Chapter 18: The Inquisitive Matchmaker

Outside the courtyard, several neighbors peeked in and whispered.

"Hey, did you see? The Li family's here. It's a girl, quite pretty, though her skin's a little dark."

"Pretty, yes, but what good is good looks these days? Giving the family a healthy baby boy is what really matters!"

"Shh, keep your voice down, don't let the Li family hear. But speaking of which, this girl doesn't seem easy to deal with. I wonder if the Li family can control her..."

These whispers, though kept low, still reached Li Yaqin's ears.

A barely perceptible smile played on Li Yaqin's lips, but inwardly she sneered.

A worthless burden?

Easy to deal with?

She, Li Yaqin, wasn't here to be manipulated.

She possessed a magical space filled with medicinal pills, and a pill to prevent future infertility; she had plenty of ways to make those who looked down on her pay the price.

Li Yaqin glanced at the evasive gazes out of the corner of her eye, and a plan formed in her mind.

These people—she would make them pay for gossiping sooner or later!

She would let them know that she, Li Yaqin, was not someone they could speak of so casually.

“Could it really be…?…”

Li Zhaodi's voice rang out again, interrupting Li Yaqin's thoughts. The last syllable was drawn out, carrying a hint of probing and uncertainty.

In the neighboring courtyard, amidst the weathered bricks and stones, a shadow quietly emerged.

Like a wildcat stalking its prey, it arched its back, ready to pounce on its target at any moment.

That was Zhao Qingshi, Li Panpan's neighbor, a well-known gossip in this military compound.

To put it nicely, she's "kind-hearted"; to put it bluntly, she's a "gossip."

Normally, even the smallest, most trivial matter in someone's household,

wouldn't escape her keen ears.

Even a quarrel between husband and wife resulting in a broken bowl wouldn't escape her notice.

But today, she was unusually early, completely forgetting her usual, unwavering nap.

Why? Because she'd already heard the news.

Li Qiang brought back a young, beautiful girl, saying she was coming to help at the army base.

This news was like a drop of oil falling into a boiling pot.

Instantly, it exploded in Zhao Qingshi's heart, stirring her gossipy nature like a cat's claws scratching.

Help? Ha, I've lived in this compound for decades, what haven't I seen?

These days, every girl who comes to the military compound to "help"...

isn't she all up to something else, eyeing those young men in uniform?

Zhao Qingshi knew it all perfectly well, a knowing smirk playing on her lips.

She was known throughout the military compound for her "warm-heartedness," always seeking her advice on any big or small matter.

Secretly, everyone called her "Matchmaker," having arranged at least eight or ten marriages through her hands.

Those young officers, in her eyes, were all potential "golden bachelors," each one a hot commodity.

She loved to visit neighbors, ostensibly to "build relationships."

Actually, wasn't she just trying to gather information so she could set up matches for those unmarried young women?

To put it bluntly, she was a restless matchmaker, and the kind who didn't charge money at all.

This time, the girl Li Qiang brought back naturally became her primary focus.

She squinted, peering through a crack in the wall into the neighboring yard.

Like a cat eyeing a mouse, ready to pounce at any moment.

She wanted to see just who this girl was, that she could pique Li Qiang's interest.

After all, Li Qiang had never considered marriage.

He had buried himself in work all these years, showing no concern for anything beyond his own abilities.

Zhao Qingshi muttered to herself, Li Qiang had been stuck at the deputy regimental level for years; she wondered what had gone wrong.

Could it be that he hadn't found the right connections?

Bringing a girl back this time probably had some hidden agenda.

These days, if you want to get promoted, hard work alone isn't enough.

Li Qiang, usually so quiet and reserved, might be plotting something too.

Bringing a girl back, could it be… he's trying to establish a marriage alliance?

Her gossipy heart was already pounding like a trapped rabbit.

She couldn't wait to rush to the neighbor's yard and scrutinize the girl from head to toe.

The moment Li Qiang led Li Yaqin through the gate,

Zhao Qingshi knew the "show" she'd been waiting for was finally about to begin.

Like a cat smelling fish, her ears perked up, and she immediately locked onto her target—Li Yaqin.

It was an almost instinctive reaction.

A "professional sense" honed over years of gossiping in the military compound.

Like a dog's nose, she could smell something from afar.

Through the moss-covered courtyard wall, Zhao Qingshi narrowed her shrewd eyes.

He scrutinized Li Yaqin from head to toe, giving her a thorough "scan."

His gaze was like an eagle eyeing a rabbit, as if he wanted to see right through her.

He wanted to know even the hidden schemes in her mind.

The midday sun beat down fiercely on the earth, filtering through the sparse foliage.

Dappled light fell on Li Yaqin's face and body, but this light

couldn't penetrate Zhao Qingshi's critical, calculating eyes.

"Hmm...this appearance...is too ordinary!"

Zhao Qingshi curled his lip, his expression disapproving.

In his mind, he drew a big X on Li Yaqin.

The scales of his heart had long since placed Li Yaqin on the lightest side.

"Compared to those pretty, delicate girls in the performing arts troupe? They're really..."

Zhao Qingshi's assessment of Li Yaqin's appearance: "One's in heaven, the other's...inferior! This 'business' isn't going to be easy!"

Although she had already sentenced Li Yaqin to "life imprisonment" in her mind.

But Zhao Qingshi wasn't one to give up easily.

She was as shrewd as an old fox, her calculations clearer than anyone else's.

"Even a fly's leg is still meat!" What if she could squeeze some profit out of this "deal"?

Zhao Qingshi wasn't going to do anything that would lose her money.

Besides, even if it didn't work out, eavesdropping and watching the drama wouldn't be a loss, right?

Zhao Qingshi's gossipy heart began to stir again.

“But this girl looks honest and unassuming, she might not be a tough nut to crack.”

Zhao Qingshi’s eyes darted around, her mind racing with calculations.

She hunched her back slightly, like an old cat poised to pounce, exuding a shrewdness.

This girl, clearly a naive country bumpkin, is completely at her mercy.

The sun was gradually setting, sunlight filtering through the cracks in the wall.

It slanted across Zhao Qingshi’s face, making her wrinkles appear even deeper.

She smacked her lips, as if savoring something, and sighed inwardly.

Li Qiang’s wife is pregnant now. After giving birth, with postpartum care and childcare, it’ll take at least six months…

Thinking this, Zhao Qingshi’s lips curled into a triumphant smile.

She could almost see Li Yaqin's future, completely under her control.

Introducing wives to soldiers also came with a fee for the matchmaker.

She licked her dry lips, continuing her calculations.

"For the next six months, the family will be short of someone to do the work."

"Li Qiang, a grown man, wouldn't know how to take care of anyone. Isn't this perfect..."

She squinted, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes crinkling into a tight knot.

Like a dense net, a net full of calculations.

“These past six months have been enough for me to properly ‘train’ her.

A country bumpkin, never seen the world, doesn’t she think she can just do whatever I say?

Even if she can’t bring us together, having her help with some housework, run errands, that would be good. At the very least…”

Zhao Qingshi’s voice trailed off, the last few words almost muffled, audible only to herself.

A gust of wind blew, and a few weeds in the corner swayed slightly, rustling softly.

It seemed as if they were whispering secrets, or perhaps mocking Zhao Qingshi’s self-righteousness.

Zhao Qingshi’s eyes flickered, like two will-o’-the-wisps, appearing particularly eerie in the gradually darkening courtyard.

She rubbed her hands together; her palms were slightly sweaty from excitement and calculation.

She seemed eager to begin her “plan.”

“However… this matter needs careful consideration; we can't rush it.”

Zhao Qingshi muttered to herself. She wasn't brainless; everything required strategy.

She quickly assessed the situation in her mind. While the girl's appearance was average, she was quite tall. She wondered if she could catch the eye of those officers.

However, even if she wasn't good-looking, she could still see if she was useful in other ways.

These days, if you're determined, you can always find a way.

She needed to find out more about the girl's background and see if she could get anything out of her.

She had also heard from the neighbors that the girl was Li Qiang's younger sister. If the person she introduced was too mediocre,

Li Qiang would definitely reject her.