Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 203: Chapter 81: Can Only Be Envious

As long as there was rice, Qin Mei wasn’t picky about the side dishes. Eating vegetarian was healthy, after all.

”Fourth Brother, I want meat,” Jie Jingshan complained, looking displeased. They’d had a vegetarian lunch, and now dinner was vegetarian too. For a die-hard carnivore like her, a meal without meat was almost impossible to get down.

She loved dumplings and could eat them for every meal without getting tired of them, as long as they had a meat filling.

”The meat was sold out.” Jie Jingchen didn’t serve Jie Jingshan any food. Instead, his gaze fell on Qin Mei, who was quietly eating on her own. ’It was funny,’ he mused. ’You could call her a picky eater, yet as long as there was rice, she’d happily eat any stir-fried dish. But you couldn’t say she *wasn’t* picky, because she absolutely despised noodle-based dishes.’

”Sister-in-law,” Jie Jingshan said, turning to Qin Mei.

”I’ll buy you meat tomorrow,” Qin Mei promised. ’Jie Jingchen must have gone to buy meat after work,’ she figured. ’By that time, it would have been long sold out, and even the vegetables he brought back weren’t fresh.’

That look Jie Jingchen was giving her... ’He wants me to take the initiative and start doing the grocery shopping, doesn’t he?’ she thought. ’If I can’t cook, can’t I at least buy the ingredients?’

Satisfied, Jie Jingshan picked up her bowl and chopsticks and began eating the shredded potatoes.

”Sister-in-law, do you smell that?” Jie Jingshan lowered her chopsticks, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Qin Mei.

”I do. The smell of medicine.” Qin Mei placed a helping of shredded potatoes into Jie Jingshan’s bowl. Ever since she’d begun treating Jie Jingshan’s leg, the entire courtyard reeked of medicinal herbs. Xu Chunyan was clearly unhappy about it but didn’t dare to complain. The Jie Family’s top priority right now was to fully support Jing Qi’s treatment. Forget just smelling the medicine; if they were all told to drink it, they would have to comply.

”Not the medicine.” Jie Jingshan shook her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep sniff, her keen nose picking out a different scent from among the herbs. ”Sister-in-law, it’s roast duck.”

Qin Mei paused, then decided to play along. Copying Jie Jingshan, she closed her eyes and took a sniff. Other than medicine, she honestly couldn’t smell any roast duck. ”I’ll buy you roast duck tomorrow.”

”You don’t have to wait until tomorrow. Fifth Brother brought some home,” Jie Jingshan declared, her face breaking into a brilliant smile.

A resigned smile touched Qin Mei’s lips. ’Jing Qi is really craving meat.’ She was lucky to have been born into the right family. ’If she’d been born a girl in a poor household, she’d only be able to dream of eating meat on holidays.’

”Fifth Brother,” Jie Jingshan called out happily.

”Jing Qi, I brought you your favorite roast duck!” Jie Jingjue announced from the kitchen doorway, holding up the package in his hand.

Qin Mei was speechless. ’Jing Qi’s nose is sharper than a dog’s.’

Qin Mei shot a reproachful look at Jie Jingchen. ’Jie Jingchen came home early, while Jie Jingjue came home late. If Jie Jingjue could buy roast duck, why could he only manage to get wilted vegetables?’

Looking utterly blameless, Jie Jingchen silently set down his chopsticks. He stood up, walked over to Jie Jingjue, and took the roast duck from him. Grabbing an enamel bowl, he unwrapped the brown paper and placed the duck inside.

The roast duck was too big for the bowl; its neck and head dangled over the edge. Jie Jingchen tore off the legs, placing one in Jie Jingshan’s bowl and the other in Qin Mei’s. Jie Jingshan immediately grabbed hers and began to gnaw on it.

”Go on, Sister-in-law, eat! The roast duck from that little shop on the East Side is the best,” Jie Jingshan urged, her words muffled by a mouthful of duck, when she noticed Qin Mei hadn’t started eating.

’The East Side?’ A knowing smile appeared on Qin Mei’s face. They lived on the West Side. No wonder Jie Jingchen hadn’t been able to get any roast duck.

Jie Jingjue chuckled as he came in. He helped himself to a bowl and chopsticks, filled it with rice, and sat down in the empty spot across from Qin Mei.

For the roast duck’s sake, neither Jie Jingchen nor Qin Mei made a move to kick him out. Besides, it wasn’t the first time Jie Jingjue had freeloaded a meal at their place.

Qin Mei glanced at the duck leg in her bowl, then her gaze shifted to Jie Jingjue. ’No one is that attentive for no reason,’ she thought. ’There’s always a catch.’ He definitely had an ulterior motive for buying a roast duck to share with them.

Under Qin Mei’s knowing gaze, Jie Jingjue looked a bit sheepish. He let out a nervous chuckle but didn’t state his purpose just yet. Instead, he tore off a duck wing and placed it in Qin Mei’s bowl. ”Sister-in-law, have a taste. It’s really delicious.”

Qin Mei didn’t crave meat, but she wouldn’t refuse to eat it either.

She wasn’t particularly fond of gnawing on duck legs and wings. She moved the leg into Jing Qi’s bowl and put the wing back into Jie Jingjue’s.

”Sister-in-law,” Jie Jingshan said, bewildered.

”Sister-in-law,” Jie Jingjue said, astonished.

’She rejected me,’ he thought, ’refusing the wing I gave her. But she didn’t eat the leg Fourth Brother gave her either... Does she dislike him too?’

”I’m not a fan of the legs and wings,” Qin Mei said with a smile. ”I prefer the neck and head.”

At her words, Jie Jingchen’s hand, which had been about to tear off the neck for himself, froze. Under the watchful eyes of the other three, he tore it off and silently placed it in Qin Mei’s bowl. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. ”Thanks.”

Jie Jingjue was shocked, but Jie Jingshan was pleased. She couldn’t help but remark, ”Fourth Brother is so good to Sister-in-law, giving her his favorite parts—the neck and head.”