Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 54: Chapter 33: I Am the Victim

Qin Mei chuckled, her voice cold as she demanded, ”Second Sister-in-law, can you deny you came to me because of Teacher Lin? Can you deny you slandered me? Can you deny you told me to divorce Jie Jingchen? Can you deny you told me to make way for Teacher Lin? Can you deny you didn’t fly into a rage and rush over to strangle me?”

Qin Mei paused, then pressed on aggressively, ”Can you deny that I caught you before you fell? Can you deny that if I hadn’t grabbed you, your head would have landed in the cooking pot? Can you deny you took off your shoe and threw it at me? That when it fell in the pot, I was scalded by the splashing broth? Can you deny you chased me with a kitchen knife? Can you deny you threatened to kill me? Second Sister-in-law, did I embellish a single thing? Hmm?”

She hadn’t embellished. Everything she said was true, but she hadn’t told the whole story. She’d presented the parts favorable to her perfectly, without mentioning a single word that might benefit Xu Chunyan.

”You didn’t embellish, but...”

”As long as you admit I didn’t embellish, that’s enough,” Qin Mei interrupted.

”Chunyan, but what?” Jie Jingwei asked. He wasn’t a fool. Even if Qin Mei hadn’t slandered Xu Chunyan or embellished the story, that didn’t mean there wasn’t something she was hiding.

Xu Chunyan took a deep breath. ’It’s my turn to put on a show. I refuse to believe that I, an elementary school teacher, could lose a battle of wits with some country bumpkin. Nine out of ten people from the countryside are illiterate.’

However, reality proved otherwise.

”Second Daughter-in-law, Jing Si and Xiao Mei are married now,” Mrs. Xie interjected coldly. ”What are you doing telling Xiao Mei about Teacher Lin? Are you trying to destroy their marriage?”

”I...”

”Mom, Second Sister-in-law didn’t really say much,” Qin Mei cut in again.

’No matter what Xu Chunyan said, I could refute it,’ Qin Mei thought. ’But if she’s allowed to speak, someone will inevitably believe her. No matter how cleverly I argue, they’ll still find holes in my story. The best way to prevent future trouble is to not let her speak at all.’

Qin Mei had underestimated Mr. Xie’s sharp wisdom. As the director of the machinery factory, his perception was keen, and he had already seen through the situation. Regardless of the cause or the process, Xu Chunyan had swung a knife at Jie Jingchen. That was a fact, one he had witnessed with his own eyes. Could he possibly defend Xu Chunyan?

No, he couldn’t. Not unless he no longer wanted his wife and their three other children.

Qin Mei shot a sidelong glance at Jie Jingchen, then flicked a look at Mr. Xie. She hadn’t noticed before, but that one glance gave her a fright.

It was a gaze that saw through everything. In that instant, Qin Mei felt a pang of guilt.

Jie Jingchen keenly sensed her guilt. He had seen the whole thing unfold. ’If she’s a cunning little fox,’ he thought, ’then Dad is a thousand-year-old fox demon. How could a little fox outwit a fox demon?’

”Honey, don’t be afraid. Mom and Dad will back you up.” With a slight raise of his brows, Jie Jingchen wrapped an arm around Qin Mei and turned, his tall frame blocking her view and exposing his own injured back to Mr. Xie.

Mr. Xie’s eye twitched. ’This boy...’ An expression of resignation crossed his face.

Encouraged by Jie Jingchen, Qin Mei’s guilt vanished. She said to Mrs. Xie, ”All Second Sister-in-law said was that the person Teacher Lin adores is Jie Jingchen, that they were childhood sweethearts on the verge of discussing marriage, and that my sudden appearance broke up the star-crossed lovers. She said a forced marriage won’t be happy, told me to be sensible and let Teacher Lin and Jie Jingchen be together, and also said that Jie Jingchen abandoning Teacher Lin to marry me was the biggest mistake of his life.”

Everyone was speechless.

’And she called that ”not saying much”?’

Jie Jingchen’s eyes grew dark and frigid, his deep voice filled with an icy chill. ”Second Sister-in-law, you’ve really outdone yourself.”

”Did you really say that?” Jie Jingwei demanded, looking at Xu Chunyan.

”I...” This time, no one cut her off, but Xu Chunyan couldn’t continue. She guiltily avoided Jie Jingwei’s gaze. She really had said it.

Jie Jingwei gritted his teeth. ’Does he not know what kind of person his own wife is?’

She was single-mindedly focused on setting up Teacher Lin and Jing Si. When Jing Si married Qin Mei, Xu Chunyan had been even more worked up than Teacher Lin herself. She hadn’t stopped complaining in his ear for the past two days.

”Xu Chunyan, why do my words always go in one ear and out the other?” Jie Jingwei was furious. Looking at her scalded face, he suddenly felt that she deserved it, that she had brought it on herself.

”Jing Er, she isn’t worthy of Fourth Brother! Teacher Lin is the right match for him. I’m thinking of Fourth Brother’s best interests, I’m thinking of you... of the Jie Family’s best interests.” Xu Chunyan was stubborn on this point. She dared to say it in front of everyone. Since things were already this bad, she might as well go all in.

”Shut up,” Jie Jingwei snapped, then reminded her sharply, ”Fourth Brother is already married.”

Xu Chunyan let out a cold laugh. Forcing herself to ignore the burning pain on her face, she said stubbornly, ”So what if he’s married? He can get a divorce. Teacher Lin is deeply devoted to Fourth Brother. She wouldn’t mind that he’s divor...”