Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Seeing Laixi’s silly, blushing expression, Juhua deliberately waved her hand in front of his face a few times. "Cousin Laixi, Cousin Laixi! I’m right here! Where are you looking?" she teased.

Liu Xiaomei was the first to crack, bursting into laughter. Zhuzi and the other girls also erupted in giggles, making Laixi’s face turn even redder. He cursed himself internally. ’So pathetic! I’ve been knocking around Xiatang Market for years, and I still blush in front of a few girls? What am I going to do when I get to Qinghui?’

He shot Juhua a wronged look. "I saw you a while ago. Did you bring me anything to eat?"

When Liu Xiaomei heard Laixi’s first words were to ask Juhua for food, she couldn’t help but smile at him, thinking, ’He’s still such a glutton!’

Juhua smiled and pulled five-spice eggs and meat-stuffed mugwort cakes from her basket. "These cakes were made just last night," she said. "I made them specially to bring to you. The eggs were just cooked this morning and they’re still warm. Go ahead and have them for breakfast."

Laixi beamed as he took the food. "Come sit in the back," he said to everyone. "It’s too crowded out front with all this merchandise, there’s no room to sit."

But no one paid him any mind. They were already wandering around the shop, looking everything over and making comments. Seeing him being ignored, Liu Xiaomei kindly said, "We just came to the market to look around. Of course we have to check out your shop. Don’t worry about us."

Laixi quickly flashed her a huge smile. "Alright! Then take a good look around. If you want to buy anything, just let me know. I guarantee I’ll give you the cheapest price."

Suddenly, from the other side of the shop, Zhuzi laughed and called out, "Hey! This Lanzi is the same as the one Juhua’s carrying!"

Liu Xiaomei excitedly squeezed through to join them. "My second brother wove these!" she said. "He has them here on consignment. Look, that tray, and that hat and fan, they’re all his!" Her heart swelled with pride as she looked at the shelf filled with the bamboo and straw crafts her second brother had made—it was as if these everyday objects had been elevated to the level of art.

Zhuzi and the others gasped in admiration, all asking her if the items sold well.

Liu Xiaomei laughed. "They’re selling much better this year than last, so my second brother is really motivated to make more. Young Shopkeeper Laixi," she said, turning to him, "how come it looks like you haven’t sold much from the last batch? Has business been slow lately?"

Laixi felt awkward being called "Young Shopkeeper Laixi." He gulped down an egg, took two sips of water, and rushed over to her. "What do you mean they haven’t sold? He brought in a huge load, and these are the only pieces left! If you don’t call that good business, then what is?"

Liu Xiaomei asked doubtfully, "He brought a lot last time? How come I didn’t know? I just thought this Lanzi and tray looked familiar."

Laixi said with frustration, "You don’t even remember how much your own family sent over? And you’re complaining that I haven’t sold enough?"

Liu Xiaomei gave an embarrassed laugh and said apologetically, "I’ve been busy lately. My Third Brother often comes to the market to sell the fish he nets, and I’ve been helping him. So I don’t know how many woven goods my second brother brought. I just saw a few pieces I recognized that were still here and figured business must be slow."

Laixi asked with concern, "Oh, really? You have to help your Third Brother and do chores at home? Aren’t you exhausted?"

Liu Xiaomei shook her head with a smile. "It’s not that bad. I have my second sister-in-law and my mother, after all. One of them does the cooking, and the other helps my second brother with his work. We have a good division of labor, so things move quickly when we’re busy."

"But doesn’t your mom also have to help your oldest brother with his child?" Laixi asked. The last time he visited the Liu Family, he’d seen her mother hurrying about with her grandson strapped to her back, and it looked like hard work.

Liu Xiaomei pursed her lips and hesitated before whispering, "My eldest sister-in-law watches him too. But Mom worries about her and my big brother. She always thinks they’re too busy to manage, so she takes Suo’er over. My fourth brother also helps watch him for a bit after school." Suo’er was her eldest brother’s son.

Laixi listened intently, nodding along. Juhua and Zhuzi were dumbfounded—the two of them were just standing in the middle of the shop, chatting away about family matters. They couldn’t help but exchange a secret smile.

Just then, two village wives walked into the shop. One of them, a woman with a dark, ruddy complexion, called out in a loud voice, "Shopkeeper! I need a sieve and two clay pots."

Laixi hurried over to attend to his customers.

He took down four sieves and several clay pots for the woman to inspect. The ruddy-faced woman spent ages picking through them, lifting and weighing every single sieve and pot in her hands, yet she still couldn’t make up her mind. Watching from the side, Juhua and Liu Xiaomei started to feel anxious for Laixi.