Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 253 - 97: Jie Jingchen, Thank You for Your Hard Work (3)

"Fourth Sister-in-law, isn’t it spicy?" Jie Jingshan couldn’t help but ask.

Qin Mei dipped her chopsticks into the sauce and dabbed a little on her tongue. "It’s spicy. I like it."

Jie Jingshan wanted to persuade Qin Mei to switch, but when she heard Qin Mei say she liked it, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.

"As long as you like it, Fourth Sister-in-law." Jie Jingshan gulped. She wanted to share her sister-in-law’s taste in food, but she really couldn’t handle spice.

Qin Mei stirred her dipping sauce, glanced sideways at Jie Jingshan, and said with a smile, "Me liking spicy food is the same as you liking dumplings."

’I’m a true native of Sichuan; I love numbing and spicy food, especially the heat. No spice, no life. Unfortunately, the original owner of this body was from Yangcheng City. Eating anything too spicy gives me diarrhea. A few more rounds of that would be a uniquely invigorating experience.’

’I don’t dare try anything insanely spicy, but a mild level of heat is still acceptable.’

Qin Mei found herself craving the numbing and spicy hot pot from her hometown. Biting her chopsticks, she gazed up at the ceiling, her mind filled with visions of eating it. ’There’s no problem a hot pot dinner can’t solve. And if one doesn’t work, then make it two.’

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingshan called out, but Qin Mei was lost in her own blissful world.

"Qin Mei." Jie Jingchen was far more blunt than Jie Jingshan, flicking her on the forehead.

"Ow!" Qin Mei cried out in pain, instantly snapping back to reality. She clutched her smarting forehead, her almond-shaped eyes blazing with anger. "Jie Jingchen, what is wrong with you?"

"What were you so lost in thought about?" Jie Jingchen picked up a dumpling, ready to dip it into the sauce in front of Qin Mei. But seeing the bright red sauce, he hesitated. ’Qin Mei loves spicy food. The more she enjoys this now, the more... freely it’ll flow later.’ "I’ll go get you a different sauce."

"No." Qin Mei pressed her hand down on the sauce bowl. ’What’s so wrong with me eating something spicy with my dumplings? Jie Jingchen knows I love spicy food, but he never adds chili peppers when he stir-fries, even when I’ve bought them. He just refuses to use them.’

’Jing Qi can’t handle spice, but Jie Jingchen can. I put up with him not adding peppers to the dishes for Jing Qi’s sake. But the dipping sauces are separate. What’s wrong with mine being a little spicy?’

"Qin Mei, you’ll get diarrhea if you eat chili," Jie Jingchen reminded her.

"It’s normal to get diarrhea from eating chili," Qin Mei said. She paused, and seeing that Jie Jingchen wasn’t budging, added, "If I eat it a few more times, my stomach will get used to it and I’ll be fine."

"Fighting poison with poison isn’t wise. You’re the one who suffers in the end." Jie Jingchen’s heart ached for her when she had diarrhea, and he wanted to convince her to stop. But trying to talk her out of eating the spicy food she loved was completely unrealistic.

"Eating dumplings with a non-spicy dipping sauce is soulless." Qin Mei shot Jie Jingchen a look. ’Fighting poison with poison? I added chili to my sauce, not actual poison.’

Jie Jingchen glanced at his and Jing Qi’s dipping sauces. "Mine and Jing Qi’s don’t have any chili."

"Jing Qi doesn’t eat spicy food. If you want some, you can add it yourself," Qin Mei said, one hand holding down her sauce bowl and the other pushing Jie Jingchen away. "Leave me alone and eat your dumplings. They won’t be good if they get cold."

"You’ll get diarrhea if you eat it that spicy. Qin Mei, let me switch it out for you. I’ll just add a little bit of chili." Jie Jingchen compromised. He agreed to let her eat spice, just not so much of it.

"No! This is just right. I didn’t even add that much, just a little bit," Qin Mei retorted. ’The original owner’s body won’t allow it. If this body could handle it, I’d be trying the insane-level spice.’

"Fourth Brother, if Fourth Sister-in-law likes spicy food, just let her eat it. It’s not like chili peppers are expensive. Why are you being so stingy with them?" Jie Jingshan couldn’t watch any longer.

Jie Jingchen was speechless. ’Was I worried about the cost of chili peppers? I’m worried about Qin Mei!’

Jie Jingshan didn’t eat spicy food, so she couldn’t appreciate that special kind of misery that came after a bout of spice-induced diarrhea.

In the end, Qin Mei was victorious. Jie Jingchen conceded.

At lunch, Second Auntie had prepared the dipping sauces. Except for Jing Qi’s, all of their sauces had a small amount of chili, and Qin Mei hadn’t gotten diarrhea from it.

Since Qin Mei was preparing the sauce herself this time, of course she was going to satisfy her own cravings.

For lunch, Qin Mei had only eaten ten dumplings, but this time she ate five more than that. Jie Jingshan still had twenty, and Jie Jingchen ate twenty-five. Qin Mei had kept sixty dumplings for their meal; the rest had all been taken home by Second Auntie.

’My plan was ten for me, twenty for Jie Jingshan, and thirty for Jie Jingchen. I ended up eating five extra, and Jie Jingchen only ate twenty-five. Jie Jingshan ate her twenty... I seriously doubt Jie Jingchen is full.’

"Jie Jingchen, you should probably go boil a couple of eggs," Qin Mei said, looking at him a bit sheepishly. ’Chili peppers really are an appetite stimulant; even I ate five extra dumplings.’

"No need, I’m full." Jie Jingchen stood up and started clearing the table.

"You only ate twenty-five dumplings. How could you possibly be full?" Qin Mei didn’t believe him.

"I ate twenty myself," Jie Jingshan said, patting her full belly contentedly. "Second Auntie’s filling is delicious, but her wrappers aren’t as good as Granny Yu’s. If they worked together, one making the wrappers and the other the filling, the dumplings they’d make would be absolutely divine."

Qin Mei agreed. ’When the Reform and Opening-Up policy is announced, I’ll open a breakfast shop. I’ll hire Second Auntie and Granny Yu. The dumplings they make together would be a bestseller. I’ll grow my breakfast shop into a huge success.’

Qin Mei suddenly thought of something. Looking at Jie Jingshan, she reminded her, "Jing Qi, don’t exercise if you’re stuffed."

"Okay, I won’t exercise tonight." Jie Jingshan didn’t ask why; she’d agree to whatever her Fourth Sister-in-law said.

"Jing Qi, I’m serious. Exercising when you’re this full can cause problems." Qin Mei was worried Jing Qi was just placating her. She understood how Jing Qi was feeling now—anxious for quick results, wanting to be free of her wheelchair as soon as possible.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t worry. I promise I won’t exercise tonight," Jie Jingshan assured her.

"Really?" Qin Mei looked at Jing Qi, only half-convinced.

"Really, I swear." Jie Jingshan copied Qin Mei’s solemn manner, making her laugh.

"Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law, Jing Qi," Jie Jingjue called out, running into the kitchen. He asked eagerly, "What are you guys having for dinner?"

"We had dumplings," Jie Jingshan answered with a smile.

"Dumplings?" Jie Jingjue raised an eyebrow. ’Alright, dumplings it is,’ he thought. He glanced around the kitchen but didn’t see any. "So where are they?"

"We already ate," Jie Jingshan said, patting her full stomach again.

"What about mine?" Jie Jingjue asked.

Jie Jingshan froze for a moment, then asked, "Fifth Brother, did you want to eat dumplings?"

"Jing Qi, from the way you’re talking, does that mean you didn’t save any for me?" Jie Jingjue was a little displeased. ’It’s one thing not to wait for me to eat with them, but not even saving me any is just too much.’

"Save you any? Why would we? Your fourth brother didn’t even get to eat his fill," Qin Mei said irritably. She was repulsed by Jie Jingjue’s entitled attitude. ’We’ve already split from the main family. We only brought Jing Qi with us, not Jie Jingjue.’

’Jie Jingjue is always mooching food and drinks off us. He’s gotten addicted to it. Does he really think he has a right to just eat with us? Has he lost his mind?’

"Why didn’t you buy more?" Jie Jingjue asked, posing the million-dollar question. ’It didn’t matter to him whether they welcomed him or not. The important thing was that *he* enjoyed eating with them, and that was all that mattered.’

Qin Mei was so angry at Jie Jingjue’s question she was left speechless. ’Just listen to him. "Buy more?" Why the hell should we have bought more?’

"Fifth Brother, they weren’t bought. Second Auntie and Granny Yu made them," Jie Jingshan said.

Hearing this, Jie Jingjue wanted the dumplings even more. "Then why didn’t you make more?"

"Well..." Jie Jingshan looked toward Qin Mei, not knowing what to say. ’They had made a lot, and there were plenty of leftovers after they ate. But Fourth Sister-in-law had only kept sixty, and Second Auntie took the rest home.’

Jie Jingchen’s eyes lowered, his expression turning grim. He sneered, "Mooching food and drinks off me... you’ve really gotten addicted to it, haven’t you?"