Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 337 - 179: Sizing Up a Sister-in-law

Juhua rolled her eyes at him and said to Mrs. Wang, who was still bustling around the room looking for snacks, "Grandma, don’t worry about getting anything. I’m happy with just melon seeds; I can’t eat anything else anyway. Come sit down and let’s talk."

Mrs. Wang’s heart ached, yet she was also happy to hear this. It ached because, in the past, whenever she visited her daughter’s home, her little granddaughter would treasure any gift she brought, hiding it away carefully. She could never bear to eat it all at once, taking out just a little at a time. But she was happy because her daughter’s family was finally well-off, and Juhua no longer cared for such simple treats.

She smiled at Juhua and said, "You two sit for a bit. Grandma’s going to make lunch. You’ll eat here at noon, and then we’ll go to your great-uncle’s for dinner."

Juhua quickly pulled her down to sit, saying, "Let’s just go to Great-uncle’s for lunch. He’ll be upset if he finds out I came and didn’t go see him. You’re here alone, so don’t cook. What’s the big deal about eating at your own son’s house?"

Qingmu nodded in agreement, adding that their great-aunt was home, so there would be someone to help with the cooking.

The three of them chatted for a while before Juhua remembered her important mission. She leaned close to Mrs. Wang and whispered, "Grandma, does Liu Fugui’s family live far from here? I want to go see his daughter."

Mrs. Wang gave Qingmu a curious look. "Didn’t your brother say he wasn’t interested in matchmaking for now? Why would he want to see their daughter? The year before last, they asked me to send you a message to go meet her. Why didn’t you?"

Qingmu’s face flushed, and he didn’t know what to say—he never imagined Juhua would bring this up with their grandmother.

’If I don’t tell Grandma,’ Juhua thought, ’how will I ever get to see Liu Yunlan? I can’t just wander around the village by myself until I find Liu Fugui’s house and knock on their door, can I?’

Seeing Qingmu’s embarrassment, she chuckled. "Grandma, everyone says their daughter is a good person. My brother has seen her a couple of times and says she’s quite nice. I’d like to see for myself, and if she’s really as wonderful as they say, we can ask a matchmaker to propose marriage on his behalf."

Mrs. Wang laughed. "Was this your mother’s idea?"

Juhua waved her hands dismissively. "Mother has no idea. I thought of it myself. Since I was already coming to your house, Grandma, I might as well take a peek. If she seems like a good match, I’ll go back and tell Mother, and she can get a matchmaker to make a formal proposal. If she’s not the right one, no one will be the wiser. Isn’t that a more sensible approach? Besides, my father and mother have both said that my brother and I can have the final say in our own marriages."

Mrs. Wang nodded. "I understand. There’s no rush. I’ll find a chance to take you over for a look. When we get to her door, I’m sure Yunlan will greet you—she’s a warm-hearted girl. I’ll just say that since you don’t visit often, I’m showing you around the village. That way, you’ll be able to strike up a conversation and maybe even get invited in for a bit, right?"

Juhua quickly agreed that it was an excellent idea; that way, it wouldn’t seem too sudden.

After settling the plan with her grandmother, she noticed Qingmu was still silent, his face slightly red. She turned back to Mrs. Wang. "I’m telling you this in confidence, Grandma, because I don’t want anyone else to find out. Otherwise, we’d have just sent a matchmaker over. Please keep this quiet. It would be bad if word got out."

Mrs. Wang chuckled. "Of course, I know that. It’s not exactly proper for a young girl like you to be sizing up a potential match. I won’t say a word. That would just cause trouble for you, wouldn’t it?"

She gazed at Qingmu with a knowing smile. ’My grandson must have taken a liking to her,’ she thought. ’That’s why he asked his sister to come have a look as well. This is good. Yunlan really is a fine girl. I wanted to match her with Qingmu years ago. If this marriage works out, it would be a great match for him.’

The three of them chatted for a little while longer. Seeing it was noon, they locked the door and headed over to Juhua’s great-uncle’s house together.

This village wasn’t much different from any other, though the walls of the farm courtyards were seldom made of stone. Most were either bamboo fences or mujin hedges.

Mrs. Wang held Juhua’s hand with Qingmu following behind. As they passed a small courtyard enclosed by a thin bamboo fence, a surprised voice called out from the thatched-roof house, "Sister-in-law Wang, are you off to your son’s place? Oh my, and who is this young lady?"

As the voice faded, an old woman hurried out of the house. She was withered and thin, but she beamed as she exited her courtyard and squinted at Juhua.

Mrs. Wang hadn’t wanted to speak with her—she was worried it would make Juhua nervous—but since the woman had come all the way out to greet them, she couldn’t very well ignore her. So, she smiled and said, "This is my granddaughter. Juhua, this is Grandma Fang."

Juhua smiled, called out, "Grandma Fang," and then said no more, standing quietly as the old woman stared at her, utterly speechless.

The old woman wasn’t trying to be rude.

It was just that—who in the village didn’t know that Mrs. Wang had a scabby granddaughter? Her daughter from the Yang family never brought Juhua along when she visited home—though she had, of course, when Juhua was very little. As a result, the old woman had only heard rumors about how ugly the girl was.