Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Zhang Yang was very hesitant, saying he had to return and ask his teacher about the apprenticeship. He didn’t look down on Mr. Zhou for being just an old Scholar; on the contrary, he held a profound, inexplicable respect for him.

This made Ding Xuezheng even more delighted. A student who valued loyalty and personal bonds was a rare find indeed. He told them to go right ahead and ask their teacher, adding that it wouldn’t be a problem even if Zhang Yang didn’t take him as a master.

They were happy, but County Magistrate Li was thoroughly frustrated. ’If I’d known it would turn out like this, I would have tried to win over the people from Qingnan Village. These students are from my own jurisdiction, yet they’re not close to me at all. Instead, Ding Xuezheng has poached them. What a huge loss!’

Juhua asked Zhang Yang, "So, did your teacher agree to the apprenticeship?"

Zhang Yang smiled and nodded. "Mr. Zhou said, ’What’s the harm in taking him as your master? Even the sage said that when three walk together, one will surely be my teacher. All the more so for the esteemed State School Governor—of course he is qualified to be your teacher.’"

’Juhua knew perfectly well that a master-student relationship in the world of officialdom was no ordinary thing. It meant they were inextricably linked, sharing a common fate. By taking this step, Zhang Yang was essentially joining Ding Xuezheng’s faction.’

She asked softly, "Then have you heard... about the Emperor?"

’She didn’t finish her question. Was she supposed to ask why the Emperor wasn’t dead yet? You couldn’t ask something like that, not even at home. If word ever got out, her entire family would be doomed.’

Qingmu knew what his sister wanted to ask. He just looked at her and shook his head.

’The Emperor was surely playing games. It looked like he could easily drag this out for another two years. His supposed "critical illness" was just a pretext to test the various Princes. And all their squabbling only brought suffering to the common people.’

Once the dishes were on the table, the topic shifted to Li Changliang’s refusal to acknowledge his marriage into the Sun Family.

Zhang Dashuan suddenly laughed. "He can’t just not acknowledge it. He’ll just have to stew in his anger for a few days. The way I see it, just like how Meizi can wrap Granny Hua around her little finger, Li Changliang will definitely tame Liu’er’s mother. It’s like they say, there’s a counter for everything."

Everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

He was still stewing over Liu’er’s mother cursing Juhua. She took a bite of food and grumbled, "That old hag is just awful. I’ve never met anyone so detestable. Even Granny Hua is a saint compared to her."

Yang’s expression was also grim.

Liu Yunlan asked hesitantly, "Juhua, do you think Liu’er can get better? This marriage will only work out if she does. Otherwise, the two families might become enemies down the line."

Ever since seeing Liu’er that afternoon, her heart had been pounding with anxiety—a wife divorced and sent back to her family had practically no way of surviving. She glanced at Qingmu and instinctively placed some food in his bowl. The moment he finished his rice, she immediately got up to get him a refill.

’She didn’t know why she was so afraid. Qingmu never treated her poorly, and her mother-in-law was good to her. She was a capable woman who could think for herself, so the prospect of divorce was a distant one. Still, her heart was full of unease.’

’No wonder Juhua cried,’ she thought. ’She must be feeling just as upset as I am.’

Qingmu, however, wasn’t overthinking it. He just felt his wife was wonderful to him, and so he smiled gently at her as he accepted the refilled bowl.

Juhua said, "I think her illness came from bottling up all her worries. She should be able to recover. You wouldn’t know, but after I talked with her for a while, her spirits lifted quite a bit right then and there."

Yang raised her voice. "What do you know? To live, you have to be happy and not bottle up your anger. Once you start sulking, your mind gets tangled up, and when your mind’s tangled, you can’t sleep. And tell me, if you can’t even sleep, how can you not get sick? The old saying is right: ’A good night’s sleep is better than a royal feast.’ If you don’t sleep well, eating the best food in the world won’t do you any good."

Juhua listened with rapt attention. She felt her mother’s reasoning was simple and straightforward, but also made perfect sense.

He sighed. "That child has such a bitter lot in life. Juhua is right, her illness came from bottling everything up. It’s a good thing Changling made such a scene today. Otherwise, if she’d been sent back to the Sun Family in her state, I’m afraid she wouldn’t have made it through the night."

Juhua’s heart clenched at those words, and her nose began to sting as tears welled up in her eyes.

Huai Zi seemed to sense the source of her emotional turmoil and knew what topics to avoid. He quickly jumped in, "But things are better now. Changling took her home. Whatever’s on her mind, Changling will talk it out of her—he doesn’t beat around the bush, he’s very direct. You saw it when he was arguing with Liu’er’s mother earlier. The rest of us, we fought and we cursed, but we were completely helpless against that woman."

Juhua recalled how Li Changliang had berated Liu’er’s mother until the woman’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she couldn’t help but laugh through her tears. Only then did Huai Zi let out a sigh of relief. He smiled, urged her to eat a little more, and then went to wash up for the night.

The next day, just as expected, the Li Family only served tea to the well-wishers who came to their door. Li Changliang and Sun Liu’er simply performed the ceremonial bows, and with that, they were considered married. Afterward, while the men were tidying up the house, Meizi and Granny Hua took on the responsibility of caring for Liu’er.

As the saying goes, "Sickness comes like a landslide, but leaves like reeling silk." Although Liu’er had regained her will to live, her illness wouldn’t vanish overnight.

She had been sick for a long time, after all. A few days of recuperation had improved her spirits, but her physical health showed no signs of recovery. Inevitably, she grew despondent and filled with despair once more. ’It seems even Heaven refuses to spare me,’ she thought.

Seeing her force smiles and sometimes even cry in secret, Meizi knew this couldn’t go on. She went to find Juhua again, because she’d heard from Changling how good Juhua was at talking to people, and how she had lifted Liu’er’s spirits with just a few words.

Juhua herself hadn’t been in high spirits for the past couple of days, so she was simply resting at home. When she got restless, she would walk around the courtyard or go check on the vegetable garden. She had wanted to find an opportunity to visit Liu’er at Meizi’s house, but He forbade it, afraid she would run into Liu’er’s mother. He was still wary after the woman had cursed Juhua.

Just as she was thinking about this, Meizi showed up at her door.

After hearing Meizi out, she asked, "What have you been feeding her?"

Meizi said quickly, "We’re all hoping she’ll get better. I simmered a soup from an old hen yesterday, and she ate a little. Today my mother-in-law brought another one over, but we haven’t butchered it yet."

Juhua shook her head. "She can’t eat things like that right now. You need to make her congee, cooked until it’s nice and thick. Just before you serve it, add some spinach leaves, some Little Cabbage leaves, and a pinch of salt."