Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

After crying for a bit, Li Jingwen saw that no one was paying him any mind—even the bowl in Zhao Qing’s hands had disappeared. In a huff, he crawled to the edge of the reed mat, reached out, and yanked off a fuzzy, dripping stalk of the water bamboo shoot plant, shoving it into his mouth.

"Oh my! Sweetie, you can’t eat that!"

"Goodness! Why do you shove everything in your mouth?"

Meizi and Juhua shrieked at the same time. Zhao Qing was dumbstruck.

Terrified, Meizi rushed forward to snatch the water bamboo shoot stalk away. She hadn’t expected the little boy’s grip to be so tight; the stalk snapped in two, leaving a piece still in his hand. She had no choice but to pry his fist open and dig out the rest of the plant.

Instantly, Meizi’s dirty hands had smudged Li Jingwen’s pale little ones. Zhao Qing bolted to the well, scooped a ladleful of clear water from the wooden bucket with a gourd dipper, and carried it back with both hands. Water splashed and spilled with every step, so by the time she reached them, there wasn’t much left.

Meizi, at a loss, said to Zhao Qing, "Qing’er, my hands are filthy. Could you wash his for him? If you can’t get them clean on the first try, just get more water. Only scoop a little at a time, or it’ll be too heavy for you to carry."

Zhao Qing obediently agreed. Juhua watched with great amusement as the little girl took care of the even smaller baby.

Zhao Qing ran back and forth several times, scooping just a little water with each trip. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for her to hold the dipper in one hand while trying to grab Li Jingwen’s hand and wash it.

As she washed his hands, she sighed at the little baby, shaking her head so much it looked like a pellet drum. The two little topknots on her head—a hairstyle that was Juhua’s masterpiece—wobbled back and forth. She scolded him, "How can you be so silly? Can you eat this stuff? What’ll you do when your tummy hurts later? You couldn’t eat it even if it were stir-fried—your teeth haven’t even all grown in yet!"

She chided him in exasperation for a moment. Once his hands were clean, she dropped the gourd dipper and picked up a damp cloth from the reed mat to wipe Li Jingwen’s cheeks. Meizi hadn’t been quite fast enough earlier, and he’d managed to get the stalk to his mouth, leaving a smear of dirt on his face.

Li Jingwen twisted his head, dodging her hand, and let out another loud wail. But then, his expression suddenly shifted to excitement. He grinned, waving his little arms forward with all his might and shouting, "Da... da..."

Juhua asked Meizi doubtfully, "What’s your son trying to do now? Can you understand him?"

Before a bewildered Meizi could answer, Zhao Qing piped up, "His dad’s here. He’s calling for his dad! Li Jingwen can say ’Dada’ now!"

Meizi and Juhua looked up, and sure enough, Zhang Huai and Li Changming were walking in. Seeing his son greet him so enthusiastically, Li Changming grinned from ear to ear. He strode forward, slid his hands under his son’s armpits, and lifted him high into the air. Then he lowered the boy into his arms, planted a hard kiss on his cheek, and said with delight, "Jingwen, say ’Dada’ for me again."

Juhua watched the tall, sturdy, and dark-skinned Li Changming hold the chubby, pale little baby against his chest. The contrast between the father and son—one dark, one fair—was comical. The baby reached out with his plump little arms, cupped his father’s face in his hands, and squished his cheeks until his lips puckered. Then he started pinching his father’s skin and pulling with all his might.

Li Changming just chuckled, not the least bit annoyed. He kept trying to get his son to say ’Dada,’ but the little baby refused to open his mouth again.

Zhao Qing frowned as she watched Li Changming kiss his son, and couldn’t help but point out, "Changming, his face was already dirty. I was about to wipe it, but you just went and made it even cleaner."

Hearing this, Juhua and Zhang Huai both stifled their laughter.

Li Changming asked sheepishly, "Is that true? Let’s go wash up. We’ll get you all clean." With that, he took his son over to the well to wash his face.

Meizi stood up and began packing the prepared water bamboo shoot greens into her basket. "I’m going to head back first," she said to Juhua. "I’ll leave this mess for your Huai Zi to help clean up." She was referring to the discarded leaves and other scraps.

Juhua nodded. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Li Jingwen start to wail again, crying inconsolably.

Li Changming tried to soothe him, but it was no use. The little boy was babbling and pointing toward Juhua’s kitchen, waving his arms frantically and leaning forward, urging his father to go that way.

Juhua stared at him, dumbfounded. ’Good grief,’ she thought, ’he doesn’t want the lotus root, does he? How does this little guy even know it came from in there?’

Zhao Qing pursed her lips. "He wants to eat the lotus root," she said. "He’s asking his dad for help."

Li Changming was baffled. Meizi chuckled and told him what had happened with the lotus root earlier. The couple praised their son again and again for being so clever, for knowing the lotus root was hidden in that room. But their clever son paid no mind to their compliments. He was focused solely on achieving his goal and continued to struggle in his father’s arms.