Chapter 42: Such a High Compatibility—It's a Perfect Match! (Please Keep Reading!)

"Huh? Brother Jiang, you're married and have a wife?"

He Jing suddenly remembered that when Jiang Tao sold her the watch, he had mentioned that he had just broken up with his girlfriend, right?

"Ahem, yes. Sorry about that, Xiao He, I told a little white lie back then."

Jiang Tao pressed two fingers together to gesture, frankly admitting that he had lied. When he was trading that Longines watch with He Jing, he had casually made up a story. He truly never expected that the two of them would turn out to be from the same hometown, let alone cross paths again. Now that the lie was exposed, aside from a minor trace of awkwardness, it was no big deal.

"Oh, it's nothing~"

Hearing Jiang Tao's explanation, He Jing quickly let it go. She often bought and sold items on secondhand platforms herself. Sometimes, just to put buyers at ease or dispel their concerns, she would also tell tiny little white lies. One of her roommates even used to sell unworn silk stockings as "original scent" items.

While chatting idly with He Jing, Jiang Tao's mind was racing. He was trying to figure out how to bring up the landlord and her aunt. His brain was working so hard it felt like it was about to smoke, yet he couldn't think of a good opening. Finally, Jiang Tao decided to stop beating around the bush and cut straight to the chase.

"Well, Xiao He, do you believe in love at first sight?"

"Ah? Brother Jiang, what, what do you mean?"

The expression on He Jing's face instantly tightened, and she looked at Jiang Tao with a suspicious gaze. Could this guy be trying to say he fell in love with her at first sight?

"Don't misunderstand, Xiao He. I don't mean myself; I'm talking about my landlord."

"The elderly landlord where I rent happened to see your aunt by chance, and he was completely captivated by her."

"However, the old man is rather thin-skinned and too shy to ask your aunt directly, so he asked me to help inquire about her marital status."

"Isn't it a coincidence that I ran into you here? That's why I'm asking you about it."

In the end, Jiang Tao chose to trust the system's judgment. The intel provided by the system indicated that the matching rate between the landlord Lu Qian and He Jing's aunt Ma Dongmei was as high as 97%! With a match rate like this, they could definitely be described as a match made in heaven!

Suddenly, Jiang Tao realized something. The task he had to accomplish wasn't as complicated as he had imagined.

All he needed to do was arrange for the two of them to meet, and leave the rest to fate! Of course, before the meeting, confirming her aunt's marital status with He Jing was very necessary. Just in case she already had a husband, he couldn't ruin someone else's marriage just to complete a task.

"Oh, I see, but..."

He Jing's expression turned somewhat regretful as she said, "I'm afraid my aunt won't ever want to get married or settle down in this lifetime."

"There are no absolutes in this world! What if it works out? You wouldn't want your aunt to spend her remaining years alone, would you?"

Jiang Tao said sincerely, "Although my landlord is a bit older, he is still quite healthy and robust. Besides, having rented at his place for six years, I know his character very well. He is definitely the kind of person who is suited for a stable life."

"My point is, whether it works out or not, let's just arrange for the two of them to meet first. Whether it succeeds or not will depend on the will of heaven. There's no harm in meeting, don't you think, Xiao He?"

He Jing was touched by Jiang Tao's words, especially the phrase, "You wouldn't want your aunt to spend her remaining years alone, would you?" Of course she didn't want her aunt to be lonely and desolate for the rest of her life; she also hoped her aunt could have a kindred companion to walk with her through her twilight years.

However...

He Jing felt that the possibility of this was practically negligible. She had heard from her mother that her aunt had been deeply hurt emotionally in her youth. She had once loved a man deeply and was even engaged to him, on the verge of stepping into marriage. If not for that accident, her aunt's child would probably be much older than her now.

But there were no "ifs," and the unexpected happened without fail. On the way to get their marriage certificate, her aunt and her fiancé encountered several children drowning in the water. Her fiancé saved four children and sacrificed himself.

Ever since then, her aunt had never dated anyone else, remaining single to this day. Come to think of it, nearly forty years had passed, but her aunt had never been able to let it go.

"Should I... go and mention this to my aunt?"

He Jing looked at Jiang Tao, convinced.

"Xiao He, I think we should just do it first and report later. Let's just invite him over and have them meet directly."

The reason Jiang Tao arranged it this way was naturally due to his confidence in the intel provided by the system. Could an ordinary person have a 97% match rate? With a match rate this high, it was a guaranteed success!

"Ah? Is that really okay?"

He Jing looked worried, terrified that if her aunt found out the truth, she would be angry with her.

Jiang Tao said meaningfully, "People sometimes need someone behind them to give them a push before they take that step. If you don't push her, she will never take that step on her own."

"Then... alright!"

Hearing Jiang Tao's words, He Jing's eyes lit up, feeling that what he said made a lot of sense! If she went and told her aunt that she wanted to set her up on a blind date, her aunt would definitely refuse!

"Then I'll call the landlord and tell him to hurry over!"

"By the way, Xiao He, do you have any everyday photos of your aunt on your phone? Would it be convenient to send me one?"

"Oh, yes, of course, I'll send it to you."

He Jing reached into the small Prada bag slung over her shoulder, pulled out her phone, and after a few taps, sent Jiang Tao a picture.

The photo was a solo shot of Ma Dongmei standing in front of Tiananmen Square. In the picture, Ma Dongmei was wearing a light goose-yellow cardigan on top, simple black casual pants on the bottom, and a pair of black flat shoes on her feet. Her outfit was simple yet not aged; she looked gentle and poised, resembling a refined young lady from a scholarly family during the Republic of China era. Especially the warm, affectionate smile on her face, which was deeply infectious!

"By the way, Xiao He, how old is your aunt this year?"

Jiang Tao briefly inquired about Ma Dongmei's basic background so he could talk to the landlord later.

He Jing answered truthfully, "My aunt is five years older than my mom, exactly sixty this year, turning sixty-one after the New Year."

"She's even five years older than my mom? Your aunt is in such incredible shape..."

No matter how Jiang Tao looked at it, Ma Dongmei didn't look like a sixty-year-old woman, but he knew He Jing wouldn't lie to him about something like this.

"Right? When my aunt and my mom walk together, no one can tell she's the older sister; everyone thinks she's the younger one. My mom gets so depressed about that quite often."

Speaking of the amusing anecdotes between her aunt and her mother, He Jing couldn't help but smile faintly.

"Then I'll go call the landlord and tell him to hurry over."

After a brief chat, Jiang Tao walked aside, found the landlord's WeChat contact, and placed a voice call.

He Jing also returned to her aunt's side to talk to her. Of course, the way they communicated wasn't through spoken language, but through gestures.