Chapter 32: The Ugly Ger’s Farming Story

Just as Xie Yu was about to speak, Xu Qing spoke up, “Brother Xie, can you introduce him? Although this person knows me, as you know, I rarely go out, and this young man has such ‘distinctive’ looks! I haven’t seen him before, otherwise, I wouldn’t easily forget!”

Hearing Xu Qing emphasizing the word “distinctive,” Zhonghua’s face turned extremely ugly. He hated it when others talked about his appearance!

Xie Yu understood Xu Qing’s intentions. He suppressed the displeasure caused by Zhonghua’s earlier words and cooperatively said, “Indeed, Zhonghua and I grew up together as childhood playmates. We are a few years older than you, so it’s understandable that you don’t remember.”

Zhonghua and Xie Yu were born in the same year. Zhonghua’s parents’ home was not far from Xie’s family. Since they were both gers, they often played together or did farm work. However, as they grew older, the gap between them grew larger.

Although Xie Yu was a rural child, he had the same refined and dignified appearance as the gers who grew up in the town. He carried a sense of sophistication and attracted the attention of unmarried young men in the village. They would try their best to please Xie Yu, thinking that if they were chosen by him, it would be a great fortune. So during Xie Yu’s marriageable years, the threshold of the Xie family was trampled by numerous suitors.

Zhonghua was also a big topic in the village, but in a different way. The older he got, the uglier he became, and when he and Xie Yu were still young, adults often praised Xie Yu specifically, saying how good he was in this and that. Gradually, Zhonghua started to keep his distance from Xie Yu because he felt that whenever he was with Xie Yu, he was always overshadowed.

Feeling Zhonghua deliberately distancing himself, Xie Yu was saddened for a while. Their relationship faded after that, but it didn’t end there. Xie Yu was good-looking, capable, and had a gentle temperament. Besides the secret admiration from unmarried young men, many other gers in the village were willing to spend time with him because they believed that by being around someone as outstanding as Xie Yu, they would also gradually become better. So Xie Yu’s social circle didn’t become as lonely and pitiful as Zhonghua had maliciously imagined.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

However, it was only after Zhonghua distanced himself from Xie Yu that he realized he only had Xie Yu as a friend. Because of his unattractive appearance, strange temperament, and often offensive remarks, no one wanted to stay with him. Zhonghua even secretly thanked Xu Qing because Xu Qing’s face had a condition that people referred to as “ugly ger.” Zhonghua always felt that although he wasn’t good-looking, at least he didn’t have that condition on his face.

But even so, the destinies of Xie Yu and Zhonghua took completely different paths. Xie Yu was sought after by families in the town and married off in a splendid manner, causing envy and resentment among unmarried young men in the village. They hid away, shedding tears in secret. As for Zhonghua, things were miserable. No one came to propose marriage, and the suitors chosen by the Zhong family were not to his liking. He believed that he could marry someone better than Xie Yu!

So, when Zhonghua reached the age of official marriage, he was paired with a hunchbacked man from Anle Village who had lost his partner. Zhonghua was almost dragged onto the donkey cart, crying and resisting fiercely. The hunchbacked man didn’t mind Zhonghua’s unattractive appearance; he only cared about having children and someone who could help with farming. After marrying him, Zhonghua gave birth to three children and worked in the fields every day, which made him look much older than his peers.

Yesterday, when Zhonghua went to town to sell eggs, he happened to overhear Ma Ama chatting with someone while buying vegetables. He heard that Xie Yu had been divorced by the Ma family and returned home. The feeling Zhonghua had at that moment was like being liberated after years of oppression. In a good mood, Zhonghua sold his precious eggs at a low price and finally enjoyed a good night’s sleep. Early the next morning, he hurried back from Anle Village, eager to see how wretched Xie Yu looked after being divorced.

However, to his surprise, Xie Yu was not the pitiful, wretched man he had imagined. Although he had a sickly appearance, his demeanor and aura were that of a beautiful person. As for the former “ugly ger” of the village, his face had been healed just as the rumors outside claimed. Zhonghua’s anticipation of a good show vanished completely.

“So, that’s how it is! I knew I couldn’t possibly forget someone like ‘Big Brother Zhong’ who has such ‘distinctive’ looks!” Xu Qing emphasized the words “Big Brother Zhong” and “distinctive” with a deadly clarity, intending to choke Zhonghua with his malicious intent.

Although Xie Yu didn’t agree with Xu Qing’s words, in Zhonghua’s eyes, Xie Yu was intentionally embarrassing him! Intentionally trying to make Xu Qing shiver in fear!

“You! All of you!” Zhonghua’s chest was heaving with anger. “Xie Yu, what do you have to boast about?! What right do you have to team up with ‘Ugly ger’ Xu Qing to mock me?! Yes, I’m not as good-looking as you! I married someone inferior to you! But at least I have three children! At least I can be a normal mother! And you? Pah!”

Xie Yu’s face, which had started to regain some color after drinking the spiritual spring water, turned pale and terrifying as Zhonghua’s words pierced his heart.

“Who told you that?! Explain it to me!” Just as Xie Ama, holding hot water and preparing to give it to Zhonghua, heard his vicious words, he slammed the bowl onto the ground. He stepped forward and grabbed Zhonghua, who had a frightened expression on his face. “My son is doing fine! Who are you to say such things about my child?! Even as his parents, we have never said anything like this about our little Yu!”

Uncle Xie, who was tending to the medicine on the stove, heard the commotion in the main room and rushed in as well. “What’s going on? What happened?!” Seeing the displeased expressions on his son’s face and wife’s face, and Zhonghua being held onto by Xie Ama, he didn’t need to think twice to know that Zhonghua must have said something he shouldn’t have!

“Get out!”

Xie Ama no longer cared about the etiquette of being an elder. He forcefully grabbed Zhonghua’s hand and dragged him towards the courtyard gate.

“What are you doing?! What kind of attitude is this?! No wonder Xie Yu was divorced and sent back home! No wonder the Ma family wants to marry someone else!”

“What?!” Everyone was stunned by these words. While Xie Ama was in disbelief, Zhonghua took advantage of his stunned state and forcefully pulled his hand back. It hurt so much!

Xie Yu pushed away Xu Qing, who was supporting him, step by step, slowly walking into the drizzling courtyard, looking at Zhonghua who was still rubbing his wrist.

“Say it again, Ma Fugui is marrying who?”

Zhonghua rubbed his wrist in pain and angrily shouted at Xie Yu, “Why haven’t you heard?! Ma Fugui is marrying a new person tomorrow! I thought you were so capable, but you can’t even keep hold of your own man!”

“Ah! Help! Murder!”

Xie Ama picked up a stool and threw it at Zhonghua, scaring him so much that he started hopping in panic. Xie Ama forcefully threw the screaming Zhonghua out, and he fell miserably, like a dog eating shit, as Xie Ama slammed the courtyard gate close.

“Brother Xie.”

Xu Qing gently tapped the umbrella on top of Xie Yu’s head and softly called his name. The drizzle had already dampened his hair, and his clothes were quite wet. His eyes were filled with pain and sorrow, just like when he heard the news from Zhonghua. He had just divorced Ma Fugui yesterday, and the day after tomorrow, Ma Fugui would be marrying someone new. In such a short time, the Ma family had already prepared everything. After all these years, what did he really mean to Ma Fugui?

“Brother Xie!”

“Xiao Yu!”

“Xiao Yu!”

Seeing Xie Yu sway slightly, Xu Qing felt that something was wrong. Then, Xie Yu began to collapse to the ground! Xu Qing desperately reached out to catch him, and the falling umbrella landed on the ground, splashing water droplets all around.

***

That person had come again.

Xie Yu looked through the slightly opened courtyard gate and saw the thin young man who had been frequently sitting across from his house for the past few months. He was tall but very skinny. He was the one who came to propose a few months ago. Because his family was in town, it caused quite a stir in the village. During this time, Xie Yu often asked himself privately how he even attracted someone from town to come and propose to him.

Xie Yu gently closed the courtyard gate, feeling somewhat helpless. He had never seen or spoken to Ma Fugui before he came to propose. It was his own mother who said Xie Yu had to agree and find it suitable before accepting the proposal. So for the past few months, Ma Fugui had been waiting at the door whenever he had the chance. As soon as Xie Yu stepped out, he would come forward and help him with various things, making Xie Yu feel uncomfortable. He couldn’t adapt to this sudden enthusiasm.

Xie Ama came out holding a basin of vegetables and saw his son in the courtyard with the gate tightly closed. “What’s wrong? Has that person come again?”

Xie Yu heard the teasing tone in Xie Ama’s voice and nodded helplessly. To be honest, he had never planned to get married and leave. Moreover, Xie Yu was the only son in the family. He had initially wanted to marry in a husband, but Xie Ama and Uncle Xie did not agree. They said they were not too old and could live on their own. Xie Yu was so outstanding, he should marry into a good family and not waste his prime years.

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Translator’s rant: Pssssh, some people be like that, before they get what they want, they be acting all invested and crap like that Ma Fugui guy.