Year 1983: I was a carpenter in Northeast China

"Hey sis, are you home?"

A woman dressed in bulky clothes, wearing a red hat and red gloves, entered the courtyard and shouted as she walked.

The shout was so powerful that Xu Bei and the others could hear it clearly in the east room.

"Oh dear, that loud voice, it's your Aunt Liu!"

Zhao Fengying immediately slid off the kang (a heated brick bed), shouting "Home! Home!" as she ran out without even putting on her shoes properly.

Xu Bei and Xu Juan looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xu Juan asked in confusion, "Brother, who is this Aunt Liu? I don't remember any Aunt Liu with such a loud voice."

Because of the great age of the person and the fact that they were wrapped up quite tightly, Xu Bei didn't recognize them at first. "I'll know when we get inside."

Zhao Fengying quickly ran to the center of the courtyard and enthusiastically grabbed the other woman's hand. "Sister Liu, it's so cold outside, did you come all the way from home? That must be quite a journey! Are you all frozen solid? Come inside quickly and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed)."

"It's okay, I'm wearing thick clothes, a fur coat underneath, it's very windproof."

As Sister Liu spoke, she patted Zhao Fengying's arm with her red-gloved hand and whispered excitedly:

"Hey girl, we bumped into each other on the street the other day. Didn't you tell me your son will be 21 by the New Year and still doesn't have a suitable girlfriend, and you asked me to put in some effort? Don't worry about it this time, I've found a girl for your son that's pretty much right..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Fengying's eyes lit up with delight. She lowered her voice and asked, "What are the conditions? What does the girl look like? Where does she work? How many people are in her family? What do her parents do?"

A barrage of questions came out, making Sister Liu's eyes squint into slits with laughter.

"Oh dear, look how anxious you are. Wait a moment, come inside and I'll explain it to you slowly."

Zhao Fengying smiled and nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, look at me, I got so excited that I didn't care about anything. Sister Liu, please don't blame me."

Sister Liu said in a kind and understanding voice, "How can you be picky? We're all mothers, and we all have sons. We all understand this feeling, especially since you only have one son. Your eldest daughter got married last year, so you must be worried about his marriage right away."

The two quickly walked to the door while talking, opened the door and went inside.

Sister Liu saw Xu Bei and Xu Juan pouring water in the kitchen. "Oh, is this my youngest daughter? She's back from school for the holidays. She's grown up so beautifully."

Xu Juan greeted her shyly, "Hello, Aunt Liu."

Xu Bei also greeted her, "Hello, Aunt Liu, please come in and have a seat."

"Your son didn't go to work today! I thought he wouldn't be home."

Zhao Fengying hesitated for a moment.

"I have to take leave," Xu Bei explained generously, then invited her into the house, "Aunt Liu, please come in and sit down."

"Okay, okay."

Sister Liu's eyes scrutinized Xu Bei from head to toe like an X-ray, before revealing a look of satisfaction.

When he sat down with Zhao Fengying on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), he took her hand and praised her, "Your son has everything you could want. He's good-looking, and he's fair-skinned. He's a real catch!"

Hearing others praise her son like that, how could Zhao Fengying not be happy? She smiled so broadly that her eyes disappeared from her grin, but she said something else.

"Sister Liu, don't praise him too much, you'll make him bald from all the praise."

"What's so excessive about that? I'm just telling the truth. I've introduced dozens, if not hundreds, of girls and boys to you, but none of them are as energetic or tall as your son."

The two didn't try to hide their conversation from Xu Bei and Xu Juan, so the siblings knew exactly what Sister Liu did. Even if she wasn't a matchmaker, she liked to act as a go-between for others.

Xu Bei tried hard to search his memory and managed to vaguely recall some things.

However, he was at work at the time, and it was only after he got home from get off work that his mother told him about someone introducing him to a potential partner.

Since we couldn't find love in our past lives, we shouldn't waste time on this one.

However, since the matchmaker had already arrived and hadn't even had a chance to sit down properly, and his mother was in high spirits, Xu Bei continued to make tea and pour water.

Xu Juan went to get a plate and filled it with some melon seeds and hazelnuts, and on top of it were seven or eight pieces of fruit candy wrapped in translucent cellophane.

Zhao Fengying and her two children presented the guests with gifts, then waved them away.

"Son, daughter, I'd like to have a chat with your Aunt Liu. You two go play in the west room for a while."

The brother and sister exchanged a few more polite words with Aunt Liu before entering the west room one after the other and closing the door behind them.

"Mom won't let us hear," Xu Juan said, looking at her brother with a hint of teasing. She whispered, "Brother, aren't you curious about what kind of person she's going to introduce you to?"

Xu Bei leaned against the wall at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed), his legs dangling over the edge without taking off his shoes, and said in a low voice, "I'm not curious, anyway, I don't plan to meet anyone."

He had just been reborn, and although his physical functions had returned to their peak and he had various impulses, he was not in a hurry to find a partner.

Moreover, they prefer free love to arranged marriages.

After all, he himself had entered into a marriage through an arranged marriage in his previous life, so he had a lot to say about how his married life was.

Xu Juan was surprised by this answer and immediately leaned closer to ask in a low voice, "Why? Brother, you'll be twenty-one after the New Year, it's time to find someone."

Xu Bei reached out and pushed away his younger sister's head, which was getting closer and closer. "You're a child, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it to you."

Xu Juan pouted unhappily, "I'm 15 already, I'm not a child anymore."

Seeing his younger sister's playful and adorable appearance, Xu Bei couldn't help but laugh even more. "Even if you're 25, you're still a child in my eyes."

The brother and sister were playfully bickering, while the two people in the east room were also chatting animatedly.

"...That girl works at the lumber mill. As for her looks, they're impeccable—big eyes, double eyelids, willow-leaf eyebrows, and cherry lips. Most importantly, she's a person of good character, exceptionally filial, and her father works at the lumber mill. Her eldest son, second son, and eldest daughter are all married, leaving only this girl without a boyfriend."

If you think it's suitable, I'll look into a time and arrange for the two young people to meet soon.

Zhao Fengying smiled, pursing her lips, "Now that you mention it, this girl is really nice."

However, Sister Liu, marriage is a major life event. Although it is said to be arranged by parents and matchmakers, it is now the 1980s. Unlike in the past, we still need to ask the children's opinions.

"Have some tea to soothe your throat first, I'll go ask my son."

Sister Liu expressed her understanding, saying, "This is the right thing to do. You really have to ask. In the past, it was an arranged marriage, but now it's a new era. In the future, the two young people will live their own lives after marriage. Whether this is okay or not depends on whether the other person is willing."

Zhao Fengying quickly came to the west room, and made sure to close the door before speaking in a low voice.

"Son, your Aunt Liu wants to introduce you to someone. She works at a tile factory, is very beautiful, and is the youngest daughter in the family. Why don't you find some time to meet her?"