Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Meizi and Juhua were taken aback. They watched her toddle toward the well on her short little legs, her dirty hands on her hips, muttering nonstop. They both lowered their heads, stifling their laughter.

Meizi laughed until her eyes glistened. She glanced at Juhua and said, "Look what she’s become, hanging around you. She’s always copying the way adults talk."

Having had a child, Meizi wore her hair in a loose bun. Although her complexion wasn’t as fair as it used to be, she looked all the more full-figured and lovely. This was mainly because Li Changming doted on her and never allowed her to work in the fields. Her chores were similar to what she did as an unmarried girl, but now there was just so much more to do.

Although Juhua was also married, she found buns too troublesome. She would gather her hair at the back of her head, tie it, and weave it into a thick braid. Then, she’d coil the braid round and round its base into a sort of cylinder, tucking the end tightly underneath. It was a simple and neat style that stayed in place and kept her cool.

She smiled at Meizi and said, "I certainly didn’t teach her to talk that way. You know how kids this age love to copy people. They just parrot whatever adults say and do. You’ll have to be careful from now on. Watch what you say around your son, or he might pick up some bad words."

Meizi grinned. "If you like children so much, why don’t you have one of your own? Juhua, you’d better get a move on. I heard Jinxiang is pregnant, and Mei will probably be next. You can’t fall behind."

Juhua was speechless. ’How could you possibly know Mei will be next?’ she thought.

She cleared her throat and said to Zhao Qing, who had turned to wipe Li Jingwen’s drool, "Qing’er, go into my kitchen. There’s a clay pot on the counter with some chilled, tender lotus root slices. If you can’t reach it, grab a little stool to stand on. Get a small bowlful for us to share."

Zhao Qing nodded and pattered into the kitchen to get the food.

When Meizi saw that Juhua didn’t answer her, she didn’t press the matter. She just smiled and asked, "Where’s your sister-in-law? I don’t see her around."

Juhua said, "It’s a little hot today, and her feet are quite swollen, so she doesn’t feel like coming out. She’s just keeping busy at home. I’ll take some over to her when I’m finished here."

Meizi said with a knowing look of concern, "It’ll all be better once the baby is born. It’s always so nerve-wracking before then."

Zhao Qing came out holding a bowl of tender lotus root slices with both her little hands. She was also clutching a pair of chopsticks in one hand. She smiled sweetly at Juhua. "It smells so sweet, it must be delicious. Sister Juhua, let me feed you and Sister Meizi. Can Li Jingwen have some?"

Juhua shook her head. "He’s still too little; he can’t eat this. You go ahead and eat first. After you’re done, you can feed us." She had actually meant for Qing’er to get the food for herself, but she’d said they would all share so the girl wouldn’t feel shy. The little girl was very sensible, much more polite than her brother.

But Zhao Qing carefully held up the bowl and fed a slice of lotus root to Meizi and Juhua first. Only then did she begin to eat, chewing with a crisp "CRUNCH CRUNCH," her eyes curving into crescents as she smiled.

Chewing on the lotus root, Meizi smiled. "This is so wonderfully crisp. This sweet flavor... did you marinate it with sugar?"

Juhua nodded. "I added a little sugar, but not much. The lotus root itself has a slight sweetness, and it’s very tender. You know, when you dig them up and wash them, they look just like Li Jingwen’s little legs—so fair and tender."

Meizi glanced at her son’s pink, chubby legs and laughed at Juhua’s teasing.

But when Li Jingwen saw Zhao Qing eating without offering him any, he immediately began to fuss. He stared at the bowl and shrieked at her, his little mouth twisting into a pout as if he’d been terribly wronged.

Meizi quickly tried to soothe him. "Jingwen, you can’t eat this—you’re still too little. Once you grow up big and strong, you’ll be able to eat anything you want, won’t you? Then we can spend all day at Auntie Juhua’s house and eat her out of house and home!"

She chattered on, but her son just kept wailing, not understanding a word she said.

Juhua found the scene amusing. She shot Zhao Qing a look and whispered, "Hurry up and eat. He’s about to have a full-blown meltdown."

Hearing this, Zhao Qing quickly fed another slice to both Juhua and Meizi before stuffing the remaining pieces into her own mouth. Chewing furiously, she held the empty bowl right in front of Li Jingwen and announced, "See? All... gone!"

Juhua had no idea what went on inside a toddler’s head. Just as she was laughing at Zhao Qing’s antics, she saw Li Jingwen reach out and scrape a finger across the bottom of the empty bowl. Of course, he found nothing but a few sticky threads of sauce that stretched out long and thin. At once, the baby’s lip quivered, and he let out a wail that could shake the heavens.

This sent Meizi into a flurry. She immediately started trying to soothe him, raising her voice over his sobs and spouting a stream of nonsense—at least, it was all nonsense to Juhua. The general gist was: once you’re a little bigger, Mommy will feed you whatever you want.

Li Jingwen was at that age where he wanted to speak but couldn’t yet form words. Crying, he babbled a long string of noises at Meizi that no one could understand. However, based on his heartbroken, accusing expression and the way his little finger pointed at the empty bowl, Juhua guessed he was trying to say: ’You all ate and didn’t give me any! And you only told me it was gone after you finished it all! You’re bullying a poor little baby!’

When Juhua saw Meizi standing there with her dirty hands, unable to comfort her son and just babbling at him helplessly, she burst out laughing again. Even Zhao Qing gave an embarrassed chuckle and quickly took the bowl back to the kitchen, lest the sight of it make Li Jingwen cry even harder.

When she came back out, she heard Meizi complaining playfully, "Auntie Juhua is mean. She just laughs when she sees how heartbroken you are. Don’t cry anymore, Jingwen. When we get home, Mommy will steam an egg for you. Don’t you just love steamed eggs? And when you’re bigger, we’ll go to Auntie Juhua’s lotus pond and dig up a whole root for you to chew on."

Juhua fought to suppress her laughter and kept quiet. ’I wouldn’t know how to comfort a baby this little anyway,’ she thought. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote with recommendation tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)