Chapter 305 - 200: Mother-in-law Sets Up Lu Fan and Yixia, A Great Success?

Lu Fan wasn't annoyed. "Village Chief," he said, "I heard our village road is scheduled to be repaved next year?"

"How do you know that?" The Village Chief froze for a second, watching him with a guarded expression.

"I happen to know someone at the Transportation Bureau, and I heard it from them," Lu Fan said with a cheerful smile. "But I also heard the project isn't finalized yet. Several villages are fighting for it."

The Village Chief's expression faltered, but he said nothing.

"It'd be a real shame if our village road doesn't get approved," Lu Fan said, his tone deliberate. "After all, a new road would be great for the village's development, and it would be a political credit to you as the Chief."

The Village Chief glared at him, his temper rising. "What are you trying to say?"

Lu Fan smiled, his tone laced with meaning. "What I'm saying is, if you can figure out a way to resolve this irrigation ditch issue, then maybe I can help figure out a way to get our village's road project approved."

The Village Chief was dumbfounded.

He looked Lu Fan up and down, his mind racing with calculations.

'Who is this guy? How does he know someone at the Transportation Bureau?'

'But either way, this is an opportunity.'

He gritted his teeth and nodded. "Alright. I'll figure something out for the irrigation ditch, but you'd better keep your word."

"I always keep my word," Lu Fan said with a smile, getting to his feet. "Village Chief, consider it a deal."

With that, he turned and walked out of the office.

When he returned to Jiang Guoqiang's home, Pan Lanfang was waiting anxiously.

Seeing him, she rushed over to him. "Xiaolu, how did it go?"

"Auntie, don't worry. The Village Chief agreed to repair the irrigation ditch," Lu Fan said calmly.

Pan Lanfang stared in disbelief. "Really?"

Lu Fan nodded. "Yes, they're starting work tomorrow."

"Xiaolu, how did you convince him?" Jiang Guoqiang was just as stunned, grabbing his hand to ask.

Lu Fan smiled and explained, "I told him that if he repaired the ditch, I'd help him secure the village's road project."

Jiang Guoqiang was both overjoyed and felt a little guilty. He gripped Lu Fan's hand, his voice choked with emotion. "Xiaolu, this... How can we ever thank you enough for this?"

Lu Fan waved his hand dismissively. "Uncle, please don't say that," he said with a smile. "We're all one family. No need for such formalities."

Listening from the side, Pan Lanfang's eyes reddened again.

'One family...'

'This young man really treats us like his own family.'

That evening, Pan Lanfang cooked a huge feast and insisted that Lu Fan stay for dinner.

At the dinner table, Jiang Guoqiang kept piling food onto Lu Fan's plate, murmuring, "Xiaolu, eat up. It's all homegrown and fresh."

Lu Fan accepted everything he was offered, eating with great gusto.

Pan Lanfang watched from the side, growing more and more pleased the longer she looked at him.

'This young man is handsome, polite, and efficient. He's good to his elders and doesn't mind the rustic conditions...'

'The idea in her mind grew stronger and stronger.'

After dinner, Jiang Guoqiang went out to the courtyard for a smoke. Pan Lanfang had Lu Fan sit down in the main hall and poured him a cup of tea.

Lu Fan took the tea and smiled. "Auntie, if you have something on your mind, please feel free to say it."

Pan Lanfang hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "Xiaolu, I want to ask you something. I hope you don't mind."

Lu Fan nodded. "Please, go ahead."

"Do you... have any plans to get married and start a family?" Pan Lanfang inquired.

Lu Fan paused for a moment, then smiled. "I do, of course. I just haven't met the right person yet."

"Well, what are you looking for in a partner?" Pan Lanfang's eyes lit up as she asked.

Lu Fan thought for a moment, and his tone grew serious. "Someone honest and decent, who's ready to settle down. Looks aren't important. What's crucial is that she's someone you can build a stable life with."

The more Pan Lanfang heard, the more pleased she became. The idea in her mind grew even stronger.

She hesitated for a moment before saying, "Well, Xiaolu, I have a daughter. She runs a flower shop in Yangcheng and she's in her thirties. She's very beautiful and down-to-earth, but... she's divorced and has two children."

After she finished speaking, she watched Lu Fan nervously, afraid he would show a look of distaste.

Lu Fan paused, a complex mix of emotions stirring within him.

He knew, of course, that she was talking about Jiang Yixia.

Looking at Pan Lanfang's hopeful expression, he felt a pang in his heart.

'This woman is truly worried about her daughter.'

He thought for a moment before replying in a gentle voice, "Auntie, it's not easy for a divorced woman with children. It's even harder to raise them on her own. A person like that is more likely to know how to cherish what she has."

Pan Lanfang's eyes immediately reddened. She grabbed his hand and said, "Xiaolu, you're truly a good man."

"Auntie, you should ask your daughter for her opinion first," Lu Fan said with a laugh. "If she's not interested, then nothing I say matters."

Pan Lanfang nodded, her mind made up.

That very evening, Pan Lanfang called Jiang Yixia.

As soon as the call connected, she got straight to the point. "Honey, Mom wants to set you up with someone."

Jiang Yixia was tidying up her shop, and her hands froze when she heard this.

She sighed in exasperation. "Mom, you're at it again. I told you I don't need to be set up."

Pan Lanfang's voice was full of excitement. "Don't be so quick to say no! Just hear me out."

"This young man is wonderful. He works in the county, he's handsome, polite, and he's been so good to your father and me. You won't believe it, but the village's irrigation ditch broke today, and he came to help without a second's hesitation. He convinced the Village Chief to fix it in just a few words! Your father says he's a truly dependable person."

As Jiang Yixia listened, her thoughts suddenly became a jumble.

'The man Mom's describing... why does he sound so familiar?'

But she didn't dwell on it. "Mom, I'm not in the right headspace to think about this stuff right now."

Pan Lanfang grew frantic. "How can you not be? The kids are getting older, it's time you thought about yourself. This Xiaolu is really wonderful, can't you just meet him once?"