Starting a new chapter in life

Chapter 204 Jing Yan is obsessed with being a matchmaker

The transfer application was finally approved, but after the handover of work is completed, I should be able to return around mid-October. The reporting time with the Shanghai Research Institute is set for early November. He Ci'en plans to go back to her home on the island for half a month to rest and recuperate. In the past few years of work, she has only been home twice, and this time she wants to stay long enough.

During the National Day holiday, although the three-day break is not long, Xiangmanyuan Restaurant was packed with customers. Most families are busy with work or school during the week, so it's normal for them to come out for a treat since they rarely have the chance to get together.

Jingyan hasn't been coming to the restaurant much since Chef Lin arrived. She's considered diligent if she comes to check the accounts once every two or three months. However, she also knows that since it officially became a restaurant, business has improved a lot, and its reputation has spread quickly.

Xiao Zhou's cooking skills are quite good now, enough to carry the team. Chef Lin is already in his sixties, and at this age, he can't toss the wok for long periods of time because his body can't take it. But he is the pillar of the restaurant. With him around, Xiao Zhou is never worried no matter what happens.

Moreover, Chef Lin oversees everything in the kitchen, from small things like ingredient selection to big things like choosing staff for serving dishes. He doesn't need anyone else to worry about it; everyone just does their job perfectly.

This National Day holiday, Jingxian, unusually, went out with Jingyan. The whole family had lunch at the restaurant. After lunch, Jingxian took Ronggang back to the chicken farm, which now produces about two hundred eggs a day.

Jingyan's shop couldn't possibly consume that much food; the rest was taken by other restaurants, eateries, and food stalls on the island. Ronggang had to deliver goods to each of them every day, which was busy but fulfilling.

Jingyan rarely comes to the store, so she took the opportunity to review the accounts for this period of time. In fact, with Huo Benqin around, the accounts have always been very clear. Jingyan only needs to calculate the average income, collect the money on the books, and deposit it into the bank.

After finishing the accounts, Jingyan sat at the counter chatting with Huo Benqin. This girl was about the same age as Rong Gang and had been working in the store for several years without considering personal matters. Jingyan couldn't help but gossip a bit, since she was the only unmarried person left in the store.

Huo Benqin has no interest in marriage. She feels she's doing quite well, as she has no parents and her older sister dotes on her.

Her sister rarely interfered in her own affairs. Even if she never got married, her sister would still support her. So when Jingyan suddenly asked her about it, she was a little taken aback.

Jingyan was thinking about whether Ronggang had a chance. During the meal, Jingyan noticed that Ronggang had glanced at the cashier several times, and his ears were red. Wasn't that a sign of first love?

Jingyan also likes Huo Benqin very much. She is not talkative and is shy, but she is also opinionated and not easily swayed. She will never back down when she needs to be tough. She is quite suitable for Ronggang.

However, even if it's a good match, it depends on whether the girl is interested in her nephew. She's a college graduate, with a higher education than Ronggang, and she's also beautiful. Maybe she has high standards too.

As they were talking, a guest came in and greeted Jingyan. Jingyan looked up and saw that it was the Shen family. It turned out that Shen Rongrong and He Ci'en were high school classmates, but Jingyan hadn't seen the girl for several years. When she saw that it was the family, she quickly got up to greet them.

"Commander Shen, it's been a long time. How have you been?" Jing Yan said politely.

Commander Shen and his wife also greeted her. Shen Rongrong smiled and said, "Hello, Auntie. We actually often come here to eat. My dad really likes your Hunan cuisine. But we haven't seen you the last few times we've come. Is something wrong at home?"

Jing Yan shook her head: "No, it's just that I'm lazy. With Chef Lin in the kitchen and Xiao Dou in the front, I don't have to worry about things at the shop, so I haven't come here much. Plus, last year my third sister brought her child over, and I had someone to keep me company at home, so I was even less willing to come. It's rare for me to be here today, so it's fate that we met."

After they finished eating, Jingyan handed them the menu: "Here, see what you want to eat. It's rare to see Rongrong. You're all grown up now. Today, I'll take care of your meal and give you a 20% discount. By the way, Rongrong must be about 27 or 28 years old now. Do you have a boyfriend or are you married?"

People of a certain age often like to ask about other people's marital and romantic relationships, and Jingyan was no exception.

Shen Rongrong shook her head, her face slightly flushed: "It didn't work out. I had a boyfriend in college, and we dated for two years after graduation. We were almost ready to get married, but after visiting his family, I realized I didn't like them. They were materialistic and a bit difficult. They even said that after we got married, we should have children as soon as possible so I wouldn't have to go to work or anything like that."

I went to university so I could have my own career in the future. How could I give up my future just to get married and have children? I couldn't help but argue back a couple of times, and then they said I was being immature.

After I got back, I thought about it for a long time and decided I couldn't let myself suffer, so I broke up with him. Although it was a bit of a pity to give up a four-year relationship, I didn't intend to ruin the rest of my life for him.

Jingyan was surprised: "It's rare that you have such a good idea, that you can see this family is no good, and that breaking up with them was the right thing to do. There are plenty of men out there; your own work is the most important thing. Living a life where the other man is always in control might be fun for a while, but in the long run, it just means you've lost your self-respect."

We're good-looking, educated, and have good jobs, so we're not worried about not finding a suitable partner. By the way, I remember you went to university with a career path as a naval commander. Do you often go to sea now?

Shen Rongrong was a little sullen, and her mother smiled and continued, "She originally wanted to be a naval officer, but a couple of years ago, she encountered a typhoon during a training exercise. That was really dangerous; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she narrowly escaped death."

We were on tenterhooks at home for over half a month before we received the news that they had landed safely. You have no idea how I felt at that time. I would rather stay at home for the rest of my life than experience something like this again.

But neither the child nor her father understood me as her mother. I made a huge fuss at home before I finally got her transferred from the military officer's unit to logistics.

Although promotions are slow, at least it's safe. Fortunately, my child is sensible and listened to my advice. Currently, he's working as a post-war staff officer at the Haishi Naval Command, and doesn't need to go to the front lines.

Jingyan sighed, "The hearts of parents are all the same. But being a staff officer after the war should be good too. Although I don't understand, I know it's not easy to stay in the army. Rongrong is really amazing."

Commander Shen wasn't in a hurry to order food. Instead, he started chatting about everyday things: "I remember your nephew He Ci'en was my Rongrong's classmate. Where is he working now? Does he have a girlfriend? He should be of marriageable age by now."

Jing Yan glanced around, then sat down and lowered her voice: "Ci'en is such a bad kid. He graduated from university and stayed in Beijing to work as a researcher in aerospace. Doesn't that sound like a great job? High-tech."

Seeing the three people in front of her nod, Jingyan sighed, "It's a pity. Having a good job and being good-looking makes you an easy target. For example, there's a girl in their compound who's taken a liking to Ci'en and is chasing after him. But Ci'en says that girl is too arrogant and a bit of a bully, and he doesn't like her. He's rejected her many times, but he hasn't been able to get rid of her."

So, he felt it was time to seriously consider relationships. Since that girl was still pursuing him, and he didn't want to hurt her feelings, he applied for a transfer to the Aerospace Research Institute in Haishi. The transfer application has now been approved, and he should be back around the middle of this month.

"He's only come back twice in the past few years because of work. This time I'll have to let him rest at home for a few days and eat some good food to replenish his energy." Jingyan said, complaining that Ci'en was being delayed in Beijing, but she couldn't stop smiling when she talked about his coming back.

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Commander Shen and his wife exchanged a glance, and his wife tentatively asked, "So, what do you think? Is my Rongrong and your Ci'en a good match? How about we have a get-together when Ci'en comes back and see if these two young people have a chance?"

Jing Yan was taken aback. To be honest, she had never considered dating Shen Rongrong. Her initial thought was to see if her uncle could find her a female comrade in the military; after all, someone who had been tested by the state was trustworthy.

Ci'en's work is unusual, and ordinary people may not understand its nature. If he leaves early and returns late or is rarely home, and the girl doesn't understand, it would be a waste of her time.

But if she were a soldier, she believed she could understand the constraints of certain professions. However, if it were Shen Rongrong, then... she would be perfect for her.

Both of them are good-looking and academically excellent. If they have a child, the child will be good-looking and intelligent. It's just unknown whether Ci'en and Shen Rongrong are destined to be together.

Jing Yan glanced at Shen Rongrong. The girl had her head down and didn't react. Jing Yan knew that things were going well for the girl.

So she readily agreed: "Okay, when Ci'en comes back, our two families will get together. If it works out, that would be great. Even if it doesn't, it's still good for our two families to visit each other more often."

Commander Shen and his wife nodded in agreement. Jing Yan didn't want to linger too long and delay the family's meal, so she happily got up and went back to the cashier to continue trying to get information out of Huo Benqin.

Seeing how busy Jingyan is every day, it would be a waste of talent if she didn't become a matchmaker. What could Huo Benqin say? She hadn't paid any attention to Rong Gang before. After all, so many people come to the restaurant to eat every day. Does she expect to just glance at every young man who comes in? After all, she wasn't that desperate to get married.

"Sister Yan, I really didn't notice anyone, how could I say I didn't like them?" she replied somewhat awkwardly.

Jingyan thought it made sense, and then said, "He and his mother run a chicken farm. He supplies eggs to most of the restaurants on our island. Why don't you take a look next time he delivers eggs?"

If you think he's good-looking, just tell me, and I'll arrange a blind date for you. If you don't like him, that's fine too; it's not like I'm forcing you.

Jing Yan spoke in a very casual tone, which made Huo Benqin, who was initially quite embarrassed, much more relaxed after Jing Yan said that.

She thought that she would get married sooner or later, and since there were some suitable people, there was no harm in taking a look. If she liked someone, great; if not, she could wait. It was much better than getting older and rushing to get married and randomly choosing someone.

As for not getting married, well, she doesn't have such progressive ideas. Even if she doesn't want to get married, she's afraid of what the neighbors will say about her older sister. She only has one younger sister and she doesn't care about her sister's marriage. If it affects her sister's reputation, then it will be her fault.

Huo Benqin nodded in agreement: "Okay, Sister Yan, I'll keep an eye out for anyone who brings eggs next time, and I'll let you know then."

Jing Yan left happily, and before leaving, she instructed Huo Benqin: "Give Commander Shen's table a 20% discount later. Maybe we'll become family in the future, so a discount is only right."

Huo Benqin smiled and agreed. Jing Yan's smile never faded after she returned home. He Zhijun found it strange and asked, "What's wrong with you today? Why are you in such a good mood?"

Jing Yan pulled He Zhijun's hand and sat him on the sofa, eagerly showing off her find: "Do you remember Commander Shen's daughter, Shen Rongrong? She's the one who was classmates with Ci'en, and got into the Naval Command Academy. She's still single."

I ran into them at the store today. Commander Shen said that when Ci'en comes back, our two families should get together. If the two kids hit it off, maybe we can become in-laws.

He Zhijun nodded: "Meeting is fine. Ci'en doesn't even have a concept of what kind of wife he wants right now. His old classmate knows him well, so maybe it will really work out."

Jing Yan smiled and nodded, then changed the subject: "What do you think of Huo Benqin in my shop? Is Rong Gang a good match for her?"

He Zhijun was taken aback: "Rong Gang? You mean Rong Gang has feelings for Xiao Huo?"

"During dinner today, I noticed Rong Gang glancing in her direction several times. I think he might be interested in her. I later asked Xiao Huo, and she said she hadn't noticed Rong Gang."

However, she said she would take a look when Rong Gang delivered the eggs in the next few days, and if she liked them, she would tell me. If Xiao Huo didn't like them, then she wouldn't mention it to Rong Gang, so as not to make him overthink it. "Jing Yan said frankly.

He Zhijun looked at her and smiled: "That's your eldest nephew. Aren't you going to use your position to help him out?"

Jing Yan scoffed: "In this kind of relationship, the woman is inherently in a weaker position. If Xiao Huo isn't interested, why would I make things difficult for her by forcing her to marry Rong Gang? She's working for me, not selling herself to me. What are you thinking?"

"What if she really doesn't like Ronggang?"

“I’ve already asked Sister Yuan to help me find someone. Rong Gang is a bit too chauvinistic. The right person for him is either genuinely gentle or someone who pretends to be gentle. Either way, as long as she’s smart enough and truly wants to live with me, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it.”

"Aren't you afraid that her fake gentleness will be exposed later, and Ronggang will be angry and sad?" He Zhijun asked doubtfully. After spending time with her, he could see for himself that Jingyan was genuinely good to her two nephews and would not betray them in matters of marriage.

Jing Yan pursed her lips: "With his straightforward personality and his intelligence, don't worry, as long as a girl wants to manipulate him, it's too easy. He may never even realize it in his entire life."

He Zhijun… “I truly believe you are his biological aunt.”