Chapter 97 Chapter 97 Debut
Ever since the Fu family moved to Qingshi Village, everyone in the village knew that the youngest son of the Fu family was frail and sickly and never left the house, but few people had seen him.
Later, somehow, news suddenly spread that he was sick and ugly, and it sounded very realistic.
The villagers were not sure whether to believe it at first, but as time went on, they all thought that he must have been ill and his appearance had been badly damaged, so it was normal for him to become ugly.
After all, among those who have been ill for a long time, there are few who are not ugly.
Originally, the villagers didn't care much about whether Fu Wenxiao was ugly or not, until Yu Li went to the county town to slaughter pigs. She became more and more skilled in slaughtering pigs, and even became a well-known figure in the village because of her skills. Naturally, the villagers also started to care about her affairs.
Whenever people see Yu Li, they will remember that she married a sickly and ugly man.
Now Yu Li is not only good-looking but also very capable. Knowing that the person she married is not a good match, one can't help but sigh for her.
Marriage is a major event that may only happen once in a lifetime. If you marry the wrong person, your life will probably be like this.
At this moment, when the villagers learned that Fu Wenxiao had appeared, they were all very surprised.
My first thought was, how could he go out? In such a cold day, would he freeze to death if he ran out like a sick person?
Second thought was, wow, is he really that ugly? They need to take a closer look…
A group of people stretched their necks to look over there, but because the distance was too far, they could only see three people under the tree but could not see each other's appearance clearly.
However, the man standing there looked quite tall. Although he was a little thin, he was not as frail as one would imagine. I don’t know if it was because it was cold and he was wearing too many clothes.
Seeing Yu Li walking over there, they were too embarrassed to follow him, so they just stood there looking around, wondering how ugly Fu Shulang was.
Hey, it shouldn’t be too ugly, right?
From a distance, the body looks tall and straight, quite good-looking.
-
Yu Li quickly came under the tree over there.
She walked fast and lightly towards the warm sun, her hair flying in the wind, her eyes bright and clear.
Fu Wenxiao looked at the girl approaching and a smile appeared on his face.
"Li Niang." He called softly.
"Little aunt!"
The brother and sister, who were originally a little timid and shy because there were too many people outside, saw her, their eyes lit up, and they abandoned their little uncle without hesitation, rushed towards Yu Li, and hugged her waist and rubbed her.
Yu Li touched their heads one by one and asked, "Why are you here?"
"Come to see my aunt."
The brother and sister said in unison, their voices were so soft and sweet, and coupled with their rosy and chubby faces, they were very cute.
Fu Wenxiao glanced at the brother and sister who were hugging Yu Li tightly, and said softly: "I have been feeling much better recently, and the weather is good today, so my mother asked me to go out for a walk, and I came to see you by the way..."
As he spoke, he looked at the villagers not far away who were looking over here, lowered his eyes and said, "I just didn't expect there to be so many people here..."
His eyes are slightly upturned, and when his eyelids droop, he gives people a cold and distant feeling, as if he is keeping people at a distance and is difficult to get along with.
In Yu Li's eyes, it was a sign that he hadn't interacted with people for a long time and didn't dare to get close to the crowd.
So even if he came here, he didn't dare to look for her. He actually hid here, and no one knew how long he had been hiding. He looked so pitiful.
Yu Li comforted him: "It's nothing, everyone is very friendly."
Fu Wenxiao smiled at her and said nothing.
It was this silent smile that made Yu Li feel that this was not a good idea. She scratched her face and asked, "The Kitchen God Festival will start soon. Do you want to go and have a look?"
Fu Wenxiao hesitated, "There are too many people..."
Thinking that he was afraid of being around people, she said, "It's okay, you can watch from outside, just don't get close."
There were too many people here, and she was worried about crowding him and the two children, so she didn't want to let them get close.
Fu Wenxiao knew that she had misunderstood. He just didn't like places with a lot of people. He found it too noisy and gave him a headache.
He did not reject her kindness and asked, "Li Niang, are you going too?"
"Of course." Yu Li looked at the two children.
Although the older one is able to go out and walk, he is not fully recovered yet and still needs to be taken care of; the two younger ones are under five years old and have been kept at home all the time, so they are extremely timid and dare not get along with outsiders. If she is not around, I am afraid that these three will be scared to death.
In this family, except for her, the others are timid, so she has to take care of them more.
Fu Wenxiao smiled, his voice a little lighter, "That's good."
The brother and sister also quickly said: "Aunt, I want to go with you."
One of them held Yu Li's hand, indicating that they wanted to follow their aunt. With their aunt around, they were not afraid of anything.
"Okay, let's go together." Yu Li did not refuse the two human cubs. Because they were well-behaved and cute, it was not unpleasant to raise them.
She walked over there with the two children, motioning Fu Wenxiao to follow.
Fu Wenxiao glanced at the brother and sister who were holding her hands, and slowly followed the three of them.
When Yu Li was traveling with one adult and two children, he met quite a few people along the way.
When they saw Fu Wenxiao, they all stood there in a daze, no matter if they were men or women, they were all stunned and silent.
The surroundings became very quiet.
The man in a plain green cloak, with clear eyes and eyebrows, just stood there quietly, like a painting, out of tune with this simple village and the people around him.
At first glance, he looks like the son of a wealthy family.
It took a long while until Yu Li and his men passed by, and they finally came to their senses.
At this time, Yu Li had already brought his men to the threshing ground.
There were some middle-aged men and women cleaning things here. They looked over here while they were busy. When they saw the man Yu Li brought here, they were also stunned.
After a long while, someone stuttered and asked, "Li, Li Niang, who is this young master..."
"He is Xiao Ge'er... um, my husband."
Yu Li introduced him to them. She was used to calling him Xiao Ge'er, but it seemed not appropriate to call him that in public.
Knowing that it was Fu Wenxiao's first time going out and that he didn't know many people in the village, Yu Li introduced them to him, "Brother Xiao, they are..."
Fu Wenxiao raised his eyes and looked over, then smiled at them and greeted them in a gentle voice.
His voice was warm and he looked gentle and polite, but the villagers were still a little reserved and hurriedly forced a smile to greet him.
"Sister, brother-in-law!"
At this time, the Yu Jin sisters came over.
Seeing that Fu Wenxiao was there, the three sisters were concerned about him and asked, "Brother-in-law, when did you come here? Are you okay?"
Fu Wenxiao smiled and said, "I just came out for a walk, it's okay."
"That's good."
The three sisters were very happy. In their opinion, the fact that Fu Wenxiao could go out in such a cold weather proved that his health was getting better and he might get better in the future.
That's great.
Whether for Yu Li or Zhou, they all hope that Fu Wenxiao is in good health.
When the people around heard what the Yu Jin sisters said, they finally remembered that Fu Wenxiao was a sickly person.
Their eyes fell on him. His face was indeed a little pale, but he did not look like someone who had been bedridden for a long time. His body looked a little thin, tall and slender, not to the point of being emaciated.
No matter how you look at him, he seems to be an elegant and noble young man, like one of those big families in the city.
In short, he doesn't look like a country person.
Suddenly, they remembered that the Fu family used to be traveling merchants. Before they fell into poverty, it was said that the family had a lot of property and was considered a wealthy family.
No wonder, only wealthy families can raise such children.
When everyone was greeting Yu Li and Fu Wenxiao curiously, people from the first and third branches of the Yu family also saw Fu Wenxiao.
They were also stunned.
Third Aunt Wang said incredulously: "Is this the sickly one?"
Chen's eyes flickered slightly. She didn't expect that the young man she had just met was the man Yu Li married. He was not a young man from a wealthy family in the city.
Yu Qin also stood there in a daze, looking at Fu Wenxiao standing with Yu Li, and was speechless for a long time.
After a long while, Old Lady Yu suddenly said, "He doesn't look like a sickly person. Could it be that Li Niang really got married to bring him back to life? Then..."
Doesn't that mean that this marriage was actually the right one in the first place?
If that's the case, then the twenty taels of betrothal money...
Thinking of the twenty taels of betrothal money that Yu Li wanted to take back, Mrs. Yu felt as if her heart was being cut by a knife.
Anyone with eyes can see that the son of the Fu family has both the right people and the right looks. This marriage is not as bad as imagined, in fact, it is quite good.
She didn't sell her granddaughter, did she? Then what would happen if she accepted the betrothal gift?
Although she thought so, Old Lady Yu did not dare to ask Yu Li for...
She just felt uncomfortable in her heart, and it would be better if Fu Wenxiao was a sickly person.
Until the Kitchen God worship ceremony began, the Yu family was absent-minded.
Not to mention the three of Yu Lao Da and his two sons, who have been extremely stimulated by Yu Li since they met her. Even the other people in the Yu family felt very upset when they found out that Yu Li was not marrying the "sickly ugly man" as everyone said, but a handsome young man.
The Yu family’s story began when Yu Li married into the Fu family, and then everything changed.
Especially Mr. Yu and his wife and the people in the first house. When they were forced to separate, they could still comfort themselves that although Li Niang was cruel and ruthless, she married into the Fu family. The son of the Fu family was weak and sickly, and they didn't know when he would die. He would drag her down.
But I never thought it would turn out like this.
Yu Jingzong grumbled, "This isn't right. How could Li Niang, a troublemaker, marry such a good man? That man doesn't look like he's going to die of illness..."
When Yuqin heard this, she felt even more upset.
When she saw the young man just now, she felt a little... But before she could find out who the other person was and whether he was married, she heard that he was the "sickly ugly man" that Yu Li was marrying.
She used to use this to make fun of Yu Li and comfort herself that her life was not that good. Now she realizes that she is just a clown.
The only people who were not affected were the people from the third branch of the Yu family.
Yu Laosan and his wife don’t care at all what kind of man Yu Li marries. After all, she is not their daughter, and they have no right to interfere with the Fu family.
At most, he would sigh in private that the youngest son of the Fu family was so handsome. There was no one as handsome as him in the surrounding area. To be honest, when he and Yu Li stood together, they looked quite a match.
-
When the Kitchen God worship ceremony began, most of the villagers had already heard about the sickly child of the Fu family going out.
Then they heard that the sickly boy of the Fu family was not an ugly man. Although he was sick, he was a handsome man. His appearance and demeanor did not make him look like a country boy.
Just like those noblemen in the city who are made of gold and jade.
When someone saw Yu Laoer and his wife, they asked, "Yu Laoer, your eldest son-in-law is so handsome. Why didn't you tell us that he looked like this before?"
It made them really think how ugly the boy from the Fu family was.
Yu Lao Er touched the back of his head and said honestly: "You didn't ask."
As for men, what’s there to say about appearance?
Liu also smiled shyly, but didn't know what to say.
Although the eldest son-in-law showed up in public today, which greatly brought honor to them, they knew in their hearts that because they did not firmly oppose the marriage, their relationship with their eldest daughter is now very cold, and they don't even know if it can be repaired in this lifetime.
As a result, they rarely dared to go to their eldest son-in-law's house. Even though they lived in the same village, they had only met each other a few times.
The Kitchen God worship ceremony is very lively, and when it is over, the villagers go to get the meat.
The three pigs slaughtered during the Kitchen God worship were bought with money contributed by all the villagers, with each family contributing a little, so after the worship was over, they could also take a portion of pork home.
When they were queuing up to get the meat, many people saw Yu Li who was cutting pork with a butcher knife, and Fu Wenxiao who was sitting not far away to rest. The two children were beside him, looking a little timid, like little animals.
The big and two small ones were wearing elegant clothes and looked very handsome.
Just by sitting there, they attracted a lot of attention.
Someone couldn't help but sigh: "This child of the Fu family is so handsome..."
The two children were fair and tender, just like the boys in New Year pictures, and were really adorable.
Look at my own children again. They have been sunburned all summer and are pitch black. Now they are running around like wild monkeys. They are not as cute as other people’s children.
"That's right." The people around him echoed, "I have lived for most of my life, and I have never seen a young man who is more handsome than Fu Shulang."
"How could this person be born like this?"
"But Li Niang is also very pretty, and a good match for him."
"That's true..."
The villagers looked at Yu Li who was cutting the meat quickly. The butcher knife was turning in her hand, shining with cold light. With a flash of sword light, the meat was cut neatly.
Her movements were quick and efficient, and although she was doing a rough job, she did not look clumsy or ugly.
Before you know it, you're fascinated by it.
After the meat was divided evenly into sizes, Yu Li finally finished his work for the day.
The rest was handed over to the village chief and others.
"Li Niang, thank you for your hard work." The village chief said, handing her the meat that the Fu family had received, asking her to take it back.
Yu Li carried the piece of meat and went to find Fu Wenxiao and the others to go home together.
"Have you been waiting long?" she asked, "Are you feeling well?" She was worried that he would not be able to bear it if he stayed outside for too long.
Fu Wenxiao stood up and smiled at her. "I'm not feeling uncomfortable. I'm just a little tired after sitting here for so long."
Yu Li looked at his face and found that he did look a little tired.
Thinking of him taking a nap every day to ensure adequate sleep, otherwise he would be in a bad mood. Today, because he came out and sat there waiting for her, he had already missed his bedtime.
"Can you walk?" Yu Li asked again, "Do you want me to hold your hand?"
Fu Wenxiao turned the words around, as if he was a little embarrassed, "Then thank you for your help..."
"Nothing." Yu Li held the meat in one hand and pulled him with the other hand, "As long as you don't mind my dirty hands." She had just gone to cut the meat. There was no water to wash her hands, so she just wiped them casually with a cloth.
So the hands are probably still dirty.
Fu Wenxiao: “…”
Seeing the look on his face, Yu Li was about to pull her hand back, but he held it tightly.
Afraid that she would accidentally throw him away, she didn't pull her hand away hard, but looked at him.
Living under the same roof, she could see that this man was a bit of a germaphobe. Even when he was seriously ill, he would keep his body clean and change and wash his clothes frequently. He couldn't tolerate any dirt.
Killing pigs is considered a dirty thing in the eyes of the world. Most people look down on butchers, thinking that they are associating with smelly pigs and their bodies are also smelly.
Yu Li felt that she did not smell bad. She washed diligently every day and used fat beads with spices. It was a bit expensive, but the cleaning effect was very good. After washing, she felt fragrant.
She also didn't think that the job of slaughtering pigs was lowly. In her eyes, no job in the world was lowly. It all depended on what purpose it had.
Facing her gaze, although Fu Wenxiao didn't know what she was thinking, he instinctively held her hand tightly.
That hand was as warm as ever. This warmth was full of vitality, very nostalgic and desirable. He was reluctant to let go.
"It's okay." He smiled at her, "Let's wash our hands together when we get back."
Yu Li looked at him again, and when he saw that he really didn't mind, he said "oh".
She turned to the two children and said, "Yan Hui, Yan Sheng, go hold uncle's hand, don't let him fall."
The two children originally wanted to hold her hand. They didn't care at all that their aunt's hands were dirty. But after hearing what she said, they were also worried that their uncle would fall, so they quickly held his other hand.
They held hands and went home together.
The villagers who were dividing the meat saw this scene and someone said, "Look, Li Niang and Fu Shulang are really a perfect match."
Fu Wenxiao was undoubtedly good-looking, the most handsome person they had ever seen in their lives.
However, when Yu Li stood with him, strangely no one could ignore her.
One of them is handsome, while the other is beautiful. When they stand together, they are indeed a perfect match. It is pleasing to the eye and makes people feel that this beautiful girl should be paired with a handsome man.
Everyone around laughed kindly.
"The couple seems to have a good relationship. Li Niang really cares about him and even took him home."
"That's because Li Niang was afraid that he would fall. I heard that although Fu Shulang's health is better now, it is not completely recovered."
"It's nothing, it will get better in the future. Before, Fu Shulang couldn't even leave his room, but now he looks quite energetic. I just asked him, and Fu Shulang said that he will also take part in the county exam next February."
"What?!!"
Everyone who heard the news was shocked and rushed to confirm whether it was true.
"It's true." The village chief answered, "This is what Fu Shulang told me a few days ago."
A few days ago, he went to Fu's house to find Yu Li to talk about the matter of slaughtering pigs for the Kitchen God Festival. He chatted casually with Fu Wenxiao and learned that Fu Wenxiao had read a lot of books. He also lamented that Fu Wenxiao was in poor health, otherwise he would have been able to take part in the imperial examination.
But Fu Wenxiao said that he wanted to give it a try in February next year.
The village chief was naturally happy about this. There were not many educated people in their village, only the father and two sons of the Yu family. Next year, the Yu Jingde brothers would also take the exam. They couldn't guarantee whether they could pass it.
There is no scholar in their village, which is not as good as Qingxi Village where Chen Xiucai is.
Boss Yu took the exams for so many years, but he couldn't even pass the exam to become a student, let alone a scholar. It was really disappointing.
This Fu Shulang seems to be a well-read man, and speaks elegantly. If he is in good health and can take part in the county examination, who knows, he might actually pass?
The village chief really hopes that there will be a scholar in the village.
In this way, the reputation of their village will be enhanced, and people nearby will not dare to look down on their village.
With the village chief's affirmation, the news that Fu Wenxiao would take part in the county examination next spring quickly spread throughout Qingshi Village.
Yu Lao Da and his son, who had just returned home after the Kitchen God worship ceremony, soon found out.
"Just him?" Boss Yu said with disdain, "He is a sickly person. Even if he had a good teacher to teach him before, he probably wouldn't have the energy to learn."
He heard that the Fu family used to be rich and would definitely be able to hire a good teacher for their child.
But having a good teacher doesn't mean that students can learn, especially patients like Fu Wenxiao. Boss Yu is also a scholar, and he knows very well that if the body is sick, it will greatly affect study.
The Yu Jingde brothers are not as confident as their father.
When they saw Fu Wenxiao just now, his demeanor really made them feel ashamed of themselves.
Although men don't have to pay too much attention to appearance and should pay more attention to talent, somehow, when they saw Fu Wenxiao, they always felt that they saw a kind of confidence unique to scholars in him.
Just like the scholar from the Wang family, his every move makes him look as if he is doing something light.
Mr. Wang was the most knowledgeable person they had ever met.
This is a person that their grandfather Chen Xiucai could never catch up with in his entire life. It is said that Mr. Wang is now studying at home and will meet the same fate in a few years.
Boss Yu was somewhat displeased, thinking that his two sons were overly flattering Fu Wenxiao.
"What are you worried about? Fu Wenxiao is in poor health. Even if he is talented, I'm afraid his body won't be able to survive the harsh environment of the examination room." He stared at his two sons sharply, "Without a good body, it's a foolish dream to want to take the imperial examination."
This is also the reason why he is not optimistic about Fu Wenxiao.
Of course, he had a hidden thought in his mind. Fu Wenxiao was Yu Li's husband, and he didn't want Yu Li to become a scholar's wife or a juren's wife because of her husband's status in the future.
She is just a country girl and she is so arrogant now. If she becomes the wife of a scholar or a juren, who knows what she will do.
When the Yu Jingde brothers thought of this, they felt inexplicably relieved.
"Dad is right, his health is not good..."
When they said this, they felt sorry for Fu Wenxiao. With such appearance and such demeanor, he was obviously not an ordinary person. However, it was a pity that he had such a weak body.
If he hadn't been burdened by his physical condition, perhaps he wouldn't have married Yu Li for the purpose of bringing good luck or something.
Thinking of Yu Li, the two brothers felt uncomfortable all over.
They thought that it was really unfair for a man like Fu Wenxiao to marry a vicious and terrifying girl like Yu Li. It would be best if he never passed the exam in the future.
They really didn't want Yu Li to be too proud.
Seeing the relaxed expressions on the father and son's faces, Chen somehow felt a little uneasy.
Especially when Boss Yu mentioned Fu Wenxiao, he had a look of contempt on his face. It was hard to tell how he, who couldn't even pass the examination to become a Tongsheng, had the nerve to look down on others.
He now looked like an old, ugly clam, and the reviewer's face was even more hateful, making her more and more doubtful about why she had fallen in love with him back then.
Now that I think about it, maybe she was blind at the time.
Unfortunately, she woke up too late.
Chen felt upset and didn't want to stay here, so she went straight to the kitchen.
Today she received meat from the Kitchen God Festival and can finally eat some meat. She has to cook the meat quickly, otherwise the old lady will hide it and they can’t eat it until New Year. The meat will no longer be fresh.
When I arrived at the kitchen, I saw my daughter Yuqin busy cooking.
The clothes she was wearing were dirty, old and grey, and her hair was disheveled and hung behind her. She looked like a country girl, and nothing like the graceful girl she had been in the county town.
Chen felt more and more upset, and suddenly said to her daughter, "Mrs. Qin, after the New Year, I will go find your uncle and arrange a marriage between you and Xun'er."
Yu Qin was just lifting the lid of the pot to look at the bean porridge cooking inside. When she heard this, her hands trembled and the lid fell off.
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