Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

”It’s fine, eat up. I’ve got money.” Qin Mei flaunted her wealth unabashedly.

The words were a bit piercing. Granny Li’s mouth twitched. She took the ice cream bar but didn’t refute Qin Mei’s words. Everyone in the entire alley knew that the Jie Family was rich.

”Didn’t you say you could only eat one ice cream bar, that two would give you a stomachache?” Granny Li really wanted to put the ice cream bar away and take it home for her grandson.

”It’s not that I can’t eat it. It’s that Jie Jingsi only allows me to have one ice cream bar a day. He’s so stingy.” Qin Mei’s tone carried a hint of complaint. ”Especially during that time of the month, he won’t even let me drink cold water. It’s fine in the winter, but making me drink hot water in the summer? That’s just too much.”

Granny Li chuckled. ”Jing Si isn’t being stingy. Jing Si is just looking out for your health.”

Qin Mei didn’t deny it and happily ate her ice cream bar.

”It’s a good thing you’re the one Jing Si married,” Granny Li remarked with a sigh.

Qin Mei’s eyes lit up. ’These two ice cream bars paid off. Granny Li ate two of them, and now she’s on my side.’ All the neighbors had been banking on Lin Yaru marrying Jie Jingchen. Shamelessly, Qin Mei said, ”Marrying me was his good fortune.”

Granny Li was taken aback for a moment. ’Qin Mei seems like a pretty good person,’ she thought, so she spoke with less reservation. ”Yes, marrying you was his good fortune. If he had married Teacher Lin... sigh!”

”What happened to Teacher Lin?” Qin Mei couldn’t help but ask.

Granny Li pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice with a look of pity, ”Teacher Lin has gone mad.”

”What?” Qin Mei was shocked. ’Mad? Is it that serious? Lin Yaru, the bride, was absent from the wedding banquet yesterday. Is that why? No way. If she were really mad, Dad would hide it from us, and Jie Jingwei would be stuck not divorcing her.’

’Then again, that Jie Jingwei... how should I put it? He’s the type to abandon his wife at the first sign of trouble.’

Granny Li sighed. ”Sigh! Such a nice girl, and a teacher too. To be driven mad like that... what a pity.”

”I don’t think so,” Qin Mei said, full of suspicion.

”You really don’t know?” Granny Li peered at Qin Mei.

Qin Mei honestly shook her head, looking at Granny Li with suspicion. ’If Lin Yaru had really gone mad, the Lin family would absolutely do everything they could to keep it under wraps. Although you can’t wrap fire in paper, knowing the Lin family, they’d try to hide it even if they couldn’t, even if just for a little while.’

”Auntie, you don’t live in the same courtyard as the Lin Family, do you?” Qin Mei asked uncertainly.

”Not in the same one. I live in the courtyard to their right.” Granny Li took a bite of her ice cream bar. ”At night, you can always hear Teacher Lin’s crazed sobs, piercing screams, or sometimes, this wild, maniacal laughter.”

”That still doesn’t prove she’s mad,” Qin Mei said. ’I don’t believe Lin Yaru has gone mad. Pretending to be mad, maybe. But what would she gain from that?’

’She has the marriage certificate with Jie Jingwei, they’ve held the banquet, and she’s pregnant. Even if she still has designs on Jie Jingchen, there’s not much trouble she can stir up now.’

”Jing Si’s wife.” Granny Li glanced around warily, then leaned over the stone table toward Qin Mei and beckoned with her finger. Qin Mei smiled in understanding and leaned in to meet her. ”Whether she’s really mad or just faking it, you and Jing Si need to be careful.”

’As if this could be pinned on me,’ Qin Mei thought with disdain.

”Jing Si’s wife, you’re not getting what I mean. I’m trying to warn you, if a mad person hurts or kills you, you can only blame it on bad luck.” She was only giving Qin Mei this warning because Qin Mei had treated her to two ice cream bars.

Qin Mei didn’t respond to Granny Li. ’Whether Lin Yaru is really mad or just pretending, her target would only be me. And someone like Lin Yaru? Even ten of her wouldn’t be a match for me.’

Jie Jingchen hung up the phone, paid, and walked out of the general store. When he saw the two women at the stone table under the tree, a flash of surprise crossed his profound gaze. ’They look like two spies having a secret meeting.’

’Qin Mei isn’t the type to warm up to people quickly, unless she’s utterly bored.’ Jie Jingchen started walking toward Qin Mei. ”Granny Li.”

Hearing Jie Jingchen’s voice, the two of them sprang apart and sat up straight, like a pair of employees caught slacking off by their boss.

”Jing Si,” Granny Li said, looking embarrassed.

”Done talking with your big brother?” Qin Mei asked, smiling at Jie Jingchen. Compared to Granny Li’s embarrassment, she was perfectly composed.

’Really, do guys have that much to talk about on the phone?’

”Yes,” Jie Jingchen said. His gaze was profound as he looked at the two of them and asked, ”Are you two done chatting?”

”We’re done,” Granny Li said.

Qin Mei fell silent. ’I wanted to say we weren’t done, that we could have chatted a bit longer,’ she thought. But seeing Granny Li’s attitude, it was clear she didn’t want to continue their conversation.

”Granny Li, we’re heading home now,” Jie Jingchen said to her.

Qin Mei blinked, gazing at Jie Jingchen. ’I call her Auntie, but he calls her Granny Li. It feels like I’ve jumped up a generation.’