Ugly girl only wants to farm

Although the weather is gradually warming up, it is still a bit chilly in the morning, and the dew is still quite heavy.

Xu Chaoyan usually wouldn't let Meng Jiuhe get up that early. She would wait until they had made breakfast, then take out the remaining charcoal from the stove to keep warm, and then move Meng Jiuhe over.

Yesterday, Meng's father and his family went to the village and asked a few families if they had any leftover straw. They said they could give them some, but they didn't need the copper coins. They were all from the same village.

Feeling truly guilty, Meng's father still slipped two copper coins to each family. The others said that only Ma the Cripple's family not only took the coins but also said sarcastically, "I really don't understand the affairs of you scholars. What kind of trouble are you trying to cause now?"

Ma the Cripple's eyes darted around as he subtly inquired with Meng's father what they wanted to do with the straw. Did they have some kind of get-rich-quick scheme? Not wanting to tell the villagers, everyone looked at the Meng father and daughter with some suspicion.

Meng's father had received some schooling, but later worked as an accountant in town and rarely interacted with the villagers, so he was definitely no match for them in arguments.

Meng Jiuxia quickly protected her father and explained to everyone, "What are you saying, uncles and aunts? Last year, my father injured his leg and couldn't do anything to gather straw, right? This year, we want to renovate the house and build another shed so we can raise some chickens and ducks."

Meng Jiuxia's reasonable explanation finally dispelled the villagers' doubts.

Xu Chaoyan was currently chopping bamboo strips with a knife, planning to build a fence and a small shed for the chickens.

Just then, she saw Li Sanniang returning in a huff. She quickly put down her bamboo knife, shook off the bamboo shavings, and went to greet her: "Mother, what's wrong? Why are you back at your parents' home? Why are you so angry? Did they make you suffer?"

Li San Niang slammed the bag of sweet potatoes on the table, looking annoyed. "My sister-in-law is such a snob. She used to treat our family so well, but this time when she saw me carrying a salted fish and sweet potatoes, she immediately accepted the salted fish and said we should take the sweet potatoes back for ourselves. She also subtly and overtly belittled our family, saying that my son has no future. I told her I didn't need to go back to my parents' home, but her father insisted that I go back, and I ended up getting a lot of anger."

Xu Chaoyan quickly poured her a bowl of warm water and placed it in front of her: "Mother, you must be tired from your journey. Drink some water first to calm down. Don't take those people to heart. If they don't want to eat it, we'll keep it for ourselves. It's roasting in the fire and smells delicious. I wouldn't bear to give it to them."

Meng Jiudong pouted from the side, "Sister-in-law, you don't know, when we passed the village entrance on our way back just now, that gossipy old woman was talking badly about you."

Mentioning this only made Li Sanniang angrier. Seeing her husband's concerned look, she finally spoke up: "You know Chang Geng's wife, she's always gossiping and can't stand seeing other people doing better than her. Just now, when Dong'er and I passed by her house, she saw that our clothes were faded from washing and implied that my Jiuhe was now useless. Didn't he used to be so arrogant because he had read a few books? Now that he's a good-for-nothing, she still tells me to be careful..."

After she finished speaking, she couldn't continue. Meng's father was so anxious that he almost jumped up: "What did he say that made you so angry?"

Li San Niang kept her head down and didn't say a word for a long time.

Meng Jiuxia glanced at her younger brother and asked, "Did Chang Geng's wife say something bad about Trumpet Flower? That old woman is such a gossip, always watching the villagers who have nothing better to do than talk about it."

Finally, Li Sanniang glanced at Xu Chaoyan and said with a look of difficulty, "Chang Geng's wife is simply inhuman. She said that now that Jiuhe has injured his leg, she definitely won't be able to keep her daughter-in-law. She told us to be careful. She said that there are several bachelors in the village who wander around our yard and outside all the time, saying that our daughter-in-law might run away with someone one day."

For the first time, Meng's father was so angry that he started cursing: "That shameless old woman, she couldn't keep her own husband and ran off with someone else, and now she comes to bully our family. She's just unhappy with her own life, so she stirs up trouble and sows discord."

Seeing that everyone's eyes were on her, Xu Chaoyan said frankly, "You all know how I am to my husband. Why would I run away? I'm afraid that if my husband becomes successful, he won't want me anymore."

Meng Jiu glanced at Xu Chaoyan from afar and saw that she looked calm and collected, as if she was afraid he would run away. He smiled self-deprecatingly. What right did he have now?

Li San Niang quickly explained, "Yan'er's mother isn't doubting whether you'll run away or not. Mother is just furious that woman slandered our family like that. We've all seen what you've done for this family. For Jiuhe, marrying you is the greatest blessing of his life. Our whole family is too grateful to even think about thanking you."

Meng Fufu chimed in, "If you see that woman in the future, take a detour. She's a gossipy old woman. When she was young, her husband had affairs with several women in the village, and she would sit at their door and curse them for three days and three nights without stopping. She would even pour excrement on their bedding. You should avoid getting involved with her."

Li San Niang nodded at this moment: "Yes, I know. I'm just angry that she insulted our family like that. What's even angrier is my mouth. I can't win an argument with her. She's very quick with her words. I'm at a disadvantage because of my words."

After a long silence, Meng Jiuhe suddenly spoke up: "Mother, why do you care so much when you have nothing to do? What others say is their business. We just need to live our own lives. As the saying goes, walk your own path and let others talk. No matter how much or how right we are, there will still be flaws in other people's eyes."

He paused for a moment and then continued, "I am now a cripple. As for whether Xu Chaoyan wants to stay or leave, that is up to her. If she wants to leave, I will give her a letter of divorce. It would be a real injustice for her to live with a cripple like me."

He spoke these words with great magnanimity, but he felt a little uncomfortable inside, and his hand unconsciously gripped the stool next to him, scratching and picking at it.

Li San Niang was the first to react and quickly scolded him: "What are you saying? We all know how Yan'er feels about you. Besides, your in-laws have disappeared without a trace. Where can you send her? What if a woman encounters someone with ill intentions? This is her home. Don't say such things again."

Then Li San Niang told everyone some happy news: she went to see the carpenter, looked at the blueprints, and he said he could make one, but it would take ten days to half a month, so they would have to wait a while.

Xu Chaoyan's face lit up with joy: "Really, Mother? That's wonderful! We just found a wheelchair yesterday and were thinking of repairing it so that my husband could ride in it from now on. We'll take him to town. It's better to have a wheelchair now than to ride in that wheelchair."

After speaking, she glanced in Meng Jiuhe's direction. Seeing her smiling face, Meng Jiuhe quickly turned his head away, not thinking he didn't know what they were thinking.

Although Meng Jiu had previously sternly refused to ride the wheelbarrow to town, on market day, he still reluctantly got on, his face so sullen it could wring water out of it the whole way.

Meng Jiuxia whispered from the side, "Morning Glory, look at my brother's face, it's as black as the bottom of a pot! Maybe we should just let it go?"

Xu Chaoyan glanced at her and then said indifferently, "It's a long way from here to town. Why don't you carry him to see a doctor?"

Meng Jiuxia quickly waved her hand: "Then let's take the car."

Along the way, many people looked at her with curiosity, pointing and praising her for being so good to her man. Meng Jiuhe wished she could find a hole to crawl into, her ears turning so red they could bleed.