His little sister wanted to have a child, but Jing Si didn’t. This put her in an awkward position, forced to swallow her pride and compromise.
’Not wanting to have a child with my sister... it’s clear Jing Si holds a grudge. He hasn’t truly accepted her from the bottom of his heart. But as her brother, and as his brother-in-law, I can’t say a word against him. This is the path she chose for herself, even using underhanded tactics to drag Jing Si along with her. Whether it leads to misfortune or happiness, sorrow or joy, she has to walk it to the end.’
"On the matter of having children, we’re in complete agreent," Qin i said, being fair and not pinning all the bla on Jie Jingchen.
"Suit yourselves." Qin Xiang didn’t press the issue. ’His sister had her own ideas, and so did Jing Si. He didn’t expect them to be deeply in love; he just hoped they would treat each other with respect. It didn’t even matter if they didn’t have children.’
Qin i smiled. ’It really was up to them. When it ca to having children, no one else could help anyway.’
"What are you two talking about?" Jie Jingchen asked, his eyes crinkling with a smile as he looked at them.
"Nothing," said Qin Xiang.
"Nothing," said Qin i.
Seeing them speak in unison, Jie Jingchen paused for a mont before teasing, "You two really are siblings. So in sync."
Qin i said nothing. ’This is what he calls being in sync? I seriously suspect Jie Jingchen has so misunderstanding of the word.’
"Of course," Qin Xiang said, lifting his chin proudly. "We don’t just look alike, we’ve always been the closest. When we were little and our parents weren’t ho, I was the one who took care of her."
Jie Jingchen watched Qin Xiang, who had taken over his rattan chair. ’If it were Jing Wu, I’d just pick him up and toss him aside. Jing Wu is no match for . But Qin Xiang is different. He’s my brother-in-law. A fight between us would be a lose-lose situation.’
Jie Jingchen sat on a stone stool next to Qin i, propping his chin on one hand while tapping his fingers on the stone table. "You’re seven years older than her. Isn’t it normal that you’d take care of her?"
"You’re seven years older than her, too," Qin Xiang shot back.
Jie Jingchen’s gaze darkened, sharp and cold as a blade.
Qin i got up, stretched lazily, and yawned. "You two can talk," she said to Jie Jingchen and Qin Xiang. "I’m not going to stick around. I’m heading back to my room for a nap."
"I’ll go with you." Jie Jingchen stood up as well. ’He had no desire to keep Qin Xiang company; he wanted to take a nap with Qin i.’
Qin i was taken aback. Her cheeks instantly flushed at the thought of last night. Before she could say anything, Qin Xiang asked curiously, "Do you have a habit of taking afternoon naps?"
"I didn’t before, but I do now." In front of Qin Xiang, Jie Jingchen stepped forward and wrapped his arm around Qin i’s waist.
Qin Xiang’s eyes flickered as he watched the intensely possessive Jie Jingchen. ’We’re outside,’ he thought, deciding not to forcibly separate them. ’If my sister and brother-in-law are getting along well, I’m happy to see it.’ "So what about ?" he asked. "You’re both going for a nap. What am I supposed to do?"
"You can take a nap too. The bed is already made for you," Jie Jingchen said.
"I don’t take afternoon naps. If I nap during the day, I can’t sleep at night." Qin Xiang shook his head. ’It’s one thing to wander around during the day, but wandering around at night because I can’t sleep would raise suspicion.’
Jie Jingchen didn’t press him. "Make yourself at ho. Do whatever you like."
The unspoken ssage was clear: Qin Xiang should amuse himself and not disturb the couple’s nap.
"An Lin, we’re here. This is your uncle’s house," Granny’s gentle voice called out.
Hearing this, Jie Jingchen’s brow furrowed. He had a feeling he knew what was happening.
Qin i froze for a second. ’Yesterday, Granny asked to treat her other grandson’s private ailnt, and today she’s already gone ho and brought him back.’
"Granny, can Jing Si’s wife really cure my... private ailnt?" Jie Anlin asked, looking at Granny worriedly.
"She can. I guarantee it," Granny assured him.
Jie Anlin was still anxious. "But, Granny..."
Granny cut him off. "Oh, An Lin! You’re my favorite grandson. I would never lie to you. Jing Si’s wife is incredible. She even healed Jing Qi’s legs! When your grandpa and I saw Jing Qi stand up and walk toward us yesterday, we were stunned."
"Jing Si’s wife... she really healed Jing Qi’s legs?" Jie Anlin asked again. Granny had told him this many tis already, but he was still skeptical. He trusted his grandmother, but without seeing it for himself, he couldn’t help but have his doubts.
Granny had worried herself sick over his private ailnt. Over the years, she had secretly taken him to see countless "miracle doctors" and made him try nurous folk redies, all to no avail. His condition, much like Jing Qi’s legs, was deed hopeless. He had already despaired and given up.
Today, Granny and Grandpa had co to the factory to find him, insisted he take the day off, and brought him here to his uncle’s ho to treat his ailnt. The person who was supposed to treat him was none other than Jing Si’s wife, the very woman they said had healed Jing Qi’s legs.
’If she could cure Jing Qi’s legs, then surely she could cure his condition too.’
"It’s true. If you don’t believe , ask your grandpa," Granny said, pointing to Grandpa, who had been silent.
"Grandpa?" Jie Anlin looked at him.
"It’s true," Grandpa said. "Your granny isn’t lying to you."
Jie Anlin was completely convinced. If even Grandpa said so, it had to be true. A flicker of hope ignited in his heart, which had long been nothing but dead ashes.
Qin Xiang was utterly shocked. He stared at his sister in disbelief. "You were the one who healed Jing Qi’s legs?"
’He knew his sister’s capabilities perfectly well. She didn’t know the first thing about dicine, and even if she did, there was no way she could have healed Jing Qi’s legs. Many leading experts had examined Jing Qi and concluded she was permanently disabled.’
"I was," Qin i admitted without hesitation.
Qin Xiang sucked in a breath, his "peach-blossom eyes" wide. "How did you do it?"
Qin i gave him a charming smile. "It was a desperate attempt," she said deliberately.
Qin Xiang gasped, staring at Qin i speechlessly. His gaze shifted to Jie Jingchen. Seeing the serene expression on his dangerously handso face, Qin Xiang asked through gritted teeth, "Jing Qi is your sister. You just let her fool around like that?"
"But she healed Jing Qi’s legs," Jie Jingchen said with a nonchalant smile.
Qin Xiang was left speechless. It was a fact that Jing Qi’s legs were healed; he had seen it with his own eyes. He just never would have dread that the one to do it was his own sister.
Qin Xiang watched Qin i with a deep, searching gaze. "The Qin family has no history of dicine. Where did you learn to do this?"
’Self-taught? Even I wouldn’t believe that,’ Qin i thought. She snuck a glance at Jie Jingchen, who still had his arm around her waist, and answered without batting an eye, "I learned from my sister-in-law."
’My sister’s sister-in-law... isn’t that Jing Si’s older sister?’ Filled with suspicion, Qin Xiang turned to Jing Si. "If your older sister’s dical skills are so brilliant, why didn’t she treat Jing Qi’s legs herself?"
Jie Jingchen thought for a mont before answering, "My older sister is an Educated Youth, and she got married in her village a long ti ago."
"And that stops her from treating her own sister’s legs?" Qin Xiang snapped. ’Jing Si is just making excuses to cover for her.’
"It doesn’t," Jie Jingchen said, shaking his head.
"Then why didn’t she?" Qin Xiang pressed.
Seeing Qin Xiang’s aggressive questioning, Qin i felt not an ounce of guilt. She yawned and looked at Jie Jingchen, curious to see how he would handle her brother’s interrogation.
"My older sister didn’t want to," Jie Jingchen answered.
"Why not?" Qin Xiang demanded, determined to get to the bottom of it. ’I don’t believe that. Jing Qi is her half-sister. If she really had the ability to heal her, there’s no way she would have just stood by and done nothing.’
"She and Jing Qi aren’t close," Jie Jingchen said.
"..." said Qin Xiang.
"..." said Qin i.
Jie Jingchen’s excuse was flimsy, but they couldn’t argue with it. By the ti Jie Jingling had gone to the countryside to be an Educated Youth, Jie Jingshan hadn’t even been born.
Jie Jingchen thought for a mont, then added, "Actually, my older sister couldn’t have cured Jing Qi’s legs."
"So your sister couldn’t do it, but the apprentice she taught could?" Qin Xiang said sarcastically. It wasn’t that he couldn’t bear to see his sister be capable; he just found the whole thing unrealistic.
"The master can only lead you to the door; the rest is up to the individual." Jie Jingchen paused, casting a sidelong glance at Qin i. "Qin i is exceptionally gifted."
Qin Xiang’s mouth twitched. ’Exceptionally gifted at making trouble and causing chaos? That I don’t doubt. But a genius in dicine? Not a chance.’
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