Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man-Chapter 14: I Hurt My Back

"She gets motion sickness on the train. She didn’t eat or drink anything for a day and a night," Jie Jingchen said.

"Then it’s nothing serious." Mrs. Xie sighed in relief and said to Jie Jingchen, "Carry her back to the room to rest. When she wakes up, have her drink some porridge."

Jie Jingchen’s expression was strange. He stood still as a mountain, his deep gaze turning to Jie Jingjue.

Jie Jingjue’s heart skipped a beat. ’What does Fourth Brother mean by that look?’

"I told you to carry your wife back to the room to rest. Why are you looking at Xiao Wu?" Mrs. Xie helped Qin Mei up, letting her lean against her chest.

Jie Jingchen hesitated for a moment before reluctantly saying, "I hurt my back."

"What?" Mrs. Xie was alarmed. Her beautiful eyes instantly filled with worry. A back injury was no small matter. If not handled well, it could affect their marital life, and if their marital life was affected, it would impact the issue of having children.

"Fourth Brother." Jie Jingjue also exclaimed. No wonder his brother was always holding his back when he walked.

"Xiao Wu, you carry your fourth sister-in-law to your fourth brother’s room to rest. I’ll take your brother to the hospital," Mrs. Xie instructed.

"This..." ’Is this appropriate?’ Jie Jingjue was conflicted.

"Mom, there’s no need to go to the hospital. Uncle Li said I just need to go home and rest," Jie Jingchen lied. Uncle Li hadn’t wanted him to leave the hospital; he had insisted on being discharged. Uncle Li couldn’t win the argument and had no choice but to compromise and agree to his discharge.

"Uncle Li?" Mrs. Xie didn’t react for a moment, then suddenly understood. "Senior Brother?"

’How could I have forgotten? Senior Brother is in Shanghai. I know how skilled he is.’ She might not trust her own son, but she trusted her Senior Brother.

"Mhm," Jie Jingchen nodded, his gaze a little shifty.

Mrs. Xie didn’t suspect a thing. "If your Uncle Li let you leave the hospital and come back to Shijiu City, then it must not be a big deal. But, Jingchen, you still have to be careful with a back injury. Since Uncle Li told you to rest at home, you need to listen to him. Rest well and don’t be in a hurry to go back to work at the factory. The family doesn’t need your small salary."

"Mhm," Jie Jingchen grunted in agreement, not saying more. Saying too much would only make his mother suspicious.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and carry your fourth sister-in-law." Seeing Jie Jingjue standing frozen in place, Mrs. Xie urged impatiently.

"Fourth Brother." Jie Jingjue looked at Jie Jingchen. Only after Jie Jingchen nodded did he dare to step forward and lift the unconscious Qin Mei.

Jie Jingchen’s room was next to Jie Jingjue’s. Just as Jie Jingjue carried Qin Mei into the courtyard, a furious voice rang out.

"Jie Jingjue."

Hearing the voice, Jie Jingjue’s scalp tingled. ’This is bad,’ he thought. He wanted to toss Qin Mei, who was in his arms, to Jie Jingchen following behind him, but then he remembered his brother’s back injury. That was the whole reason he was doing this in the first place. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

If he tossed his sister-in-law to his brother and made his injury even worse, his mom would definitely not let him off easy.

"Aiyun." Jie Jingjue steeled himself and turned around. Seeing Bai Aiyun’s furious face, he quickly tried to explain, "Aiyun, don’t misunderstand..."

Bai Aiyun rushed up to Jie Jingjue, her red-rimmed eyes burning with a raging fire as she demanded hysterically, "Who is she?"

"She’s my fourth sister-in-law," Jie Jingjue explained, casting a pleading look at Jie Jingchen. "Fourth Brother, my girlfriend misunderstood. Hurry up and explain!"

"Jie Jingjue, you player! We’re breaking up!" Bai Aiyun had a fiery temper and didn’t give Jie Jingchen a chance to speak. She raised her hand and slapped Jie Jingjue hard across the face, then ran off in a fury.

"Aiyun, Aiyun, don’t go! It’s a misunderstanding, really! She’s really my fourth sister-in-law! Aiyun! Fourth Brother, what are you standing there for? Go help me get my girlfriend back and explain it to her!" Jie Jingjue was frantic as he watched Bai Aiyun run off.

"My back is injured," Jie Jingchen reminded him. He wanted to help Xiao Wu chase after her, but the spirit was willing, and the flesh was weak.

"What’s all the ruckus now?" Mrs. Xie ran out from the main hall. "Xiao Wu, I thought I heard your girlfriend’s voice. Is she here? Where did she go?"

"Mom, my girlfriend misunderstood me!" Jie Jingjue was so anxious he was about to cry.

Mrs. Xie froze for a second, then realization dawned. She said nonchalantly, "It’s fine. Just go find her later and explain everything."

"Mom, please go help me get her back," Jie Jingjue said.

"First, take your fourth sister-in-law back to your brother’s room. Then you can go chase her yourself." Mrs. Xie had no intention of running out to chase after her son’s girlfriend. If word of that got out, where would she hide her face?

Jie Jingjue didn’t dare to delay. He hurried to Jie Jingchen’s room, roughly tossed Qin Mei onto the bed, and turned to run after his girlfriend.

「Late that night」

Qin Mei woke up to pitch darkness. She couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Her first reaction wasn’t that it was nighttime, but that... she had gone blind.

"AHH!" Qin Mei screamed in terror and shot up in bed.

Lying beside her, Jie Jingchen was startled awake. Hearing her terrified scream, he asked worriedly, "What’s wrong?"

"Jie Jingchen, I can’t see! My eyes... I’m blind!" Qin Mei’s anxious voice was on the verge of tears.

Jie Jingchen was speechless. Suppressing the urge to kick her out of bed, he carefully sat up, holding his back, and reached for the light cord. The light flickered on.

"Can you see now?" Jie Jingchen asked, frowning at Qin Mei’s horrified expression.

The expression on Qin Mei’s face was a sight to behold, eventually settling on embarrassment. She let out a breath of relief. So, she wasn’t blind, the light was just off. What a ridiculous mistake.

Qin Mei awkwardly touched her nose and, sticking her neck out, argued, "It’s perfectly normal to make a mistake in judgment when you’re in an unfamiliar, dark environment."

Jie Jingchen didn’t refute her words or laugh at her. He just asked, "Are you hungry?"

"Hungry," Qin Mei nodded. She hadn’t eaten in two days; it would be strange if she weren’t.

On the train, she had been groggy and her stomach was churning. She didn’t even want a sip of water, let alone a proper meal. After getting off the train and sleeping for so long, her hunger was intense.

"There’s porridge in the kitchen. You can eat it once it’s heated up," Jie Jingchen said. After a moment’s thought, he added, "Mom made it for you specially."

Qin Mei froze, blinking at Jie Jingchen. ’Is he trying to ease the conflict between me and my mother-in-law?’

Qin Mei had complicated, indescribable feelings about her ageless-looking mother-in-law. On her first visit home with Jie Jingchen, his mother had arranged a blind date for him with Su Wan’er. While there were no feelings between her and Jie Jingchen, their marriage was real. His mother pulling a stunt like that had made her more than a little uncomfortable.

But if you were to say his mother did it on purpose, her reaction upon learning she was Jie Jingchen’s wife had seemed so innocent.

Still, Qin Mei was touched that she had specially made porridge for her.

"What is it? Aren’t you hungry?" Jie Jingchen felt a little nervous being stared at by Qin Mei, though he couldn’t quite say why.

Qin Mei reached out and poked Jie Jingchen’s arm. "You go heat it up for me."

Jie Jingchen frowned. He looked at her as if she were an idiot for a few seconds, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice was a bit hoarse. "My back hurts. I need to be on bed rest."