Chapter 3 – Introducing Himself – The Daily Life of the Frail Aunt Nuan’nuan in the Compound

Chapter 3 - Introducing Himself - The Daily Life of the Frail Aunt Nuan'nuan in the Compound

Under the scrutiny of Lin Qing's mother, Cen Xi immediately introduced himself, "Auntie, my name is Cen Xi, I am 25 years old, unmarried, and a newly hired engineer at the machinery factory, with a monthly salary of 106 yuan. If I get married, the machinery factory should allocate me two more rooms.

"I have parents and an older brother. My brother is already married and has two sons, but neither my brother nor I live with our parents.

"My mother follows my father in the military, and my brother also serves in the military, along with my sister-in-law."

The more Lin Qing's mother listened, the brighter her eyes became, and by the end, she was completely astonished.

"You... Are your conditions really that good? Could this be a lie?

But then she shook her head. The machinery factory is a major one around here, and with a bit of inquiry, the truth can be easily found out, so it's unlikely he's lying about this.

But why is he interested in my Nuan'nuan?

"Are you really... interested in my Nuan'nuan?" Lin Qing's mother couldn't help but swallow nervously before asking.

Cen Xi nodded heavily, his clenched fists the only sign of his nervousness.

Lin Qing was also brought back to her senses by his increasingly loud voice.

Lin Qing blinked at Cen Xi, unsure of what was happening.

"Why?" Lin Qing asked softly, looking at the handsome man in front of her.

Hearing this question, Lin Qing's mother also slightly sobered up from her earlier excitement. Yes, why indeed?

Cen Xi, looking at the two pairs of similar eyes watching him, knew this answer was crucial to his success, so he replied earnestly, "The moment I first saw Comrade, I felt joy in my heart, and I knew I had to seize the opportunity, because time waits for no one." He said the last sentence with great determination.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qing instantly blushed. How... how could there be such a forward man?

Lin Qing's mother was delighted and couldn't help but smile broadly. What a young man, falling in love at first sight!

But as good as his conditions were, there were still some harsh realities that needed to be addressed upfront.

"You see my Nuan'nuan, and you know her health isn't great. In the past, our family's conditions weren't good, and her health wasn't well cared for, so she may never be able to have children, and her body will require extra time and money to maintain in the future. Are you really sure about this?" Lin Qing's mother didn't want to deceive anyone, nor did she want to harm her daughter in the future, so she laid out the harsh realities first.

Cen Xi sobered his expression. "My parents are very democratic; they never interfere much in our brothers' affairs, and there are already two grandsons in my family, so there's no shortage of descendants. Even if we decide not to have children in the future, that's okay."

Cen Xi said the last sentence directly to Lin Qing.

Lin Qing's mother immediately broke into a wide smile.

"Good, good, good!"

The conditions of this comrade were far better than those of the other men she had considered. If he really didn't mind Nuan'nuan's health, then it would be perfect.

Feeling that she couldn't find anyone better, Lin Qing's mother immediately began discussing the engagement with Cen Xi.

Both of them tacitly treated this meeting as a blind date.

Lin Qing's mother asked Cen Xi to inform his parents about this matter after he returned home and then come to propose, also sharing her address and identity.

"Comrade Lin Qing, just wait a few days, and I will come to your house to propose." With that, Cen Xi left the ward, carrying the infusion bottle.

"Haha!" Lin Qing's mother couldn't help but laugh out loud at his appearance.

Lin Qing, on the other hand, remained in a daze.

"Proposal? How did it become a proposal?"

"Mom~" Lin Qing felt a bit flustered.

Mother Lin had also heard the unease in her voice and quickly comforted her by patting the back of her hand.

"Nuan'nuan, don't be afraid! Arranged meetings are normal. When we meet a good man, we have to seize the opportunity quickly, so we don't regret it, right?"

"But, isn't it too fast?"

"Not fast at all. His urgency shows how much he values you!"

Lin Qing was worried about her fate just a second ago, but the next second, her fate took a turn. It happened incredibly fast. She didn't expect that in a few days, she would be engaged.

The next day, after Lin Qing was discharged from the hospital, during the first family lunch, Mother Lin solemnly announced that someone would be coming to propose in a few days.

Zhang Mei assumed it was her future son-in-law coming to propose and asked happily, "Is Jiang Yang coming to propose?"

In the past few days, after Lin Shu's persuasion, Zhang Mei had already accepted Jiang Yang as her future son-in-law. Now hearing that her future son-in-law was coming to propose, how could she not be happy?

Her daughter also said that half of the bride price should go to her brother. Zhang Mei thought that since Jiang Yang was a Level 4 worker, the bride price would certainly be substantial. If they kept half, it wouldn't be a small amount.

Because Lin Qing's health was not good, Lin Feng's father and Mother Lin, to avoid the feeling that the whole family was subsidizing their daughter, required Lin Feng's family to pay for their meals. They had to pay 20 yuan per month for food, and the rest of their wages they could keep. The parents only took the food money and didn't interfere with the rest. This way, Lin Feng's father and Mother Lin used their own wages to support their daughter without any complaints.

Zhang Mei had very little money. She was only a temporary worker, earning just over ten yuan. After paying for meals, they had about 20 yuan left each month. However, she would send some money to her natal family every month, leaving her with only a few yuan. Over the years, she had saved less than 200 yuan.

Her daughter was marrying a divorced man with a child. The bride price certainly had to be substantial! At least 100 yuan, and keeping half would still be 50 yuan! That was almost a quarter of her savings. How could Zhang Mei not be thrilled?

"Who told you Jiang Yang was coming to propose?" Mother Lin gave her a sideways glance.

Lin Shu had just wanted to lower her head in shyness, but her movement froze instantly.

"Then... who is it?" Zhang Mei was confused.

Wasn't it only her daughter who had successfully gone on a blind date recently?

If it wasn't her daughter's proposal, then whose could it be? Could it be her sister-in-law?

Lin Qing held her bowl, her head lowered, not wanting others to see her blushing face.

"Yes, that's right, it's someone coming to propose to our Nuan'nuan."

Lin father was equally shocked as his wife made this announcement. "Why didn't you inform me of this?"

"Didn't I tell you?" Mother Lin realized she had forgotten to mention it in her excitement last night.

Lin Feng and his father tended to be quieter at home, so although they were shocked that their sister/aunt was getting engaged, they didn't overreact.

"It's fine. Anyway, in a few days, you'll meet the person," Mother Lin didn't care about their opinions at all.

Lin father gently elbowed his wife. "At the very least, show some respect to me, the head of this household!"