Ugly girl only wants to farm

Hearing her sarcastic voice, Meng Jiuhe couldn't help but smile slightly. So she was jealous.

Since there were other people around, Meng Jiuhe didn't explain much. He said gently, "I told my younger sister to send her back. Why did you run so far in this scorching sun?"

Xu Chaoyan flung his hand away, saying, "I'm making room for you because I'm afraid it will get in your way."

"My wife, I really didn't mean it. I don't know why she's here, but I promise we really have nothing to do with each other."

Seeing that the two had something to say, Jiang Xinyi made a move to leave: "Should I go first?"

Xu Chaoyan: "Where are you going? Where can you go? Didn't we just agree on something?"

"But you should talk things out. If there is any misunderstanding, it would be good to clear it up. Look how anxious you are, you're sweating all over."

Xu Chaoyan then noticed the fine beads of sweat rolling down his cheeks. She felt a little guilty; it really wasn't his fault. Zhang Qiao'er, with her green tea smell, would pounce on anyone she saw, and no one could stop her.

Even though she realized she had done something wrong, she was too embarrassed to admit it and said somewhat awkwardly, "Um, you wipe it first and we'll go back now."

Meng Jiuhe casually wiped his face with his sleeve, a smile on his face: "My wife still cares about me. We'll take that large intestine back later and make your favorite dish today."

Jiang Xinyi: "You two have such a good relationship, it's truly enviable."

Xu Chaoyan then complained a few times: "It's so hot, and you're bothering your sister-in-law to wash you. How can you be so shameless?"

Meng Jiu scratched his head: "It was my oversight. I just came over and you weren't here. My sister-in-law said she was planning to send it over to us. I was so eager to find you that I didn't think of that. It was my fault."

Xu Chaoyan cupped her hands in a megaphone shape and shouted towards the riverbank, "Sister-in-law, just wash it quickly for a bit, we'll take care of it when we get back."

Before they left, Xu Chaoyan packed them a basket of vegetables, making her feel embarrassed.

The butcher's wife then brought out a basket of bamboo shoots from behind: "Here, have a taste. These are just some cheap stuff, don't be disgusted."

Looking at the tender bamboo shoots, Xu Chaoyan immediately thought of various ways to cook them: pickled bamboo shoots with pork, stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat, red oil bamboo shoot shreds, fresh bamboo shoot and meat buns, etc. Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into her mind.

"Sister-in-law, do you have any extra bamboo shoots? I'll buy them all at the market price."

Meng Jiuhe was also completely bewildered: "Wife, aren't you afraid of getting tired of eating them? You're still planning to make dried bamboo shoots. I remember there are still some left from last year."

My sister-in-law pointed to the patch of trees next to the house: "It just rained a few days ago over there, and the plants are growing even better. If you like, I can dig some up for you. Don't worry about the money, we're all so familiar with each other."

“Sister-in-law, what are you saying? How can I not charge you? You also have to work hard, and besides, I need quite a lot. Just dig them all up and save them for me, and I'll pay you the market price.”

The sister-in-law wanted to say a few more words to her, but the butcher stopped her. Having dealt with Xu Chaoyan a few times, the butcher knew her temperament well, so he said to his wife, "You shouldn't argue with this young lady. She gives you money, just accept it, otherwise she won't feel at ease."

"By the way, in addition to the meat and bones I ordered before, could you also prepare some extra meat with a good balance of fat and lean?"

"I will definitely prepare what you asked for. I don't know where you're going to get the meat this time, so I can prepare it for you in advance and prevent those gossipy old women from snatching it away for you."

Now, the butchers deliver bones to Xu Chaoyan almost every other day. Their generous use of ingredients attracts many customers, and they make fresh bone broth daily. Sometimes they also make meatballs, which are chopped in advance. He assumed they were still making meatballs.

"This time, the meat won't be too lean; I'll add some fat. I plan to make some large pork and bamboo shoot buns with them. This is the perfect season for fresh bamboo shoots. We should thank nature for its bounty and enjoy this delicious treat."

Her suggestion made the butcher's mouth water, and he asked his wife to make some for him as well.

The butcher's wife glared at him: "A grown man like you, with such a sweet tooth, don't you get tired of eating pigs all day long?"

The butcher looked aggrieved and his voice was a little weaker: "When have we ever eaten whole pieces of meat? We've only ever had scraps. My wife said she wants to enjoy nature's bounty, so let's have a taste."

The burly butcher looked aggrieved, and Xu Chaoyan chuckled and whispered that she would treat him to a meal next time she cooked something.

Just before leaving, Meng Jiuhe seemed to suddenly remember something, took out two books from his pocket, and said somewhat embarrassedly.

"These two calligraphy copybooks are old ones that I used for copying. I hope you won't mind. I'm giving them to your two boys to copy."

He had visited the butcher's house a few times. Although the butcher's family was better off, they were only slightly better off than ordinary families. With elderly parents and young children to support, and with education and literacy not easy, their annual tuition fees were still a bit tight.

His sister-in-law looked at him with gratitude, holding the calligraphy copybook with both hands as if it were a rare treasure: "Thank you very much, Scholar Meng. It is an honor for my two sons to have the opportunity to copy your calligraphy. I thank you on behalf of those two rascals."

The butcher looked grateful: "For families like ours, knowing a few characters and being able to do accounting is enough. We didn't really expect them to know so many characters. Thank you for the calligraphy copybook, Scholar Meng. I will supervise them to practice their calligraphy diligently. Could you please take a look at how these two lads are doing next time?"

Xu Chaoyan gave Meng Jiuhe a thumbs up; she had forgotten about this before.

Along the way, Xu Chaoyan briefly mentioned Jiang Xinyi's situation, saying that she would be temporarily staying in the kitchen.

Meng Jiuhe didn't have any objections, but suggested, "Why don't you squeeze into our yard? This kitchen already has some miscellaneous items stored there, and firewood and such are separated into a small room. It's smoky all day long. Can you really feel at ease living here?"

Jiang Xinyi repeatedly refused after hearing this: "Thank you for taking me in. I'm already grateful for any shelter, and I dare not ask for anything more. I'll stay in the kitchen for now and lend you a hand while also looking after the shop."

Meng Jiuhe carried the things and left first. Jiang Xinyi pulled Xu Chaoyan aside and whispered, "Will it really not affect you if I go to your shop like this? Will they mind my background?"

Seeing her anxious expression, Xu Chaoyan comforted her, "It's fine as long as heaven, earth, you, and I know about this. Besides, you live by your own efforts, you haven't stolen or robbed, so how could I look down on you? Why don't you consider coming to our courtyard and staying in the same room as my sister-in-law? That would be better than staying here."

After she finished speaking, she sighed and looked melancholy: "To be honest, my family situation seems a bit complicated these days. I sometimes get upset by people's words, and I hope you can understand."

Afterwards, the two returned to the shop, and Zhang Yueniang finally breathed a sigh of relief: "I'm relieved to see you back. I'll leave this place to you. I'll go back and check if Yaya is behaving well at home. I'm afraid the little girl will disturb Qi Yu's rest if she stays home all day."

Meng Jiuhe came out of the kitchen just then: "Sister, when you go back, please tell Qi Yu and Uncle to come over. We'll have dinner at the shop tonight. We just got a set of large intestines from the butcher's. We'll make a hot pot and boil some vegetables. My aunt always seems full of energy. As long as she doesn't starve, that's fine. When we get back, just give her a cornbread to eat."

Zhang Yueniang looked at him in disbelief: "Isn't this inappropriate? She's still your aunt, and we're eating alone outside."

Meng Jiuhe remained calm and composed: "What's wrong with that? They've even gone so far as to instigate my grandmother to steal my wife's dowry. And now they still have the nerve to come and rely on me. Besides, I haven't let them go hungry; I've provided them with food and lodging. Moreover, our whole family hasn't been together for a long time. It just so happens that Miss Jiang is here today, so let's welcome her."

Just as Zhang Yueniang was about to leave, Xu Chaoyan called her over and handed her an earthenware pot: "Send this bone broth over there. Eat what you need to replenish your body. Get well soon and leave so you won't be an eyesore."

When Zhang Yueniang returned to the courtyard, she saw Ya Ya sitting obediently with Qi Yu, who was holding a book and pointing to the words on it to teach her.

As the sun began to set and a cool breeze blew by, the two, one big and one small, sat there, looking serene and content. Even the Moon Goddess couldn't help but stare in amazement.