JR Chapter 8

Five years ago, on March 3rd, Mo Lin met Jiang Yuanmu. Both of them felt very happy and were quite satisfied with each other.

That evening, almost “eagerly”, they set a date for their next meeting.

They decided to meet just two days later, on March 5th, at a coffee shop located below Jiang Yuanmu’s newly rented office. The main agenda was to outline and document their respective expectations for marriage.

After all, meeting in person can’t just be about chatting, getting to know each other’s personalities, and asking about preferences. How was that different from regular dating? They were on a blind date with the goal of marriage, so they had to move towards that goal.

Every meeting had to advance the ‘project’.

On March 5th, the day of their second meeting, both Mo Lin and Jiang Yuanmu brought their computers.

“Mr. Jiang.” Mo Lin greeted with a friendly smile, extending her hand. Jiang Yuanmu nodded politely and shook hands with Mo Lin.

“Hello.”

After a brief greeting, they both sat down and opened their laptops. Mo Lin skillfully took her glasses out of her bag. She tended to get a bit blurry-eyed when looking at a computer, so she habitually wore glasses.

Jiang Yuanmu glanced at her. The rimless glasses gave her a restrained, rational, and cold appearance, much like her personality.

A unique sense of aesthetics, thought Jiang Yuanmu, not bad.

“I will share a link so we can sync the document in real-time, and you can make direct edits on it,” said Jiang Yuanmu, sending the link to Mo Lin.

Mo Lin logged into the software and saw a blank page where Jiang Yuanmu had already written the agenda for their discussion today.

1. Confirm expectations.
2. If both parties accept each other’s expectations, sign a “Goodwill Agreement” today to avoid any liabilities and to regulate behavior.
3. Set the date for the next meeting and plan the “marriage” timeline.

Mo Lin raised her eyebrows.

Clear thinking, she thought, not bad.

“So, shall we begin?” Mo Lin placed her hands on the keyboard of her laptop. “First requirement, I want to be Party A in the contract.”

This was an unexpected demand for Jiang Yuanmu, but then he thought about Mo Lin’s profession and instantly understood. As a designer, it made sense.

“As long as the terms are fair, I don’t mind what Party I am.”

Mo Lin happily typed ‘Party A: Mo Lin.’

“My first requirement, given our unique situation, is that our prenuptial agreement cannot just be about marital property. I currently need a marriage, but that doesn’t mean I need a long-term marriage. I want our agreement to specify a termination date.”

Mo Lin was stunned for a moment, then slightly lowered her head.

Jiang Yuanmu saw Mo Lin’s expression and guessed that she was indeed unwilling to agree to this clause. After all, while they were discussing a prenuptial agreement, it hadn’t been mentioned that it would be for a specific period. Setting a divorce date at the time of marriage was something most people definitely wouldn’t accept.”

Jiang Yuanmu felt a bit regretful:

“I’m sorry, this is just  something I thought of before coming here. I currently need a marriage to solve some of my issues, but this situation shouldn’t last long, so having a termination date is very important to me. If you can’t accept this…'”

“…Five years.” Mo Lin raised her head again and looked at Jiang Yuanmu. She said, “Your proposal is very good, I hadn’t considered this situation before. Thank you for carefully thinking it through.”

Mo Lin didn’t want to bind herself either.

When Mo Lin said this, Jiang Yuanmu was rather taken aback.

Mo Lin blinked at him, “Is it too long?” She frowned slightly, looking troubled. “Grandma’s condition is very bad, but…just in case, it’s better to make the time period longer, right, Mr. Jiang?”

Mo Lin’s smile was a bit bitter and helpless, with a hint of pleading, as if she was afraid Jiang Yuanmu would say five years was too long and insist on changing it to three years.

Sunlight streamed obliquely through the floor-to-ceiling windows, falling on Mo Lin. Jiang Yuanmu looked at her, understanding the meaning behind her words. He couldn’t bring himself to say that five years was too long.

Moreover, he originally thought this time frame was quite reasonable.

“You misunderstood. It’s not that I think five years is inappropriate. I just didn’t expect you to agree so quickly.”

Hearing Jiang Yuanmu’s words, Mo Lin felt relieved and smiled. “This proposal is beneficial for both of us, of course I would agree.”

Jiang Yuanmu thought that if they weren’t in a café, Mo Lin might have toasted with him.

After that, things progressed so smoothly.

They moved from discussing their demands to the terms of the agreement, touching on everything from force majeure events like earthquakes and fires to cleaning standards in the household.

They agreed that in dangerous situations, one party has the obligation to save the other, provided their own life is not at risk.

They agreed to respect each other’s individual incomes, with each party retaining their own earnings without interference from the other. However, they decided to establish a joint family fund account. During the marriage, all expenses related to both parties (including but not limited to shared meal costs, transportation fees, property fees, and other daily living expenses) would be covered by this account. Both parties would have the right to know all transaction details of the account. If one party abuses the funds, they could be taken to court for embezzlement.

They agreed that during their 5 year marriage, they would visit Party A’s family in odd-numbered years and Party B’s family in even-numbered years. If special circumstances arose, they could negotiate amicably, and if negotiations failed, they could act separately.

They also agreed that during that time period, neither party could sexually harass the other under any circumstances. Both parties should maintain propriety, and neither party could engage in sexual behavior with the other for any reason. Violators would face legal consequences and be held accountable for breaching the agreement.

They also agreed that if, during the agreement period, one party meets someone they fall in love with, they can negotiate amicably with the other party and, with written consent, terminate the agreement. However, both parties must not hide or deceive each other during the agreement period, and must not engage in sexual behavior with anyone else. Any losses caused by such actions will be fully borne by the party at fault.

Lastly, they agreed that within the marriage, Mo Lin’s obligation was to call Jiang Yuanmu ‘Yuanmu.’ The name ‘Mo Lin’ was already intimate and was agreed upon through mutual consultation. Jiang Yuanmu could still call Mo Lin ‘Mo Lin.’

They talked about everything, from the small to the big, from birth, aging, sickness, and death to everyday necessities, from the setting sun to the closing of small shops…

 “Sorry…” The waiter in the store had already turned off the other lights, leaving just one shining on their table. The waiter walked over apologetically, “We’re closing now.”

“Sorry to have kept you,” Mo Lin apologized, signing the “marriage intention contract” in her hand and then handing it to Jiang Yuanmu. “We’ll leave right away.”

The waiter nodded and started tidying up the other tables.

Jiang Yuanmu took Mo Lin’s contract, handed her the one he had signed, and then checked the contents on his computer one last time, reviewing the day’s results. Satisfied, he closed his laptop.

Jiang Yuanmu looked up at Mo Lin, who was packing her things. The day’s ‘meeting’ had left her looking a bit tired. But as Jiang Yuanmu watched her, he felt an unprecedented sense of ease.

It was rare to find someone who could communicate so smoothly and with whom he could connect so well.

Jiang Yuanmu pondered for a moment and then said, ”I have a proposal.”

Mo Lin looked up and saw Jiang Yuanmu in the soft light of the last lamp, speaking in his characteristic cool voice, “Let’s do a ‘trial marriage’ for a month.”   

Mo Lin blinked, a bit stunned, but quickly understood Jiang Yuanmu’s meaning.

With so many terms in the agreement, without a real trial, it would be troublesome if they found something to add, modify, or regret when they started fulfilling the contract.

So, Mo Lin immediately offered her response: “Okay, when do you think is a good time to start?”

Jiang Yuanmu’s eyelashes lowered slightly, casting a shadow under his eyes. After a moment’s thought, he lifted his gaze, looking firmly at Mo Lin. The soft light and her face were reflected in his pupils:

“Tomorrow”