Chapter 23: The Jealous Li Mei – Wuyou Grass

Since their engagement, Jia Qingshan had been busy fixing up the thatched cottage. Today, he went up the mountain again.

He didn’t return home until the sun was beginning to set, and this trip up the mountain was very fruitful. Not only did he catch two wild hens, but he also hunted a mature male elk.

Looking at the dead elk in front of him, Jia Qingshan couldn’t hide his joy. He quickly and skillfully extracted the musk from it, weighing it in his hand with a wide smile on his face. He had not seen his little wife in a while, and he was starting to miss her.

He had caught two female wild hens, planning to keep them for eggs, so when his little wife moved in, they would have eggs to eat. His little wife was a bit thin, so he hoped to fatten her up.

With the elk slung over his shoulder, he headed toward his little wife’s home. As he passed through the village, he encountered a young woman who looked at him with a strange expression.

However, Jia Qingshan didn’t know this woman and had never interacted with any of the village girls. He felt a bit puzzled but didn’t dwell on it, thinking about how he was about to see his little wife, which made him quicken his pace.

Upon reaching the courtyard, the sight of the elk shocked everyone. It was a creature that only appeared deep in the mountains and was notoriously difficult to hunt.

People’s expressions changed as they looked at Jia Qingshan. Some looked worried, while others gazed at him with admiration.

Today, Li Wen was at home, enjoying his break. He saw his brother-in-law in high spirits, especially when he saw the elk on the ground. Instantly, he felt a sense of admiration and started pestering Jia Qingshan with questions about hunting, saying he wanted to go with him next time to hunt elk.

Seeing her youngest son still clinging to her son-in-law, Mrs. Shen shook her head in helplessness.

Li Wen had always liked his older brother, and now that he knew he would be his brother-in-law, he was even happier.

Li Youyin looked at his son-in-law in front of him and was speechless. Aside from the family’s financial situation, this young man was far superior to the son of the Sun family, who had been rejected. He was thoroughly pleased with him.

Jia Qingshan finally managed to escape from his brother-in-law’s clutches to have a chance to talk to his little wife. However, when he saw Li Guo’er’s face, he became nervous and stuttered.

Seeing the man’s awkwardness in front of her, Li Guo’er couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.

Her smile was so beautiful that Jia Qingshan stood frozen for a moment, captivated by it.

was lucky to have such an engagement, but also thought that Jia Qingshan’s family would never be able to afford a proper dowry.

As the news of Jia Qingshan’s proposal spread, Li Mei grew increasingly resentful. She had always liked Jia Qingshan, but her family had opposed it because they believed he was an unlucky man, a “heavenly star” who would bring misfortune. They also disapproved of his family’s lack of land and their dependence on hunting for survival, believing that life would be difficult if she married him.

Li Mei, having been pampered and raised in a comfortable environment, could never imagine a life of hardship. She had reluctantly accepted her family’s disapproval and had agreed to meet with the suitor her parents had found for her—the youngest son from the Wang family in the nearby Lower Water Village. Although he wasn’t as handsome or as tall as Jia Qingshan, his family owned more than thirty acres of land, which made him seem a much more suitable match. His position as the youngest son also meant that he wouldn’t have to serve his parents when they split the family property in the future, which further comforted Li Mei.

However, when Li Mei heard about Jia Qingshan’s engagement to Li Guo’er, her jealousy flared up. She thought about how Jia Qingshan had come from nothing and how he might struggle to pay a dowry, but when she overheard her parents talking about the dowry he had brought, her thoughts took a different turn. It became clear to her that despite his humble background, Jia Qingshan had proven his worth in some way.

Her bitterness and jealousy grew as she realized that she had missed the chance to marry someone she had once fancied. She resented Li Guo’er for taking the opportunity she felt was hers.

She had stolen the marriage that was meant for her; otherwise, all those things would have been hers.

Now, the villagers should envy her, not Li Guo’er.

Especially the pair of wild geese, which, she heard, could be sold for several dozen taels of silver in town. Thinking about her own bride price, which she had thought was already quite high at six taels, made her even more envious.

She became mad with jealousy, shouting every day that she would go find Li Guo’er. Why should an unwanted person like her receive Jia Qingshan’s affection?

It must be because she shamelessly seduced Jia Qingshan; otherwise, why would Jia Qingshan, who had never interacted with the village girls, go to her house to propose…

Today, when she saw with her own eyes that Jia Qingshan had sent that rare moose to her second uncle’s house, her jealousy reached its peak.

After returning home, she began to complain, blaming Zhao Shi and Li Laotou for not agreeing to her marriage to Jia Qingshan at the beginning. If they had, the moose would have been sent to her house today.

She hadn’t had meat for a long time. If she had been the one betrothed to Jia Qingshan, there would have been endless meat every day.

Meng Shi thought she was daydreaming. Didn’t she know her own character? Jia Qingshan would never like her.

Li Mei, seeing the mocking expression of her second sister-in-law, angrily stepped forward and pushed her. With no defense, Meng Shi was instantly knocked to the ground.

Looking at her sister-in-law fall, Li Mei smiled and said, “Let this be a lesson for you to mock me.”

Wang Youjin and his wife thought their daughter had been spoiled.

Although they didn’t like Meng Shi either, they couldn’t just hit her!

As they were about to turn back to help their younger daughter-in-law, they heard Meng Shi’s painful cries from not far away.

They saw Meng Shi’s pale face as she clutched her stomach, beads of sweat covering her forehead, and looking down, her pants were soaked with a deep red.

This frightened Li Mei. She didn’t expect that just a gentle push would make Meng Shi fall.

Although she was inexperienced, she had heard about women’s issues, and she knew she had caused trouble. Panicking, she quickly ran back to her room to hide.

Li Laotou and his wife, who had just returned from outside, had planned to come see what was going on. Upon seeing Meng Shi clutching her stomach on the ground, they shouted in panic and immediately ran to find a doctor.

Zhao Shi finally came to her senses and was about to head out when she met her two sons, who had just returned from the fields.

Seeing her mother in such a hurry, the eldest son, Li Qingsong, asked, “Mother, where are you going in such a rush?”