Thinking on Different Levels

Aunt Liu was furious. Silly Zhu and Liu Guangtian had refused her even more decisively this time.

It was as if they were about to chase her out of the courtyard.

She hadn't even taken out the photos she was holding, and both of them had already run off.

When she went to the back courtyard, Xu Damao wasn't home either.

She could only sigh and leave.

As she passed the front courtyard, Lin Zhen called out enthusiastically, "Aunt Liu, come in and sit down."

Aunt Liu shook her head and smiled, "I'm too embarrassed to stay in your courtyard any longer. I've been rejected by two bachelors again."

"Oh, there's no need to be upset. Perhaps they have their own targets in mind."

Aunt Liu recalled the girl sitting by the door just now and immediately understood.

She asked with a smile, "Qin Huairu's sister?"

"Yes, her cousin, but she said she was her cousin."

"Oh, I see. Well, if they can become a couple, that's fine. I won't interfere anymore, so as not to disrupt their free love."

"Aunt Liu, please come inside and talk. We have tea in the house," Lou Xiao'e said, smiling as she came out of the kitchen.

Lin Zhen and Lou Xiao'e were very grateful to Aunt Liu.

If it weren't for Aunt Liu's matchmaking, they probably wouldn't have become a family.

Especially when Lou Xiao'e's mother heard that Xu Damao, who lived in the courtyard and showed movies, also came from a poor family.

She was determined to marry Lou Xiao'e to Xu Damao.

Aunt Liu listened and shook her head, "Xu Damao's job is good, but he's far inferior to Little Lin in character. If you truly want your daughter to be happy, listen to me and marry her to Little Lin! If Xiao'e is ever wronged in her relationship, you come find me!"

Aunt Liu's guarantee had resulted in a happy family.

After Lou Xiao'e's parents went abroad, Aunt Liu often spoke up for Lou Xiao'e.

The street office praised Lou Xiao'e as a positive example of repentance, and more than half of that credit belonged to Aunt Liu.

This lady was truly warm-hearted, but unfortunately, she lived in another courtyard.

Lin Zhen was a grateful person. He repaid kindness with kindness and injustice with straightforwardness.

He confronted the beasts in the courtyard head-on.

To his benefactors, he was never stingy.

The couple always greeted Aunt Liu enthusiastically.

Aunt Liu also knew that the couple had upright values and always liked them.

She had originally intended to go in and sit for a while, but she was too embarrassed today.

She had come to propose, but she was rejected before she could even show the photos. How could she have the nerve to stay for a meal in their courtyard?

"No, no, I have to go back to the street office. I heard that Little Lin has been promoted to an engineer at the steel rolling mill. Congratulations! You and your family of six should celebrate properly. I won't disturb you."

Seeing that Aunt Liu was determined to leave, Lin Zhen went inside and took out two catties of fatty pork.

"Aunt Liu, this two catties of pork was originally for rendering into lard. Since you're not eating here, please take this with you."

"Oh my! No, no! I can't accept it, you silly child. You need to manage your expenses. Even with a high salary, you shouldn't be so generous, giving things away like this. You'll give away a mountain of gold!"

"Hahaha, don't worry, Aunt Liu. I exchanged this with my extra meat coupons from last month. Take it, I still have 2 catties of meat coupons."

Seeing that Lin Zhen was insistent on giving it to her, Aunt Liu was not one to refuse.

If the stingy and calculating Yan Bugui saw this push and pull, he would be envious again, so she reluctantly accepted it.

But Third Master Yan Bugui had already watched the entire scene unfold from inside his house.

Although the door of his house was closed, he was peeking through the crack in the door, bent over.

"Hey! Really! I brought wine but couldn't get a meal, and he just gives away two catties of fatty pork? They've been married for five or six years and are still thanking the matchmaker. It's too much!"

"Old Yan, why are you closing the door in broad daylight? I can't even see the eye of a needle."

Third Mistress, who was sitting inside sewing clothes, grumbled.

"Old woman, look! Little Lin just gave two catties of fatty pork directly to Aunt Liu from the street office!"

Third Mistress pouted, "Alas, they earn more, so they can afford to give. 126.5 yuan a month. If you could earn that much, I would also give, and let Aunt Liu help Jie Fang find a match too."

"Be content. It's good enough if you marry Yu Li by the end of the year. One by one, slowly."

As Aunt Liu was leaving, she said, "Xiao'e, the statistician from the street office, Little Li, has applied to transfer back to her hometown in the Northeast. Next year, the street office will be short of a statistician. I want to recommend you to work. You are educated and should be competent. Are you willing?"

Lou Xiao'e replied, "I'm willing, but my background isn't good, and Lin Dong and Lin Liang are only three years old. I'm afraid there will be no one to look after them if I go to work."

Aunt Liu smiled, "Those are not problems. Our street office isn't like the factory where you have to clock in and out on time. You just need to record the daily data. Your working hours are flexible, and I can help you look after the children when I'm free. Although the salary isn't as high as Little Lin's, it will be beneficial for your family."

Lin Zhen immediately said, "Yes, yes, but don't take a salary. Consider it volunteer work. Aunt Liu, please arrange this."

"Okay, I'll go back and talk to my nephew. He'll arrange an exam."

Her nephew was the director of the street office. He was shrewd and capable and greatly respected his aunt.

Aunt Liu's suggestions were adopted 80% of the time.

Yan Bugui, peeking from behind the door, couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

"Brilliant, truly brilliant. Trading two pounds of pork for a good job!"

Third Mistress asked, confused, "Why doesn't Little Lin want a salary?"

Yan Bugui replied, "What do you know? He's worried about Lou Xiao'e's background preventing her from joining the system. This is him pretending to be noble to get into the system. Once he's in, he'll ask for a salary." "Oh, Lin Zhen is really quite shrewd."

Third Master Yan Bugui could only guess at others' motives using his own logic.

But his level of thinking was always a tier below Lin Zhen's.

He would never know Lin Zhen's next move.

After Aunt Liu left, Lin Zhen and his wife also returned to the kitchen.

Lou Xiao'e said happily, "Zhen, if I get into the neighborhood committee, I won't have to worry about what you mentioned anymore."

Lin Zhen chuckled, "We don't lack that little bit of salary. Consider these past few years as training and enriching your life. When something happens, you can immediately issue a self-criticism statement and voluntarily resign. Years of unpaid labor will give you even more security. Then, I'll get Deputy Director Li from the steel rolling mill sorted, and we'll be able to rest easy."

"Mmm! I'll listen to whatever you say!"

That evening, Lin Guo, the Lin family, and Bang Geng had a wrestling match.

Therefore, the family's celebration feast was moved to noon.

There was stewed chicken with mountain mushrooms, braised pork, fried peanuts, and scrambled eggs.

Lin Zhen cooked, and Lou Xiao'e helped.

Four dishes for six people.

Happiness, it's that simple.

In a blink of an eye, the aroma filled the three-courtyard siheyuan.

Third Master Yan Bugui licked his lips, "Old woman, let's scramble some eggs at noon too. This smell is lingering, and eating cornmeal buns with it would just make my throat scratchy."

In the middle courtyard, at the Jia family's home.

Qin Jingru smelled the aroma of meat.

"City people are really different. In the countryside, we don't even dare to eat meat during the New Year. Auntie, what meat are we eating for lunch?"

Jia Zhangshi, who had just fallen asleep on the kang, was awakened by the smell of meat.

She grumbled, "That damned Lin Zhen is eating meat again, why doesn't he choke to death!"

"Auntie, what are we eating for lunch?"

Jia Zhangshi grumbled impatiently, "I'm going to the hospital to keep watch at night, so I'm not eating during the day. You take Bang Geng and Xiao Dang to Silly Zhu's place to eat!"

"Huh? But Silly Zhu is out."

"We have pickles, buns, and cornmeal at home. Make it yourself."

Jia Zhangshi, angered, covered her head and continued to sleep, but her stomach rumbled uncontrollably.