Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 653 Let's try some guidance.

The next day.

"Hahaha~"

A group of children's silvery laughter echoed in the yard.

In the courtyard, several children were playing together, their laughter so joyful.

This is their last holiday of the winter break; they will start school tomorrow.

Banggeng stood alone to the side, watching them play and wanting to join in too, so he immediately stepped forward and said, "Count me in!"

The children looked at the stick and remembered what their parents had said yesterday. Their faces changed: "No! My mom said she doesn't want to play with you. What if your family tries to extort money from us?"

"That's right, you fatherless child, who wants to play with you? Get out of here!"

"What did you say?!" Bang Geng suddenly flew into a rage.

The children weren't having any of their way of indulging him: "What? You want to fight?"

The children stood up in unison and walked menacingly in front of Banggeng, like a wall. Banggeng knew that he was no match for them alone.

"Hmph! You just wait!" Bang Geng said fiercely and fled in panic.

"Hahaha, the coward went to find her grandma!"

"Coward, coward, useless coward, all you do is go to your grandma."

"Without Jia Dongxu, Banggeng is just a child without a father, and anyone can bully him."

These words quickly spread among the children in the alley, like a sharp knife cutting into the hearts of Jia Zhangshi and Qin Huairu.

Without Jia Dongxu, Banggeng is no longer the child who can act recklessly.

Banggeng brought Jia Zhangshi over, but the children had already run away.

"You little brat, don't let me catch you!" Madam Jia could only vent her impotent rage, yet she was helpless.

Yesterday's madness and crying did not earn the Jia family any respect; instead, it led to more people mocking and despising them.

In this patriarchal society, the protests of women often seem so pale and powerless.

Banggeng and Jia Zhangshi returned to the courtyard in utter disappointment. He wanted to find someone else to play with, but there was no one in the courtyard willing to play with him anymore.

"What's wrong with Jia Zhangshi?" Matchmaker Wang watched the two of them return like stray dogs, completely ignoring her greetings.

She didn't care; she wasn't there to see the Jia family today.

Matchmaker Wang, beaming with joy, headed straight for the Cui family.

"Sister Cui, it's Little Cui!" Matchmaker Wang walked into the Cui family home with a smile.

"Matchmaker Wang, what brings you here?" Aunt Cui greeted her with a smile.

"Sister Cui, I'm here to introduce a potential partner to Xiao Cui, aren't I? She asked me to find someone before the New Year but I couldn't find one, so I should at least try harder after the New Year."

"I've been busy since after the New Year, and something happened in our yard, so it wasn't convenient for me to come. Now that I'm free, how about it?"

Upon hearing this, Aunt Cui nodded: "I'd appreciate it if you could make the trip."

Matchmaker Wang politely replied, "It's no trouble at all. It's all my duty. I should have come earlier, but I'm glad you didn't say I was late."

As she was talking, Wang the matchmaker suddenly heard a 'tick-tock' sound and looked in the direction of the sound.

Finally, it landed on the pendulum clock in a prominent position. The ticking of the clock sounded exceptionally clear at this moment, and his eyes lit up immediately.

It's only been half a month since we last met, and you've already added another pendulum clock to your furniture collection.

She slightly increased her opinion of Cui Yuan's importance.

"Matchmaker Wang!"

At this moment, Cui Yuan came out of the house. He was dressed in neat clothes and looked energetic.

Looking at Cui Yuan, Wang the matchmaker's eyes lit up once again; he looked even more handsome after dressing up.

"Hey, Xiao Cui, you didn't know I was bringing my girlfriend over, so you dressed up so smartly? Are you in a hurry? Don't worry, I'll bring her over in a bit."

Matchmaker Wang liked it more and more. It had only been a year since she last saw it, and it had changed so much.

Matchmaker Wang held Aunt Cui's hand and said, "Look at him! He's so handsome, any girl who comes here will be unable to walk away."

Aunt Cui was very happy to be praised like that.

Cui Yuan, on the other hand, exclaimed "Ah!" He was genuinely surprised that Matchmaker Wang would come and felt a little embarrassed.

The appointed time was approaching, and he couldn't stay any longer. It was an opportunity introduced by his master, and he absolutely couldn't miss it.

"Um, Matchmaker Wang, I have something to do later, so how about we call it a day?"

The matchmaker, still unaware of what was going on, angrily said to him, "What do you mean, 'let it go'? Aren't you in a hurry to find a partner? I'll bring the girl over in a bit."

Cui Yuan didn't have time to waste and told the truth: "Matchmaker Wang, my master introduced me to someone today. I'll go over in a bit. I really don't have time today. Maybe next time."

"Did your master introduce you to someone?"

"Yes, we agreed to meet today a few days ago. I'm really sorry."

"It's alright, you go ahead." Matchmaker Wang waved her hand magnanimously, "Don't waste time, hurry up and go."

Cui Yuan felt embarrassed and ashamed when he saw that Wang the matchmaker wasn't angry. She had come to introduce him to a potential partner, but he had stood her up.

Seeing Cui Yuan's expression, Matchmaker Wang pushed him out, saying, "Alright, hurry up and go, don't let your master be delayed."

"I have something to do, so I won't talk to you anymore."

After saying this, Wang the matchmaker left the courtyard first.

Cui Yuan and Aunt Cui were left staring at each other, neither of them offering an apology.

"Alright, since Matchmaker Wang didn't say anything, don't worry about it. Go quickly, don't keep people waiting too long."

"Okay." Cui Yuan nodded and followed him away.

It's not that Wang the matchmaker is reasonable, but this kind of thing is very common in the matchmaking circle. Compared to the matchmaker's introduction, the master's introduction is actually better.

There might be some other connections involved, which is beyond her control as an outsider.

However, if it doesn't work out, you'll still have to ask her for help; she's seen this kind of thing quite often during her time as a matchmaker.

Since there's no loss either way, there's no need to care about it.

"Li Kailang! Wake up!"

Early in the morning, Lou Xiao'e arrived at the door and knocked loudly.

"Welcome! Who is it, knocking on the door so early in the morning!"

Li Kailang opened the door, still half asleep, and saw Lou Xiao'e carrying large and small bags.

As soon as the door opened, Lou Xiao'e carried it in and put it down.

"I'm exhausted! Why are you still sleeping in? The sun's already high in the sky!"

"What? Can't I sleep in a little on my day off? Why did you bring so much stuff when it's not a holiday?"

Li Kailang looked at the large and small bags that were packaged in a very ordinary way, and couldn't tell what they were at a glance.

"Oh, these are for you. Thank you for your advice the other day. This is a reward for your encouragement."

Lou Xiao'e pointed to the large and small bags, "These are from my parents, and this is from me."

After saying that, Li Kailang saw Lou Xiao'e take out a large yellow croaker from her bosom.

"This is my guidance fee for you, how about it? Isn't it genuine?" Lou Xiao'e asked expectantly, her big eyes wide open.

"Yes, really." Li Kailang couldn't refuse, so he nodded.

"Take it!" Lou Xiao'e stuffed it directly into Li Kailang's hand: "Don't be polite with me, I have more."

"Okay." Li Kailang nodded, glanced at it twice, and then casually placed it on the table.

Instead, they were curious about the large and small bags: "What are these?"

"These are snacks and pastries, like 'Toad Spitting Honey,' 'Donkey Rolling,' and 'Aiwowo.'"

"I don't know what you like, so my dad got you some of everything to try."

"So, do you like it?" Lou Xiao'e looked into Li Kailang's eyes, only catching a glimpse of his expression. Then, like a peddler praising her own wares, she said, "You don't like it, do you? I knew it! How could a grown man like you like these snacks? My big yellow croaker is much better."

“You’re right,” Li Kailang agreed verbally, though he genuinely enjoyed the pastries.

He can eat his fill, but sometimes he has cravings. He can't just eat whenever he's hungry, so this snack is just the right time.

Especially considering the current scarcity of food, Lou Zhenhua must have spent a considerable amount of grain to prepare these pastries.

Sending these snacks shows deep affection; most people would be moved to tears.

"Director Lou is very thoughtful; he even knows how to package it up."

This gift truly touched his heart.

The two then sat down and chatted for a while.

"By the way, how are you handling your studies? Are you not going to drop out now?"

"Pretty much. Anyway, I won't get into university, so I'm not in the mood to study. Now I'm just waiting to get my high school diploma. There's nothing else to do. I can play as much as I want."

Li Kailang nodded: "So what are your plans for the future?"

Lou Xiao'e shrugged: "I don't know what to do either. I'll just play around for now. Anyway, my dad said he can support me. I'll figure out what I want to do later."

After overcoming her inner demons, Lou Xiao'e became much more open-minded.

"And what about getting married?"

"I don't want to! I don't want to get married!" Lou Xiao'e shook her head repeatedly, her tone tinged with fear.

Clearly, the incident involving Xu's mother made her afraid of marriage, fearing that others would scheme against her.

Lou Zhenhua had brought up this topic with her intentionally or unintentionally, asking her if she had any feelings for Li Kailang.

"Yes, I feel like I could be good friends with him."

Lou Zhenhua saw that there was no trace of affection in Lou Xiao'e's eyes, so he gave up the idea.

Lou Zhenhua did indeed want to marry his daughter to Li Kailang, after all, he was a college student with excellent grades at night school.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, after graduating, I can return to the steel rolling mill and become a senior technician; with further study, I can become a junior engineer.

Then, when the time comes, she'll be the one who doesn't like him anymore.

Lou Zhenhua simply said, "Okay, since you're good friends, then spend more time with him when you have time and keep in touch."

After chatting for a while, Lou Xiao'e got up and left.

"Alright, stop seeing me off. Don't look down on me next time I come."

"No problem at all, just bring some pastries with you when you come," Li Kailang said with a smile.

"Know it."

With high schools all starting, Lou Xiao'e doesn't have as much free time to come often.

Although she managed to get her diploma, she didn't skip a single day of school and drift through life aimlessly.

"Xiao Li, you're something else! You even brought a gift, what was it?"

As soon as Lou Xiao'e left, Yan Bugui immediately came over to gossip.

"nothing."

"Don't be like that, we're all from the same courtyard, there's nothing to say, but there must be a lot of stuff packed for Xiaobai, right?"

Yan Bugui's cunning eyes darted around, as if he were plotting something.

"It's nothing, it's just that Uncle San starts school tomorrow. Aren't you going to prepare your lesson plans?"

Yan Bugui waved his hand: "No need to prepare. I can just use the old lesson plan. I've been using this lesson plan for several years and there's not a single mistake."

“Old lesson plans can’t keep up with the times, we should go and prepare some.”

"Don't worry about that. It can't be changed. Even if it were, it would still be the same thing. No matter how you change it, it's just deleting or replacing things."

"Even if it's changed, it won't be tested, and there's no need to explain it. My old lesson plan may look old, but it still has some substance."

"That extracts the core content of the article. If a student with a poor grade takes a look at it, their grade can improve by 10 points."

At this point, Li Kailang raised an eyebrow: "Really?"

His gaze drifted, intentionally or unintentionally, toward Yan Jiefang and Yan Jiekuang, who were finishing their homework.

Immediately, Yan Bugui's face turned red with anger and he remained silent. The two brothers' grades were in the middle range, which was not bad.

But as a teacher, his grades were quite poor, which was a disgrace to him.

Yan Bugui was so angry that he was in no mood to speak and simply left.

evening.

After their date, the two agreed to meet again next time and then went their separate ways.

"How is it? How is it?" Aunt Cui looked at Cui Yuan with great anticipation.

She nodded shyly, "It was alright. The date went smoothly. She's pretty much what Master said about her. She's a nice person and someone I can settle down with."

"I really like her, but I don't know if she likes me back?"

This time, it was Cui Yuan's turn to be anxious and insecure. It was his first date, and he was afraid of failing.

Upon hearing this, Aunt Cui felt relieved, realizing that making a good impression meant half the job was done.

"Grandson, don't worry. If it's really as your master said, if you have feelings for someone, they'll have feelings for you too."

"Really?" Although Cui Yuan liked hearing Aunt Cui's comforting words, he was even more afraid of failure.

On the other side, after Liu An and Cui Yuan parted ways, Liu An first went to his uncle Liu Huazhong's house.

"An'an, what do you think? Whether you like someone or not, don't worry about saving face for me. If you like someone, you like them; if you don't, that's fine too."

Liu An blushed and nodded, saying, "Uncle, he's a very nice person, just like you said."

After saying that, she shyly covered her face with her hands.

"Haha." Seeing this, Liu Huazhong knew that Liu An had a good impression of Cui Yuan, and this matter was half successful.

Liu An expressed his fondness for Cui Yuan, saying, "We can give it a try and see how it goes."

The words were left unsaid, but Liu Huazhong seemed to understand something.

"Okay, I understand. You can go back now. It's getting late. If he likes it, I'll let him know tomorrow."

"Thank you for your trouble, Uncle." After saying that, Liu An told them to go home and wait for good news.

Knowing Cui Yuan as he does, he'll probably not refuse. It's best to keep things a little mysterious for their first date so they can look forward to it.

This actually increases the goodwill between the two.

As soon as Liu An left, Liu Huazhong immediately went to find Cui Yuan.

Upon hearing that Cui Yuan also had feelings for her and even asked her how she felt about him, Liu Huazhong couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Good, good, good, as expected, true love prevails in the end."

"Don't worry, she likes you too."

"Really?" Cui Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this.

"But don't laugh too soon. Today is the first time you two have met. Let's spend a month together and get to know each other better."

"By the way, she's still a student. It's fine for you two to date, but don't go to her school. She's very shy."

"Don't worry, Master, I will definitely do as you say."

Liu Huazhong pointed out some precautions to prevent Cui Yuan from accidentally touching anything that might damage their relationship.

Knowing the outcome for the two men, Liu Huazhong happily went home.

I'll go to my younger brother's house tomorrow to discuss this.

After Liu Huazhong left, Cui Yuan and Aunt Cui began preparing for their wedding.

Although things are still far off and nothing is certain yet, he still needs to prepare for the wedding, regardless of whether the person he marries is Liu An or not.

(End of this chapter)