To please others? It's better to please yourself.

As soon as Shen Yue left, Song Weihua started keeping a close eye on the hospital, seemingly afraid that someone else would beat him to it and snatch the excellent girl away.

Before Shen Yue returns, the rival in love must be stopped.

Two weeks later, his old partner Yang Tao had no choice but to come looking for him.

"I told you, Lao Song, that's enough! Stop scaring people like this every day, okay?"

"You're almost as 'imposing' as our master!"

Song Weihua retorted, unconvinced, "Isn't that just nonsense? How can I compare to Weifeng? What does he eat all day? What do I eat all day long?"

"What's his appetite? What's mine? The only thing I'm better at than him is that I can smoke a cigarette!"

Yang Tao had to admit, "If you put it that way, I really can't compare to him!"

"However, Weifeng has four legs and is much faster than you!"

Song Weihua glared at Yang Tao: "If I were faster than a dog, would I be sitting here chatting with you?"

"Tell me, who asked you to come and do ideological work with me?"

Yang Tao said helplessly, "Several people have called me. You're keeping such a close eye on her; she hasn't even met Shen Yue yet!"

Song Weihua said confidently, "A real man should compete fairly! What kind of man jumps the gun? How can we choose if the women aren't allowed to see the candidates properly?"

Yang Tao rubbed his temples. "Hey Lao Song, that's not fair. Shen Yue has no intention of getting married. You're just grabbing whatever's good for you, what kind of person are you?"

Song Weihua asked, unconvinced, "When did I become so domineering?"

Yang Tao countered, "Isn't that right?"

Song Weihua explained, "What if they contact her beforehand? What if the woman is already biased and gets misled?"

"When Shen Yue returns, all the guys who like that girl will go together. They'll meet with each girl one by one and let the girls choose for themselves. Whether it works out or not, the girls will decide."

"They constantly use their position of authority to introduce people to potential partners. How can women possibly refuse? Nobody should try to pull any tricks!"

Yang Tao asked with a smile, "You're making such a fuss here, has Shen Yue agreed?"

"You're only enthusiastic about this one thing!"

Song Weihua smiled and leaned back in his chair: "I agree."

"What?"

"I said, and Shen Yue nodded in agreement."

Yang Tao asked in surprise, "You're not kidding?"

Song Weihua: "Is that possible?"

Yang Tao hissed and gasped, "That's a good thing!"

Song Weihua nodded: "Exactly! They finally agreed, how could I not be serious?"

Yang Tao slammed his hand on the table: "We must put our hearts into it! The timing is so perfect, it's probably a match made in heaven!"

Song Weihua clicked his tongue twice: "Otherwise, would I be in such a hurry? This girl might just be Shen Yue's little sweetheart."

Yang Tao said firmly, "Don't worry, Lao Song, I'm watching too, nothing will go wrong!"

No amount of pleading will work now. Such a wonderful girl should naturally be kept for his own junior. He watched Shen Yue grow up; how could he possibly side with someone from outside the family?

……

Gu Panpan finished writing the letter and handed it to Lin's mother. Gu's mother took the two eggs from the letter and warmly saw the person out.

"Sister Lin, take care!"

The children had been waiting nearby and were now gathered around Gu's mother.

"Grandma, have an egg."

"I'll eat too."

"And me too."

"I"

Mother Gu laughed and scolded, "A bunch of gluttons, just you wait."

"Eldest daughter-in-law, steam two bowls of egg custard."

"Okay, I got it." The eldest daughter-in-law said and went into the kitchen to get to work quickly.

Mother Gu felt a pang of heartache: "Not a single egg we received from the Lin family each month has been saved. They've all gone into your bellies."

The eggs were ready in no time. Several children had already gathered at the kitchen door, and unable to wait for them to cool down, they took turns eating them.

Gu Panpan held a bowl herself, blowing on it as she ate. The other women watched, then pursed their lips.

"Panpan, you're so pretty. I'm hoping you'll marry into a good family. But you're getting old, we can't wait any longer. Make a decision quickly!" Mother Gu urged her youngest daughter earnestly.

A nineteen-year-old girl who's still unmarried is attracting more and more gossip. If she doesn't make up her mind soon, how many good families will be left for her?

Mr. Gu also offered his daughter a suggestion: "Isn't Lin Yong a soldier? If all else fails, why don't you consider him?"

As soon as Lin's mother left, Gu's father subconsciously thought of the Lin family.

Gu Panpan immediately shook her head and refused: "Dad, I absolutely cannot marry into the Lin family."

"Why?" Gu Dahu asked as soon as he opened his mouth.

Seeing the questioning looks on her father and brother's faces, Gu Panpan had no choice but to explain, "Lin Yong hasn't reached the rank of military dependent yet, and it's hard to say when he'll be able to."

"The elderly couple in the Lin family are getting old and their health is not good. Their biggest worry now is their retirement."

Gu Dahu still didn't understand: "What's wrong?"

Gu Panpan continued, "Their only son, Lin Yong, is in the army. Who can they rely on? Of course they'll hold onto their daughter-in-law tightly!"

Seeing how foolish her eldest son was, Gu's mother had to say, "Do you think life will be easy after he marries into his family? He'll have elderly parents to care for and young children to raise, endless chores, and not a single penny will fall into his wife's hands!"

Lin's mother was gentle and weak, and she didn't speak clearly. The way she kept wiping the corners of her eyes was enough to give her daughter-in-law a hard time.

"They're still in good health, shouldn't they give their daughter-in-law a good test? The Lin family are just ordinary farmers. They have neither money nor power, why should anyone willingly serve them?"

As a mother-in-law herself, Gu's mother understood all too well how Lin's mother felt at that moment.

Fortunately, she has three sons, who can keep each other in check.

"Prolonged illness tests the filial piety of even the most devoted sons, let alone a daughter-in-law who is no longer a close relative. If she ends up relying solely on her conscience, who can truly trust her?"

As an elderly person, who isn't afraid of that day?

Gu Erhu chimed in, "Then it seems the Lin family isn't a good place to go. We should avoid dealing with them in the future!" Otherwise, they might not even get the girl to help them out; they might even have to pay her!

Gu Sanhu also said, "What kind of family should we look for? If we can't marry into a family of higher status, won't all these years of effort be wasted?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole family looked at Gu Panpan.

Gu Panpan understood what her family was thinking.

Don't let her primary school education fool you; she's actually the most educated in her family. Her three older brothers only studied for two years before coming home—they just weren't cut out for studying.

She was beautiful from a young age, one of the best in the village. She always got a share of the good things and never worked in the fields. Gu Panpan knew perfectly well why.

These words today show that the family can't wait any longer!

If she doesn't have any good plans, her parents will have to sell her by weight next.

Whether their daughter is doing well after marrying into a wealthier family is no longer a concern for them. They can't afford to lose money, can they?

Gu Panpan thought for a moment: "Father and Mother should ask around and inquire first. Also, Lin Yong hasn't come back for so many years, we should at least give him an explanation for receiving this letter."

"If he comes back, see if he brings any comrades with him. If he comes back on his own, we won't mention it. If he can't come back, we should at least ask someone to keep an eye on him."

"If the person who comes has better qualifications than us, then we'll choose him!"

"Okay!" Mr. Gu agreed on the spot after hearing his daughter's words.

"This isn't just about your sister. It's a big deal for our whole family. Please keep an eye on things in the village lately!"

The three sons and their wives all said in unison, "Don't worry!"

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!