Ugly girl only wants to farm

Meng Jiuxia also looked excited and couldn't help but say, "Sister-in-law, look how many people are outside, it's so lively. The city gate looks so grand. It looks much more prosperous than the county."

Xu Chaoyan nodded: "The prefectural city is indeed a bit more lively. Don't be attracted by this tip of the iceberg. When your sister-in-law has earned enough money, I will take you to the capital and let you see the prosperity of the capital."

Meng Jiuxia nodded, looking on with anticipation: "Sister-in-law, are you serious? I will definitely work hard to help you with chores in the future."

Meng Jiuhe gently patted her head and suddenly glanced longingly in the direction of home. She thought to herself, "If only my parents had come here with me."

Xu Chaoyan saw his sad and dejected look, and taking advantage of Meng Jiuxia's inattention, she left a kiss on his forehead and said softly, "Everything will be alright."

Meng Jiuhe nodded and his mouth moved a few times. Xu Chaoyan understood and said, "Luckily, I have you."

Qi Yu held the curious Ya Ya and pointed to various objects outside, explaining them to her.

Although Yue Niang had been resting during the scorching days, she still looked exhausted. She had never traveled such a long distance before. The swaying of the carriage had made her back ache, and she was now leaning against the carriage wall, not wanting to move at all.

Seeing her exhausted appearance, Qi Yu quickly handed her some water.

"Have a sip of water first, calm down and bear with it for a few more minutes until you enter the city gate. Once you get to our lodgings, you can rest well."

Moon Lady gave a weak "hmm" and said that she probably wouldn't be able to stand it if she walked for another day.

After undergoing routine checks, the carriage entered the city smoothly and took them to the courtyard that Zhang Rongrong had found for them earlier.

The carriage turned left and right, entering one alley after another. Just when Xu Chaoyan was getting dizzy from all the winding paths, it finally stopped deep in the alley.

Along the way, we saw several willow trees from time to time. Therefore, this place is also called Willow Lane.

This courtyard is located at the deepest part of the alley, next to which is an open space overgrown with weeds, looking somewhat desolate.

Xu Chaoyan glanced around and saw that although the alley was at the very end, it was quiet. There was also a piece of wasteland that would be perfect for the old lady to cultivate vegetables.

She pointed to the overgrown field and said with a smile, "Auntie, your vegetable garden is back! Aren't you happy?"

This courtyard is definitely not comparable to theirs in the county. It's noticeably smaller. Zhang Rongrong said that this is already considered a good deal for them in terms of rent and other conditions.

Everyone moved their belongings into the yard in an orderly fashion. The previous tenants had just moved out about two weeks ago. There were still many areas that needed to be cleaned and tidied up.

This was a small courtyard house. Xu Chaoyan glanced at its layout and gave the main room to Uncle Zhang and his family.

They and Qi Yu's family each occupied the east and west wing rooms. The main room had better lighting. Grandma Zhang and her husband were getting old, and their eyesight wasn't very good.

She was quite satisfied with the little courtyard; though small, it had everything she needed.

Most importantly, there's a well in the middle of the yard, saving them the embarrassment of having to fetch water from outside. They can also have someone build a stone slab for washing clothes later, which will make things easier.

Suddenly, Xu Chaoyan was drawn to some green plants by the wall. She ran over and took a closer look at the lush greenery, and her eyes lit up with delight.

When Meng Jiuhe noticed that she hadn't returned to the room for a long time, he came looking for her. Seeing her grinning foolishly at the mint, he asked gently, "Wife, what's wrong with this mint?"

Xu Chaoyan picked a leaf, held it to her nose, and gently inhaled its coolness and fragrance.

"I think I can smell money."

Meng Jiuhe originally wanted to brush the hair stuck to her face, but after hearing her words, he couldn't help but laugh out loud, and his hand stopped in mid-air.

"This is just ordinary mint. What are you planning to do now? You finally have some free time to rest. You and your younger sister should rest at home these days. Rest for a day tomorrow, and we'll go to the prefectural school to report the day after tomorrow."

Xu Chaoyan didn't explain to him. But she couldn't hide the smile on her face.

"I won't explain it to you now; you'll find out in time. If I tell you now, it won't be a surprise."

The Zhang couple had never traveled this far before, and the carriage swayed and rattled all the way. Their bodies couldn't take it, and they hadn't recovered by the next day.

Xu Chaoyan was in high spirits. The next day, she even took Meng Jiuhe for a walk around the streets. The landlord told them that people from all walks of life rented rooms there.

Her main goal was to go out and explore the streets, to see if she could start a small business. She couldn't just sit around and eat her savings away to make a living.

With two years until the provincial examination, she needed to find a way to earn some money. She wandered around the streets for a while, inquiring about various prices. They were indeed much higher than before.

Seeing her worried expression, Meng Jiuhe comforted her, saying, "Wife, don't worry about money. I just saw several bookstores on East Street. They seem to be doing good business. When I have some free time, I'll bring some books back to copy for you to supplement your household income."

Xu Chaoyan nodded and did not refuse: "There's no rush to get you into the academy right now. By the way, are you short of writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones? Would you like to bring some back with you?"

Meng Jiuhe glanced at the bookstore and quickly declined, saying, "The things in there look very expensive. I still have some paper left over, so I don't need it for now."

Five days had passed by the time they finished tidying up the small courtyard.

These past few days, they have successfully entered the prefectural school with that letter of recommendation.

Xu Chaoyan had brought over a few chickens earlier, but now that the yard is a bit smaller, she figured they wouldn't last long. She had some free time these past few days, so she went to find some bamboo, and Uncle Zhang helped her weave a bamboo fence to make a simple chicken coop.

Yue Niang was mending Qi Yu's old clothes, looking worried.

“It’s been quite a while, and Mother hasn’t sent a message. We don’t know when she’ll come over. She’s all alone in the countryside, and we’re all a little worried. I’ve noticed that Qi Yu hasn’t been sleeping well these past few days.”

Three families now live there, but there are only two cooking areas in the courtyard. For now, Qi Yu and his family can cook with his aunt and the others, but they will separate once his mother arrives.

Xu Chaoyan had been thinking for the past few days about going out to find a bricklayer to build a stove. She would let it air out for a few days so that Qi Yu's family could use it.

Seeing Yue Niang's worried expression, she comforted her, saying, "I suppose Aunt Qi still has some things to take care of back in the countryside. Why don't you wait a few more days? If there's still no news, you can have Qi Yu send a letter back home."

Moon Maiden nodded, took the needle and thread, ran it a couple of times on her head, and continued mending the clothes.

"This is the only way for now. I just noticed he seemed worried but didn't know how to comfort him."

Xu Chaoyan suddenly leaned closer: "Sister, how are you getting along?"

Zhang Yueniang's face flushed red instantly.