Chapter 504: A Thief’s Heart, But No Guts
Chapter 504: Chapter 504: A Thief’s Heart, But No Guts
Mrs. Sun thought the auntie had a point. "Okay, let’s do it this way. Nothing is more important than Dayong and Wu Jiao living a long and happy life together!"
’He’s our only son. He should get married and have a child as soon as possible.’
’It’s a shame that with the family planning policy, we can only have one.’
Granny Cai got ready and was about to head to Wu Cuicui’s house to find Aunt Zhou.
The nanny, Aunt Zhou, was Wu Jiao and Wu Yao’s biological aunt—their proper elder.
To propose a marriage, one had to speak with Aunt Zhou first.
When Aunt Zhou saw Granny Cai arriving to discuss the proposal, she was naturally delighted. "Granny Cai, thank you so much. I think that boy Dayong is quite a catch myself. I’ll write a letter and send Dayong’s photo to my older sister."
"If my sister doesn’t object, then Dayong and Wu Jiao can make a trip back to our hometown to meet her, and we can finalize the engagement."
After all, Wu Jiao and Sun Dayong were already dating freely. Since the two young people were willing, everything else was just a formality.
Granny Cai smiled and nodded. "Yes, that’s how it should be. A formal visit is necessary."
Granny Cai also told Han Xiaorui and Ye Feng, as their approval was needed as well.
As Granny Cai was matchmaking for Sun Dayong, the news somehow traveled to the ears of Liu Xiangnan’s mother.
At the dinner table, Mrs. Liu glared at her son, Liu Xiangnan. "You useless boy! Look at Sun Dayong—he chases after girls himself. You have a good job, a good character, and you’re usually so eloquent. How come you don’t know how to find a girlfriend?"
"What’s the use of sneaking glances all day? Just go after her! Do you think a good girl is just going to wait around for you? Look, Wu Jiao has a boyfriend now. And let me tell you, plenty of young men in the village think Wu Yao is beautiful and want to pursue her. If you don’t make a move now, won’t you regret it when she starts dating and marries someone else?"
Hearing this, Liu Xiangnan nearly buried his face in his rice bowl. "Mom, I’m too short. I could never win Wu Yao over. Please, don’t say any more. It’s embarrassing."
SLAP! Aunt Liu raised her hand and smacked Liu Xiangnan. "You haven’t even tried, and you’re already giving up! How did I raise such a useless son? Old Liu, say something to him! He’s short, so it’s even more important he finds a tall partner. If the mother is tall, the kids will grow up to be tall."
Uncle Liu thought for a moment, then said, "Xiangnan, if you’re too shy, then have your mother go to Sister-in-law Cai and ask her to act as a matchmaker. If the other party is willing to meet with you, then there’s a chance. When the time comes, you just have to give it your all and chase her with everything you’ve got. Don’t be afraid of embarrassment."
"People talking about you isn’t what’s embarrassing. Not being able to find a wife—that’s what’s truly embarrassing. And not finding a *good* wife brings bad luck to three generations. Now *that* would be a disgrace of epic proportions. If she rejects you outright and gives you no hope, then we won’t press the issue. You can just give up on her and start looking for someone else."
Liu Xiangnan was taken aback. He thought it over and decided he should give it a try. "Okay."
As long as Wu Yao didn’t give him a clear "no," he would do his best to win her over.
Mrs. Liu went to find Granny Cai and explained her purpose.
Granny Cai was surprised for a moment, then she smiled. "I have to say, you’ve got a good eye. Wu Yao is a real catch. With her height, there’s truly no other girl like her in all of Jinshan Bay."
Mrs. Liu nodded. "My Xiangnan used to get bullied for being short. I decided back then that when it was time to find him a wife, it wouldn’t matter if she was pretty, but she had to be tall. I’ve always liked girls like Wu Jiao and Wu Yao. My Xiangnan has taken a bit of a liking to Wu Yao, but while the boy is usually quite the talker, he doesn’t have the courage to pursue her."
"Wu Yao has been living in the village for over three years, so she and Xiangnan know each other. Sister-in-law, could you please pass on a message for me? Ask what she thinks of my Xiangnan. If she’s open to it, they can try dating for a bit. If not, I won’t get my hopes up or think about it anymore."
Granny Cai smiled. "Alright, since you’ve come to me, I’ll run this errand for you. But let me be blunt: if she’s not interested, don’t take it to heart. It just means it’s not fated to be."
Mrs. Liu smiled. "Of course. Marriage requires both parties to be satisfied. If she doesn’t agree, we can’t force it. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink, and that goes double for people. If she says no, Xiangnan will give up on the idea, and we won’t get our hopes up. We’ll just pretend this conversation never happened."
Granny Cai nodded. "Exactly. Even if for no other reason, we have to consider Xiao Rui and Ye Feng. They’re both here in Jinshan Bay and treat Wu Jiao and Wu Yao like their own younger sisters. We can’t do anything to disrupt the peace!"
As far as the villagers went, Liu Xiangnan’s family was considered exceptionally reasonable.
Liu Xiangnan was an only son, his parents were hardworking people, and the family was quite well-off.
And Liu Xiangnan himself had been polite since he was a child, was savvy in dealing with people, and was a pretty good kid all around.
However, he was just a little on the short side.
People from the south tended not to be very tall, especially in the past when nutrition wasn’t as good.
Granny Cai went to find Han Xiaorui.
Han Xiaorui was taken aback. ’So Liu Xiangnan is interested in Wu Yao, and Wu Yao has taken a liking to him, too.’
’But Liu Xiangnan didn’t dare confess, so he had his family use a matchmaker to test the waters.’
’If Wu Yao shows interest, then Liu Xiangnan will make his move.’
’If Wu Yao isn’t considering him, he won’t confess, sparing himself the awkwardness of being rejected.’
’They’d be seeing each other all the time in the village, which would be incredibly awkward.’
’Taking such a cautious approach was consistent with his family’s character.’
"Godmother, let me ask her for you. If Wu Yao thinks it’s a good idea, they can give dating a try. Wait for me to get back to you," Han Xiaorui said with a smile, feeling happy for Wu Yao.
’At least it isn’t a one-sided crush on Wu Yao’s part.’
’This Liu Xiangnan must have had feelings for Wu Yao for a while, but he felt insecure because of his height.’
Seeing Han Xiaorui’s smile, Granny Cai lowered her voice and asked, "Xiao Rui, tell me the truth. Has Wu Yao ever mentioned what kind of person she’s looking for?"
Han Xiaorui nodded, suppressing a smile. "Godmother, actually, Wu Yao has mentioned before that she thinks Liu Xiangnan is a nice guy and that his parents are good people."
Reading between the lines, Granny Cai’s eyes lit up. "Good, I understand."
"Wait, be a little reserved. We can’t seem too eager," Han Xiaorui added with a smile, reminding Granny Cai.
Granny Cai nodded repeatedly. "I get it, I get it!"
After Granny Cai left, Han Xiaorui told Wu Yao the reason for her visit.
Wu Yao laughed. "I knew Liu Xiangnan was interested in me, but he has the desire, just not the courage. When I’m not busy with chores at home, I occasionally go down to the pier to help you out."
"Whenever I go to the pier, I guarantee you Liu Xiangnan shows up within three minutes. He’ll strike up a conversation out of thin air and bring lots of snacks, insisting that I eat them like he’s coaxing a child. He doesn’t dare confess his feelings, but I guess he’s not completely spineless—at least he knew enough to have his family send a matchmaker to feel things out."
Han Xiaorui smiled. "In that case, I’ll give Godmother your answer tomorrow."
"Sounds good!" Wu Yao replied with a smile.
When Granny Cai told Mrs. Liu that Wu Yao was willing to give dating Liu Xiangnan a try, Mrs. Liu immediately jogged over to the Jinshan Bay Farm to tell her son the good news.
Liu Xiangnan was stunned, then overjoyed.
’So all this time, when Wu Yao smiled at him, it wasn’t just to be polite—she actually liked him.’
Liu Xiangnan immediately took a half-day off work, drove a company car into the city, and bought a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates to give to Wu Yao.