Chapter 1, Li Boyong

Li Boyong immediately served dishes and poured tea for his aunt, taking out his business card and presenting it with both hands: "Of course, it is a must." - He did not mention the hardships he would endure, as long as he was not forced to date her

The volunteer activity location registered by Zhao Xuan is at a children's hospital in the city. In fact, it is an activity center for hospitalized children located in the inpatient department. Usually, the doctors and nurses are busy and there is no one to manage it, so the volunteer organization recruits volunteers twice a week to help maintain order in the activity center and look after the children

Even the old uncle, who had been engrossed in his meal, could no longer bear it and reached out to pull her: "Introduce them, the children haven't said a word for half a day, yet all we hear is your endless chatter."

On that day, the weather was fine, with clear skies stretching for miles and a slight cool breeze, embodying the refreshing essence of autumn. Since it was a weekday, there were not many people on the streets, and Huzhou City displayed a unique, indescribable vastness characteristic of northern cities.

I am the boss, where are you? I have already registered you for the event this afternoon, and I have also contacted the media. You should at least show up and let people take a few photos.

Upon hearing this number, the young woman immediately lost her shyness, and even her mooncake-like makeup could not conceal the disappointment on her face: "That layout isn't very large, Aunt Zhang said you are particularly successful in your career"

This child also has the surname Li, so you are actually relatives; one stroke cannot write two Li characters. Li Boyong numbly shifted his gaze to the middle-aged woman, who was smiling like a blooming flower bud—this woman speaking was his aunt from his hometown, sent by his parents to torment him... no, to save him. The old aunt gently touched the girl's elbow and said, "Tell your big brother, what is your name? How old are you?" Miss Hua looked up at him, shook her shoulders, feigned shyness, and leaned close to the old aunt's ear, whispering "Ying ying ying" and "Weng weng weng." The old aunt's face blossomed with joy, and she reached out to tap the girl's forehead: "Oh, still shy, are we!"

The team leader appears to be tall and slender, simply sporting a ponytail, wearing a pair of slightly faded jeans. Although their head is lowered and a baseball cap obscures their face, one can tell that they are likely not very old.

Li Boyong gritted his teeth and said, "Small apartments, around 100 square meters or so"

The young lady raised her head and graciously extended a hand to shake his: "Hello, I am Yang Xuan, the team leader for today. I hope you have a meaningful afternoon. May I ask what name you registered under..."

When Li Boyong arrived at the meeting point designated by his assistant, he found only two or three young individuals who appeared to be students, along with a leader wearing a baseball cap

As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt Miss Li Jiali's gaze piercing through the makeup that even a mother could not recognize, deeply conveying the words "contempt". Furthermore, it added a phrase—contempt for this lewd man who pretends to be wealthy for no reason, a marriage scammer

Aunt is still unwilling to let it go: "Our Boyong, everything else is fine, but he is so stubborn in everything he does. Our hometown is poor, coming from a commoner background, and we have no connections. Over the years, this child has been out there working hard all by himself. He has built a career, but his lifelong affairs have been delayed like this. It is all our fault as elders..."

Regarding this matter, Li Boyong is rather dismissive.

Zhao Xuan, holding the phone, looked utterly perplexed, thinking he would have to speak earnestly. In fact, this was a commercial publicity event. According to his plan, he registered Li Boyong on a local volunteer organization’s website, inviting him to participate in a charitable activity. There was no need for him to do any actual work; he just needed to find the media to write a report, donate some money, take a photo, and that would be it. This would express a sense of social responsibility and save him from being labeled as a nouveau riche.

While looking at the photo, he felt that although this young lady could not be described as exceptionally beautiful, she could at least be considered to have delicate features. In Li Boyong's view, marrying and living a life together is not a beauty contest; as long as it is acceptable, that is sufficient. He himself is an ordinary person, and having a celestial being at home would also bring considerable pressure. Moreover, since she was introduced by a relative from his hometown, the foundation is reliable. Thus, he came with the intention of treating his relatives to a meal and taking a look. As a result, he could only face the harsh realities of life.

The young woman hesitated for a long time before shyly asking, "Brother, do you have a house in Huzhou? How big is it?"

How can there still be people doing this in the world? Mr. Li, a farmer entrepreneur, finds it hard to understand. Do they have nothing better to do?

Li Boyong could only force a smile, akin to a cramp, to avoid putting his aunt in an awkward position, saying: "Indeed."

As he anxiously waited for his assistant to arrive, Li Boyong quickly dropped a remark, "You all take your time eating, the meal has been paid for," and then ran off without looking back—almost as if he were in a great hurry to contribute to social harmony

Hello, he said, "I registered for the event this afternoon"

His small company has gradually become more standardized since its inception, utilizing the recently emerging concepts of "technological agriculture" and "organic food." Starting from contracting barren mountains, he has now established his own food supply company. Although he has often been labeled as a "newly rich farmer," Li Boyong believes that there is nothing wrong with being newly rich.

If you put in a little more effort, I will have no way out

Li Boyong pretended to smile innocently and said, "My skills are lacking, I don't drive much..."

He is a child from a small place, who has never experienced a life of luxury since childhood. He cannot compete with others in terms of family background or education, and he does not know what taste means. Over the years, he has gradually emerged from a small county and has worked hard alone in Huzhou. He has set up small stalls and traded phone cards. At his lowest point, he lived in a private collective dormitory with migrant workers, paying 1.5 yuan a day

Aunt continued, "Beyong, please leave a phone number for Xiaoli. If my sister has any matters in Huzhou, do look out for her."

Auntie turned her attention to the girl Li Jiali, who had a distinctive specialty from the Tujia ethnic group known as "Diao Zha": "I have told you before, this is your elder brother Boyong, who has been in Huzhou and plans to settle down here in the future. Your elder brother Boyong is capable and also an honest person. We are all relatives from the hometown, unlike those outsiders like Zhang San and Li Si, who, with a bit of dirty money, don't know how to behave properly.

The young men were chatting on one side, while the team leader, wearing a volunteer vest, was checking the volunteer list.

Auntie said warmly: "Her name is Li Jiali, she is twenty-two this year. Her father is a coworker of your uncle, and they are all good people. You young people can chat more and get to know each other better"

Oh... the girl thought for a moment and felt that there was some truth to it. After a while, she leisurely asked, "So, what car do you usually drive to work? Is it a Maserati or a BMW X5?"

The reporter also understood what kind of awareness Boss Li had; he had long known that Li would just make an appearance, as if to say he had been there. No one expected him to arrive this early

The old uncle next to him had already revealed a ghastly expression. At that moment, Li Boyong's phone rang. Upon checking, it was his public relations department supervisor, Zhao Xuan, calling—truly a lifesaving call! Li Boyong quickly answered, thinking to himself, don't worry, buddy, I'll give you a raise when I get back: "Hello?"

A scene of silence - people

However, Zhao Xuan just wouldn't let him be. Originally, Li Boyong planned to show up at that volunteer organization event, whatever it was called... he wasn't sure whether it was "holding hands" or "grabbing hands," around the right time, just to let the reporters take a couple of photos to send back, and write something casual about it—after all, so-called "character interviews" are all priced openly; you can fabricate them as long as you pay.

The old uncle immediately cowered, burying his head and pretending to be dead

Yet the world is so beautiful, there will still be people who are extremely irritable. Li Boyong looked at the woman sitting opposite him and simply did not know how he could escape this sea of suffering.

As Li Boyong walked towards her, he thought to himself, why does this young girl not seek a proper job? Wouldn't it be better to sit in an office and take civil service exams? If she is unwilling to work, she could simply find someone to marry and stay at home to support her husband and raise children, which is also a viable option. Why does she have to be a full-time "volunteer"? Is she simply bored out of her mind or just aimlessly wasting time?

Just say it, after all, it is the truth

Li Boyong felt that at this moment, all he needed to do was smile. He always sensed that he could read a phrase on Captain Yang's face—"Wow, this nouveau riche who just came to buy soy sauce actually dares to participate in the event!"

The young lady became shy again, continuing to whisper in her aunt's ear, which made her aunt happy: "Indeed, I said so. I have watched Boyong grow up; what a fine young man he is!"

Aunt glared with wide eyes: "What did you say? Do you dare to find me verbose? You have become quite bold, haven't you?"

The result encountered such a ... ... distinctive young lady and an old aunt who could make children cry at night

Oh, my name is Li Boyong

This matter must begin with a somewhat unsuccessful blind date

Li Boyong witnessed a patch of pale white on his aunt's finger. After enduring for a long time, he finally restrained himself from handing over the napkin on the table

He gazed at the girl's face, which was as thickly powdered as a fresh meat mooncake, with a heart full of trepidation, fearing that every frown and smile of hers would cause it to crumble. Trembling, he counted her distinctly long eyelashes, which resembled the legs of a fly and seemed poised to shoot up like arrows. Then, he shifted his gaze to her extraordinarily large dark circles, so deep and black that not a hint of the whites of her eyes could be seen, feeling an overwhelming impulse to wipe her face with his sleeve.

Aunt couldn't stand it any longer: "Oh, isn't that..."

However, Auntie suddenly changed her tone, and Li Boyong felt a shiver run through him. "But for men, being a bit older is not a problem. A man at thirty is like a flower in full bloom. Even if he is five or ten years older than a woman, it doesn't matter. Don't you think? Being older means he is not like a young boy; he will definitely be considerate and caring. If he has a house, he has a house; if he has a car, he has a car. Just look at him—he is so handsome and talented..." Being older means he is not like a young boy; he will definitely be considerate and caring. If he has a house, he has a house; if he has a car, he has a car. Just look at him—he is so handsome and talented...

"Alright, please wait a moment." Team leader Yang Xuan took a neutral pen from her pocket and checked the list. Three seconds later, she cast a somewhat subtle glance at Li Boyong and said, "Hmm... you are the one from Baixing Co., Ltd. this afternoon..."

The last four characters seemed to emanate an invisible aura of murderous intent, causing Li Boyong and his old uncle to simultaneously shrink back, feeling a cold sweat trickle down their backs

Li Boyong thought to himself, as a single man, what was the point of living in such a large house? At night, he couldn't roll from one room to another while sleeping. However, he did not argue this point, as he was actually afraid that the girl might take a liking to him, so he just chuckled to himself with a "heh heh" sound.

Li Boyong said without hesitation: "Alright, I understand, I will be there shortly. Please send someone to pick me up at the Shunfeng Hotel, hurry up, this matter cannot be delayed. That's it, make the arrangements as soon as possible, goodbye."

Aunt let out a couple of hums and said to the girl next to her, "Why don't you say a few words to your brother?"

Li Boyong immediately felt a tremendous pressure descending from above

Aunt hurriedly mediated the situation: "It's not like they have settled down yet; once they do, they will definitely need to change their place of residence, right, Boyong?"

It is said that these team leaders are all full-time workers in volunteer organizations, and working in "volunteering," especially in such grassroots volunteer organizations, does not pay much; the monthly salary is only slightly higher than the minimum wage standard in the city.

Li Boyong quickly forced a laugh and said, "There is nothing of the sort, nothing of the sort"

Li Boyong silently wiped away a cold sweat—who on earth invented this thing called a wife... it is truly terrifying