Chapter 234 - 232: Priority of Needs

Chapter 234: Chapter 232: Priority of Needs

"Your dad’s in prison? When did that happen?" Zhang Zhe was suddenly interested. "What did he go in for? How much longer until he’s out?"

It was a bit impolite, but listening to case-related gossip was actually quite interesting. Whenever Zhang Zhe had nothing to do, he would often hang out in Guo Lv’s livestream on Douyin.

They say that when parents commit crimes, it drags down their children. It affects not just their career, but also their prospects for marriage. This woman was likely in that exact situation.

"My father went to prison for drunk driving. He was sentenced to seven years and won’t be out until 2028."

"Seven years? So he must have killed someone."

"That doesn’t have anything to do with you directly, does it?"

"A little."

"Hmm? You were at the scene?"

"No, not that. But our family paid a lot in compensation to the victim’s relatives, so our financial situation is much worse than it used to be."

"If I get married, my family basically can’t offer any money."

[It’s fine. In your situation, your family’s finances won’t be their first concern.]

[A million at most, right? If that much money ruined your family’s finances, it means you weren’t that well-off to begin with.]

[Has anyone in the chat considered that her dad might have hit more than one person?]

[I’m just being honest, someone in her situation shouldn’t even be on the matchmaking scene. No guy is going to accept this.]

Zhang Zhe noticed that when the woman spoke, her brows were knitted in a deep frown. It was obvious she had already faced a lot of trouble because of her father’s case.

But there was nothing to be done. Not even his system could erase her father’s criminal record.

Fortunately, the woman was a livestreamer, and she was genuinely good-looking. He’d rate her looks a 5 out of 10.

Plus, her job had a sales component, so she came across as very approachable. Her overall image score was quite good.

On a scale of 100, she’d get a 65.

"After your father went to prison, what about your mother? What does she do for work? Do you have any other immediate family?"

"My mother stays at home to take care of my grandmother, so she doesn’t work. I’m basically the one supporting the family now."

"I’m an only daughter, and I don’t have any siblings. My maternal grandparents have passed away, so my paternal grandmother is the only elder left in the family."

"You’ve got a heavy burden on your shoulders, then." Zhang Zhe’s estimation of her rose. Compared to those entitled girls who only care about eating and having fun, this woman was quite impressive.

After a major family crisis, she had become the pillar of her household.

From a personal standpoint, she was definitely an outstanding woman.

But from a Matchmaker’s perspective, this woman’s circumstances were simply too poor.

First off, she had almost no chance of finding a partner who worked within the government system.

For pretty girls from ordinary families, marrying a guy with a government job is usually their fallback option, but she was basically disqualified.

Although some government jobs don’t strictly require immediate family to have clean criminal records, for a man looking for a wife, there was no need to take on that potential risk.

Not to mention, marrying this woman now meant taking on her family’s baggage.

[She should find a prison guard. He can look after her dad at work and her after his shift.]

[I feel like she could go after college students, especially those clueless STEM guys.]

[Go compete for a top-tier man, sis. I’m not optimistic with your vocational degree, but at least you can learn how to do business right now.]

[She’d be better off just marrying a rich guy.]

"Do you have any requirements for your other half?" Zhang Zhe asked.

"Almost none. I just hope he’s mature and stable, but not too fat... A little chubby is fine, but not so overweight that it’s difficult for him to be active."

"Okay, I see. So you care a lot about looks, huh?"

"A little, but I think I’m actually pretty accepting of people."

"Haha, couldn’t tell. But what I can tell is that you must have suitors, which is why you can still afford to be picky."

Based on Zhang Zhe’s years of experience with men, being fat as an adult male was basically synonymous with being ugly.

While it wasn’t a perfect correlation, a guy who was both fat and handsome would only look even better if he lost weight. Such men were incredibly rare, about as uncommon as a woman who was an 8 out of 10.

So, in an age where being overweight was common, when a woman said she didn’t like fat guys, the subtext was that she wanted someone better-looking.

"There were indeed some guys who pursued me before, but I felt like they weren’t serious about marriage. They just wanted to mess around."

The woman was actually quite sharp, and her analysis was very clear:

"There were guys who would come pick me up from my office in luxury cars, but I knew with one look that I wasn’t in their league."

"The only reason they were interested in me was to try something different for a change."

[Sis, you’re way too clear-headed.]

[If that were me, I’d definitely give it a shot. What if it was true love?]

[Seems like the girl has some self-esteem issues.]

[It’s normal for her to feel insecure. Her dad’s slaving away on a sewing machine in prison, and the victim’s family might still come knocking on her door. How could she possibly be doing well?]

[If you ask me, she should just find some rich guys and squeeze them for some cash.]

"Sis, for a livestreamer, being this level-headed is really something."

"About how many assets does your family have left right now?"

"We have a house left in our hometown county, and that’s it." The woman gave a bitter smile. "All our family’s money was basically used for the compensation."

"..."

"How about this: I’ll lay out two paths for you, and you can consider them."

Zhang Zhe thought about the single men he knew. ’What kind of person would be interested in a woman like this?’

’First, he’d have to be someone who likes pretty women.’

’A 5/10 female streamer wasn’t top-tier, but she would still turn heads on the street. She could definitely cash in on her looks.’

’If she wanted to marry well, she had to make good use of her looks.’

’Second, he’d have to be someone who didn’t care about her father’s criminal record.’

’It was a good thing this girl wasn’t from Hedong. If she were in a province obsessed with civil service exams, any Matchmaker would probably tell her to look for a husband in the countryside.’

’So, what kind of person wouldn’t care at all about a woman’s family background?’

"First option: you must have a lot of small-time business owners where you are, right? The ones in the suburbs who cater to the Shenghai clubbing scene?"

"The ones selling coffee, garlic... oh, right, and clothes, or affordable luxury goods. Basically, those kinds of small-time bosses."

"They made some money through a lucky break and are now eager to spend it. There must be plenty of those around, right?"

"I know a lot of people like that, and some have even pursued me, but..." The woman looked troubled. "They just feel like they have no substance. A bit like uncultured nouveau riche."

"???" Zhang Zhe looked completely baffled. "Sis, not only are you picky about looks, but you also have requirements for a guy’s ’substance’?"

[She’s obviously been flattered by so many of those nouveau riche guys that she’s lost all sense of reality.]

[I guess she’s holding out for a rocket scientist.]

[A guy with real substance? Who would go for a girl with a vocational degree who sells clothes?]

[Like attracts like. As a female streamer who puts her face out there, who is she going to attract besides nouveau riche guys and creeps?]

"Sis, you need to get your priorities straight."

"Do you want to get married, or are you looking for a soulmate?"

Zhang Zhe said earnestly,

"Marriage is about building a life together. And building a life is about the daily grind—the boring, practical stuff. These are the fundamentals. No one goes into matchmaking looking for a soulmate."

"If you want a guy with ’substance,’ or someone who shares your dreams, you have to find him through dating, not matchmaking. And even if you do find someone like that, I wouldn’t recommend you get married."

"Marriage forces you to confront the practicalities of life, and as it happens, the ’practical’ side is your biggest weakness. If you’re just looking to date, and you’re willing to play the game, you could even land a super-rich heir with no problem."