Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

The conversation was barely maintained amidst Wang the matchmaker's deliberate guidance and Jia Zhangshi's self-aggrandizement.

Jia Dongxu wanted to strike up a conversation with Qin Huairu, but after what had just happened, Qin Huairu seemed even more reserved and silent.

They would often just nod or respond with "um" or "ah," leaving Jia Dongxu feeling helpless and extremely anxious.

Madam Jia saw this and was very anxious.

She could tell that Qin Huairu was undeniably beautiful, but her mind seemed rather cunning, unlike her seemingly simple and easy-to-manage nature.

Especially her occasional glances at Sha Zhu, though subtle, could not escape Jia Zhangshi's sharp eyes.

"Does this little vixen think she's trying to find someone better while she's still in the game? Is she trying to have her cake and eat it too?" Madam Jia cursed inwardly, her satisfaction with Qin Huairu immediately plummeting.

"No, we have to get Sha Zhu out of here right now, we can't let him stay any longer!"

Jia Zhangshi's eyes darted around, and a plan came to mind.

She said to He Yuzhu, "Yuzhu, look, it's almost noon, and it's getting late. Why don't you go to the kitchen and get busy now? Finish cooking early so Aunt Wang and Miss Qin can taste your cooking!"

After saying that, she casually explained to Matchmaker Wang and Qin Huairu, "Hey, don't let his older appearance fool you. He looks like he's in his mid-twenties, but he's only just turned sixteen. He's still a kid!"

Sure enough, as soon as she said that, a clear look of surprise flashed across Wang the matchmaker's face.

Qin Huairu's delicate body trembled slightly, and she suddenly raised her head, looking at He Yuzhu with disbelief in her beautiful eyes.

Sixteen years old? This...how is this possible? His face...

He Yuzhu glanced at the mission countdown, which had less than a minute left, and pretended to stretch, making a few cracking sounds from his bones.

He said nonchalantly, "Oh, Aunt Jia, what are you saying? So what if she's sixteen? Back in the day, it wasn't uncommon for sixteen-year-olds to be parents; you could find them everywhere!"

Jia Dongxu, realizing what was happening, immediately retorted as if he had caught He Yuzhu in a compromising situation: "Silly Zhu, that's all outdated! This is a new society now, with marriage laws in place, and early marriage isn't allowed!"

His statement is actually biased. In many places these days, old customs still prevail. People who are attracted to each other will hold a wedding banquet and live together first, and then go to get a marriage certificate when they reach the legal age.

But at this moment, no one will correct him.

He Yuzhu was too lazy to argue with him, because the countdown timer for the mission below his field of vision had finally reached the finish line.

[Ding! Dating task completed, reward being distributed...]

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: one Body Strengthening Pill and a Grandmaster-level Bajiquan inheritance.]

Become!

Almost the instant the system notification sound ended, a massive influx of information flooded into He Yuzhu's mind, rapidly merging with his own memories.

At the same time, he felt a slight weight in his pocket; there was an extra item the size of a longan.

After receiving the memories, He Yuzhu said calmly, "Alright, you guys continue chatting, I'm going to cook."

After saying that, without waiting for a response from the four people inside, he opened the door and walked out.

As soon as they stepped out of the Jia family's gate, Yi Zhonghai's wife approached and asked, "Zhuzi, how did it go? Did Dongxu and that girl hit it off?"

He Yuzhu stopped and said, "It's more than just taking a liking to her; he's absolutely smitten. He even promised Miss Qin on the spot that if the marriage went through, he'd buy her a brand new sewing machine!"

"Whoa—!"

"A sewing machine?!"

"The Jia family has really gone all out this time!"

Several women who were washing vegetables and clothes stopped what they were doing and exclaimed in surprise, their faces full of shock and envy.

They had no doubt about whether the Jia family had the financial means. Old Jia died in the line of duty, and the compensation paid by the steel mill was no small sum; this was practically an open secret in the compound.

Yi Zhonghai's wife hurriedly turned around and walked back, obviously to go home and report to Yi Zhonghai.

He Yuzhu watched her retreating figure, smiled, and walked into the kitchen that the Jia family had built.

Lifting the curtain, He Yuzhu smacked his lips as he looked at the cabbage, potatoes, and radishes that Jia Zhangshi had prepared.

"Good grief, are they really expecting me to turn the impossible into reality?" he thought to himself.

However, he wasn't exactly angry.

He had expected the Jia family to be stingy.

The person in charge doesn't feel embarrassed at all, so why should he, a kitchen helper, feel embarrassed?

He rolled up his sleeves and began to quickly process the cabbages and potatoes, but Qin Huairu's pretty face involuntarily appeared in his mind.

"She's really pretty and has a great figure... what a pity..." He shook his head to himself.

With this matchmaking system, he will absolutely not consider marriage in the short term; he won't do something so foolish as to ruin his future.

Of course, not getting married doesn't mean you have to be celibate...

Just as He Yuzhu was cooking in the kitchen, the atmosphere in the Jia family's house became subtle again due to the arrival of one person.

"Knock knock knock." A knocking sound rang out on the door.

Thinking it was He Yuzhu returning, Madam Jia replied irritably, "Come in!"

The curtain was lifted, and Yi Zhonghai entered.

He was carrying a piece of pork belly tied with a straw rope. The piece of pork weighed about half a pound and was marbled with fat and lean meat, making it look very tempting.

"Master, you've arrived!" Upon seeing his master, Jia Dongxu felt as if he had seen a savior and quickly stood up to greet him.

Madam Jia's eyes lit up, and her face instantly lit up with a smile: "Oh, Dongxu's master, please come in, please come in!"

Matchmaker Wang quickly greeted them with a smile, but Qin Huairu remained with her head slightly bowed.

But out of the corner of his eye, he quickly glanced at Yi Zhonghai and the meat in his hand.

Yi Zhonghai placed the meat on the table, his gaze casually sweeping over Qin Huairu. He secretly praised her in his heart: What a beautiful girl. No wonder Dongxu was smitten and even dared to promise her a sewing machine.

He nodded and said, "I heard Dongxu went on a blind date today, so I came to see how it went. Did it go well?"

"Successfully, successfully!" Madam Jia answered eagerly, her eyes constantly glancing at the meat. "Dongxu and Miss Qin are chatting! Dongxu's master, you're too kind of you to have specially brought meat..."

"Dongxu is my apprentice, so it's only right that I care about him." Yi Zhonghai waved his hand and sat down in the seat that Jia Dongxu had given up.

He turned his gaze to Qin Huairu and asked in a gentle tone, "What is your name, young lady? I am Dongxu's master, and I also live in this courtyard. My surname is Yi."

Qin Huairu then raised her head, meeting Yi Zhonghai's scrutinizing gaze. A blush rose on her face as she replied, "Hello, Master Yi, my name is Qin Huairu."

"Okay, sure." Yi Zhonghai nodded and began to inquire about Qin Huairu's family affairs in the manner of an elder.

His questioning was far more skillful than Jia Dongxu's, effectively extracting information without offending the listener.

Under his guidance, Qin Huairu spoke a few more words than before. Although she was still shy, her words were clear and her voice was soft and sweet.

Hearing this, Jia Dongxu was itching to try it, feeling that his master's intervention was indeed extraordinary.

Watching from the side, Madam Jia breathed a slight sigh of relief.

With Yi Zhonghai here to keep things in check, at least the situation won't be too ugly.

She started calculating again: it seemed Yi Zhonghai supported Dongxu's marriage, so what about buying the sewing machine...?

Meanwhile, He Yuzhu, who was in the kitchen, had already finished processing the ordinary ingredients.

Looking at the neatly arranged shredded cabbage, shredded potatoes, and sliced ​​radishes before him, he muttered to himself, "Even a skilled cook can't cook without rice? Today I'll show you what a master chef really is!"