Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

’That wouldn’t do. To Jie Jingchen, it was a personal attack, a devastating blow to his pride, especially in front of an outsider. A hair-raising chill radiated from his dangerously handsome face.’

Qin Mei thought, ’Oops, I’ve really pushed his buttons this time.’ ”Heh, um, you know that’s not what I meant.”

Jie Jingchen snorted coldly. He grabbed Qin Mei’s arm, yanked her behind him, and kicked the stone.

Qin Mei stared in astonishment at the stone Jie Jingchen had just kicked onto the road. ’How much force did he use? It took both of us so much effort just to move it under the tree. Now he sent it flying onto the road with a single kick.’ Qin Mei had a reasonable suspicion that Jie Jingchen hadn’t been trying at all when they moved it earlier.

The road was on a slope, so once the stone hit the pavement, it started rolling freely.

”Oh, no.” Before the words were even out of Qin Mei’s mouth, there was a loud BANG. The stone slammed into their car and stopped. The vehicle rocked from the impact. Luckily, the stone wasn’t perfectly round, or there was no telling what other damage it might have caused as it continued to roll.

The older woman was dumbstruck, frightened senseless by the sudden turn of events.

’She remembered how she had just been urging Jie Jingchen to move the stone. She’d told him to move it a little farther, not kick it onto the road! Now look what happened—it hit someone’s car. How were they ever going to pay for that?’

The woman discreetly felt for her pocket. ’She couldn’t afford to pay for that, even if she sold everything she had.’ She glanced at Jie Jingchen and Qin Mei, took two steps back, then turned and bolted.

’I don’t know them. I don’t know them at all. I was just passing by. I never even stopped.’

Qin Mei watched the woman flee, completely bewildered.

Jie Jingchen led Qin Mei toward the car. They moved the stone together. The driver’s side door was caved in, the lock was broken, and the door was jammed shut. They could try to force it open, but there was no guarantee it would close again. And with the door stuck, Jie Jingchen was too big to climb over into the driver’s seat from the passenger side.

”Can it still drive?” Qin Mei asked. With Jie Jingchen here, she wasn’t worried about how to explain this to her father-in-law.

”I can’t get in,” Jie Jingchen said, frustrated. ’If the car runs, we’ll drive it back. If not, we’ll have to find another way.’

’Qin Mei gets motion sickness on buses, and they don’t have bikes. If they walked all the way back in this heat, she’d definitely get heatstroke.’

”I can.” Not giving Jie Jingchen a chance to object, Qin Mei climbed in through the passenger door and slid into the driver’s seat. She started the engine and, after confirming it was drivable, smiled at him. ”It runs.”

Jie Jingchen breathed a sigh of relief. They wouldn’t have to walk back after all.

When Jie Jingling returned and saw the damaged car, she asked worriedly, ”What happened?”

Qin Mei didn’t answer. Instead, she looked at Jie Jingchen.

Jie Jingchen cleared his throat and began spouting nonsense without batting an eye. ”I was taking Granny to the hospital. On the way back to pick you and our sister up, a rock came out of nowhere and hit the car.”

Qin Mei gave Jie Jingchen a thumbs-up. ’This guy has a bright future,’ she thought. ’That was a beautiful way to pass the buck.’

Jie Jingling said nothing, silently opening the back door and climbing in. Only after she was inside did a serious problem occur to her. ”Can it still drive?”

”It runs,” Qin Mei replied with a smile.

Seeing Qin Mei in the driver’s seat and Jie Jingchen getting into the passenger’s side, Jie Jingling asked in confusion, ”Who’s driving?”

”I am,” Qin Mei said, patting her chest confidently.

”You are?” Jie Jingling was shocked. ”Amie, do you know how to drive?”

”I do,” Qin Mei answered.

”Who taught you?” Jie Jingling asked.

”Jie Jingsi taught me,” Qin Mei lied without missing a beat.

Jie Jingling fixed a questioning gaze on Jie Jingchen. The corner of his mouth twitched. ”I taught her.”

Their original plan was to take Jie Jingling to see Old Zhang and Grandma Hua, and then to see Zhang Haoyuan. But with the car in this condition, they could only drive straight home.

When Mr. Xie saw his beloved car in such a sorry state, he flew into a rage and glared at Jie Jingchen. ”Jie Jingchen, you’d better give me a damn good explanation for this.”

Jie Jingchen said, ”Granny fainted. I was taking her to the hospital. On my way back to pick up my wife and our sister, a rock came out of nowhere and hit us.”

A flicker of alarm flashed in Mr. Xie’s eyes. The anger instantly vanished from his face, replaced by concern. ”You weren’t hurt, were you?”

Standing beside Jie Jingchen, Qin Mei looked at Mr. Xie in surprise. ’Jie Jingchen’s story wouldn’t hold up to the slightest scrutiny,’ she thought. ’It’s full of holes. What kind of rock could dent a car door that badly? A landslide?’

’Besides, the whole road from the factory to the hospital is paved.’

”I’m fine,” Jie Jingchen said, but his body sagged pointedly against Qin Mei.

Qin Mei played along, holding him steady.

Mr. Xie’s heart ached for his precious car, but it ached more for his son. ’The door is that caved in; my son must be hurt. He’s just saying he’s fine so I won’t worry. Possessions are just things; my son’s safety is what matters most.’

”Xiao Mei, help him to his room and check him over properly,” Mr. Xie instructed.

”Okay, Dad,” Qin Mei nodded dutifully. She turned to the silent Jie Jingling beside them. ”Sister, help me get him inside.”

Jie Jingling came forward to support Jie Jingchen’s other side.

”Jing Ling,” Mr. Xie called out, stopping her.

Jie Jingling turned and looked at Mr. Xie, saying nothing, waiting for him to continue.

Mr. Xie swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. He sighed. ”Jing Ling, your Granny is getting old.”

Jie Jingling let out a cold laugh, her voice laced with scorn. ”My mother is dead.”

Mr. Xie went completely still. Guilt and a flash of deep sorrow appeared in his eyes. His mouth, which had been slightly agape, closed.

’Looks like they’re about to dig up the past.’ Qin Mei looked at Jie Jingchen. ’Should they make a tactful exit, or stay and watch the father-daughter showdown?’

Jie Jingchen squeezed Qin Mei’s hand. Qin Mei was baffled, with no idea what signal he was trying to send.

”Your mother’s death... sigh. Never mind. Just help your fourth brother back to his room,” Mr. Xie sighed, waving them away.

For her part, Jie Jingling didn’t press the issue. It wasn’t in her nature to get into arguments; she was far too accustomed to bottling things up.

Keeping up the act, Jie Jingling and Qin Mei helped Jie Jingchen back to their room, after which Jie Jingling left.

Qin Mei had assumed that Jie Jingling was holding back because she and Jie Jingchen were there, wanting to save face for Mr. Xie. She figured that once they were back in their room, Jie Jingling would go find her father. However, Qin Mei was wrong. Jie Jingling went straight to her own room instead.

Meanwhile, Mr. Xie had taken his bicycle and headed for the hospital. He might not have known before, but now that he’d been told Granny had fainted, he couldn’t possibly not go. After all, she was his mother.

Qin Mei shot a sidelong glance at Jie Jingchen, who was now sitting comfortably in a chair. ”It’s not like we can’t afford the repairs. Did you really have to lie and fake an injury?”

’She had already resolved to help Zhang Haoyuan and was prepared to spend money to do so. But with Jie Jingchen getting involved, she hadn’t lost a single cent and had even managed to get Zhang Haoyuan a new, legitimate identity.’

’Her part was done. Now, all that was left was to wait on Qin Xiang.’

”My mom’s money will be left to me. My dad’s money, on the other hand, isn’t a sure thing,” Jie Jingchen said, leaning back lazily in his chair. He cracked open an eyelid to glance at Qin Mei.

Qin Mei was speechless. ’Instead of working hard to make his own money, all he thinks about is his parents’ inheritance. What a promising guy,’ she thought sarcastically.

’No matter how she looked at it, Jie Jingchen didn’t seem like the type to freeload off his parents. And yet, he showed absolutely no enthusiasm for his job. Could he be planning to inherit the Qiao Family’s fortune? She hoped it wouldn’t come to a bitter family feud with Jing Qi over it.’

As night fell, Jie Jinghun crept up to Jie Jingling’s door. He hesitated outside for a few minutes, took a deep breath, then raised his hand and knocked softly. ”Eldest Sister,” he asked in a low voice, ”are you asleep?”

Hearing Jie Jinghun’s voice, Jie Jingling froze for a second. Then she pulled the light cord, and the room was instantly filled with light.

Seeing the light, Jie Jinghun stopped knocking and waited quietly at the door for Jie Jingling to open it.

Jie Jingling opened the door. Looking at Jie Jinghun standing outside and worried about waking the others, she asked in a hushed voice, ”Third Brother, did you need something?”