Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

When Huai Zi saw Qingmu arrive, he realized with a start that he was still clutching Juhua’s hand. He let go, flustered and embarrassed, and then started talking to Qingmu about the mushrooms.

Qingmu frowned. "What could be in it? It’s nothing more than rotten grass and leaves. Isn’t that what you find on any patch of grass? There’s nothing else in it; it’s quite clean. Some places on the mountain look filthy but are really fertile—the mushrooms that grow there are all poisonous. You can’t eat them."

Juhua nodded. "That’s right. Huai Zi, you should take a look at which trees and patches of grass grow mushrooms easily. That means their leaves and the grass itself are good for the mushrooms. Some mushrooms even grow on trees. I think if we used a saw to make sawdust from those trees, that would work too. Sigh, we’ll just have to test things out slowly! Even if we cultivate these mushrooms ourselves, they’re still growing out in the mountains. Every time we harvest them, it’s best to feed some to a cat first to check for poison."

Huai Zi nodded and mentioned that Li Changming’s wife was about to give birth to their son, so he’d been quite busy lately.

Amidst the croaking of frogs and the chirping of insects, the moonlit whispers faded, as if afraid of waking those who slept.

**********

When Meizi went into labor, Juhua hadn’t been too concerned at first. But when Meizi’s cries had stretched on for half the day, from morning to evening, with the baby still not born, her voice had faded from sharp and high-pitched to weak and listless. Juhua couldn’t bear to stay home any longer. Heart pounding with anxiety, she ran over to the Li family’s house to see what was happening.

When she arrived at the Li family’s home, she saw Li Changming pacing anxiously by the door. Gou Dan’s mother and Granny Hua, on the other hand, were perfectly calm. They were trying to soothe him with smiles on their faces. "Giving birth is never that easy, you know. It’s only been a little while, what are you so worked up about? I just went in to check, and Meizi is doing fine. If you ask me, you should just go about your business. By the time you get back, you’ll be able to see a big, healthy baby boy. Both your mother and I are here watching over things, what is there to worry about?"

A few other married women were also bustling about, completely unperturbed and showing no signs of tension or anxiety.

Li Changming gave a distracted reply and continued to pace back and forth, making it unclear whether he had taken their words to heart at all.

Seeing him so out of his mind with worry, Gou Dan’s mother sighed helplessly. She turned her head, saw Juhua, and asked in surprise, "Juhua, what are you doing here?"

Juhua asked nervously, "Aunty, how is Meizi? Why is everyone out here? Who’s in the room with her?"

Gou Dan’s mother smiled. "It’s kind of you to be so worried. Meizi is fine, she’s about to give birth. The midwife is in there. You should go home for now—this isn’t the right place for you. Come back around dinnertime to see the new baby." Although she felt that an unmarried girl like Juhua had no business being present during a birth, she was touched by Juhua’s concern for Meizi, so she just gently urged her to go home and wait.

Li Changming was running around like a headless chicken. When he saw Juhua, it was as if he’d found his savior. He rushed over to her. "Juhua, what are we going to do? Meizi’s been in there for so long, the baby still isn’t here, and she’s cried herself out, she doesn’t even have the strength to cry anymore."

’It’s more helpful talking to Juhua,’ he thought. ’Juhua always cares so much about Meizi, constantly telling her not to eat this or do that. She’s not like these other women, who are acting so casual about the whole thing. I’m worried sick, but that midwife just finds me a nuisance and tells me to get out of the way.’

Sure enough, Juhua became extremely worried when she heard this. In her panic, she told him, "You should go in and stay with her! If you’re there to keep her company, she’ll find more strength. Knowing you’re by her side will calm her down and she won’t be so scared."

Having a husband by her side during childbirth can have a huge psychological impact on the expectant mother!

Li Changming was overjoyed. ’See? Juhua is different from everyone else, she understands what I’m thinking!’ But his expression fell in the next instant. "They won’t let me go in," he said dejectedly.

Juhua was about to say more, but Gou Dan’s mother grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside. Granny Hua stared after her retreating back, dumbfounded, while the other women inside the room covered their mouths to hide their giggles.

’Look at all the experienced people here,’ they thought, ’and yet this Juhua girl is spouting nonsense with Li Changming. Neither of them knows the first thing about childbirth, yet they’re acting like experts and eagerly telling everyone what to do.’

Gou Dan’s mother pulled Juhua outside and said patiently, "Juhua, I know your heart aches for Meizi, but you mustn’t worry. Both Changming’s mother and I are keeping watch, and we have the midwife. Nothing bad will happen. You should go on home now. If your mother finds out you were here, she’ll scold you. A young, unmarried girl like you shouldn’t be at a place like this." With that, she pushed Juhua out of the courtyard and shut the gate behind her.

Juhua left the Li family’s courtyard with a miserable look on her face. ’I forgot what kind of place this is,’ she thought. ’Of course they wouldn’t listen to me!’

She walked home dejectedly. Just as she reached the gate of Zhang Huai’s home, she heard Meizi let out another bloodcurdling scream. This cry wasn’t strong and vigorous like at the beginning, nor was it weak and listless like it had been more recently. It was a ghastly, desperate shriek, as if she were fighting for her very life. Juhua’s heart began to POUND. Unable to move, she sank into a squat by the bamboo grove between the Li and the Zhang family’s homes, listening in a daze.