Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Juhua looked at the glistening yellow mush on the diaper, taking in a scent that wasn’t exactly foul, but certainly wasn’t fragrant. Holding back a laugh, she wrapped up the cloth and took it outside.

The Yang Family hurriedly said, "Don’t touch that! Just leave it there and I’ll clean it up—I’m worried the smell will be too much for you. It would be terrible if you got nauseous."

Juhua said with a laugh as she went, "It’s alright, I’ll just take it outside."

He said with a smile, "Juhua is so practical. Any other young woman who hadn’t been through this would probably run a mile at the sight of it!"

The Yang Family proudly watched Juhua as she came back in and closed the door. "My Juhua has never been delicate." Liu Yunlan also watched Juhua with gratitude.

Little Hulu’s "golden" delivery didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits in the slightest. The lively gathering continued for half the afternoon. After dinner, the Zheng Family finally headed home, treading through the deep snow.

Pregnancy seemed to be making Juhua more sensitive.

Early in the morning, she walked out the main gate, her breath fogging in the air as she rubbed her hands together. Her gaze fell on two plum trees in the courtyard, their blossoms defying the snow and frost, and she found herself lost in thought. The yard was a vast expanse of silver, quiet and cold. The white snow reflected the rosy hues of dawn, creating a scene of tranquil serenity.

She gazed intently at the plum blossoms and, to her surprise, felt tears welling in her eyes. ’I’ve been here for so many years now!’ Her past and present lives flashed before her eyes, then settled like the snow-covered world around her.

She slowly descended the steps and drew near the plum blossoms, gently touching a flower. Its petals, smooth as polished jade, were in full bloom, seemingly smiling and whispering a story. Yet, in the next moment, they appeared silent and reserved, so restrained they seemed to be forged from ice and snow.

She just stood there quietly under the tree, her hand caressing a flowering branch, as tears inexplicably streamed down her face.

Coming out of the outhouse, Huai Zi saw Juhua standing under the plum tree, admiring the blossoms. "Juhua, get back up on the porch!" he called out hurriedly. "The snow hasn’t been swept. Your feet will get wet and you’ll get cold." He came over to pull her away.

Juhua turned her head. Seeing her eyes brimming with tears, Huai Zi was stunned. He quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the house. "What happened?" he asked. "Juhua, are you feeling sick?"

He wrapped her icy hands in his own large ones and asked anxiously, "Juhua, is something weighing on you? Please, tell me." ’She doesn’t seem physically sick,’ he thought. ’If she were, she would’ve gone back inside to lie down. She must have thought of something upsetting. She looks so heartbroken!’

Juhua composed herself and forced a smile. "It’s nothing, really. I just... I don’t know why, but seeing those flowers... it just made me a little sad!"

’It was difficult to explain that the flowers had reminded her of distant memories. That alone wasn’t enough to make her cry. The only explanation was the pregnancy. She knew that pregnant women were prone to emotional instability.’

’But why was she losing control so easily?’

Huai Zi, who had been terrified moments before, was now completely baffled. ’Sad from seeing flowers?’ This was so unlike Juhua. She was normally overjoyed to see them. He thought of the autumn chrysanthemums. Every morning, she would carry her basket and a pair of scissors to carefully, almost reluctantly, snip them. Her eyes would always be smiling as she worked.

Seeing his confusion and not wanting him to worry, Juhua said, "I’ve heard that when you’re pregnant, you can get really moody. Some women get angry easily, others get sad. It’s common to not be your usual self. If you see me like this from now on, you should try to comfort me. I don’t want to be this way, I just feel awful inside."

’She really didn’t want what just happened to become a regular occurrence.’

Hearing this, Huai Zi’s heart sank. He reached up to wipe a tear from the corner of her eye and forced a smile. "Don’t you worry. I’ll just have to spend more time with you. Come on, let’s go wash up. Mother is already cooking breakfast. After we eat, we won’t look at the flowers. We’ll go look at the vegetables. Don’t you love digging for greens in the snow?"

Juhua nodded, and the two of them went to the kitchen to wash up.

Sure enough, He was already in the kitchen cooking porridge. She smiled at Juhua. "It’s so cold in the winter. You should sleep in more and not get up so early. All I do is cook, and your father is here to feed the pigs and chickens. We’re old and don’t sleep soundly, so we don’t like to wake up late."

Juhua nodded. "Okay. I only got up because I was already awake." She turned to Huai Zi and said, "Huai Zi, could you go over to my mother’s and bring back the milk? It’ll save her a trip—with a nursing baby at home, her mornings are hectic."

"You wash up first, I’ll go get it," Huai Zi said readily, and headed out.

Meanwhile, He went on chattering to Juhua, giving her advice about eating well and staying warm. Juhua kept humming in agreement, but her eyes strayed to the lazy cat curled up in the opening of the stove. It was sound asleep, snoring softly on top of one of her cotton shoe inserts.