Siheyuan: Starting from the driver

Chapter 776 When the snipe and the clam fight, no one benefits.
About half an hour later, Li Kailang's anger should have subsided a bit.

Yan Bugui carefully straightened his clothes in front of the mirror, cleared his throat, and put on what he considered to be his most amiable and cultured smile, resembling that of a school principal.

Then, he strolled leisurely to Li Kailang's doorstep.

Unlike the matchmaker Wang, he didn't make a fuss; instead, he knocked on the door three times gently and discreetly.

"Xiao Li? Is he home?"

Inside the room, Li Kailang was lying on the bed with his eyes closed, resting.

The relentless "bombardment" of blind dates throughout the morning left him physically and mentally exhausted.

Upon hearing Yan Bugui's voice, he subconsciously frowned.

Li Kailang took a deep breath, calmed his agitated emotions, and got up to open the door.

Seeing Li Kailang open the door, Yan Bugui's smile widened, tinged with just the right amount of concern:
"Xiao Li, you've opened the door? Good, good. I heard everything just now. Sigh, this is really something."

As he spoke, he walked inside quite naturally.

"Come, come, Xiao Li, sit down and rest." Yan Bugui found a stool and sat down first, saying with concern.

"I, Uncle, saw everything that happened today. That old woman Wang is so unreliable! Who schedules three events in one morning? Isn't that just making things difficult for everyone? And that Zhang clerk..."

Yan Bugui curled his lip, his face full of disdain, even a hint of righteous indignation.

"Hmph! A mere clerk in a small subdistrict office, a nobody, yet he acts like he's more important than our district leaders! He interrogates you like a thief, calculating everything with a clattering sound, and he even dragged your parents into it?"

"This is outrageous! It's utterly rude! Doesn't she know how to respect people? Xiao Li, you did the right thing! People with no manners like this are the ones who should be dealt with! We can't tolerate them at all!"

Yan Bugui spoke these words with genuine feeling, as if he were completely on Li Kailang's side and defending him.

He knew that speaking up for Li Kailang and those two people on their behalf at this moment would be the best way to get closer to them and win their favor.

Li Kailang watched Yan Bugui's performance without saying a word, but poured him a glass of water and sat down himself, his face expressionless.

Seeing that Li Kailang did not refute, Yan Bugui seemed encouraged and changed the subject very naturally:
“Little Li, your third uncle knows you’re a smart man, cultured, capable, and decisive! This marriage is a big decision you have to make yourself; you can’t let others interfere.”

"Especially those like Granny Wang, who only care about collecting matchmaking gifts and randomly pairing couples up, but..."

He drawled out the sound, observing Li Kailang's reaction.

"Don't let these unreliable guys today discourage you from finding a partner!"

"Our neighbors in this courtyard are all quite concerned about your marriage prospects. Look at Uncle Er's family, they're quite enthusiastic, aren't they? But..."

"Hmm?" Li Kailang wondered what his marriage had to do with Liu Haizhong.

And what is Yan Bugui up to?
Yan Bugui lowered his voice, leaned forward slightly, and adopted a sincere and open-hearted posture.

"My second uncle is a kind-hearted man, but after all, he came from a working-class background, and his vision and experience may still be a little lacking."

"Most of the girls he knows are just factory workers, and they might not be a good match for your status and future as a college graduate and technician!"

"When it comes to living together, it's important to be well-matched in terms of social standing and shared values!"

Finally, having laid the groundwork to this point, Yan Bugui felt the time was almost right.

"I, your third uncle, have been teaching at Hongxing Elementary School for decades. I have nurtured countless students, and the people I know are from different backgrounds."

"I know a few girls, and they really are, I'm not exaggerating, absolutely well-educated, gentle, and virtuous girls from good families!"

"Whether they come from a good family or are from a family of teachers or a branch of a scholarly family, they are cultured, reasonable, and would never be as mercenary and calculating as that Zhang cadre today."

He paused, observing Li Kailang's reaction. Seeing that the other party remained silent, he became even more enthusiastic in his sales pitch.

"The young female teacher who recently transferred to our school is impeccable in her speech and demeanor! And she's quite pretty too!"

"The key is that their parents are both retired university teachers, reasonable and understanding, and they definitely don't have any messy relatives to burden them with!"

Yan Bugui spoke with great enthusiasm, his words flowing freely, as if he could already envision the scene of success.

"Little Li, if you trust your Uncle San, leave this to me! I guarantee I'll introduce you to someone! I'll make sure you're satisfied!"

"How about I arrange a time for you to talk to that new teacher?"

At this point, Li Kailang understood Yan Bugui's intentions and was about to refuse when a voice sounded outside the door again.

"Little Li? Is Little Li home? I'm your second uncle!"

The door wasn't even closed, so what's the point of saying that?

Upon hearing this, Yan Bugui's eager smile instantly froze, and he cursed inwardly for Liu Haizhong's interference at this crucial moment.

And he's not even the second uncle anymore!

As soon as Liu Haizhong strode in, his gaze fell on Yan Bugui, his eyes filled with undisguised competition.

He chuckled and feigned surprise, saying, "Oh! Old Yan is here too?"

Then she looked at Li Kailang and said, "Little Li, your second aunt and I both saw what happened just now! That old woman Wang and that clerk Wu are really outrageous!"

"Who do you think you are, daring to put on airs in our courtyard? You did the right thing! We have to stand up to people who take advantage of us!"

His opening remarks lacked the "cultured air" of Yan Bugui.

“However,” Liu Haizhong changed the subject, patting his chest, “Don’t worry, Xiao Li! We have people in our compound!”

"Your second uncle will stand up for you! The people that Granny Wang introduced won't do; we won't use her! We'll use the ones Old Yan knows."

He deliberately drew out the sound and glanced sideways at Yan Bugui.

"Hmph, most of them are just pretentious and pretentious, not practical at all! When we live our lives, we value being down-to-earth, capable, and having a good family background!"

Finally, his claws were revealed in his bangs.

"Your second aunt's niece is very capable at our textile factory! Her family has been poor farmers for three generations! She has impeccable revolutionary credentials."

Just as Yan Bugui had guessed, it was just an introduction to some female factory workers.

The second aunt chimed in, her voice loud and clear: "That's right! Little Li, that girl is honest, hardworking, and can endure hardship! That's the kind of woman you should marry! She's a hundred times better than those who put on airs all day."

Yan Bugui's face flushed red and then turned pale as Liu Haizhong and his wife continued their taunts.

"Old Liu! What do you mean by that? What do you mean by pretentious and affected? What do you mean by all show and no substance? A good life is about spiritual connection!"

"Xiao Li is a college graduate and a skilled worker! What's wrong with finding someone you can get along with? You're dating a factory worker who can't read or write much. How will you raise your children? How will you grow together?"

"That's completely short-sighted! It's lowering Xiao Li's standards!"

Liu Haizhong raised his voice, "You're out of touch with the masses! Finding a partner is about the daily grind, not about romance!"

"That niece of Second Aunt is a true virtuous wife! Little Li is busy with work, but when he comes home, there's a hot meal waiting for him, and his clothes are washed clean. Isn't that better than anything else?"

"The one you're introducing can take care of men at home every day?"

The second aunt chimed in, hands on her hips: "That's right! Old Yan, don't talk like you're not in my shoes! When you're looking for a partner for your Yan Jiecheng, don't you also pick and choose based on their family background?"

The two instantly became locked in a fierce confrontation, their tensions rising.

This piqued Li Kailang's interest, and he wanted to see how the two would start arguing.

"You are all unreasonable!" Yan Bugui was so angry that he was speechless, pointing at Liu Haizhong and his wife with trembling fingers.

For a moment, the air in Li Kailang's small room seemed to clash violently.

The two sides were exchanging heated words, neither willing to back down.

In their struggle for the right to act as matchmaker for Li Kailang, the two sides completely abandoned their usual semblance of civility and argued heatedly in front of Li Kailang.

Li Kailang sat in the eye of the storm, watching this farcical spectacle unfold before him, finding it quite amusing.

My initial feeling of fatigue and irritability has improved considerably.

At the same time, they could more or less guess why the two cared so much about his marriage.

By analogy, one can guess that other residents seem to have the same idea.

Perhaps this argument between the two can dispel all of everyone's doubts at once.

He certainly didn't want his marriage to be decided by outsiders.

The two argued more and more fiercely, engaging in a heated verbal battle.

"Liu Haizhong, are you deliberately trying to ruin my plans?"

"What, Yan Bugui, you want to hit me? Do you think I'm afraid of you?!" "You!" Yan Bugui looked at the muscular bangs. Fighting was out of the question; in fact, he would be the one to suffer if they really fought.

"Hey! Scared? Then get out of here!" Liu Haizhong pressed on relentlessly.

"I can't be bothered with your reasoning, Xiao Li. You tell me! Who are you looking at?"

Immediately, all three of them turned their gaze to Li Kailang.

"Ah I?"

Li Kailang hadn't had enough of the excitement, so how did he end up getting caught up in the drama himself?

"Huh? Ah! This."

"Thank you for your kindness."

"However, you need not worry about my marriage."

"I don't think I can find anyone through the matchmaker's introduction. And I don't like anyone you two introduce, whether it's from a school or a textile factory."

Upon hearing this, the expressions on the faces of Yan Bugui, Liu Haizhong, and the second aunt froze instantly, turning from astonishment to embarrassment and anger.

"Xiao Li, what... what is this?" Yan Bugui opened his mouth, trying to salvage the situation.

Liu Haizhong realized things were going to fall apart, and his face darkened: "Xiao Li! How can you talk like that? We're doing this for your own good! You've taken our kindness for granted?"

The second aunt realized what was happening and tried to cover her mouth, but it was too late.

Li Kailang ignored their reactions.

"Although my parents died early, I, Li Kailang, am a perfectly capable person with my own hands and feet and my own brain! I can make my own decisions about my marriage."

"The person I'm looking for isn't someone whose job is, whose family background is impeccable, or whose fertility is high!"

“I will find this person myself. I don’t need a matchmaker, and I don’t need you to weigh the pros and cons or haggle for me.”

"That's enough for today."

"I have other things to do, so I won't trouble you three any further."

The order to leave was made clear and unequivocal, leaving no room for leniency.

Yan Bugui and Liu Haizhong, the couple, were all frozen in place.

Liu Haizhong was so angry that his face turned purple. He pointed at Li Kailang and stammered "You, you..." for a long time, but couldn't say a word.

The second aunt was perceptive enough to know that what they were doing was wrong.

They were quite patient at first, but as soon as Yan Bugui came in, the two of them panicked.

Liu Haizhong is even more clueless; he's completely forgotten what he was told beforehand.

"Good! Good! Li Kailang! You've got guts!"

"Let's go! You don't know what's good for you! You'll regret this!"

Before leaving, Liu Haizhong didn't forget to utter some harsh words.

Looking at Li Kailang's cold eyes, Yan Bugui knew that saying anything more would only bring him humiliation.

His lips trembled a few times, but in the end he said nothing.

The door was closed again.

This time, the world is quiet.

"After this ordeal, I doubt anyone will introduce me to anyone else," Li Kailang sighed.

Pretending to be angry feels pretty good.

A timely change of heart can actually make people realize the importance of priorities.

"But what type of partner am I looking for?"

As a single man, Li Kailang doesn't know what type of partner he should marry.

In general terms, she is the type of virtuous wife and loving mother who is diligent and thrifty in managing the household.

But ultimately, it's still uncertain whether it will be.

"Forget it, I don't want to."

To avoid being introduced to potential partners again, Li Kailang decided to escape this place of trouble.

Go for a walk.

He hopped on his bicycle and strolled around the streets.

The wheels rolled over the uneven road surface, and the afternoon breeze, carrying a hint of coolness, brushed against his cheeks.

Li Kailang had no specific destination. He walked through several familiar alleys, and the street scene gradually opened up, with the noise increasing.

Before I knew it, I had ridden to the park.

"A wide river flows, its waves ripple, and the wind carries the fragrance of rice blossoms to both banks."

The sound is mellow and pleasant, but there is always a faint crackling sound of electrical interference in the background, which seriously ruins the aesthetic appeal.

Then the singing stopped abruptly, followed by a few frustrated whispers and complaints:
"Hey! Here we go again! Old Zhang, what's wrong with you? You always let me down at crucial moments!"

"Old Zhang! Is your precious machine any good? If not, hurry up and get someone to fix it!"

Li Kailang looked in the direction of the sound and saw a small group of people gathered in an open space in a small park not far ahead.

An experienced worker was squatting in front of a heavy machine, frantically turning knobs and patting the machine's exterior, muttering to himself:
"This is weird. It was fine just now, but this broken contact..."

Seven or eight beautiful young women stood next to the machine.

They gathered in twos and threes, some whispering among themselves, while others simply sat down to rest by the flowerbed, seemingly having come out for a walk.

The appearance of this group of girls immediately attracted the attention of a group of people in the park.

"Aren't these the girls from the performing arts troupe?"

"Yes, yes, I saw them just two months ago."

"It's so beautiful!"

"Yes! It would be even better if I could marry a girl from a performing arts troupe."

This remark immediately drew eye-rolls from those around: "Someone like you wants to get married? You're like a toad trying to eat swan meat!"

The members of the performing arts troupe were among the eight key members and were equally well-liked.

The girls in the performing arts troupe, in particular, are even more endearing.

In an era where educational backgrounds are roughly equal, it's not enough for someone to be beautiful; they also need to be able to grace a formal occasion and cook a delicious meal.

Most importantly, the salary is not low!

Arts and culture workers, even at the lowest level 16, earn 42.5 yuan a month, which is higher than many other jobs. For comparison, a fitter would earn between level two and three.

My salary and allowances are only the same as those of Li Kailang, a deputy fifth-level driver.

All the benefits are in the end; marrying a girl from a performing arts troupe is not only not a bad deal, but a great win!
Li Kailang looked over and noticed that several of the girls in the group looked familiar.

They were invited to perform when the neighborhood committee held the National Day celebration.

"How about we leave?"

"gone."

Seeing the crowd gathering, the girls from the performing arts troupe, who had originally come out for a visit, immediately backed down.

Having finally been given a day off, they certainly didn't want to be stuck in one place.

Soon, the girls left the park.

Once the beautiful scenery was gone, everyone left as well.

"Pretty girls are always better!"

Looking at the girl who was beautiful even without makeup, Li Kailang's depressed mood improved considerably.

(End of this chapter)