Transmigrated Leftover Woman in Rural Style

The news that a renowned surgeon was coming thrilled the Li family, but it also deepened Qi Ji's doubts. Having known Wei Yu for over twenty years, he didn't believe the young man would help without a reason. As for the deal Li Xiaonuan had mentioned earlier, Qi Ji was quite curious.

In the backyard of the clinic again, this time Qi Ji was drinking tea. Across from him, Doctor Qi stroked his beard and asked, "Is Prince Jing really coming? Was it that brat Wei Yu who invited him?"

Qi Ji sipped his tea, his voice calm and even, and said, "He invited me; he'll arrive the day after tomorrow."

Doctor Qi raised an eyebrow and asked teasingly, "Why didn't you invite Prince Jing before? Prince Jing values ​​you so much, you only needed to say the word and he would have come."

Qi Ji remained unfazed and said, "Since I do not wish to marry Princess Qingning, I will not owe anyone a favor. I heard that Prince Jing is arranging a marriage for her. I can still ask for help after she is engaged."

Doctor Qi's lips twitched, and he accidentally plucked a hair from his beard, wincing in pain. After a long while, he asked curiously, "You schemed against Prince Jing all this just for that Li Xiaonuan who only looks a little like her?"

Qi Ji put down his teacup, opened his folding fan and fanned himself, saying casually, "That's what I thought at first. But now, I'm more curious about what her deal with Wei Yu was."

Looking at his leisurely son, Doctor Qi couldn't help but remind him, "When you're curious, why don't you take a moment to think about how to deal with Prince Jing?"

Sure enough, Qi Ji's relaxed expression cracked, and his handsome face fell. Doctor Qi was satisfied and walked out laughing. Qi Ji's face darkened, but he was also quite helpless. With a father who loved to make fun of him, he couldn't very well run away from home.

With the busy farming season temporarily over, Li Xiaogang spent his days at the clinic accompanying his father. His father was now able to walk for short periods, so Li Xiaogang would take him for walks in the town. Li Xiaonuan and the others agreed to this. After all, a better mood was beneficial for his treatment.

"Sister Xiaonuan, my brother caught a lot of fish, I'm bringing you two." Zhou Jingjing, Aunt Zhou's youngest daughter, hopped in from the doorway, waving the fish in her hand.

Hearing the call, Li Xiaonuan quickly came out of the house. Taking the fish from Zhou Jingjing's hand, she asked, "Jingjing, didn't Xiaoyang go fishing with your brother? Why are you bringing fish?"

Zhou Jingjing frowned and said, "Don't even mention it. When we got to the fork in the road, we overheard someone gossiping about you. Brother Xiaoyang went to ask him a few questions, and then ran off angrily. I thought he came back and told you."

Li Xiaonuan immediately sensed something was wrong. Li Xiaoyang was at the age where he was most prone to impulsiveness; she hoped he wouldn't cause any trouble. So she asked, "Where did Xiaoyang run off to?"

Jingjing tugged at her clothes and pouted, saying, "Brother Xiaoyang ran off to Jiuzhou Village. Those people said you were shameless, that you broke off the engagement and ruined Wang Tu's reputation, and that you scared him so much that he dared not marry Xu Yan. They also said that you've now hooked up with Doctor Qi and are using your body to pay for the medical bills."

Li Xiaonuan's eyelids twitched. The rumors about her hadn't stopped since the engagement was called off. But she hadn't paid attention to it recently because of her father's health and the busy farming season. Now it seemed some people had forgotten the pain once the wound healed.

"Did those people say who spread those words?" Li Xiaonuan asked.

Jingjing replied, "No, but one of the people gossiping is Xu Yan's sister-in-law."

Upon hearing that she was Xu Yan's sister-in-law, Li Xiaonuan smiled. Knowing her target, she felt relieved. Xiao Yang wasn't a brainless person; he shouldn't be in any trouble. As for those rumors, Li Xiaonuan had her own ideas. Therefore, she pulled Zhou Jingjing into the kitchen with her.

After asking Zhou Jingjing to sit down, Li Xiaonuan said, "Jingjing, let me teach you how to make sauerkraut fish. That way, you can make it at home whenever your brother catches fish."

Jingjing said excitedly, "Yes, I will definitely learn well. My mother said that we have never seen many of the dishes you cook before, and they taste good too."

Looking at the girl's innocent face, Li Xiaonuan smiled and taught her how to cook fish step by step. Jingjing is Aunt Zhou's youngest daughter, and she is fourteen years old this year. Before, she lived with her aunt in the city and only came back during the busy farming season.

Aunt Zhou said that her aunt wanted to arrange a marriage for her in the city, which is why she took her to live with her for a while. But Aunt Zhou didn't think it was good for her to marry into the city. She felt that Jingjing was too soft-hearted and simple-minded, and should find a reliable and honest farmer.

Li Xiaonuan did not comment on this. However, she privately instilled in Jingjing the concept of female independence and self-reliance. As long as she is strong-willed, even if she encounters an unreliable husband's family, Jingjing can still support the family business.

The fish had barely been in the pot when Li Xiaoyang returned. He leaned against the kitchen doorway, panting, and called out, "Sister!"

Li Xiaonuan responded and said to him, "You're back. Sit down and rest for a while, have a bowl of water. Once you've calmed down, go to Grandma Yu's house and call Mom back for lunch."

Li Xiaoyang said "Ai," took the bowl of water from Li Xiaonuan, and gulped it down. Then, he casually pulled up a stool and sat down by the door. Jingjing curiously leaned over and asked, "Brother Xiaoyang, what were you doing just now?"

Xiao Gang wiped his sweat, grinned, and said, "I went to deliver a letter to Xu Yan for Old Zhou."

Jingjing first let out a confused "Ah," then covered her mouth and burst into laughter. Seeing the two children laughing together, Li Xiaonuan couldn't help but laugh too.

Old Master Zhou was the younger brother and only brother of Landlord Zhou. Xu Yan had once worked as a maid in Landlord Zhou's household. Of course, it was her sister-in-law who sold her into the service. Having witnessed the life of the wealthy, Xu Yan developed inappropriate thoughts.

Originally, Xu Yan wanted to seduce the eldest son of the landlord Zhou. However, the young master was chaste and insisted on transferring her to the inner courtyard to serve Old Madam Zhou. Later, Xu Yan set her sights on the landlord Zhou. She originally planned to become the landlord Zhou's concubine and then teach the eldest son Zhou a lesson.

Everything was going smoothly until something went wrong that night. The next day, Xu Yan woke up in Zhou Laocai's bed. Moreover, she was dragged out of bed by Zhou Laocai's fierce wife. At that time, Xu Yan was naked, and the ambiguous marks on her body were quite conspicuous.

Later, Xu Yan was expelled from the Zhou landlord's house, and her indenture was voided. Xu Yan had truly lost both her wife and her money. The Zhou landlord's family didn't want to push things too far, so they kept it a secret. They only told others that Xu Yan was too proud and not suitable for serving others, and that the Zhou family released her to accommodate her.

Of course, Xu Yan and her brother and sister-in-law accepted this loss because they received compensation from Zhou Laocai. Furthermore, they didn't dare offend the Zhou family. Because, when they sent Xu Yan home, Zhou Laocai's wife had said:

“If you dare to cause trouble, I dare to expose the despicable things Xu Yan has done. Let’s see if you still have the face to live here then. If you have no shame, I don’t mind making your whole family disappear without a trace.”

Of course, secrets can't stay hidden forever, and Xu Yan's affair eventually got out. But Xu Yan wasn't just pretty and busty; she was also smart. She always presented herself as an innocent, tearful girl, managing to bury the rumors. After that, she got involved with Wang Tu.