Jie Jingwei paused for a mont, then spoke again. "The only conflict between us is that Xiao Duo bullies Xiao You."
Xu Chunyan retorted indignantly. "Isn’t it normal for kids to squabble? The third brother and his wife are being way too petty, taking it out on us over a little tiff between children."
Jie Jingwei agreed. He and Xu Chunyan wouldn’t ddle in the children’s affairs.
It’s easy to talk when you’re not the one getting burned. Since the child being bullied wasn’t theirs, they felt no heartache. If the roles were reversed and it was Xiao Duo getting bullied by Xiao You, their protective instincts would have likely triggered a reaction far more intense than that of the third brother and his wife.
"What’s this about Wan’er being pregnant?" Jie Jingwei changed the subject.
"You’re asking ? Who am I supposed to ask?" Xu Chunyan rolled her eyes. Hu Wan’er was his cousin, not hers.
"Sigh!" Jie Jingwei sighed, his tone sour. "What a ss. And Aunt... bringing Wan’er to the Jie family ho while she’s pregnant."
"You know what your aunt is like, don’t you?" Xu Chunyan said, a hint of schadenfreude in her voice. ’With a pregnancy and a miscarriage, Hu Wan’er is even less of a match for Jing Wu now.’
Xu Chunyan continued, "Your aunt has high standards; she’s dead set on having her younger daughter marry into a city family. She must have gone back to the countryside this ti and discovered Wan’er was with so village boy. Your aunt, looking down on him, broke the two lovebirds up and brought Wan’er here to the Jie family. I bet Wan’er didn’t even know she was pregnant. Otherwise, given your aunt’s personality, she would have dealt with the baby before ever bringing her to our doorstep."
"Xu Chunyan, I get the feeling you’re enjoying this a little too much," Jie Jingwei said, narrowing his eyes as he glared at her.
Xu Chunyan froze and touched her cheek. ’Was I that obvious?’
Xu Chunyan imdiately denied it. "You’re imagining things. She’s your aunt and your cousin. Since I’m your wife, that makes them my aunt and cousin, too. I feel terrible about what happened to her."
But Jie Jingwei wasn’t a fool. The look on Xu Chunyan’s face wasn’t sympathy; it was pure schadenfreude.
Qin i had washed her hair and was sitting by the window, waiting for it to dry. ’It’s so inconvenient without a hairdryer.’
She had left the task of building the kitchen and bathroom entirely to Jie Jingchen. All she had to do was provide the money. She trusted him to handle it.
Jie Jingchen sat on the bed reading, while Qin i sat by the window with her own book. He read to expand his knowledge; she read simply to pass the ti.
Late that night, Mrs. Xie returned ho from work. When she saw the light was still on in Jie Jingchen and Qin i’s room, she hurried over. The door was ajar, and peeking through the crack, she couldn’t see Qin i. With a raised eyebrow, she pushed the door open without knocking.
Jie Jingchen assud it was Qin i returning from the bathroom. But when he caught sight of his mother out of the corner of his eye, his gaze flickered. "Mom."
Mrs. Xie worked at the hospital and often kept irregular hours, so Jie Jingchen was used to her coming ho late.
Mrs. Xie frowned at her son. "Where’s your wife?"
’She’s not here for ; she’s looking for Qin i.’ In a low voice, Jie Jingchen said, "She went to the bathroom."
Hearing this, Mrs. Xie glanced toward the bathroom, then stepped inside, closing the door and locking it behind her.
Jie Jingchen’s eyes darkened. He truly didn’t understand what his mother was doing. "Mom."
Mrs. Xie ca and sat on the edge of the bed, her expression serious. "Fourth Son, be honest with . How much do you really know about Xiao i?"
Jie Jingchen was stunned. His knowledge of Qin i was based entirely on complaints from Qin Xiang. Later, when Qin i had visited him at the military base, she had turned the family housing compound upside down, sparking endless complaints. Qin Xiang could only swallow his pride and apologize on her behalf. It all continued until she set her sights on him. He married her, and then handed her, unconscious, over to his eldest sister.
The Qin i with amnesia was as different as night and day from the woman she was before. They had only been together for less than a month since she lost her mory. ’How much could he really know about her?’
"Mom, why the sudden question?" Jie Jingchen asked, raising a hand to rub the space between his eyebrows.
Mrs. Xie hesitated for a mont before telling Jie Jingchen what had happened at the hospital that day. As he listened, his expression grew grave, and a flicker of worry crossed his eyes.
"Fourth Son, this wife of yours is incredible!" Mrs. Xie’s face glowed with delight. As a doctor herself, she deeply admired anyone with dical skills superior to her own—especially when that person was her daughter-in-law.
’But for an outstanding daughter-in-law to have a son who is so lacking... that isn’t a good thing.’
Mrs. Xie sized up her son, her eyes filled with disapproval. "Fourth Son, you need to step up your ga. Otherwise, you won’t be worthy of Xiao i."
Jie Jingchen was lost in thought, so he barely registered his mother’s disapproval.
"Fourth Son, when are you going to arrange a eting with my in-laws?" Mrs. Xie asked. She had fully accepted Qin i as her daughter-in-law. They had been married for over half a year, yet their parents had never t. Whether Qin i’s family ca to Shijiu City or they went to Yangcheng City, it was ti for the two families to et.
User Comments
0 comments from readers