart.

Seeing him being close to the Xie Family at this moment, Niu Cuifen rang the alarm bell in her heart.

But it was already New Year's Eve, and there was no reason to go to someone else's house to chat.

Niu Cuifen had to suppress her urgency, thinking that after the New Year, she would ask a matchmaker to probe Bureau Chief Gu's intentions.

Even if he knew the Xie Family, as long as he wasn't dating Xie Yang, her Linlin still had a chance.

In fact, not only Niu Cuifen, but Widow Guo also had a strong favorable impression of the Bureau Chief who had personally arrived at the scene last night. While eating New Year's Eve dinner, she nagged her daughter:

"You'll be twenty-one after the New Year. If you still don't have a partner you like, how about I introduce you to one? What do you think of the Bureau Chief Gu who came yesterday? I heard your Auntie Niu asking around about his personal situation this morning; I heard his home is in the nearby Dongfu Hutong and he doesn't have a partner yet."

Guo Lihua laughed amusedly: "Mom, he's a dignified Public Security Bureau Chief, would he look at me? Stop joking!"

"Where are you lacking? You graduated from high school and joined the Newspaper Office, and this year you were even named an outstanding employee; my daughter is very capable!"

Guo Lihua laughed out loud: "Only you, Mom, think I'm capable; there are plenty of people outside more capable than me! I only got this honor after three years of hard work. Unlike Yang Yang, who hasn't been in the factory for half a year and has already received commendations from the whole factory. I heard she even helped the Mechanical Factory secure a foreign trade deal; starting next year, the Mechanical Factory will be able to earn foreign exchange too. Someone like Yang Yang is what you call a true heroine who doesn't lose to men; compared to her, I'm still far behind."

Widow Guo nodded: "Yang Yang is indeed capable, but she is younger than you, and your Grandma Xie probably won't be looking for a husband for her for the next two years. Once your lifelong matter is settled and this heavy stone in my heart is put down, I'll help Yang Yang look for a good partner later."

Guo Lihua laughed helplessly: "It sounds like if you take action, Mom, it will definitely succeed. Honestly, I haven't thought about looking for someone with such good conditions; if the conditions are too good, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it... You know my temper; I'm not the type of young wife who swallows her tears."

"Sigh, where are your conditions lacking? Our family's only shortcoming is that your father passed away early. Otherwise..."

"Alright, Mom, it's New Year's today, we should be happy. Marriage sometimes depends on fate; when fate arrives, it arrives, and if it hasn't, let's not force it."

"Sigh—"

Widow Guo sighed.

She truly felt that Bureau Chief Gu was a rare and good candidate for a partner.

Otherwise, why would Niu Cuifen have someone go ask about him this morning, right after her daughter-in-law caused trouble last night?

In the end, wasn't it just because she didn't want to miss such a good candidate for a son-in-law.

Gu Yu'an didn't know that he had only been transferred for less than a month, and that after taking a temporary field trip yesterday to check the surrounding situation, two groups of people were already inquiring about his personal situation.

But even if he knew, it wouldn't have any influence on his decisions.

On the third day of the first lunar month, the last day of the Spring Festival holiday, he brought gifts and the lunchbox that had held dumplings and dishes last time, and came to the Xie Family to pay a New Year's call.

At this time, Xie Yang was knitting a sweater around the stove table in the main room.

The cover on the stove table had been replaced by a wire mesh, and on the mesh sat a round little ceramic teapot, bubbling with fragrant Pu'er tea. Surrounding it was a circle of snacks suitable for roasting—there were peanuts, chestnuts, small potatoes, as well as persimmon cakes covered in sugar frost and dried longan emitting a sweet fragrance.

Oranges and kumquats were also delicious when heated; they were refreshing and not too cold, so Xie Yang also put one or two on the wire mesh.

Grandma Xie also cut a few slices of rice cake and placed them on top to roast; in a short while, the whole room was filled with the slightly charred, fragrant scent of rice.

Knitting sweaters and chatting, drinking tea when thirsty, and eating a piece of rice cake or peeling a small potato when hungry, Xie Yang even felt that these days were more comfortable than the few years she spent in retirement in Australia in her previous life.