Sigh. ’I’m afraid the Qin family won’t accept this "proper" solution. Qin Xiang won’t play the fool, and Qin i won’t agree either.’
"I’ll go with you." Seeing Granny’s firm attitude, Grandpa didn’t stop her from going to the hospital and wanted to accompany her.
"No need." Granny refused. She was worried the old man would ddle and ruin things, so she rejected his offer to co along.
"I’m worried about you." Grandpa was worried about Granny going to the hospital alone.
"What’s there to worry about? I’m just old, not disabled or senile. I’ll go by myself. You go back to the room and rest. You wore yourself out taking An Qi to the hospital. Get so proper sleep and wait for to get back." Granny pulled the corner of her shirt from Grandpa’s hand and strode toward the main gate.
"Walk slower! Be careful on the road. When you get to the hospital and see An Qi, don’t get all worked up. Talk to her nicely, try to talk so sense into her. Don’t let her be so stubborn," Grandpa called out with reminders.
"I know, you’re so long-winded." Granny quickened her pace, her hurried appearance making Grandpa very uneasy.
Grandpa looked away from her and turned to Jie Jingchen and Qin i. Feeling guilty, his gaze flickered as he looked at Qin i. "Um... I... COUGH COUGH COUGH, Fourth Wife of Jing, should we... discuss things?"
"Discuss what?" Jie Jingchen narrowed his eyes, the corner of his lip twitching up in a rebellious smirk.
"Discuss..." Grandpa mulled it over, trying to figure out what he could say that the young couple would accept.
"Discuss the marriage between my brother-in-law and Jie Anqi?" Jie Jingchen asked sarcastically.
Qin i snapped her head up, her gaze cold as she looked at Jie Jingchen. Even if he was being sarcastic, she didn’t want to hear it.
Jie Jingchen soothingly stroked the back of Qin i’s head. ’This girl is about to fly off the handle.’
"If, and I’m just saying if, Qin Xiang were truly willing to marry An Qi, our Jie Family would provide a generous dowry for her. We could also figure out a way to solve Qin Xiang’s household registration and housing issues." Grandpa had already thought it through: as long as Qin Xiang was willing, he would make the decision to give Qin Xiang and An Qi the house the machinery factory had allocated to his second son.
Qin i sneered internally. ’So they want to break Qin Xiang with material goods.’
A cold smile played on Jie Jingchen’s lips, and his gaze toward Grandpa held a piercing sharpness that left nowhere to hide. "Qin Xiang is building a distinguished career in the military. Do his household registration and housing need the Jie Family to get involved?"
Grandpa was speechless. Then he heard Jie Jingchen continue sarcastically, "Grandpa, you don’t really think the Qin family is poor, do you? No matter how large a dowry the Jie Family gives An Qi, the Qin family wouldn’t give it a second look."
"Sigh!" Grandpa let out a breath. "This isn’t about whether the Qin family is poor or not anymore. It’s about that girl, An Qi, insisting the child in her belly is Qin Xiang’s."
"Grandpa, you know perfectly well that Qin Xiang only just arrived in Shijiu City. How could An Qi possibly be pregnant with his child?" Jie Jingchen said coldly.
"We know that, but other people don’t. Besides, who can prove that Qin Xiang has only been in Shijiu City for a couple of days?" Grandpa said, his reasoning a bit forced.
"His commanding officers in the military can prove it. They know Qin Xiang’s whereabouts better than anyone." A sharp, chilling light glinted in Jie Jingchen’s amber eyes.
’Of all the people to fra, they chose Qin Xiang. They’re seriously overestimating themselves.’
Grandpa’s breath caught in his chest. ’If this gets to the military, it’ll blow up into a huge scandal. We’d lose so much face. If it’s considered serious, there could be punishnts. And if word spreads, my eldest son’s position as factory director could be at risk!’
"If he won’t marry her, then so be it. Jing Si, Fourth Wife of Jing, don’t you two overthink it. It’s just your Grandpa getting old and senile, spouting nonsense. I’m tired. I’m going back to my room to rest." The idea that had just sprouted in Grandpa’s mind was cut off at the root. Having lost all face, he couldn’t bear to look at the young couple any longer. He bent down, picked up his enal mug, and walked toward his room.
After Grandpa went back to his room, only Jie Jingchen and Qin i were left in the courtyard. Neither of them spoke. The expressions on their faces were grim, and the atmosphere was tense.
"Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law." Jie Jingshan ca out of the house.
Qin i was slumped over the table, tracing circles on its surface with her finger. Jie Jingchen got up to help Jie Jingshan, seating her in a wicker chair.
Qin i didn’t speak, nor did Jie Jingchen. Jie Jingshan pondered for a few seconds before she couldn’t help but say, "Cousin An Qi has really gone too far this ti."
Jie Jingshan hadn’t co out of her room, but she had heard the conversation in the courtyard loud and clear. It made her rage surge, and several tis she had to stop herself from storming out to curse them out in righteous indignation.
"Gone too far? This is utterly shaless and despicable, with no bottom line," Qin i said angrily. ’Making Qin Xiang take the fall... just thinking about it makes want to roll up my sleeves, rush to the hospital, and beat the hell out of Jie Anqi.’
"She’s always been like this. Now she’s just getting worse and worse," Jie Jingshan agreed.
As a man, Jie Jingchen didn’t join their verbal bashing, remaining silent as he sat next to Qin i.
’Jie Jingshan wouldn’t know how to curse viciously, but I, being from Sichuan, know plenty of nasty words. The only problem is, if I start cursing in my Sichuan dialect, I’d blow my cover. That man Jie Jingchen is too shrewd; he might not question now, but he would definitely get even later.’
Qin i suppressed her urge to curse and said in the most civilized words she could manage, "What goes around, cos around. She’ll get what’s coming to her."
’Retribution?’ Jie Jingshan didn’t believe in that. ’To her, "retribution" is just sothing people say to console themselves.’
"Fourth Brother, Granny has gone to the hospital," Jie Jingshan reminded him.
"Her legs are her own. She can go wherever she wants. We can’t stop her." Jie Jingchen deliberately misinterpreted her words.
"Fourth Brother." Jie Jingshan glared at Jie Jingchen. Her fourth brother knew exactly what she ant but was deliberately twisting her words. She decided to be blunt: "Fourth Brother, Granny went to the hospital to discuss a strategy with Second Uncle’s family."
"Discuss a strategy?" Qin i got agitated again. She shot to her feet, and ignoring that Grandpa was still in his room, she pointed at the gate and cursed, "What kind of strategy? A strategy to force my little brother to marry Jie Anqi? Ridiculous! Absolutely ridiculous! Where do they get the nerve?"
"Calm down, calm down. Keep your voice down, or the neighbors will hear." Jie Jingchen grabbed Qin i, afraid that if he let go, she would charge to the hospital to settle the score.
"Calm down my ass! All you know is how to tell to calm down. You want to be calm? It’s simple. Go to the hospital right now and finish Jie Anqi off." Qin i shoved Jie Jingchen resentfully. ’The Jie Family has so much damn drama, and each mber is more of a piece of work than the last. I don’t even want to be involved. I really miss my life with the Sun Family.’
’The Sun Family was poor, and everyone had their own ulterior motives, but they didn’t have as much drama as the Jie Family. The Sun Family mbers weren’t as malicious either. As long as you gave them enough money, they’d worship you like a living ancestor.’
’For ten yuan a month, the Sun Family would be polite and courteous to . In the Jie Family, ten yuan is useless. Forget ten yuan; even if I gave them a hundred a month, soone would still find a reason to pick a fight with .’
Jie Jingchen was a little helpless. He pinched her nose and said, "ii, murder is illegal. If I went to prison, you’d be a widow with a living husband. It would also affect Qin Xiang’s political vetting."
Qin i glared at Jie Jingchen and swatted away the large hand pinching her nose. ’This is just too infuriating to swallow.’
Watching the two of them, Jie Jingshan felt like they were just flirting. ’Murder is against the law, so I can’t support that.’ "Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law, Granny went to the hospital to strategize with Second Uncle’s family. Shouldn’t we also discuss a counter-plan?"
Before Jie Jingchen could speak, Qin i exploded again. "Discuss my ass! They want to dump a pot of shit on my little brother’s head? Not a chance in hell."
"Right. No door, and not even a window," Jie Jingchen said, following Qin i’s lead.
’Seeing the situation, Jie Jingshan realized they wouldn’t be able to co up with any counter-plan. Jie Anqi was her fourth brother’s cousin, and Qin Xiang was her fourth sister-in-law’s little brother. It was already a good thing that the couple hadn’t turned against each other over this.’
But Jie Jingshan still wanted to voice the idea she had co up with. After thinking it over, she looked at Qin i and asked tentatively, "Fourth Sister-in-law, that child bride your family is raising for your little brother... is she real or fake?"
"Of course she’s fake," Qin i answered without a second thought.
’It was just a story to fool Granny anyway. Now that Granny wasn’t here, I wasn’t worried about Grandpa overhearing. He wasn’t present, and even if he did hear, he wouldn’t get it.’
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