Chapter 36: A Highly Sought-After Prize

"Who is this young man, Third Aunt?" Matchmaker Zhang asked in a low voice.

"That's Dr. Lin from the rolling mill. He’s quite something—he enjoys a Grade 6 salary grade at the factory, earning seventy-seven yuan and eighty-five cents a month," Third Aunt replied, sounding envious.

"If you ask me, Dr. Lin’s prospects are truly excellent," Second Aunt added with a sigh. "He’s a college graduate with a high income, and his parents have both passed away. Whoever marries into his home will be living the good life, won't they?"

"His parents are gone?" Matchmaker Zhang looked stunned.

Although she hadn’t stepped inside the courtyard, the main gate alone was enough to show that the owner was wealthy. Otherwise, who would spend two hundred yuan just to fix up a gate? That would be burning money for no reason. But without parents to provide support, how could such a young man have so much money?

"Don't look at Dr. Lin as if he’s just started working. I heard from my old man, Yi, that his parents were both high-ranking officials... his father seemed to have worked at a ministry; he was an engineer," First Aunt chimed in from the side.

"Hiss!"

Matchmaker Zhang compiled the information she had gathered and couldn't help but gasp. She hadn't expected to find such a "golden turtle" of a son-in-law in this small courtyard. If she could introduce a wife to Dr. Lin—a man willing to spend two hundred yuan on a gate—wouldn't the matchmaking fee alone be enough to keep her fed for a long time?

"What’s the use of praising that little beast? Do you think you’ll get any benefits out of him?" Mrs. Jia sneered.

"We are just stating facts," Third Aunt retorted, sounding displeased.

"Everyone knows what you’re like. Seeing that the little beast has money, you’re just hoping to scrape something off him. Shameless things," Mrs. Jia cursed.

"Mrs. Jia, what are you saying?"

The three aunts were not ones to be trifled with, and a shouting match erupted instantly.

Listening to the bickering outside, Lin Shaowen couldn't help but chuckle. These people were simply too idle; every day was filled with nothing but gossip and petty domestic disputes.

The gift returned by the Zhao family was substantial: four bottles of Wuliangye, six cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes, and five hundred yuan in cash. Lin Shaowen had been taken aback when he saw the money; it was his first time receiving such a large sum in cash. But thinking of the Zhao family's standing, he felt at ease. At their level, the things most people worried about were nothing to them.

He lay on a lounge chair, gently fanning himself with a large palm-leaf fan. Electric fans were available now, but the problem was he didn't have the ration coupons for one. Even though Factory Director Yang was generous enough to give away a bicycle coupon on a whim, he didn't have any for fans. Looking across the vast rolling mill, aside from Yang Weiguo and Li Xinmin, no other leaders had fans in their offices.

Lin Shaowen looked at the flowerbed Lei Dali had cleared in the courtyard and couldn't help but think of Zhao Qingming’s garden. Despite the touch of extravagance, planting flowers and greenery in a yard was indeed pleasing to the eye.

With that thought, he slapped his forehead. He had received some seeds from the draw today. Lin Shaowen stood up immediately, picked up a cantaloupe, and walked outside.

Matchmaker Zhang had agreed to handle Jia Dongxu's matter, but she hadn't left yet, sitting in the courtyard chatting with the three aunts. As for Mrs. Jia, she was so infuriated by Lin Shaowen that she had gone back to her room to lie down.

"Oh, Dr. Lin, what is that?"

Third Aunt had sharp eyes and spotted him immediately. The others stopped talking, looking curiously at the cantaloupe in his hands.

"Third Aunt, a friend sent me a cantaloupe. I thought I’d bring it over for you to taste," Lin Shaowen said with a smile, handing the fruit to her.

"What? For me?" Third Aunt jumped up, her face filled with pleasant surprise.

First Aunt and Second Aunt were stunned. What was going on? Lin Shaowen was undeniably generous. The girl He Yushui was always wandering around the courtyard in tattered clothes, and no one ever offered to buy her a new outfit, yet somehow she had caught Lin Shaowen’s favor. As for whether Lin Shaowen was interested in her, they had discussed it privately many times and concluded he wasn't. After all, given Lin Shaowen’s status, while He Yushui was pretty, she was still just a budding flower.

"That's just how it is. Old Yan and I are good brothers," Lin Shaowen teased.

"Go on with you, you're not much older than my Jiecheng," Third Aunt said with a laughing rebuke before taking the cantaloupe.

"Alright, lend me Old Yan’s gardening hoe," Lin Shaowen said, getting to the point.

"Is Dr. Lin planting flowers? Do you need any help?" Second Aunt asked eagerly.

"I have some free time, too," First Aunt quickly added.

Yi Zhonghai and Liu Haizhong’s incomes weren't low, but fruit was a rare commodity. The cantaloupe Lin Shaowen gave Third Aunt must have weighed seven or eight pounds. Even in Beijing, it was rarely seen for sale, and when it appeared, the price was frighteningly high.

Third Aunt didn't waste any time; she gathered Yan Fugui's gardening tools. Ignoring Lin Shaowen’s polite protests, she personally brought them to his house, determined to make him feel at home. Seeing Third Aunt head to Lin Shaowen’s place, First Aunt and the others followed without a second thought. After all, since the west wing courtyard had been completed, they hadn't had a chance to see it yet.

As for Matchmaker Zhang, she followed with the intention of gathering intelligence. Seeing them all tag along, Lin Shaowen simply opened the courtyard gate and propped it open. In this day and age, keeping the door shut all the time wasn't ideal; if people suspected you of illicit activities, it would be trouble.

"This... these three rooms belong to Dr. Lin?" Matchmaker Zhang was shocked.

"They sure do," Second Aunt said, sounding sour. "My old man went to the factory to ask, and they told him Dr. Lin is a 'specially introduced talent,' which is why he gets special treatment. Otherwise, who would be assigned such a big place?"

"Dr. Lin, can we go in and take a look?" First Aunt asked cautiously.

"Sure." Lin Shaowen didn't mind.

And so, the three aunts and Matchmaker Zhang began their tour.

"Oh my, this is incredible. The furniture is so beautiful."

"This floor is cleaner than my own face. Second Aunt, watch where you step—don't you see they have slippers?"

"They even have a bathroom and a toilet inside?"

The three aunts and Matchmaker Zhang were stunned into silence. Not only was the place spacious, but the decor was incredibly luxurious, especially the rosewood furniture, which was truly breathtaking. Even more outrageous was that the home had its own private bathroom and toilet—no wonder they had never seen Lin Shaowen carrying out a chamber pot.

When they finished the tour and returned to the courtyard, a large basin of washed fruit was waiting under the pergola, clearly intended to treat them.

"Dr. Lin, you are... too generous," First Aunt sighed.

"It was all sent by friends. Help yourselves; I’m going to start planting these flowers."

Lin Shaowen rolled up his sleeves and began to loosen the soil. The three aunts and Matchmaker Zhang didn't want to take his gifts for nothing; once the basin was empty, they all began to help him with the work.

Half an hour later, the residents of the compound began to return from work. The three masters came home to find their wives missing and eventually made their way back to the courtyard. Hearing that the women were at Lin Shaowen’s place, they all rushed over in a swarm.