Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Chapter 58: Chapter 34: Chopped by My Second Sister-in-law

”Thanks, but I’m allergic to egg cake,” Qin Mei said with a smile, declining the offer.

”Oh!” He Yufeng was surprised; she had no idea someone could be allergic to egg cake.

”Time to eat!” Just then, Second Auntie brought the last dish to the table, and He Yufeng finally put the egg cake away.

Five adults and two children gathered around a small dining table for their meal. There were three dishes and a soup: a plate of braised pork, stir-fried cabbage, stir-fried shredded potatoes, and a tomato and egg drop soup.

The braised pork was placed in front of Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen, and the shredded potatoes were in front of the two children.

The atmosphere was pleasant. Second Auntie kept urging them to have some pork, but she didn’t take a single piece herself. Her son and daughter-in-law only took one piece each, not for themselves, but to give to their children.

Qin Mei didn’t take any pork. She couldn’t reach the shredded potatoes, so she only ate the stir-fried cabbage.

’I don’t eat fatty meat, and my relationship with Jie Jingchen hasn’t progressed to the point where we can split a piece of braised pork—me eating the lean and him eating the fat. Meat is a rare commodity in this era! I’d be scorned for eating the lean part and discarding the fat.’

”Jing Si, give your wife some pork.” Second Auntie prompted Jie Jingchen. Noticing that Qin Mei wasn’t taking any, she assumed it was because Qin Mei was shy, as it was her first time eating at their home and young women were often bashful.

Jie Jingchen complied, extending his chopsticks toward the braised pork. Qin Mei lifted her bowl and began eating her rice, and as she did, she shot Jie Jingchen a warning look from the corner of her eye not to give her any meat.

With a subtle bit of pressure, Jie Jingchen neatly split the piece of pork, placing the lean meat in Qin Mei’s bowl and the fat in his own.

Qin Mei froze for a second, staring at the lean meat in her bowl. ’This guy actually noticed I don’t eat fat.’

Second Auntie was an excellent cook. Qin Mei ate two bowls of rice and finished all the vegetable dishes and the soup. Half a bowl of braised pork remained.

Fang Youcai and his wife cleared the table and went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Second Auntie stayed behind to keep them company, while the two children played in the yard.

Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen felt it would be rude to eat and run, so they planned to sit for a while before going home.

”Jing Si, where did you tear your shirt?” Second Auntie had noticed the back of Jie Jingchen’s shirt earlier but had held back from asking until after the meal.

She leaned in for a closer look, and what she saw made her jump. ”Good heavens!” she shrieked. ”Jing Si, your back is injured?”

”It’s nothing, just a minor injury. My mom already treated it,” Jie Jingchen said casually.

”What happened?” Second Auntie asked, her face filled with concern. ’He calls *that* a minor injury? The wound is so long!’

Qin Mei expected Jie Jingchen to make up some excuse, but to her surprise, he was brutally honest. ”My second sister-in-law did it.”

The corner of Qin Mei’s eye twitched as she stared at Jie Jingchen. ’Does he have to be so honest?’

”Your second sister-in-law... hacked...” The word ”hacked” made Second Auntie’s heart leap into her throat. She asked urgently, ”Jing Si, what in the world happened? Why would your second sister-in-law attack you? Jing Si, you can’t treat me like an outsider. You have to tell your Second Auntie exactly what happened.”

”My second sister-in-law and my wife had an argument. She grabbed a cleaver and started chasing my wife, threatening to kill her. I was shielding my wife, and that’s when my sister-in-law cut me.” Jie Jingchen reached over, pulled Qin Mei’s hand onto his lap, and squeezed it tightly, a look of lingering fear on his face.

”Sigh! Every family has its own troubles. Arguing is one thing, but pulling a knife is going too far. Especially since Second Daughter-in-law Jing is a teacher! No matter how impulsive she is, she can’t just pull out a knife! You’re all family; what kind of conflict can’t be resolved?” Second Auntie sighed, glanced at Jie Jingchen’s back, then looked at Qin Mei and asked, ”Why did Second Daughter-in-law Jing chase you with a cleaver?”

Qin Mei felt Jie Jingchen’s grip on her hand tighten. ’What kind of signal is he trying to send me? Should I be honest? Or should I just make something up?’

Qin Mei was a bit frustrated. They had no rapport; if they did, she would have understood him with just a look or a small gesture.

”Second Auntie...” Qin Mei began, meeting the older woman’s gaze. She hesitated, her expression becoming one that suggested a long and complicated story.

Second Auntie wasn’t stupid. Qin Mei and Jie Jingchen had been married for six months, but he’d only brought her to the Jie Family home two days ago. What kind of deep-seated hatred could have possibly formed between the two sisters-in-law in that short time? Unless...

”Was it because of Teacher Lin?” Second Auntie asked. Second Daughter-in-law Jing and Teacher Lin worked at the same place and were very close. Second Daughter-in-law Jing had been the most enthusiastic about setting Teacher Lin up with Jing Si; the neighbors even used to joke that she was trying to keep the good stuff in the family.

”Yes,” Qin Mei confirmed, sitting up straighter. She had nothing to feel guilty about; her conflict with Xu Chunyan truly had started over Teacher Lin before it eventually escalated.

”Sigh!” Second Auntie heaved a sigh, filled with righteous indignation. ”That Second Daughter-in-law Jing... and she calls herself a teacher! How can she be so foolish, not knowing who her real family is? No matter how close she is with Teacher Lin, you and Jing Si are married—that’s a fact. How could she meddle in your relationship for an outsider? And to even attack you with a knife! You two are her family, for goodness sake! Her own brother-in-law and his wife! How can she side with an outsider against you? What kind of spell has that Teacher Lin put her under?”