Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 151 - 150: What Kind to Look For

Chapter 151: Chapter 150: What Kind to Look For

Chen Afu bowed in thanks and received the Guanyin statue.

Chu Lingxuan slightly leaned in, saying, "I just got home and didn’t have time to congratulate you. Here is my congratulatory gift. Congrats." He then took out a red envelope from his chest.

This Chairman truly cares for his subordinates.

Chen Afu took the red envelope. It was light, no doubt filled with a silver note. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Chu."

Chu Lingxuan continued, "The Hongyun Hot Pot Restaurant in Capital City opened its doors a few days ago and the business is extremely prosperous. If you want to eat there, you will need to make a reservation in advance."

Upon hearing this, Chen Afu was overjoyed and smiled radiantly. Manager Luo often kept her informed about the goings-on at the Hongyun Restaurant, and Yang Mingyuan would occasionally send news to her, sometimes a mere report, sometimes seeking her advice.

She knew that Yang Mingyuan had rented a large, four-story building on a busy street in the Capital City. Between the rent and the renovations, it had exhausted all his savings. The hot pot restaurant was set to open on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month...she had not expected the business to be so successful.

She was going to be rich now, just as her funds were diminishing.

Watching Chen Afu laugh, revealing a brilliant row of white teeth, Chu Lingxuan found it amusing. The girl was not pretending at all. Upon hearing the good news, her joy was evident, contrasting with her serene appearance. That radiant smile wasn’t just for Dabao and Yan’er, but also for... money. It seemed that in the future he shouldn’t give her...gifts, but silver.

Unaware Chu Lingxuan was finding her amusing, Chen Afu just noticed that the man who seemed so cold outside, now she often saw a hint of smile on his face. Though he only pursed his lips slightly, the dimples on the corner of his mouth looked as good as Ms. Chu’s.

What she enjoyed most about the little lady were her dimples. When her smile was wide, her dimples would deepen. When her smile was slight, then the dimples would scale back. She fervently hoped that the dimples would deepen, that her smile would become more radiant.

It seemed to her that Chu Lingxuan’s dimples were becoming deeper, too...

She got a shock from her own illusion and hastily left the hall.

After exiting Yiran Courtyard, she saw Mrs. Wei standing by the roadside holding two wax plums. Seeing the Buddha statue in her hands, she smiled and said, "Let’s go, I will accompany you home."

The two chatted and laughed as they exited through the Jiao Gate of Tang Garden, and they reached Lu Garden in no time.

Chen Afu said, "Both Abbot Liao Chen and Mr. Chu love my Luwei. Mrs. Luo, wait a bit. I will prepare some vegetarian Luwei for you to take back."

Those two prominent figures had both given substantial gifts without tasting her dishes. She needed to prepare something to send to them.

Mrs. Wei laughed, "That’s kind of you."

Chen Afu first went to the main house to give the Guanyin statue to Chen Ming for him to worship in the living room. Then, she handed him the red envelope and the two wax plums.

Afterward, as Mrs. Wei lit a fire and Chen Afu started preparing the Luwei condiments, Mrs. Wang washed some soy products, lotus roots, and other vegetables that were easier to cook, making a small pot of Luwei. It was now late afternoon, and it was getting too late for them to have dinner.

While preparing the Luwei, laughs and cheers from Alu, Dabao, and a few other children could be heard from outside the courtyard, along with the howls of Zhui Feng and Wang Cai. Luo Mingcheng’s voice was also heard, plus the voices of two other children who served in Tang Garden.

Mrs. Wei laughingly said, "We live close by now. Not to mention Yan, who often runs to your place, even my son is visiting more frequently."

Chen Afu laughed, "That’s even better. I love children. Our place is short of people. Having more children around would make it lively."

Mrs. Wei looked at her and chuckled, "Afu, you’ll turn sixteen after the New Year, right? You can’t delay any longer. Tell us what kind of man you are looking for. Sister-in-law will help with the search. With such a beautiful face, you deserve a good man."

Mrs. Wang looked up happily and said, "I thank my niece in advance around. As you see, Afu grows more handsome by the day. She is kind and skillful..." She sighed, "But Afu’s situation is special, being a registered female head of the household with a son. We are hoping to find her a son-in-law. It is unlikely that a man in a favorable position would prefer this arrangement. We are thinking of finding her a kind, capable man, who does not intend to take advantage of her. Being penniless isn’t an issue, as long as he is a good person. Preferably, a relatively handsome man, we wouldn’t want someone too ugly."

When it came to the topic of men and finding a son-in-law, Chen Afu wasn’t too coy about it. This was indeed a rather down-to-earth problem. Women in ancient times got married young. For instance, Chen Aju, who was only twelve, was already eager to marry.

Although prepared to live alone with Dabao for the rest of her life, in case she didn’t find a suitable man, this was her worst-case scenario. If there was a decent man available, she would still want to find one. This would give her someone to rely on and bring more liveliness home by virtue of having more children.

Unlike the demure girls of her time, Chen Afu did not run out of the room in shame after hearing Mrs. Wang’s comments. After Mrs. Wang finished speaking, Chen Afu even added—with a smile— "Even if a man’s looks are pretty average, it wouldn’t matter so long he’s clean. I just can’t stand a man who doesn’t brush his teeth daily and wash his feet..." She was quite firm on this point, so it was essential that she disclose it.

Before she could finish, Mrs. Wang gave her a little slap and reprimanded her, "Ah, you girl, you say the most embarrassing things! You should be afraid that Mrs. Luo will think you’re weird."

Chen Afu said, "Because it’s Mrs. Luo, I’m telling the truth. What’s so embarrassing about it? If there’s no suitable man, it’s no big deal to stay unmarried."

Hearing her say "unmarried," Mrs. Wei laughed heartily. She commented, "The conditions set by sister Afu aren’t necessarily high, but also aren’t necessarily low. A man who insists on brushing his teeth every day is probably from a family that values propriety. And such families generally live well, but men from such households may not be willing to move in with the wife. If the man is poor and doesn’t live a good life, he may not be so keen on maintaining propriety. Truth be told, a man being a bit sloppy isn’t the end of the world. Once married, you could help him look cleaner, right?"

Chen Afu shook her head, "A man whose nature is to be careless will be difficult to change."

In her previous life, she particularly liked clean and refreshing men, and she really didn’t like sloppy men.

Mrs. Wei then asked, "What if there’s a good candidate for a husband, he wants to marry and is willing to accept Dabao in his house, but he’s unwilling to move in. Would you be willing to reclaim your household registration and marry him then?"

Chen Afu laughed and said, "If I got married and left, what would happen to Yan? I would really miss her."

Mrs. Wei laughed, "Yan will eventually grow up. If there is a suitable man, then you could get engaged to him first. After a few years, when Yan is older and her health is better, you can get married then, sister Afu. You can’t put off your lifelong major event because of Yan. What do you think, would you be willing to marry if there was a good suitor?"

Mrs. Wang quickly said, "If the suitor really were an exceptional man, we’d happily see her married to him."

But Chen Afu just twisted her mouth, shaking her head, "I think... there’s no man good enough to make me want that."