Which way to go is the road?

The matchmaker sighed twice, pushed his bicycle, and left Xiang Fei's house. Xiang Yusheng and his wife escorted him all the way to the alley entrance, watching him ride his bicycle and disappear around the corner before reluctantly returning home.

"What a wonderful marriage! With our family's circumstances, it's incredibly difficult to find a girl to propose to, even with a lantern. And it's all gone now!" Xiang Yusheng said, feeling both regret and anger as he spoke of it.

Zhang Xiue tried her best to comfort her husband: "If this one's gone, isn't there that one? Didn't Feifei tell you? That one's a college graduate! A hundred times better than this one!"

"Strong my foot! I may not be very educated, but I know the ropes. He's a college student, do you think he'd be interested in Feifei? At most, it'll just be a fling. But since it's come to this, there's nothing we can do! We'll see later! I hope I didn't offend the matchmaker. She's the most eloquent matchmaker in all around! Her mouth is more powerful than an entire government office!"

"It's not like we've offended anyone! We've been very polite and courteous the whole time!"

Xiang Yusheng didn't say anything and went into the house with his hands behind his back.

Zhang Xiu'e, the husband, was not so pessimistic. On the contrary, she felt that it was a good thing that her son had a girl who liked him, and she was secretly happy.

When Xiang Fei came to visit again, Xiang Qiang took him to tour his house.

At that time, rural house construction changed from the previous wooden beam structure, and most houses used prefabricated panel roofs, which were low in cost and simple and practical in structure.

In addition, there is another type of roof construction called "cast roof," which involves constructing a steel frame and then pouring concrete onto it, forming a structure in one go. This results in a roof that is both sturdy and durable, as well as elegant and beautiful. However, it is more expensive, so only a small number of people choose to build such a house, which has become an important asset for men when seeking a partner.

Xiang Qiang's house had just been whitewashed and had a damp, dusty smell, but it wasn't unpleasant. The floor was already covered with white tiles, making it neat and elegant. Although there was no furniture yet, one could imagine how comfortable and relaxed it would be to live there.

Stepping out of the room, a one-meter-wide canopy extends from the roof, supported by cement pillars, forming a long eaves corridor with the ground. The yard is not large, but it is enough for the daily farming and animal husbandry in the countryside. A red brick path leads to the gate, kitchen and toilet!

Every man, once he reaches a certain age, longs for a home, a place of his own. Xiang Fei, gazing at his cousin's courtyard, naturally felt envious. Standing on the eaves, he stroked the supporting pillars and sighed—when will he ever have his own courtyard?

"Your house needs to be built soon. Only when it's built can you build a proper house. Without a house, you can't find a good wife! We're all at the age where we need to settle down and start our own families!" Xiang Qiang seemed to see through his cousin's thoughts and lectured him as a brother.

Xiang Fei took his hands off the support pillar, put his hands behind his back, and looked up at the sky: "No rush. You just mentioned settling down and starting a family, but I think differently. The words should be reversed: starting a career comes first, then settling down! Otherwise, once you're married, your hands and feet will be tied down, what can you do? You won't be able to do anything!"

"Settle down and start a family, that's what this saying is. It must have some truth to what our ancestors passed down. They say you should start a family before starting a career. You know, if a man here can't find a partner before he's 25, it's hard to find one later!" Xiang Qiang had his own set of beliefs.

"Whatever, I'm not looking anymore!" Xiang Fei said defiantly.

"I told you back then, our family's ancestral graves weren't blessed with good fortune; getting into university isn't that easy. Look, three years of schooling was a complete waste of time! Otherwise, you could have built your house long ago by now if you'd earned money for three years!"

"Thank goodness it wasn't built properly, otherwise I'd be like you, going on blind dates every day. Just thinking about it is annoying!"

……

The two started arguing as they talked, neither willing to give in. Luckily, Xiang Mei ran over and called Xiang Fei to go to his grandmother's house together!

My maternal grandmother's house is 6 kilometers away from Xiangjiatun, separated by three villages, in another town. It takes crossing a small river and passing through a forest to get there.

Xiang Fei's maternal grandparents were nearly 20 years younger than his maternal grandparents. They got married during the Liberation War. At that time, young men were easily conscripted by the Kuomintang, so older sons-in-law were more sought after. Xiang Fei's maternal grandfather benefited from the advantages of that era; otherwise, he might have remained a bachelor until old age, and there would have been no Zhang Xiu'e, let alone the birth of Xiang Fei.

When Xiang Fei's maternal grandfather was alive, his maternal grandmother was over seventy years old, with good hearing and eyesight, and was very agile. However, since his grandfather passed away, his grandmother has become lonely, aged faster, developed cataracts, and needs a cane to maintain her balance when walking.

As elders grow old, we ourselves grow up; as children grow up, we grow old. Everyone goes through this life, but upon suddenly discovering this pattern, everyone is inevitably filled with感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep feelings).

Xiang Fei secretly slipped 200 yuan to his grandmother. In fact, her food and drink were provided by her uncle, so she shouldn't have to spend any money. But Xiang Fei felt that it was fine for an old woman to have money but not spend it, but it would be very sad if she had no money when she needed it!

An elderly person should not be deprived of basic economic means!

After lunch, Zhang Xiue took Xiang Fei to her great-aunt's house. They went to visit her great-aunt and also wanted to thank Xiang Fei's cousin, Wang Zhiqiang, in person.

I spent 200 yuan at the supermarket to buy two gifts and then went to my great-aunt's house.

Wang Zhiqiang was drinking with his relatives when he saw Xiang Fei and his mother come in. He quickly got up and tried to pull them to sit down, but Zhang Xiue declined and went into the inner room to see her great-aunt. However, Xiang Fei couldn't refuse and sat down.

Compared to this group of people, Xiang Fei knew that his alcohol tolerance was far inferior, so he tried to talk less, eat more, and only drank when he absolutely had to, so as to keep himself sober at all times.

After eating and drinking their fill, everyone chatted over tea, talking about the auto parts business. Xiang Fei couldn't understand, so he went to the courtyard to sober up, but unexpectedly Wang Zhiqiang followed him out.

"Feifei, are you still playing games?"

"Uncle, I'm so sorry about that time. I was so impolite! Playing games really interferes with my studies, so I quit before the New Year!"

"That's right, Xiang Fei. Actually, it's not just about games. If you want to survive in Kyoto, you'll encounter many more things. You need to learn to stay on your own two feet, not go down the wrong path, and definitely not lose your way. You should always know what you should do! Playing games is child's play, not a big mistake, but it will slow down your life! Some people might say, 'I only play when I'm free.' No, when you want to play, you won't feel busy, but it will unknowingly delay many important things! It will also cause you to overlook many things you shouldn't overlook!"

"Okay, Uncle! I understand. From now on, I will never touch that damn game again!"

Wang Zhiqiang patted Xiang Fei on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging look: "A new internet cafe opened across the street. Do you know who owns it?"

"I don't know, but it just happens to be opening right across from us, so it's bound to steal our business in the future! Uncle, how did you know?"

"It seems Qian Luomei didn't tell you about this. You'll find out later!"

After Wang Zhiqiang finished speaking, he went inside to entertain his business partners, leaving Xiang Fei with a head full of question marks.