Shen Liang was panting by the time he reached his father. He looked around to make sure no one was nearby, then whispered, “Dad, Zhang Shun’s at home. He came to propose.”

What?!

Shen Wenhua’s eyes widened in shock. “Why would he come now?”

From his reaction, it was clear—he hadn’t agreed to anything.

Shen Liang found it strange too. “But he said you gave the nod.”

A jolt of guilt shot through Shen Wenhua. This wasn’t something he could easily explain.

He only had one daughter. Of course he loved her. Deep down, he did want to see this marriage happen. After all, he hadn’t been able to secure her a job himself.

But a forced marriage would never be a happy one. Since she clearly didn’t want it, he’d decided to back off.

Still, that day... things had gotten out of hand.

He hadn’t even said anything when Zhang Shun had already launched into a full pitch—talking about getting everything settled by the Spring Festival, how Qiao Qiao could start work in February, how the “three rounds and one sound” were already bought, how the factory would assign them a private room, and how he’d be a grandfather by next year.

Then Zhang Shun had casually mentioned that his mother was head of logistics and his father was the director of Workshop Three—which happened to be Shen Wenhua’s boss. Shen Wenhua’s own return to work had depended on their connections.

Faced with all that, he just couldn’t bring himself to say, “Qiao Qiao doesn’t want this.” So he’d brushed it off vaguely, hoping to drag things out until his daughter went back to the countryside.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Shun to be this impatient.

Now it was a mess. He prayed Shen Qiao hadn’t been too harsh.

That was the part Shen Wenhua feared most. Shen Liang confirmed his worries. “Sis kind of blew up.”

This girl... why couldn’t she think before she spoke? She could’ve been a little more tactful and left him a shred of dignity.

As he mulled things over, they ran into two neighbors downstairs.

“Old Shen!” one of them said cheerfully. “Back from work? Congratulations—your son-in-law’s already here!”

They all lived in the same factory compound. News traveled fast.

Even Shen Liang knew how bad this was. He was about to explain when his dad tugged him back.

Shen Wenhua just gave a polite smile. “I’ll treat you to sweets next time.”

Shen Liang’s heart sank. He muttered, “Dad, what are you doing?”

What was he doing?

Shen Wenhua was a man who valued pride above all else. Now that word had gotten out, he figured it was too late to walk things back. No matter what was going on behind the scenes, the match had to be confirmed. Otherwise, who would his daughter marry? She might end up being someone’s stepmother—and not even a proper one at that.

His mind was made up. “Keep your mouth shut.”

Then he added, “In a bit, take your sister out and keep her away from the house. Got it?”

Shen Liang thought, Easier said than done. You think Sis is that easy to trick? But he didn’t say it out loud and followed his dad upstairs, feeling conflicted.

They stepped into the living room one after the other. The atmosphere was icy.

Shen Qiao’s eyes were red. She looked up and called out, “Dad!”

Even now, she still trusted him. She didn’t complain or say anything extra.

Shen Wenhua felt a pang of guilt. But he kept telling himself it was for her own good. Someday she’d understand. And if she ended up resenting anyone, let it be him.

He said gently, “Qiao Qiao, take your brother downstairs to play for a bit.”

Shen Qiao hesitated. “I want to stay.”

Shen Wenhua gave his wife a look. Liu Aihong chimed in, “If you stay, it’ll just turn into an argument. Let us handle it.”

Shen Qiao bit back her tears. “Really?”

Liu Aihong nodded, her heart aching. “Really, really.”

Shen Qiao had always been a pampered child. Though she was angry, she still listened. Carrying her little nephew, she left with her brother.

Shen Liang was having a moral crisis. From the way his father had acted, he already knew something was up. He was torn—should he betray his parents or not?

Shen Qiao didn’t notice his unease. She walked distractedly, lost in thought, and almost walked straight into a utility pole.

She had only one thought in her mind:

She absolutely would not marry someone she didn’t love.

But for her parents, feelings had never mattered. They saw emotions as the least important part of marriage.

Back at home, Shen Wenhua studied Zhang Shun closely. He had to admit—this young man was solid in every way. There wasn’t much to criticize. For a girl like his daughter, getting this kind of match was like winning the lottery.

As for her “pickiness,” he saw that as childish nonsense that had nothing to do with real life.

He’d made up his mind. He turned to Zhang Shun and said, “Let me be straight with you. Qiao Qiao’s all about this free love thing. But don’t worry—since you’ve come all this way, I won’t let you leave empty-handed.”

Zhang Shun didn’t seem fazed. “Girls her age are like that. Don’t worry, Master—I’ll make sure she lives a good life.”

Then he added, “My mom’s already arranged a job in logistics for her. As soon as things are settled, she can start work.”

When Qiao Qiao was younger, her grades had been excellent. But she’d gotten caught in the wave of school closures, so she only had a primary school education. These days, even high school graduates couldn’t find work. Miss this opportunity, and there might not be another.

Liu Aihong had already caught on to her husband’s thinking. She was confident in her daughter and believed she could convince her.

She nodded and said, “That would be wonderful. But she’ll need some time. Let the two of you spend a little more time together first.”

Zhang Shun was still fixated on Shen Qiao’s face—she really was stunning. Delicate and fragile, yet with a fiery glint in her eyes. He found her irresistible.

He nodded. “Alright. Then I’ll have my parents come over on the fifth.”

A few days should be enough to win her over. At least by then, she wouldn’t cause a scene in front of his folks.

Liu Aihong agreed. “We’ll be waiting.”

Then she added, “Qiao Qiao’s our only daughter. We can’t give her much, but we’ll try to put together a decent dowry—six hundred yuan.”

That was no small sum. Most families gave maybe one or two hundred at most. This was already generous.

Zhang Shun got the message. Since the bride’s side was being generous, he couldn’t be stingy either. “We’ll bring the ‘Three Golds’ when we come.”

That meant a gold ring, a gold bracelet, and a gold necklace—worth nearly two hundred yuan by itself.

And that was just the engagement. On the wedding day, there’d also be the “three rounds and one sound”—a bicycle, a sewing machine, a wristwatch, and a radio. That had all been promised during the match-making talks.