Chapter 457 - 389: Blind Date
After Zhao Youcai left, Zhao Jun went back inside. He saw Wang Meilan at the stove, cracking eggs into the pot.
Next to the pot were some dried noodles.
She was making them for Li Xiaoqiao.
"What were you and your father talking about out there?" Wang Meilan asked as soon as Zhao Jun came in. But before he could answer, she continued, "My hands are full. I was hoping when you came in, I could have you go next door and call Baoyu and Ruhai over for a meal."
"They don’t need to," Zhao Jun chuckled. "Those two are busy."
"Huh?" Wang Meilan was taken aback. She couldn’t imagine what those two lazy louts, who wouldn’t lift a finger to help, could possibly be busy with at home.
Zhao Jun knew his mother was soft-hearted. If she found out Li Ruhai had gotten a beating, she would definitely go rescue him. So he said, "Mom, don’t worry about them. Just make something for Xiaoqiao to eat."
"Then I’ll just use one egg," Wang Meilan said, putting the rest of the eggs away. She had originally planned to bring a bowl of noodles to the Li Brothers, but since that wasn’t necessary, she would just make enough for Li Xiaoqiao.
He had his matchmaking session with the Ma Family tomorrow, so Zhao Jun didn’t go up the mountain today. He just spent a peaceful day at home, playing with his dog and his little sisters.
Early the next morning, just after five, Zhao Youcai woke Zhao Jun up.
When Zhao Jun came out of his room, he saw Zhao Youcai carrying breakfast into it. The two little girls were still sleeping in the east room, and it was definitely too early to wake them.
After washing up, Zhao Jun ate with Wang Meilan and Zhao Youcai. Breakfast was simple: cabbage stewed with potatoes and vermicelli, with steamed cornmeal cakes as the staple.
After the three of them finished eating, they each went to get dressed. They didn’t have new clothes, but what they wore was clean and tidy.
By the time they were all ready, it wasn’t even seven o’clock. The two little girls were just getting up, and Wang Meilan helped them wash up and eat breakfast.
Around eight o’clock, the dog in Zhao Jun’s family’s yard started barking nonstop. Zhao Youcai, who was standing by the window looking out, called to Zhao Jun, "Son, go on. Liu Tiezui is here."
Zhao Jun hurried out of the house and saw the flamboyantly dressed Liu Tiezui standing at his gate, nervously eyeing the dog in the yard.
Zhao Jun shooed the dog away and walked to the gate to help Liu Tiezui inside. When they reached the door, Zhao Jun opened it and invited her to enter first.
The moment Liu Tiezui stepped through the door, Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan, who had been waiting at the entrance to the east room, came forward to greet her. The two parties exchanged a few smiling pleasantries before heading into the east room to talk.
Just then, Zhao Jun took his two younger sisters outside, leading them next door to the Li Family’s house to ask Jin Xiaomei to look after them for a while.
This had been arranged in advance. Jin Xiaomei welcomed Zhao Hong and Zhao Na inside to play with Li Xiaoqiao. By this time, Li Dayong and Li Baoyu had already left for work, so only she and her two children were home. Li Ruhai, however, did not come out to see them.
Zhao Jun didn’t pay him any mind. He just chatted with Jin Xiaomei for a moment, listened to her words of encouragement, and then took his leave.
When Zhao Jun returned home, he saw Zhao Youcai and Liu Tiezui smoking on the kang. As she smoked, Liu Tiezui was saying to Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan, "Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law, you have no idea! Just for our Xiaojun’s sake, I’ve worn out so many pairs of shoes!"
’What a load of crap! Pure nonsense!’
But Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan knew perfectly well that the woman was just trying to take credit for her efforts.
"Say no more, little sister," Zhao Youcai said to Liu Tiezui. "Once this business with Xiaojun is settled, I and your sister-in-law here will thank you properly."
"I’ll be waiting for that, then." Liu Tiezui laughed heartily. Turning to see Zhao Jun enter, she beckoned him over. "Xiaojun," she said with a smile, "when you get to the Ma Family’s place later, you need to be sharp, you hear?"
Hearing this, Zhao Jun immediately smiled. "Don’t worry, Aunt Liu. I know the drill."
’It wasn’t my first time, after all. I had experience.’
Just after eight-thirty, Liu Tiezui stood up and gave a call. Zhao Youcai and Wang Meilan, with Zhao Jun in tow, left the house with Liu Tiezui and headed for Ma Ling’s home.
They all lived in the same village, so distance was relative. How far could it possibly be?
It was only because Liu Tiezui wasn’t in the best of health that the three members of the Zhao Family walked a bit slower to accommodate her.
About ten minutes later, the four of them arrived in front of a family’s courtyard.
Outside the willow fence stood six people.
There was the couple, Ma Daifu and Wang Cuihua, plus the siblings Ma Ling and Ma Yang. The other two were Ma Ling’s married older brother and sister-in-law, Ma Sheng and Xu Xiaoqing.
All six family members had come out to greet them, as was the custom of the older generation.
The two families saw each other from a distance, but no one spoke. Only Liu Tiezui sashayed forward, calling out to Ma Daifu and Wang Cuihua, "Big Brother! Sister-in-law! Look who I’ve brought you!"
As her voice faded, Ma Daifu hurried forward a few steps to greet Zhao Youcai. "Second Brother, it’s been a while."
"It certainly has," Zhao Youcai said with a smile. "Is the family well?" He offered the pleasantry, but without waiting for Ma Daifu’s reply, he turned to Wang Cuihua. "Sister-in-law, you’re well too, I hope?"
"Very well," Wang Cuihua replied with a smile.
Seeing that Zhao Youcai had greeted the two elders of the Ma Family, Liu Tiezui quickly chimed in, "Let’s not stand around talking out here. Let’s go inside!"
"Right, right!" Ma Daifu added. "Inside, inside." With that, he gestured for them to enter.
Zhao Youcai nodded and smiled at him, taking a half-step forward to enter the courtyard alongside Ma Daifu.
Then, Wang Cuihua extended a hand toward Wang Meilan and smiled. "Sister, come on in."
If one were to be technical about it, Wang Meilan and Wang Cuihua could be considered distant relatives. But it was the kind of relation that only really counted as family in the countryside.
And it was precisely because of this connection that Wang Cuihua didn’t call Wang Meilan "Younger Sister-in-law," but addressed her as "Sister" instead.
Wang Meilan smiled at her words and walked into the yard with Wang Cuihua. Liu Tiezui followed close behind them.
The four elders paired off, leaving Zhao Jun with Ma Ling, her brothers, and her sister-in-law.
But since the two families’ meeting had followed old customs from the very start, the situation was by no means awkward.
And sure enough, Ma Sheng smiled at Zhao Jun and said, "Brother Zhao Jun, let’s go inside."
"Lead the way, Big Brother." Zhao Jun shook Ma Sheng’s hand, and Ma Sheng led him into the yard.
Behind them, Xu Xiaoqing walked with one arm linked with Ma Ling’s and the other hand holding her young brother-in-law’s, bringing up the rear.
Everyone went inside together. Ma Daifu and Zhao Youcai sat on the kang. Wang Meilan, Liu Tiezui, and Wang Cuihua all sat on the edge of the kang, but Wang Meilan and Liu Tiezui sat together on the inner side, while Wang Cuihua sat by herself closer to the door.
Zhao Jun and Ma Sheng came in and sat on a bench under the window.
Seeing Ma Ling and Xu Xiaoqing enter, Wang Cuihua reached out, pulled Ma Ling down to sit beside her, and then said to Xu Xiaoqing, "Xiaoqing, hurry and pour some water for our guests."
"Yes!" Xu Xiaoqing acknowledged, then turned and led Ma Yang away.
Ma Yang was still young and didn’t need to be present for this kind of occasion; he just needed to make an appearance.
As for why Wang Cuihua ordered Xu Xiaoqing to do the chore while pulling Ma Ling to her side, it wasn’t because she couldn’t bear to see her own daughter work and was ordering her daughter-in-law around instead.
It was simply because Ma Ling was the one in the matchmaking session today. She needed to sit still and let the Zhao Family have a look at her.
After Xu Xiaoqing left, Zhao Youcai shot Zhao Jun a look. Zhao Jun quickly stood up, pulled a pack of Shilin Cigarettes from his pocket—already opened, but with none taken—and took two steps forward. He pulled one out, held it horizontally, and offered it to Ma Daifu. "Uncle, have a smoke."