Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 270 The Calm Lake (10)

For some reason, the weather has been fluctuating between hot and cold lately, sometimes feeling like summer and other times like the dead of winter.

Xu Chaoyan had mixed feelings of love and hate. Aunt Zhang and Uncle Zhang had looked rather unwell since returning from their hometown, and remained silent when asked anything.

Xu Chaoyan had a feeling that something must have happened when she returned. Meng Jiuhe also seemed hesitant and tight-lipped.

Although their shop has only been open for less than a month, business has been booming as word has spread.

Those who rush to imitate them are merely copying the form; they can never grasp the essence. Xu Chaoyan and her team use high-quality, honest methods, making them the top choice for students.

The three of them used to be able to manage, but now they're all spinning like tops. They go home at night and fall asleep as soon as their heads hit the pillow.

Their pickled vegetables are also very famous. They are sour, spicy and refreshing, and very appetizing. The students love them. In the past, one batch could last for two days, but now they pickle a batch every night before closing time.

After Meng Jiu and the others returned, Zhang Qiao'er didn't come over for several days for some reason.

Xu Chaoyan had always wondered why, since she had taken a liking to Zhang Xuyang, the two of them didn't seem to have any chemistry. She and Yueniang even privately analyzed whether the girl was interested in Shen Siheng or Zhang Xuyang.

Xu Chaoyan was a bit busy today, so she asked Meng Jiuxia to fetch some scallions. About half an hour later, her sister-in-law returned, looking somewhat unwell. No matter how Xu Chaoyan questioned her, she kept saying she was fine.

Finally, Xu Chaoyan, having exhausted all other options, coaxed and tricked the girl for a long time, hoping to get some information out of her. The young girl, though not very old, had gradually started to gain weight since arriving in the county. Her face had become much more delicate, and her skin was fairer than before.

She thought her sister-in-law had been harassed by a lecherous man outside and was too afraid to tell him when she came back, so she kept harping on her.

She was also a little annoyed. If she had known, she shouldn't have asked her to do it; she could have made the trip herself.

Meng Jiuxia shoved the scallions in her hand and said, "Sister-in-law, don't ask. I really didn't encounter anything. I just accidentally kicked a stone while walking and hurt my foot. I was afraid you would laugh at me if I told you when I got back."

The young girl never lied. Xu Chaoyan was skeptical of her words and secretly decided that she shouldn't let him go out alone to buy things in the future. After all, her sister-in-law would still be looking for a husband in the future.

"What? So Zhang Xuyang had a childhood betrothal? How come I've never heard him mention it before? You've kept it a secret for a long time."

As soon as Shen Siheng reached the door, he heard the old lady and Zhang Yueniang whispering about this matter. He heard this sentence out of the blue and started shouting, looking at Zhang Xuyang with a mocking expression.

Zhang Xuyang's face immediately darkened, and his tone became somewhat displeased: "Even eating can't shut your mouth, so don't talk nonsense here."

As she spoke, she stuffed the sesame seed cake in her hand directly into his mouth.

Aunt Zhang also looked panicked, and her words began to stammer: "About Xuyang..."

She hadn't expected them to arrive so early today.

Shen Siheng snatched the sesame seed cake away with a displeased look: "Men should marry when they are of age, and women should marry when they are of age. If you have an arranged marriage, you should marry the woman as soon as possible. You can't waste her good years. If you really wait until you pass the imperial examination, she will be old and gray. What if you abandon your wife who has been through thick and thin with you?"

Xu Chaoyan also learned some inside information from her aunt. Her husband's mouth was as tight as an oyster shell, impossible to pry open. Her sister-in-law disappeared in the blink of an eye as soon as the topic was brought up, so she didn't bother to ask any more questions.

Those who knew the inside story remained silent, except for Shen Siheng, who looked quite interested. He went over and patted Zhang Xuyang on the shoulder with a serious expression.

"Brother Zhang, Zhang Xuyang, don't ruin that girl's prime years. Hurry up and go back to get married. I'll give you a big red envelope. Don't think it's unfair of me to be a brother; I only have a limit to my monthly allowance."

Meng Jiuhe, who was lagging behind, quickly changed the subject when he saw Shen Siheng chattering away.

"Didn't you say you were hungry? Go and eat something, stop talking nonsense here."

Shen Siheng is the kind of person who likes to get to the bottom of things, and in the end, he'll even ask how many seeds are in the gourd.

When he learned the whole story, he was so angry that he ate two bowls of rice and cursed at the air.

"Shameless bastard, you're capable of doing such despicable and insidious things. Luckily, you ran away quickly, otherwise those people would have clung to you like vampires. Zhang Xuyang's life would have been ruined. Now that he sees that my brother Zhang has made something of himself, he's clinging to me like a leech. He doesn't even know what kind of person he is."

He kept chattering away, and no one else made a sound.

Only then did the old woman sigh helplessly: "This is also our fault for ruining Xuyang, and indirectly ruining Yueniang's life because of this marriage."

"What do you mean?" Xu Chaoyan was also completely confused.

The old woman then explained the complicated relationship between them.

Zhang Xuyang remained silent with a somber expression. Shen Siheng assumed he was still stuck in the past and couldn't move on, so she went over and patted him on the shoulder: "A man doesn't easily shed tears. It's just a woman, what's the big deal? Don't worry, I've got a brother here, I guarantee I'll introduce you to one. By the way, what type do you like? I'd like to have some ideas too."

Zhang Xuyang shoved his hand away with a look of disgust: "You're as heavy as a pig. These hands weigh over a hundred pounds and are crushing my shoulders. Stop thinking like a mother hen. You have your exams in a few days, you should be preparing properly. Instead of wasting your time introducing me to girls, you should be thinking about your own marriage. With your lazy and irresponsible attitude, someone should keep an eye on you."

Shen Siheng's face fell again when the topic of the small exam came up. Then, his face broke into a smile faster than a June day: "Brother Zhang, we've known each other for quite a while now. I've treated you well too. Why don't you explain it to me? I don't quite understand. If I fail this exam, my father will definitely skin me alive."

Meng Jiu shook his head helplessly: "You, instead of using this last-minute cramming time, you should read more books and practice your calligraphy on weekdays. Put away your playful mind. Why are you so afraid of a small test?"

Shen Siheng wore a bitter expression: "Brother Meng, you're mistaken. For someone as useless as me, I can only cram at the last minute. I'm usually very busy. This small exam is different from the past. I heard from some friends that this small exam is related to the imperial examination two years later."

Meng Jiuhe was completely bewildered and couldn't understand it at all: "It's just a small test, how did it get brought up to the imperial examination?"

Shen Siheng scratched his head and said, "I just overheard it. There are only a few people who are at the top of the county school. If they can't even rank well in the preliminary exams, do you think it's worth participating in the metropolitan exam? Wouldn't it be a slap in the face? From now on, every preliminary and major exam will be ranked comprehensively."

Meng Jiuhe nodded: "That seems to make some sense. There are always mountains beyond mountains, and heavens beyond heavens. We really can't be careless."

Shen Siheng exclaimed, "I suddenly realized I haven't seen Qi Yu in a long time. Goodness, he's expressionless all day long, and you can't even see him when he goes to school. Your house is pretty close by, right? Have you seen that bookworm? Zhang Xuyang, if you won't help me, I'll go and ask that bookworm to help me."

Meng Jiuhe shook his head: "Now that you mention it, it's been quite a while since I've seen him. I usually only catch a glimpse of him in the school, and he prefers to be alone. After school, we all head to the shop, and we get back very late, so it's been a long time since I've seen him."

Zhang Xuyang thought for a moment: "I saw him holding a book and muttering to himself a few days ago. He was with a few other guys, and I was wondering why he was with them. Did he offend someone?"

Shen Siheng waved his hand: "That bookworm spends all his time reading and doesn't like to socialize. He shouldn't have offended anyone. Maybe you're mistaken. Before we met, I tried to talk to him, but he ignored me. But to be fair, his knowledge is indeed impressive. It's just that he failed the exam once, which was a big blow to him."

Zhang Xuyang rolled his eyes: "I'm not seventy or eighty years old and don't have eye problems."