Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Juhua wasn’t hungry, but since her dad asked, she quickly replied, "I just had breakfast, so I’m not hungry yet. I’ll just have a chicken wing for now, and maybe a piece of gizzard." All parents love to see their children eat with gusto.

As expected, Zheng Changhe was overjoyed. Mrs. Yang, however, knew Juhua’s eating habits. She realized her daughter was only saying that to make her father happy. Taking Juhua’s hand, she led her into the house, saying cheerfully, "Just have a wing, then. Don’t eat too much. Save room for lunch—your sister-in-law has cooked up a feast!"

Qingmu stood under the eaves, looking his sister up and down. Seeing that she looked well, he asked with a smile, "Are you getting used to it? Did you miss us?"

Juhua nodded, beaming. "Of course I missed you! I almost ran back home yesterday—I kept feeling like something was off."

The brother and sister laughed together.

The family chatted and laughed as they went inside. Even Liu Yunlan dropped her work in the kitchen to join the fun. Amidst all the boisterous chatter, everyone completely forgot about Huai Zi. When he came in carrying their things, he said plaintively to Juhua, "I’m the new son-in-law. How come no one’s paying any attention to me?"

Qingmu roared with laughter and gave him a hearty punch. "You live so close and used to come over every day. Did you really expect us to treat you like an honored guest? We’re more comfortable when you don’t act like a guest anyway."

Zheng Changhe shot him a look. "What honored guest? Get over here and help braid straw sandals." His words made the whole family laugh, and Huai Zi sat down with Qingmu to braid sandals, chatting and laughing as they worked.

Mrs. Yang found it amusing too and quickly said, "Even if he lives close, he’s still the honored guest for his first visit back today. Yunlan, bring out two bowls of chicken soup. Give Juhua a smaller portion, or she won’t be able to eat lunch."

Since they lived so close, they could stay until after dinner without any trouble. So Juhua savored the reunion with her family, casually chatting about everyday things. Qingmu and Zhang Huai, however, couldn’t stay idle for long. They were soon called away by Village Chief Li Gengtian. From their hurried manner, it seemed Qinghui had sent new information.

Juhua remembered the issue of the "beauty selection" and pulled Liu Yunlan aside to give her some serious advice.

She wasn’t worried about drawing attention to herself—after all, her reputation for being ugly was well-known—but she was very worried about her sister-in-law.

Based on how people usually think, when those men came to the countryside to search for local girls, they would likely ask around which villages had notable women and then go directly to their homes, rather than searching door-to-door like looking for a needle in a haystack. Liu Yunlan had been quite famous a few years back; who knew if they’d go so far as to abduct a married woman?

Hearing Juhua’s words, Mrs. Yang felt utterly anxious and helpless. On one hand, she was still worried about her daughter, and on the other, she now had to worry about her daughter-in-law. She looked at Liu Yunlan’s gently rounded belly, tears welling in her eyes as she muttered, "Those accursed bastards, may they die a horrible death! They’ll go to hell when they die, and King Yama himself will throw them into a wok of boiling oil..."

Zheng Changhe stood with a grim face, not saying a word. Normally a man who never had an idle moment, he now had no mind for the work in the fields.

Juhua smiled. "Mom, there are too many bad people in this world. King Yama is a busy man; do you think he can handle them all? We have to rely on ourselves. Sister Yunlan, no matter what you were like before, you’re a married woman now. Think about it, what are the other married women like?"

Liu Yunlan asked blankly, "What are they like?"

She thought of the other wives, with their dark, weather-beaten faces and calloused hands. But that wasn’t the worst of it. The main thing was that their manner of speaking and acting had lost all the gentleness they’d had as unmarried girls. To put it in Juhua’s terms, they were quite coarse. So she said hesitantly, "They... after a few years... they become rather unrefined."

Juhua pursed her lips to hide a smile. "That’s right. Though, some of them take a bit of care and don’t look too bad. But the ones who don’t bother can be pretty frightening. For the next few days, you need to practice turning yourself into someone like that."

Mrs. Yang looked at the radiant Liu Yunlan—who was well-cared for and glowing from her pregnancy—and said worriedly, "I’m afraid that’s not possible. Looking the way your sister-in-law does, it’ll be hard to fake it."

Juhua smiled. "Mom, don’t you worry. I have a plan. Sister Yunlan, you’ll have to rough it for a couple of days. Go out to the edge of the fields and get a lot of sun. First, darken your face. Second, your walk. It has to be like this—" She spread her legs and demonstrated a posture for Liu Yunlan. "—I’m probably not a good mimic. Just imagine those wives who waddle like old ducks: chest out, belly forward, legs splayed, hips swaying as you walk. Since you’re pregnant, it’ll be easier to learn anyway. And then there’s your speech. You have to shout, as if you’re picking a fight. Because back home, you were known for being a capable girl, quick-witted and deft-handed. So it would be natural for you to have a confident, straightforward manner now that you’re married. If you suddenly acted timid and speechless, it would make people suspicious."

Juhua’s speech left Liu Yunlan gaping. After a moment, she asked, amused, "Will that really work? I think I can learn to do it—a lot of the wives in the village are just like you described."

Mrs. Yang and Zheng Changhe looked at Juhua, unconvinced.

Juhua explained to them, "Those men are very picky when they choose their ’beauties.’ It’s not enough to just be pretty. They also look at your speech and bearing. For a young, unmarried girl, even if she’s a bit rough around the edges, they can take her and have her trained. But someone like Sister Yunlan, already married and with that kind of demeanor, wouldn’t be to their taste. If you act like you used to, however, it’s a different story."

It dawned on Liu Yunlan. She thought about the other wives and realized that no matter how pretty a woman was, if she acted like that, those men would never choose her. Even she found their behavior unpleasant. The thought of having to become one of them felt very strange.

With a plan in mind, she immediately began practicing. It wasn’t too difficult, as she was imitating mannerisms she saw every day. Juhua helped her come up with more gestures and movements, and for a while, the room was filled with laughter and shouts. Even Mrs. Yang watched with her mouth agape, thoroughly amused.