Chapter 110: A Bit of Indulgence in Old Age

Chapter 110: Chapter 110: A Bit of Indulgence in Old Age

Zhang Zhe saw a bullet comment: "People born in the ’80s are already 45." He sighed to himself. ’And I, born in ’95, am already 30.’

Damn. Getting old right before my eyes.

Time felt like it was flying. Thinking about it, it was as if more than two years had been stolen. Otherwise, he’d be 28 now, which would be a little easier to stomach.

Going on dates at 44 wasn’t anything to be ashamed of, and it was a far cry from what the comments were saying about looking for an elderly companion in the park.

Plus, the woman had a daughter. The pressure on daughters to marry and establish themselves was much less than it was for sons, so she still had a chance on the marriage market.

She just needed to change her objective.

"Ma’am, in your situation, you should have started by trying your luck on the matchmaking scene."

"I have, but I’ve never met anyone suitable."

"Then your approach to dating must be the problem." Zhang Zhe could tell just from her words that her line of thinking was off.

’If her thinking was sound, she would have said, "There were suitable men, but they weren’t interested in me."’

"What kind of man are you looking for now?"

"I don’t really know, to be honest." The woman’s tone was modest. "Even though I’m in my forties, I’ve only ever had one marriage."

"That’s why I called in. I was hoping you could help me analyze my situation."

"Alright, I can help with that." Zhang Zhe had dealt with older women before, but this was his first time with someone over 40. "For older women, the main goal when looking to remarry should be to find a spiritual partner."

"Let me be a little blunt."

"The average life expectancy these days is about 70. If you discount the last few years spent bedridden, a man you marry at 44 won’t be with you for that long."

"But that’s still about 20 years..."

"Yes, but you’d only have about ten good years together."

"You also have to consider that men older than you will likely pass away before you. And men who are younger, say, in their early 40s, will still be looking for women in their 30s."

"The rich ones might even want someone in their 20s."

"Actually, I’m quite well-off myself," the woman interjected suddenly. "I have three properties. I live in one in the suburbs, and the other two are rented out in Shenghai. I can basically live off the rental income alone."

[Auntie, you know what’s up.]

[Ma’am, you’re not thinking of finding a young guy, are you? What would your daughter think?]

[This lady has a young heart.]

[Should’ve said you were rich sooner! Brother Zhang thought you were looking for a retirement buddy.]

Zhang Zhe was also taken aback by what she said.

’You’re rich too? Does that mean you also want someone younger?’

’Two properties in Shenghai would be worth over ten million. She’d definitely qualify as a minor heiress. But if she doesn’t have a good amount of cash and stocks on hand, if all her money is tied up in real estate, then she doesn’t really have the capital to be chasing handsome young men.’

’She can’t just give one of her houses to a young guy, can she?’

[Medium-Value Intel]

[The Host’s current matchmaking target, Xu Yashan, is a typical Shanghai socialite. She owns three properties and holds over ten million in cash and stocks. She is an avid fitness enthusiast and maintains her body very well.]

[She has a particular fondness for the Host’s type: handsome, highly-educated STEM guys around 30 years old.]

[However, her daughter may be an obstacle in a future fight for the estate. The Host may need to play the part of a good stepfather to maximize his ’soft rice’ benefits.]

[If the Host decides to live off a woman, the System can switch to ’Soft Rice Man’ Mode to help you secure such a high-quality resource.]

"Here we go again..."

Zhang Zhe wanted to just block this ’Soft Rice’ mode.

But considering his own handsome features, he was very likely to attract rich women seeking his "services." The mode was still useful to have.

It could help him distinguish the real rich women from the fakes.

"Ma’am, have you figured out what you want?"

"Are you looking for someone to build a life with, or a younger guy to have some fun with? Those are two completely different paths."

"I don’t know," the woman said honestly. "Can I just list my requirements?"

"Go ahead."

"I do have one small requirement when it comes to looks: the man can’t be bald, and he can’t have a big potbelly."

[So you ARE looking for a younger guy!]

[Auntie, what about no potbelly, but a huge appetite? Does that count?]

[What about a bald guy? Like Xu Zheng?]

[Ma’am, being that picky about looks will make it hard. You’re not hoping to find someone like Jin Dong, are you?]

[Now I finally understand who watches those cheesy male influencers.]

"Well, that requirement isn’t exactly high."

"Let me point you in the right direction."

"I won’t even get into finding a younger guy. There’s not much to say there. As long as you’re willing to spend money, you can easily pick someone up at the gym. Just go work on your glutes and legs, and the ones with ulterior motives will flock to you."

"Just be careful you don’t fall for a pig-butchering scam."

"If you’re serious about marriage, then you’ll have to look for men whose professions involve sports and fitness," Zhang Zhe advised. "You could look for a swimmer, a gym teacher, or a basketball player."

"You can easily screen for baldness and potbellies just by looking at their daily lives. You could even require them to have some muscle tone. That’s not a problem."

"But you have to be prepared. A man who fits that description, is over forty, and is still unmarried or divorced... he likely has some flaws in his personality or family situation."

"Okay, I understand what you mean, Host."

"Is it okay if I look for someone who has kids? I feel like men with custody of their children are usually good fathers with strong family values."

"You can, but you have to consider your daughter."

"My daughter’s fine with it. She supports me finding someone new. She’s away at school, so she thinks I get pretty lonely."

"That’s great." Zhang Zhe nodded. "Then just try going in the direction I suggested. If you run into any problems, you can always come back to the stream and ask me."

"Just be very, very careful of pig-butchering scams!"

Zhang Zhe didn’t have a complete picture of the woman’s situation, but he could guess that she would ultimately end up with a younger man.

The System’s intel was one thing.

The other was that the woman had been divorced for 15 years and never mentioned having any suitors, which likely meant she wasn’t very attractive.

Fifteen years ago, she was only 29. Even with a daughter, if she had been good-looking, men would have been pursuing her immediately after her divorce.

If she wasn’t attractive in her youth, her looks would only be more of a hindrance as she got older.

At her age, any man who took an interest in her would most likely be after her for her assets. And since it was about assets, after weighing her options, she would most likely choose a young, handsome man.

That’s why Zhang Zhe added one last warning: Be careful of pig-butchering scams.

"Alright, everyone, let’s stop talking about the last caller. She raised her daughter to adulthood, fulfilling both her familial and social duties. It’s perfectly understandable for her to want to enjoy her life now that she’s older."

"It’s getting late, so let’s take one last caller for tonight."

"Hello?"

"Hello, Host," the female caller began. "The person who just called in was my mother. I have a question I’d like to ask on her behalf."

"If she gets remarried, how would the property and assets be divided?"

"Miss, I’m a matchmaking host, not a lawyer. You’re asking the wrong person."

"Oh, okay," the woman replied. "In that case, I’d also like to ask for some advice on my own marriage prospects. I’m not like my mother; I’m not obsessed with looks. I don’t even mind if a guy is a little chubby."

"So why is it that even with that mindset, no guys seem to like me?"