Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Qingmu just smiled at Liu Yunlan, his expression seeming to say, ’See? I was right, wasn’t I? You don’t need to worry at all. This is just how our family is.’

Liu Yunlan did indeed feel a warmth in her heart. Thanks to the kind nature of her parents-in-law and sister-in-law, she felt none of the apprehension and caution expected of a new bride. That, combined with Qingmu’s attentiveness, made her feel as if she were already a true member of the family—very close to Juhua and her in-laws.

She smiled at Juhua. "Your brother said so, too."

With that, she and Juhua led Laishou into the house. Mrs. Wang was in the middle of setting out the bowls and chopsticks; the two elderly great-aunts had already returned home.

After a cheerful dinner, Qingmu and Liu Yunlan lingered at his parents’ home for a while longer. They did some needlework and chatted idly until Mrs. Yang urged them to leave, at which point the couple returned to the west wing to rest.

In the early days of their marriage, the young couple shared endless tenderness and sweet affection. With her family life so harmonious, Liu Yunlan felt as if her new life was steeped in honey. She often found herself smiling without realizing it, and she went about her chores with a light and joyful heart.

That evening, after returning from dinner in the east wing, she still wasn’t sleepy and wanted to do some needlework. Qingmu wouldn’t allow it. He smiled, took the shoe from her, and tossed it aside. "You can do that tomorrow," he said softly. "It’s so late, and you’re still not resting. We have to be up early tomorrow!" With that, he led her to the bed.

Seeing his burning, passionate gaze, Liu Yunlan couldn’t help but say shyly, "I’m making a pair of embroidered shoes for Juhua, for her to wear inside."

Hearing her mention his sister reminded Qingmu of something. He momentarily suppressed the fire in his veins, wrapped his strong arms around her, and held her to his chest. "I need to tell you something," he whispered. "A long time ago, before we were even engaged, my parents said that once I married, we should split the household and live on our own. They wanted everyone to be able to live comfortably and at ease..."

Liu Yunlan looked up in shock, planting a hand on his chest. "How could that be?" she asked. "It’s just you and your sister. It’s not like this is a huge family. Wouldn’t splitting the household just be making trouble for ourselves?"

Qingmu put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her against him again. He sighed. "It’s because of things that happened in the past... My parents saw how other families struggled after their sons got married, and they were afraid I’d be caught in the middle. They thought splitting up would keep things peaceful. It wasn’t that they assumed my wife would be a problem—I wasn’t even engaged back then, so who knew who I would marry? It was more about planning ahead to avoid a split after some ugly fight had already soured the relationship between father and son."

The truth was, while the idea had been sparked by the trouble Liu Dashun’s wife had caused, the main reason was actually Juhua. Qingmu, however, kept that part to himself.

Liu Yunlan said with disapproval, "That’s for families with many sons. The more people there are, the more complicated things get, and friction is inevitable. But your family just has you and your sister, Juhua. Splitting the household is just ridiculous. Qingmu, you don’t actually want to do this, do you? Even if I’m ignorant about some things, I would never be disrespectful to our elders. And I get along well with Juhua. So please, don’t worry. Our family will definitely not have any big fights. Even if there are small disagreements, you’re supposed to teach me what’s right."

Qingmu held his wife’s soft form, nuzzling his chin against her forehead. He smiled. "That’s what I think, too. I don’t want to split the household."

His family had always been small, and he was used to living with his parents and sister. He feared that if they suddenly separated, even his meals would lose their flavor. It wasn’t like families with many sons, where a new wife’s arrival could quickly lead to a pile of grievances, making a split the logical next step.

’He had no brothers, only a sister. If he couldn’t even manage a family this simple, he’d be truly useless. Before, not knowing what kind of woman he would marry, he had felt uncertain. But now he had Yunlan, who was so sensible. It made him even more determined not to split the household. He just had to find the right time to tell his parents.’

In reality, he didn’t realize it himself, but he was growing more confident, steady, and opinionated. Even if he hadn’t married Liu Yunlan, he would not have agreed to split the family.

Liu Yunlan nodded. "I like everyone being together too. It makes life more lively. Look at my parents—they already feel it’s too quiet now that I’m gone, and here we are, about to split up our own family. If we were a huge family, I wouldn’t say a thing. But with so few of us, isn’t it just a needless hassle? Qingmu, I’ll be sure to listen to you from now on. You’ll see!"

Hearing her sweet and gentle words, Qingmu felt a wave of affection wash over him. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Aha... I knew you were a sensible one."

The soft whispers gradually grew husky and deep...

The next evening, Qingmu did as he’d planned and brought up the matter of splitting the household with his parents. He told them he didn’t want to and asked them to stop thinking about it.

Mrs. Yang and Zheng Changhe listened, then exchanged a smile. They had actually been pondering this very issue recently. But, just like their son, the thought of actually splitting the family filled them with reluctance. Even Juhua thought the idea was strange. The four of them had simply gotten along too harmoniously; even the thought of cooking their meals in separate pots felt wrong.

Liu Yunlan chimed in, "Father, Mother, I won’t make any grand promises. Just watch how I act from now on. If I start causing trouble, it won’t be too late to send us off on our own then. And if I’m truly terrible, why even bother with splitting the household? Qingmu can just divorce me and save everyone the headache!"

Juhua let out a snort of laughter. Mrs. Yang’s jaw dropped. It took her a moment before she shot Liu Yunlan a playful, scolding look. "What is this child saying? You’re newlyweds, and you’re already talking about divorce! If we’re not splitting, we’re not splitting. Juhua and we couldn’t bear it anyway."

Zheng Changhe chuckled. "Heh! This is the advantage of having only one son. If we had several, a split would be unavoidable, whether we wanted it or not. And that’s true even when all the daughters-in-law are perfectly fine."

Qingmu, Liu Yunlan, and Juhua all smiled.

Mrs. Yang looked at her children, her heart filled with contentment. With everything at home going so smoothly, she truly had no other desires. Her greatest wish now was for Juhua to marry well, and then for her home to be filled with children and grandchildren. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)