After traveling through time, I rely on force to survive

Li Qingqing said goodbye to Zhou Yimo.

Zhou Yimo couldn't stay for long, so after watching Li Qingqing leave, he went back and told his mother everything that had happened today.

Most of the villagers in Lihua Village are outsiders, and the Zhou family is no exception.

Seven years ago, Zhou Yimo moved south with his parents from Kyoto when he was only eleven years old.

After settling down in Lihua Village, he passed the boy's exam at the age of fifteen and ranked first. He originally planned to continue to take the exam for a scholar.

But bad luck struck him. On his way back, Zhou's father and his cousin were robbed. His cousin disappeared and Zhou's father was seriously injured. He passed away a month after returning home.

The Dayuan Kingdom has a regulation that one cannot take the imperial examinations during the two-year mourning period, so Zhou Yimo is still a student.

Originally, after the Zhou family settled back in Lihua Village, their financial situation was good, but after Zhou's father died unexpectedly, their financial situation gradually declined.

Zhou's mother became ill due to worry and fell seriously ill half a year ago. She has been taking medicine ever since.

At this moment, she was half lying on the bed, her tone a little anxious:

"Mo'er, if that's the case, go and ask Matchmaker Zhou to come to our house tomorrow so I can talk to her."

Because after Doctor Zhang was driven away by Mrs. Zhang that day, the first patient he visited was the Zhou family.

Doctor Zhang, who was still angry, couldn't help but chat with Zhou's mother for a few more words, so Zhou's mother also knew some things about the Zhang family.

At this time, Zhou's mother heard her son say that the savior he had been looking for for a long time was the eldest girl of the Zhang family, and she couldn't help but feel a little more sympathy for this girl whom she had never met.

That girl is Mo'er's savior and is in trouble now, so he should not let her down.

Besides, Mo'er is still unmarried, so it's time to find him a partner.

But my current family situation...

Mother Zhou thought of this and became a little worried: "I wonder how much betrothal gift the Zhang family will ask for?"

When Zhou's father was alive, there was still enough money for his son to go to school. Now that Zhou's mother is suffering from illness, she has stopped managing the family half a year ago, and now she feels a little unsure.

"Mom, don't worry about this!" Zhou Yimo comforted her, "My son is being taken care of by the teacher at the academy. He can earn some money by copying books for the academy."

Copying books does pay well, but is it a long-term solution?

Zhou's mother sighed softly. Mo'er is not good at farming and is still a boy.

If Zhou's father had not died and he was unable to take part in the imperial examination, with his intelligence, he would have been listed among the scholars long ago.

Once you pass the imperial examination, at worst you can still become a teacher and support your family without any problem.

Not like now...

Zhou's mother secretly hoped that she would recover from her illness quickly and not hold her son back.

Zhou Yimo was trying to persuade his mother, while Li Qingqing was about to return home.

Before Li Qingqing went home, she first went to the flat land behind the mountain. Seeing that Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang were not there, she knew that they must have gone home, so she broke some firewood and carried it back home.

It was almost dusk, and most families had returned home and had dinner.

As we approached Zhangjia's threshing ground, we saw some villagers gathered in front of the house, watching the excitement. From the crowd came a woman's shrill voice:

"You are such a good person, Zhang! Return the silver to me immediately!"

Li Qingqing felt that the original owner's cheap grandmother might be up to no good again!

She avoided the villagers who were watching the excitement and carried the firewood into the thatched hut next to her. When Dashuang and Xiaoshuang saw her, they gently called out, "Big Sister!"

"What's going on?" Li Qingqing pointed outside.

"Sister, that aunt is from another village. She said that our grandma accepted money from her family, but wanted to marry an ugly girl... into their family..."

Da Shuang was actually just stating the situation, but he felt that he had accidentally touched the elder sister's sore spot, and his voice became lower and lower.

"Sister is not ugly!" Xiao Shuang was indignant, but her ability to express herself was a little weak, so she could only worry on the side.

Da Shuang quickly defended himself, "Yes, Big Sister is not ugly! It's that aunt's son who is ugly!"

"That's right, not only does he like to drool, but he also always lets his aunt hold his hand. Isn't that shameful?"

As Xiao Shuang spoke, he stroked his face with his index finger, which made Li Qingqing laugh.

Over the past half month, Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang have become noticeably more lively.

"Alright, you two little guys."

Li Qingqing rubbed their heads and said, "Don't judge other people's appearance. It's rude!"

Seeing them both nod, he smiled and asked, "Have you eaten dinner?"

"No, grandma said we didn't collect enough firewood, so she won't give us any to eat!"

"Sister, I feel a little hungry."

"Then I'll secretly make buns for you to eat tonight!"

Li Qingqing was talking quietly to the two little kids while listening to the noise outside.

Then I heard the woman talking loudly:

"Village chief, please judge for yourself. Zhang said that the girl is hardworking and willing to work. As long as I pay the money, let my son take her away today. I believe it.

My son and I came here early this morning. Zhang said that the girl was collecting firewood in the mountains. She had been picking firewood all day and had not been seen. In the afternoon, I went out to ask around and everyone said that the girl's face became extremely ugly after she fell ill.

There are girls everywhere waiting to get married, why should my son spend a few taels of silver to marry a lazy and ugly wife?

Everyone burst into laughter, "Your silly son can't tell whether his wife is ugly or beautiful!"

"That's right, it's the same when the lights are off!"

"Shut up!" The village chief of Zhangjia Village sternly stopped the villagers from making trouble.

"Village chief, you have to make the decision for me!" The woman felt more confident when she saw the village chief of Zhangjia Village scolding the villagers:

"Although my son is a little confused, he can't marry just anyone. Zhang is clearly deceiving me, making my son marry an ugly wife. Isn't this cheating?"

As soon as the woman finished speaking, Zhang couldn't stand it any longer. She interrupted and shouted, "How could I lie to you? You want to marry a fairy for one tael of silver? Don't you even consider your family's financial situation?"

"What's wrong with my family's conditions? No matter how bad they are, we shouldn't marry an ugly wife." The woman also shouted loudly.

"What's wrong with an ugly wife? At least she won't cheat on your son. Besides, with your idiot son, even if he marries a beauty, you might not be able to keep her."

Everyone burst into laughter again.

These two were truly equally matched in strength! Li Qingqing also found it amusing, not realizing at all that the ugly bride they were talking about was actually her.

Finally, under the strong obstruction of the village chief of Zhangjia Village, Zhang returned the one or two taels of silver to the woman, and she angrily drove away all the villagers who were watching the excitement.

Mrs. Wang leaned against the door of her house, laughing and mocking:

"Zhang, why do you always pick on such ugly things? It's just 800 wen for the head tax. Zhang Daya works like a slave for your family, isn't her annual salary worth 800 wen?"

"None of your business!"

Zhang was furious and went into the thatched house with a broom in her hand.

"Da Shuang Xiao Shuang, has your elder sister come back?"

As soon as I entered the house, I saw Li Qingqing and two children sitting by the straw pile and talking.

Zhang was so angry that she raised the broom in her hand and hit Li Qingqing, "You dead girl, where have you been? You're back now!"

Li Qingqing sat still, but grabbed the broom just as it was about to fall.

Zhang pulled a few times without success, then yelled, "Let go! You damned girl!"

Li Qingqing curled up the corner of her mouth in a sneer and let Zhang pull the broom.

Suddenly, her hand loosened, and Zhang fell backwards due to inertia and fell on her back!