Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Yang shi said repeatedly that it was only right; otherwise, a failed match could lead to bad blood. It was a great compliment that Gou Dan’s mother had taken a liking to Qingmu.

So, they agreed that Grandma Huang would come back in the afternoon for an answer, and with that, she slowly headed back to the village.

When Zheng Changhe saw Yang shi approaching, he asked, "What did Aunt Huang come for?"

Yang shi told him that Gou Dan’s mother wanted to arrange a marriage.

Zheng Changhe laughed happily. "Ah! That’s wonderful news. Meizi is a good girl. But what if our Qingmu doesn’t want to get married?"

Yang shi sighed. "I’ll go home and ask him. When the other matchmakers came, I turned them down flat. To be honest, I just wasn’t interested in their candidates. But now that a good one has come along, I can’t bear to refuse."

Zheng Changhe nodded as well, agreeing that was indeed the case.

At noon, Yang shi went home for lunch, but only Qingmu was there.

It turned out that Lanzi and Li Jinxiang also wanted to gather and pick some water bamboo shoots, so they asked Meizi and Liu Xiaomei to come along. Liu Xiaomei, in turn, invited Juhua.

Juhua thought the dish tasted quite good, so she ate lunch first. When her brother finished his studies for the day, she had him tell their parents before she headed into the village.

Back at the house, Yang shi told Qingmu what Grandma Huang had said while they ate, asking him if he was fond of Meizi.

Qingmu hadn’t expected that even after saying he didn’t want to discuss marriage, proposals would still come one after another.

If it were anyone else, he would have just refused. But Meizi really was a nice girl, and she got along well with his sister. While he wouldn’t agree to the match just to avoid offending someone, when he thought about it carefully, he really couldn’t find a reason to say no.

’But it’s not like I was just kidding about not wanting to get married,’ he thought. ’My mind really isn’t on that right now—Huai Zi and I have a lot we want to accomplish.’

’Then again, Mom is right. If I stick stubbornly to this, I might miss out on a good match when one comes along.’

He thought for a moment and said, "Then ask her family. If they’re willing to wait a few years, we can get engaged first. If they’re not willing to wait, then let’s forget it. I really don’t want to get married right now."

Hearing this, Yang shi’s face lit up with joy. "Gou Dan’s mother will be thrilled! She can’t bear for Meizi to get married off. Now her daughter’s marriage is settled, but she doesn’t have to leave home right away. How perfect is that?"

Zheng Changhe was also grinning from ear to ear. Even though the wedding wasn’t happening right away, at least his future daughter-in-law had been chosen.

Seeing how happy they were, Qingmu couldn’t help but smile too.

He didn’t have any particular feelings for Meizi, but now that he had agreed to the match, things were naturally different. Thinking of her innocent and carefree manner, he couldn’t help but blush a little.

Suddenly, he remembered Juhua mentioning that Li Changxing had asked for Meizi’s hand on behalf of Li Changming. ’It seems Gou Dan’s mother must have refused,’ he thought. ’It has nothing to do with me, anyway. It’s not like I’m the one who ruined their chances.’ With that, he put the matter out of his mind.

In the afternoon, when Grandma Huang arrived at the fields looking for Yang shi, Zheng Changhe quickly told her that Yang shi was at home and invited her to go over.

She slowly made her way to the Zheng family’s home. The moment she saw Yang shi greeting her with such a joyful smile, she knew the matter was settled.

So, she entered the house and sat on a small stool Yang shi brought for her. She listened as Yang shi explained Qingmu’s thoughts from beginning to end. Yang shi finished by saying, "Aunt Huang, please tell Gou Dan’s mother that Qingmu isn’t just being difficult. He genuinely doesn’t want to get married right now, but he also thinks Meizi is a wonderful girl, which is why he came up with this solution. I think Gou Dan’s mother will be happy with it. Isn’t she reluctant to see Meizi marry and leave home? We can get them engaged first, which lets Meizi stay with her for a couple more years. Once Qingmu has earned some money and can provide a good home, he can marry Meizi in style. Wouldn’t that be wonderful!"

Grandma Huang also breathed a sigh of relief. "You’re right. Once they’re engaged, our families are officially connected. That sets the heart at ease, and there’s no need to keep looking for other matches. Gou Dan’s mother will certainly be happy to keep her daughter at home for two more years."

Yang shi smiled. "Isn’t that the truth? It’s not easy to find a suitable family to marry into. With a girl like Meizi, whom we know through and through, I can rest easy. And Gou Dan’s mother has watched our Qingmu grow up, so she can rest easy too."

Seeing that she had successfully arranged a marriage, Grandma Huang was especially pleased. She wasn’t in a hurry to leave, so she chatted idly with Yang shi for a long time before finally taking her leave and heading back.

When Juhua came home that evening, Yang shi excitedly told her that from now on, she would have to call Meizi "sister-in-law." Juhua’s face fell in dismay.

She couldn’t believe that Qingmu had actually agreed.

’He never seemed to have any feelings for Meizi, so how could he have agreed? My brother has always said he doesn’t want to think about marriage right now.’

Juhua was incredibly frustrated.

’In my eyes, Qingmu is an exceptional person. Especially since he started studying, I can see how much he and Zhang Huai have grown beyond the norm. It would be so frustrating if he gets hurt because of this—doesn’t he deserve a girl who will be completely devoted to him?’

’But Meizi won’t be completely devoted to him.’

Juhua thought helplessly, ’How am I supposed to tell Mom, Dad, and my brother?’

’Should I just tell them that Meizi likes Li Changming? No, that’s not good. A person’s reputation is at stake. Even though they’re my own parents, it’s better not to say anything if I can help it.’

’But if I don’t say anything, this mistake will continue, and my brother and sister-in-law might end up as an unhappy couple.’

During dinner, seeing how happy her parents were, she couldn’t hold it in any longer. "Dad, Mom, Brother! I’m afraid this match isn’t right!"

Yang shi and Qingmu were both very surprised. They had thought Juhua would be happy. Why did she seem so reluctant?

Yang shi’s voice grew serious. "Juhua, do you know something?"

Juhua said, "It seems Brother Changming is also pursuing Meizi. Brother, you knew about this, didn’t you?"

Seeing her bring this up, Qingmu smiled faintly. "He can pursue her all he wants; it’s not like I played any dirty tricks. Since Grandma Huang came to our door to propose the match, it must mean Gou Dan’s mother was unwilling to marry Meizi to him. Just because he failed to marry her doesn’t mean no one else can, right?"

Yang shi hadn’t known about this. After hearing Qingmu’s explanation, she nodded repeatedly and said, "They aren’t a good match anyway. Changming is a bit too old. Besides, with Granny Hua’s temperament, there’s no way Gou Dan’s mother would ever agree to marry Meizi to her son."