Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

In the courtyard, Liu Sanshun, who was chopping fodder, felt a pang of resentment as well. ’No matter how good I am, in your eyes, I’m probably no match for Zhang Huai.’

Hearing Mei’s mother, the woman from the Yang Family said to her with a serious expression, "Mei’s mother, you really shouldn’t say that. Of course I think my Qingmu and Huai Zi are good, but your Sanshun isn’t bad either. Even if you’re trying to teach your son a lesson, you shouldn’t be so self-deprecating. Otherwise, the boy will be hurt—he’ll think you truly believe he’s inferior. Your Sanshun has been an easy child since he was young. He might get into everything, but he’s never caused you any real worry. You should praise him more. A boy like Sanshun won’t let it go to his head even if you praise him."

When Liu Sanshun heard this, his eyes stung and his heart grew even more frustrated. ’Why wasn’t I the one the Zheng Family chose to be their son-in-law? Not only is Juhua wonderful, but that mother-in-law would have been, too.’

Mei’s mother was also startled, realizing she had misspoken. ’Sanshun is already unhappy about Juhua’s engagement to Huai Zi, and I just had to compare him to Huai Zi, even saying he wasn’t as good. Wasn’t that just twisting the knife in my son’s heart?’

She gave an awkward laugh. "Isn’t that the truth. My Sanshun has had a harder life than his two older brothers, and his father and I have spent the least effort on him. Now, I just want to help him find a wife he’s happy with. Only then can I be at ease."

The woman from the Yang Family said with a beaming smile, "Just a moment ago you were consoling me, and now it’s my turn to console you. You really don’t need to rush. The boys in our village are in high demand! An unengaged young man like Sanshun is probably being fought over—haven’t you had quite a few people come to your door with marriage proposals recently?"

A happy smile bloomed on Mei’s mother’s face. "There have been quite a few visitors, but like you said, it’s not easy to find someone who’s a good fit."

The woman from the Yang Family shook her head. "You need to ask Sanshun more often what he’s looking for. That’s the only way you can help him make a decision. You should take your time searching; you’ll eventually find someone suitable. Take Laixi, for example. He says he wants someone lively and capable, and of course, with good character. I tease him that for someone so young, his standards aren’t low. There aren’t many girls like that. Among all the families I know, only your Mei and Old Cheng’s Zhuzi really fit the bill."

Mei’s mother’s heart skipped a beat. She finally understood that the woman from the Yang family had come for her own daughter. She grumbled inwardly, ’My Mei still has two older brothers, and neither of them is engaged yet. How can we be arranging her marriage? Besides, I tried and failed to get your daughter as my daughter-in-law, and now you want to take my daughter as your nephew’s wife? I’d be getting the short end of the stick!’

Having dropped the hint about the proposal, the woman from the Yang Family knew not to press the matter. It was best to let them think it over; this way, if they weren’t interested, things wouldn’t become awkward. She made small talk for a little while longer before taking her leave.

After she left, Mei’s mother stared blankly for a moment, then sighed. She gathered her sewing basket and was about to stand up.

But then she heard Liu Sanshun say, "Laixi is a good man!"

Mei’s mother froze and asked, stunned, "What did you say?"

Liu Sanshun glanced up at his mother. "I think Laixi is a good man. If Mei wants to marry well, Laixi is a fine choice."

His mother asked uncertainly, "But you and Sishun aren’t engaged yet, and Mei is still so young. How can we just..."

Liu Sanshun cut her off. "What does any of that matter? Are you worried Sishun and I won’t be able to find wives? You just need to think about whether Laixi is a good match. If he is, then what’s wrong with arranging the engagement now? If you hesitate and overthink it, he’ll get engaged to someone else, and then you can start worrying about Mei’s marriage prospects all over again!"

His voice was thick with indignation, and he regretted not approaching the Zheng Family with a proposal sooner. He’d finally learned his lesson: when you find the right person, you have to act fast. Otherwise, you snooze, you lose. The moment the woman from the Yang Family had mentioned it, he’d thought to himself that Laixi was indeed a great catch. ’Mei would surely have a good life with him.’

His mother’s reasoning left him deeply unsatisfied. ’If Mei misses out on Laixi because of me and Sishun... it’s not that she’ll never get married, but won’t she just end up in the same boat I’m in now? It’ll be that much harder to find another suitable match!’

Mei’s mother understood her son’s point. After a moment’s hesitation, she said, "Alright, I’ll wait for your father to get home and discuss it with him to see if this is possible. I’ll also ask Mei what she thinks." She had taken her son’s words to heart, afraid that her daughter might end up just like him, finding fault with every potential suitor.

Liu Sanshun thought to himself, ’Mei will surely agree. Just look at her after she came back from Xiatang Market last time—everything she said was full of praise for Laixi. Otherwise, no matter how good a catch he is, I wouldn’t be pushing for her to get engaged so quickly.’

Her mind swirling with thoughts, Mei’s mother went to the kitchen and stared blankly at her young daughter. ’Sanshun and Sishun haven’t even married, yet here I am, arranging my daughter’s engagement. I’m so reluctant to let her go.’

Liu Xiaomei was bustling about. She first added a handful of firewood into the stove, then turned and poured the shredded lettuce stems from the cutting board into the hot wok. A loud SIZZLE filled the air as she began to stir-fry them rapidly with a spatula. She added salt and crushed garlic, and in a few swift movements, dished out the food. Then, she went back to tending the fire to cook the lettuce leaves.

Busy as she was, she suddenly noticed her mother standing there, staring at her blankly. "Mom," she asked, puzzled, "what are you doing just standing there?"

Startled out of her daze by the question, Mei’s mother quickly smiled. "Oh, nothing. Let me tend the fire. You get some rest."

"It’s fine," Liu Xiaomei said. "You can help me with the fire, Mom. I’ll just stir-fry the mushrooms, and then dinner will be ready."

So, Mei’s mother sat down in front of the stove to help her daughter with the fire. After a moment’s thought, she asked, "Mei, what do you think of that young Shopkeeper Laixi?"

Hearing his name, Liu Xiaomei smiled, revealing two small dimples. While stir-frying, she said, "Oh, him? He’s as sharp as they come. He has a great temper, too. No matter how much a customer complains about his goods, he never gets mad; he even helps them pick things out. And if someone offers a bad price, he’ll actually advise them not to buy. That’s so rare—you only ever see merchants trying to talk people into buying, never talking them out of it."