Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Suddenly, Mr. Xie felt that the plan Jing Si had offered him was absolutely brilliant.

”Jing Er.” Mr. Xie looked at Jie Jingwei, his expression grave.

Jie Jingwei felt a chill run down his spine under his father’s gaze. ’Did I push him too hard? Has it backfired?’

But he had no choice. His future mother-in-law was pressuring him, so he could only come home and force his dad’s hand.

Mr. Xie sighed and said, ”Marry into her family.”

”Dad, what did you say?” Jie Jingwei’s face was a mask of disbelief. He suspected he had misheard.

”Marry into the Lin Family. I’ll still cover all the wedding expenses for you and Yaru. The house the machinery factory assigned to me will still be yours, but only after your Grandpa and Granny have passed away. As for taking over my position...”

”Dad, you’re going back on your word,” Jie Jingwei interrupted.

”Once you marry into their family, you’ll be one of the Lins. How could I let a member of the Lin Family take over my job?” Mr. Xie said. Experience always trumps youth. If Jing Er wanted to threaten him, he should have first considered his own capabilities.

He was the director of the machinery factory, after all. He was the one who controlled others, not the other way around—with the exception of Yan Qiu and Jing Si. If Jing Er thought he could lead him by the nose, he was far too inexperienced.

Jing Si had the Qiao Family behind him, and they were impervious to persuasion. He couldn’t do anything about Jing Si.

Jing Er? Hmph! Could the Zhang family really back him up?

Jie Jingwei couldn’t hold it together anymore. He had intended to threaten his father, but his father had turned the tables on him. His hands clenched into tight fists as fear consumed his nerves.

”Dad, by making me marry into the Lin Family, how can you face my deceased mother?” Jie Jingwei demanded, trying to awaken his father’s conscience with guilt over his mother.

”I’ve already wronged your mother in many ways. One more thing won’t make a difference,” Mr. Xie said coldly.

Mr. Xie’s words made Jie Jingwei feel as if he had been plunged into an ice cave, a chill spreading from his toes to the top of his head. ”My mom won’t be able to rest in peace.”

Mr. Xie ignored him and turned to walk toward the main hall. Jie Jingwei didn’t follow, his icy gaze fixed on his father’s retreating back.

’Have I been abandoned? I can’t accept this. I just can’t accept this.’

Qin Mei stood by the window, having heard the entire conversation between Mr. Xie and Jie Jingwei loud and clear.

She came to one conclusion: none of the men in the Jie Family were easy to deal with.

Jie Jingchen wrapped his arms around her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. ”Meimei, this habit of yours of eavesdropping isn’t a good one.”

Qin Mei rolled her eyes and pinched the arm wrapped around her waist. ”I wasn’t eavesdropping. I’m in my own room. They were the ones talking too loudly.”

Jie Jingchen glanced at the open window, then buried his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet scent.

”You men of the Jie Family, every single one of you is formidable,” Qin Mei teased.

”We are pretty formidable,” Jie Jingchen replied perfunctorily, kissing her neck.

”Jie Jingsi, stop messing around. We have to go to the state-run restaurant for dinner soon.” The tickling on her neck made Qin Mei want to squirm away. She was even more afraid that Jie Jingchen would suddenly leave a hickey on her neck. It was summer, not like winter when a scarf could easily hide it.

Jie Jingchen paid her no mind and continued kissing her, though not forcefully. He knew his limits and wouldn’t leave any tell-tale marks on her neck.

”Jie Jingsi,” Qin Mei said, her voice sharp with anger.

Seeing he had really annoyed her, Jie Jingchen stopped kissing her. He tightened his arms around her and rested his chin on the top of her head. ”Alright, don’t be angry. I’ll stop teasing you.”

”Then let me go.” Qin Mei didn’t even want to struggle. It was too hot; she’d be drenched in sweat with the slightest movement.

”Let me hold you for a little longer,” Jie Jingchen said.

”It’s too hot,” Qin Mei complained.

”It’s fine. I’m not afraid of the heat,” Jie Jingchen said, deliberately misinterpreting her.

Qin Mei gritted her teeth. ”I am.”

”You drank some cooling tea,” Jie Jingchen said, hugging her and swaying gently.

Qin Mei was speechless. ’Cooling tea is for clearing internal heat and relieving summer heat, it’s not for... Ugh, forget it. If it’s hot, it’s hot. It’s not like I’m going to sleep anyway, and I’ll be sweating when we go out in a bit regardless.’

She really didn’t want to go out in such hot weather. If it weren’t for Jie Jingling’s welcome-home dinner, she wouldn’t be leaving the house at all.

”Jie Jingsi, for a moment there, I actually thought your second brother had your dad cornered. I didn’t expect such a plot twist,” Qin Mei said.

”My dad has his shortcomings, and my second brother has his weaknesses,” Jie Jingchen said. He had no interest in the affair between his brother and his father, but seeing that Qin Mei was interested, he had to humor her.

”A war between father and son!” Qin Mei said dramatically.

”It won’t come to that,” Jie Jingchen said. ”My second brother doesn’t have the guts. I have no idea where he borrowed that courage from just now.”

Qin Mei’s lip twitched. ’Courage can be borrowed?’ Then she thought about how Jie Jingchen always provoked his father, practically forcing the man to raise a hand to him, only to go tattling to his mother afterward. ’Jie Jingchen’s courage was probably a gift from his mother.’

”Jie Jingsi, do you think your dad was just saying that out of anger?” Qin Mei asked.

”Hard to say,” Jie Jingchen said. ”It’s not like I’m a mind-reader.”

”Marrying into the bride’s family!” Qin Mei blinked. ”When you mentioned it to me, I thought it was absurd. I never thought your dad would be pushed so far by your second brother that he’d just tell him to marry into the Lin Family. Jie Jingsi, it was your idea, and your dad adopted it. What are your thoughts on that?”

Jie Jingchen’s gaze lifted slightly as he said slowly, ”The Lin Family has a son. They wouldn’t be interested in having my second brother marry into their family.”

Qin Mei paused. From what he was saying, even if Jie Jingwei agreed to marry into their family, the Lins wouldn’t want him. ’That makes sense,’ she thought. ’The Lin Family has a son; they don’t need a live-in son-in-law.’

The Shen Family, on the other hand, had no sons, only two daughters. If Jie Jinghun were to marry into their family, the Shens would surely welcome him with open arms.

Shen Qing wasn’t as much of a troublemaker as Xu Chunyan, who had made such a fuss that she ended up losing her marriage and was now with someone else. Qin Mei hadn’t had much contact with Lin Yaru. Other than knowing her profession and her undying love for Jie Jingchen, she knew nothing else about her.

The memory of how Lin Yaru’s actions had made everyone vomit their guts out last time made Qin Mei feel sick to her stomach.

”BLECH.” Qin Mei pushed Jie Jingchen away and ran for the bathroom.

Jie Jingchen was stunned for a moment, then immediately followed. Seeing Qin Mei squatting in the bathroom and dry-heaving, he went to her side and gently patted her back, his amber eyes filled with concern. ”Meimei, what’s wrong?”

”Don’t... URK... don’t pat me, or I’ll really throw up,” Qin Mei said, stopping Jie Jingchen from patting her back.

Jie Jingchen’s expression froze, and he stopped patting her back. Just then, Jie Jingling came looking for them. The door was closed but not locked, so it swung open with a push. Hearing the sound of retching from the bathroom, Jie Jingling hurried over and asked Jie Jingchen worriedly, ”What’s wrong with Amie?”

Jie Jingchen looked just as lost, watching Qin Mei with concern.

Jie Jingling seemed to realize something, and her eyes lit up, her worry replaced by joy. ”Amie, are you pregnant?”

Hearing his older sister say that Qin Mei was pregnant, Jie Jingchen froze. They hadn’t wanted to have a child so soon, so they always used protection. At first, they used condoms, but Qin Mei said they weren’t safe and that she would handle the birth control. He didn’t know exactly what method she used, but after they were finished each time, no matter how tired she was, she would always take a pill.

’Pregnancy seemed unlikely, but Qin Mei’s symptoms really did look like morning sickness.’

”Jing Ling, Xiao Mei, what are you two still doing? It’s time to leave for the state-run restaurant,” Mrs. Xie urged.

”Aunt Qiao, Amie is preg—”

”Sister,” Qin Mei shot to her feet and clamped a hand over Jie Jingling’s mouth.

”What’s wrong with Amie?” Mrs. Xie asked from the doorway.

”Mom, I’m fine. You go on ahead. I’m just using the bathroom,” Qin Mei said with a smile, looking at Mrs. Xie.

Mrs. Xie looked at them suspiciously. ’All three of them are standing in the bathroom. Are they all using the toilet together?’

”Sister Qiao,” Sun’s mother called out.

”Hurry up, you three,” Mrs. Xie said. She turned and walked toward Sun’s mother with a smile. ”Sister Sun, you’re here.”