Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 309 The Calm Lake (49)

"I... well, I really don't know, my wife. Could you please look for it for me? I'm in a hurry to leave."

Meng Jiuhe followed directly after her, ignoring Xu Chaoyan's gaze and slamming the wooden basin down with a "thud." She spoke irritably.

"Go find your childhood sweetheart, he cares about you so much, calling you 'brother' this and 'brother' that. Don't get in my way here. I'm so busy with all these awful things, I'll settle accounts with you when I have some free time. You have to sign the divorce papers whether you like it or not."

Meng Jiuhe truly felt wronged. He had only eaten one meal and drunk a few cups of wine, yet his wife had neglected him for so long, sleeping in the study every day. Every night, he had cursed the Zhang family to the bone, even insulting their ancestors several times.

It just so happens that Zhang Xuyang once saw him and even mocked him. Unexpectedly, the refined scholar Meng Xiucai actually cursed like that shrew.

Half a month passed in a flash, and Xu Chaoyan still ignored him, busy with the shop's affairs, while the weather grew hotter and hotter.

The students didn't have much of an appetite as a result, and she had been thinking about coming up with some other creative ideas to improve their appetite.

I made my own ice jelly a while ago and originally planned to start selling it, but I couldn't make it because of these annoying things.

So every morning I would cook a pot of mung bean soup, let it sit there, and give everyone a bowl for free.

After spending half a month with Jiang Xinyi, Bao'er's complexion improved significantly, and she became more cheerful.

That day, Jiang Xinyi said to her, "Bao'er has been delayed here for too long. I'll send her back now. When I have more money, I'll go and bring her back. From now on, we'll depend on each other."

Although the weather has been hot lately, there have been several heavy rainstorms, making it chilly in the mornings and evenings. Even with the blankets on, it still feels a bit hot.

Xu Chaoyan woke up with a very stuffy nose and coughed several times. Her throat was also sore and her voice was a little hoarse.

“Xinyi, don’t rush to send Bao’er back first. Look how happy he is with you. Why don’t you let him stay a few more days before sending him back?”

Seeing that her voice was so hoarse, Jiang Xinyi advised her several times: "I told him to go back and rest, and to see a doctor. He must have been overworked these days."

Xu Chaoyan declined all offers; today she planned to make some cold bamboo shoot salad. The weather was hot, and everyone had little appetite, so some cold dishes could help whet their appetite.

During this period, various bamboo shoots are in season. Taking advantage of the good weather, you can also dry some bamboo shoots to make a delicious soup in winter.

"There are still some things to take care of in this shop. I'll just drink some more water to moisten my throat."

Jiang Xinyi looked at her with a worried expression, but Xu Chaoyan was also a bit stubborn and she couldn't persuade her otherwise.

"Alright, then be careful. If there's anything you need today, just let us know. A few days ago, my aunt and I picked some honeysuckle from the back mountain and dried it. We'll make you a pot of water in a bit."

In the past two weeks, the Yu family has sent people over twice to cause trouble, saying they want to take Bao'er back.

Each time, Jiang Xinyi would scold him back. That bastard would pretend to be affectionate, saying that the original spouse is the best, and that Tong Meifang was just putting on an act, only trying to get some money from her because she was rich, so he could build a big house for her family.

They planned to live a good life together as a family of three. Before leaving, they asked Jiang Xinyi to find an old doctor to prescribe some medicine to help her recover so she could have a son.

Xu Chaoyan overheard his comment about having a son, which angered her so much that she picked up a broom and chased him away. She thought this man was incredibly shameless, wanting both ways.

He wanted to live off a woman, but he couldn't quite manage it. He was with his mistress while also having an affair with his wife. The relationship between the three of them was complicated and difficult to unravel.

Yu Junzhi, emboldened by Mei Fang's affections, became fearless.

Xu Chaoyan wanted to slap him twice to make him lose his composure.

After being harassed several times, Jiang Xinyi felt somewhat guilty: "I'm really sorry about Ayan, I've caused you a lot of trouble. Maybe I should leave. I'm afraid that bastard will come back to this shop, and it's not easy for your two families to run this shop."

Xu Chaoyan's expression changed: "What are you talking about? We've known each other for so long, don't you know what kind of person I am? If I were really that kind of person, I wouldn't have taken you in in the first place. Just stay here and be at ease. If he comes again, I'll beat him to a pulp."

Jiang Xinyi was deeply moved. This was the first time someone had cared so much about her feelings and treated her so well. Her parents had never said such things to her. They would sell her off so cheaply just to support her younger brother. Her nose tingled, but she held back her tears.

Xu Chaoyan continued, "Marriage is a woman's lifelong commitment. Don't sacrifice your entire life for the sake of a child. Even if you never marry and raise Bao'er alone, you can still live a good life. We women can't confine ourselves to that little courtyard for the rest of our lives, nor can we have a son just for the sake of having a son. A child is the crystallization of two people's love. You need to make him feel that he was expected to come into this world."

Jiang Xinyi nodded: "It's because I'm not open-minded enough and tend to get stuck on things. Thank you all, meeting you is the greatest blessing of my life."

For the past two weeks, the tension between Xu Chaoyan and Meng Jiuhe had been somewhat palpable. Anyone could see the problem. Meng Jiuxia wanted to ask, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

My brother must have done something to upset my sister-in-law. What else could it be? They were all fine before Zhang Qiao'er came to the shop, but ever since she visited last time, my brother and sister-in-law have been acting strangely.

"Sister-in-law, why don't you rest for a while? Just let me know if you need anything. Your voice is so hoarse, so try not to talk too much. Or should I make you a bowl of ginger soup?"

"I'll finish this little thing quickly. My sister-in-law will make the ice jelly in a bit, and I'll serve you a bowl first."

Xu Chaoyan made some ice jelly and cut some seasonal fruits. She also quickly made some small glutinous rice balls and cooked them, finally adding fermented rice wine and brown sugar water.

She looked regretful, saying that they were short of ice. In this era, poor people couldn't afford ice, let alone eat ice cubes.

It would be even better if there were some raisins, chopped hawthorn, and chopped peanuts.

She also chilled the ice jelly with well water; there's a deep well not far from their shop. The water is icy cold, and a bowl of it on a summer's day would be incredibly refreshing. For now, with these conditions, they can only withdraw the crushed peanuts—that's easy to solve later—but they don't know how to make the crushed hawthorn. They can also make some taro balls with tapioca flour later.

When she brought over the bowl of what looked like strange food, Meng Jiuxia looked at her suspiciously: "Sister-in-law, are you sure this stuff is edible? What kind of weird stuff is this, with fermented rice and glutinous rice balls? How can it taste good?"

Xu Chaoyan rubbed her head: "Do you think I'd lie to you? I said I'd give you the first one, and I'll give you the first one. I added a lot of fruit to it today. I'll let you in on a secret, even my older sister doesn't get this treatment."

Meng Jiuxia then took the bowl with some skepticism.

"Wait, that's not how it works. First, use a spoon to mix it all together so that the brown sugar water can seep in and make it more flavorful."

Zhang Yueniang chuckled to herself, "You, all you ever do is fool the kids. By the way, what's going on between you two? It's been almost half a month. As the saying goes, couples quarrel in bed but make up before they get out of bed. It's best to talk things out. I've noticed your husband has been running around doing everything he can, always having to watch his mood. You can't expect him to sleep in the study forever. A little lesson is enough. You have to give him a way out; men have pride."

Xu Chaoyan snorted twice: "Does he care about his reputation, or do I? He went to a widow's house to drink in broad daylight. And his parents wouldn't let him go. Where do I put my face? I've been so busy lately that I'm dizzy. Every time I go to write a divorce agreement and get to that east street, the person who writes letters for others is never there. I'm so puzzled. I can understand if he doesn't come on a rainy day, but he doesn't come when the weather is sunny either. Isn't this the scholar's livelihood? Does he also hate the sun? I've been writing divorce agreements for so long and still haven't succeeded. Everything is just going wrong. I'll have to go to the temple to pray another day."

Zhang Yueniang covered her mouth, suppressing her laughter, before finally speaking: "Why don't you give him a way out? I don't think he's that Zhang family girl very interested in him. Have you asked him why he went to her house? Don't listen to other people's side of the story or what you saw. This world is inherently unfair to women. What can you do after the divorce? Don't end up like me, bringing shame to your parents."

“I can support myself even after the divorce. I can live without a man. I can’t stand anything about him now. If I’m so upset, I’ll just let him continue sleeping in the study. This man is a jerk. If I don’t teach him a lesson, he’ll think I’m easy to bully. My mother died early, my father remarried and now my stepmother has disappeared. What does my family’s reputation have to do with me?”

Zhang Yueniang shook her head: "Sister, to be honest, your husband is a really good person. Take it easy. Since you want to teach him a lesson, then forgive him in a couple of days. Look at how bad his dark circles are. Don't let him be laughed at in school all the time."

Xu Chaoyan nodded: "Yes, sister, I know. I'll only feel better if I let him sleep in the study for a few more days."

These past few days, Meng Xiuzhi has been living in constant fear. Whenever her nephew's family returns in the evening, she doesn't dare to leave the house and only dares to wander around the yard by herself during the day.

Even though his lover was howling outside the courtyard in the middle of the night, inviting her to come out, she didn't dare to go out. Meng Jiuhe had even said that he would send them back in a couple of days.

If it weren't for her mother's acting skills—claiming she couldn't walk and then fainting, causing chaos and commotion—they wouldn't have been allowed to rest for another ten days or so. But even a calm lake can have ripples, and it was destined to remain restless.