Chapter 148: Academic Gatekeeping
I’ve seen my share of gold diggers, but a girl who’s okay with someone twenty-four years older—a man the same age as her father—is truly a rare sight.
A closer look revealed it had a lot to do with her family background.
Her father went to prison when she was a child, and from the looks of it, her mother never remarried. Otherwise, her grandmother likely wouldn’t have left her the house. Growing up for so long without a father’s love, her views on relationships might be a bit warped.
Considering that some of the guys in the livestream were still waiting eagerly...
Zhang Zhe decided it was time to cool them off.
He cleared his throat and asked, "Miss, have you had a much older ex-boyfriend before? You’re the first person I’ve met in her twenties who’s willing to date someone born in the 70s."
"Yes, my ex-boyfriend was born in the 70s."
"It’s a shame we broke up. Otherwise, when my mother got sick, with his help, I probably wouldn’t have had to mortgage the house."
"How are your life skills? Do you know how to do housework?"
"No. My mom used to take care of everything at home. After she passed away, I started living on my own pretty casually."
"What about your personality?"
"I guess I’m a bit carefree, not very gentle, really." The woman was being completely honest. "But I’m incredibly tolerant. I’ve been able to endure a lot ever since I was a kid. So even if a guy has a bad temper, as long as he’s good to me, I can accept anything."
[What the hell? She’s already dated an old geezer? Is she a factory return?]
[I looked up her mom’s illness. Without donated medicine, it costs at least 50,000 a month. This girl really hasn’t had it easy.]
[How many girls in her line of work don’t come from a broken home?]
[These women can’t say a single truthful word. Bros, if you don’t get it, just go to a foot massage parlor to wise up.]
"Since you’ve already been down this road, there’s not much more for me to say." Zhang Zhe sighed and looked back at Teacher Wang. "What do you think? Will your agency help with a recommendation?"
"You brat, always leaving the tough decisions to me." Teacher Wang shot Zhang Zhe a look.
Zhang Zhe had actually asked most of the necessary questions. If the agency took her on, they would just need to verify her mother’s medical records and her debt situation, and then they could start introducing her to potential matches.
But this kind of job... how to put it... it felt a bit like being a panderer. For a Matchmaker accustomed to normal matchmaking, it just felt strange.
"Miss, are you in a huge hurry?" Teacher Wang asked after a moment’s thought. "Your situation is indeed well-suited for marrying up, but out of a sense of responsibility for your future, I’d still advise you to take it slow."
"The wealthy clients at our agency do have their assets verified, but they won’t necessarily go on a date with you with marriage in mind. Because, frankly, you look like the perfect target for a short-term fling."
"I don’t accept short-term flings." The woman shook her head. "If things hadn’t gone wrong with my ex-boyfriend, we would have spent the rest of our lives together."
"Alright, with that attitude, I think we can make this work." Teacher Wang nodded and gestured for the young woman to step aside with her for a chat.
Zhang Zhe took the opportunity to get his phone back. After plugging it in to charge, he started explaining things to the guys who were going wild in the livestream chat:
"I know some of you are getting antsy."
"This girl is indeed very beautiful and has a great figure, but I’ll be honest, she’s not for a simple, honest man. She’s the type to be a wife to those unconventional, wealthy guys."
"Let me be clearer. After she gets married, she’s not going to be the type to do laundry, cook, and raise kids. She’s the one who will help you manage your family’s bars, KTVs, and night market stalls. Understand?"
"She’s the type who, when you’re out drinking at night, will be by your side putting food on your plate and taking drinks for you;
not the type who waits at home for you to come back, helps you change your clothes, and gives you something to sober up."
"If there are any bosses out there who are really into this type, think it over carefully, then send me a private message."
Zhang Zhe let out a sigh, because he could already feel his phone vibrating in his pocket.
This type of woman definitely had her own niche in the marriage market.
Some men liked women like Old Kua, so naturally, some would like women like Sister Yu.
Zhang Zhe didn’t rush to reply to the big shots’ messages. He’d have to wait until the end of the day to get the girl’s contact information from Teacher Wang. It was a matter of principle.
Just then, the young guy who’d been causing a scene in the distance was being coaxed down from the tree by security.
His "declaration" was more or less over.
The excitement was over, and the attention of many of the gawking uncles and aunties turned back to Zhang Zhe.
It was the same uncle who had grabbed a seat earlier. This time, he was the first to sit down across from Zhang Zhe.
"Teacher Zhang, hehehe, I recognize you."
"Weren’t you on Li Erniang’s matchmaking show before?"
"Yes, I was." That was where Zhang Zhe’s dream had begun; of course he remembered it clearly. He never expected to run into someone who had seen him. Qing City really was a small place.
"Not only that, I also found your matchmaking agency online..."
"Whoa, whoa, no need to talk about that." Zhang Zhe saw the uncles and aunties in line behind them leaning in and quickly told the man to stop. He was short on clients, but the quality of prospects at this matchmaking corner was still questionable. There was no need to reveal his hand so early.
"Fine. Anyway, I trust your skills, Teacher."
"Here’s my daughter’s profile. Take a look."
[Born: Feb 1997, Unmarried, Only Daughter. Height: 1.62m (5’4"), Weight: approx. 50kg (110 lbs). Occupation: Accountant at a state-owned enterprise. Has a good appearance and disposition. From a warm and loving home. Parents have both pension and medical insurance. Owns a car, home, and commercial property, all fully paid off.]
[Seeking: A man born 1995-2000. Must have a bachelor’s degree or higher from a Project 985 university (standard admission). Preference for candidates with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees from 985 universities. Height: 1.72m (5’8") or taller. Must own a home in the city and have a stable job. Unmarried, no children.]
"Uncle, is this kind of situation common?" After reading the profile, Zhang Zhe was surprised to find that he himself didn’t meet the woman’s requirements.
He was disqualified by the education requirement.
He had only encountered this kind of situation twice in his entire time job hunting in Shencheng City.
The number of companies in the entire country that strictly required a degree from a Project 985 university could be counted on one hand.
"What requirement?"
"The education one." Zhang Zhe pointed at the criteria. "Does the bachelor’s degree have to be from a 985 university? What if they only got into one for their master’s?"
"Nope." The uncle nodded very seriously. "A 985 is the bottom line. We originally wanted to set the requirement at a college entrance exam score of 600 or higher, but because the admission cutoffs have been changing over the years, we switched to this instead."
"But why?" Zhang Zhe didn’t get it. "Some programs at lower-tier 985 universities are far worse than those at Project 211 schools, did you know that?"
"Is that so?"
"It is. I myself chose software engineering at a 211 school over civil engineering at a lower-tier 985."
"Well..." The uncle scratched his head. His hair was already sparse, and the motion made some spots on his scalp shine, making him look exceptionally brilliant.
"We might have made a mistake then. We really didn’t consider that."
"Good thing I came to you today, Brother Zhang. Could you help us optimize our requirements?"
[Brother Zhang, are you from a 985? If not, don’t you dare touch her profile card.]
[Is there education discrimination in marriage now, too?]
[You can tell this uncle’s family isn’t short on cash. They’re just looking to improve the gene pool.]
[The problem is, 985 universities also have athletes and art majors, not to mention people who got in through connections.]