Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

In the afternoon, He Yuzhu followed Chef Chen to familiarize himself with the restaurant's regular dishes.

As a government-run guesthouse, the Oriental Hotel has extremely high standards for its dishes. Not only must they taste good, but the presentation and color scheme must also be exquisite. Every dish must be done to perfection.

He Yuzhu watched and learned, occasionally offering his own insights.

His modern perspective and masterful insights often impressed veteran masters like Master Chen.

"Zhu Zi, that's a great idea!" Chef Chen praised He Yuzhu after hearing his suggestion to improve a braised lion's head dish.

"The traditional method is indeed a bit greasy. Your modification retains the original flavor while making it more refreshing and suitable for modern tastes."

"I was just thinking about it randomly," He Yuzhu said with a smile.

"You came up with this by just wild guessing?" Master Wang shook his head. "Zhu Zi, what's wrong with your brain?"

He Yuzhu could only smile. He couldn't very well say that he was a time traveler who had seen all sorts of improved dishes from later generations, could he?

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Meanwhile, in Qin Family Village outside Beijing.

In the Qin family courtyard, Qin Huairu was sitting on a low stool in front of the main room, basking in the sun.

Qin's mother was tidying up the dishes in the kitchen, while Qin's father was squatting in the corner of the yard, repairing the yard wall.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a knock on the door.

"Is Sister-in-law Qin here?" A familiar voice came from outside the door.

Qin Huairu got up to open the door, and when she opened it, she saw that the person who came in was none other than Wang the Matchmaker.

"Aunt Wang? What brings you here?" Qin Huairu asked, somewhat surprised.

Matchmaker Wang's expression was not good, but she forced a smile and said, "Huai Ru, is your mother home? I have something I want to talk to you about."

"Yes, Aunt Wang, please come in." Qin Huairu stepped aside to make way.

Hearing the commotion, Qin's mother peeked out from the kitchen. Seeing that it was Matchmaker Wang, she quickly wiped her hands and came out to greet her: "Oh, Sister Wang, what brings you here? Please come in and have a seat."

Qin's father also stood up and nodded to Wang the matchmaker.

The group entered the main room, where Qin's mother poured a bowl of hot water for Wang the matchmaker, while Qin Huairu stood obediently behind her mother.

"Sister Wang, what's wrong with you..." Qin's mother looked at Wang the matchmaker's face and felt a little uneasy.

Matchmaker Wang picked up her bowl, took a sip of water, put it down, and sighed deeply: "Sister Qin, I've come today to talk to you about the marriage proposal from the Jia family."

Qin's mother and father exchanged a glance, and Qin's father spoke up, "Sister Wang, wasn't the marriage already arranged? Master Yi just came by the other day, the betrothal gifts have been accepted, and they've agreed to buy the sewing machine..."

"I know," Wang the matchmaker interrupted him, "I didn't come here today to ruin your marriage."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the three members of the Qin family before finally settling on Qin Huairu. She said earnestly, "I want to make things clear to you. Now that you've reached an agreement with Matchmaker Liu, this marriage is no longer my concern."

"I, Wang Guihua, have been a matchmaker for so many years, and I'm very particular about rules. Since you've chosen Liu Xiufang, then I consider this a break."

Qin's mother quickly explained, "Sister Wang, it's not that we're looking for Matchmaker Liu, it's Master Yi himself..."

"Regardless of who arranged it, this marriage has nothing to do with me now." Matchmaker Wang waved her hand. "I came here today to make this clear to you."

She looked at Qin Huairu with a hint of reluctance and said, "Huairu, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart, you have to be careful! You were there at the blind date at the Jia family that day, you should know what kind of situation the Jia family is in."

Qin Huairu nodded gently and said in a low voice, "Aunt Wang, I...I know."

Qin's mother's face turned somewhat pale as she said, "Sister Wang, didn't Master Yi say he would help out? He even paid for the sewing machine..."

"Yi Zhonghai?" Matchmaker Wang sneered. "He might help, but what does he get out of it? There's no such thing as a free lunch. Would someone as shrewd as Yi Zhonghai just give away those two million for nothing?"

She got up and walked to the door, then turned back to look at Qin Huairu and said, "Huairu, let me tell you one last thing: getting married is a major life event. You have to consider not only the man, but also the mother-in-law and the family."

"It was because your aunt didn't know the Jia family's background before. Jia Dongxu is a good person, and he's handsome, but his mother... sigh, you should think about it carefully!"

"I'm here today to make things clear: this marriage has nothing to do with me anymore."

"Since you've made up your minds, I can't say anything more. But if Huai Ru doesn't have a good time over there, don't blame me for not being clear about things back then."

After saying that, Wang the matchmaker turned and left, leaving the Qin family of three looking at each other in bewilderment.

Qin's father saw her off at the courtyard gate, his brows furrowed as he watched Wang the matchmaker's departing figure.

Back in the main room, Qin's mother held Qin Huairu's hand worriedly and said, "Huairu, what Matchmaker Wang said... don't you think we should reconsider this marriage?"

Qin Huairu bit her lip and remained silent.

The scene of the blind date at Jia's house that day is still vivid in my mind. Yi Zhonghai was indeed very sincere. He bought the sewing machine worth more than two million yuan without hesitation and gave the bride price of 200,000 yuan without hesitation.

Moreover, Jia Dongxu is indeed good-looking, has a city household registration, and a formal job...

"Mother, I understand what Aunt Wang said," Qin Huairu said softly. "But it wasn't easy for me to find someone from the city."

"Although the Jia family has these shortcomings, didn't Master Yi say he would help them? With Master Yi around, Madam Jia Zhang shouldn't make things too difficult for me."

Qin's mother sighed: "That's true, but a mother-in-law is still a mother-in-law. No matter how much Yi Zhonghai helps, he's still an outsider. He can't watch over you every day."

After a long silence, Qin's father finally spoke, "Huai Ru, you have to make this decision yourself. Your parents can't be with you forever; you'll have to live your own life from now on."

"If you think the Jia family is suitable, then we'll go ahead with the engagement! If you don't, we can still back out now; we can simply return the betrothal gifts."

Qin Huairu lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes with her fingers, her mind a jumbled mess.

After a long pause, Qin Huairu raised her head, her expression resolute, and said, "Father, Mother, I've made up my mind. I'll go with the Jia family!"

"Jia Dongxu is a good person, and Master Yi is willing to help him. As for his mother... I will put up with it. In time, things will get better."

Mr. and Mrs. Qin exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.

Since their daughter had made her decision, her parents couldn't say anything more.

"Alright, it's settled then." Father Qin nodded. "We'll set a date once the Jia family comes to propose marriage."

Qin's mother held her daughter's hand and instructed her, "Huai Ru, since you've made your decision, I won't say anything more. Our family doesn't have much to help you with. Take that twenty yuan betrothal gift back with you and keep it on you for future use."

"Thank you, Mother," Qin Huairu said gratefully.