She had always thought it was the common surna, Xie. Who would have guessed it was this particular Jie? ’Isn’t that character pronounced differently?’ she wondered. ’Oh, right. It’s one of those characters with multiple pronunciations.’
With a surna like Jie, anyone would normally assu it was the other "Xie," not this one.
"Are you really illiterate?" Jie Jingchen stared at Qin i, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. ’An illiterate person who can read... is she still illiterate?’
Back in the army, Qin Xiang had talked most about his little sister, Qin i. Every word had been laced with disdain, yet also brimming with indulgence and affection.
Qin i didn’t want to get into the topic of her illiteracy. She’d learned her lesson from last ti and was much more cautious now.
"What’s your older sister’s na?" Qin i asked. Of the in-laws the body’s original owner had found for her, she only knew the eldest sister.
’She’s only trying to verify things now? Isn’t it a little late for that?’ Despite this, Jie Jingchen was very cooperative. "My older sister is nad Jie Jingling, my brother-in-law is Sun Debao, and my niece is Sun Tong."
Qin i fell silent. She carefully studied Jie Jingchen’s features, unable to find the slightest resemblance to Jie Jingling. She couldn’t help but wonder, ’Are they really brother and sister?’
Doubts aside, the verification was a success. The conclusion was that the man before her was her husband.
Qin i shot Jie Jingchen another deep glance, then took off her jacket and tossed it aside in disgust. It had Zhou Hongyi’s spit on it, and she was so repulsed she didn’t even want it anymore.
As she straightened her ssy hair, her fingers brushed against the scratches on her neck. The fiery sting of pain made Qin i frown slightly.
Jie Jingchen cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "You should go find a nurse to put so dicine on that."
Qin i’s eyes twitched. She tilted her head, looking at Jie Jingchen. She couldn’t see a trace of worry in his amber eyes. He wasn’t worried, nor did he seem to care. ’Telling to get dicine from a nurse is purely a formality because we’re husband and wife.’
Qin i was a sucker for a pretty face and had no immunity to handso n. Since Jie Jingchen was devastatingly good-looking, she was more than satisfied with him as her husband.
’The original owner of this body certainly had good taste in n.’
"Mhm," Qin i grunted, then walked out of the hospital room without her jacket.
The scratches were simply disinfected. Seeing that it was almost ti for dinner, Qin i didn’t return to the hospital room but went to the cafeteria instead.
Qin i saw Zhou Hongyi in the cafeteria. The two of them had gotten into a fight over a man, and both had co away with injuries. To avoid an awkward encounter, Qin i deliberately tried to walk around her.
"Comrade Qin i," Zhou Hongyi called out.
Qin i stopped in her tracks. ’I was deliberately avoiding her, so why is she saying hello?’
"Sister-in-law." Qin i’s eyes curved into a smile. She called Zhou Hongyi "sister-in-law" because she felt she was in the wrong. In truth, she felt quite wronged herself. She’d mistaken the man for her husband and taken care of him for days, but she didn’t even dare ask Zhou Hongyi for compensation for her trouble.
If Zhou Hongyi decided to be unreasonable and accused her of coveting her husband with ulterior motives, she wouldn’t be able to clear her na even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
Zhou Hongyi walked over to Qin i, holding an aluminum lunchbox, and asked, "Did you find your husband?"
"I did." Qin i nodded, looking at Zhou Hongyi with a complicated expression.
"That’s good to hear." Zhou Hongyi looked relieved, then asked with concern, "Did he bla you?"
"No," Qin i said with a smile, shaking her head.
"Good, good." Zhou Hongyi breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand on Qin i’s shoulder. "If your husband blas you and you can’t explain it clearly, I’ll go explain for you. Don’t be embarrassed. It’s alright. We’re both won, and we’re both wives. Why should won make things hard for each other? We should help one another."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law, but there’s no need to trouble you." Qin i politely declined, but Zhou Hongyi’s words still sent a warm feeling through her heart. It was a bit like that old saying: you don’t know soone until you’ve fought them.
In this day and age, Zhou Hongyi’s reaction was remarkably magnanimous and understanding. If it had been soone more belligerent, the matter likely wouldn’t have ended so smoothly.
"It’s no problem. Just consider it my way of thanking you for helping take care of my husband these past few days," Zhou Hongyi said.
Qin i flushed with embarrassnt. "Sister-in-law, it was my mistake. I got the wrong person."
"Getting the wrong person was your mistake, but it’s also a fact that you took very good care of him," Zhou Hongyi said with a smile. She clearly ca from a good family and was a reasonable person. If her way of thinking had been just a little twisted, she could have used this as an excuse to relentlessly tornt Qin i. Even if she couldn’t have caused any fatal harm, she could have made Qin i suffer dearly.
Mistaking one’s own husband... the excuse was a bit far-fetched. After all, what wife wouldn’t recognize her own husband after six months of marriage?
Since she’d put it that way, Qin i thought for a mont and said, "Sister-in-law, if you really want to thank for taking care of your husband these past few days, I wouldn’t say no to a small fee for my trouble."
Qin i hadn’t actually planned on asking for paynt. She hadn’t finished spending the money Xie Jingchen had given her, and she had no intention of returning the rest, considering it her fee. Of course, if Zhou Hongyi insisted on giving her a little sothing extra, she would gladly accept.
’You can pick a fight with anyone, but never with money.’
No matter the era, money was always a good thing.
"Huh?" Zhou Hongyi was stunned. A fee? To be honest, she’d never considered it. She was generous with verbal gratitude, but parting with money was another story. "Comrade Qin i, how about this? You took care of my husband for a few days, so I’ll take care of your husband for a few days."
’Is she just trying to get out of paying ?’ Qin i’s eyelid twitched. The image of the handso Jie Jingchen flashed in her mind, and she decisively refused. She laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, don’t take it seriously, I was just kidding. Let’s just turn the page on this whole thing and never ntion it again, okay?"
"Alright." Zhou Hongyi gratefully took the out she was given. Being reasonable was one thing, but giving away money was sothing else entirely. "Comrade Qin i, you go get your food. I’m heading back to the room."
"Okay." Qin i nodded, watching Zhou Hongyi leave.
After finishing her al in the cafeteria, Qin i returned to the hospital room carrying an aluminum lunchbox.
Zhou Hongyi was feeding Xie Jingchen. When she saw Qin i return, she smiled at her. She had learned from Xie Jingchen that Qin i’s husband was none other than their roommate, Jie Jingchen.
Qin i saw Jie Jingchen sitting up against the headboard, and her eyes flickered. ’He can already sit up?’
"Here." Qin i handed the aluminum lunchbox to Jie Jingchen.
Jie Jingchen didn’t take it. His gaze was deep and reproachful as he stared at Qin i. She had been so thoughtful and attentive when feeding Xie Jingchen, but now that it was his turn, she expected him to eat by himself. The difference in treatnt was like night and day, and Jie Jingchen felt a surge of indignation.
Seeing that Jie Jingchen wasn’t taking the lunchbox, Qin i pinched the bridge of her nose and casually asked, "Where are you injured?"
’If his hands are injured, I might consider feeding him.’
But Jie Jingchen’s answer was, "My waist."
"Your waist?" Qin i looked astonished. An injury to the waist was a sensitive matter. Even after it healed, soone with terrible luck could suffer from aftereffects. And these aftereffects could be serious, affecting one’s marital bliss and ability to have children.
Qin i’s strange gaze slowly traveled down from Jie Jingchen’s waist, eventually stopping between his legs. Even through the quilt, Jie Jingchen could feel her stare, which was both intense and bizarre.
Instantly, a suggestive atmosphere filled the hospital room. Qin i’s thoughts, however, were pure; she was simply worried about his ability to carry on the family line.
"Qin i, where are you looking?" Jie Jingchen demanded coldly. His amber eyes narrowed, and his sharp gaze shot toward Qin i’s face.
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