Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

”What kind of trouble are you in? Why the need to hide?” Jie Jinghun asked casually.

”Our older sister’s sister-in-law has her eyes on me, so I’m avoiding her,” Jie Jingjue admitted in a low voice.

Jie Jinghun froze. He glanced at Jie Jingchen, then over at Qin Mei, and wisely decided to keep quiet.

Jie Duo sat between Jie Jingchen and Qin Mei. The little girl struggled with her chopsticks, finding it difficult to eat.

Jie Jingjue scarfed down his food, ready to make a run for it as soon as he was full. Before he left, he planted a big kiss on Jie Duo’s cheek.

”That kid is getting way ahead of himself,” Jie Jinghun muttered. No one took the bait; it was an awkward topic.

The banquet went off without a hitch, a relative success. The only problem was the bride’s absence.

The Lin family explained that the bride’s pregnancy had become unstable, so she was at home resting. Mr. Xie, who knew the truth, helped them sell the lie.

The Jie Family, however, was displeased. They felt the whole banquet was a farce. With the bride absent, the groom was left to put on a one-man show. It wasn’t just a sad sight; it was a complete joke.

At the Lin residence, the bride who should have been at the banquet was sitting by the window, staring blankly into space.

”Lin Yaru, open the door! I know you’re in there! Open up, I need to talk to you!” Xu Chunyan stood outside the courtyard gate. It was bolted from the inside, so she couldn’t get in. She didn’t dare shout too loudly for fear of alerting the neighbors.

At the sound of Xu Chunyan’s voice, Lin Yaru flinched. She curled into a ball, clutching her head and covering her ears.

Xu Chunyan waited a moment, but when Lin Yaru didn’t come to the gate, she gritted her teeth and scaled the courtyard wall.

The neighbors were all at work, so once Xu Chunyan was inside the courtyard, she dropped all pretense and started kicking the door violently. ”Lin Yaru, open up!”

The relentless kicking and Xu Chunyan’s shouting were driving Lin Yaru to the brink of insanity.

Suddenly, she shot to her feet, bolted to the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and marched to the door to open it.

”Lin Ya—” Xu Chunyan’s voice died in her throat when she saw the cleaver in Lin Yaru’s hand.

”Stop pushing me! All of you, you just keep pushing me! Will you only be happy once you’ve driven me to my death?” Lin Yaru shrieked, her voice edged with madness.

”Lin Yaru, let’s just talk. Put the cleaver down first,” Xu Chunyan said, suppressing her own anger as she tried to coax Lin Yaru.

Lin Yaru brandished the cleaver. ”Why? What have I done wrong? Why do you all keep pushing me like this?”

Xu Chunyan knew Lin Yaru inside and out; she knew exactly what she truly wanted. ”Yaru, are you really content with this? Content to marry Jing Er? To bear his child? Content to give up Jing Si, the man you’ve loved for so many years?”

At the mention of Jing Si’s name, Lin Yaru froze.

”Yaru, give me the cleaver, and I’ll help you get what you’ve always wanted,” Xu Chunyan coaxed. Jie Jingchen was Lin Yaru’s Achilles’ heel. As long as Xu Chunyan had control of that, Lin Yaru would be completely obedient.

Just as she’d expected, Lin Yaru was swayed. A flicker of light returned to her unfocused eyes. ”You’re... you’re really still willing to help me?”

”Of course I am. We’re best friends, aren’t we?” Xu Chunyan said with a smile.

”But I... I let you down.” Lin Yaru was consumed by guilt. She had messed everything up, backed herself into a corner, and ruined Xu Chunyan’s marriage to Jie Jingwei.

”This isn’t your fault. It’s Qin Mei’s. If she hadn’t shown up, none of this would have ever happened,” Xu Chunyan said.

Lin Yaru latched onto the idea as if she’d found a kindred spirit. ”Right. It’s all Qin Mei’s fault. That bitch deserves to die.”

’Qin Mei does deserve to die,’ Xu Chunyan thought. ’But the most important thing right now is getting Lin Yaru to put down this cleaver.’ She continued to coax her, ”What goes around comes around. Qin Mei is the root of all this, and she’ll get what’s coming to her. She won’t meet a good end.”

”Retribution,” Lin Yaru murmured to herself. ’Is Qin Mei marrying Jie Jingchen supposed to be her punishment? No, that’s not punishment. I’m the one being punished! I’m the one who loves Jie Jingchen, but I lost my virginity to Jie Jingwei, got pregnant with his child, and now I have to marry him!’

”Yaru, give me the cleaver first. We’ll figure out a long-term plan,” Xu Chunyan said.

Lin Yaru obediently handed the cleaver to Xu Chunyan. The moment her fingers closed around the handle, Xu Chunyan breathed a sigh of relief. With the weapon in her hands, she was the one in control.

”How are you going to help me?” Lin Yaru asked.

”Yaru, you’re a married woman now,” Xu Chunyan said, her expression troubled.

”I can get a divorce.” Lin Yaru stepped forward and clutched Xu Chunyan’s arm like it was a lifeline.

Xu Chunyan rejoiced inwardly. ’If Lin Yaru insists on divorcing Jing Er, her parents won’t be able to stop her.’ Her gaze locked onto Lin Yaru’s flat stomach, her eyes as sharp and cold as shards of ice.

’She and Jing Er had been married for years, but they only had their one son, Xiao You. She desperately wanted another child and had been trying for years without success. Yet, Lin Yaru gets pregnant right after getting together with him.’ A wave of envy, jealousy, and resentment washed over her.