Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Staying in the city was Sun Dexiang’s dream. She leaned on her mother’s shoulder and confessed shyly, ”Mom, the reason I’m not interested in Jing Wu is that I’m interested in someone else.”

”Who?” Sun’s mother’s heart jumped. ’Interested in someone else? Who could it be?’ she wondered, mentally running through the possibilities.

Sun Dexiang nuzzled against her mother’s shoulder, her face beet red with shyness. When her mother saw this, she had a bad feeling.

”Who is it?” Sun’s mother pressed urgently, her heart pounding in her chest.

”It’s...” Sun Dexiang was too embarrassed to say it. Under her mother’s urging, she bit her lip, steeled herself, leaned close to her mother’s ear, and whispered, ”Fourth Brother.”

”’Fourth Brother?’ Who’s that?” Sun’s mother didn’t register it at first. But a second later, realization dawned. She shot to her feet and stared at Sun Dexiang in disbelief. ”You...”

’Fourth Brother... Jing Si. The girl has actually fallen for Jing Si.’

’She ignored the single man and went for a married one. What is she thinking?’

”He’s the one I want, and I’m going to marry him,” Sun Dexiang declared.

Jie Jingjue was heading back to his room and happened to overhear Sun Dexiang’s words as he passed. He froze for a moment, then, as if facing a mortal enemy, spun around and ran to find Qin Mei.

”Fourth Sister-in-law.”

”What’s wrong?” Qin Mei asked, seeing Jie Jingjue had returned so soon.

”Fourth Sister-in-law, I’m doomed,” Jie Jingjue wailed.

Qin Mei furrowed her brow, looking at him in confusion. Jie Jingling was just as baffled.

Jie Jingjue glanced at Jie Jingling, then fixed his eyes on Qin Mei. ”Fourth Sister-in-law, you were right.”

”What was I right about?” Qin Mei asked, confused. Then, it dawned on her. ”Is Aunt Sun trying to make you take responsibility?”

Jie Jingjue’s face darkened, and his lip twitched. ”Not Aunt Sun. It’s... Eldest Sister’s sister-in-law.”

Qin Mei’s eyes flickered, and she frowned. ”Did you walk in on her in the bathroom again?”

”No,” Jie Jingjue said, frantic. ”I just overheard them talking. Eldest Sister’s sister-in-law said she has her sights on me and is going to marry me.”

Qin Mei was speechless. Jie Jingling, however, looked grave. She asked Jie Jingjue, ”Are you sure?”

”I heard it with my own two ears.” Jie Jingjue hung his head, extremely irritated.

Jie Jingling didn’t know what to say. She trusted her own powers of observation. Her sister-in-law’s gazes at Jing Si were filled with the glow of a schoolgirl crush, but her looks at Jing Wu held none of that.

’I should warn Jing Wu,’ she thought, ’but I can’t say anything with Qin Mei here.’ Qin Mei and Jing Si’s relationship was in a fiery, passionate stage, and she didn’t want her sister-in-law to drive a wedge between them. She had to extinguish this little crush before it grew.

Jie Jingling decided she would find a chance to speak with Jing Wu in private later.

”This won’t do. I’ve got to get out of here and hide.” Jie Jingjue made an instant decision. ’If I can’t afford to provoke her, I can at least avoid her, right?’

He had to stay far, far away from anyone with ill intentions toward him. As long as his eldest sister’s sister-in-law didn’t leave, he wasn’t coming home.

He’d heard stories about some country girls who wanted to marry into the city. They’d use all kinds of bizarre tactics, even risking their own reputations. He was a heavy sleeper. What if he fell for her scheme? What if she climbed into his bed in the middle of the night, something happened, and he was forced to marry her?

He thought about his second brother and Teacher Lin. Theirs had been a drug-induced affair. His brother had divorced his wife to marry Teacher Lin, who had no choice in the matter.

’Can a marriage like that truly be happy?’

He refused to be backed into a corner. To be safe, he was getting out of there.

”Fifth Brother,” Jie Jingling called out, trying to stop him.

Jie Jingjue acted as if he hadn’t heard. Without even packing a change of clothes, he rode his bicycle out into the blazing sun and fled for his life.

Jie Jingling ran out after him, but Jie Jingjue was already gone.

”Eldest Sister.” Jie Jingchen rode up on his bicycle and saw Jie Jingling standing outside the courtyard. He raised an eyebrow. ”Eldest Sister, why are you standing out here in this heat?”

Jie Jingling looked at Jie Jingchen and asked anxiously, ”Have you seen Fifth Brother?”

Jie Jingchen’s expression flickered for a moment before he said impassively, ”Eldest Sister, don’t worry about him. It’s too hot out here. Let’s go inside.”

”Fourth Brother.” Jie Jingling stopped Jie Jingchen, looking like she wanted to say something but was hesitating.

Jie Jingchen’s gaze deepened. ”Is something wrong, Eldest Sister?” he asked quietly.

Jie Jingling’s expression was grave and conflicted. She glanced back toward the courtyard, and seeing that Qin Mei hadn’t followed, she lowered her voice. ”Fourth Brother, about my sister-in-law... you need to be on your guard around her.”

Jie Jingchen’s brow knitted together tightly. A dark glint flashed in his eyes, and a cold smirk touched his lips. ”I will.”

”I’s sorry, Fourth Brother, for causing you trouble,” Jie Jingling said guiltily. She regretted it now. She never should have agreed to bring her mother-in-law and sister-in-law home. They had only just arrived and were already causing so much trouble for her family.

”Did you tell Meimei?” Jie Jingchen asked.

Jie Jingling shook her head. ”No. I was afraid Amie would get the wrong idea.”

”It’s fine, Eldest Sister. Don’t worry. This is the Jie Family, not the Sun Family.” He put heavy emphasis on the last sentence.

A wave of warmth washed over Jie Jingling. She looked at Jie Jingchen gratefully, then noticed he had returned empty-handed. ”You go on inside, Fourth Brother. I’ll go to the store and buy groceries. I can cook dinner tonight.”

”No need, Eldest Sister,” Jie Jingchen said. ”We’re going out to the state-run restaurant for dinner. A welcome-home meal for you.”

Jie Jingling was about to refuse, but then she figured Aunt Qiao must have arranged it. Refusing would seem too formal, so she readily accepted.

When Qin Mei saw it was Jie Jingchen who returned and not Jie Jingling, she frowned. ”Where’s your sister?”

”She went back to her room.” Jie Jingchen went to the washroom to splash some water on his face.

Qin Mei saw that Jie Jingchen’s shirt was soaked with sweat. ”You should probably take a shower.”

”No point. We have to go out again,” Jie Jingchen said.

”Go out for what?” Qin Mei asked. It was too hot, and she really didn’t feel like leaving the house.

”To the state-run restaurant for a welcome-home dinner for my sister,” Jie Jingchen said.

Qin Mei bit her lower lip. ’His sister is rarely home, so of course the family would want to get together.’

”Your shirt is soaked,” Qin Mei pointed out, grasping for something to say.

”It’s fine. It’ll air dry in a bit,” Jie Jingchen said nonchalantly.

Qin Mei pursed her lips. ”So, your sister’s sister-in-law has her eyes on Jing Wu.”

”Mm,” Jie Jingchen grunted, uninterested. ’My sister already gave me a heads-up. And Jing Wu... really something else, jumping to conclusions after overhearing half a conversation.’

”Aren’t you curious?” Qin Mei lifted her gaze, leaning closer to Jie Jingchen and looking at him with her crystal-clear eyes.

Jie Jingchen’s lowered lashes concealed his unreadable expression. He quirked a corner of his lips. ”Curious about what?”

”About Sun Dexiang being interested in Jing Wu,” Qin Mei said. ”I lived with the Sun Family for half a year, so I know a thing or two about Sun Dexiang. I don’t buy that she’s interested in Jing Wu. Judging by the blind dates the villagers arranged for her, Jing Wu isn’t her type at all. Unless... she’s just desperate to marry into the city, and Jing Wu, being single, is simply the most convenient choice right now. It feels like she’s just settling for him while she looks for someone better.”

Jie Jingchen didn’t answer, instead stroking her smooth, pale cheek.

”Jie Jingsi, what’s that supposed to mean?” Qin Mei demanded.

”What do you mean, ’what’s that supposed to mean’?” Jie Jingchen retorted.

”Jie Jingsi!” Qin Mei stomped her foot.

Jie Jingchen laughed. ”This is Jing Wu’s business. I’m not getting involved.”

”He’s your own brother,” Qin Mei reminded him.

”So what?” Jie Jingchen replied.

Qin Mei was done beating around the bush. She said it outright: ”The person she’s really after is you.”

A dark look flashed in Jie Jingchen’s eyes before he sneered, ”Plenty of women are after me. She’d have to get in line, and she wouldn’t even be at the front.”

Qin Mei’s lip twitched. She reached up and pinched his cheek. ”You narcissist.”

Qin Mei wasn’t a fool. If even Jie Jingling had noticed it, how could she possibly have missed it? The way Sun Dexiang looked at Jie Jingchen was identical to the way Lin Yaru used to look at him.

Jie Jingchen leaned down and gave her a quick peck on her red lips.

”I’m going to make some mung bean soup,” Jie Jingchen said.