Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

That evening, Zhang Huai’s family gathered at the Zheng Family’s home. As they spoke of the day’s events, everyone shook their heads and sighed.

Zheng Changhe sighed. "Shorty Zhou was furious today. He’s a prideful man who can’t stand to lose face, and his nephew’s wife is constantly embarrassing him. He wanted to have her sent back to her family, but who would’ve thought his nephew wouldn’t agree."

Juhua asked in surprise, "She’s not his own daughter-in-law, so why is he so angry?"

Zhang Dashuan laughed. "Juhua, that’s something you wouldn’t understand. The bonds between brothers of the same clan are deep—you can break the bone, but the sinews remain connected. It’s hard to truly separate yourselves. Didn’t you see the village head’s Third Uncle? He insisted on getting an explanation from Qingmu, and the village head’s father was so angry he nearly hit him. It’s just as he said: if he weren’t afraid of him embarrassing the Old Li Family, he wouldn’t care what kind of trouble he caused!"

Speaking of the matter made Mrs. Yang angry. She pursed her lips and said, "That old fool is completely muddle-headed! It must be because he’s getting old and his mind isn’t sharp anymore. How else could he act like that?"

Zhang Huai had gone to Xiatang Market today, so he didn’t know what had happened. After listening to Qingmu’s quiet explanation, he thought for a moment and smiled. "I think a commotion like this is actually a good thing. First, it helped you uncover some problems in the workshop. It’s better to find them and fix them early. If you only discovered these issues after a major incident, it could have been a huge mess to sort out. Second, the incident with Jinling also serves as a reminder: the workers at the workshop are all married women, so we need to be more careful and discreet about their conduct. Otherwise, if real trouble starts, the entire family will suffer. So, you should actually feel lucky—you can still marry your bride as planned. If the wedding were called off and you had to break the engagement to find someone new, then you’d really have a reason to cry!"

This sent everyone into a roar of laughter. Zhang Yang tossed his book aside and ran over to join in the fun, chiming in, "Hmph, if Third Grand-uncle wants to cause trouble, then let’s give him what he wants—have Brother Qingmu take Jinling as a concubine. Calling off the engagement to marry someone else is out of the question."

Juhua nearly choked on her own spit. The adults were stunned for a second before they too burst out laughing. Qingmu, however, shot him a fierce glare. "Shouldn’t you be back to your books? Aren’t you supposed to take the county examination next year? We’re counting on you to become a Scholar, then a scholar, then an Advanced Scholar, and keep climbing the ranks! Let’s not even talk about becoming Prime Minister yet. Just focus on becoming a minor County Magistrate for a few years first."

Zhang Yang rubbed his eyes, smiling. "Can’t I take a little break? My eyes get sore from reading all the time. Listening to you all chat gives me a chance to laugh. I am working very hard, you know! The tutor hounds Little Shitou all day, forcing him to read, but even with all that, that kid’s still a better student than I am. It’s so frustrating."

Zheng Changhe roared with laughter. "Yangzi, don’t compare yourself to others—comparison is the thief of joy! Just focus on your own studies. Even if you don’t manage to become a Scholar, your father won’t blame you."

After some more laughter and talk, the conversation shifted back to Qingmu’s wedding. Mrs. Yang smiled. "There’s not much time left. I feel so nervous, like I’m constantly forgetting something."

Mrs. He laughed. "What could you possibly forget? I’ll help you go over everything tomorrow. You’re just so happy..."

The elders began discussing the wedding arrangements, while Juhua, Qingmu, and Zhang Huai listened off to the side, chiming in with a comment or suggestion from time to time.

Qingmu’s wedding was set for the first day of the twelfth lunar month. As the day drew near, the Zheng Family grew busy. Since they had few relatives in the clan, their neighbors voluntarily pitched in, getting caught up in the hustle and bustle themselves.

The Zheng Family home had been quiet for over a decade, and now they were finally welcoming a new member! Mrs. Yang and Zheng Changhe were smiling from ear to ear all day, so busy they were practically running. Juhua’s two elderly grand-aunts had also arrived a few days early to stay, wanting to witness their grandnephew take a wife with their own eyes.

One day, Zhang Huai was helping the Zheng Family bring back a load of pastries, food, and various gifts for the wedding from Xiatang Market. After he finished unloading the ox cart and handing over the goods, he quietly gave Juhua a look and then slipped out of the Zheng Family Courtyard.

Juhua put on her hat and, when she thought no one was looking, slipped over to the bamboo grove between their two houses. Sure enough, Zhang Huai was waiting there. She smiled and asked, "What’s going on? You’re acting as sneaky as a thief. If my grand-aunts see this, you’ll get another scolding."

Zhang Huai hesitated. He wanted to reach out and take her hand but stopped himself. Instead, he gave her a helpless smile. "You’re one to talk! Those grand-aunts of yours are just too... too..." He couldn’t seem to finish the thought and just broke into a goofy grin.

Juhua smiled. "She’s right to be strict, though. You’ve read so many books; don’t you know the rules of propriety? We’ve only been so bold because we grew up together and are already engaged. It’s still not proper for people to see us like this. We should be more careful from now on."

As it turned out, ever since Juhua’s eldest grand-aunt had arrived, she and Zhang Huai hadn’t been able to interact as they normally did. The old woman had once seen the two of them with their heads together, practically leaning on each other as they read from the same book, laughing and chatting the whole time. Her expression had immediately soured. She gave Juhua a harsh lecture and then gave Huai Zi a thorough tongue-lashing. The matter was only smoothed over when Mrs. Yang stepped in to mediate.

That evening, she ended up lecturing Mrs. Yang as well, insisting that even though Juhua was engaged, she shouldn’t be so familiar with Huai Zi. Even a married couple, she argued, must be mindful of propriety in their words and deeds.

Juhua felt both guilty and ashamed, so afterward, she and Huai Zi had to resort to these sorts of secret meetings to talk. The thought of it was actually quite amusing. Still, she didn’t resent her elderly grand-aunt; she knew the old woman meant well and was only looking out for her.

Huai Zi nodded and smiled at her. "I bought four mu of land in Xiatang Market. It’s near the Little Qing River, but a good distance away from your family’s shop."

Juhua was taken aback. Seeing the smile on his face, she asked, "Are you planning to build a shop there too? Why buy land so far away?"

Huai Zi smiled and shook his head. "I’m not building a shop. I bought it to build a large courtyard home for us to live in one day. After you marry me, I can’t have you going to the market with nowhere to stay but your family’s home, can I?"

’Even if I only build a small estate,’ he thought, ’it will be something I built for Juhua. It might not compare to the Zheng Family’s home, but I’ll have earned it through my own hard work. And the fishpond, too. Since Juhua loves raising fish and growing lotuses so much, I’ve already dug out a one-mu pond and started cultivating it.’

’Otherwise, once Juhua marries me, she’ll lose all of that. I’m afraid she wouldn’t get used to it. It’s better if I prepare these things for her beforehand, so she’ll feel that life after marriage is just as good as it was at her family home.’

Juhua smiled. ’We aren’t even married yet, and I already have several properties in Xiatang Market. I could almost be considered a minor landowner.’ She chuckled and asked, "You must have spent a lot of silver again, didn’t you? This is more than enough. You shouldn’t spend any more. We need to save money for Yangzi—once he starts taking the county examinations, the expenses will be endless." Studying was, after all, the most costly pursuit.

Huai Zi nodded and said earnestly, "I’ve already set aside the money Yangzi will need. I’d rather buy nothing at all than delay his studies. The tutor says both he and Little Shitou have very promising futures. Besides, Yangzi himself loves to study, so of course, I have to support him as his older brother. His hard work isn’t just for his own career; it benefits me too. I’ve read quite a few books along with him. Otherwise, I would have forgotten everything I learned after I stopped attending school."

Juhua looked at him and smiled softly, her admiration clear in her eyes. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)