Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 561: Chapter 292: Transferred Anger

County Magistrate Li watched with a grim expression as the woman, reputedly the most beautiful in the surrounding countryside, shrieked ferociously. He remained silent. One of his attendants, trying to guess his master’s thoughts, stepped forward and loudly berated Liu Yunlan for her insolence.

Seeing the Lord County Magistrate’s dark expression, Zheng Changhe grew anxious that his daughter-in-law would provoke the official, leading to trouble for them all. He had completely forgotten that Liu Yunlan was only pretending to be a shrew. He scolded her for being so insensible and signaled for Mother Yang to pull her out of the room.

But Liu Yunlan refused to leave. With her hands on her hips, she bellowed, ”I insist on having the Lord Magistrate judge this matter! What a coincidence today is. Usually, I couldn’t hope to see the Lord Magistrate even if I wanted to—I’ve never even been outside Xiatang Market, you know.”

Amid the argument, a grimy-looking boy of about ten ran in from the courtyard. He set a small basket down at the Zheng Family’s doorway and yelled, ”Aunt Zheng, here are the duck eggs your family is due! I brought them over!” With that, he turned and bolted.

The moment Liu Yunlan heard this, she stopped her tirade. She darted outside, picked up the basket, and glanced inside. She immediately started yelling at the boy’s retreating back, ”Is this all? Just a few duck eggs? Little Shitou, did you secretly keep some of my family’s eggs for yourself again? You’d better bring them back right now, or I’ll gouge your two balls out to make up for what’s missing!”

Little Shitou glanced back, made a face at her, and retorted with a cheeky grin, ”Who took your eggs? What if the ducks laid them in the river? You’re just looking for someone to blame.”

Liu Yunlan shot back angrily, ”Bullshit! Your family’s the one with balls! In the river every single time? What a coincidence! I’ll go collect them myself tomorrow. You little scamp, you’re as slippery as a loach. I’m going to have a word with Aunt Zhao tonight!”

Muttering curses under her breath, she carried the basket back into the house, only to find the entire room staring at her as if she were some kind of monster. Qingmu shot her an ashamed glare and whispered, ”All you know how to do is make a scene. It’s just a few duck eggs, isn’t it?”

His expression was not an act. His normally reasonable and gentle wife had suddenly transformed into a shrew, a perfect imitation of the old crones in the village. Her performance was so convincing that even he had forgotten it was an act for a moment. He couldn’t help but feel genuinely embarrassed in front of Li Changyu and the others.

He thought of Juhua. ’This must be my sister’s doing,’ he mused. ’Why else would Little Shitou suddenly show up to deliver duck eggs?’

Hearing Qingmu, Liu Yunlan immediately fired back, ”Is that any way to run a household? Do you even know how much a duck egg is worth? You spendthrift! Don’t think we can be careless just because we have a few dozen mu of land. If we don’t pinch our pennies, we’ll lose it all in a flash! After I have a few babies, what are they going to eat when they grow up? Farts and wind?”

Even though Zhang Huai knew Liu Yunlan was only pretending, he was just as stunned as Qingmu—mainly because the contrast was so jarring. Li Changyu, for his part, simply stared at her blankly. ’Is this really the same shy and timid bride?’ he wondered.

As for County Magistrate Li, he could no longer remain seated. The look he gave Qingmu was practically murderous. In his view, the woman had turned into this creature entirely because she had married this coarse, boorish villager. ’Once they’ve been touched by a man,’ he thought with disgust, ’these country women become shameless, reduced to nothing more than tools for bearing children.’

He rose to take his leave, but Liu Yunlan rushed forward to block his path, still insisting that he judge her case. She rambled and shrieked, spittle flying from her mouth and nearly hitting him in the face.

The attendant quickly stepped between them, shouting at her while aggressively shoving her back.

Qingmu’s heart leaped into his throat. He rushed forward and forcefully pulled Liu Yunlan back, giving the attendant an apologetic smile even as, in his mind, he was already slicing the man into a thousand pieces.

County Magistrate Li shot the Zheng Family a cold, dark look, then turned, flung his sleeves, and strode away without another word.

Mother Yang hurried after him, trying to stop him. ”Lord Magistrate, won’t you stay for a meal? We even killed a chicken for you!”

County Magistrate Li completely ignored her, quickening his pace toward the courtyard gate.

Before he was even out of the courtyard, he heard Liu Yunlan say to Mother Yang behind him, ”Mother, when you prepare that chicken, don’t throw away the butt! I love eating that soft bit of meat—it’s so fatty, and it really hits the spot!” He stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face.

Mother Yang replied, ”I know, I know. My dear girl, you act as if you haven’t eaten meat in eight lifetimes. How is it you’re hungry all day long?...”

County Magistrate Li’s mood soured completely. He returned to the old part of the village but didn’t bother stopping at Li Gengtian’s house to rest. Instead, he gave a direct order for his men to bring Yan to the carriage, preparing to depart at once.

Li Gengtian had hoped to entertain him properly, then humble himself and plead gently for Li Xiaoyan’s release. But County Magistrate Li merely stared at him, his gaze so icy it could freeze a man solid. Li Gengtian had no choice but to swallow his words.

Swallowing his humiliation and anger, he had Li Changming present the local goods they had already prepared—dried mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and some pickled vegetables—to the Lord County Magistrate and his attendants.