Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Mr. and Mrs. Gao both fell silent. Only Gao Qiang shook his head frantically, whimpering, his eyes wide with terror.

’Sending me to Xu Jiali’s room is no different from throwing a lamb into a tiger’s den.’

’She’d dislocated and reset his jaw, over and over. The torture had left him genuinely traumatized. He didn’t dare hope for Xu Jiali’s forgiveness; he only prayed that, for old times’ sake, she would show him mercy and put his jaw back in place.’

Gao Qiang’s frantic reaction left the three of them baffled. Despite all his gesturing and miming, they simply couldn’t figure out what he was trying to say.

Outside the door, Qin Mei and Xu Jiali watched the group’s fruitless exchange. Qin Mei helpfully chimed in, ”Ever considered the possibility that my aunt was the one who dislocated his jaw?”

The group all turned to look at the doorway. Qin Mei was leaning languidly against the doorframe, her bewitching face holding a strange smile that made one’s skin crawl. Xu Jiali leaned against the opposite doorframe, a playful smirk on her lips, but her eyes flashed with a cold light.

The two of them stood there, like a pair of dutiful door gods guarding the entrance.

”Jiali.” Grandma Gao’s voice cracked.

’Xu Jiali had appeared so suddenly, catching her completely off guard. She couldn’t think of a plan.’

”WHIMPER WHIMPER...” Scared out of his wits, Gao Qiang cowered behind Mrs. Gao, trembling uncontrollably.

Gao Qiang’s reaction was unmistakable. Mrs. Gao took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress her fury as she forced a gentle smile. ”Jiali, you see...”

”Mrs. Gao, please call me Miss Jiali, or Miss Xu,” Xu Jiali cut her off, twisting the knife with another sentence. ”We’re not close.”

Mrs. Gao gritted her teeth. ’Not close? If Jie Jingchen hadn’t demanded such an exorbitant bride price, her and my son’s wedding date would have been set by now.’

’Now that the Gao family has fallen, is she really this desperate to sever all ties?’

’Xu Jiali herself was largely to thank for the Gao family’s current predicament.’

Grandma Gao steeled herself and announced magnanimously, ”Ah, Jiali! After careful consideration, we’ve decided to fulfill your wish to be with our Qiang’er. That one-million-yuan bride price—the Gao family will pay it.”

”Mom,” Mr. Gao said, astonished. ’Before the family fell apart, he was sure his mother could produce a million. But now that they were ruined... could she really still have that much?’

”Mom, I thought you said you didn’t have any money,” Mrs. Gao said sarcastically.

Mr. Gao hadn’t forgotten that when he’d been locked up, his mother had sold off many of her treasured possessions just to bail him out.

Grandma Gao ignored her son and daughter-in-law, turning to Xu Jiali with a benevolent expression. ”Jiali, you pick an auspicious date. We’ll prepare generous gifts and go to the Qiao family to discuss the wedding date for you and Xiao Qiang with your aunt and uncle.”

Xu Jiali fell silent. Her smile vanished, replaced by a thoughtful look in her eyes.

Seeing that Xu Jiali didn’t object, Grandma Gao was secretly delighted. ’This girl really is hopelessly in love with my grandson,’ she thought. ’No matter how many vicious things I’ve said to her, no matter how much my grandson has hurt her, as long as we act weak, she’ll let bygones be bygones and forgive all of us.’

”Well, well. Looks like someone’s planning to use a marriage to stage a comeback,” Qin Mei said mockingly.

Grandma Gao didn’t snap at Qin Mei. She needed to curry favor with the Qiao family and couldn’t afford to burn that bridge. ”Madam Qiao adores Jiali. After Jiali and Qiang’er are married, she’ll want Jiali to have a good life. Isn’t it perfectly normal for her to help out her niece’s new husband?”

’This old hag is truly shameless,’ Qin Mei thought. She suddenly curved her lips into a faint smile and looked at the silent Xu Jiali. ”So this is the family of your future in-laws you used to praise to the high heavens.”

Xu Jiali gave a bitter smile and said faintly, ”I was just blind back then, wasn’t I?”

Grandma Gao was instantly displeased. ”Jiali...”

Qin Mei’s gaze turned cold, her words sharp. ”If you want to use marriage to change your situation, you should find a rich and powerful old man to marry yourself. Or, you could convince your son and daughter-in-law to divorce so you can find him a rich, powerful widow. Stop trying to ruin my aunt’s life.”

Grandma Gao was so angry her face contorted. She pointed a trembling finger at Qin Mei. In all her years, she had never been so humiliated.

Mr. Gao’s expression darkened, and Mrs. Gao looked furious. To make matters worse, her son was still hiding behind her, trembling uncontrollably.

”Pfft!” Xu Jiali couldn’t help but laugh out loud. ’Xiao Mei’s tongue is truly vicious,’ she thought.

The driver and bodyguards couldn’t help stealing a few extra glances at Qin Mei. ’Saying something like that to an elderly woman was a bit cruel,’ they thought, ’but damn, it was satisfying.’

”You... Have you no upbringing?” Grandma Gao shrieked, her face flushed with rage.

Qin Mei put on an innocent smile, her voice laced with mockery. ”Did I use any profanity?”