Farm Tough Girl
Chapter 322 - 322 323 Deserved_1

Chapter 322: Chapter 323 Deserved_1 Chapter 322: Chapter 323 Deserved_1 “Muniang! You’re finally back!” Holding her child in her arms, Qinghe became excited upon hearing that Muniang had returned and hurriedly ran over.

Muniang took Xi’er from her arms and adjusted the hold, “Oh my, this little guy has grown quite a bit.”

Qinghe laughed, “For sure, all he does is eat and sleep, it would be weird if he wasn’t getting chubby. How about you? Is the wedding all taken care of?”

“It’s all done, and we’re back. The wedding was completed as well.”

“That’s good. Now that you have the marriage certificate in hand, you’ll be officially recognized as Lady Yu. Let’s see who dares to gossip now,” Qinghe said with relief.

Muniang thought there might be some troublemakers in the village starting issues again and immediately frowned, “Who’s been spreading rumors this time?”

Qinghe chuckled, “What are you talking about? I’m just worried about you. It’s been peaceful here while you’ve been gone for half a year. We were all just concerned about you.” In fact, there had been troubles, as the Qiao family could never quite settle down, but it was nothing serious, so she didn’t want to worry Muniang by mentioning it.

Then Muniang was finally able to smile with ease, “As long as no one is being bullied, that’s good.”

Muniang talked with Mrs. Lin, mostly about her own wedding. She only mentioned that everything had gone smoothly, not discussing the troubles along the way; otherwise Mrs. Lin would surely have become agitated by now.

Mrs. Lin, feeling tired from talking, went to sleep, and Muniang then came out to the backyard, where she saw Qinghe playing with Xi’er. This little girl was so young yet already showing signs of beauty, with her large, bell-like eyes and dimpled smile whenever she laughed. After all, her parents were both good-looking, so it was no surprise that their child was attractive too.

Seeing Muniang, Qinghe took her by the hand and began to chat, “Now that you’re back, how long do you plan to stay? Auntie seems like she can’t be without you; she really relies on you. Being alone can be so lonely. When you were gone for such a long time, auntie missed you so much, always talking about you. But when we sent someone to write to you, she deliberately didn’t express her longing; she didn’t want to weigh on your mind. It’s only today that I see her this happy; usually, even if Xi’er makes her laugh, it’s only for a little while.”

Muniang felt a pang in her heart and said, “Don’t worry. I won’t leave this time. Mother’s not in good health, and besides me, she has no one else to rely on. I certainly won’t abandon her. Erliang and I have already agreed, we will stay in Qinghua City from now on.”

Only then did Qinghe feel relieved, “It’s better here after all. Even though the Capital City is a big place, it’s without friends or family. I prefer familiar places like our village.”

Muniang smiled, then as if remembering something, suddenly asked, “Right, I saw in a letter that Qiao Yuanzhen failed the Autumn Examination?”

Qinghe’s expression was indifferent, showing no pleasure or anger, “Mhm.”

Muniang tentatively asked, “He must have been pretty angry, right?”

Qinghe let out a sigh, “That’s what I heard. He was already bad-tempered, and on the day the results were posted, I heard that there was non-stop noise from the Qiao family breaking things. Everyone knew it, but no one dared to say anything.”

Muniang snorted, “Someone like him deserves to fail.”

Qinghe gave a bitter smile. She didn’t know how to feel anymore. He was the one who looked down on her for her lowly birth, and now he was the one who couldn’t raise their family’s status. She should be mocking him, but she just felt a weight on her chest.

Mrs. Du and Li Cheng came by to visit when they heard Muniang and her husband had returned.

“As soon as I heard you two were back, I hurried over to see you. I don’t have much to offer, but I prepared these fried meatballs for the New Year. I thought I’d bring some over for you,” Mrs. Du said warmly as she walked in.

Muniang hurriedly said, “Mrs. Du, you’re too thoughtful. It would have been fine for you to save these for the New Year. Why go to the trouble of bringing them to us?”

Mrs. Du waved her hand, “Oh, what’s this. I’m just worried you folks will look down on my cooking skills.”

Qinghe laughed, “How could we possibly do that? Mrs. Du’s cooking is second to none in our village. Your food is definitely delicious.”

Mrs. Du chided with a smile, “You’re always so sweet-tongued.” But in her heart, she was pleased beyond words.

“Why don’t you stay over for dinner tonight? Having more people around is lively. Since Mrs. Du has brought us such a big basket of meatballs, I’ll accept it graciously. You can’t be polite and leave now,” Muniang said with a smile.

“You’ve got me there. I’ll shamelessly stay for the meal. After all, Muniang is a great cook, and I haven’t had a taste of something fancy in quite a while.”

Li Cheng and his wife also came over, bringing some game, which was perfect for dinner that night.

The whole group sat together in a warm and noisy atmosphere for a meal. Muniang looked at the cheerful ambiance and felt happy. It seemed like it had been a long time since they had such liveliness. Since arriving in the Capital City, it had all been wasted time; aside from getting married, there hadn’t been a single good thing.

Home is truly best. What comparison is there with noble families? They can’t match the comfort of a modest and simple household.

At the Qiao family’s home,

Qiao Dazhi was anxiously pacing, “Why hasn’t she returned yet? It’s been three days without a single piece of news. Who’s trying to kill me with worry?”

Madam Zhao was sobbing and ceaselessly slapping the bed, “This is such a sin! Our Yuanzhen has always been so promising, why couldn’t he pass the exam? Look at what’s become of him now—all because the heavens are unjust!”

Madam Zhao spoke indignantly, as if Yuanzhen had indeed been mistreated by the heavens. He was already the only Scholar in Tupo Village, with aspirations higher than the sky, but unable to take the slightest setback. Little did she know, becoming a Scholar isn’t that easy. Did she think it was as commonplace as cabbages?

Qiao Dazhi’s beard bristled with anger, “Crying, crying, crying, that’s all you know! Can’t you show a bit of dignity and think of a solution? Right now, Yuanzhen’s heart is troubled. Even if he throws a tantrum, at least we should be able to see him. You really seem unconcerned about your son’s safety!”

Madam Zhao said sheepishly, “Then what else can we do? Should we report this to the authorities? It’s been three days, and we can’t find him anywhere. He doesn’t come home, and we don’t even know where he is.”

Qiao Dazhi snorted angrily and stormed out, “I’ll report it first thing tomorrow morning!”

The night was gradually darkening, and the streets of Chatu Town were getting less and less crowded, when a drunkard was thrown out of a tavern.

The waiter grumbled, “Coming here to drink without money, and I am the fool for letting you. Believe it or not, next time I’ll break your legs!” With that, he stepped on the man several more times to get even.

The drunkard rolled over, his brow furrowed as if he had a headache. Wasn’t that Qiao Yuanzhen? Struggling to his feet, he staggered onward.

Little did he know, a pair of sharp eyes from a dark corner had already set sight on him.