Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Zheng Changhe laughed. "See? That’s what I mean. Nothing in this world is ever perfect. Look at me—I’m an only son. I don’t have to worry about sibling squabbles, but it can get a bit lonely. On the other hand, those with lots of brothers have bustling, prosperous households, but their daily lives are full of friction. There’s never a moment of peace."

Yang Family laughed. "More people means more problems. How could it ever be peaceful? Even your teeth and your tongue get into fights, never mind a whole family. You just watch, Fatty Liu will probably have Ershun move out on his own soon. Mei’s mother said it herself: the more people, the more trouble. For every son that gets a wife, they’ll send one out to live separately. While the old couple can still work, splitting them up early means they can still help the younger sons. Sticking together isn’t always a good thing."

As they spoke, Juhua finished sewing a garment and beckoned for her father to come and try it on.

Zheng Changhe set down the straw sandal he was weaving, dusted off his hands, and came over for a look. "Daughter," he asked, puzzled, "what kind of shirt is this? It doesn’t have an opening."

Juhua suppressed a laugh. "Never mind what kind of shirt it is. As long as it’s easy to make and easy to wear, it’s fine. Those robes that cross in the front are too much trouble; you have to sew on buttons or use sashes. This one, you just pull it over your head and you’re dressed. So much simpler! We live in the countryside, so there’s no need for so many formalities. It doesn’t expose any skin, so it’s not strange or improper."

She was making summer shirts for her father and brother based on the T-shirts from her past life, which would save a lot of effort. Since cotton fabric had no stretch, she made them a bit loose.

Zheng Changhe tried it on and found it was indeed convenient. He chuckled happily. "This is simple, so much easier. Let’s make all our clothes like this from now on."

Juhua smiled. "I don’t think it’ll work for winter clothes. Padded jackets are stuffed with cotton, so you can’t just pull them over your head."

Qingmu tried one on curiously as well. Looking at the round-collared, unfastened shirt, he grinned. "Making them this way not only saves time, but it saves fabric too. Let’s make all our unlined clothes like this from now on."

Yang Family smiled, pressing her lips together. "And here I was wondering what clothes she was sewing all night that I couldn’t even recognize. I’ll make them this way too."

The family chatted and laughed for a while before turning in for the night.

As spring turned to summer, the weather grew warmer, and things slowed down at the sausage workshop—sausages, cured meat, and cured fish were all seasonal products. In their spare time, Qingmu and Zhang Huai went out fishing, hoping to catch fry to stock the fishpond. They also planted trees all around, and the village transplanted the oak saplings from the nursery to the mountainside, cultivating many more in their place.

Juhua and Xiu were in a low-lying area by the river, gathering a good amount of earth ear fungus and picking plenty of shepherd’s purse to make dumplings. After the spring rains, the soil was damp and the moss a vibrant green. A dark brown, wood-ear-like fungus carpeted the ground at the roots of the grass. The two girls crouched on the lawn, gently peeling back the slightly elastic, soft sheets of fungus, brushing off the dirt, and placing them in their baskets as they chatted and laughed softly.

Xiu smiled at Juhua. "Juhua, you’re always foraging for these things, but I have to admit they’re delicious. And coming out here to pick them is a nice way to stretch and get some fresh air. We’re always busy at home, but it’s not like our house ends up any tidier than anyone else’s." ’She felt that since moving to the mountainside, her life had become much more interesting than when she lived in the village proper. It was because she was always busy with Meizi and Juhua that her mother had loosened the reins.’

Juhua said, "Shi Tou’s maternal grandmother was the first one to prepare this. And the shepherd’s purse dumplings are good, aren’t they? Just as tasty as chive dumplings. Liu Xiaomei was going to come, but her Third Brother is out catching fish today, so she’s probably busy helping him."

At the mention of Liu Sanshun, Xiu fell silent.

Juhua shot her a quick glance. ’This shy, gentle girl, who blushes before she even speaks, is as tender as water itself. I hope Liu Sanshun ends up with her. It would make all of Xiu’s quiet longing worthwhile.’

So she said deliberately, "Sanshun is so capable. Ever since the end of last year, he’s been constantly netting fish from the pond while also constantly restocking it, and he goes everywhere cutting grass to feed them. I heard from Mei that their family has even dug a new paddy field to grow lotus root and raise fish, Huang Shan, and Ni Qiu!"

Xiu listened, completely captivated. Her hands stilled without her noticing, her face flushing red and her eyes growing moist. After a long moment, she darted a quick glance at Juhua. Seeing that her friend was busy and hadn’t been watching her, she let out a delicate sigh.

’A girl’s private feelings truly can’t be spoken aloud. Not everyone could be like Juhua, sharing a single egg with Huai Zi! She still remembered that foggy morning, the relaxed, caring way Juhua had fed Huai Zi a bite of egg. It hadn’t seemed forward at all. Huai Zi’s happy, smiling expression was enough to make a person blush and set their heart racing just by seeing it!’