Starting as a Train Driver to Enter the Ministry
Chapter 4 - The Tattletale!

Chapter 4: The Tattletale!

Chen Shi’s mind was elsewhere. From the moment Wu Er-ye was executed, he felt as if he were floating on clouds, light-headed, as though something long sealed in his mind was about to burst forth.

“Hey, look! Chen Shi’s back!”

“Old Wang the matchmaker has been in the courtyard for a while now. Chen Shi and Jia Dongxu were both supposed to meet potential brides today, it was settled long ago. But now, with Chen Shi mixed up with a condemned criminal, do you think any girl will want him?”

“I doubt it! He’ll end up a bachelor. What decent family would let their daughter marry someone connected to an executed man? This time, when Jia Dongxu and Chen Shi are compared, Chen Shi will lose again. Tsk, tsk… If Old Jia were alive to see this, he’d be overjoyed. He and Old Chen fought their whole lives, and now it’s finally settled. Now their sons are carrying on the feud!”

“Ha! Is there even any suspense? From the day Chen Shi was born, has he ever outdone Jia Dongxu in anything?”

Chen Shi stood at the entrance of the 95th Compound, listening to the gossip without changing his expression. Without breaking stride, he grabbed the freshly washed clothes the chattering aunties had hung out and tossed them straight into the coal pile by the gate.

The women shrieked. “Aiyo! Chen Shi! You, you, how could you? These are our freshly washed clothes!”

Watching the aunties scramble to salvage their clothes from the coal pile, Chen Shi felt immensely satisfied.

Humming a tune, he headed back to the eastern courtyard, only to find Maihua supporting Old Chen, who held his familiar cane.

Maihua said, “Dad, I just saw my brother throw the aunties’ clothes into the coal pile!”

Chen Shi strode over and pinched Maihua’s cheeks hard. “You little tattletale! Just wait till I deal with you!”

“You brat! Think you’re untouchable now? Haven’t you caused enough trouble?” Old Chen, furious at Chen Shi’s carefree attitude, swung his cane at him.

Chen Shi dodged nimbly, pulling Maihua in front of him as a shield.

“Mom! Look at my brother, he’s always bullying me!”

After taking two hits from the cane, Maihua ran off in tears to complain to Tian Xiulan.

Tian Xiulan intervened. “Husband, stop hitting him! The matchmaker will be bringing the girls soon to meet our Xiaolaoshi. If you beat him black and blue, how’s he supposed to make a good impression?”

Chen Shi added, “Dad, you don’t want me to lose to Jia Dongxu in this matchmaking, do you? If you stop hitting me, I’ll make sure the Jias are humiliated later, how about that?”

Old Chen lowered his cane, panting. “With your reputation in this alley, how do you expect to outshine Jia Dongxu?”

Tian Xiulan quickly pulled Chen aside, inspecting him. “Xiaolaoshi, are you alright? Did watching the execution scare you? Listen, I slipped the matchmaker some extra money. She said one of the girls today, Qin Huairu, is the prettiest in Qin Village, a real beauty, known for being capable since she was young. When you meet her, make sure to talk to her first, understand?”

Chen Shi glanced at Maihua, who was sticking her tongue out at him. “Mom, is this Qin Huairu tough? I hope so, someone needs to keep our little Maihua in line!”

Maihua whined, “Mom, look at him!”

“Enough, stop teasing your sister. Xiaolaoshi, go change into your new clothes!”

Of course, “new clothes” didn’t mean brand-new fabric, just the least-patched set Tian Xiulan had carefully washed and mended.

“Old Chen’s family, are you home? The girls are here. The Jias suggested holding the introductions in the central courtyard, is that alright?”

Tian Xiulan called back, “Sure! I’ll bring Chen Shi out right away!”

She checked her reflection in the mirror first, making sure she looked presentable, then led Chen Shi to the central courtyard.

A crowd of neighbors had already gathered to watch the spectacle.

Foolish Zhu, Xu Damo, and Yan Jiecheng, teenage boys at their most curious about girls, were practically twisting their legs into knots with excitement as the two young women entered.

“Here they come! Wow, that girl is stunning!”

“No kidding, that must be the famous beauty from Qin Village. Even in the capital, she’d be considered a real looker!”

(“Jiān guǒr” was old Beijing slang for a pretty girl.)

“Hey, Chen Shi, Dongxu! Come over here and meet the girls. Let’s see if there’s a spark!”

The matchmaker, clearly influenced by Tian Xiulan’s bribe, steered Chen Shi toward Qin Huairu, while Jia Dongxu was left facing the other girl, a scrawny, sallow-faced young woman who kept her head down, nervously twisting her fingers.

Chen Shi studied the girl in front of him. Qin Huairu wore a red cotton-padded jacket with yellow floral patterns. Her eyes were captivating, shimmering like pools that could steal a man’s soul.

Jia Dongxu stared at Qin Huairu, dumbstruck. How could a girl this beautiful exist outside the capital? If he married her, Chen Shi would never live it down!

The matchmaker introduced them. “Huairu, this is Chen Shi. His father, Old Chen, works in the Railway Ministry as a stoker. They live in the eastern wing of this compound, three whole rooms! Plenty of space, even for future grandchildren. And this is Jia Dongxu, a fitter at the steel mill. He lives with his mother…”

Yi Zhonghai, noticing the matchmaker favoring Chen Shi, smoothly stepped in. “Ladies, I’m a master fitter at the mill, Dongxu is my apprentice. He’s like a son to me. If any issues arise after marriage, they can always come to me.”

Qin Huairu was sharp. Listening to the chatter, she sized up both young men. Objectively, both were handsome and clean-cut.

But Chen Shi had no job, while Jia Dongxu was a worker. The Jias only had one elder to help with childcare, but no extra income.

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