Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 493: Chapter 258: The Betrothal

Juhua couldn’t be bothered with whether Liu Sanshun would ever come to his senses. She knew that at a time like this, it was more important than ever to keep her distance; too much sympathy would only make things worse. Besides, she was well aware that Liu Sanshun definitely didn’t like her more than Huai Zi did. She figured he would come around once he discovered Xiu’s feelings for him. After all, Xiu was an incredibly gentle girl.

She just wondered when Liu Sanshun would ever notice Xiu’s feelings.

After all this time with Huai Zi, when the day of their betrothal finally arrived, Juhua found herself surprisingly calm. She felt like a quiet observer watching someone else’s life unfold.

Relatives from both sides of the family gathered together, their boisterous chatter filling the air. They exchanged pleasantries, gossiped about the neighbors, and praised the suitability and benefits of the match. The betrothal had turned into a full-blown social event for the villagers, and the atmosphere was incredibly lively.

Among them, Huai Zi’s third uncle was the most delighted. He had dealt with Zheng Changhe once before, back when he sold a cow to the Zheng Family, and had come to know and admire the man’s character. Now that they were to be in-laws, he was incredibly warm and friendly from the moment he arrived. He pulled Zheng Changhe aside, speaking with great animation. Joined by Juhua’s great uncle, the three men’s conversation drifted from Huai Zi and Juhua’s engagement to their future family ties, then to farming, and eventually, to the cow Juhua’s family owned.

”Come spring, I’ll bring my bull over to breed with your cow,” Huai Zi’s third uncle said with a grin. ”She’s sure to give you a calf, and just like that, you’ll have one more head of cattle!”

Zheng Changhe was thrilled, thanking him profusely as if the anticipated calf had already been born.

The women, naturally, formed their own cluster. Since they were all close relatives, many of them, including Juhua’s great aunt, grandmother, and Huai Zi’s two aunts, volunteered to help with the cooking. Juhua was more than happy to escape to her room. ’Should I stay out there just to be gaped at and picked apart? No, thanks.’

However, she wanted peace and quiet, but others weren’t about to give it to her. And so, Huai Zi’s fourth and second aunts, along with Juhua’s own second aunt from the Lin Family, came trooping into her room for a visit.

They claimed they were just ”looking around,” but their real purpose was to size up their nephew’s bride-to-be. As for her aunt from the Lin Family, she was just tagging along for the fun.

After some small talk, they praised how tidy Juhua’s room was. Then came the needlework. ”Hmm, it’s... not bad! You’re still young, you have plenty of time to learn.” The truth was, it was hard to praise. ’To call this ’good’ would be a bald-faced lie,’ Juhua thought. ’If this is good, then what words are left for needlework that’s actually skillful?’

Among the women, Juhua noticed that Huai Zi’s fourth aunt’s gaze was especially sharp. The woman looked her up and down relentlessly, her critical eyes then sweeping over the quilts, pillows, and other items in the room.

Juhua was completely baffled. ’Why is she looking at me like that?’

She didn’t know that the fourth aunt was being jealous on behalf of her own daughter, Yu Qin.

When she heard Huai Zi was engaged, his fourth aunt had wanted to come and see just what kind of girl her nephew had chosen. Even though her own daughter, Yu Qin, was living well now and her son-in-law, Dashan, treated her impeccably, the aunt was still furious after meeting Juhua. ’My nephew rejected Yu Qin for *this* little chit of a girl?’ she fumed inwardly.

She wasn’t a particularly cruel person, so she didn’t attack Juhua’s appearance. Instead, she judged Juhua from the practical standpoint of a villager sizing up a potential daughter-in-law: ’She can’t compare to my Yu Qin in any way!’

Juhua had grown quite a bit taller recently and was developing a slender, maidenly figure. In the fourth aunt’s eyes, however, ”slender” just meant ”scrawny.” ’No chest, no hips... she’s as skinny as a bean sprout! A mung bean sprout, at that. Even a huangdou sprout is rounder than she is,’ the aunt thought. She didn’t feel her assessment was the least bit exaggerated. ’And this is winter, when she’s bundled up in so many layers. Do I even need to imagine what she’ll look like come summer?’

’She doesn’t look like she’d be fertile, and her needlework is terrible. Honestly! That boy Huai Zi has no taste at all!’ she thought indignantly.

If Juhua had known what the aunt was thinking, she would have fainted on the spot.

After what felt like an eternity, the group finally left. Just as Juhua was thinking about finding a new hiding spot, she saw Qingmu waving to her from outside the window.

Juhua quickly put down the shoe sole she was working on, closed her door, and went outside.

Qingmu took her by the hand. ”Come on, let’s go to Huai Zi’s house. Uncle Zhang got his hands on a few rabbits, and Huai Zi set one aside. He and Zhang Yang have already cleaned it and are getting ready to roast it. He figured you’d be sick of all the relatives, so he sent me to fetch you. You can hide out there and have some roasted meat.”

Juhua was overjoyed. ”Is there no one at his house?” she asked. ”I thought both our houses would be packed with people.”

Qingmu grinned. ”Uncle Zhang called everyone over to your family’s house. He did it on purpose.”