Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 422: Chapter 222: Neighbor 2

This time, Juhua didn’t turn him down. She nodded happily and said, "Oh! Let me thank you in advance then, Changming. You gave me so many last time, my dad even said our fishpond was getting too full."

Qingmu and Zhang Huai continued to push the stone roller. Qingmu added, "We’ll just have to dig the pond bigger when we have some free time."

Li Changming laughed. "You really should. Your family has plenty of land, so you can spare half a mu. If you raise the fish well, the yield will be nothing to sneeze at. Changxing and Sanshun are practically living by their fishpond these days, tending to those fish like they’re their ancestors, just waiting to cash in."

Just as they were talking, Meizi’s delighted voice came from the gate of Li Changming’s courtyard. "Changming, you’re back? Oh! What are you all doing?" she cried out, rushing over like a gust of wind.

Juhua smiled at Li Changming. "Changming, you just wait and see. The moment Meizi sees this path, she’ll start nagging you to pave one too."

Li Changming watched Meizi run toward them with a smile, his eyes brimming with doting affection and tenderness. His gaze was fixed on her, as if pulling her forward until she stood right before him.

Meizi first looked happily at Li Changming. Seeing that he looked well and was smiling at her as gently as ever, she fluttered her large eyes and smiled blissfully back at him. Then she looked down at the fish basket and gasped, laughing with excitement. "So many Huang Shan! Let’s save them for tomorrow while we plant the seedlings!"

Li Changming laughed. "It’s okay to cook a bowl tonight. We have more than enough."

Hearing this, Meizi nodded happily. She spun around cheerfully, then, as if suddenly remembering something, said to Juhua, "Juhua, go grab a small basket! I’ll give you some of the Huang Shan. They’re so big, a few of them will make a huge bowlful."

Juhua and Li Changming both laughed. Li Changming said, "I just offered to give Juhua some, but she wouldn’t take any. She said they have fish in their pond. She’s trying to help us be frugal."

Juhua laughed. "It’s not that I’m trying to help you be frugal. If we didn’t have our own fishpond, I wouldn’t have been so polite. I probably would’ve asked you for some—I’ve asked Sanshun for fish before. But now that we have the pond, getting fish is much easier. It’s not easy for Changming to catch these, and your family needs to plant seedlings soon. You should keep them for yourselves as an extra dish."

Meizi blinked her large eyes a few times. Without offering any more pleasantries, she nodded and said, "That’s true. Your pond has plenty of fish, so you probably don’t care for these much anymore. What are you all doing, anyway? Going to all this trouble to cover the path with pebbles... it’s not smooth at all. It must be uncomfortable to walk on; it pokes your feet."

She asked, pointing quizzically at the path.

So Li Changming carefully explained the benefits of the path to her, as well as the plan to plant trees alongside it. As Meizi listened, her eyes lit up. She grabbed Li Changming’s arm and cried out, "Changming, let’s pave a path to the riverbank too, and plant trees! You and Changling can start digging tomorrow. Oh! We have to hurry! Juhua, did you two finish both paths in just one afternoon? I didn’t see them here this morning!"

Juhua nodded. "It’s quite easy. First, you dig a shallow trench, then haul some pebbles from the riverbank to fill it, and finally, you pack it all down with a roller. That’s all there is to it. My brother and Huai Zi only worked for half an afternoon to get these two paths done."

Seeing Meizi so excited, Li Changming patted her hand. He visually estimated the distance and said to her, "It’d be too far to pave a path all the way over here. It would be better to just place a large stone slab by the river in front of our house for you to do laundry on, and have the path lead there. I’ll clean up that spot by the riverbank and carve out some steps. Then you won’t have to come all this way to wash clothes."

Meizi said, a bit embarrassed, "I just wanted to be able to chat with Juhua while we do laundry. Mmm, you’re right, it is a bit far to come all the way here. Let’s just build it over there."

Li Changming nodded, promising he and Changling would start digging after they finished planting the seedlings.

Just then, Granny Hua came out of Li Changming’s house carrying a basket filled with some flatbreads. She said to Meizi, "Meizi, I’m heading home to cook dinner."

As she walked, she curiously sized up Qingmu and Zhang Huai. ’What are they so busy with?’ she wondered. Suddenly, she caught sight of Juhua, and a flicker of interest ignited within her. She stared, unable to look away.

Juhua remembered what Little Shitou had told her. Seeing the old woman staring at her, she grew annoyed. She turned slightly, so her back was to Li Changming and Meizi, and shot Granny Hua a cold glare.

That icy stare made Granny Hua’s heart skip a beat. She quickly looked away. ’This girl’s got a temper,’ she thought. ’If Changling really marries her, my life will be hell. She’ll be much harder to handle than Meizi. I’d better just drop the idea.’

In comparison, she realized Meizi actually treated her quite well. Although she had to do more work these days, the food was good, and Meizi never shorted her on her share of things.

If Changling were to marry Juhua, her luck would probably run out. ’That girl looks like she really hates me.’

If Juhua knew what Granny Hua was thinking, she’d probably be so exasperated she wouldn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Granny Hua turned and saw the fish basket in Li Changming’s hand. Just as she was about to edge closer for a look, Meizi’s crisp voice rang out. "Mother, hurry on home, cook dinner, and feed the pigs. And remember to clean the pigsty, alright? I’ll cook two bowls of the Huang Shan tonight and have Changming bring one over to you. The rest is for us to eat tomorrow while we plant the seedlings, so I won’t be giving you any extra."

Li Changming added, "Mother, don’t bother cooking tomorrow. Just come eat with us here." His father and Changling were coming to help with the seedlings the next day, so his mother would be home alone. He didn’t want her to go to the trouble of cooking just for herself.

Granny Hua heard this and nodded eagerly. "Alright! I understand. I’ll come over early tomorrow to help."

Meizi quickly cut in, "We don’t need you to help with anything. Just make sure you feed the pigs and chickens and finish the laundry before you come over, you hear?"

Granny Hua turned and left, calling back loudly, "I know!"

Qingmu and Zhang Huai stopped their work. They, along with Juhua, stared at Meizi, completely dumbfounded.

Everyone else had a strange look on their face, but Li Changming didn’t seem to mind. He was no longer as embarrassed as he used to be.

’It’s not like Meizi is unfilial. See? Even though they’re living apart, she still frequently sends a share of her pan-fried cakes to the old house. Her direct personality has her own mother wrapped around her finger, and it’s correcting her lazy and gluttonous habits. That’s a good thing, not something to be ashamed of. Besides, who in the village doesn’t know my mother’s temperament? There’s no point in trying to hide it.’