Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Jie Jingchen didn’t follow her, instead sitting in the room and waiting for Qin Mei to return.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! Qin Mei knocked on the door and called out softly, ”Brother.”

Qin Xiang had just lain down and closed his eyes when he heard Qin Mei’s voice. He rolled over, got up, fumbled for the light cord, and gave it a slight tug. The lightbulb in the room flickered on.

”Little sister.” Qin Xiang opened the door. Seeing Qin Mei’s exhausted face, he frowned slightly. ”You were busy in the yard for so long. Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

”You’re not asleep either?” Qin Mei was very surprised. Jie Jingchen had been with her in the yard, and now Qin Xiang was also awake in his room. ”Brother, you have to catch a train early tomorrow morning.”

”I can sleep on the train,” Qin Xiang said nonchalantly.

Qin Mei wanted to say that the green-skinned trains of this era were chaotic, but then she had another thought. ’Qin Xiang is a soldier. Who would be reckless enough to mess with him?’

”Brother, this is for you.” Qin Mei handed the cloth bag to Qin Xiang.

”What is it?” Qin Xiang took it. When he saw what was inside, his face darkened, and he said with resignation, ”You really are my little sister, giving me so much medicine.”

While others give food as a parting gift, his little sister had also prepared something to be ingested—medicine.

”The bottles marked ’External’ are for topical use. Apply them to knife wounds, gunshot wounds, or post-surgery incisions to help them heal faster. The ones without a label are to be taken orally. I’ve written down what they treat and the dosages on the little notes inside. Remember, don’t mix up the notes. Taking the wrong medicine could be dangerous,” Qin Mei instructed.

Qin Xiang listened intently, a warmth spreading through his heart. ’My little sister lost her memory, but she’s become so much more sensible. She knows how to care for people now.’

He had doted on his sister before her amnesia, but the sister she became after was even more endearing.

”And this one. You absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must carry it with you at all times.” Qin Mei emphasized the word ”absolutely” three times.

”That serious?” Qin Xiang was amused. He took the medicine bottle. The three words ”Life-Saving Pill” were written on it, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

”Brother, if you’re ever on the verge of death, take one. It will keep you alive for three days. If other doctors can’t do anything, you must find a way to contact me. As long as I get there within those three days, I guarantee I can snatch you back from King Yan,” Qin Mei said with extreme seriousness.

Half-joking and half-serious, Qin Xiang said, ”It’s that amazing?”

”Brother!” Qin Mei stomped her foot. She was treating this with the utmost gravity, but he didn’t seem to be taking it to heart.

”Alright, alright. I’ll take your words to heart,” Qin Xiang said, dropping his flippant attitude and taking her seriously.

Qin Mei stared at him. ’Did he really take it to heart? Why do I find that so hard to believe?’

Qin Xiang’s expression grew serious. ”Is this the same kind of pill you gave to Old Zhang?”

”Yes,” Qin Mei bit out the single word emphatically.

Qin Xiang was stunned. He had witnessed Old Zhang’s situation firsthand. Before they sent him to the hospital, his sister had indeed fed Old Zhang a pill. Although Old Zhang’s leg couldn’t be saved, at least his life was.

”Little sister, thank you,” Qin Xiang said with heartfelt sincerity.

Qin Mei smiled and wrapped her arms around Qin Xiang in a hug.

Qin Xiang froze, his body stiff as a board. This was the first time his little sister had hugged him since she married Jing Si. He remembered the first time he’d seen her after her memory loss; he’d given her an enthusiastic hug, only for her to mercilessly give him a shoulder throw that left him sprawling on his back. She had almost crippled him.

”Brother, when you’re on a mission, you have to be extremely careful. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits. There’s no need for us to risk our lives.” The last part of her sentence was very selfish. Whether Qin Xiang would actually listen was another matter, but she had to say it. Keeping it bottled up was agonizing. If something really happened to him, she would regret not giving him that selfish reminder.

”Little sister, you’re still the one who treats me best.” Qin Xiang was deeply moved. As he inhaled Qin Mei’s medicinal scent, he raised his arms to hug her back.

But Qin Mei released him, turned, and walked away with a carefree stride.

Qin Xiang froze, his body still stiff. The scent of her lingered in his arms—not the sweet fragrance of a young woman, but the smell of medicine.

”Little sister...” Qin Xiang wanted to ask her if she had been working in the yard for so long just to make these pills for him. But by the time he looked, Qin Mei had already gone inside her room.

He wanted to chase after her and ask, but his heart ached for her, so he gave up the idea. His hand tightened around the medicine bottle. ’What my little sister gave me wasn’t just pills, but her immense care for me.’

When Qin Mei returned to their room, Jie Jingchen was sitting on the edge of the bed. When he saw her, he stared at her with a resentful gaze that made her feel a pang of guilt.

”Jie Jingsi, can you please not look at me with such a resentful expression?” Qin Mei came to him and cupped the handsome face that haunted her dreams.

That resentful look made it seem as if she’d done something to wrong him.

”Meimei, you’re nicer to Qin Xiang than you are to me,” Jie Jingchen accused.

Qin Mei’s expression froze. ’Is he jealous? Good heavens, this is something else. He’s even jealous of my brother.’

So sour. The air reeked of vinegar.

”What’s there to be jealous about? He’s my brother. In your Granny’s words, we’re kin—so close that even if our bones were broken, our tendons would still be connected.” Qin Mei laughed despite herself and pinched Jie Jingchen’s cheek.

”Meimei, I can’t stand seeing you be nice to anyone but me,” Jie Jingchen said selfishly. ’First it was Big Sister, and now it’s Qin Xiang. The person Qin Mei wants to rely on is Big Sister, yet she’s especially good to Qin Xiang. It makes me really uncomfortable.’

”How about this? I’ll refine a Life-Saving Pill just for you another day,” Qin Mei coaxed.

The thought of her making one specially for him did mollify Jie Jingchen, but then he heard Qin Mei say, ”My brother is going on a mission and could be killed at any moment. I gave him a Life-Saving Pill because I want to save his life. You, Jie Jingsi, you’re retired. What do you need a Life-Saving Pill for? Are you planning to give it to a little lover back in the army?”

”Nonsense. What little lover? There’s only you.” Jie Jingchen’s face darkened. He wrapped an arm around her waist, and with a single flip, firmly pinned her underneath him.

”Ah!” Qin Mei cried out in surprise. Realizing she had been too loud, she immediately clamped a hand over her mouth. ’My brother isn’t asleep! How embarrassing would it be if he heard that!’

Jie Jingchen punished her by pressing his full weight down on her, his resentful gaze gradually turning fiery.

Qin Mei could barely breathe under his weight. ’This man’s temper is so unpredictable.’ She slapped his back and whispered, ”Jie Jingsi, get up. Are you trying to crush me to death?”

”Meimei.” Worried he might actually hurt her, Jie Jingchen propped himself up with his left hand on the bed. His right hand, its fingertips cool, tilted her chin up. He stared into her shimmering, watery eyes, which held a bewitching charm that left him utterly mesmerized. His deep voice was tinged with a hint of helplessness. ”Sometimes, I really wish I could...”

Qin Mei waited a few seconds. When Jie Jingchen didn’t continue, she asked, ”Wish you could what?”

Looking at the woman he both loved and hated, especially with that provocative look in her eyes, was a fatal temptation in Jie Jingchen’s view. He couldn’t resist it, nor did he want to.

A devious smile played on Jie Jingchen’s lips as he lowered his head and kissed her. He frowned almost imperceptibly. Her lips weren’t sweet, but bitter. After refining medicine for so long, not only did her body carry the scent of herbs, but even her lips tasted of them.

Qin Mei didn’t disappoint him, winding her arms around his neck and responding to him with equal passion.

No matter when Jie Jingchen kissed her, she never refused, always meeting his passion with her own.

’She loved his kisses, loved his embrace. When she had hugged Qin Xiang just now—perhaps because this body was related to him by blood—the feeling was completely different from when she hugged Jie Jingchen.’

’When she hugged Qin Xiang, she had felt a slight resistance inside her. When she hugged Jie Jingchen, there was none at all.’

An amorous, sensual atmosphere filled the room. Unwittingly, the two of them followed their desires and slowly lost themselves to the moment...

Qin Mei’s whole body ached. She was so tired she didn’t even want to move a toe. Drowsiness washed over her, but she forced her eyes open and said to Jie Jingchen, ”Jie Jingsi, I have to go to the train station to see my brother off.”

Jie Jingchen was gently washing her body with warm water. His bewitching face wore a doting smile, and his deep voice was filled with a satisfied gentleness. ”Alright.”

”If I fall asleep, you have to wake me up,” Qin Mei murmured, her consciousness already fading.