Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Qin Mei rolled her eyes. ”When is Sis arriving? You need to tell me ahead of time so I can go pick her up from the train station.”

”Okay.” Jie Jingchen readily agreed. How could he not? Judging by her expression, she would have thrown a fit if he didn’t.

Qin Mei was satisfied.

”What do you want for dinner?” Jie Jingchen asked.

”Whatever.” Qin Mei had no appetite and didn’t feel like deciding. Thinking of Jing Qi, she gave Jie Jingchen’s shoulder a little push. ”Go ask Jing Qi what she wants for dinner.”

”I’ll go cook.” Jie Jingchen didn’t go ask Jing Qi; he headed straight for the kitchen.

「In the Lin family home.」 Li Axiu and Mr. Lin were grim-faced, sighing heavily.

”SIGH!” Li Axiu was lying on the bed while Mr. Lin fanned her with a cattail fan.

”Axiu, stop sighing. It’s already time for dinner. You should get it started,” Mr. Lin reminded her, his own face full of worry.

”Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you think about! The issue with our son-in-law moving back in isn’t settled, and I’m in no mood to eat. If you’re hungry, go make it yourself.” Li Axiu was fuming with resentment.

”If he can’t move back, then so be it. I think the apartment at the machinery factory is pretty good,” Mr. Lin said.

”Pretty good? What’s so good about it? It’s just two rooms, and it’s not even a private courtyard. Going to the bathroom is inconvenient too—you have to use the public toilet, and the one over there is so far away.” Li Axiu was full of disdain.

”Axiu, we don’t have a private courtyard either, and we also use a public toilet,” Mr. Lin pointed out.

”How is that the same? We have no other choice! The Jie Family is so well-off, living in that huge courtyard with so many rooms. Qiao Yanqiu would rather give the north rooms to Jing Ling than to Jing Er. Old Lin, the more I think about it, the angrier I get! Jing Ling was an educated youth sent to the countryside. She got married in a village, had a child, and I heard she’s a barefoot doctor. She’ll never be able to return to the city in her lifetime. What’s the use of giving the north rooms to her?” The more Li Axiu spoke, the more resentful and indignant she became.

”Jing Ling can’t return to the city, but the child she had has a chance of coming back,” Mr. Lin said.

”She had a daughter. What’s the use of going through all that trouble to bring a girl into the city?” Li Axiu was dismissive. She also favored boys over girls. If her own son hadn’t been sent to the countryside as an educated youth back then, she wouldn’t have valued her daughter.

Mr. Lin fell silent. Between his daughter and his son, he also placed more importance on his son.

Back then, his daughter had been too young to take his son’s place to be sent to the countryside as an educated youth. Otherwise, he definitely would have made her go instead of his son.

”Qiao Yanqiu is clearly doing this on purpose,” Li Axiu said indignantly. ”And Director Jie is just a spineless wimp. He listens to whatever Qiao Yanqiu says.”

”With the Qiao Family’s financial power, Director Jie doesn’t have much of a choice,” Mr. Lin said.

”Hmph! The Qiao Family is rich, but Qiao Yanqiu is incredibly stingy with us. For Jing Er and Yaru’s wedding, Qiao Yanqiu didn’t contribute a single cent. It all came from Director Jie. She’s clearly looking down on our Lin Family. When Jing Er married Xu Chunyan back in the day, Qiao Yanqiu put in both money and effort. But when it came to us, she washed her hands of the matter and wouldn’t part with a single cent,” Li Axiu complained.

Mr. Lin was silent, agreeing with what Li Axiu said.

Li Axiu sneered and said, ”What’s even worse is that Director Jie also refused to let Jing Er move back in. I kept pressing the issue, but Director Jie said that after getting married, Jing Er and Yaru could either live at the machinery factory or have Jing Er marry into our Lin Family. Tell me, isn’t that infuriating? Marry into our Lin Family! How dare he even suggest that? It’s not like our family doesn’t have a son. Do we need a son-in-law to marry into the family?”

”No, I can’t swallow this humiliation! I’m going to the Jie Family’s house. I’m going to be just like Liu Guihua and raise hell there until I turn the place upside down.” As Li Axiu spoke, she started to get up, but Mr. Lin stopped her.

Mr. Lin held Li Axiu back. ”Axiu, don’t be reckless. Yaru is married to Jing Er now. We can’t act like Liu Guihua. Just think about what happened to the Xu Family.”

Li Axiu froze. The Xu Family’s current situation could only be described as tragic.

Li Axiu didn’t dare go cause a scene at the Jie residence, so she vented her anger at home instead. ”A divorce! Make them get a divorce! We’ll raise our own daughter. When Yaru gives birth to a baby boy, we’ll have the child take the Lin family name. Let the Jie Family’s offspring take our surname! I’ll see if that doesn’t make Director Jie mad enough to die!”

”They can’t get a divorce, and we can’t take the Jie Family’s child either. Axiu, you have to think about our son,” Mr. Lin persuaded.

Li Axiu was thwarted again. She was still counting on the fact that the Lin and Jie families were now related by marriage, hoping the Jie Family would use their connections to get her son out of the countryside and back to the city.

Mr. Lin continued to persuade her, ”Really, having an apartment is better than not having one at all. Many young couples who move in with the husband’s family don’t even have their own place and just have to make do, squeezed in with their in-laws.”

”Old Lin, I can’t accept this! On what grounds? Qiao Yanqiu is just bullying us. She just can’t stand the sight of us! She’s deliberately making things difficult, deliberately keeping us from getting what we want.” Li Axiu was furious, and her heart ached for her daughter.