Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 654: Chapter 339: Did You Miss Me?

Li Changfeng and the others watched the father and son, finding the scene quite amusing.

Zhang Huai nodded to Zhang Yang. Without wasting words, he waved goodbye to the others and pulled Zhao San onto the boat. Once on board, he and Liu Sanshun spent a good while laughing at Zhao San.

Liu Sanshun said, ”Third Uncle, can’t you say a few kind words to Shi Tou? I’m sure he hates to see you go, too. He’s still so little and has to live away from home for several months. He’s bound to miss you and Auntie.”

Zhao San grumbled, ”That little rascal. He learns a few words and suddenly he’s so high and mighty.” But his voice was filled with a deep sense of loss. His gaze drifted to the water’s surface as his mind filled with memories of his son, from infancy to the present day—all the laughter his clever, mischievous boy had brought to their home.

Seeing his melancholy, Huai Zi quickly tugged on Sanshun’s sleeve to stop him from saying more. He then turned to look at the distant riverbanks, the fields and villages beyond, and fell silent, his thoughts turning to his own family.

The three men were eager to return, so the rest of the journey passed in a blur. When they arrived at Xiatang Market that morning, the sight of the familiar town and scenery instantly revived their spirits, and they began to laugh and chat boisterously.

After disembarking at the docks, they ran into Li Changyu, who was returning with his lovely new wife. He was directing servants and attendants to move an assortment of chests and luggage. A group of maids and female servants surrounded a quiet, elegant young lady who was about to board a horse-drawn carriage. Someone even brought over a footstool for her, a display of impeccable etiquette.

They were overjoyed to see each other and decided to travel the rest of the way to Qingnan Village together.

They chatted and laughed all the way to the village. Upon arriving, Li Changyu insisted they stay for drinks and conversation, since it had been so long since they’d all been together.

Huai Zi laughed. ”Save it! Look at that whole entourage you’ve got. You have a mountain of things to sort out. Besides, we’ve been away for more than ten days ourselves and we’re anxious to get home. We’ll head back for now and get together for a meal another time.”

Liu Sanshun, who had been impatient to leave for some time, simply waved and took off. Xiu was due to give birth soon, and with her gentle and delicate nature, Sanshun had been deeply worried about leaving her at home.

Zhao San agreed there was no rush. ”Changyu, you still owe us a proper feast, so don’t think you can weasel out of it. I’m heading home for now. I’ll be back in a couple of days to claim that drink.”

And so, they each hurried home.

Huai Zi strode purposefully into the courtyard. It was very quiet. Several quilts and rows of dried bamboo shoots were laid out to dry in the sun. When the dog, Dahuang, saw him, it scrambled up from under the plum tree and eagerly trotted over, fawning and sniffing at him endlessly.

Huai Zi ignored the dog, his eyes scanning the courtyard, but he didn’t see Juhua.

There was no sound from the kitchen, either. He hurried inside to drop off his bags, then went out to the back garden to search for her. And sure enough, as he rounded the corner of the wall, he saw her. There, in the shady fruit grove, Juhua stood under a peach tree, stretching on her tiptoes to pick peaches. A large basket sat by her feet.

He joyfully gazed at her figure. Her belly seemed to have grown even bigger. He didn’t want to startle her with a surprise, so from a distance, he called out her name in a warm voice, ”Juhua!”

Juhua turned her head and saw that Huai Zi was back. She stood stunned for a moment, then a smile quickly spread across her face as she waved him over. ”Quick, come help me pick peaches! The ones higher up are redder, but I can’t reach them.”

Huai Zi jogged over to her, but instead of picking peaches, he just grinned at her fondly for a moment. Then he reached out, wrapped an arm around her waist, and lowered his head to kiss her, his other hand gently caressing her round belly.

Holding Juhua, all the anxiety of the past days vanished without a trace. His body and soul felt cleansed, leaving only a profound sense of peace and contentment. Amid the garden’s gentle breeze and the crisp chirping of birds, the moment felt like a painting, like a beautiful melody.

Juhua looked up at him joyfully. His chin was covered in stubble, and he had the weary air of someone who had been traveling long. ”Were you in a great hurry to get back?” she asked softly.

Huai Zi carefully helped her lean against his chest and chuckled. ”Not especially. It was just so boring on the boat. After two days of idle chatter, we’d run out of things to say. We were all just looking forward to getting home.”

The young couple murmured to each other, catching up on everything that had happened while they were apart. After a while, Huai Zi looked up at the fruit on the tree. ”Stand back a bit,” he told Juhua. ”I’ll pick some of the big ones.” So Juhua stepped aside and watched him stretch on his tiptoes to reach the peaches higher up.

Once the basket was full, Huai Zi smiled. ”This is enough for now. I’ll get a bamboo pole later. There are still a lot of big, red ones higher up that we can’t get without it. Come on, let’s go wash some peaches to eat. Juhua, where’s Mother? Why are you here all by yourself?”

”She went to the river to wash the bedding,” Juhua replied. ”The weather’s so nice today. Mother washed two sets of sheets and took out the mattresses to air them out. She’s been working nonstop, and I can’t be of much help.”

As they talked, they arrived at the well and drew water to wash the peaches.

Huai Zi chuckled. ”Don’t worry. I’ll cook dinner later. You can just watch from the side and tell me if I’m doing anything wrong.”

Juhua nodded and asked about his time in Huzhou. Huai Zi told her everything in detail. When he got to the part about the argument Little Shitou and the others had with the other students just before they left, Juhua couldn’t help but laugh.

”I’m not the least bit worried about that boy out on his own—he’d never let anyone take advantage of him. Besides, from what you’ve said, those students are just full of youthful bravado, not malicious schemers. You just wait and see. Shi Tou will definitely become good friends with them. And with him around, Yangzi and Sishun won’t lose out, either.”

Huai Zi nodded. ”I think so, too. I’m still worried, of course, but it’s best they learn from their own experiences. We don’t understand that world, so we can’t teach them about it. A few years out there, even if they suffer a bit or get pushed around, it won’t be for nothing.”

Juhua nodded. ”It’s a completely different kind of life. They have to experience it for themselves.”

Huai Zi said nothing, scooping the peaches out of the basin. Washed clean of their fuzz, their colors were especially vibrant—a glossy, greenish-white skin blushing to a bright red at the tip. He drew another bucket of water to rinse them one more time before setting the basket over the bucket’s opening to drain.

Wiping his wet hands on his clothes, he took Juhua’s hand and led her toward the bench under the plum tree. ”Did you miss me?” he asked softly as they walked.

Juhua opened her mouth, about to retort, ’Who missed you?’ But feeling the warmth from his large hand gently holding hers, she answered honestly, ”I did. When you’re not home, I don’t feel like doing anything.”

Huai Zi’s grip tightened as he pulled her down to sit beside him. He wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Instead, he reached up to gently squeeze her small ear, rubbing the soft lobe. He grinned for a moment before whispering, ”I missed you, too. I even dreamed about you several times!”

He kept smiling as he said it, because he had dreamed of Juhua leading a whole gaggle of children—boys and girls—running and playing happily on the mountain and by the river.

The young couple shared a sweet, intimate moment. Huai Zi then lifted Juhua’s face veil to get a good look at her. ”Your complexion is so much better,” he said, delighted. ”You look so rosy, just like the tip of a peach. Have you been sleeping well at night?” ’If she wasn’t sleeping well, her complexion couldn’t possibly be this good.’ (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it with recommendation and monthly tickets at Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.)