Ugly girl only wants to farm

Upon hearing this, Meng Jiuhe immediately refused, saying, "Wife, didn't I say before that I wouldn't send you to the county school? I don't want you to work too hard. It's enough for you to be able to study and understand things."

Xu Chaoyan ignored him and stared directly at Zhang Xuyang and the old woman: "What do you think of Li Dazhu's family's helplessness? They come over and cause trouble every now and then. There's no point in them staying here any longer. It's also ruining their future."

Zhang Xuyang also strongly disagreed, expressing his concerns: "Given the current situation at home, how can we possibly go to the county school? Besides, the whole family, young and old, would need money to eat and live there. It's better to stay here and live a peaceful life. I don't think Li Dazhu can cause any trouble."

Meng Jiuhe nodded in agreement: "Yes, Brother Zhang is absolutely right. Perhaps my wife should give up this idea as soon as possible, and we can discuss it again later."

His plan was to appease Xu Chaoyan first, and whether or not he would go later was a matter for the future.

Xu Chaoyan knew his temperament, so she pressed her advantage, staring at the old woman and Zhang Yueniang with a stern expression: "Sister, if you don't think about yourself, you should think about your daughter. What if her father comes back to bother you? Even though you're divorced now, you still have a daughter. What if he wants to take Yaya back? If he raises her for a few more years, he might be able to sell her for a good price. That family is capable of anything."

The old woman stared at her daughter nervously, her lips twitching several times but unable to speak. Judging from her anxious expression, she probably had the same thought.

Zhang Yueniang's expression visibly relaxed a bit, and Xu Chaoyan continued to encourage her: "Sister, think about it, you can also make tofu pudding and tofu. Let's go to the county and find a courtyard, live together and make a living by selling tofu. I don't believe we can't make it."

Zhang Yueniang glanced at her mother and said with some difficulty, "Although we were able to make a living in the past, my parents have lived here all their lives. I don't want them to leave their hometown and move away to worry about me, their unfilial daughter."

The old woman held her hand with a pained expression: "Yue Niang, don't say these things. As long as your brother and father agree, I will go with you. Wherever we live is the same. As long as we have food to eat, and the whole family is together, safe and healthy, that's all that matters."

Zhang Xuyang and Meng Jiu looked at each other and talked, but then everyone started talking about the same thing, and the two of them were ignored.

Xu Chaoyan then turned to Meng Jiuhe and said softly, "Husband, think about it. We're renting a house here right now, and we're managing to get by. But what if Uncle's family and that aunt you mentioned last time come looking for us again and cause us trouble? Can't we just stay far away from them?"

Meng Jiuxia chimed in, "Brother and sister-in-law are right. Let's go and stay there for a few months. I'll sell tofu pudding to support your studies. Uncle's family is such a hassle. What if Aunt brings Grandmother back? What good days will we have then? Anyway, it's all the same no matter where we live."

Just then, the uncle returned from outside. He had been busy delivering tofu these past few days, and he was worried that his daughter was working too hard, so he insisted on doing everything himself.

He learned from his neighbor that Dazhu's mother had come to cause trouble again. He put down what he was holding and looked at them anxiously: "How are you? Is the old woman hurt anywhere? That damned woman always comes when I'm not around. That bastard will be struck by lightning sooner or later."

The old woman quickly handed him a bowl of hot water: "Old man, have some water first to warm yourself up. We have something to discuss right now, so come and warm yourself by the fire. The Meng family, you can have dinner at our house today. There's a pot of soup simmering here, and I'll go make some noodles and cook a pot of soup later, so please don't mind."

Meng Jiuxia immediately showed a delighted expression: "Auntie, that's wonderful! I love your hand-pulled noodles so much. They're so chewy and springy. I'll definitely have a big bowl later." The old lady's face immediately lit up with a smile.

Finally, the two families decided to discuss the details further and go to the county town in a few days to find out the truth. They also needed to dispose of these properties, even though they weren't worth much, because they would still be useful for buying various things in the county town.

Meng Jiuhe remained silent until they got home, when Xu Chaoyan brought him water to wash his feet. He still sat there without saying a word.

Xu Chaoyan nudged him with her elbow: "Husband, what's wrong? Is it because my arrangement is inappropriate and puts you in a difficult position, or do you feel that I overstepped my bounds by not discussing it with you beforehand?"

Meng Jiuhe sighed and squatted down to help her remove her shoes and socks: "Soak your feet first, and I'll massage them for a while to help you relax."

Then he sat behind her and gently massaged her shoulders: "It's not that I'm dissatisfied with your arrangement, it's just that our family's situation is a little better now. If you go to the county school, you and your younger sister will have a harder time. Look at your hands and faces, they're all red from the cold winter. Your younger sister has frostbite on her hands, and the north wind is blowing your face so hard that the skin is peeling off. It breaks my heart to see you like this. What's the point of a useless scholar reading so many books?"

Xu Chaoyan turned her head and gently pecked his chattering mouth: "Who says scholars are useless? Just focus on your studies. Your sister-in-law and I will work hard to support you. Your little sister wants to be the top scholar, so you have to earn that for her. Even if not for me, you have to bring honor to the Meng family. I didn't say you have to become the top scholar. Just do your best and be true to yourself."

Meng Jiuhe seemed unsatisfied with her fleeting kiss, and instead turned Xu Chaoyan around, gently tracing the outline of her lips with his own.

By the time their kiss ended, the water in the wooden basin had cooled down, and Xu Chaoyan's feet had turned somewhat pale from being soaked.

Meng Jiuhe apologized to her with a guilty look on his face: "I'm sorry, my wife. I will definitely pay attention next time."

Xu Chaoyan pinched his elbow hard a few times: "There will be a next time. Next time, I'll teach you a lesson."

When the two lay in bed, Xu Chaoyan found a comfortable position and nestled in his arms, tucking the blanket around her. Listening to his strong and powerful heartbeat, she felt much more at ease and then spoke softly.

“Actually, I had this plan a long time ago, but because of this incident at my aunt’s house, it couldn’t be carried out. It’s good that you and Zhang Xuyang are going, so you two will have company. If we rent a courtyard, our two families can still make a living. My second uncle’s family and my aunt are both difficult people, so it’s better for us to avoid them. When we leave, we can go to the other side of the mountain to search for them and leave a message in the village. That way, if my parents come looking for us, they will know that we are still waiting for them.”

In the darkness, Xu Chaoyan couldn't see Meng Jiuhe's expression clearly.

Meng Jiuhe's heart softened at this moment. He was not good at expressing himself, so he held Xu Chaoyan tightly, rested his chin on her head, and spoke in a slightly different tone.

Xu Chaoyan struggled to lift her head to see if he was alright, but she was held tightly in his arms and couldn't move an inch.

Then the man spoke: "Don't move, just let me hold you quietly for a while."

Around noon the next day, Zhang Yueniang invited Xu Chaoyan and the others over to discuss which day would be suitable for departure, so as to get things settled as soon as possible and avoid any unforeseen complications.

She knew better than anyone what kind of people Li Dazhu's family were.

After discussing it, the uncle and Zhang Yueniang accompanied Xu Chaoyan to the aunt's house to take care of Yaya.

Meng Jiuxia looked unhappy after hearing this, and was determined to go with them, but Xu Chaoyan stopped her and gave her a few words of advice.

“You’re everywhere. What are you doing following us? Your sister-in-law is going to take care of important business. If you go with her, who will take care of your brother’s dinner and clothes? We’ll be back in two or three days at most. You take good care of the house, and you have to keep a close eye on my sausages, especially the stray cats and dogs.”

Meng Jiuxia was initially reluctant and pouted, but when she heard the tasks her sister-in-law had assigned her, she immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and quickly agreed.

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I will keep a close eye on things."

In winter, as the sausages are drying, greedy birds circle around them, pecking at them until they leave holes everywhere.