Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 406: Chapter 214: Clarification (Part 2)

She used to make beer duck most often, but now, without any beer, she had to use plain water.

This duck didn’t have a foul, gamey smell, so it didn’t even need to be blanched. She stir-fried it with ginger, chili peppers, and garlic until it was fragrant, then poured in some soy sauce. Once it cooked to a rich, reddish-brown, she added plain water and brought it to a boil, creating a wonderfully savory broth.

She took a taste, added some mushrooms, then covered the pot and let it simmer over a low flame until tender.

The aroma drew Laishou over. He ran to Juhua’s side, tugged on the hem of her clothes, and looked up. "Sister, is it ready yet? Laishou wants to eat."

Seeing his eager expression, Juhua couldn’t help but let out a laugh. She took Laishou’s hand and said to Mrs. Yang, who was tending the fire, "Mother, it just needs to simmer a little while longer." Then she looked down at Laishou. "We’ll be eating soon. Be a good boy, Laishou, and just wait a tiny bit longer." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Mrs. Yang replied quickly, "I know. You take Laishou and go play. I’ll stir-fry the remaining dishes." Mrs. Yang hadn’t wanted Juhua to cook in the first place, but Juhua had insisted on preparing the duck herself, wanting to see how it would taste when cooked this way.

The duck was, naturally, delicious. At lunch, Qingmu nodded at his sister in praise after tasting it. "It doesn’t taste the same as when Yunlan cooks it, but they’re both delicious."

Juhua just smiled at his words. ’If I really wanted to split hairs, I’d insist on asking him which one is better. He’d probably be completely stumped.’

Mrs. Yang chuckled happily. "I really think I’m quite blessed. In the first few years after I married your father, your grandmother did the cooking, and her food was beyond reproach. After she passed, I only cooked for a few years before Juhua grew up and started cooking better than me. And now we’ve chosen a daughter-in-law who’s also an excellent cook."

She was beaming with genuine happiness as she said this.

Hearing this, Mrs. Wang laughed. "Of course you’re blessed. Just having Changhe treat you so well makes you fortunate enough, to say nothing of how capable Qingmu and Juhua are."

Mrs. Yang nodded without a hint of hesitation. "That’s exactly what I think."

Seeing their mother’s look of sheer contentment, Qingmu and Juhua both started laughing.

********

In the afternoon, when school let out, Zhang Huai didn’t hurry home as he usually did. Instead, he pulled Qingmu aside and asked in a low voice, "Little Shitou’s mother found a potential match for Juhua. Your mother said she wanted to ask Juhua for her thoughts. What did Juhua say?"

Qingmu asked, surprised, "Who’d you hear that from? How come I don’t know anything about it?"

So Zhang Huai recounted what Little Shitou had told him.

Qingmu let out a laugh. "It’s a rare thing indeed to have Little Shitou on your side. The matter probably fell through. Otherwise, my mother would have told me when I was home for lunch. In our family, Juhua choosing a husband is a bigger deal than my own betrothal. There’s no way they’d just settle it casually. Mother would definitely have to ask Father and me."

Zhang Huai finally relaxed. He then asked, "So what do you think Juhua’s thinking? Would she want to go meet him?"

Qingmu shook his head with a smile. "You should just focus on your studies and your farm work. I don’t know what Juhua is thinking, but she certainly won’t be meeting any potential suitors this soon."

Zhang Huai nodded. "That’s true. She’s still young, there’s no rush."

Qingmu smiled. "Why are you worried about some prospect from far away? You’d be better off worrying about Sanshun—he’s right here in front of you. To be honest, I think Sanshun is a pretty decent guy."

Zhang Huai glared at him, annoyed. "Are you trying to make things difficult for me on purpose?"

Qingmu said, "What good would it do me to make things difficult for you? I’m just telling it like it is. As her older brother, I want to help my sister find someone sincere, decent, and kind. In that respect, Sanshun is no worse than you. Of course, the most important thing is who Juhua likes. I’m not going to force her to marry you just because we’re good friends." freēwēbnovel.com

Zhang Huai looked at him and smiled faintly. "Don’t worry. I know I have to step up." With that, he gave Qingmu a wave, said no more, and strode away.

Qingmu watched his retreating figure and sighed. ’Huai Zi has been through enough torment,’ he thought. ’Is this the price he has to pay?’

After dinner, with dusk yet to fall, Qingmu saw Juhua taking Laishou to the river to herd the ducks home. He decided to go with them, first fetching the ox he had left by the mountainside. The siblings then walked slowly toward the river in the spring twilight.

The Little Qing River flowed on quietly, its banks exceptionally lush with aquatic plants. The green calamus stood perfectly straight and orderly, unlike the other weeds that trailed messily across the water’s surface.

The ducks floated leisurely on the river. When they saw Juhua approaching, they began to paddle silently with their webbed feet, drifting effortlessly to the bank without any splashing. They greeted her with a series of "QUACK QUACKS," and their show of affection made Juhua think their calls weren’t so unpleasant after all.

Suddenly, the drake stuck its round, fluffy tailfeathers into the air and plunged headfirst into the river. Its body went vertical, its two red, webbed feet flipping up—a perfect "bottoms up." Then, like an unsinkable gourd, it bobbed back to the surface with a small fish in its flat beak, stretching its neck to gulp it down with great effort.

The other ducks tried to snatch the fish, but the drake smoothly glided aside to dodge them, clearly having no intention of sharing its prize, even with the favored concubines of its harem.

Laishou giggled with delight as he watched the duck catch the fish.

At the spot where Juhua usually did her laundry, the few willow trees they had transplanted last year hadn’t grown much, but their branches still drooped like threads of gold, creating a graceful, elegant sight.

She looked at them, delighted, and said to Qingmu, "Willows grow so fast. Any other kind of tree wouldn’t have gotten this tall in just a year."

Qingmu nodded. "These trees were already a good size when we transplanted them last year, not like the cuttings we planted this year—which were just bare twigs. Juhua, did Mother ask you about anything today?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)