Ugly girl only wants to farm

This year, the first month of the lunar calendar was even colder than during the Lunar New Year period. Xu Chaoyan had to get up early every day to pack her things and prepare breakfast before setting up her stall.

"Achoo!" A loud sneeze rang out in the kitchen, and Xu Chaoyan rubbed her slightly red nose.

It felt much colder than before when I woke up this morning. Meng Jiuxia yawned and pushed open the door to come in.

"Sister-in-law, it's so cold during this late spring that people are shivering. Please wear more clothes. I'll bring some extra charcoal with me later, otherwise you won't be able to stand it."

Xu Chaoyan scooped hot water while urging her to sit down quickly.

“I just picked up some more charcoal to keep warm. It’s getting colder and colder, and I guess we won’t have enough charcoal for the time being.”

Her casserole was cooked on a stove, and she had been relying on charcoal to keep going these days. It was also best to avoid too much smoke at the county school, so as not to bother people.

Meng Jiuxia took the wooden basin she brought over and replied, "Sister roasts sweet potatoes with chopped short firewood, and the remaining charcoal is used by us for heating. Those people are shameless and sit by the charcoal basin for half an hour at a time. We definitely don't have enough."

After she finished speaking, Xu Chaoyan still looked dissatisfied. The weather had gotten colder and colder these past few days due to the late spring cold snap, and those people would just ask for a few skewers of vegetables and stay there to keep warm.

The school was cold and drafty, with gusts of wind occasionally blowing in, making people shiver.

Meng Jiuhe drinks a bowl of strong ginger soup every day, and Xu Chaoyan secretly gives him a hot water bottle, so he is better off than the others.

Previously, I had collected a lot of duck and goose feathers in town. When the stall wasn't busy, I asked my older sister to sew a little vest for me. I originally planned to save up more to make a down comforter. However, Meng Jiuxia's hands would get chilblains in winter, so I used the remaining down to make her a pair of gloves.

Meng Jiuhe stayed up late last night because he was thinking about things, and he woke up late this morning. When he came in, Xu Chaoyan looked at him.

"The vest I kept by my pillow is perfect for keeping warm, isn't it?"

Xu Chaoyan handed him a warm handkerchief: "Wipe your face first. You ate some dumpling soup today to warm yourself up. You'll feel freezing cold all over when you go out, like you're frozen."

Zhang Yueniang has become much more cheerful than before. She used to be timid and hesitant, but with Xu Chaoyan's encouragement, she seems much more confident. A few days ago, she heard from her aunt that someone was trying to arrange a marriage for her. The man said that his family was doing alright, his wife had died in childbirth leaving behind a daughter, and his family was relatively small, consisting of a widowed mother and her married sister-in-law.

According to Aunt Zhang, this matter is not urgent and should be put on hold for a while. However, since they are all neighbors and see each other all the time, it would be inappropriate to refuse her kindness. So, we were thinking about how to politely decline.

When Zhang Xuyang learned about this, he immediately refused, and was quite angry, saying that it was not like he couldn't afford to support his mother and child. Why rush into marriage when he was unfamiliar with the place and didn't know the people there? What if they were of bad character and his life would be ruined?

Xu Chaoyan also felt that this matter was inappropriate. The county school was only a temporary stop. If Zhang Xuyang passed the provincial examination, he would definitely continue on the path of taking the imperial examination. It would be more stable for the family to stay together. Besides, Zhang Yueniang was not too old, so there was no need to rush.

While lighting the charcoal fire, Xu Chaoyan asked Zhang Yueniang for her opinion: "Sister, this is your own life, but we are just offering suggestions. Ultimately, you have to make your own decision."

When Zhang Yueniang left, some sparks were left in the stove. All she needed to do was add a few pieces of firewood. There was still about half an hour before school ended.

She frowned slightly and sighed, "I'm speechless. I've only been here a short time, and these people already know about these things. I wonder if they're talking about me behind my back. My mother can't stand seeing me suffer. I haven't thought about remarrying. Right now, I just want to work hard to earn money to support my younger brother's education. His future is the most important thing. My divorce and returning home have had some impact on him, and I feel a little guilty about that."

Xu Chaoyan fanned herself vigorously with her fan, making the charcoal brazier burn even brighter. She was somewhat confused: "Why is getting a divorce shameful? How can we be self-reliant and self-sufficient? Does getting a divorce and going home mean we're breaking a law? What's wrong with this world? Does it even give people a way to live?"

"Hey, what's your opinion on what happened last time?" A haughty voice rang out, startling both of them, who remained silent for a long time.

The maid Xiaochun walked beside Qin Zhenzhen with a smug look on her face. These past few days had been rainy and drizzly, and a light drizzle had fallen in the mornings, making the roads a bit wet.

Qin Zhenzhen, holding an oil-paper umbrella, wore a light green dress and a scarf around her neck. The green in the spring weather looked quite vibrant. Xu Chaoyan couldn't help but praise her in her heart. This woman finally dressed herself up a bit today, unlike her usual flamboyant appearance with her head full of jewels. She looked more pleasing to the eye today, except that the scarf was a bit out of place.

Actually, Qin Zhenzhen didn't wear this outfit on purpose today. Spring clothes are usually quite thin, and it was a chilly time of year, so she couldn't help but hunch her shoulders. She had just visited her friend's shop when they received a batch of spring fabric. With everyone's strong recommendation, she had this outfit made, saying that wearing it would make her look elegant and refined, and that men would be unable to take their eyes off her.

Xu Chaoyan immediately smiled and took a handkerchief from the side to wipe the stool: "Please sit here and warm yourself up, it's freezing cold."

The moment Qin Zhenzhen arrived, it was as if the God of Wealth had come to visit. No matter what her purpose was in coming today, she was sure to spend a lot of money here later.

Meng Jiuxia and Zhang Yueniang were unaware of what had happened last time. Xu Chaoyan was somewhat worried about the two of them, especially her sister-in-law, who was about to explode like a firecracker.

She was trying to figure out what excuse to get rid of the two of them when Qin Zhenzhen stood there arrogantly and rudely, like a proud peacock.

Seeing that Xu Chaoyan ignored her, her displeased expression rose a few notches: "How have you considered what happened last time? Our patience is limited."

Zhang Yueniang looked over anxiously, "Sister, what happened last time? What were you thinking about? How come we didn't know?"

Meng Jiuxia, with a protective look on her face, immediately shielded Xu Chaoyan behind her: "What is that scheming woman, sister-in-law, up to? What did she ask you to consider? Is she plotting something again?"

Xu Chaoyan quickly pried her hands off, thinking to herself that her little darling was today's lucky charm, and she could finish work early without having to freeze.

"It's nothing, don't worry about it. She just liked the konjac tofu I asked you to prepare last time and has been craving it ever since, so she came here today."

She muttered these last words in a low voice, while Meng Jiuxia still looked suspicious: "That's really how it is, we're not here to cause trouble."

Just then, Meng Jiuhe and Zhang Xuyang stepped out the door together, while Shen Siheng chattered incessantly beside them.

"Brother Meng, please have your wife make me some hot soup later, this awful weather." Before he could finish speaking, a loud sneeze rang out.

Zhang Xuyang looked disgusted: "You spit all over my face, you're filthy."

He looked uncertain, as if he had seen something: "Meng Jiu and that person aren't Qin Zhenzhen. Hurry up and go check on them, lest you suffer a loss."

Shen Siheng, who had just been grinning, now looked tense: "Brother Meng, Brother Meng, hurry over there. That person is no good. If your wife suffers a loss, I'll go and stand up for her and beat that shrew away. I wonder what kind of bad idea she's plotting."

Meng Jiuhe squinted at the woman, not knowing what they were talking about. He only saw his wife smiling happily. He frowned and looked displeased. He had told her last time not to get too involved with that woman, but she wouldn't listen.

He suddenly felt a little annoyed. Was his wife going to sell him again? This woman was always thinking about selling her husband for money. She didn't even remember how she had clung to him so desperately in the past.

Last time, Shen Siheng mentioned that Qin Zhenzhen's older brother, Qin Xiao, was also attending school with them. He had caught her twice having her maid bring him some snacks, which he refused both times. His wife seemed completely oblivious to his danger. The woman's overpowering fragrance made him want to vomit. Since she was so restless, he figured he should teach her a lesson.