"Whether he agrees or not isn’t important. If he agrees, we’ll bring him along. If he doesn’t, we won’t." Qin i patted the back of Jie Jingshan’s hand. If Jie Jingchen played along, he was in her plan. If he didn’t, he was out.
Qin i’s guiding principle was simple: those with her would flourish, those against her would be cast aside.
"If we don’t bring Fourth Brother, what if we run into danger on the way?" Jie Jingshan asked worriedly. She had never traveled far from ho and was both excited and timid.
"I’ll protect you," Qin i declared, patting her chest, completely forgetting she got motion sickness. ’If we really run into danger, forget protecting Jing Qi—I’d be lucky to save myself.’
"Let’s bring Fifth Brother," Jie Jingshan suggested.
"We’ll see when the ti cos." Qin i didn’t imdiately reject the idea. ’Convincing Jie Jingchen would be easier than bringing Jie Jingjue along.’
"Sister-in-law, are you short on money?" Jie Jingshan asked, her large, dewy eyes fixed on Qin i, a glint in their depths.
Qin i’s gaze flickered. She looked at the incredibly wealthy Jie Jingshan. ’In the future, she becos a tycoon in Xiangjiang, but because of her disability, she’ll never marry.’
"Short? Of course I am. No one’s truly well-off these days," Qin i lanted.
"Our family is," Jie Jingshan stated.
Qin i fell silent. ’Alright, you’ve got the money. You’re the boss.’
She had to admit, being born into the right family was a skill in itself. So people were born destined to struggle, while others were born in Ro.
"Jing Qi, do you need a bath?" Qin i changed the subject.
"I have a dicinal bath tomorrow, so I won’t wash up tonight," Jie Jingshan said with a smile.
Qin i felt a headache coming on. Jing Qi’s dicinal bath tomorrow was another huge undertaking. With Shen Qing back at her parents’ house, Qin i wondered if she should ask her mother-in-law to take half a day off work.
"I’ll push you back to your room." Qin i got up and wheeled Jie Jingshan back inside.
Back in her room, Qin i took the items Mrs. Xie had prepared for her and went to the bathroom to change.
The difference between the rich and the poor was stark when it ca to nstrual products. Mrs. Xie had prepared sanitary napkins for her. They were nothing like the ones from the future, but in this era, only the rich and powerful could afford them. Back at the Sun Family, her sister had given her a reusable nstrual belt, which was an experience she’d rather not describe.
The first ti she used one, all she could think was, ’Why couldn’t I have been transmigrated into a man’s body?’
When Qin i ca out of the bathroom, she saw the kitchen light was on. After a mont’s thought, she went over. Jie Jingchen was boiling water. "Couldn’t resist? Decided you want a bath after all?"
"It’s for you," Jie Jingchen said, glancing up at her. ’It’s better to just do it than to wait for her to ask. I’m the one who ends up boiling the water anyway.’
Qin i smiled. "You really get it," she praised.
Qin i went back to her room to get a bucket. Half the pot of water was already boiling. When she lifted the lid, she froze. A greasy film lined the edge of the bubbling water. Only then did she rember the wok had been used to fry spicy potatoes.
"What’s wrong?" Jie Jingchen asked, seeing her staring blankly at the pot instead of scooping out the water.
"See for yourself." Qin i set the lid aside. ’Compared to the bathwater at the Sun Family’s house, this is a massive improvent.’
Jie Jingchen stood up, glanced at the water in the pot, and frowned. "I washed it so many tis. How is there still grease?"
Qin i just smiled without a word. ’Can I really complain? No. The man was kind enough to boil water for . I should be grateful.’
Seeing no disgust or dissatisfaction in her eyes, Jie Jingchen thought for a mont and said, "I’ll wash it a few more tis and boil a fresh pot."
"Don’t worry about it. I’m not that fussy." Qin i picked up the ladle and started scooping. The past six months at the Sun Family’s house had broken many of her old habits. ’This is just how this era is. If you can’t change the tis, you have to change yourself.’
She filled the bucket halfway. Jie Jingchen offered to carry it for her, but Qin i refused.
"Slow down. Watch your step." Seeing the way Qin i lifted the bucket gave Jie Jingchen a cold sweat. That was boiling water; a burn would be serious.
"I’m not a three-year-old." Qin i carried the bucket, swaying as she walked toward the bathroom. Jie Jingchen followed behind her, watching water splash out, terrified she would get scalded.
Only after he had escorted her to the bathroom did Jie Jingchen’s tense nerves finally begin to relax.
"What are you doing?" Qin i put the bucket down and turned to see Jie Jingchen following her into the bathroom, her eyes flashing with wariness.
Seeing the undisguised suspicion in her eyes, Jie Jingchen’s expression darkened. He turned and strode away.
’How bizarre.’ Qin i stared at his retreating back for a few seconds before she rembered his current physical condition. ’Even if he harbored any beastly intentions toward , his body wouldn’t allow it.’
Qin i went back to the kitchen for another half-bucket of water. After spending a long ti in the bathroom washing her hair and bathing, she finally erged. She was stunned to see Jie Jingchen waiting outside the door, holding a military greatcoat. Then, a bright, clear smile blood in her eyes.
User Comments
0 comments from readers