I am Jia Dongjin in the Siheyuan (Courtyard House)

Chapter 50 No Wavering

Seeing Qin Jingru standing there in a daze, Qin Huairu angrily slapped her younger sister hard and sternly advised her.

"Jingru, you silly girl, you're driving me crazy! It's obvious Dongjin doesn't want to, and now everyone's gone out of town. Don't be foolish. There's no going back in life, and a woman only has one life! If you can't even live this life well, don't talk about the next; that's all lies. In our rural area, plenty of people get married at 15. I've already figured it out: I can get married first and then register the marriage when I turn 18. Today it's Li Guolan, tomorrow it'll be Wang Guolan. You'll regret it if you don't fight her over."

"Sis, I'll listen to you, but I'm still young and won't fight for it."

Qin Jingru finally came to her senses and began to plead with Qin Huairu.

Qin Huairu had already planned this. She whispered a few words in Qin Jingru's ear, telling her to change into her new clothes for the New Year, and then intercept Jia Dongjin outside the courtyard gate.

Qin Huairu prepared to split her forces into two groups: Qin Jingru would go outside to intercept Jia Dongjin and prevent him from entering the courtyard, while Qin Huairu would be responsible for guarding the Jia family and preventing Jia Zhangshi from agreeing to the marriage.

The Jia family was worried about being conspicuous, so they didn't dare to have everyone wear new clothes. Jia Dongjin and Qin Huairu were still wearing their work clothes, and Qin Jingru was reluctant to wear new clothes, so she was wearing Qin Huairu's old clothes. Only Jia Zhangshi and Banggeng were wearing new clothes.

Chinese people generally love children, and many children in the yard have new clothes. Bang Geng wearing new clothes is not conspicuous.

It took the Li family mother and daughter a full forty minutes to inspect the back room. By the time they returned to the Jia family in the middle courtyard, the last dish, stir-fried cured pork with cabbage, had already been served, and Jia Zhangshi was waiting for the guests to take their seats.

During the holiday, many dishes were readily available, and all that was needed was a few hot dishes. Qin Huairu had also set out the bowls and chopsticks.

"The food is getting cold, please sit down."

Madam Jia hurriedly pulled the Li family mother and daughter to the table, preparing to drink and begin the feast.

Unlike the gentle and refined women of the South, the women of Beijing, located in the North, also possess a bold and forthright spirit, and are quite willing to drink a little wine.

As soon as Qin Jingru left the Jia family home after changing into her new clothes, Jia Dongjin rushed through the hanging flower gate of the central courtyard, panting heavily.

He also realized he had made a mistake; marriage is a serious matter and should not be taken lightly, as it could easily lead to unnecessary trouble.

Just as Qin Huairu guessed, he didn't like Li Guolan. He felt that this younger sister valued material things too much and was not his type. She was fine as a younger sister, but definitely not suitable as a wife, as it would cause pain for both of them.

There are many ways to repay one's adoptive parents; marrying Li Guolan is a last resort, and there's no need to risk one's entire life for it.

Worried that Jia Zhangshi might agree, Jia Dongjin pedaled his bicycle as fast as he could, speeding back to the courtyard house.

He ignored Qin Jingru, whom he encountered, and strode into his house. He only greeted her once, and seeing that no one seemed to notice anything amiss, and knowing that Jia Zhangshi had not yet made a formal statement, Jia Dongjin breathed a sigh of relief. He dared not delay any longer and stated his decision directly.

"Mom, I met Matchmaker Wang on the way and asked her to help me find a partner. Matchmaker Wang has agreed and will come over tomorrow to talk about my situation."

Ignoring the awkwardness of his adoptive mother and Li Guolan, Jia Dongjin took direct action to sever the potential marriage.

He deliberately emphasized the words "Matchmaker Wang" and "my business" to clearly express his attitude.

Upon hearing Jia Dongjin's words, Jia Zhangshi's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the wine cup in her hand; Qin Huairu's face turned pale, and she silently lowered her head; Qin Jingru, dressed in new clothes, stood frozen at the Jia family's door with her mouth agape.

Li's mother grasped her daughter's trembling hand tightly, forcing a smile as she congratulated her, "Yes, it's time to make arrangements for the eastward journey. Congratulations."

At that moment, she remembered her husband's foresight: they could live without a son-in-law, but they couldn't live without an adopted son.

Jia Dongjin stopped wavering and made the final decision, instantly stabilizing the situation. Qin Jingru was brought back to reality, and the Li family mother and daughter ate the most tasteless meal of their lives.

After the meal, despite his adoptive mother's objections, Jia Dongjin insisted on taking the mother and daughter home. Li Guolan rode her bicycle ahead alone with a blank face, while Jia Dongjin and Li's mother followed behind.

No one spoke along the way. When they were almost home, Li's mother gently patted Jia Dongjin three times.

She muttered under her breath, "You little rascal, you've made me so angry! From now on, you'll have to look after Xiaolan if anything happens."

"You can rest assured, Xiaolan is my own sister."

Li's mother's genuine emotions moved Jia Dongjin as well. He stopped the car, gave Li's mother a light hug, and said in a low voice, "Mom, I won't go inside."

"Now you know I'm your mother too, get lost!"

Li's mother wiped away her tears and scolded with a smile.

"Yes, sir! Get out of here!"

Jia Dongjin pretended to walk around three times before quickly and swiftly making his escape, thus saving face for both sides.

Afterwards, Jia Dongjin learned that if the Li family mother and daughter had returned to the west wing of the central courtyard earlier and started their banquet sooner, the marriage might have already been arranged.

During times of economic hardship, girls instinctively prioritize financial security when choosing a partner; when job hunting is difficult, girls prioritize stable and well-paid civil servant positions; similarly, in the 1980s and 90s, when everyone was financially secure, girls would marry for love, and free-choice relationships were more common. This is a very normal socio-economic phenomenon.

A girl's views on choosing a partner profoundly reflect economic realities. This is a speechless and helpless situation. No one is a fool; everyone is just trying to survive and has to consider themselves and their children.

Therefore, Jia Zhangshi regarded Jia Dongjin as a highly sought-after person, and Jia Dongjin himself only realized this a few months later.

He was unaware that the Qin sisters were planning to intercept him from the shadows.

Li Guolan didn't know that as long as she didn't become overly obsessed with the furniture and decorations of the new house and lingered in the new house for too long, her marriage would have a different outcome.

However, with just a gentle tug, Qin Huairu severed the thread of fate connecting Li Guolan and Jia Dongjin.

Qin Huairu doesn't know either.

What a wonderful marriage was formed by her gentle tug!

Her gentle tug completely changed the fate of the Jia family.

Her gentle tug changed the lives of many people in the courtyard.

On his way home, Jia Dongjin turned onto Wang the matchmaker's house, which was three streets away from No. 95 Courtyard, not far away.

After casually buying some gifts and making a few inquiries, Jia Dongjin brought the gifts to the door.

When her first business deal came in 59, Wang the matchmaker smiled broadly. She skillfully accepted the gift, but finding it quite ordinary, her smile faded slightly before Jia Dongjin's words brought it back to life.

"Aunt Wang, I came in a hurry today and didn't have time to buy a decent gift. I'll definitely make it up to you next time. Thank you for your help during the New Year. Putting everything else aside, the thank-you fee must be doubled after the matter is settled!"

Unlike in the previous life, introducing a partner is now a very serious matter. The matchmaker has more power than the cook serving food. Sha Zhu's shaky ladle only affects a meal, but the matchmaker affects a young person's entire life. No one dares to offend the matchmaker now.

Matchmaker Wang took out her notebook and took notes as Jia Dongjin introduced himself. After hearing Jia Dongjin's conditions, she patted her chest and habitually made a guarantee, "No problem, I'm telling you, I'll make sure you're satisfied."

"Aunt Wang, once I get to work, I'll go see Director Wang. I might also go to the neighborhood office to repair radios. We're practically colleagues, so you'll have to help me find a good one."

Seeing that Wang the matchmaker wasn't saying anything honest, Jia Dongjin worried that she would retaliate, so he had no choice but to increase his stakes.

Matchmakers don't have an unlimited number of women in their hands; high-quality women are always a scarce resource. Passively waiting is a poor strategy, and one can only look for what others have left over. Jia Dongjin chose to take the initiative.

You can't just date whoever you want. If it doesn't work out once or twice, you can move on to someone else. But if it doesn't work out three or four times, nobody will want to date you anymore. If it goes on for any longer, it becomes a high-risk activity, almost equivalent to being a scoundrel, and you'll definitely ruin your reputation.

In an era of food and drink shortages, He Yuzhu was actually the young man in the courtyard with the best conditions, on par with Xu Damao, who had the help of his parents.

However, Xu Damao was a womanizer, while He Yuzhu could only sigh in vain and be saddened alone. Offending the matchmaker and ruining his reputation was an important reason for this.

"You can even fix radios?"

Matchmaker Wang sized up Jia Dongjin. Apart from not being a cadre, this young man was outstanding in every other aspect. Unexpectedly, he had an advantage: he could repair radios, which was no small feat. He was like a high-tech talent from decades later, and he was extremely attractive to young girls.

"I just fixed the radio for Brother Cai's father-in-law."

The new business has not yet officially started, but successful business models are already readily available.

Matchmaker Wang was also affiliated with the street office, and her business complemented that of the renovation team leader, Lao Cai, so the two had frequent interactions.

"I have three here, take a look at the photos first."

Looking at the girl's photo, Jia Dongjin's heart stirred.