Chapter 7

Jiang Qing felt a jolt in her heart.

She was no longer a girl in her twenties; having been weathered by the passage of time, she knew very well that among her siblings, only her third brother and sister-in-law were truly decent people. Because of the large age gap, her third brother had always treated her like his own daughter before his accident. Whatever Jiang Huanhuan and Jiang Shuangshuang had, she generally had as well. As for her third sister-in-law, it went without saying—the old house had not lacked for food to this day, and a portion of that was truly due to the sister-in-law's salary. In her youth, she had been blind to these favors, but now, she couldn't bring herself to say a bad word about her.

However...

"Sister-in-law, to be honest with you, I just feel uneasy. Even if the Cheng family's favor were to be repaid, it should fall on Shuangshuang's head. What does it mean for it to land on me?" Jiang Qing lowered her eyes slightly and continued, "Besides, I don't want to marry a soldier. Once he leaves, he might be gone for years without us seeing each other much..."

Before she could finish, she quickly backtracked. "But the Cheng family did say that Cheng Jin is quite capable and could apply for his family to follow him to his post in two or three years. And after all, Uncle Cheng owes your family a life; if Shuangshuang really marries into that family, they will surely treat her well."

"Is that so?" Xu Yingxia pulled her hand back.

"That's right. For so many years, Cheng Xingbang has kept in touch with Mother. He is, after all, a man who values relationships and justice. Otherwise, with the families living so far apart, a heartless person would have cut ties long ago." Jiang Qing tried her best to persuade, wishing she could praise the Cheng family as the best in the world.

Saying so much was merely to facilitate this arrangement.

"Speaking of which, the Cheng family is quite interesting," Jiang Shuangshuang said with a hint of sarcasm. "Grandmother has siphoned so many benefits from them over the years, yet the Cheng family still dares to marry a daughter of the Jiang family? Are they really not afraid of this whole family clinging to them like vampires?"

"No, no, that's not the case." Jiang Qing denied it immediately, though she felt very guilty inside.

In truth, at the very beginning, she didn't know how much her mother had demanded from the Cheng family. She only knew hands had been reached out, but the exact amount was unclear to her. It wasn't until after she married into the family that Cheng Jin's mother flipped through pages and pages of records to show her. It was incredibly humiliating at the time, and she felt a deep resentment toward her own family. If they had planned to become in-laws with the Cheng family, why pull such detestable stunts? It left her feeling like an outcast in her new home, holding onto that handle of shame for decades.

But now, she had to cover for her mother. "Your grandmother is not that kind of person. If they were truly annoyed, why would they ask for Cheng Jin to come for a blind date?"

Jiang Shuangshuang raised an eyebrow and remained silent.

Jiang Qing didn't want to continue this topic either. She quickly asked, "Third Sister-in-law, I heard you previously hired a matchmaker for Shuangshuang? Could you tell me the address? I don't really want to go to the countryside, so I'd like to see if the matchmaker can introduce a suitable partner."

Xu Yingxia gave an address and added, "There's no need to ask. If there were a suitable candidate, they wouldn't have waited until now. The only ones left are men who have children or health issues."

It was truly hard to find anyone. Those with slightly better conditions had long since been snatched up. Otherwise, she wouldn't have considered having Shuangshuang meet the Cheng family's son.

"With children?!" Jiang Qing's eyes lit up. Suppressing her excitement, she asked, "The matchmaker introduced a candidate with children for Shuangshuang? Which family is it?"

"I haven't inquired," Xu Yingxia said, looking at her strangely. Why did it feel like she couldn't stop smiling? Was she laughing because her daughter only deserved a widower with kids?

Feeling displeased and looking for an excuse to see her out, Jiang Qing stood up. "It's getting late, so I'll head back. Once the date for Cheng Jin's return is set, I'll come back to let you know, Third Sister-in-law."

She left with a wave and a spring in her step, leaving Xu Yingxia feeling bewildered. "Do you think what she just said is reliable?"

Jiang Shuangshuang gave a four-word assessment: "Full of lies." Not a single word could be trusted. Oh, wait—the fact that their surname is Cheng should probably be the only believable part.

"This family is truly black-hearted. I even thought she might remember our kindness and tell me the truth." Xu Yingxia felt a tightness in her chest from anger. "Tomorrow, I'm going to the old house. If they don't give me a chance to speak, I'll go with someone from the Neighborhood Committee. We must split the household!"

Clearly, she didn't believe it either. The logic remained: if it were truly such a good match, given her sister-in-law's character, she certainly wouldn't have given it up. But... even knowing that, one couldn't help but wonder: what if?

Xu Yingxia gritted her teeth and asked uncertainly, "Should we still go to the meeting?"

"We go." Jiang Shuangshuang didn't hesitate, continuing to shell peanuts. "If I don't go, you'll always be worrying about it. It's better to go and take a look. Besides, if I don't like him, no one can force me to marry."

Xu Yingxia thought that made sense. It wasn't as if they owed the Cheng family anything; if she didn't like him, they could just decline. If they couldn't find a suitable candidate, Shuangshuang could still take over the job. She reached up to touch her own face, sighing, "Do you think I'm really getting old? I can't even see things as clearly as you, this little girl."

Jiang Shuangshuang chuckled and placed a few peanuts in her palm. "Cherish these years well. In a few more years, you'll really be a grandmother."

Hearing this, Xu Yingxia felt that time was truly passing fast. She said softly, "Girl, Mom doesn't expect you to find a partner with great conditions, but he must be the most suitable. As long as you get along, you can live a happy life for the long years ahead."

Just like her and old Jiang. Although their destiny in this life had been shallow, having been together for less than ten years, she had never regretted marrying him to this day.

...

Meanwhile, Jiang Qing, who had left, felt quite guilty. Come to think of it, whether in this life or the last, her third sister-in-law's family had never wronged her. Introducing Cheng Jin to them now felt like setting a trap.

"No, I can't think like that." Jiang Qing shook her head, whispering to herself to justify it. She was just considering her own interests. Besides, Jiang Shuangshuang marrying Cheng Jin might not be a bad thing. Jiang Shuangshuang was more qualified than her and better equipped to confront the Cheng family head-on. With her current temperament, she might even be able to manage the situation and push Cheng Jin to be more ambitious.

If she truly couldn't escape the fate she suffered in her past life, then when her future man became the richest person, she would be willing to pull Jiang Shuangshuang up, buy her a house and a car, and let her enjoy a life of wealth together!

Moreover, either outcome would be better than what Jiang Shuangshuang experienced in her previous life, right? Her rebirth could change the future destiny of many. Even if there was some suffering in the beginning, the future would hold things many ordinary people could never enjoy. In that sense, she wasn't wrong at all, was she?

Jiang Qing convinced herself. At the same time, she felt a greater sense of urgency. She couldn't wait any longer. She secretly stole ten yuan and some ration coupons from where her mother hid money. She had wanted to buy two cans of fruit from the supply and marketing cooperative to bring as a gift, but there were no cans to be found, so she had to buy a bag of candy instead.

Matchmaker Zhang lived quite far away. It was almost nightfall by the time Jiang Qing arrived. It wasn't really an appropriate time to visit, but she was too anxious to care. The only man she wanted to marry in this life was a widower with two children, several years older than her. Although he would become the richest man in the future, he was currently just a regular factory worker with a monthly salary of thirty yuan.

Compared to Cheng Jin, he didn't measure up in any way. If her parents found out, they would definitely not agree. So she planned to act first and report later; once things were set, no one could object.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on Matchmaker Zhang's door.

"Who is it?" There was a rustling sound from inside, and a moment later, an old woman opened the door. She stared at the visitor for a moment, then her gaze fell on the cloth bag in Jiang Qing's hand. Immediately, her face creased into a smile. "Come in, come in. Let's talk inside."

Carrying gifts to her house—what else could this be but a bribe? Even though it was late, Matchmaker Zhang welcomed her with great enthusiasm. "Xiao Liu, hurry and pour this comrade a glass of hot water. Come, let's chat in this room; no one will disturb us here."

Holding the hot water in her hands, Jiang Qing skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point. "I want to ask you to act as a matchmaker for me."

"Sure." Matchmaker Zhang glanced at the cloth bag again. A large bag of hard-crusted fruit candies had to be worth at least three or four yuan. She smiled, eyes squinting. "Do you have a specific person in mind you want me to help pair up, or are you looking for me to introduce someone suitable?"

"I heard there is a comrade surnamed Ma who is looking for a partner?"

"Surnamed Ma?" Matchmaker Zhang thought for a moment. "There are indeed a few people with that surname. How about this? Tell me about your situation..."

Jiang Qing added, "The Ma family with two children."

"Two children?" Matchmaker Zhang looked astonished. "You want to be a stepmother?" Although she spoke sweetly to the public about how having kids was good and wonderful, this was the first time a comrade had proactively come to her asking to be a stepmother. She hesitated, confirming, "Little comrade, you don't have any hidden health issues, do you?" Otherwise, why would she want to be a stepmother for no reason?

"I'm perfectly normal!" Jiang Qing hurriedly explained, fearing a misunderstanding might reach the ears of the future richest man. "I'm just... just..." She couldn't come up with an excuse immediately. She couldn't tell the truth.

"I understand, I understand." Matchmaker Zhang didn't want to hear it, and even if she did, it might not be the truth. She said, "You want to find the Ma comrade with children, right? Believe it or not, I really do have such a person."

"Yes, yes, that's him!" Jiang Qing said with pleasant surprise. Too much time had passed; she had forgotten his first name and only remembered his surname. She remembered his daughter who became a star, but that was a stage name. The only things she remembered were the surname Ma, two children, and a stable job. Before Jiang Shuangshuang went to the countryside, he had repeatedly asked matchmakers to go and propose.

"Little comrade, you have a good eye. If it weren't for the two children, this Comrade Ma would have remarried long ago." Matchmaker Zhang was quick to praise. "The man is capable and ambitious, and the two children are obedient and clever. Raising them well means having two more children to help with your retirement later, isn't that great?"

Jiang Qing also thought it was great. Having two promising stepchildren couldn't be a bad thing. If she raised them well, it wouldn't be much different from having her own.

"However," Matchmaker Zhang changed her tone, "this Comrade Ma doesn't have any plans for a second marriage for the time being. You go back and wait for my news. I'll go run an errand to his house and then contact you."

"No plans for a second marriage?" Jiang Qing was shocked. "How can that be? Didn't he ask you to set him up with Jiang Shuangshuang?"

"Jiang Shuangshuang?" Matchmaker Zhang was also surprised. "Are you talking about that Ma family? No, no, he only had his eyes on Jiang Shuangshuang. I previously introduced several female colleagues to him, but he rejected them all."

That wasn't a lie. For the sake of the referral fee, when she couldn't convince the Jiang family, she had introduced other women, but Ma Ji'an wouldn't budge; he only wanted Jiang Shuangshuang. Although that girl, Shuangshuang, was indeed beautiful, was there really a need to be so persistent?

Later, she found out that Ma Ji'an liked Jiang Shuangshuang not just for her looks, but for her personality. Ma Ji'an's wife had passed away in an accident that was somewhat related to the old shrew in their house. If she hadn't been tortured so severely, would the accident have happened? But because it was his own mother, Ma Ji'an couldn't say anything. So, for his second marriage, he wanted a strong wife—someone who could keep his mother in check and manage their little household.

And so, after asking around, he found Jiang Shuangshuang. At first, Jiang Shuangshuang had turned the Jiang household upside down, beating her cousins until they were bruised and battered; at the time, there was no lack of bad talk about her outside. Later, because of her merits in catching a thief, even the Neighborhood Committee and the Public Security Bureau awarded her a certificate. The public opinion shifted, praising her as courageous and resourceful, not inferior to any man. Simply put, she was smart, skilled in combat, and beautiful.

How could Ma Ji'an not be tempted? He set his heart on her, and just yesterday, he had said that if she could facilitate the match, he would increase the fee by five yuan and buy her a pair of matchmaker's shoes.

Matchmaker Zhang seemed to realize something and exclaimed, "Oh... you said your name is Jiang Qing, right? Don't tell me you're from the same family as Jiang Shuangshuang?" Her murky eyes gleamed with gossip. If they were from the same family, this would be interesting. Was the sister coming to poach the prospect? But her eyes weren't great—Ma Ji'an wasn't exactly a good catch, given the old shrew in his house. Fighting with peers was one thing, but if you really clashed with your mother-in-law, people would point fingers and call you unfilial.

"Don't inquire about that..."

Matchmaker Zhang looked unhappy, but Jiang Qing's next words brought a bright smile back to her face.

"I'll give you a ten-yuan referral fee. You just need to take me to him. Whether it works out or not has nothing to do with you." Jiang Qing didn't believe she couldn't win him over. She might not be as pretty as Jiang Shuangshuang, but she had her own advantages. Having lived for so many years was her advantage; she could dress up, use some clever tactics, and she didn't believe he wouldn't take the bait!

"For real?"

"For real! A deal is a deal—ten yuan is ten yuan."

Matchmaker Zhang rolled her eyes. "Alright then. Ma Ji'an has time tomorrow. You give me the money first, and I'll take you to see him."

Jiang Qing's heart skipped a beat. So his name was Ma Ji'an!