Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man-Chapter 13: Wife, Greet People

Mrs. Xie was so angry she was speechless. It was her fault for arranging a blind date for him and Su Wan’er without discussing it with him first. He *had* said he was married, but in the months since he’d retired and started working at the mechanical factory, he had yet to bring his wife home. So, they had assumed his marriage was a lie.

Who would have thought his marriage was actually real.

Facing Su Wan’er’s accusing and wounded gaze, Mrs. Xie felt both ashamed and mortified.

"Dear, say hello," Jie Jingchen said, as if the scene wasn’t awkward enough.

Qin Mei ignored him, acting as if he’d said nothing at all. But then, Jie Jingchen gave her waist a squeeze. A flash of anger flared through Qin Mei, but with everyone watching, she swallowed it down.

"Come on, Dear. Say hello," Jie Jingchen urged. He was persistent; the more Qin Mei refused, the more determined he was to make her.

Qin Mei gave in. ’A wise woman doesn’t pick a fight with a brute.’ She turned to Mrs. Xie and flashed a grin, putting on an obedient act. "Hello, Auntie."

"What was that? We’ve had our marriage certificate for half a year, and we’ve consummated our marriage. You should be calling her Mom. Do I need to remind you?" Jie Jingchen chided, his face stern.

Qin Mei felt incredibly wronged. ’Whether it was the marriage certificate or the consummation, none of it was her doing! It was the original owner of this body. By the time I woke up, I was already in Dazhuang Village.’

Half a year ago? Mrs. Xie froze. Six months ago, Jie Jingchen hadn’t even retired from the army yet.

Qin Mei forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She shot Jie Jingchen a vicious glare before changing her tune. "Mom."

Mrs. Xie didn’t answer. With Su Wan’er present, she couldn’t possibly acknowledge it.

She had sung her son’s praises to Su Wan’er and had gone to great lengths to convince her to come over for a blind date. She never imagined her son would actually bring his wife home.

’They’ve been married for half a year. Can I really chew out my son? Can I show my disdain for my daughter-in-law? He hadn’t hidden the marriage from the beginning; it was our own fault for assuming it was a lie when we didn’t see a bride for months.’

"Mom, the daughter-in-law you’ve been so anxious to meet is talking to you," Jie Jingchen reminded her.

Mrs. Xie shot her son a glare. ’Can’t he see what an awkward position I’m in?’

Qin Mei stared at Jie Jingchen, speechless. ’He’s doing this on purpose. He’s absolutely doing this on purpose.’

’This man was so devious, he’d even throw his own mother under the bus.’

"Wan’er," Mrs. Xie said, looking at Su Wan’er with worry and guilt.

"Director Zhang, your son is married! Why did you lie and have me come here for a blind date?" Su Wan’er demanded. Just as Mrs. Xie had thought, Su Wan’er’s background gave her the capital to be willful and arrogant. Her father was the hospital’s vice president, so she wasn’t afraid of offending Mrs. Xie or of her trying to make things difficult for her at work.

"I..." Mrs. Xie was at a loss, not knowing how to explain. She couldn’t claim ignorance, because she *had* known—she just hadn’t believed him.

"Director Zhang, you don’t have to explain to me. You just have to explain it to my father." The words were clearly a threat.

Mrs. Xie’s expression faltered slightly. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "You told the Vice President about this?"

Su Wan’er lifted her chin haughtily. "This is about marriage. Do you think I would have come all the way to your home for a blind date without my father’s approval?"

Mrs. Xie was speechless. Su Wan’er had a point.

"It was just an arranged introduction. What, were you expecting to get married on the spot? Are you that desperate to marry yourself off?" Qin Mei suddenly chimed in.

’A higher rank can crush those beneath you. That’s an iron law in any era.’

’Now I get it,’ she thought. ’My mother-in-law is Su Wan’er’s boss, but Su Wan’er’s father is my mother-in-law’s boss. So what was her motive for introducing Su Wan’er to her son?’

Jie Jingchen looked down, studying the woman in his arms as a faint smile played on his lips.

Mrs. Xie couldn’t help but steal a few more glances at Qin Mei. Qin Mei’s last words were clearly a provocation aimed at Su Wan’er, yet Mrs. Xie wasn’t angry, nor did she try to stop her. She, too, was disgusted by Su Wan’er’s threats.

’She wasn’t even afraid of the President, so why would she fear a mere Vice President?’

"You..." Anger flared in Su Wan’er’s eyes, and she looked at Qin Mei with unconcealed disdain. "And what are you? Some beggar they dragged in off the street?"

’Beggar?’ Qin Mei frowned and looked herself over. Her clothes were clean enough. But after a day and a night on the train without a drop of water, she was completely dizzy. She hadn’t been in any mood to tidy up after getting off, so she knew she looked a mess. ’But I can’t look *that* much like a beggar, can I?’

A sharp glint flashed in Qin Mei’s eyes. She scoffed, "Jie Jingchen would rather marry a beggar like me than give you a second glance. I guess that means you’re worth even less than a beggar."

Jie Jingchen was well acquainted with Qin Mei’s nasty streak. She’d argue her point even when she was in the wrong, let alone when she was right. ’Su Wan’er should count herself lucky that Qin Mei has amnesia,’ he thought. ’If this were the old Qin Mei, Su Wan’er wouldn’t have stood a chance against her when she really flew off the handle.’

Mrs. Xie smiled. The more she looked at this daughter-in-law of hers, the more pleased she became.

The moment Su Wan’er used the Vice President to threaten her, she was disqualified in Mrs. Xie’s eyes. Any lingering guilt she’d felt was instantly squandered by Su Wan’er herself. If there was one thing Mrs. Xie hated in life, it was being threatened.

Trying to force her hand with threats was practically a death wish.

"PFFT." Standing just outside the doorway, Jie Jingjue couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"You..." Su Wan’er stomped her foot in a huff, pointing an accusing finger at the four of them. "You’re all ganging up on me! I’m going to tell my dad!"

Su Wan’er stomped her foot again, then ran out, seething with rage.

Once Su Wan’er was gone, Qin Mei poked the arm Jie Jingchen had wrapped around her waist. "Let go."

Not only did Jie Jingchen not let go, he tightened his hold, looking at his mother with an unreadable smile. "Mom, your colleague left. Aren’t you going to run out and see her off?"

Mrs. Xie shot her son a glare and snapped, "See her off? Why? Her father is the Vice President. I wouldn’t dare."

Jie Jingchen smiled but said nothing.

Qin Mei shot a sidelong glance at Mrs. Xie, delivering another sharp jab. "A career is built on your own abilities, not by sacrificing your son’s marriage."

Mrs. Xie looked at Qin Mei and gave a cold, proud smile. "Hmph! I don’t give a damn about the President, let alone some measly Vice President."

Qin Mei’s lips twitched. Faced with this proud, arrogant woman, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

’I don’t know her well enough to judge.’

"Jie Jingchen, if you don’t let go, you’re going to break my back!" Qin Mei felt like he was about to squeeze her in half. ’His own back injury isn’t even fully healed,’ she fumed internally. ’If my back gets hurt too, who’s going to take care of whom?’

’This is his home; he has people to wait on him. But what about me?’

She thought about Mrs. Xie’s promise to Su Wan’er—that if she married Jing Chen, she would cherish her like her own daughter. ’It doesn’t matter what era you’re in; mothers-in-law always make those kinds of promises to potential daughters-in-law.’

’But how many mothers-in-law actually keep that promise? When a conflict arises between the son and the daughter-in-law, they almost always side with their own son.’

Qin Mei didn’t believe in promises. She believed that time reveals a person’s true character.

Jie Jingchen released her. Qin Mei reacted instantly, taking a sharp step forward. The movement was too abrupt; her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

The sudden collapse startled Jie Jingchen. "Qin Mei!" he cried out.

"What’s wrong with her?" Mrs. Xie was terrified as well. One second the girl had been so full of life, and the next she had just collapsed. She quickly knelt to check on Qin Mei.