Ugly girl only wants to farm

Zhang Yueniang gave her a reproachful look: "You're just like a child, you can't believe you can describe this as a beautiful melody."

Xu Chaoyan glanced at her again, then picked up a copper coin and waved it in front of her: "Sister, smell this, what's this smell?"

Zhang Yueniang tapped her head with a helpless look on her face: "You! In another year or two you'll be a mother, and you're still so naughty."

"Sister, smell it again, this is the tempting smell of money."

Zhang Yueniang laughed heartily at her words: "By the way, today is the third day already, Mother and the others should be back by now, right?"

Xu Chaoyan gently placed the earthenware pot down before speaking: "It should be soon. The weather has been getting colder these past few days. I didn't prepare anything for this trip back to my hometown. I doubt they can stay there for long. What if they catch a cold?"

Yue Niang shivered involuntarily from the cold: "The weather is really strange. Just a few days ago it was so hot that I dug out my summer clothes. I was thinking of quickly making a couple of outfits for Ya Ya to wear. But in the blink of an eye, it's like winter, catching everyone off guard."

Xu Chaoyan couldn't help but rub her hands together a couple of times: "Sister, go to the kitchen and get two pots of charcoal to warm us up. Our feet and hands are numb from the cold. Although making money is important, we can't neglect ourselves. Let's make a hot pot and have some later. We can warm our stomachs after Zhang Xuyang finishes school. By the way, he doesn't even get a holiday for Qingming Festival here."

Zhang Yueniang was also confused: "I heard Xuyang say the other day that they seem to be going to have a small test. So there will be no holiday this time. Some students live too far away from home, and it will take up some time to come and go. They said they will combine the holidays during the rest period later."

She thought to herself, "Weren't people in ancient times supposed to be most focused on ancestor worship?"

While she was speaking, Yue Niang had already brought over the charcoal brazier.

"We're not busy right now, so let's warm our hands here. That Zhang girl hasn't come over in ages. She said she wanted to make Qingming dumplings and dig wild vegetables with me, but she hasn't shown up. I've been looking forward to seeing her for days. It's been so long since I've tasted wild vegetables. I really miss that taste."

This person is truly wicked; no sooner had he finished speaking than the person appeared before him.

"Sister Zhang, it's been a few days. How have you been? Your shop seems to be doing quite well, with a full house of customers."

Zhang Qiao'er still had a smiling face, carrying a small basket in her hand. She quickly walked up to Zhang Yueniang and handed her the basket.

"I was busy with some household chores and forgot to keep my appointment with you, sister. So I just made some fresh Qingming dumplings for you to try. Please don't think my cooking is too clumsy."

Zhang Yueniang was still a little dazed for a moment before she came to her senses, quickly took the small basket, and put on a smile.

"How could I dislike it? I was just thinking about my sister, and here you are in the blink of an eye."

Xu Chaoyan quickly moved aside a little; all guests are welcome, and one shouldn't refuse a smiling face.

"Miss Zhang, thank you for thinking of me. Have you eaten yet?" Xu Chaoyan said, but her tone was not warm.

Zhang Qiao'er sat down on a stool nearby, looking delicate and frail, her eyes subtly glancing around a few places.

"I made some because I get along well with my sisters and had some free time. Please don't complain that we were in a hurry and didn't have time to eat."

Judging from their tone, they seemed to be looking to freeload a meal here. It just so happened to be the time when they were about to finish school, so Xu Chaoyan couldn't help but think more about it.

Zhang Yueniang was very kind and invited everyone to dinner.

"Sis, are you busy? Shen Siheng and I will lend you a hand."

Zhang Qiao'er looked over and couldn't help but ask, "Who is this, sister?"

Zhang Xuyang and Shen Siheng were both handsome and had a scholarly air about them. Shen Siheng, on the other hand, lacked some of the refined demeanor and was more like a spoiled brat on the street. When Xu Chaoyan saw the expectation in Zhang Qiao'er's eyes, she instantly understood and tugged at Yue Niang's sleeve.

"Sister, I think Xuyang's luck has arrived. Look, this girl has even followed him to the shop. Before, I would have thought too much about it, but now I understand a bit better. Handsome young men do attract women, don't they?"

Yue Niang also noticed that Zhang Qiao'er's gaze was fixed on the two of them, her eyes filled with expectation, but then her gaze also showed a hint of disappointment.

Zhang Yueniang didn't see Xu Chaoyan, but she did catch that fleeting glance. She was a little puzzled as to what the woman was disappointed about. Although the Zhang family wasn't extremely wealthy, they were still quite well-off.

With a few more years of hard work, Zhang Xuyang could easily pass the imperial examination. Was this girl's standards a bit too high? Or was she like a frog in a well, eyeing Shen Siheng and thinking he had a better foundation? She couldn't help but shake her head inwardly; this girl wasn't thinking long-term enough.

When Zhang Xuyang first met the unfamiliar girl and Shen Siheng, he planned to avoid them. Yue Niang quickly stopped him.

"It's just a coincidence that a fellow villager of ours met you here. You two have become acquainted since then, so let's treat each other as fellow villagers. You don't need to deliberately avoid each other for a while. Let's have a hot pot together."

What the Xu girl said earlier made sense. What if it really was her brother's destined partner? Wouldn't she be the one who blocked it? She was now a little worried. Her family name was Zhang, and the girl's surname was also Zhang. She wondered if they were from the same clan. If they shared the same ancestor, then this matter would probably fall through again. Finally, someone had taken a liking to her brother, and she was very happy.

At the dinner table, Zhang Qiao'er seemed hesitant to speak, which made Yue Niang think that she had taken a liking to either her younger brother or Shen Siheng, but didn't know how to express her feelings. Her shy and timid appearance made Yue Niang anxious. She really wanted to ask her directly, "Which one do you like? I'll help you make a match."

Xu Chaoyan had just told her not to get involved in these matters, as young ladies are easily embarrassed and might scare people away.

She had just mentioned the shared surname when Xu Chaoyan interrupted her, saying, "You two aren't even from the same village, just the same town. So what if you share the same surname? Her ancestors are 18 generations back, who knows how far back they are, long past the fifth degree of kinship." Only then did she become interested and kept urging her to eat at the dinner table.

"Girl, eat more. This is our family's specialty. It's rare for you to come all this way. You left in a hurry before, so you must try our tofu pudding today. Does it remind you of the taste of home?"

Throughout the meal, Zhang Xuyang was quite surprised. When did his sister become so enthusiastic? She was chatting and laughing with that girl. Oh well, he didn't bother to think about it anymore. Since her divorce and returning home, his sister had become rather introverted and even quieter. Fortunately, she was doing business with Meng's wife, and she had finally cheered up a bit, so he didn't want to spoil her mood.

Xu Chaoyan always thought that the girl was there for Meng Jiuhe, after all, her husband was handsome and well-known in the county school, and women often gossiped about him behind his back.

At first, she thought Zhang Qiao'er was just a girl from the neighborhood who might have seen Meng Jiuhe outside. But seeing the situation today, it seemed she was quite fond of Shen Siheng or Zhang Xuyang, and her anxiety finally subsided.

Her hand unconsciously touched the pimples on her face again. She was so angry! She had accidentally eaten too much chili pepper a couple of days ago, and some pimples had appeared on her face. They were itchy and a little stinging. She couldn't help but scratch them a few times while sleeping at night. These past two days have been springtime, with flowers blooming everywhere. She has a mild pollen allergy and her face always feels itchy.

A fire raged within her; it was all her fault for being greedy. Her face had been looking better a few days ago. But indulging in too many spicy dishes had brought this trouble upon her. If Meng Jiuhe came back and saw her like this, he'd probably be angry with her again, blaming her for not taking care of herself.

She hadn't been eating as much oily food as before, and her face only had some marks; the pustules had also healed considerably. While Meng Jiuhe was away, she'd indulged in a few more bites of spicy food. She thought that eating it once or twice would be fine, but the next day it reappeared.

Meng Jiu and the others tidied up the yard early in the morning and were just about to go out when suddenly someone knocked loudly on the gate.

Meng Jiuxia ran over and opened the door, only to see a woman with a pretty young girl and an old man looking at her with surprise.

"This is Zhang Tofu's house."

Meng Jiuxia nodded and called into the house, "Uncle Zhang, someone is looking for you, no, there are two women looking for you."

Aunt Zhang's voice rang out: "What woman?"