Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Thanks to Zhao Qing and Little Shitou, Juhua was soon chatting and laughing, having completely forgotten the discomfort of her new life as a bride. Laughter filled the courtyard. However, little Zhao Qing was a very sensible child. She played with her brother for a little while but didn’t accept Juhua’s invitation to stay for dumplings at the Zhang family home. Instead, just as she had said, she went home to help her mother with chores.

Juhua smiled at Zhang Huai and said, "Zhao Qing is even more charming than Little Shitou. No wonder Third Uncle Zhao likes her so much. I’m so fond of her, too. Every time she comes to play, I hate to see her go. And she’s just so sensible for her age. You only have to tell her something once and she remembers it. I was the one who taught her all that about running a household just now, and I can’t believe she learned it so perfectly."

Seeing her joyful expression, Huai Zi said with a gentle smile, "Girls usually mature earlier than boys. Boys are more mischievous, you know. That’s why my mother has always wanted a daughter!"

Zhang Yang pursed his lips. "She was a perfectly fine girl, but Shi Tou has gone and made her all wild."

Juhua suppressed a laugh. "Yangzi, could it be you have a little crush on Qing’er? If you’re going to complain that Shi Tou is a bad influence, why don’t you teach her yourself? That way, she’ll turn out just the way you like. She even said today she wants to be your bride!"

Zhang Yang’s face flushed red. The bamboo shoots happened to be all peeled, so he got up and went inside. Juhua watched his retreating back and grinned.

He came out and chimed in, "That little girl is a proper little sprite, just like her brother. Zhao San and his wife are so straightforward and capable; I have no idea how they raised two children who are both so clever."

She had been kneading dough in the kitchen, and hearing the cheerful ruckus in the courtyard made her very happy. She knew Juhua was fond of children, and a little flicker of hope grew in her heart.

While the Zhang family’s home was bustling with life, things next door at the Zheng Family residence were not quite as cheerful. It wasn’t as desolate as Liu Fugui’s house had been after his daughter got married, but Madam Yang and Zheng Changhe were miserable all the same.

They hadn’t gone to the fields today, choosing instead to rest at home. Qingmu sat under a peach tree, his head bent as he sharpened a sickle on a whetstone in preparation for the wheat harvest. Zheng Changhe was mending a straw grain basket, while Liu Yunlan and her mother-in-law, Madam Yang, washed vegetables by the well.

Hearing the laughter from next door, Zheng Changhe couldn’t help but complain, "Wife, do you hear that? It’s Juhua laughing! That heartless girl. The moment she gets married, she forgets all about her mother and father. She can’t even come home today. Shouldn’t she be feeling anxious and out of place? How can she be laughing like that?"

Qingmu and Liu Yunlan heard this and tried to hide their smiles.

Although Madam Yang missed her daughter too, she wasn’t as blunt as her husband. She rolled her eyes at Zheng Changhe and said, "Didn’t you hear Zhao Qing and Little Shitou’s voices? Juhua always laughs whenever Zhao Qing comes over to play. She’s just so fond of that little girl. It’s good she has someone to keep her company and make her laugh. Early this morning, I heard Huai Zi’s mother telling Juhua to hang in there, that once today was over, she could come home for her visit tomorrow. I imagine Juhua is having a hard time adjusting."

She had been straining her ears all morning, listening to the sounds from next door. She’d heard every single word He had said to one of Huai Zi’s aunts—country folk all have booming voices, and even when they try to speak quietly, it doesn’t do much good. Juhua’s voice wasn’t as loud, however, so she couldn’t make out what her daughter said. That only made her more anxious, and her heart had ached at the time.

Zheng Changhe stopped what he was doing and asked anxiously, "Really? Oh dear! What should we do then? Why does she have to wait until tomorrow for her visit? Nothing bad would happen if she just came home today."

Qingmu looked toward Madam Yang as well.

Madam Yang and Liu Yunlan exchanged a smile. "What are you so anxious about?" she said. "Juhua probably just felt a bit awkward this morning. At home, she was always bustling about in the mornings. It’s only natural she might not know what to do, suddenly finding herself at Huai Zi’s place. She must be feeling better now, isn’t that her laughing?"

Only then did Zheng Changhe nod. He went back to weaving a thin bamboo strip through a hole in the grain basket, saying as he worked, "Tell them to come home early tomorrow. We’ll slaughter a chicken and a duck, and Qingmu, you can go catch a couple of fish."

Qingmu nodded in agreement. ’Marrying off a daughter really is hard,’ he thought. ’No wonder people say they don’t want to raise girls. You raise them up, and then they just get married and leave. It’s such a raw deal.’ He glanced at Liu Yunlan. She had cried during her own first visit home after their wedding. Now Juhua was married, and right next door. Even though he could see her every day, the thought that she wouldn’t be eating her meals at home anymore still left him feeling unsettled.

’It’ll get better after a few days,’ Qingmu thought.

The next day after breakfast, Juhua had Zhang Huai follow behind with the gifts for her family visit while she herself dashed back to the Zheng Family home. Bursting through the door, she called out to Zheng Changhe, "Dad, I’m back!"

Zheng Changhe had been pacing anxiously in the courtyard, but his face lit up the moment he saw Juhua. "Hua’er! Have you eaten? Are you hungry? How about I have your mother pour you a bowl of chicken soup? She left it simmering in the stove embers all night, so it should be perfectly tender by now."