Siheyuan: I am Banggeng's uncle

Chapter 921 The Confidence of the Stick!
Upon hearing Tang Jiansheng's promise, Liu Erwa's eyes flashed with a smug look of triumph. He smiled and said to Tang Jiansheng, "Old Tang! You and your sister-in-law may not be able to fulfill my conditions, but your son-in-law certainly has a way to do it."

“After our third son returned from the countryside, he has been waiting for the neighborhood committee to arrange a job. However, there are far more job openings than available jobs for those who were sent to the countryside. So we would like to ask your son-in-law to help our third son find a job. Of course, it is very difficult to find a formal job now, so we only ask that you find our third son an apprenticeship job.”

When Tang Jiansheng first heard Liu Erwa mention the word "conditions," he recalled the amount of betrothal money the other party had initially proposed and had a vague feeling that this matter was not so simple. However, to Tang Jiansheng's surprise, the other party would make an outrageous demand, proposing that they exchange an apprenticeship job for the marriage.

Faced with the Liu family's unreasonable demands, Tang Jiansheng knew that there was no point in continuing the marriage negotiations. Considering the face of both sides, Tang Jiansheng suppressed his anger and replied with a forced smile, "Old Liu! If you want us to exchange an apprenticeship for this marriage, then please forgive me for being powerless to help you."

When Tang Guohua first met Liu Yuexiu, he sensed that something was off about her. However, considering that both sets of parents were present, Tang Guohua didn't approach Liu Yuexiu to find out what was going on. It wasn't until he heard the conditions proposed by Liu Yuexiu's parents that he understood why Liu Yuexiu was acting strangely. He also realized that his marriage proposal to Liu Yuexiu might be ruined because of this.

Sitting to the side, Banggeng never expected that the Liu family would make such an outrageous demand. Seeing Tang Guohua looking dejected because of the other party's request, he smiled and mocked Liu Erwa, "Uncle Liu! You just said that nowadays, there are far more monks than porridge for educated youth who have returned from the countryside. Let alone a formal job, even an apprenticeship is worth at least five or six hundred yuan."

"You keep saying it's for Liu Yuexiu's happiness, yet you're making such high demands. Isn't this selling your daughter?"

Hearing Banggeng's sarcasm, Liu Erwa was not embarrassed at all. Instead, he acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world and said to Banggeng, "Young Master Tang! You don't know this, but the workshop director of our meat processing plant also has his eye on Xiuxiu and wants her to be his son's wife."

“Director Zhang once promised us that if we agreed to marry our daughter to his son, he would arrange a temporary job for our third son at the meat processing plant. We considered that Xiuxiu was dating your second brother-in-law, which is why we did not agree to Director Zhang’s proposal. Aren’t we considering Xiuxiu’s happiness?”

Over the years, under Jia Dongming's tutelage, Banggeng has developed strong interpersonal skills, to the point that he can be described as shrewd and resourceful. When Banggeng heard Liu Erwa's explanation that the workshop director of the meat processing plant was planning to use a temporary job to exchange for a marriage with the Liu family, he immediately realized that there was something wrong with it.

Recalling what Tang Yanling had told him yesterday, Banggeng smiled and asked Liu Erwa, "Uncle Liu! The workshop director of the meat processing plant has a lot of power. For a family like that, getting a wife is a very simple matter."

"As a result, this Director Zhang is actually planning to exchange a temporary job quota for yours in order to get his son a wife. If I'm not mistaken, his child is either widowed or has some kind of hidden illness, right?"

Upon hearing Bang Geng's analysis, Liu Erwa's face showed utter shock. Just as Bang Geng said, Director Zhang's son was an alcoholic who would beat his wife whenever he was drunk. His previous wife, unable to endure the long-term domestic violence, sought help from the Women's Federation for a divorce and eventually left Beijing. Seeing Bang Geng so incisively reveal the truth about the Zhang family, Liu Erwa felt embarrassed and guiltily argued, "Isn't it normal for women to be disciplined when they're disobedient? Zhang Chong may beat his wife, but that's only when he's drunk."

Upon hearing Liu Erwa's reply and seeing the guilty expression on his face, Banggeng's eyes flashed with disdain. He then said very seriously, "Regarding my second brother-in-law's marriage to Liu Yuexiu, it is not something that I, as a junior, should interfere with. However, considering my second brother-in-law's happiness, I will say this here today."

“If you agree to let Liu Yuexiu marry my second brother-in-law, then I will arrange a temporary job for Liu Yuexiu’s third brother at the steel rolling mill. If you don’t agree, then I will release my wife and find a wife for my second brother-in-law from among her sisters.”

Sitting next to Banggeng, Tang Yanling felt a pang of anxiety when she heard Banggeng make that promise in public. She quickly reached out and grabbed Banggeng's thigh, squeezing it hard as if to ask him, "How dare you make such a promise?"

Banggeng sensed Tang Yanling's subtle movements and immediately guessed what she was thinking. He then gave Tang Yanling a reassuring look and continued to say to Liu Erwa, "Uncle Liu! Although my father-in-law and mother-in-law are not cadres, their workplaces are either supply and marketing cooperatives or department stores, which are the best workplaces right now."

"Moreover, my father-in-law's family only has seven members, but four of them have stable jobs. If it weren't for the current promotion of free love, given my father-in-law's family's conditions, as long as a little word gets out, I estimate that my father-in-law's doorstep would definitely be worn down by matchmakers coming to propose marriage."

"If it weren't for the fact that my brother-in-law and Liu Yuexiu genuinely like each other, which is why I made this promise, if you weren't willing, our two families could just pretend nothing happened, finish this meal peacefully, and then part ways amicably!"

Liu Erwa never expected that this son-in-law of the Tang family would dare to overstep his bounds and make a decision right in front of Tang Jiansheng. However, considering the other party's family background, Liu Erwa quickly felt relieved and then asked Banggeng, "Son-in-law of the Tang family! Are you sure you can help our third son get a temporary job at the Hongxing Steel Rolling Mill?"

When Banggeng heard Liu Erwa's question, he replied confidently, "A real man keeps his word! If you don't believe me, you can wait until I help Liu Yuexiu's third brother find a job, and then let Liu Yuexiu marry my second brother-in-law!"

(End of this chapter)