Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 256 - 98: She Wants to Marry Your Dad (3)

Xu Chunyan was absolutely furious. She forced her voice down into a whisper, trying to reason with her. "Maintaining the status quo is the only way we can keep living here. If you risk it all, we’ll be kicked out whether you win or lose."

If Aunt Zhang lost, only Aunt Zhang would be kicked out. If Aunt Zhang won, they would all be kicked out together. Therefore, Xu Chunyan hoped she would lose—and lose completely.

"No." Aunt Zhang shook her head, speaking with conviction. "We won’t be the ones kicked out. They will."

Xu Chunyan’s mouth twitched. She had to admire her aunt’s confidence, though she had no idea where it came from. ’This courtyard belongs to Qiao Yanqiu, not the Jie Family. So what if she married Father-in-law? If they divorce, is she really going to leave the house to him? That’s completely unrealistic. If I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t leave it to my ex-husband either.’

"Aunt Zhang, this is Qiao Yanqiu’s courtyard," Xu Chunyan reminded her.

"So what?" Aunt Zhang sneered arrogantly.

Xu Chunyan fell silent. ’My aunt’s arrogance is off the charts,’ she thought.

Xu Chunyan knew full well what was a pipe dream and what wasn’t.

"Aunt Zhang, I won’t disturb your daydreaming any longer. I’m going to see if Xiao You has finished eating." Xu Chunyan no longer wanted to stand in the courtyard whispering with Aunt Zhang. She needed to put some distance between them so she wouldn’t be dragged down with her.

"What did you say to Qin Mei?" Aunt Zhang wasn’t about to let Xu Chunyan go. She was wary of her niece-in-law and hadn’t revealed her entire plan.

"I went to get some medicine from her." Xu Chunyan fabricated a reason. She didn’t dare tell her aunt the truth. ’If she finds out I asked Qin Mei for help to stop her, she’ll probably lose it on the spot. She’s Jing Er’s biological aunt. If she bad-mouths me to Jing Er, he’ll definitely believe her.’

"Get medicine?" Aunt Zhang frowned.

Xu Chunyan glanced toward the main hall, then leaned in and whispered in Aunt Zhang’s ear, "Qin Mei knows about Chinese medicine. I asked her for some of... *that* kind of medicine. Aunt Zhang, didn’t you want me to get some? It’s not easy to come by, but I figured Qin Mei would definitely know how."

"You asked *Qin Mei* for that kind of medicine?" Aunt Zhang looked like she wanted to strangle Xu Chunyan.

"Aunt Zhang, relax, I didn’t sell you out. I told Qin Mei that Jing Er... ahem... you know... I wanted her to give me some medicine to... spice things up," Xu Chunyan said, feigning shyness.

Aunt Zhang was half-convinced, her sharp gaze scrutinizing Xu Chunyan. "You see her as an enemy of the Xu Family. You think she’d actually give you that kind of medicine?"

"She didn’t give me any," Xu Chunyan said, lowering her head, her eyes filled with resentment.

"Second Daughter-in-law Jing, you are absolutely foolish," Aunt Zhang scolded.

"Aunt Zhang, why are you scolding me? I only went to her for your sake. Tomorrow, Qiao Yanqiu is on the night shift. This is an opportunity you can’t miss," Xu Chunyan said.

Aunt Zhang froze. ’From the sound of it, Xu Chunyan wants to act tomorrow. Why the rush?’

"Are you sure about tomorrow?" Aunt Zhang asked.

"You can’t drag this out. The more you delay, the less likely it is to succeed. Aunt Zhang, it has to be tomorrow. I’ll figure out a way to get the medicine. You just need to make yourself look beautiful," Xu Chunyan said.

Aunt Zhang fell silent, lost in thought.

"Aunt Zhang, you’re not getting cold feet, are you?" In her agitation, Xu Chunyan forgot to keep her voice down.

"Second Sister-in-law, what is Aunt Zhang regretting?" Jie Jingjue had just stepped out of the main hall and happened to overhear her.

Jie Jingjue’s voice startled the two women. They both looked at him, and when they saw no one else emerging from the main hall, they both let out a sigh of relief.

"Noth—" Xu Chunyan had just started to speak when Aunt Zhang cut her off.

"Your Second Sister-in-law was asking me for a loan," Aunt Zhang said with a smile.

"Aunt Zhang, really? Second Sister-in-law is borrowing money from you?" Jie Jingjue was incredulous. ’I’m the one who always has to borrow money at the end of the month to get by, and even I’ve never asked Aunt Zhang for a loan.’

"Of course it’s true. You know full well what your fourth sister-in-law did to my Xu Family, and how she tricked so much money out of me. I’m in urgent need of cash right now. If I don’t borrow from Aunt Zhang, should I borrow from you? Jing Wu, do you have any money?" Xu Chunyan’s last sentence was tinged with sarcasm.

Jie Jingjue gave an awkward laugh and rubbed his nose. "I don’t have any money."

He had lost a bet and still owed his fourth sister-in-law two thousand.

Qin Mei stood by the window. Aunt Zhang and Xu Chunyan were whispering together in the courtyard, but she couldn’t hear a single word. Thinking of what Xu Chunyan had told her, a small smile graced Qin Mei’s lips. Not a trace of worry clouded her stunning face, nor did her expression seem grave.

’Aunt Zhang is getting impatient. She wants to sleep with Father-in-law to ruin my in-laws’ relationship and destroy their marriage. In the end, Aunt Zhang has revealed her own greed and betrayed Mother-in-law’s trust in her. There’s going to be a good show to watch now.’

Jie Jingchen finished heating the bathwater and carried it to the bathroom in Jing Qi’s room. When he returned to their own room, he saw Qin Mei standing by the window in a daze and called out, "Qin Mei."

Shaking off her thoughts, Qin Mei turned around. She crossed her arms and leaned lazily against the window, smiling at Jie Jingchen. "Jie Jingchen, your Second Sister-in-law just came to our room to see me. She shared a secret. Want to know what it is?"

"You and Second Sister-in-law are like oil and water. She, especially, sees you as an enemy. What kind of secret could she possibly share with you?" Jie Jingchen sat down in a chair, his long fingers tapping absently on the tabletop.

Qin Mei lowered her eyes, stroking her pointed chin with her fingertips as she mused for a few seconds. "This secret isn’t important to me, but it’s very important to you. It could strain your parents’ relationship."

The tapping on the table stopped. Jie Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. "Let’s hear it."

"Aunt Zhang wants to marry your dad." Qin Mei relayed exactly what Xu Chunyan had told her.

A shadow fell over Jie Jingchen’s features. He shot Qin Mei a sideways glance and was silent for a long moment before his thin lips parted. "Second Sister-in-law told you that."

"Mhm," Qin Mei nodded, then added in a puzzled tone, "I find it strange, too. True or not, she and Aunt Zhang are close. Logically, she shouldn’t be betraying her."

"It’s not strange at all for Second Sister-in-law to switch sides for her own benefit." Jie Jingchen closed his eyes, a smile as vibrant and deadly as a poppy blooming on his lips. "I can’t believe it. My dad actually wants to take a concubine."

Hearing this, Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’Did I explain it wrong, or did he completely misunderstand?’

’Aunt Zhang is the one with crooked ideas, not Father-in-law.’

’Take a concubine? How could he even think of that? Taking a concubine in this day and age... even if Father-in-law had the heart for it, he wouldn’t have the guts. Is the marriage law and the one-husband-one-wife system just for show?’

"Even if your dad wanted to take a concubine, I’m afraid Aunt Zhang has no interest in being one," Qin Mei said, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips.

"Hmph!" Jie Jingchen snorted disdainfully, a scornful sneer on his face as he spoke coldly. "What? Does she want to be the primary wife?"

Qin Mei’s eyes widened slightly. ’There’s something wrong with Jie Jingchen’s thinking. I seriously want to report him and have him sent for ideological re-education.’ She said aloud, "According to your Second Sister-in-law, Aunt Zhang plans to sleep with your dad first, disgust your mom into divorcing him, and then..."

"She marries my dad," Jie Jingchen finished for her, a cold, wicked little laugh escaping him.

Qin Mei nodded. "Your Second Sister-in-law said that’s exactly what Aunt Zhang meant."

An icy voice spilled from Jie Jingchen’s thin lips. "In her dreams. Who does she think my dad is? Someone she can just sleep with and marry whenever she wants?"

Seeing that Jie Jingchen was getting a little agitated, Qin Mei chose her words carefully. "Jie Jingchen, I’m just saying, what if... what if they really do end up sleeping together?"

"Impossible," Jie Jingchen said firmly. "My dad loves my mom. They have a deep relationship. With Aunt Zhang’s looks, you think my dad would even give her a second glance?"

’Aunt Zhang is actually quite pretty, but compared to her ageless mother-in-law, it’s like the difference between the clouds and the mud.’

’Never mind that Father-in-law has no intention of getting a new wife; even if he did, he wouldn’t trade down for someone like Aunt Zhang, who is inferior to his ageless wife in every way.’

"From what your Second Sister-in-law said, Aunt Zhang is planning to drug your dad." Qin Mei walked over to Jie Jingchen, stood behind him, and placed her hands on his shoulders, beginning to massage them.