Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhiyuan walked upstairs hand in hand in the darkness, feeling uninhibited since no one could see them.
Ming Mei was quite puzzled, saying as they walked, "I wonder why my mom urgently called me to come home."
Even though her family was particularly doting on their daughter, different from other families, her mother had mentioned before her marriage that it wasn't good to visit home too frequently after marriage, as neighbors would gossip. Ming Mei didn't understand what there was to gossip about, but that's just how things were.
If a married daughter frequently returned home, it would inevitably invite some unfavorable discussions.
Ming Mei's mother didn't want her daughter to be subject to such talk, which is why she had reminded Ming Mei before marriage. This made Ming Mei's current summons all the more puzzling.
"Dad, Mom, I'm home!" Ming Mei's voice rang out cheerfully. "Your beloved daughter has returned!"
At her call, Ming's Father immediately came to open the door, delighted: "Our dear girl is back, come in quickly."
As the young couple entered, they saw a spirited elderly man sitting on the sofa. He wore a white shirt with a V-neck sweater over it, and despite his graying hair, his scholarly appearance was enhanced by his glasses.
Ming Mei: "???"
Zhuang Zhixi: "???"
Ming's Father, instead of sitting down directly in front of this person, pulled his daughter over and said, "Look, look who this is!"
After a brief moment of confusion, Ming Mei's eyes widened in surprise: "Grandfather?"
The elderly man nodded and glanced at Zhuang Zhixi, who immediately spoke sweetly: "Grandfather!"
In life, the most important thing is knowing how to flatter!
Zhuang Zhixi quickly said, "Grandfather, you've come from out of town? When did you arrive? Are you tired? Let me give you a massage - I'm quite good at it."
Zhuang Zhixi hurriedly moved behind the elderly man, who nodded and said, "Well, well, you're not bad at all, young man."
Zhuang Zhixi continued, "Of course! If I weren't capable enough, how could I deserve your granddaughter? Right? To be worthy of Ming Mei, one must work hard to improve - this massage skill of mine was learned from a traditional Chinese medicine family master. You can't even find someone to teach this nowadays. Just watch!"
Zhuang Zhixi wasn't exaggerating - he had learned his skills from the senior nurse at their medical office. However, in the current climate, no one dared to claim any connection to traditional Chinese medicine families. Even though the senior nurse had a good background and hadn't encountered any trouble, she quietly stayed in the medical office treating minor ailments.
Those topics from a couple of years ago were no longer mentioned.
Zhuang Zhixi: "How's my technique? Oh, if only you had come two months earlier, you could have attended Ming Mei and my wedding banquet!"
The elderly man raised an eyebrow and said, "Am I someone who needs a free meal?"
Zhuang Zhixi quickly responded, "Of course not! Anyone can see you want for nothing, but it's about the gesture, isn't it?"
Zhuang Zhixi continued his flattery, leaving the Ming family quite speechless, though Ming's Father soon found it somewhat appropriate. As a rough man from the capital, he was worst at dealing with his father-in-law.
While others could share drinks with their fathers-in-law, his... better left unsaid.
In any case, this was the first time Ming's Father had looked upon Zhuang Zhixi so favorably.
Although this "pig" had "uprooted their precious cabbage," at least he wasn't entirely useless - his smooth talking sometimes proved to be an advantage. Ming Mei cheerfully moved closer and said, "Grandfather, what brings you here?"
She looked around and said, "You didn't bring me any gifts?"
Ming Cheng watched his sister's foolish behavior with twitching eyelids, about to explain something to her, when the elderly man spoke: "Oh my, what a filial child you are, truly filial, extremely filial."
Ming's Father covered his face - here it comes, his father-in-law's sarcastic tone had arrived.
Ming Mei remained unfazed, smiling brightly: "Hehe, I've always been filial!"
She played along, pouting: "I didn't know you were coming! If I had known, I definitely would have bought you something delicious. Tomorrow I'll buy you some Daoxiangcun pastries, how's that for thoughtful?"
The old man glanced at the young girl and said, "That's more like it."
He pointed to a travel bag nearby and said, "Those are the things I brought, take out the food and share it."
Ming Mei: "Yes!"
She continued chattering: "Grandfather, when did you arrive? How come the food hasn't been taken out all day?"
The old man: "Well, well, the things were just sitting there, and everyone seemed to ignore this old man, not even asking about them. Why should I bring it up myself?"
Ming Mei burst out laughing, saying, "Grandfather, what are you saying? They're just afraid of you, that's why they didn't ask. By the way, how long can you stay this time? I'll come see you every day."
It's often said that married couples share similarities.
Both Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi were social butterflies and naturally friendly people.
The old man looked at his daughter and son-in-law, then at his granddaughter, saying, "That won't be necessary to visit every day."
Before he could finish, Ming's Mother interrupted, coming out from the kitchen: "Your grandfather is here to stay."
Ming Mei: "Huh?"
She was even more surprised, looking at her grandfather in disbelief as the old man smiled slightly.
Ming's Mother continued, "Your grandfather has been transferred to work in the capital, and coincidentally, it's at the Forward Machinery Factory. Your grandfather has already reported to the factory today and has been assigned accommodation."
Ming Mei: "!!!"
Zhuang Zhixi: "!!!"
This was news to them!
Zhuang Zhixi looked at the old man's gray hair, falling into deep confusion - shouldn't someone his age be retired? How come he's still working? But before Zhuang Zhixi could ponder too long, his mother-in-law explained: "Your grandfather has come to train apprentices at the machinery factory."
"Oh, so will grandfather be staying with us?" Ming Mei asked curiously.
The old man waved his hand, saying, "Why would I stay here? I have my own life to live. Staying here would only disturb them. The factory has already arranged accommodation for me. Coincidentally, it's in your compound."
Ming Mei, who was about to take a sip of water, sprayed it out: "Pft!"
The old man immediately asked, "Oh, are you not welcoming of this?"
Ming Mei hurriedly replied, "No, no, I'm very welcoming! I was just surprised."
She scratched her head, confused: "But I thought there weren't any vacant rooms in our compound?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Actually, there is!"
He knew more than Ming Mei about this: "There's that single room at the side where the front and back courtyards meet. Because it's just one room and quite small, it's been difficult to allocate, so the factory has kept it locked all these years."
Actually, several families had their eyes on this room, particularly Madam Zhou Li's family, as the room was next to their house. She had always dreamed of claiming it for herself. She had planned that once Zhou Qun had a child, she would request the room citing insufficient space.
Even if the factory didn't agree, she intended to occupy it for her eldest grandson.
But that plan remained just a plan, as her son Zhou Qun still had no children, leaving her without even an excuse.
Zhuang Zhixi: "Is it a small single room?"
The old man nodded: "Exactly!"
He said, "I'll move in tomorrow."
Zhuang Zhixi immediately offered: "That room hasn't been lived in for a long time and needs a good cleaning. I'll go clean it for you, and the windows need fixing too!"
The old man shook his head: "No need, I have my apprentices."
Zhuang Zhixi: "Oh?"
The old man maintained a superior air: "I came here to train apprentices, and what kind of apprentice doesn't help their master? You don't need to get involved in this."
He looked at his granddaughter and grandson-in-law directly and said, "Although we'll be living in the same compound, I hope you won't disturb me unnecessarily."
The Ming family: "..."
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
Well, this old man certainly had quite a personality.
The old man indeed had quite a character. He said, "I have my own life, you youngsters shouldn't come bothering me unless it's necessary." He pointed at the Ming family members and then at Ming Mei and her husband: "Although we live in the same courtyard, you are you, and I am I."
Ming Mei pouted.
The old man said, "Alright, you can leave now if there's nothing else."
Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
So it turned out he called them over just to tell them this.
Ming Mei let out a soft "Oh."
"Take the snacks I prepared for you when you leave, three portions."
Ming Mei: "Oh."
Ming Mei and her husband had arrived full of excitement, but before they could even have a proper conversation, they were practically swept out the door. Ming's Father said, "Come on, I'll walk you out."
Zhuang Zhixi raised an eyebrow: this was unprecedented.
Indeed, everyone felt somewhat intimidated meeting their father-in-law, even someone as strong as Ming's Father was no exception.
Ming's Father walked his daughter and son-in-law out, saying, "It's dark already, I'm worried about you two walking alone. Let me accompany you for a bit."
It was clear he didn't want to go back home.
Ming Mei grinned mischievously and said, "Dad, are you afraid of my grandfather?"
Ming's Father glanced at his daughter and said, "Well, why don't you ask your husband if he's afraid of me?"
Zhuang Zhixi immediately replied, "Of course I'm not afraid of you. Although you can be a bit fierce sometimes, I know that's just your personality. Why should I be afraid? Besides, I haven't done anything wrong, and I know you think highly of me." He winked at his father-in-law.
Ming's Father: "..."
Ming's Father's mouth twitched, thinking his son-in-law was really thick-skinned.
However, he couldn't be bothered with his son-in-law right now; he was preoccupied with thoughts about his father-in-law.
Ming's Father heaved a deep sigh.
Ming Mei laughed and said, "Dad, you don't need to be so worried, do you?"
Ming's Father was straightforward: "I'm worried your grandfather will cause trouble."
Ming Mei: "How could that be possible? Grandfather is so old now, and besides, he's not the type to get into fights."
The troublemakers in their family were usually her father's relatives.
Ming's Father gave his daughter a long look, thinking she clearly didn't understand her grandfather's true nature due to their limited interaction. He sighed deeply and said, "Your grandfather's ability to stir up trouble is unmatched by ordinary people."
Seeing his father-in-law so melancholic, Zhuang Zhixi suspected this grandfather might indeed have some special capabilities.
He took the initiative to ask, "Dad, how old is grandfather this year? Can he still work in the workshop at his age?"
Ming's Father didn't beat around the bush with his son-in-law this time, spilling everything: "Your grandfather is seventy-one this year. He retired a couple of years ago but was rehired by the factory to train apprentices. Recently, a machinery factory in Beijing wanted to find a skilled master craftsman to train new workers, and after much consideration, the factory assigned this task to your grandfather."
The factory surely had more than one master craftsman, and technical experts were always in demand everywhere.
But most people had families to consider, and relocating an entire family was inconvenient and difficult. But this old man was different. Although he had a son in their hometown, he didn't live with him.
Moreover, he had a daughter in Beijing, so arranging for him to come here was relatively suitable.
"Although the old man is quite aged, he's coming here to train workers, not to do intensive work, so his age isn't an issue. The factory was hesitant about sending your grandfather here, but he insisted he could do it."
"What about uncle?" Ming Mei asked, "Is his family still in Jinling?"
Ming's Father nodded: "You know your grandfather, he doesn't like living with younger generations. Your uncle is truly your grandfather's son, they're cut from the same cloth, both father and son are..." He suddenly caught himself, realizing he shouldn't speak ill of his father-in-law. He coughed awkwardly and said, "Anyway, your grandfather wasn't joking. Even though you're living in the same courtyard, try not to disturb him too much."
Ming Mei: "Oh."
Zhuang Zhixi: "..." He was quite curious now.
Ming's Father walked his daughter and son-in-law all the way home. When they reached the alley entrance, Ming's Father suddenly became animated, pointing at the public toilet at the alley entrance: "Is this the one? Is this the public toilet where people fell in?"
Zhuang Zhixi: "Yes, this is it. Three people from our courtyard fell in at once. Splash, splash! Oh my, the sewage spray! We were so fortunate that Aunt Wang from our courtyard organized everyone for the rescue. Those who got close to help couldn't escape getting splashed all over. Luckily, my mother and I were clever and stayed back, so we managed to avoid the mess."
"How did they fall in? Was it splash-splash or crash-crash...?" Ming's Father was very curious.
Well, you couldn't blame Ming's Father for his curiosity. Anyone would want to know more about such an incident. After all, in all their years, they'd never seen people fall into a public toilet before. It was completely unheard of!
Ming's Father expressed deep regret: "It's a pity we don't live here."
He missed it!
Ming's Father: "But if something like this happens again, you should try to keep your grandfather away. He's not young anymore, and if he falls in, it won't be easy to fish him out."
Ming Mei: "..."
Her mouth twitched as she said, "Dad, aren't you thinking too far ahead?"
Ming Xiangdong said seriously, "That's not far at all! The story of people falling into your toilet has spread all the way to Tong County. There's nothing wrong with being cautious."
Zhuang Zhixi smiled: "We're lucky it hasn't reached Tianjin yet."
Ming Mei: "What kind of people are you two? Alright, Dad, we're here. I won't invite you in since it's late. You should head back home."
If her husband had said this, Ming Xiangdong would definitely have been unhappy, but coming from his daughter, he just nodded and said, "Alright."
After saying goodbye, Ming Mei and Zhuang Zhixi returned home together. Zhuang Zhixi asked, "So we really need to keep our distance from your grandfather now that he's living in the courtyard?"
Ming Mei looked up at Zhuang Zhixi and said, "My grandfather wasn't just saying that; he really doesn't want us bothering him. Look at how my grandfather and uncle both live in Jinling, but they live separately. My grandfather says my uncle interferes with his dating life."
Zhuang Zhixi stumbled, nearly falling over.
Ming Mei: "It's true!"
Her big eyes blinked rapidly, indicating she was telling the truth.
Zhuang Zhixi: "...Your grandfather is quite interesting."
But then, changing the subject, he became a bit concerned. He pointed at the Su family's house, then at the Zhou family's, saying, "There are two widows here. Your grandfather won't cause any trouble, will he?"
Ming Mei scratched her head, hesitating but somewhat confident: "He shouldn't... my grandfather prefers younger women."
Zhuang Zhixi: "..."
This old man truly embodied male nature!
They returned home quite late, and everyone else was already asleep. Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei went straight to their room, and soon the temperature in the room rose... Zhuang Zhixi, undeterred by fatigue, wouldn't let Ming Mei go.
Ming Mei whimpered and scratched his back with her hand. Zhuang Zhixi hissed but didn't mind, just laughed.
Much later, Ming Mei lay lazily like a corpse and said, "I'm exhausted. It's always like this; I won't have any energy for work."
Zhuang Zhixi was wiping his wife's forehead with a handkerchief. He said, "Aren't you trained in martial arts? Shouldn't martial artists have good stamina?"
Ming Mei blushed: "That's completely different!"
She mumbled, "Other couples aren't this frequent."
Don't think she didn't know anything; she had overheard those married sisters talking secretly.
Zhuang Zhixi pinched her pink cheeks and said, "We're newlyweds, of course we're different from others."
He chuckled softly, then tossed the handkerchief aside, saying, "Look, I put in more effort, and I'm not tired. How come you're so exhausted? Tsk tsk."
Ming Mei snorted, too lazy to argue with him. She kicked at him with her foot and said, "Move away, I want to sleep."
Zhuang Zhixi laughed and turned off the light...
Since getting married, Zhuang Zhixi and Ming Mei had bid farewell to early mornings. Among all the residents in their courtyard, they were known as the latest risers, and this happened every day. Zhuang Zhixi didn't mind it at all and felt no embarrassment about it.
The couple would rush out the door almost every day, barely making it on time.
However, today Zhuang Zhixi was quite surprised and said with a smile, "Big brother, when did you get back?"
Zhuang Zhiyuan's business trip had lasted longer than usual this time.
Zhuang Zhiyuan replied, "I came back last night. When I returned, you were at my sister-in-law's parents' home. Oh right, I brought you some local specialty snacks, give them a try."
Zhuang Zhixi laughed, "We've been drowning in snacks lately. You brought some, and Ming Mei's grandfather also brought some."
"Sister-in-law's grandfather?"
Zhuang Zhixi went on to explain yesterday's events, then added with a smile, "What a coincidence, right? He's been assigned to our courtyard too."
Upon hearing this, both Zhuang Zhiyuan and his wife's expressions became slightly peculiar.
However, Zhao Guihua remained calm and said, "Well, if he's assigned here, he's assigned here. We can look after each other."
After a pause, she added, "Besides, they might not even want our help."
Zhuang Zhixi looked at his mother in surprise and said, "You guessed right! Ming Mei's grandfather actually said not to bother him unless necessary."
Old man Zhuang chimed in, "Speaking of which, I know about this. Our machinery factory brought in a highly skilled master craftsman from Jinling to teach others. Who would have thought it would be Ming Mei's grandfather?"
Ming Mei smiled sweetly, "My grandfather is a very nice person."
The Zhuang family all smiled, each with different expressions.
Regardless of what everyone thought, they quickly left for work, leaving only the two daughters-in-law at home. Liang Meifen felt quite depressed. She felt that having her sister-in-law's grandfather living nearby was another major disadvantage for her.
But since it was arranged by the factory, what could she do about it?
She sighed quietly, and just then, they heard commotion from the courtyard. The two daughters-in-law immediately went outside.
They saw several men in factory uniforms following an old man, accompanied by Director Chen from the street office.
Not only their family but other families also came out. Madam Zhou Li was the first to ask, "Director Chen, what's this about...?"
Director Chen replied, "Your factory has assigned this empty room to this master craftsman. I'm showing him around."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou Li's expression immediately changed, showing great displeasure. She demanded, "How can this house be casually given to outsiders? My family wanted it too. No, without my consent, nobody can move in."
Director Chen's face darkened as he said, "Madam Zhou, since when did you have a say in this? Who do you think you are? You think you can make decisions for the factory? You want it so we should give it to you? How presumptuous can you be? Step aside, and if you dare cause trouble here, we'll have a good talk with your factory about this."
Having lost face in front of others, Director Chen naturally wouldn't show her any courtesy.
If it were an ordinary worker, Director Chen might not have been so angry, but this master craftsman was specially invited from Jinling to train master craftsmen for the factory. That made it very different. Director Chen ignored Madam Zhou and said, "This is the room. It's a bit old, the house is somewhat dated, but since all your apprentices are here, help clean it up."
She continued, "I haven't asked how we should address you?"
The old man replied, "Lan Sihai, just call me Old Lan."
Director Chen smiled, "That's quite a unique surname."
Old Lan nodded and said, "Indeed, it's not common, but it's fine."
"Master, let us clean up for you."
"Let's clean up early so it won't affect your rest tonight."
This era greatly respected teachers, and although they had only become his apprentices yesterday, everyone wanted to make a good impression. Performing well meant learning more, which would be very useful for improving their skills.
Everyone knew that although this old man was quite aged, he must be highly skilled, otherwise he wouldn't have been brought here.
Five men immediately opened the door, and as soon as they did, they were met with a cloud of dust.
Old Lan smiled, "Clean, this place is really clean indeed."
Director Chen: "..."
Old Lan examined the room with his hands behind his back. The room was nearly thirty square meters; his eyes served as a measuring tool, and he could tell it wasn't quite thirty. But it was close enough. It might not be enough for a regular family, but for a single old man like him, it was more than sufficient.
He nodded slightly and said, "You all can start working. Give it a thorough cleaning, this window needs to be replaced, get a new frame and glass, and make a small partition here. It doesn't need to be high, just over a meter will do. Make it wide enough so I can put a water cup and such things on it. Also, these walls need a new coat of paint."
As he gave instructions, his apprentices silently felt troubled.
The work itself wasn't the issue, and organizing the room was appropriate, but several of these items would cost quite a bit, which concerned them. Even though they were worried, they had to grit their teeth and bear it. This was their chance to make a good impression on their master.
However, just as everyone was feeling troubled, the old man took out a blue and white checkered handkerchief from his pocket and pulled out twenty yuan, saying, "Take this first, return any excess or make up any shortage."
These items he wanted to buy were for renovating the room, so they didn't need ration tickets.
"Master, how could we let you pay? As your apprentices, we should..."
Old Lan raised his hand to stop them and said, "Since I'm the master, I make the decisions. Handle it immediately."
"This house..." Madam Zhou Li spoke up again, still dissatisfied, "This house, my family..."
Old Lan turned around and said, "Oh my, who is this righteous, selfless, and completely unbiased old lady? Heh, hehe!"
Madam Zhou Li: "???"
Director Chen: "???"
Director Chen finally realized through this brief interaction that this old man had quite a sarcastic streak.
Zhao Guihua, watching from nearby, also laughed and stepped forward, saying, "So you're Uncle Lan? I'm Ming Mei's mother-in-law, Zhao Guihua. You can call me Little Zhao."
She pointed to her elder daughter-in-law beside her and said, "This is my elder daughter-in-law, Ming Mei's sister-in-law."
Everyone in the courtyard was watching this scene, somewhat confused about why Ming Mei kept being mentioned. Could he be Ming Mei's relative? As everyone was pondering this, they heard Old Lan say, "Oh~ So you're that extremely gentle mother-in-law? Hello, hello."
Zhao Guihua: "..."
Well, with her previous life's experience, she was used to it by now.
Then they watched as the old man continued, "And you're that completely unselfish sister-in-law? Hello, hello."
Liang Meifen: "...Hello, Uncle."
Something felt odd about all this.
Not just his way of speaking was strange, even the way of addressing people was peculiar.
Zhao Guihua: "I call him uncle, and you call him uncle too? Are you of the same generation as me?"
Liang Meifen: "No, no."
Zhao Guihua decisively said, "This is Ming Mei's grandfather, from now on you should call him Grandfather too."
Liang Meifen: "...Oh."
That was the only way to address him now, calling him Grandfather directly would have been a bit strange.
She took the initiative: "Grandfather, let me help you with something. I'm good at housework."
Old Lan: "No need, you're not my real granddaughter. You don't need to work for me. Even my real granddaughter doesn't need to work for me, let alone you."
After just a few exchanges, everyone could see that this old man wasn't an ordinary elder; he had quite a prickly personality. Old Lan looked up and asked, "Does this house leak when it rains?"
Director Chen quickly replied, "We're not sure about that actually. No one has lived here for years, so it's better to renovate it."
Old Lan: "Alright, fix it then."
Everyone started working with various clanking sounds.
Their neighbors were all factory workers too, and someone recognized them: "Isn't this old man's apprentice the master craftsman from Workshop Three? I heard he's a level-four worker. Now he's here being an apprentice to this old man?" The voice was so quiet it was barely audible.
Someone whispered, "I heard from my old man that the factory brought in a master craftsman from out of town. He won't teach beginners - he's only picking skilled workers of level four or five."
"What? Starting with level four or five workers?"
"Yeah, I heard he's a really capable master craftsman. He was a level eight worker before retirement."
"I heard about that too. They say the old man has no formal education, otherwise he could have been promoted to engineer."
Everyone was chattering in hushed voices. Zhao Guihua's lips twitched as she thought to herself that the gossip network in their compound was quite extensive. Her in-law had just arrived, yet the news had already spread. Though it wasn't surprising - he must have reported in yesterday, and after a day of circulation, those who needed to know would naturally find out.
"I can't believe he's the maternal grandfather of the Zhuang family's younger daughter-in-law."
"Liang Meifen will have an even harder time now."
"That's for sure."
"I think the Zhuang family might have trouble too. That old man looks difficult to get along with, always speaking with a strange attitude."
"That's true..."
"But Zhao Guihua is tough too. She won't let herself be taken advantage of."
"Tough or not, he still has seniority over her."
See, the gossip quickly turned to her. Zhao Guihua ignored all that and said, "Uncle Lan, if you can't finish the work today, why don't you and your family join us for lunch? What do you think?"
The old man Lan nodded, "Alright, I'll give you food ration coupons."
Zhao Guihua: "No need, we're relatives after all. It's just one meal, not a big deal. Though if you were to eat with us every day, I would accept the coupons."
Old man Lan: "Business is business, and we have many people. It's settled then, I'll give you meal tickets. Make a meat dish."
Zhao Guihua: "Alright."
Old man Lan nodded and said, "Thank you for the trouble."
Zhao Guihua smiled and said, "It's nothing."
She knew that when this old man said he didn't want to trouble others, he really meant it. It was the same in her previous life - even though they lived in the same compound, they never really took care of this old man. He really disliked others interfering with his life.
Old man Lan instructed his youngest apprentice: "Go to the transport team's family quarters, my bicycle and luggage are still there. Find my daughter Lan Ling and bring them over."
Old man Lan's youngest apprentice was already in his thirties. He nodded with a smile and said, "Sure."
Old man Lan: "Young Zhao."
Zhao Guihua: "Yes, Uncle Lan, what is it?"
Old man Lan: "Do you know any matchmakers around here?"
Zhao Guihua: "..."
This was following the same pattern as in her previous life.
She was quite speechless, but then she thought it over and smiled. Sometimes living life freely isn't necessarily a bad thing. At least it makes oneself comfortable.
She smiled and said, "Yes, there's Aunt Wang, who manages our compound. She usually helps introduce young men and women around here to potential matches. If you need someone, she would be perfect for the job. She can definitely find you someone suitable."
Aunt Wang: "...???"
Looking for a match right after arriving?
Damn, what kind of person is this old man?
She reluctantly said, "Uncle, you want to find a companion?"
Old man Lan nodded, "Yes, living alone is boring."
Aunt Wang silently looked at Zhao Guihua, who said, "Uncle's wife passed away more than ten years ago."
Old man Lan raised an eyebrow, thinking that his granddaughter's mother-in-law knew quite a bit about him. He said, "Well, there's no time like the present. Let's do it today. We can have lunch together, and I'll explain my situation and what kind of person I'm looking for."
Aunt Wang: "...Oh."
It's not easy to find a match for someone of his age!
How should she arrange this? Usually, when widows remarry, they do it when they're younger. After reaching a certain age, most don't remarry, not wanting to embarrass their children. So while second marriages aren't difficult to arrange, it's not easy at his age.
This job wouldn't be easy.
At this point, Aunt Wang couldn't have known that despite the old man's peculiar attitude, he would still be quite popular. Bai Fendou would remain the only one who couldn't find a wife through her matchmaking.
Forever only Bai Fendou.
She said, "Alright, I'll listen to your requirements."
"Master, you just arrived and you're already looking for a wife?" Someone with a straightforward personality asked directly.
Old man Lan wasn't embarrassed at all and nodded, saying, "Of course, who says an old man has to eat cold meals and sleep in a cold bed? Having a wife to take care of me would put you all at ease, wouldn't it?"
"Ah, well..."
For a moment, no one knew what to say.
"Yes... I suppose?"
Old man Lan nodded: "That settles it then."
Old man Lan walked with his hands behind his back, saying, "I'll take a look around."
Director Chen smiled and said, "Please do."
As a relative, Zhao Guihua took the initiative: "Uncle Lan, shall I show you around?"
Uncle Lan shook his head, saying, "No need, I can look around myself. Oh right, I heard you have a quite remarkable public toilet here, is it the one at the entrance of the alley?"
Everyone: "..."
You really know how to bring up the most awkward topics.
Zhao Guihua: "That's the one, but be careful when you go there, someone has fallen in before."
Old man Lan: "I'm not that wild of a person."
He sighed with feeling: "The people of the capital are really different, completely unlike us in Jinling. We don't have such things in Jinling. This is truly eye-opening, eye-opening indeed."
He lamented why he hadn't come earlier, missing such a spectacle. Coincidentally, his son-in-law had the same thoughts. Just as he was about to leave, Madam Zhou Li jumped out again: "This house..."
She still wanted to argue.
Director Chen was furious and shouted: "Madam Zhou, if you keep making trouble like this, I'm going to the machinery factory to find Zhou Qun. I want to ask him what's going on - how is his family any different from bandits!"
"No, you can't! If you dare go to my son, I'll hang myself at your doorstep." Although Madam Zhou was afraid of Director Chen, the temptation of the house was too great. She now saw Director Chen as nothing but an obstacle in her way.
She said viciously: "This is mine, this is my house... Even if you move in, I'll drive you out. Why should it be given to an outsider? This is mine, I prepared it for my eldest grandson..."
"What grandson? You're really dreaming," someone muttered quietly.
This single comment immediately broke Madam Zhou Li's last defense. She screamed: "They're bullying me! They're bullying a widow!" Madam Zhou Li started wailing, and old man Lan watched as she sat down on the ground and started kicking her legs.
"You heartless people, you murderers, you're stealing my house, you deserve to die..."
Old man Lan raised an eyebrow and said: "You want to drive me out?"
He smiled and said: "Alright, everyone stop what you're doing."
The apprentices all stopped their work, and one rolled up his sleeves: "This vicious old woman, I'll slap her to death!"
"Master, don't be afraid of her!"
"Who does she think she is!"
Old man Lan: "No need for violence. None of you are to move."
Director Chen: "???"
Her heart skipped a beat, feeling that this old man was definitely not someone to be trifled with.
Before she could react, the old man had already sat down and started smoking. Seeing that he seemed to have been intimidated by her, Madam Zhou Li became even more arrogant: "Don't think you can do whatever you want just because you have relatives in the compound. This house is mine, it must be mine! No one can take it away, and if anyone tries, I'll die at their doorstep. You dare to bully an old woman like me? My son is a level seven electrician at the factory, you..."
"You what!" Suddenly a shout interrupted, and a middle-aged man appeared at the door with several people behind him. They were clearly from the factory's security department.
Old man Lan brushed off non-existent ash from his clothes, stood up, and said: "Deputy Factory Director Zhang, look, the factory asked me to come train new people, and I came without hesitation from thousands of miles away. When allocating housing, I also said that a small place would be fine, since I'm just one old man. Even if I find a companion, it would just be two people, we don't need a big place. I think I've been quite considerate of the factory's interests, haven't I?"
Deputy Factory Director Zhang nodded and said seriously: "You're a senior comrade with high consciousness, and we're very grateful to you."
Their factory had just installed a new production line that dealt with gold. This job not only required technical skills but also demanded impeccable character. However, among those who could handle gold pieces, very few had the right background. After all, poor families rarely got the chance to work with such materials. Moreover, this skill was hard to come by, and master craftsmen were extremely rare. What made it even more remarkable was that this old colleague had started as an apprentice in a gold shop before he was ten, and became a master craftsman in his twenties - a truly gifted individual. Having worked for decades, his craftsmanship was beyond reproach, and he was willing to teach others. Getting such a master craftsman to join them was no small feat.
This master craftsman was also low-maintenance with minimal demands, and the factory didn't need to be responsible for his family affairs - he was the perfect candidate.
For these reasons, the factory treated such master craftsmen like treasures.
Seeing someone causing trouble here made his head buzz with anger.
"Master, it's our fault for not handling things properly. We're sorry for the trouble."
Lan Sihai said, "Well, let's discuss this further. I've never caused any problems for the factory and have always been reasonable. But this house the factory assigned me - what's going on here? You can't bully people like this! Are you deliberately trying to show me who's boss?"
Deputy Factory Director Zhang's face changed color as he quickly explained, "Master, you've misunderstood us. We absolutely didn't mean that. We handled this poorly, but please believe me, I will definitely resolve this properly for you! We won't let you suffer any grievances."
Deputy Factory Director Zhang now looked at Madam Zhou Li and felt that this old woman was like a toxic remnant from the old society.
His words improved Lan Sihai's expression somewhat, though he still spoke coldly: "Whether it's good or big doesn't matter to me, but I haven't even moved in and someone's already trying to steal the house, even threatening to hang themselves at my doorstep. Tell me, is this what the new society is supposed to be like? Even landlords didn't bully people this way! Look at her, she's already making a scene before anything's happened."
The master didn't even need to point this out.
Deputy Factory Director Zhang had witnessed the old woman's tantrum as soon as he arrived, and he was furious - she was bringing shame to their factory!
Having such a family member associated with their factory was truly a black mark. She was bringing disgrace to the factory.
Without further ado, he ordered, "Take her to the security office!"
Madam Zhou Li: "What?"
Her tactic of throwing tantrums had always worked well before, but she never expected it to backfire so spectacularly... In disbelief, she said, "You're going to arrest me? What right do you have to arrest me?"
At this point, she still hadn't realized that she meant nothing to them.
Deputy Factory Director Zhang: "You deliberately attempted to steal housing - that's a crime! Take her away!"
"You wouldn't dare! My son is a level-seven electrician at the factory, a promising talent. He won't let you get away with this! Just wait until my son rises to power, he'll deal with all of you - you're nothing but watchdogs..." Madam Zhou Li hadn't noticed the title "Deputy Factory Director Zhang," and seeing everyone in security uniforms, she naturally assumed they were all from the security office.
"My son has a good relationship with the factory director, he won't let you watchdogs off easy!"
Deputy Factory Director Zhang was furious: "Hah!"
The security officers were trembling with anger too - they had never seen such a shameless old woman! She really didn't take them seriously! They'd show her once they got her to the security office! Calling them watchdogs?
Even dogs could bite her!
Deputy Factory Director Zhang sneered: "Take her away!!!"
"You murderous lot, you deserve to die, I won't let you get away with this, my son won't let you get away with this... This house is mine, you old devil, you're stealing my house, just wait until I come back, I'll teach you a lesson, just you wait, wait and see..." Madam Zhou Li howled, her screams echoing throughout the street: "You little shorty, just wait until I smash all your windows. Just you wait, wait and see..."
Deputy Factory Director Zhang was short in stature and hated being called short more than anything. His face turned red with anger, his body trembling. If he didn't have to maintain his dignity, he would have slapped her right there.
By now, not just their courtyard but people from other courtyards had come out to watch the commotion.
"What's going on?"
"Isn't that Deputy Factory Director Zhang? What's this old shrew doing, even cursing at factory leadership?"
"Arrogant, too arrogant..."
The surrounding neighbors were in an uproar!
Zhao Guihua hadn't participated throughout, but she couldn't help but reflect: no matter the era, housing always drives people crazy!
