Jie Jingshan listened intently. Jie Jingchen was placing food on Qin i’s plate, but with Granny Guo sitting between them, the gesture made Qin i feel rather awkward.
"How can a grandson of my Guo family be born in the Su family’s house?" Granny Guo grumbled, glancing over at Qin i, who was busy with her rice. "Fourth Wife of Jing, wouldn’t you agree?"
Having been called out, Qin i had no choice but to stop eating. She slowed down, chewing each mouthful carefully. Granny Guo watched her, patiently awaiting her reply.
"I think..." Qin i had just begun to speak when Second Aunt cut her off.
"I think giving birth at the Su family’s is a fine idea," Second Aunt said.
Second Aunt had co to her rescue. Qin i shot her a grateful glance and chid in, "Second Aunt is right. It’s a fine idea."
"What’s so fine about it? It’s not fine at all! He’s *my* grandson, and I want to be there to see him born," Granny Guo said, not ready to give up.
"Sister Guo, I know you won’t like hearing this, but it’s the truth. The Su family is better off than the Guo Family. I think it’s better for the Hero’s wife to have the baby at their place than at yours," Second Aunt said.
Granny Guo didn’t argue. What Second Aunt said was true, but she still looked indignant.
"The baby will be part of your Guo Family no matter where he’s born," Second Aunt continued. "As long as you don’t give the okay, he can’t take the Su family na. If she gives birth at her parents’ house, they can look after her during her confinent and take care of the newborn. You’ll have an easy ti of it. Once the confinent month is over, you can just tell them to bring the baby over whenever you want to see him. Or have the hero go to the Su family’s to pick up his wife and child."
She knew Granny Guo well. What Granny Guo truly feared wasn’t where the baby would be born, but that the Su Family would make him take their surna. ’A grandson of the Guo Family... how could he possibly be nad Su?’
"Fourth Wife of Jing, I’m asking you one last ti. Is my daughter-in-law carrying a boy or a girl?" Granny Guo harped on the sa old string.
Qin i fell silent, and once again, Second Aunt jumped in. "Oh, for heaven’s sake, why are you obsessing over this again? I already explained everything. Why do you keep pestering the Fourth Wife of Jing? It’s endless! Honestly. You just want an answer, one way or another. Fine, I’ll give you one: it’s a girl. A granddaughter. Are you satisfied now?"
Qin i froze, stunned. She stared at Second Aunt. ’She just ca right out and said it.’
"Alright, alright, I’ll stop asking! No need to get all worked up," Granny Guo muttered, picking up her bowl and chopsticks to eat.
Qin i was stunned yet again. ’Granny Guo is really sothing else,’ she thought. ’You can’t get her to believe the truth, but she’ll fall for any old lie.’
Granny Guo was clearly no match for Second Aunt in cunning. When the baby was born, if Granny Guo tried to settle the score, Second Aunt would probably just turn her own words back on her.
The rest of the al was tense. As soon as they finished, the three of them made a quick getaway, pushing Jie Jingshan’s wheelchair.
Second Aunt washed the dishes while Granny Guo wiped down the stove.
"Second Aunt, Fourth Wife of Jing is still supposed to be in confinent after her miscarriage. How could you bring her over to eat?" Granny Guo complained.
At Granny Guo’s reminder, Second Aunt feigned a look of sudden realization and slapped her forehead. "Oh, how could I have forgotten!"
"Oh, keep up the act," Granny Guo said, rolling her eyes.
"You caught ," Second Aunt chuckled and went back to washing the dishes. "It’s fine. That’s all just superstition anyway."
"This isn’t superstition," Granny Guo said, pausing for a mont before adding, "It’s better to be safe than sorry. Second Aunt, you’ve really been careless!"
When it ca to superstition, if Second Aunt claid to be number two, no one would dare claim to be number one. For such a superstitious person to actually bring a woman recovering from a miscarriage to soone’s ho for dinner was unheard of.
Jie Jingchen and Qin i worked together to lift the wheelchair over the threshold. That’s when they saw Aunt Zhang, pacing outside Jie Jingshan’s room with an axe in her hand.
"Aunt Zhang." The na escaped Jie Jingchen’s lips, his voice ice-cold. He narrowed his eyes, a dangerous, wintry glint flaring in their amber depths.
Aunt Zhang flinched, quickly hiding the axe behind her back before turning to face them with a smile. "Weren’t you going to the state-owned restaurant for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall? Why are you back so soon?"
"What were you doing with an axe outside Jing Qi’s room?" Qin i’s sharp voice was laced with fury.
In contrast, the expression on Jie Jingshan’s face was perfectly placid.
"I..." Thinking fast, Aunt Zhang raised the axe. "Was chopping firewood."
"Chopping firewood? Or were you planning on chopping the door? Or maybe the lock?" Qin i scoffed. This wasn’t the countryside, where firewood was the main source of fuel. Here in the city, people mostly used honeycomb briquettes and coal.
"I don’t have anything valuable in my room," Jie Jingshan said calmly. "I only lock the door because I don’t want... people I dislike... coming in." Despite her calm tone, her gaze was sharp beyond her years.
"Jing Qi..." Aunt Zhang looked at Jie Jingshan, her expression deeply wounded. But Jie Jingshan remained perfectly calm, her tranquility laced with a detached sort of mockery.
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