Chapter 710 - 366: The Ugly Woman Makes a Comeback (Part 2)

Chapter 710: Chapter 366: The Ugly Woman Makes a Comeback (Part 2)

As Yun Ying ate a piece of lotus root, something suddenly occurred to her. She chuckled and said to Juhua, "I wonder what you’ll do next year. You’ve wiped out the entire fishpond, catching everything down to their children and grandchildren. It must be completely empty now. Hehe, but I love it. That dried loach is absolutely delicious, especially when it’s roasted. It smells incredible."

Juhua shot her a glare. Since she couldn’t eat any of it, just hearing about it was torture, making her mouth water. She changed the subject, smiling as she told Yun Ying about Aunt Liu. "I bet many families have set up longevity tablets for you and your senior brother in their homes," she added.

Yun Ying took a bite of her lotus root stuffed with sticky rice and glanced at her sideways. "What about you? How come I don’t see a longevity tablet for me from you?"

Juhua replied with a beaming smile, "Anyone can see you’re going to live to be a hundred. Besides, I’m in a better position to help than they are. Isn’t it better for me to do something more substantial for you? Huai Zi has tidied up the courtyard at the market—you’ve seen it. The storefront at the front will be for your clinic, and you can live in the back. That courtyard is much larger than the apothecary I offered you last time. It’s full of fruit trees and flowers, so it’s a very comfortable place to live."

Yun Ying jumped in surprise. "Isn’t that part of your dowry? It was meant to be your secondary residence. If we open a clinic there, won’t you be using it anymore?"

Juhua laughed. "The residence in the back has three whole sections. You and your senior brother could roll around all day and still not use up all the space. We don’t usually stay over at the market anyway. If we do come for a short visit once in a while, we won’t get in your way. Besides, my family has another, smaller courtyard that Huai Zi bought. It’s a little farther away and not suited for a clinic. If we need to stay in town for a bit, we’ll stay there."

Yun Ying said hesitantly, "Well, let me rent it from you then. That courtyard is huge. You could make a lot of money renting it to someone else."

Juhua quickly waved her hands. "Just consider it me doing a good deed to build up merit for Banli and Cong—I’ll provide the building, and you’ll treat people. Besides, you saved my life. If we were to settle that account, who knows how much Silver I’d owe you? I don’t have that kind of money on hand, so I’ll just have to repay you slowly. I might even dabble in some business ventures later on. Even if I’m not managing things personally, I’ll be going to the market often, so I can drop by and see you."

Yun Ying found her reasoning amusing and couldn’t help but laugh. She dropped the formalities and accepted Juhua’s kind offer. The last time she had wandered through Xiatang Market, she had concluded that the courtyard Juhua’s family built years ago was in the absolute best location. That property had been divided between the siblings Juhua and Qingmu, and it was now the envy of countless people.

Juhua said suddenly, "Yun Ying, I need you to tell people that you’ve cured the rough patches on my face. Just say there’s a little scarring left that will fade away in a few months."

Yun Ying asked in astonishment, "Does this mean... you’re going to take off your veil?"

Juhua nodded. After a moment of hesitation, she told her about Fifth Granny trying to find a concubine for Huai Zi. "I’m sick and tired of hearing ’ugly girl this, ugly girl that.’ It’s infuriating. I’m not worried about Huai Zi, but all those gossiping busybodies think they see an opportunity and won’t stop pestering me. It’s impossible to have a moment’s peace. Several groups of them have already come by in the last two days, and I’m sure more are on their way, because..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Yun Ying burst out laughing, practically doubling over! ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Juhua watched her with a resigned expression. ’I knew she would laugh at me!’

Clutching her stomach, Yun Ying laughed until she could barely breathe. When she finally caught her breath, she said, "This is what they call ’gains and losses’! When that corrupt official was picking out girls, I heard your name wasn’t even recorded. See? That was the upside of being ’ugly.’ So isn’t this just karma now? You can’t have all the good luck forever."

Juhua said calmly, "That’s not the only reason I’m taking off my veil. There’s another factor..."

Yun Ying waved a hand. "You don’t have to say it, I know. The corrupt official is gone, and Zhang Yang has become a Scholar. You finally have some means to protect yourselves."

Juhua nodded. "It’s not like I’m some peerless beauty—I’m a far cry from you. Now that I’m married and have had children, I should be fine as long as my luck isn’t rotten."

But Yun Ying teased, "If you ask me, you’re looking even better now after having children..."

Juhua cut her off in frustration. "Don’t go spreading that around. People are too curious. By the time the story makes the rounds, it’ll be completely different from the truth."

Yun Ying nodded with a smile. "I won’t say a word. Besides, didn’t you once say that a smart woman only has to manage her man? Just keep a tight grip on Huai Zi’s heart, and he’ll naturally be the one to turn away any talk of concubines."

Juhua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry seeing Yun Ying lecture her with such relish. ’It seems a woman’s love for gossip is universal.’ Annoyed, she retorted, "And what if he doesn’t turn them away? If he brought one home, would he even have the energy to manage her? He can barely keep up with the farming as it is!"

Yun Ying let out another laugh, then leaned in and whispered mysteriously, "Even if he does take a concubine, don’t you be afraid. I know all about the backstabbing that goes on in those wealthy households—how to use drugs, how to poison someone. I also know all the ways to guard against it. I saw more than enough in Yunzhou City. If I teach you, I guarantee you won’t lose out."

A dark look crossed Juhua’s face. "You don’t need to teach me," she said, exasperated. "I will absolutely not let him take a concubine! And if I really can’t stop it, I’ll leave before she ever steps through the door. He can do whatever the hell he wants after that."

Yun Ying’s eyes widened in disbelief. "Leave? Where would you go?"

Since she was young, she had traveled all over with Master Yun, and later lived hidden away on Cloud Mist Mountain and in Yunzhou City. While she was never bound by conventional rules and etiquette, she didn’t hold any particularly radical ideas either. She was accustomed to seeing powerful officials and wealthy gentlemen with wives and concubines in droves; she had never once met a wife who would threaten to leave over her husband taking one. ’Besides,’ she thought, ’where could a married woman with children possibly go?’

Juhua ignored her friend’s gossipy stare. ’I’m not the same person I was when I first came to this world, totally clueless and helpless,’ she thought. ’I have the means to be independent now, and I’ve matured. Why would I be afraid I can’t survive? Still, no need to talk about that, or even think about it for now. That would just be looking for trouble!’

Yun Ying kept pestering Juhua, asking where she would go if Huai Zi actually took a concubine.

Juhua rolled her eyes at her. "What if Doctor Qin took a concubine? What would you do?"

Yun Ying froze, her expression flickering between anger and distress.

Juhua watched her with an amused expression. "Don’t let your imagination run wild. I was just using it as an example to help you understand the feeling of absolute resolve. Where one goes isn’t the point. A man like Doctor Qin doesn’t have time for fooling around with women."

Yun Ying nodded emphatically. Just as their boisterous conversation continued, He came in to call them for dinner. She asked Yun Ying if Doctor Qin was around, suggesting he join them as well.

Yun Ying explained that her senior brother had gone into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs. Hearing this, He let it be. She mentioned that Huai Zi and his father were currently washing up and that dinner would be served as soon as they were finished. She told them to come out and eat in a little while, then left.