Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

”She’s the one who pushed her. Only she and Granny were at the top of the stairs. If she didn’t push her, are you saying Granny just rolled down on her own? Plus, she was frozen in a pushing motion,” Li Shuyu said indignantly.

Recalling Qin Mei’s posture, Xu Jiali didn’t allow herself to be swayed by Li Shuyu and lose her own judgment. ”Xiao Mei’s stance... it could have been from trying to pull Granny back, not just push her. She just failed to get a good grip.”

’Li Shuyu could have killed Xu Jiali,’ she thought. ’Isn’t she supposed to be a total airhead? The type to believe anything anyone tells her? How did she suddenly get so smart?’

”Jiali, stop kidding yourself. You know perfectly well she’s the one who pushed Granny,” Li Shuyu said.

”It wasn’t her.” For the first time, Xu Jiali spoke up for Qin Mei and disagreed with Li Shuyu.

Qin Mei ignored them, squatting down to examine the nanny, who was completely unconscious. ’The nanny’s earlier movement to dodge me was clearly that of a trained martial artist. But no matter how skilled she was, her skills were no match for her age.’

’I was sure I could have caught her, but she dodged me.’

Qin Mei took out her silver needles. After inserting a few, the nanny slowly began to stir.

”Eldest Young Madam,” the nanny called out weakly.

Hearing the nanny’s voice, Xu Jiali stopped arguing with Li Shuyu. With red-rimmed eyes and a catch in her voice, she cried, ”Granny.”

”Granny, did she push you?” Li Shuyu demanded, pointing an accusatory finger at Qin Mei.

”Nonsense... HISSS...” The nanny was in too much pain to speak.

Qin Mei removed the silver needles and said coolly, ”When you get old, you need to accept it. You have to know your limits. The price for overreaching is steep.”

’It wouldn’t matter if I died from the fall,’ the nanny thought, ’but if the Eldest Young Madam got hurt because of me, how could I ever face the Master, the Old Madam, and the Young Miss?’

”What’s happened?” the butler asked, running over breathlessly. A maid had rushed to inform him that the nanny had fallen down the stairs, and the news had scared him half to death.

The moment Li Shuyu saw the butler, she immediately blurted out, ”She pushed Granny—”

”Shuyu, don’t be ridiculous,” Xu Jiali cut her off.

”Jiali, what is wrong with you? How can you lie so blatantly?” Li Shuyu gave Xu Jiali a look of deep disappointment.

The butler’s expression was unreadable, his tone coolly neutral. ”Miss Li, this is the Qiao residence. Since when do the Qiao Family’s private affairs require an outsider to meddle?”

Li Shuyu was left speechless, her gaze slowly turning venomous. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists. Her heart seethed with resentment. ’If Jie Jingchen hadn’t broken our engagement, I would be the Qiao Family’s Eldest Young Madam.’

”Uncle Qiao, send the nanny to the hospital,” Qin Mei said.

”Yes, Eldest Young Madam,” the butler said respectfully.

”I’m going too,” said Xu Jiali.

”Miss Jiali, you will stay home and keep the Eldest Young Madam company.” His implication was clear: neither of them was to use this as an opportunity to leave the house.

Qin Mei was indifferent. She didn’t have any particular attachment to the nanny. Xu Jiali, on the other hand, shared a deep bond with her. With the nanny injured, she desperately wanted to go with her to the hospital.

”I have to go. I’m worried about Granny.” Xu Jiali bit her lip, her anxious gaze fixed on the nanny lying on the floor.

”Miss Jiali, I’m all right,” the nanny said, forcing a weak smile for Xu Jiali.

With tears welling in her red eyes, Xu Jiali’s voice cracked. ”Granny, does it hurt a lot?”

”It doesn’t hurt,” the nanny reassured her weakly.

”Granny, you’re lying. It must hurt so much.” Xu Jiali bit her lower lip, tears spilling from her eyes.

”Don’t cry... You’re not pretty when you cry...” The nanny was dizzy and racked with pain. She was incredibly weak, but Xu Jiali kept clinging to her and talking. Worried about the girl, the nanny had to keep trying to comfort her. Qin Mei couldn’t stand to watch any longer and pulled Xu Jiali away.

A few moments later, Doctor Zhang rushed in. Qin Mei explained the nanny’s condition to him, and he accompanied her as she was taken to the hospital.

「Downstairs in the living room.」

Xu Jiali sat anxiously by the phone, waiting for a call from Doctor Zhang.

Qin Mei sat on the sofa, eating fruit. Li Shuyu was beside Xu Jiali, consoling her, but would occasionally shoot Qin Mei a look of undisguised disgust.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Xu Jiali snatched it up. ”Doctor Zhang? How is my Granny?”

”Jiali, it’s Gao Qiang.”

The moment Xu Jiali heard Gao Qiang’s voice, she let out a wail and burst into tears.

Both Li Shuyu and Qin Mei were startled by Xu Jiali’s sudden outburst. ’Did something happen to the nanny?’ Qin Mei wondered. ’Is her condition worse than I thought?’

’No, that can’t be it. I examined her and even used the needles. She has a mild concussion and multiple fractures. She’s old and will need to be looked after carefully, but it’s not serious enough for her to just... die.’

”SOB SOB... Gao Qiang, my Granny... she fell,” Xu Jiali cried.

So it was her boyfriend calling. Qin Mei rolled her eyes, shooting Xu Jiali a look of utter exasperation.