Ugly girl only wants to farm

Meng Xiuzhi's face lit up with joy, but she quickly suppressed it, still muttering words of reluctance.

"Mother, please be careful in everything you do. I won't see you off. Just keep these few coins safe, and don't let my spendthrift son see them. I'll take you there first thing tomorrow morning to drive the oxcart back to the village. Oh, and when you sweep my father's grave, remember to bring my share too, so that my son can get married soon."

Grandmother Meng quickly grabbed the copper coins and stuffed them in. She hadn't seen silver coins for quite some time, and her dim old eyes were shining brightly.

She frowned, a hint of displeasure on her face. "This is so little, not even enough to buy paper money. Can't you give me more? You expect your father to fulfill your wish of several hundred taels of silver for something that only costs a few coins? You're too stingy."

Just then, a series of cursing sounds came from outside, which startled her so much that she quickly winked at her mother, signaling her not to let anything slip.

"Hurry back inside. Remember, the news that came from Zhao Changgen's house came from there before we went to ask her."

县里

"Mother, why did you come here? The weather has been so hot these past few days. Has Father gone back yet?"

The old woman glanced at the pot and frowned: "The tofu pudding is a bit overcooked today, which affects the taste. You've been following your mother around the kitchen since you were little, but you still can't get the heat right."

Moon Lady lowered her head with a look of shame: "Mother is right. I was a bit hasty today. I will definitely be more careful in the future."

Xu Chaoyan went to the back and grabbed a handful of candy, handing it to Ya Ya so her sister-in-law could take her to play. There weren't many customers at the moment; things were usually busier around noon, when students would run towards her, drawn by the aroma, after school had ended.

She would also give everyone a free bowl of bone broth, a small serving of tofu pudding for just a few coins, and some pickled vegetables. Everyone was happy to accept the free bowl of bone broth. Basically, there weren't many customers after dawn; most of them came specifically to try a bowl of tofu pudding.

Their shop had been open for about half a month, and Xu Chaoyan roughly calculated that they had made a small profit. They were often still open for business after 5 PM, and on two separate days, they even made two batches of tofu pudding that were in high demand.

The old woman was deeply moved as she looked at the clean and tidy little shop. At this time last year, they were still working tirelessly in town, selling tofu through the night to make a living. Now, her daughter had divorced and returned home, and she had the ability to earn money to support herself. She was no longer threatened by those wicked people and forced to live a life of hardship.

As things improved, she couldn't help but shed tears. She had to thank the Meng family's daughter-in-law for this; if it weren't for their help in everything, her daughter might still be living in dire straits.

Seeing the old woman's expression, Xu Chaoyan knew she must be crying tears of joy. Thinking of everything that had happened before, she said, "Auntie, our lives are getting better and better. Look, my sister is smiling more often now. In the future, the two of them won't have to worry about food and clothing. They can save some money to buy a small courtyard and live a peaceful life, or find a reliable person to spend the rest of their lives with."

She held her hand tightly and patted it repeatedly: "My dear daughter, you are truly a great benefactor to our family. We will never forget your kindness and virtue. They say a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. When something happened to my family, none of my brothers on my mother's side offered any help. Old Zhang didn't have any brothers or uncles around either. Thank you for not looking down on us. You pulled our family out of the mire. After Yue Niang passed away, she was living such a miserable life. I am already content with this good fortune she has now."

Xu Chaoyan: "Auntie, what are you saying? You helped us a lot when we went to town before. Sister Yueniang is more cheerful and not stupid than before. I know what you're worried about, that she might meet the wrong person again and be bullied."

“We are both old folks with one foot in the grave. How much longer can we take care of her? And Xuyang’s marriage is still unsettled, which is very worrying. I’m afraid that Yue Niang will feel guilty about her brother not being able to find a wife and will have to bear all the burden herself. The other day she gave me an ounce of silver, but I refused to accept it. She got angry with me and said that she would earn money to help her brother get married in the future and didn’t want the Zhang family to be ruined in her hands.”

Xu Chaoyan glanced at her busy older sister and gently comforted her, "Auntie, let things take their natural course. You two are in good health, so don't worry about these things. Finding a husband for your sister isn't urgent. I know you're worried that she'll suffer without your support in the future. Don't worry, that's not a problem at all. Yaya is still young and not very old. We'll consider it carefully. After they finish their studies, they'll have to take the imperial examinations. They don't necessarily have to find a husband in this county. You know, if something really happens in the future, distant water won't be able to quench immediate thirst."

“Mother, what are you and my sister talking about? I see you whispering and glancing at me every now and then. Are you talking badly about me? I won’t stand for it.” Zhang Yueniang’s voice was deliberately lighthearted. She knew that her mother must be worried about her later years.

"Mother, try this orange. It tastes sweet and sour and is very appetizing. Haven't you been having no appetite these past few days and always saying that your mouth tastes bland and tasteless?"

The old lady complained a few times, saying it was a waste of money to buy these useless things.

"Just eat a little more salt and drink some vinegar." But deep down, I felt a sweet warmth.

Xu Chaoyan took an orange and peeled it off easily: "Auntie and sister, this is all out of good intentions, so please don't let this filial piety go to waste. Oranges are very precious at this time of year, and we bought some when we went grocery shopping this morning. By the way, don't you often cough at night? I bought some kumquats, so you can take some home and make some tea."

The old lady took the oranges with a smile: "By the way, Qingming Festival is not far away. My wife and I are planning to go back to our hometown. What are your plans?"

If the old lady hadn't brought this up, Xu Chaoyan would have almost forgotten about the days ahead, as she was so busy every day that she had no time to think about these things.

"While we're still relatively mobile and can travel for a few more years, we'll have to rely on Xuyang and the others from now on. His second uncle hasn't been home for a long time and I reckon he'll be going back this year. We need to go back and tidy up the house and stuff. Do you want to come with us? Or one of you can go back alone, since we can't leave here."

Xu Chaoyan was at a loss, unsure how to tell Meng Jiuhe about this. He had always been unwilling to believe that his parents and younger brother were now separated from him by death, so she didn't know how to bring it up.

The old woman looked troubled, and only then did she realize what had happened. She quickly slapped her mouth a few times, saying, "It's all my fault for having such a sharp tongue! Why did I have to bring up such a sore subject? Girl, don't hold it against an old woman like me."

Xu Chaoyan: "Thank you for your advice, Auntie. We really should go back, so as to avoid the villagers gossiping that we've forgotten our roots. I'll go back and discuss it with my husband before making a decision."

"Boss, what dishes do you have?" A melodious female voice, as sweet as a nightingale's, suddenly rang out.

Zhang Yueniang wiped her hands on her apron and led the woman in with a smile, only realizing what was happening after the woman got closer.

"Oh, it's you, young lady? We're quite destined to meet."

The newcomer also looked surprised: "Thank you, sister. Last time you gave me a place to take shelter from the rain. What a coincidence! Do you run a shop here? Your accent doesn't sound like a local. But it sounds similar to mine. I wonder where you're from?"

Although the woman entered with a smile, Xu Chaoyan felt that the smile didn't reach her eyes. Now, seeing her chatting with her older sister, Xu Chaoyan felt inexplicably irritated; she just couldn't stand the sight of her.

"Sister, the food in your pot is burning, aren't you going to check it?"

Zhang Yueniang then slapped her forehead and said, "Oh dear, girl, come sit here. Oh, we have tofu pudding set meals and meat tofu pudding hot pot. Which would you like to eat? I'll go and prepare it for you right away. Don't be so polite with me. Just call me Sister Zhang instead of 'boss'."

"Oh? What a coincidence! I also have the surname Zhang. We might even be sisters, or perhaps from a large clan. Where is your ancestral home, sister?"

"Sister, school will be over in a quarter of an hour. Have you prepared the side dishes?"

"Please sit for a moment, young lady."