Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 335 The Calm Lake (75)

When Qi Yu arrived at the bottom of his mother's house, the old woman was rummaging through drawers and cabinets looking for something.

He asked with a puzzled look, "Mom, what are you doing so late at night? You can find something tomorrow."

Aunt Qi continued searching, muttering to herself, "I clearly remember it being here. How could it be gone?"

Just as Qi Yu was about to go forward to help, she saw her take a package out of the wooden box and then look delighted.

“I found you here. You usually come out on your own when I’m not looking for you, but when I’m looking for you, you hide and run away. As people get older, their memory isn’t so good. Why didn’t you dry your hair before coming over?”

"Yu'er."

This was the first time Qi Yu had seen his mother look at him so seriously. He suddenly felt a little flustered and quickly asked, "Mom, what's wrong? Has something happened at home? Are those people from our hometown making things difficult for you again?"

Aunt Qi shook her head: "It's nothing, Yu'er's mother just suddenly figured some things out these days."

Qi Yu finally breathed a long sigh of relief: "Mother, don't be so alarmed. Just say what you want to say. You've made my heart pound and I'm so nervous."

Aunt Qi chuckled twice, took a handkerchief and dried the water stains from his hair. Although she was complaining, her tone was noticeably gentler.

"Mother knows you've suffered these past few days. Ever since that incident, you haven't been able to take the imperial examinations. I've had this knot in my heart that I can't untie. It's all my fault for dragging you down."

Qi Yu frowned: "Mother, what are you talking about? Didn't we already agree to live a peaceful life here?"

Aunt Qi gave him a reproachful look and lightly patted his shoulder: "Turn your head away and don't get in my way. I was just saying that the two boys from the Zhang and Meng families are going to the prefectural city. Have you considered going with them?"

Qi Yu became even more puzzled: "Mother, why are we going there to join in the fun? People go there to study and prepare for exams. Besides, prices are higher over there, and renting a house is even more expensive. Let's just stay here for a few years. If you want to go back to our hometown later, we'll go back to the village and be self-sufficient."

When the topic of returning to the village came up, Aunt Qi couldn't help but sigh: "You know how many people in the village are dissatisfied with us. Since your father left, they not only wanted to seize our land, but also wanted to drive us, a widow and her children, out. We barely managed to hold onto those meager plots of land. If you go back now, won't people laugh at us? I don't want them to look at you with strange eyes."

Aunt Qi shoved a small bundle into his hand and said, "There's some loose silver in here that I've saved up over the years by being frugal. We have to give the Zhang family an explanation for what happened today. A perfectly good girl was defiled in public by you, and people will definitely gossip about her. A real man should take responsibility."

Qi Yu lowered her head in shame: "Mother, I didn't think it through. Whatever you say, we'll do it. Everything is up to you."

Aunt Qi: "Although our family is just a small household, we don't have many rules. Yue Niang is a kind-hearted girl, hardworking and capable. I see that Ya Ya likes to stick close to you. You see, I'll talk to her about this tomorrow."

Qi Yu nodded without hesitation or reluctance, saying, "I'll leave everything to Mother's decision."

Then, with a worried look on his face, he said, "But this is all the family can do right now, and I'm afraid it will be unfair to my sister."

Aunt Qi put down the cloth in her hand, also looking worried.

“Right now, our family’s circumstances are indeed unfair to Yue Niang, but you must promise me that you will treat her well in the future and treat Ya Ya like your own daughter. We can’t be an unkind family. Yue Niang has already had a hard life, and that bastard in front of her made her suffer a lot. We must treat her well.”

Qi Yu nodded: "Mother, I know. I still have some loose silver. I'll use it to buy some things and send them over tomorrow."

After the mother and son finished discussing the matter, it was almost past midnight.

Zhang Rongrong also arranged for the shop to be transferred to someone else. They didn't lose money; in fact, they made a small profit.

It just so happens that a distant relative of Zhang Rongrong's wanted to start a small business, so they took over the shop. In the next few days, all they need to do is bring back some things from the shop and tidy up the things in the yard a little.

In the prefectural city, Zhang Rongrong asked her father to inquire at several places and found a courtyard house, for which they paid a deposit. They can just go there directly when the time comes.

Xu Chaoyan rarely gets to sleep in; it's been a long time since she's felt like she'll wake up naturally. Yawning and stretching, she came out of the house.

"Sister-in-law, there's food in the pot."

"Okay, I'll go in a bit."

Suddenly, a startled cry rang out from the Zhang family's side, echoing through the courtyard.

Xu Chaoyan's heart skipped a beat. Could something have happened again? Could it be her older sister? Startled, she quickly ran over.

Meng Jiuxia was playing with the tabby cat in the yard when she suddenly saw her sister-in-law running over in a panic. She dropped the dried fish she was holding and ran after her.

"Sister-in-law, wait for me."

Then he turned around, took Ya Ya's hand, and ran over. The little girl still looked confused, shaking the dried fish.

"Auntie, has something happened to my sister? Has her condition worsened? Should we call another doctor to take a look?"

When Xu Chaoyan arrived, panting, she saw the others standing there unharmed. The table was piled high with food.

She looked over, puzzled, and asked, "Auntie, what's going on? Why are there so many things in the house?"

She wondered if someone else had come to propose marriage to her sister.

The old woman looked at her awkwardly, her mouth moving several times but she didn't know how to speak. Uncle Zhang stood to the side, also looking uneasy.

Xu Chaoyan then looked at Aunt Qi with a puzzled expression.

"What's going on? My sister is still sick, and yet someone has come to the door again. Didn't we talk to those gossipy old women before? Who's gotten so bold as to come here again?"

A fleeting look of embarrassment crossed Aunt Qi's face.

“Well, little Meng’s wife, why don’t you sit down and we can talk slowly?”

Xu Chaoyan was so anxious that her lips were almost blistered: "Aunt Qi, how can I sit down? I have to resolve my sister's matter first. I don't know which gossipy old woman came to our house again. I'll beat and scold her back."

Suddenly, an awkward voice sounded beside her.

"That little Meng's wife, that, that gossipy old woman, that's me."

"Ah, Aunt Qi, why are you getting involved in this kind of thing? You know my sister's past. She never intended to get married. Besides, those people won't treat Yaya sincerely."

The three elderly people looked at each other. No one said anything more.

The old woman pressed her down to sit down and shoved a steamed bun into her hand.

"Here, this was just made this morning, have a bite to tide you over."

Aunt Qi then spoke up again: "We've known each other for a long time, so let's not stand on ceremony. Today I'm here to propose marriage on behalf of my son."

The steamed bun in Xu Chaoyan's hand fell to the ground with a "thud" and rolled a long way away.