novelraw Chapter 218 - 86: Qin’s Ointment (2)
Chapter 218 - 86: Qin’s Ointment (2)
"Wealth comes from hard work. What’s there to be proud of, living a comfortable life by relying on a man? If one day the man you depend on gets tired of you and leaves you, and you’re completely useless with your family unwilling to take you in, it will be too late for regrets." Aunt Zhang looked at Qin Mei, her eyes filled with disdain.
"My fourth brother would never do that," Jie Jingshan retorted, her bright eyes filled with anger.
"Jing Qi, do you know what’s the most untrustworthy thing in this world? A man’s mouth is a lying devil." Aunt Zhang sneered. ’She even dares to talk back to me now. Since Qin Mei arrived, the person who’s changed the most is Jie Jingshan.’
Jie Jingshan wanted to argue further with Aunt Zhang but was stopped by Qin Mei. She gripped Qin Mei’s hand in return and said urgently, "Fourth Sister-in-law, my fourth brother wouldn’t."
"Jing Qi, the bond between a husband and wife is the most intimate, but it can also be the most unreliable." On this point, Qin Mei agreed with Aunt Zhang.
’Thinking of the future she knew, where Jing Qi remained unmarried her entire life, Qin Mei felt a pang of regret. Jing Qi took her words to heart too much; she had a huge influence on the girl.’
Jie Jingshan was too young to understand the complexities of a marital relationship. She just gripped Qin Mei’s hand tightly and promised, "Fourth Sister-in-law, if my fourth brother doesn’t want you anymore, I will. I can support you."
Qin Mei was stunned for a moment. Seeing the sincerity in Jie Jingshan’s eyes, she was deeply moved and nodded, gratified. "Okay. You can support me."
’So far, Qin Mei hadn’t actually earned much money. The few thousand she had on hand had all been given to her by the family. Once the economic reform and opening-up policy started, her hands would no longer be tied.’
Aunt Zhang sneered in disdain, mocking her, "Hard work is what leads to wealth."
"And have you gotten rich?" Qin Mei shot back. ’It was true that Aunt Zhang was incredibly diligent,’ she thought. ’Tidying the house, washing clothes for the whole family, cooking for the whole family... Aunt Zhang was a qualified housekeeper, but she was not a good person.’
Aunt Zhang was left speechless. She clutched the clothes in her hands, her mind racing. ’She was hardworking, but she wasn’t wealthy. Then again, wealth was all relative.’
’Compared to the Jie Family, she was just the housekeeper; their respectable jobs were beyond comparison. But compared to the neighbors, the salary the Jie Family paid her was very high. And compared to the people back in her village, she was an enviable, wealthy woman.’
’Her city job had earned enough money to build new houses for both her own family and her in-laws, which gave her immense prestige among the villagers. Whether she was visiting her family or her husband’s, she was an important figure whose word was practically law.’
’This was especially true of her in-laws; they didn’t dare say a word of complaint, even when she used her earnings to help out her own family.’
’And yet, Qin Mei had been with the Jie Family for just over a month and already had a huge sum of several thousand in her possession.’
After a long silence, Aunt Zhang finally spoke. "I work hard, and my conscience is clear. I’m proud to earn money with my own two hands."
"If you weren’t hardworking, would my mother-in-law have hired you to work for the Jie Family?" Qin Mei sneered. ’There’s no such thing as noble or lowly work,’ she thought. ’As long as you earn a living with your own two hands, you have a right to be proud. But Aunt Zhang’s motives were anything but pure.’
The word "hired" stabbed Aunt Zhang in the heart like a thorn. Because of her connection to her deceased sister, she had always considered her relationship with the Jie Family to be more than just that of an employee.
"My working for the Jie Family has nothing to do with your mother-in-law," Aunt Zhang insisted stubbornly.
"Oh, really?" Qin Mei sneered, her sharp gaze fixed on the flustered Aunt Zhang. "Then who pays your salary? My father-in-law? Xu Chunyan? Or your two dear nephews?"
Aunt Zhang was struck dumb. The one who paid her salary was indeed Qiao Yanqiu. Qiao Yanqiu also gave her money for living expenses every month.
"Jing Qi, let’s go. We’re going to buy groceries." Qin Mei went to her room to get some money. She locked her own door, then went and locked Jie Jingshan’s door. Seeing the kitchen door was open, Qin Mei locked it as well.
’She wasn’t worried about Aunt Zhang stealing from their kitchen; she was afraid she’d put something disgusting in the seasonings. Both Aunt Zhang and Xu Chunyan had a history of doing such things.’
"Fourth Sister-in-law, you haven’t eaten breakfast yet," Jie Jingshan reminded her.
"I’m not hungry." Qin Mei pushed Jie Jingshan toward the exit. As they reached the threshold, Jie Jingshan suddenly stood up. Holding onto the doorframe, she stiffly stepped over the threshold on her own. The movement startled Qin Mei. Aunt Zhang, head down and furiously scrubbing clothes, didn’t see a thing.
Qin Mei lifted the wheelchair over the threshold. Once Jie Jingshan was seated again, Qin Mei pushed her toward the grocery store.
"Jing Qi, you can walk now?" Qin Mei asked, completely surprised. It had only been a little over a month. ’I predicted she wouldn’t be able to walk for another three months. The fact that she can already stand on her own means she must have ignored my instructions and secretly pushed herself with extra exercises.’