The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 216: Transforming into a Little Matchmaker!_1

Chapter 216: Chapter 216: Transforming into a Little Matchmaker!_1

He Tiantian suddenly understood!

"I see," He Tiantian said, "If there hadn’t been external intervention, Qi Jianguo would have definitely been sentenced."

"Yes, that scumbag got off easy," Niu Dajun said angrily, "but you don’t have to worry, I’ve already arranged for someone in the labor reform camp to give Qi Jianguo a good lesson."

He Tiantian didn’t want to talk about Qi Jianguo anymore, as Qi Xiaoyan was crying her heart out!

"Brother Dajun, since I came to Qijia Village, you have been very kind to me, and I’ve come to think of you as a brother. Today I want to ask you something from the bottom of my heart, do you truly like Xiao Yan?" He Tiantian asked, turning to look at Niu Dajun.

Upon hearing this, a trace of unease appeared on Niu Dajun’s face.

He Tiantian became a little suspicious and pressed on, "Are you looking down on Xiao Yan because of what happened to her? You know the whole story, Xiao Yan’s purity is intact. I was there at the scene, and I even beat Qi Jianguo until he was a miserable mess..."

Niu Dajun, seeing that He Tiantian had misunderstood, quickly explained, "Of course I don’t care about those things! It’s just that... just that..."

But when it came to the crucial point, Niu Dajun found himself unable to continue.

"Just what? You’re a grown man, just speak your mind. Xiao Yan’s eyes are swollen from crying because of you," He Tiantian urged, "If you have romantic feelings for Xiao Yan, just clear things up with her. You’re always sending her gifts without confessing your feelings. She’s left dangling, not knowing where she stands. Can you imagine how distressed she must be, hanging in limbo like that?"

When Niu Dajun heard that Qi Xiaoyan had cried, he became anxious and said, "Tiantian, you have to comfort Xiao Yan, tell her not to be sad."

"She isn’t crying because of me, she’s crying because of you. If you like her, go and make it clear to her. If you don’t, also make that clear. That way, everyone will know how to behave going forward," He Tiantian said, the two of them clearly liked each other, but they hesitated due to all the external difficulties they faced.

He Tiantian had missed out on a lot in her previous life, so in this life she cherished every opportunity, staunchly disallowing any misunderstandings.

Niu Dajun’s expression was a mixture of pain and restraint; at last he sighed and said, "Hey, I do like Xiao Yan, but I’m several years older than she is, and moreover, Xiao Yan is about to try out for the cultural work team, and in the future, she might be able to find someone better..."

Only then did He Tiantian understand Niu Dajun’s thoughts and laughed, saying, "Brother Dajun, you’re too caught up in it, aren’t you?"

Niu Dajun, puzzled, turned to look at He Tiantian.

"Do you like Xiao Yan? Do you want to cherish her for a lifetime?" He Tiantian inquired.

Niu Dajun nodded.

"Are you afraid that you’re not good enough for Xiao Yan?" He Tiantian asked again.

Niu Dajun nodded once more.

"Can you guarantee that Xiao Yan will be happy if she marries someone else?"

This time Niu Dajun shook his head.

"Since you like Xiao Yan, then you should seize the opportunity. If you can’t assure that someone else will bring happiness to Xiao Yan, then you can make that assurance," He Tiantian said, "Besides, Xiao Yan also has feelings for you. She’s said that if she gets into the cultural work team, she’ll stay there for two years until she reaches the age to marry, and then she would be willing to leave for your sake. She has thought it through to this point, so as a man, why can’t you muster the courage to confess?"

"Can I really do it?" Niu Dajun stopped in his tracks, searching He Tiantian’s face for an answer.

"Of course, you can!" He Tiantian exclaimed, "Brother Dajun, Xiao Yan is a great girl, and she likes you a lot. Your hesitation to confess is making her very sad. She’s even decided to take the initiative to confess to you. But your attitude has made her believe you’re concerned about Qi Jianguo’s incident, making her feel very inferior."

After hearing this, Niu Dajun hesitated no longer. It was as if he had made up his mind and he said, "I don’t care about that incident at all, hey, I’m going right now."

Niu Dajun hurriedly went straight to Secretary Qi’s house, where Qi Xiaoyan was cooking at home.

Seeing Niu Dajun coming over, Secretary Qi and Liang Hongyu greeted him enthusiastically!

He Tiantian did not follow; she had said all she could. If Niu Dajun still didn’t take action, that could only mean he was too rigid and indecisive to deserve Qi Xiaoyan.

That evening, Qi Xiaoyan, humming a tune, came to chat with He Tiantian.

"Hehe, not crying anymore?" He Tiantian, who was cutting Third Grandma Qi’s hair, asked with a grin when she saw Qi Xiaoyan.

Qi Xiaoyan’s cheeks were flushed with shyness, but her eyes sparkled with excitement as she said, "Sister Tiantian, you’re so bad!"

He Tiantian pursed her lips and said, "Oh wow, now you’re calling me bad. Isn’t this like ’the matchmaker throwing the bridal chamber—sealing the deal right after the first meeting’?"

"Sister Tiantian!" Qi Xiaoyan exclaimed anxiously, "You know why I’m here!"

Third Grandma Qi glanced at Qi Xiaoyan and said with a smile, "Did that Niu Dajun come to your house to propose?"

Qi Xiaoyan was startled, thinking He Tiantian had spilled the beans.

He Tiantian shrugged her shoulders to show she hadn’t said a word.

"Haha!" Third Grandma Qi laughed, "Earlier, I heard you crying, and now today Niu Dajun comes with a letter and you’re acting so bashful. I guessed right away."

Qi Xiaoyan set aside her shyness and said, "Grandma, Brother Dajun spoke with my parents. He said he likes me and wants to come to my house to propose."

"So did your parents agree?" He Tiantian asked, relieved, as Secretary Qi and Liang Hongyu had a good impression of Niu Dajun, and they were unlikely to refuse.

"Silly girl," Third Grandma Qi laughed. "Her parents wouldn’t agree so easily!"

"Huh?" He Tiantian was taken aback, "Why wouldn’t Secretary Qi and Aunt Liang agree?"

"You’re so clueless," Third Grandma Qi explained, "Xiao Yan’s parents have raised her with great effort. Even if the suitor is a great match, they must show some reluctance at first; they can’t just agree right away!" Third Grandma Qi continued, "And even though it’s not as strict as it used to be, in matters of marriage, it’s not done for the groom himself to propose directly—it must be through the parents, or if they’re not available, an elder from the family has to step in to make the proposal."

"Oh, I see!" He Tiantian suddenly realized. If Huo Yingjie were to propose, her own parents would probably play hard to get too.

"Grandma’s right," Qi Xiaoyan added. "My parents asked for my opinion first, then they told Dajun to go home and talk it over with his elders. They really like Brother Dajun, so all this is just for the sake of propriety."

Seeing this, He Tiantian completely let go of her worries.

"That’s good too," He Tiantian said. "Making him work a little harder means he’ll cherish you all the more in the future."

"Exactly!" Third Grandma Qi agreed enthusiastically, happy that Qi Xiaoyan had found a good family to marry into.

Men fear choosing the wrong profession; women fear marrying the wrong man.

If you enter the wrong profession, you can change it; but if you marry the wrong person, even if you divorce, it’s already a second marriage. And finding someone new who meets your expectations isn’t guaranteed.

After returning home, Niu Dajun told his family all about it.

Being honest folks, Niu Dajun’s parents immediately agreed upon hearing that he was interested in his good brother’s sister. They found a matchmaker and followed the local customs to buy six betrothal gifts, then went over to propose. After several visits back and forth, they finally settled the marriage arrangements.