Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 243 A Moment of Calm

Xu Chaoyan scoffed at him, "What the hell is going on? Please stay tuned for the next episode. Forget it, I'm not interested in listening. Don't come and tell me tomorrow, I have no interest in knowing anyway. A woman with a heart of stone like her probably won't have a good ending. She'll either become a bandit's wife or be sold to a low-class brothel. But then again?"

Shen Siheng was intrigued by his words and quickly came closer: "Sister-in-law, please analyze it for me."

Xu Chaoyan: "Given her spoiled and willful nature, it's definitely impossible for her to be a bandit's wife. Otherwise, she'd be more like a kitchen maid or a lowly servant. At worst, she'd probably just become a wretch."

Shen Siheng looked at her in surprise: "Sister-in-law, how do you know so accurately? Did you get the news from someone else? Impossible. I got the first-hand information. She is indeed having a hard time. Just as you said, when she first went to the mountain, she even threatened to wipe everyone out and acted like a spoiled young lady. I heard that she was locked in a dark room and not given food. How could she possibly be allowed to become the bandit's wife?"

"I'll tell you a secret: Qin Zhenzhen was taken to the mountain and the news didn't come back until three days later. The magistrate didn't even acknowledge that he had this daughter. He said that his daughter had gone to her maternal grandparents' house and told the bandits not to be too arrogant and to blame everything on his family."

Meng Jiuhe spoke calmly: "That's normal. Her reputation was ruined after she was kidnapped and hadn't returned for three days. The magistrate's men would definitely deny it to the death for the sake of their own future, so they lied and said that their daughter had gone to her maternal grandparents' house and that their son would have to take the imperial examination in the future."

Zhang Xuyang: "Although I shouldn't sympathize with Qin Zhenzhen, I think her parents' actions are truly heartbreaking. Even if their daughter has lost her reputation, she is still their flesh and blood. Since they can so heartlessly abandon their daughter for their own career, their character is not good either. By the way, Brother Meng, Qin Xiao is Qin Zhenzhen's older brother. In my opinion, it would be best if we had less contact with each other in the future."

Upon hearing this, Shen Siheng immediately became agitated and jumped up and down: "Zhang Xuyang, don't generalize and condemn everyone. Although Chief Clerk Qin is cold-blooded and ruthless, Brother Qin Xiao is a good person. He is not only very talented, but also kind and gentle. He just had no choice but to be stuck with such a family."

Seeing the three of them discussing so enthusiastically, Xu Chaoyan chimed in, "I'd like to tell you three to stop arguing here. Young Master Qin has no right to choose who his parents are; it's all fate. From now on, just do what you normally do, and don't distance yourselves from others because of this, lest people say you're opportunists."

March arrived in the blink of an eye. Springtime was a time of blooming flowers and perfect for spring outings. As the weather grew warmer, business at Xu Chaoyan's stall became much slower than usual, and Yue Niang's sweet potato stall sold only a few a day.

Xu Chaoyan was also worried about what kind of business she could do to attract the attention of these students. The small vendors who had previously imitated them did not last more than half a month.

They are very stingy with the ingredients, let alone put effort into the soup base. Xu Chaoyan's soup is made by simmering pork bones and chicken carcasses, while those small vendors basically just use a pot of water with some seasonings, and you can hardly see any oil. Fortunately, they adhere to the belief that one should have a conscience and be true to oneself, so their business can continue to survive.

That night, Xu Chaoyan returned to her room and hurriedly took the oil lamp to rummage through her money jar. With a "clatter," all the copper coins were poured onto the table. In recent days, she had saved up several jars of copper coins and some loose silver. In addition, she had also amassed several dozen taels of silver as compensation for emotional distress from Wang Shengxian.

When Meng Jiuhe returned after washing up, he pushed open the door and saw his wife looking like a money-grubber, counting money by the oil lamp.

Xu Chaoyan's greatest pleasure was counting the copper coins over and over again every night. He smiled, placed the wooden basin by the bed, walked over, sat down, and took the copper coins from her hand.

"Wife, I've prepared hot water for you to soak your feet. But no matter how many times you count them, it's still the same amount. Don't you get tired of counting them every day?"

Xu Chaoyan grabbed a handful and threw them into the jar, making a delightful sound. She looked quite pleased with herself: "You don't understand. No matter how much money I make, nothing compares to the joy of counting it. Now that we've settled down in this county town, we have some savings. I'd like to discuss something with you. How about we rent a shop and do some other business? This little stall isn't a long-term solution. My little sister has been out with me through wind and rain. You didn't see how her face is practically peeling from the wind."

Meng Jiuhe pulled her over to sit on the edge of the bed, personally took off her shoes and socks, and gently put her feet into the hot water.

I was busy all day, and my legs and feet were really uncomfortable. I was also very tired. After soaking my feet in warm water, I felt a wave of comfort wash over me.

"Wow, soaking my feet is so relaxing and comfortable, and having a handsome man personally serving me is such a treat."

While massaging her feet, Meng Jiuhe said softly, "Actually, I've had this idea for a while. Summer is a rainy season, and you and your little sister are really working too hard under the scorching sun during the day. Why don't you take a break during this time? I see you've lost quite a bit of weight."

Xu Chaoyan quickly refused him: "You can't just rest like this and then not want to move anymore. It's better to save more money while you're young. You still need to participate in the provincial examination and the metropolitan examination, and all of these will cost money."

Meng Jiuhe didn't say anything more, but silently wiped her feet, picked her up and gently placed her on the bed.

Just as Xu Chaoyan was drifting off to sleep, a pair of warm hands encircled her waist, pulling her into an embrace and whispering in her ear, "My wife, I've earned some money copying books these past few days. Don't think it's too little; take it to rent a shop, just to supplement your income."

The man's hot breath tickled her ear, and Xu Chaoyan couldn't help but turn her head and lie directly on his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. Her hand involuntarily slipped under his clothes, her voice noticeably soft.

"You should keep that little bit of money for yourself. You need writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones for daily use, and you also need to go out with Shen Siheng and the others, and occasionally treat people to a cup of tea. I'm just saying that finding a shop isn't something we should do right now. We need to plan it out first. I'll discuss it with my sister later, and the two of us can partner up. Anyway, I'm too busy to handle everything."

Xu Chaoyan's hands wandered restlessly, and she thought to herself that they seemed a bit stronger than before. Meng Jiuhe grabbed her mischievous little hands and gently stroked them, his voice hoarse and tinged with a hint of restraint.

"Wife, stop moving around. If you keep moving, I can't guarantee you'll get a good night's sleep. Didn't you say you were going to get up early tomorrow to take Ya Ya to the countryside for a spring outing?"

Xu Chaoyan woke up from her nap and remembered this: "Oh right, I made an appointment with my sister to take the little girl out for a walk. They've been so busy these days, the little girl must be getting restless at home all day. Oh right, it's getting late, I need to go to bed early so I can get up early tomorrow to make some sweet soup to take with me."

After saying that, she pulled away from Meng Jiuhe's embrace a little: "Sleep well, my husband, I have to get up early tomorrow."

Meng Jiu's tense throat bobbed up and down as she sighed inwardly. "Ugh! It's all my fault for being so talkative. A delicious dish is right in front of me, I can see it, but I can't touch it, I can't eat it—it's so frustrating!"

Xu Chaoyan slept soundly that night, while Meng Jiuhe sighed helplessly as he looked at the woman who had her legs draped over him with a bitter expression.

Xu Chaoyan is a good person in every way except for her sleeping posture. When it's cold at night, she will curl up in Meng Jiuhe's arms. In the middle of the night, she complains that he is a big furnace and that she is too hot, so she kicks off the blanket and pulls her legs all over him, which happens to be in an awkward position. Meng Jiuhe silently repeats three times in his heart: My wife doesn't need to endure it anymore.

He then pulled the woman's legs off, and throughout the process, beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, while the woman on the bed remained fast asleep, oblivious to everything.