"Ugh! That would be such a bother to the master, and besides, with your temper, who could stand it!" Zhou Huan interrupted.

Yang Xiaoling, however, chimed in, "Anyway, Brother Dongzi doesn't have a sweetheart, and he's not getting any younger, let him have a look." Then she asked the driver, "I wonder what this young lady does for a living. As his soon-to-be sister-in-law, I should at least help vet her."

"She's heading towards where you're going, more or less. You're going to Yangjia Village, and he lives in Lijia Town. How about I take you by their place first?" the driver suggested.

Dongzi grinned, pulling out cigarettes and offering them over, "Here you go, Master, have a smoke. I'll go with you."

"Sigh!" Zhou Huan let out a long breath. "Go on then. It’s almost dawn anyway, and knocking on someone's door first thing in the morning isn't ideal. Here’s what we’ll do: we'll go to Xiaoling's ancestral home first, find a place to sleep, and in the morning we'll go to her place. That means bothering the Master to give him a call once the sun is up."

"Oh, certainly, no problem. If I can help bring you two together, I’d be happy too," the driver replied, then stepped on the accelerator, speeding up the car.

The car entered a village just as the rising sun illuminated the settlement. At the entrance stood a massive pine tree, easily over a hundred years old, adorned with red strings and numerous 'Fate Tags,' inscribed with declarations like 'So-and-so and So-and-so, for all eternity.'

"Brother Huan, look at this huge tree. It was already big when I was little, and now it’s even bigger. I remember Grandpa saying that both sets of grandparents, and my Mom and Dad, all hung their Fate Tags here. It’s so lovely how they stayed together for life!" Yang Xiaoling said, though her eyes were filled with a shimmering, hopeful longing.

Zhou Huan got out of the car and looked up at the ancient tree. "Truly an enormous tree. I estimate the Fate Tags up there represent at least ten generations. This is nothing short of a miracle."

"Brother Huan, should we also..." Yang Xiaoling tentatively drew closer to Zhou Huan, fidgeting slightly.

"Fine, we'll hang one. But where do we get those tags? These ones here look identical," Zhou Huan examined the wooden plaques closely, noting the intricate carvings of dragons, phoenixes, suns, and moons on each.

Yang Xiaoling extended her small hand and gently pulled at Zhou Huan's little finger, murmuring, "Just say the word, whether we hang one or not. We should at least start with a good omen, shouldn't we?"

"Indeed. Boss," the driver interjected, stepping in to explain the local customs, "this tree is considered the village's sacred tree. Couples who are dating hang tags here and they all end up married. Those who are married hang them here and they live to old age together."

Zhou Huan smiled faintly. "We'll hang one, but we can't have our tag look just like everyone else's, can we?"

"The tags are easy to get. You just pick one up from the Village Committee office, and then we can write our names on it ourselves," the driver explained.

Both Zhou Huan and Yang Xiaoling agreed, but when Zhou Huan mentioned writing Xiao He’s name alongside theirs, Yang Xiaoling felt an unparalleled surge of joy.

"If the young lady and I hit it off, we’ll also come here to hang a tag!" Dongzi grew more excited with every thought, following Zhou Huan into the village.

Yang Xiaoling led Zhou Huan and the others to the very last house in the village. This dwelling stood isolated, its dilapidated courtyard wall crudely built from mud and stones. The gate was so rotted it was little more than debris, and half the shed beside it had collapsed. Looking inside, the remaining house was of the oldest style, with doors and windows warped beyond recognition.

Zhou Huan followed Yang Xiaoling inside, surveying the surroundings and murmuring, "The house doesn't look like much, but it’s so orderly. It seems your grandfather was a tidy man who couldn't stand clutter."

Inside, portraits of the Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Zhu hung on the paper-covered walls, alongside a large collection of commendations and military medals. On the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), rested a neatly folded, old-fashioned military uniform.

"My grandfather's military uniform is still put away so neatly!" Yang Xiaoling reached out, picking up the uniform, caressing it repeatedly in her hands.

Suddenly, the driver pushed the door open and entered. "Boss, I just made the call. The young lady heard I was setting her up with a real 'Tiger Man,' and she couldn't wait—she’s coming over herself. She should be here any second."

"What? A woman? So fast?" Zhou Huan could hardly believe his ears. He had always heard that the man was supposed to be the proactive one, the eager one. He had truly never seen a woman so eager.

Yang Xiaoling's expression suddenly turned serious; she seemed lost in thought.

Hearing this, Dongzi's eyes lit up, and he was so delighted he nearly jumped for joy. He skipped and hopped out the door. "Brother, you guys wait here. I’ll wait by the entrance. When she gets here, I’ll take a good look."

The driver followed him out. Zhou Huan felt helpless, but he was used to it; how could he not understand his own brother?

"Brother Huan, shouldn't we go out and watch?" Yang Xiaoling urged. "Let’s help Brother Dongzi vet her. Maybe I even know this girl."

Before they could step out, a high-pitched voice called from outside, "Uncle Wang, what kind of 'Tiger Man' are you introducing me to?"

"It's me!"

Zhou Huan and Xiaoling rushed out to see Dongzi standing straight, his expression grave as he meticulously sized up the arriving woman, who was equally focused on him.

"Hey, what's your name? Let me hear if it sounds nice. If it doesn't sound good, I’m turning right back around. If it sounds good, we'll proceed."

Dongzi stood with his hands on his hips. "My name is Lin Dongzi. Right, I haven't asked your name yet. Say it out loud and let me hear. If it’s not good, I really won't date you."

"My name is Li Cuicui, and everyone here calls me..." Before she could finish, Yang Xiaoling shouted out Li Cuicui's nickname.

"Big Radish? Are you Big Radish?" Yang Xiaoling asked tentatively, slowly walking towards the woman.

The newcomer studied Yang Xiaoling closely. "Isn't this Old Man Yang’s house? Aren't you that little 'Ringer' from back then?"

"Yes, it’s me!" Yang Xiaoling replied, her eyes beginning to well up with emotion, tears gathering at the corners.

But the woman didn't immediately answer Yang Xiaoling. "Then that settles it. Wait a moment, I need to screen this guy first before we talk about our matters." She then turned to Dongzi and said, "Mister, want to date? I think your name sounds pleasant enough."

"Date, sure! Isn't she just a Big Radish? Even radishes are tender and green, hahahaha!" Dongzi threw his head back and laughed heartily. However, he had completely underestimated the woman's speed. As soon as Dongzi laughed, she reached out and pinched his ear.

"Don't resist. Since we're talking about dating, it means I think highly of you, and you think highly of me. Everything I do to you is out of concern. Anyway, if you date me, the very first thing we do is go hang a Fate Tag on that big tree at the village entrance!" Big Radish was indeed straightforward, her actions matching her reputation.

Normally, Dongzi wouldn't resist if Zhou Huan or Xiao He scolded him, but today, to his surprise, this Big Radish grabbed his ear the moment she arrived and started dragging him toward the village committee head's house. Yet, Dongzi showed no intention of resisting; instead, he followed Big Radish with a constant, broad grin.

As they ran, Big Radish looked back. "You guys wait up! I’m just going to grab a tag. I’ll be right back to chat!"

Zhou Huan was stunned. He knew Cao Cao was the fastest runner in Chinese history, but this was the first time he realized Big Radish was the fastest in taking action.

"Ah, it's still the same old Big Radish; she hasn't changed a bit. But me... I've lost that simple purity of the country folk," Yang Xiaoling sighed.

Zhou Huan finally came back to his senses and asked Yang Xiaoling, "You two... knew each other before?"

"We did. We played together when we were kids. Our families were somewhat acquainted. Big Radish's grandfather was also in the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, but he died in battle. I heard later her younger brother got into some trouble and went to prison; he’s still not out. Her parents both passed away early, so it’s just her now," Yang Xiaoling recounted what she knew about Big Radish.

"Let’s go with them. We can pick up our Fate Tag while we’re there," Zhou Huan said. After arranging for the driver to wait a moment, Zhou Huan gave his instructions.

Yang Xiaoling and Zhou Huan hurried to catch up with Big Radish and Dongzi, and the two couples struck up a conversation on the run.

"Listen up, Dongzi. I've chosen you. We hang the tag today, and we get married tomorrow!" Big Radish was truly decisive.

Dongzi acted tough: "Marry, we marry, but..." His hesitation instantly angered Big Radish.

Big Radish let go of Dongzi's ear and roared, "Oh, you're hesitating? Are you a man or not?"