Ugly girl only wants to farm

Chapter 189 Where does such a strong temper come from in the dead of winter?

Meng Jiuhe kept a straight face, watching Xu Chaoyan outside. She was chatting and laughing with that boy, completely ignoring him. It was clear from her that she was telling him not to cause trouble.

He knew that Xu Chaoyan wanted to help him get to know more people. He wasn't good at socializing, but he just couldn't feel happy and felt suffocated. What was that silly boy doing, talking happily with his wife while leaving his rightful husband standing aside?

Shen Siheng, still smiling, walked over and pulled Meng Jiuhe outside, saying, "Brother Meng, hurry up and go out. The food is getting cold. I know the bookstore owner. I can recommend some good books for you to look at."

Xu Chaoyan instructed Meng Jiuxia to set up two tables outside and invited Zhang Xuyang's family over. Shen Siheng and Zhang Xuyang were sitting opposite each other. He glared at Zhang Xuyang with some dissatisfaction, then snorted twice and turned his head away.

Zhang Xuyang looked at Xu Chaoyan with a bewildered expression and then asked the question that had been bothering him: "Who exactly is this person? What does he mean by this? Why is he sitting with us? Did I offend him?"

As if he were determined to challenge him, Shen Siheng grabbed his bowl and chopsticks and threatened him, "I'm sitting right here, so what? Am I in your way?"

Zhang Yueniang quickly stepped down to stop him and said softly, "Xuyang, he is a guest. Don't be so rude. He came with Sister Xu and the others. They might know each other."

The meal Shen Siheng had sent over was quite lavish, but it was a cold winter day, and the food had already cooled down in the cold wind. The braised pork hock was covered in a layer of scum, which made Xu Chaoyan lose her appetite.

Although they weren't in a huge rush on their journey, it wasn't exactly easy either, as they braved wind and rain.

What she really wants right now is to eat a hot pot, drink a sip of hot soup, and feel warm all over.

But this silly boy kept coming closer and was so enthusiastic, she couldn't refuse his kindness. He said his family owned a restaurant, so he must know a lot of people. It would be beneficial for Meng Jiuhe to get to know him in the future.

From his words along the way, Xu Chaoyan had actually lowered her guard against him somewhat.

Meng Jiuhe remained inside and did not come out. Xu Chaoyan sighed helplessly before turning back.

"Sister, could you and Xuyang greet this young master Shen?"

Xu Chaoyan gently pushed open the door and went in. She didn't expect this person to be so temperamental. It was just a few words, was it really necessary to be like this?

She walked over and snatched the book from his hand. Meng Jiuhe ignored her and sat down to the side, saying sarcastically, "Didn't that person send over a table full of food? Weren't you two having a great time chatting? Why are you coming over here to join in the fun?"

Xu Chaoyan touched the earthenware pot on the table; it was still slightly warm. She poured him a bowl of water and coaxed him gently, "Husband, have some water to cool down. Where did you get so angry in the middle of winter? I didn't have a pleasant conversation with him. I was just asking around about the situation in this county. I heard that there is not only a county school but also two academies. I was just gathering some information for you in advance, but you still misunderstood me."

Meng Jiu looked up at her aggrieved expression and suddenly softened, wondering if he had gone too far. He had made a mountain out of a molehill. She hadn't actually done anything inappropriate with him, but seeing Xu Chaoyang always smiling when talking to that silly boy made him feel uncomfortable.

A man sat there sulking, and after a long time no one came to explain, he became increasingly angry. "It's just a meal, what's the big deal? I don't care."

Seeing that Meng Jiuhe's expression softened somewhat, Xu Chaoyan continued, "With a face as handsome as my husband's, why would I even glance at someone else? You're overthinking it."

After saying that, she sat on Meng Jiuhe's lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Meng Jiuhe was still angry with her, but this sudden intimate gesture caught him off guard, and his handsome face flushed red all the way to his ears.

Xu Chaoyan gave him a light, fleeting kiss, then looked at him and asked, "So, can we go eat now?"

After speaking, Xu Chaoyan was about to get up, but Meng Jiuhe pulled her back down.

His eyes held an unfathomable look that Xu Chaoyan couldn't decipher. He stared at Xu Chaoyan with a hint of grievance and asked, "What? Is this how you try to get rid of me?"

Xu Chaoyan chuckled awkwardly, "Then what do you want me to do, my husband? There's a whole table of people waiting for us right now. If we don't go out soon, people will misunderstand."

After she finished speaking, she gave a shy smile.

Meng Jiu tightened his grip on her waist, gently pinching her slender waist a few times as if punishing her, before kissing her lips twice.

Xu Chaoyan struggled for a long time but couldn't break free, afraid that if someone went out and discovered something was wrong, she would be too ashamed to face anyone.

When the two separated, they were both panting. Meng Jiuhe's eyes were filled with lust as he stared at Xu Chaoyan's soft, petal-like lips. Seeing the slight sheen on them, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

After noticing his unusual behavior, Xu Chaoyan also felt something amiss on her lips and quickly wiped them with her sleeve. She said with some dissatisfaction, "Are you a dog? How could you let everyone see this? How could I save face?"

Meng Jiuhe was somewhat displeased with her actions. His eyes dimmed, and he asked in a slightly displeased tone, "Are you disgusted with me?"

Xu Chaoyan rolled her eyes at the ground: "My God, my Goddess! What are we even talking about now? Is this the time to be talking about this? People need to eat, and he's already been hungry for days. If he can't appease this idiot, he won't get a single bite to eat today."

She suddenly put on a fawning smile: "My husband, how could I possibly dislike you? Don't you know how much I love you? Do you really want me to swear an oath?"

After saying that, she raised four fingers. As a modern person, she didn't take oaths seriously at all.

Meng Jiuhe suddenly looked a little nervous, grabbed her hand and said urgently, "What are you doing? I didn't say anything else, why are you suddenly making these oaths? Besides, isn't an oath supposed to be made with three fingers? Aren't you sticking out too many?"

Xu Chaoyan felt like banging her head against a wall. He was utterly unreasonable and impossible to reason with; it was like talking to a brick wall. Fine, she decided not to bother arguing with him anymore. She grabbed his arm and said, "Come on, everyone outside is waiting for us to eat. That silly boy brought us a lot of food. He genuinely wants to be your friend. Didn't he say he was going to take you to the bookstore later? You can take this opportunity to learn about it. You can also bring back a few books to copy during the New Year holiday, just to practice your calligraphy."

If we don't find something for this person to do, who knows what kind of nonsense he'll start thinking all day.

Everyone enjoyed the meal. As a poor family, they didn't adhere to the rules of not speaking while eating or sleeping, which made the meal quite warm and cozy. Two charcoal fires were placed on either side of the table. Although the cold wind was biting, the whole family was happily together, creating a peaceful and idyllic atmosphere.

Shen Siheng is a chatterbox. From the start of the meal until the end, he kept talking non-stop, making the aunt and Yaya laugh heartily.

He was as enthusiastic as when they first met Meng Jiuhe, but he didn't give Zhang Xuyang a friendly look.

Xu Chaoyan chuckled inwardly. All she did was steal a box of books from him, and he'd held a grudge for so long.

The end of the year is not far away, and since they are newcomers, they still have a lot to settle in. These things can be handled by her and her sister-in-law.

She shoved a money pouch into Meng Jiuhe's hand and shooed him out: "Go out and take a stroll with Young Master Shen, and you and Xuyang can familiarize yourselves with the environment of this county town. Don't get in the way at home. My sister-in-law and I will tidy up these things. Today the weather is fine, so I'll take out the bedding to air it out, and I'll also help you organize your books."

Meng Jiuhe originally wanted to stay and help, but Xu Chaoyan glared at him and sent him back. He had no choice but to reluctantly follow Shen Siheng.

“Brother Meng, let me tell you, you’ve come to the right place. It’s so lively here during the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. They hold a lantern festival every three years.”

Seeing that Meng Jiuhe remained silent, he muttered to himself, "Do you know why it's only held once every three years?"

Meng Jiuhe walked with Zhang Xuyang, occasionally exchanging a few words, but ignoring him.

Shen Siheng wasn't annoyed and explained on his own: "Because it's only held on a small scale every year, but once every three years it's funded by the county magistrate and major merchants and gentry, and it's very lively. You just happened to run into it, isn't that a coincidence?"