Courtyard House: Become Stronger Through Blind Dates

He Yuzhu: "???"

His mind didn't quite process it for a moment...

No, ma'am, we've only just met, we haven't even exchanged two words, and you've already sentenced me to death?

He Yuzhu asked instinctively, "Why?"

Zhou Xiaomei put down her teacup and said seriously, "Because I don't agree with traditional marriage concepts. I believe that women should be independent and self-reliant, and should not depend on men, let alone regard marriage as their life's destination."

She paused, and seeing that He Yuzhu didn't refute her, she continued, "I'm only here for this blind date to appease my mother."

"Actually, I don't want to get married so early at all! I still have my own ideals and pursuits. I want to contribute my strength to socialist construction, instead of being trapped in family trivialities."

He Yuzhu was stunned. Goodness, this girl... has some pretty progressive ideas!

These days, it's rare to see women who think like this.

The countdown timer below his field of vision still hadn't started ticking. Based on previous deductions, the system concluded that the other party had no interest in him at this moment.

As a time traveler, He Yuzhu was all too aware of the views on female independence in later generations.

He gathered his thoughts and said earnestly, "I completely agree with your opinion! Women should indeed be independent and have their own careers and pursuits."

"Marriage should not be a constraint, but a union of two independent individuals who respect and support each other."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaomei's eyes lit up: "You really think so?"

He Yuzhu nodded and said, "Of course, I believe that whether male or female, one should first and foremost be a complete individual."

"Marriage is not about finding someone to support you, but about finding a soulmate to grow together with."

His words were sincere, and Zhou Xiaomei's gaze towards him immediately changed.

"I never expected... that you would have such awareness!" Zhou Xiaomei was somewhat surprised. "When I tell other people about this, they all think I'm crazy and that there's something wrong with my thinking."

"That's because their thinking is outdated!" He Yuzhu laughed. "Times are progressing, and people's ideas should also progress. Why can't women have their own careers? Why must they be good wives and mothers? This is a form of gender discrimination."

"Yes, yes, yes!" Zhou Xiaomei exclaimed excitedly, "That's exactly what I think, but nobody understands me, not even my mother..."

She seemed to have found a kindred spirit and began to talk at length about her ideals and pursuits.

He Yuzhu listened patiently, nodding in agreement from time to time, and occasionally interjecting with a word or two of his own insights.

His perspectives from later generations made Zhou Xiaomei's eyes light up more and more as she listened.

"So you also believe women should receive equal pay for equal work?"

"Of course, why should women be paid less than men for the same job? That's unreasonable."

"So, what if the woman doesn't want to do housework after marriage?"

"We can divide the work. Whoever has time can do it, or we can do it together. Housework is not a woman's exclusive duty."

"What if my in-laws pressure me to have a baby?"

"Whether or not to have children, and when to have them, should be a joint decision between the couple, and outsiders have no right to interfere."

……

The two got along better and better as they talked, and Zhou Xiaomei's gaze toward He Yuzhu changed from initial indifference to admiration.

Meanwhile, the countdown below He Yuzhu's field of vision had started ticking at some point.

【00:29:58…00:29:57…00:29:56…】

Time passed second by second. While chatting with Zhou Xiaomei, He Yuzhu secretly kept an eye on the countdown.

Finally, when the countdown reached [00:00:00], the system notification sounded again:

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

[Congratulations, host, you have obtained: System Space (100m*100m*100m).]

He Yuzhu was startled, and his eyes widened instantly.

System space?

You're finally here! I've missed you so much!!!

Although it's not a spiritual spring space, having it is better than not having it!

"Comrade He Yuzhu? What's wrong?" Zhou Xiaomei noticed that he suddenly seemed lost in thought and asked in confusion.

He Yuzhu snapped out of his daze and quickly covered it up, saying, "No...nothing, I just suddenly thought of something."

He looked at Zhou Xiaomei, his feelings a mix of emotions.

Although this girl has progressive ideas and an independent personality, to be honest, she's not his type.

Besides, it's obvious that the other person doesn't want to get married, so there's no need for him to force it.

"Comrade Xiaomei, I respect your decision," He Yuzhu said sincerely. "I fully understand and support what you just said."

"Everyone has the right to choose their own lifestyle; marriage is not a necessity in life."

Upon hearing this, a hint of emotion flashed in Zhou Xiaomei's eyes.

She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't.

Actually, after chatting just now, she had already developed feelings for He Yuzhu.

This man not only understood her thoughts, but also offered so many insightful opinions, making him completely different from any man she had ever met before.

But... the words have already been spoken, wouldn't it be too embarrassing to go back on them now?

Just then, Wang the matchmaker's voice came from outside the door: "Zhuzi, Xiaomei, how's the chat going? Can we come in?"

He Yuzhu glanced at Zhou Xiaomei, and seeing that she was keeping her head down and not speaking, he called out, "Aunt Wang, Aunt Zhou, please come in!"

The door opened, and Matchmaker Wang and Zhou's mother walked in.

Matchmaker Wang asked expectantly, "How was it? Did the conversation go well?"

He Yuzhu glanced at Zhou Xiaomei, and seeing that she was still looking down, he said tactfully, "Comrade Xiaomei is very outstanding, and we had a very pleasant conversation."

He deliberately gave Wang the matchmaker a look, meaning "it's hopeless."

Matchmaker Wang was a shrewd woman; she understood immediately. A look of disappointment crossed her face, but she quickly masked it: "Oh...I see..."

Zhou's mother then looked at her daughter: "Xiaomei, what do you think?"

Zhou Xiaomei looked up at He Yuzhu, then at her mother, bit her lip, and whispered, "I...I don't think we're a good match..."

He Yuzhu nodded and followed her words, saying, "Aunt Zhou, Aunt Wang, although we didn't end up together, I admire Comrade Xiaomei very much. She is a thoughtful woman and will surely achieve great things in the future."

Zhou's mother was somewhat disappointed, but she didn't know what else to say, so she could only nod and say, "Well... then that's settled! Comrade Xiao He, I'm sorry to have bothered you."

"Aunt Zhou, you're too kind," He Yuzhu said with a smile. "You're welcome to visit again if you have the chance."

He escorted the Zhou mother and daughter, along with the matchmaker Wang, to the door and watched them leave.

Back inside, He Yuzhu closed the door and rubbed his hands together excitedly.

"System space, let me see how to use it!"

On a whim, he tried to store the teacup on the table into his spatial storage.

The teacup didn't move an inch the next second.

The teacup vanished the moment he reached out and touched it.

He Yuzhu entered the space with his mind and saw that the teacup was floating in a huge void.

This space has no up, down, left, or right distinctions; it is a chaotic mess, with only the 100-meter by 100-meter by 100-meter boundary clearly defined.

"That's great!" He Yuzhu exclaimed excitedly, almost jumping for joy. "With this space, we'll never be afraid of thieves again!"

He experimented a few more times and mastered the basic use of space.

Items need to be placed in and out of contact, but time is frozen in that space, so things put in won't spoil.