Back To The 80s-Chapter 605 - 598: Talking about marriage_1

Xiaopang, holding onto his father’s hand, took a round trip downstairs and haggled with Lu Zhanguo, "Dad, I want a popsicle."

"No, you’ve just had watermelon. Having a popsicle right after might give you a tummy ache," Lu Zhanguo patiently replied.

Yet Xiaopang couldn’t pass up such an opportunity. With his mother and brother nowhere in sight, he was determined to coax something out of his father.

"Dad, how about buying me a soda to drink, then? A tangerine-flavored one," Xiaopang proposed after some thought.

Lu Zhanguo still shook his head. "No, your mother’s dinner will be ready soon. How will you eat it if you’ve just had a soda?"

At this, Xiaopang’s eyes reddened. He pouted and kept gazing straight at Lu Zhanguo with large, teary eyes that didn’t blink.

Unable to withstand Xiaopang’s pleading look, Lu Zhanguo relented. Lifting his daughter into his arms, he said, "Just a little bit, okay? And you can’t tell your mother about it."

Xiaopang beamed and nodded her head. She even rewarded her father with a loud kiss on his cheek.

Lu Zhanguo took Xiaopang to the shop run by Ge Chunling. It was a twenty-minute walk from their residential complex. If they went home after Xiaopang had finished her soda, Gu Xiaobei probably wouldn’t notice it, right?

Upon stepping into Ge Chunling’s shop, they found Zhou Tiezhu there. "What brings you here?" Lu Zhanguo asked him.

At this, Zhou Tiezhu’s face turned crimson. Rubbing his hands together nervously, he finally managed to say, "The squadron leader is here."

Seeing Xiaopang, Ge Chunling smiled. "What can I get for our sweet little princess today?" she asked.

"Auntie, I want a soda. I want a tangerine-flavored soda," Xiaopang declared proudly.

Ge Chunling gratefully retrieved a bag of tangerine soda for Xiaopang.

Sweat dripped down Zhou Tiezhu’s face. Turning to Ge Chunling, he said, "Aunt, I’d better head home now." Flashing a greeting at Lu Zhanguo but not waiting for his reply, he swiftly left the shop as if he had greased his heels.

Ge Chunling laughed and explained, "Tiezhu came to ask for my help in matchmaking."

Lu Zhanguo didn’t ask further. He helped Xiaopang open the soda bag, making a small opening at one corner and carefully feeding the soda to Xiaopang.

Ge Chunling continued on with her story. "Can you guess who he fancies? It’s Li Juan. He asked me to speak to Aunt Fengmei on his behalf."

Lu Zhanguo was taken aback. How could Zhou Tiezhu have a connection with Li Juan? "Well, that could actually work," he considered after a while. He found Zhou Tiezhu to be an honest and straightforward person, and quite compatible with Li Juan, who was also not much of a talker.

When Xiaopang finished her soda, father and daughter headed home. Lu Zhanguo reminded Xiaopang along the way, "You mustn’t tell your mother that you had a soda." These days, Gu Xiaobei often forbade Lu Zhanguo from sharing the bed with her as a method of reasserting household rules.

Xiaopang earnestly nodded her agreement. "Dad, I won’t tell. Shall we come again tomorrow?"

Once back home, Lu Zhanguo shared with Gu Xiaobei about Zhou Tiezhu seeking Ge Chunling’s help for matchmaking. Nowadays, Lu Zhanguo was often the first to know about the latest gossip from outside and would hurry to share it with Gu Xiaobei, who loved hearing such news. This allowed her to stay informed about the world outside despite remaining indoors most of the time.

Gu Xiaobei chuckled after hearing the story. "You sure have become quite the gossip now."

Lu Zhanguo grumbled to himself. Wasn’t he doing all this to please her?

Once she had finished laughing, Gu Xiaobei said, "But Zhou Tiezhu and Li Juan do seem like a good match. Do you know why Zhou Tiezhu doesn’t go home for the holidays each year? I heard from Wang Wei that Zhou Tiezhu has a stepmother. You can imagine how things change once there’s a stepmother in picture. His home doesn’t really feel like one anymore. Being with Li Juan seems like a good arrangement."

This explanation made sense to Lu Zhanguo.

Suddenly, Gu Xiaobei questioned, "Weren’t the two of you just taking a walk downstairs? How did you end up at Ge Chunling’s?"

Lu Zhanguo quickly stood up. "Have the vegetables been cut for tonight’s dinner? I’m going to start cooking."

Watching Lu Zhanguo hurriedly scurry off to the kitchen and then turning to look at Xiaopang, who quickly covered her mouth with both hands, Gu Xiaobei burst into laughter. The two of them often bought snacks without her knowledge, and eight out of ten times, they ended up revealing their secret. They simply weren’t good at keeping things from her.

...

As usual, Li Fengmei showed up bright and early on Sunday morning to meddle in others’ affairs. She exclaimed cheerfully as she entered, "I finally have a peace of mind now. As soon as Ge Chunling told me, I knew it was a good idea. Since Zhou Tiezhu is working under your supervision, you know him best. Let’s go together to discuss the matter."

Gu Xiaobei was more than willing to help, though she wondered how Zhou Tiezhu had gotten acquainted with Li Juan.

Li Fengmei hastened Gu Xiaobei. "Go change your clothes. We can talk while walking."

Xiaopang was thrilled to see Gu Xiaobei going out— as long as his dad was home. He cheerfully waved goodbye, hoping to coax his dad into buying him some snacks.

On their way, Li Fengmei shared with Gu Xiaobei her analysis of how Li Juan and Zhou Tiezhu met. "I think it must’ve been that time we were having a chat around the stove at your place. Zhou Tiezhu was there, too. Maybe he overheard about Li Juan selling meat at the market? Judging by what Ge Chunling said, Zhou Tiezhu frequents the same market where Li Juan sells meat."

Recalling the incident, Gu Xiaobei thought there certainly seemed to be some truth to this. Zhou Tiezhu had managed to keep it secret for well over a year now.

Once at the market, Wen Dong’s parents were thrilled with their intention. They indicated their agreement and praised the idea. "Li Juan, we’ve been a burden on you for these years. We won’t always be around, and from what Fengmei is saying, the man seems quite reliable. I think this could work," Wen Dong’s father said to Li Juan who had been unusually silent.

Li Juan had suspected Zhou Tiezhu’s feelings for her from his frequent visits to her meat stall. Occasionally, he’d nonchalantly drop a couple of apples or some seasonal vegetables at her stall and then dart away, leaving Li Juan quite bemused and not knowing how to react.

She hadn’t expected such a simple and shy man to think of matchmaking.

"Li Juan, you should think it over. You’ve known Zhou Tiezhu for a while now so you should have an idea of the kind of person he is. You’ll find it helpful to have a reliable man by your side. You know, in a marriage, it’s not about withstanding the first thirty years, but the next thirty. You’re young and hardy and can bear these hardships, but what about when you’re old? With no one to talk to, or to fetch water when you fall sick. Besides, what’s a woman if she doesn’t bear children? Not all children look after their parents, but they can, and do, provide emotional support," Li Fengmei said, trying to convince Li Juan to understand her point of view.

Observing the flushed Li Juan, Gu Xiaobei noticed she didn’t put up as much of a protest as she had the previous two times that Li Fengmei had attempted matchmaking. It seemed like she did hold some affection for Zhou Tiezhu.

After patiently listening to Li Fengmei’s soliloquy, a rather shy Li Juan eventually nodded in agreement.

Gu Xiaobei smiled and said, "With Zhou Tiezhu by your side, you could expand your meat business. Perhaps, you could start some wholesale trade. When you have kids, Wen Dong’s parents could help you with childcare, and you can focus on your business. I’m sure that you will be able to live a better life in the future." 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Sister-in-law, you’re making fun of me again," Li Juan said bashfully.

At the sight of Li Juan’s nod, Mr. and Mrs. Wen had briefly felt a pang of sadness. But upon hearing Gu Xiaobei’s assurances, they responded cheerily, "That’s right. We can help you with the babysitting. You can focus on your business."