Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 402 - 212: Shi Tou’s Mother’s Good Intentions

Juhua coaxed him, "The little bird fell from its home, and its mother isn’t here. The poor thing. Let’s put it back up, or the mama swallow will be frantic when she returns."

’The swallows seemed to have a particular fondness for her family. They had first built a nest under the eaves of the old thatched hut. When the family tore it down to build their new house, the swallows simply built a new nest under the eaves of the new building this year. Since they held the Zheng Family in such high regard, she felt she ought to look after these neighbors.’

Mrs. Wang heard her mention getting a ladder to return the little swallow to its nest and quickly stopped her. "That’s no job for a young girl. Wait for your brother to get back and do it." Today, Qingmu was helping out at Li Changming’s home, and Zheng Changhe was over at Shorty Zhou’s.

Juhua hesitated. "But I don’t know when my brother will be back. The swallow..."

As she spoke, Little Shitou shouted, "Mom!"

Turns out, it was Shi Tou’s mother. She gave a cheerful wave to her little daughter, who was half-sprawled on a reed mat cooing at her, before asking Juhua what was going on with the little swallow.

So Juhua explained.

She laughed it off. "I’ll put it back up. You don’t climb ladders often, so you might not be steady."

After returning the swallow to its nest, Shi Tou’s mother picked up her little daughter and sat on a small stool Juhua had brought out for her. "Where’s your mother?" she asked. "Helping at the Li Family’s place?"

Juhua shook her head. "No. Meizi’s mother and Changxing’s mother are helping over there. My mom said she was going to check on the wheat fields."

Yang Family couldn’t stand being idle. Since Zheng Changhe had been busy helping Li Changming and Shorty Zhou and hadn’t had time for their own fields, she had taken to checking on them once a day.

As they were speaking, Yang Family entered the yard, followed by Big Mouth Zhao and his wife, Guizhi.

Big Mouth Zhao spotted Juhua from a distance and broke into a wide grin. "Juhua, I brought Guizhi over to hang out! She’s going to the feast tonight, but you can keep her company for a while. It’s too noisy with all the people over there."

Guizhi carried a small sewing basket containing a half-finished shoe sole. Hearing her husband, she gave Juhua a slightly embarrassed smile, a blush creeping up her simple, good-natured face.

Juhua quickly rose to greet them, smiling at the simple-hearted Big Mouth Zhao. "Don’t you worry, Big Mouth. I’ll make sure to keep Guizhi company. She can go to the feast with my mother later. Aunt Zhao is going as well, so they can all sit together."

’She’d always had a good impression of Big Mouth Zhao, and seeing how much he doted on his wife, she couldn’t resist teasing him. She truly felt that he and Guizhi were a perfect match, compatible in both looks and disposition.’

Big Mouth Zhao was more than pleased to hear this. A brilliant smile bloomed on his tanned, ruddy face. He turned to his wife. "You can do your sewing here with Juhua. Later, you can go over to eat with Aunt Zheng."

Guizhi, feeling a mix of sweetness and embarrassment at his fussing, rolled her eyes at him. "Just go already. They’re busy over there, and it’s not right for you to wander off. I’m not a child that needs a babysitter. Besides, Aunt Zhao is right here."

Hearing this, Shi Tou’s mother teased, "Guizhi, Big Mouth dotes on his wife more than anyone else in our village. He’s one of a kind! Oh, wait, now there’s Changming too."

Big Mouth Zhao laughed as he turned to leave. "Who doesn’t dote on their wife? Doesn’t Ershun dote on his now that he’s married? Seems to me everyone dotes on their wives." He didn’t realize she meant that no one was quite so *obvious* about it.

Now even Yang Family started to laugh, and Guizhi’s face turned bright red.

Juhua had heard from Shi Tou’s mother that Guizhi was an excellent cook, so she started chatting with her about food. Guizhi shared several cooking methods Juhua had never heard of before, and Juhua found herself listening intently. The two hit it off immediately.

Over on her side, Shi Tou’s mother saw Juhua and Guizhi huddled together, deep in conversation. She scooted her stool closer to Yang Family and lowered her voice. "Sister, there’s a young man in the village next to my parents’. His personality is a lot like Big Mouth’s. Honestly, with a character as solid as his, he shouldn’t still be unmarried—he’s twenty-two this year—but his father was sick for several years, so they had no heart to arrange a marriage. His father passed away last year, but the illness dragged the family into abject poverty. Now that he’s looking to marry, who’d dare say yes after seeing the state of his family? Ai! These days, even if parents aren’t the type to look down on the poor, they still have to consider their daughter’s future, don’t they? So, nobody is willing to marry their daughter to him. He himself doesn’t even care much about a girl’s looks, says he just wants someone kind and capable—he’s just like Big Mouth in that regard. But even so, he was introduced to a girl the other day who was terribly plain herself, and even *she* turned him down for being poor. I wasn’t thinking of Juhua at first—she’s still young, after all—but I’m afraid someone with good sense will see his worth, ignore the poverty, and marry their daughter to him. Then you’d miss out on a good match. So, I came to ask what you think, to see what your plans are."

’Yang Family was indeed tempted. Though she’d never met the man, hearing he had a disposition like Big Mouth Zhao’s was enough for her. After all, Big Mouth was famous for his honesty and kindness—and just look at how well he treated Guizhi.’

’But you’re a bit late,’ she thought. ’If you had come to me the year before last with such a fine young man, I might have agreed to the match despite Juhua’s age. But now... not only is Huai Zi just as good a prospect, but Juhua herself has her own mind now. I can’t just make decisions for her anymore.’

Huai Zi was her ideal son-in-law. So, despite her interest, she still wanted to find an excuse to turn Shi Tou’s mother down.

’Then again, she wasn’t certain things between Juhua and Huai Zi would actually work out. They seemed to be getting along well, but what if Juhua wasn’t willing? In that case, it might be wise to keep this new candidate in mind as a backup.’

So she glanced over at Juhua, then whispered back to Shi Tou’s mother, "I’ll have to ask my Juhua. I’m afraid she’s not quite ready to be matched with anyone yet."

Shi Tou’s mother nodded. "I can tell. And I agree, it’s fine for Juhua to wait a couple more years. A girl as capable and sweet as her will have no problem finding a husband. It’s just that this young man is such a good catch, and I’m afraid it’s a now-or-never kind of opportunity. I wouldn’t have brought it up otherwise."

Yang Family nodded with a sigh. "Isn’t that the truth. It’s all about picking and choosing. Some people are so careful, yet they still choose wrong and spend their lives miserable. Others find someone right away and get engaged, and their lives turn out wonderful. It really does come down to luck."

Shi Tou’s mother held her daughter under the arms, lifting her up and down to make her giggle. "Isn’t it though?" she said to Yang Family. "Still, Changming and Big Mouth made the right choice in wives. Both are doing well. I know they’ve only been married a short while, so you can’t speak too soon, but you can just tell things are good. And isn’t it funny how Meizi, who doesn’t have a single conniving bone in her body, has Granny Hua completely wrapped around her finger?"

She went on to tell Yang Family all about the goings-on at the Li household, making her chuckle.

’She reflected that Meizi was indeed a fine girl who had almost become Qingmu’s wife. A pang of regret hit her, but then she remembered that Yunlan was just as outstanding, if not more so, and her spirits lifted.’ (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian.com to vote with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)