Chapter 149: A 28-Year-Old Fangirl
Zhang Zhe looked at the old man and almost burst out laughing.
’This girl’s profile says she’s attractive with a good disposition,’ he thought. ’But if the theory that daughters take after their fathers holds true, that might be a bit of a stretch.’
Honestly, if the man’s family was just asking for a guy with an IQ over 110, most people would probably understand.
But being a stickler for academic credentials... that was just asking for criticism.
But from the look of him, Zhang Zhe figured the man didn’t really get it himself. This was probably his daughter’s requirement.
"Sir, was the education requirement your daughter’s idea?"
"Not just her. Pretty much our whole family thinks this way."
"Why?" someone in the crowd challenged the man. "If a man doesn’t have a degree from a 985 university, is he not worthy of passing on your family’s genes?"
"That’s not it. Here’s my reasoning."
The man had a pretty good temper and even shared his thought process with the surrounding crowd:
"We all know the level of education here in Qing City, right? It’s in the top three in the entire province, so it’s not like there’s a shortage of people who get into college."
"But the number of spots at top-tier universities for our province is fixed."
"So, getting into a 985 university proves they must have worked incredibly hard as students. They focused most of their energy on studying and out-competed their peers. They’re not like those from vocational colleges, whose minds were who-knows-where."
"When I’m choosing a son-in-law, I’d definitely pick a boy who previously focused all his attention on his studies. It doesn’t even matter if his income is a little lower. Just the fact that he has a clean slate makes him better than most..."
When the man finished speaking, the smiles vanished from the faces of the gossiping onlookers.
The snickering stopped, because what he said actually made sense.
The basic logic was:
"High academic credentials" = "Most of their time was spent studying" = "A respectable job" + "High income" + "A relatively clean romantic history."
Naturally, that made for a very good matchmaking candidate.
[If you put it that way, the old man isn’t wrong. It all depends on his daughter’s qualifications now.]
[So after all that, what are his own daughter’s academic credentials?]
[He didn’t even list a bachelor’s degree. You don’t get it? Do you really have to ask?]
[His viewpoint is a bit one-sided, but he does have a point.]
"Sir, I basically agree with a lot of what you said, especially the part about a clean romantic history. I’m totally on board with that."
"I’ve got a lot of buddies in engineering. There were only, like, three girls in their entire class, so they had no chance to date."
"If your only requirements are a high level of education and owning a home in the city, without being picky about the location, then I have plenty of resources for you."
A cryptic smile appeared on Zhang Zhe’s face.
’There are a few of those Lao Dengs who do nothing but shoot the breeze in the group chat all day, complaining about how hard it is to get married. I wonder what they’d think about going back to their hometowns for a blind date.’
’In any case, if the girl I introduced them to was pretty and had a good personality, I could probably become the godfather of the entire group chat.’
"Really?" The man’s face lit up with a delighted smile. "Teacher Zhang, you’re not pulling my leg, are you?"
"I’m not. But first, you have to let me see a picture of your daughter."
"A candid one, preferably."
"Of course, of course. Just a moment." The man pulled out his foldable phone and started flipping through his photo album.
As Zhang Zhe watched the man with his phone, he mentally kicked one of his classmates off the list of candidates.
’That guy went to Wuda University and worships Leibusi. He definitely wouldn’t be able to stand this.’
"Here, Brother Zhang, take a look."
"This was taken when she was traveling in Hainan."
"This is in Xishuangbanna."
"This is on the Inner Mongolian Grassland."
"..."
[This girl born in ’97 has already traveled all over China?]
[An accountant at a state-owned enterprise and an only child. Way too much freedom. No wonder she can’t get married.]
[She’s looking for a simp. Once her parents are gone, her husband will be the one paying for her travels.]
[Honestly, you can tell at a glance she’s not the type to settle down for a quiet life.]
Zhang Zhe frowned slightly after looking at the photos.
The girl’s looks were average. She wasn’t gorgeous, but she wasn’t overweight either.
With makeup, she could probably be a 4 out of 10.
Most guys wouldn’t find any fault with her appearance.
The problem was the traveling.
Liking to travel wasn’t an issue in itself. When you’re young, you don’t have family burdens, you have plenty of energy, and it’s the perfect time to see the great landscapes of the country.
But this girl traveled far too frequently.
Zhang Zhe noted the timestamps on the photos. It was almost once a month.
And these weren’t just trips to nearby cities; she was jetting off to all corners of the country.
A single trip, just counting flights and hotels, would start at 2,000 yuan. It was highly likely this girl was spending her entire income on travel.
This kind of spending habit wasn’t a good match for a guy from an ordinary family.
At the very least, most wage slaves wouldn’t be willing to foot that bill.
You’re toiling away at work, getting chewed out by your boss, and you find out your wife is sunbathing with her friends in Lijiang? Who could possibly put up with that?
But her love of travel was probably the smallest of her issues. Based on Zhang Zhe’s understanding of this type of girl, their hobbies went far beyond that.
"Sir, is your daughter a fangirl?"
"Er..." The man looked a bit troubled and didn’t answer Zhang Zhe’s question directly. He just said, "She’s much better about it now than she used to be."
"Is she a fan of one of the members of TFBOYS?"
"Yes." The man nodded, his expression heavy.
Zhang Zhe nodded as well. ’Just as I thought. Her travel habit isn’t the biggest problem.’
[This reminds me of a joke about Berklee College of Music.]
[How did Brother Zhang guess which celebrity she follows just like that?]
[Girls from the ’97 generation were basically all obsessed with those three kids.]
[Guess why TFBOYS got so popular back in the day.]
"Being a fangirl is no good," an older woman chimed in righteously. "Once these young girls get into celebrity worship, their brains turn to mush."
"My neighbor’s daughter went to a concert in a wedding dress. Her dad yelled at her, and she threatened to disown him..."
"Ma’am, that’s a bit extreme," Zhang Zhe said, cutting the woman off before the situation could escalate into a full-blown argument.
He quickly reassured the man, "Being a fangirl is fine, as long as she doesn’t treat strangers as more important than the people actually in her life."
"She’d never do that," the man said, nodding eagerly. "My daughter is very filial."
"I’m not asking about being filial." Zhang Zhe shook his head. The man had misunderstood him.
’Don’t be fooled by all the girls who talk big online, casually calling their fathers their "biological dad." The ones who would actually go through with disowning their parents are a tiny minority. It can’t be helped; these "princesses" are the ones who need the most external financial support.’
’So, her attitude toward her parents doesn’t really reveal what kind of person a fangirl truly is.’
"Has she ever gotten into a fight with her real-life colleagues, close friends, or childhood friends over a celebrity?"
"I don’t think so..."
The man’s answer lacked any conviction.
But he also genuinely didn’t know.
So Zhang Zhe tried a different question:
"If you set her up on a blind date with a guy, but her favorite celebrity was having a public appearance on the same day, would she ditch the date?"
"Absolutely," the man said matter-of-factly. "She’s still young and hasn’t settled down yet."
