Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

The next day was the wedding day, and the chaos intensified.

In Juhua’s room, the village chief’s wife, Mrs. Fang, was using cotton thread to remove the fine hairs from her forehead and temples. She was just about to style Juhua’s hair into an intricate, beautiful updo, but Juhua was growing impatient. ’What’s the point of all this fuss?’ she thought. ’The sooner we get married, the sooner it’s over, and I can get back to other things. The rice seedlings aren’t fully planted, there’s still so much work to do in the fields, and what’s more, we have to prepare for the coming disaster. Who has the luxury of slowly getting all dolled up?’

She said to Mrs. Fang, "Auntie, this is just how I look, so let’s not bother with a fancy hairstyle. Wouldn’t that just be an ugly person putting on airs? Besides, we’re so busy right now. Isn’t fiddling with all this useless stuff just a waste of time?"

She was more determined than ever to hide the fact that the blemished skin on her face had healed. Thus, even while having her hair done, she kept the veil tied tightly around her neck, refusing to take it off.

Hearing this, Mrs. Fang and Mrs. Yang exchanged a wry smile. Mrs. Fang then chided Juhua gently, "You silly girl. Even so, you still have to get your hair done. You can’t just get married with your hair in a long braid, can you?"

Nearby, Liu Yunlan’s heart ached when she heard Juhua’s words. ’If it weren’t for this whole affair,’ she thought, ’Juhua would surely be having a grand, lively wedding, not this hurried rush. Even my own wedding was much more festive than this.’

But she didn’t know that, deep down, Juhua couldn’t care less about such things. She just heard Juhua say to Mrs. Fang, "Auntie, just plait my hair into a few braids and then figure out a way to pin them up. That’ll be fine. Mother, could you go pick a few half-bloomed monthly roses? Putting those in my hair will be better than anything. I don’t want any of those other ornaments, either. I’ll just use this wooden hairpin."

Thinking of it made her wince. Mrs. Yang had gone to Xiatang Market yesterday and bought some silver hairpins and jewelry. They were genuine silver, to be sure, but they were also tacky as could be. The less said about them, the better. That was why she was sticking to the wooden hairpin Huai Zi had bought for her.

Hearing this, Liu Yunlan quickly said to Mrs. Yang, "Mother, let me go pick them." And with that, she went out.

Mrs. Fang had no other choice, so she helped Juhua with a simple and neat hairstyle.

Juhua checked her reflection in a basin of water and was quite satisfied. With her hair braided before being coiled into a bun, it wouldn’t come loose easily; a single wooden hairpin was all it took to secure it. She took the rose-colored monthly roses from Liu Yunlan and pinned three of them at the base of her bun. Set against her thick, dark hair, smooth forehead, and bright, dark eyes, the look was simple yet vibrant, perfectly fitting for a village bride.

Mrs. Fang couldn’t help but exclaim, "How lovely!" Inwardly, however, she lamented for the face hidden beneath the veil. The thought that her own youngest son had a crush on this girl made her feel another pang of pity for Juhua.

Juhua could tell what Mrs. Fang was thinking from her expression, but she paid it no mind and went behind the bed to change into the red outfit she had picked out. She had originally planned to get married in her everyday trousers and tunic—there was no time to make a proper wedding gown—but Liu Yunlan had used one of her tops for the measurements and stayed up all night to sew a red skirt in a similar shade. That was how she ended up not getting married in trousers.

After that, the wedding procession, the formal bows—it was all just going through the motions, with no real excitement or fanfare to speak of. It wasn’t until they were in the bridal chamber and Huai Zi lifted her wedding veil, giving her a brilliant smile, that Juhua finally let out a sigh of relief. ’Finally, all that chaos is over,’ she thought. ’Good. From now on, we can just focus on building our life together.’

They smiled at each other, both feeling as if the dust had finally settled. There was no awkwardness, nervousness, or shyness between them—after all, they had just seen each other yesterday.

Huai Zi was wearing the wedding attire his mother had hastily sewn the night before—which was really just a long, red robe. A red scarf was tied around his head, his eyes shone brightly, and happiness radiated from the corners of his eyes.

He gazed at Juhua, thinking she looked especially fresh and vibrant today—yes, just like the red monthly roses in her hair. He longed to whisper a few words to her, but with so many people in the room, all he could do was grin foolishly at her for a moment before he was dragged back out to entertain the banquet guests.

Meizi, Shi Tou’s mother, Mrs. Fang, Big Mouth Zhao’s wife Guizhi, and others gathered around Juhua, offering words of blessing. Even Liu Yunlan, still feeling worried, came along to keep Juhua company. Little Shitou and his sister were giggling and playing nonstop, and for a while, the bridal chamber was filled with a festive, lively air.

But with all the close friends Juhua had, why weren’t there any other young women there to congratulate her?

They were all busy getting married themselves!

Liu Xiaomei had gotten married. Xiu had gotten married. Zhuzi had gotten married. Jinxiang had gotten married. And those who weren’t yet married didn’t dare leave their homes, hiding inside while they waited for their parents to find them a husband, or waiting for their own wedding day if a match had already been made.

These were extraordinary times, so Juhua didn’t blame them. Hadn’t she also been too busy to congratulate them? Liu Xiaomei had married her cousin Laixi, and Juhua hadn’t had time to attend. Even her parents couldn’t go. Her eldest maternal uncle’s family was also too busy to come. Only her maternal grandmother and youngest maternal uncle managed a brief visit; they left to rush back home the moment she was delivered to the Zhang family’s house.

After all the commotion, Juhua felt tired. She sat slumped on the edge of the bed and looked around the room. It was exactly as she’d seen it before, with no changes to speak of, save for the red "double happiness" characters pasted on the window, door, and bedframe, the only proof that this was now a bridal chamber.

It made sense. Things were so rushed, there was no time to get new furniture, so the room didn’t have a fresh, new feel. Juhua’s family hadn’t prepared a dowry, either. Her parents and brother simply had her bring the house deed, the land deeds, and the silver notes. It was an even simpler affair than Meizi’s wedding. Oh, she also brought her own pillow, bolster, and bedding. She had insisted her mother not buy random replacements just for show, lest they waste money on things she wouldn’t even like.

After a bit more commotion, as dusk began to fall, the well-wishers all hurriedly dispersed. Zhang Huai, Qingmu, and Li Changming gathered with Village Chief Li Gengtian for another careful discussion before Zhang Huai finally returned to their room, utterly exhausted.

The moment he stepped inside, he saw Juhua in the dim, yellow lamplight, looking anything but demure. Her legs were crossed—he could tell by the way her skirt was draped—and her body was twisted as she rummaged under his pillow. She pulled out a book, flopped onto the bed to flip through it, then tossed it aside and went back to searching.

He suppressed a laugh and coughed. When Juhua turned to look at him, he asked, "What are you looking for?"

Seeing him, Juhua grinned. "I felt something hard under your pillow and wanted to see what you’ve hidden. Don’t tell me it’s a secret stash of money, is it?"

Zhang Huai walked over and sat down beside her. "Who would be foolish enough to hide their secret savings under a pillow?" he said with a laugh. "I just thought the pillow was too low, so I stuffed some books I’ve finished reading underneath it."

As he spoke, he gazed at Juhua’s lovely, charming face, his heart a mixture of joy and pain. It filled with tenderness, but then he suddenly remembered Qingmu’s words: "What if they just like seeing Juhua wear the veil?" At the thought, his heart clenched painfully.

He decisively wrapped his arms around Juhua’s shoulders, his hands reaching behind her head to untie the face veil. "Juhua," he coaxed gently, "let’s not wear this anymore, alright? We’ll just face it from now on. People will get used to it. Besides, this time, when that damned official comes..."

His voice came to an abrupt halt. He stared blankly, the veil dangling from his hand, his eyes fixed on the woman before him.