Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Jie Jingling watched Qin Mei’s crisp, decisive actions with complicated feelings. When she was with her in-laws, she was always the one who had to pay for everything with her own money and coupons. Her husband’s family was constantly looking for ways to exploit her.

Two figures were squatting furtively in an alley on the way to Old Zhang’s house.

”Zhang Haoyuan, are you lying to me?” Xu Chunwang took a final drag from his cigarette and viciously threw the butt to the ground.

”Brother Xu, I’m not lying. That girl is loaded,” Zhang Haoyuan said, his eyes filled with resentment as he stared at his left hand. Qin Mei had chopped off his thumb.

”You tell me. How many days have we been staking this place out?” Xu Chunwang’s pitifully thin patience had completely run out.

”Brother Xu, you need patience if you want to strike it rich. How about this? When it’s done, we’ll split it seventy-thirty. You take seventy percent, I’ll take thirty,” Zhang Haoyuan said. All his other friends had abandoned him; only Xu Chunwang was still willing to associate with him.

He had asked for Xu Chunwang’s help because of his burly build. The man didn’t even have to do anything; his mere presence was intimidating.

”I’ll wait one more hour, Zhang Haoyuan. I’m telling you, if we don’t get her today, I’m not coming back tomorrow. Or ever. My time is valuable, and I’m not wasting it here,” Xu Chunwang warned.

”Don’t worry, Brother Xu. I have a hunch. We’ll definitely get her today,” Zhang Haoyuan said with a placating smile.

A few moments later, Qin Mei appeared, pushing a bicycle and talking and laughing with Jie Jingling.

”Brother Xu, here she comes! She’s here!” Zhang Haoyuan was ecstatic. ’His persistence had finally paid off!’ At long last, his wait was over.

Xu Chunwang had been resting with his eyes closed. At Zhang Haoyuan’s words, his eyes snapped open. When he saw Qin Mei pushing a bicycle toward them, his expression changed. ”What is she doing here?”

”Brother Xu, that’s her! That’s her!” Zhang Haoyuan nudged Xu Chunwang’s arm. He bore a deep grudge against Qin Mei and dreamed of getting revenge for his severed thumb.

Zhang Haoyuan saw that Jie Jingchen wasn’t with Qin Mei, just some other woman. ’This is a godsend!’ he thought. He had been thinking that if Jie Jingchen were with her, Xu Chunwang could handle him while he dealt with Qin Mei.

As Qin Mei drew nearer, Zhang Haoyuan shot a sideways glance at Xu Chunwang, his eyes impenetrably dark. Suddenly, his gaze turned sleazy.

Zhang Haoyuan nudged Xu Chunwang with his elbow and enunciated clearly, ”Brother Xu, besides robbing her, let’s have a little fun, too. Look at that face. I guarantee...”

”Shut up.” Xu Chunwang’s expression was grim. The sight of Qin Mei reminded him of when she had dislocated his jaw. ’What a complete and utter humiliation!’

’He wanted revenge, but he couldn’t afford to mess with her!’

’Dad was sent to the Northwest for labor reform. The only truly strong fighter in their family was gone. His own half-baked skills were a joke. Right now, Xu Chunwang was filled with regret. When his dad tried to teach him martial arts, he’d either slacked off or run away. If he had only learned his father’s skills, with his own burly physique, he would have been unstoppable.’

”Heh heh.” Zhang Haoyuan’s grin grew even sleazier. He rubbed his hands together and said fawningly, ”Brother Xu, you’re the boss, I’m just your lackey. You go first. After you’ve had your fill, I’ll take my turn.”

’Since Qin Mei was for Brother Xu, he would settle for second best.’ His target shifted to the woman beside Qin Mei. ’She’s a bit older, but...’

’This woman looks so familiar. Where have I seen her before? I can’t quite place her. Whatever, as long as it’s a female, it’ll do.’

Qin Mei and Jie Jingling had spotted them too. Jie Jingling didn’t recognize Xu Chunwang, but she knew Zhang Haoyuan. He was her teacher’s son. She was delighted to see him and waved. ”Brother Zhang.”

Zhang Haoyuan was two years older than her.

”?” Question marks filled Zhang Haoyuan’s mind. ’Who is she?’

”Your mistress?” Xu Chunwang asked.

”No, I don’t know her.” Zhang Haoyuan truly didn’t remember who she was, only that she looked familiar.

Qin Mei’s sharp gaze swept back and forth between the two men. ’What’s going on here? Why is Zhang Haoyuan with Xu Chunwang?’

’Zhang Haoyuan is a hooligan, and Xu Chunwang is no good either. It’s not that surprising to see them together.’

’But why are they here?’

”Don’t know her? Hmph! Who’d believe that? Look at her. She’s acting like she’s found a long-lost relative,” Xu Chunwang said.

Zhang Haoyuan was baffled too, but that wasn’t important. They had business to attend to. ”Brother Xu, you go first.”

Xu Chunwang did indeed go, striding toward Qin Mei with a fawning smile. Zhang Haoyuan didn’t see his expression; he was too busy glaring viciously at Qin Mei, rubbing his palms together in anticipation.

”Jing... Sister Qin, let me get that.” Xu Chunwang eagerly took the bicycle from Qin Mei’s hands. ”Sister Qin, where are you headed?”

Xu Chunwang was older than Qin Mei, but he wouldn’t dare call her ’little sister.’ In his heart, he hated her so much his teeth ached, but in her presence, he could only grovel.

Zhang Haoyuan was dumbfounded. ’What was going on?’

”What are you doing here?” Qin Mei asked in a cold voice.

”Just passing by,” Xu Chunwang replied with a smile. He didn’t dare tell the truth. ’If Qin Mei found out he was lying in wait for her, his fate would be a miserable one.’

Xu Chunwang instinctively touched his jaw. He never wanted to experience the feeling of having it dislocated ever again.

’When his sister and brother-in-law weren’t divorced, the Jie Family had never put up with his antics. Now that they were divorced, if he provoked her, she certainly wouldn’t let him off lightly.’

’He had to endure the humiliation and bide his time. When his father returned from the Northwest, he would settle all his scores at once, new and old. Qiao Yanqiu had caused him to lose his ability to have children, so he would make sure Qiao Yanqiu became a whore for every man to use. And he would also get his revenge on Qin Mei for dislocating his jaw.’

’For a gentleman, ten years is not too long to wait for revenge.’

Qin Mei stared at him. ’Passing by? Who would believe that?’

’Xu Chunwang was no good, and neither was Zhang Haoyuan. There was no way they were up to anything good together.’

”I don’t care what schemes you two are plotting, but you’d better not mess with me. Otherwise, I’ll make you regret the day you were born,” Qin Mei warned.

”Brother Xu,” Zhang Haoyuan cried out.

”I don’t know him that well,” Xu Chunwang said, quickly distancing himself.

Zhang Haoyuan was stunned again. ’Looking at Xu Chunwang’s attitude toward Qin Mei... could it be she’d dealt with him before, too?’

Zhang Haoyuan suddenly felt an ache from the spot where his thumb had been chopped off.

”Vanish.” Qin Mei waved her hand dismissively. ’She didn’t want to waste her time on Xu Chunwang. As long as they didn’t mess with her, she couldn’t care less what trouble they got into.’

”Right away.” Xu Chunwang handed the bicycle back to Qin Mei and took off running.

When Zhang Haoyuan saw Xu Chunwang flee, his heart took a heavy blow. ’What should I do? If even Brother Xu doesn’t dare to provoke her, how can I? He remembered Qin Mei’s vicious threat: she would chop off a finger every time she saw him.’

”Uh... Ma’am... I was wrong.” Utterly spineless, Zhang Haoyuan’s knees gave out and he dropped to the ground.

”Brother Zhang.” Jie Jingling was also starting to understand. Zhang Haoyuan’s form of address for Qin Mei was shocking enough, but he was also kneeling. She felt a wave of complicated emotions. ’The Zhang family’s misfortune is truly lamentable. A harsh environment can really destroy a person’s spirit.’

”He’s addicted to gambling. His wife and child left him, and he’s dragged Old Zhang and Grandma Hua through the mud,” Qin Mei explained. She had never told Jie Jingling any of this before.

”How could this have happened?” Jie Jingling found it hard to accept.

Zhang Haoyuan finally remembered who she was. She had changed so much now; he couldn’t reconcile her current appearance with the beautiful, charming girl from his memories.

”You’re Jingling?” Zhang Haoyuan asked tentatively.

”Brother Zhang, it’s me, Jingling.” Jie Jingling stepped forward to help Zhang Haoyuan up.

”You’re really Jingling?” Zhang Haoyuan’s eyes were wide with astonishment.

Jie Jingling gave a bitter smile and touched her own face. ”Have I changed that much?”

”Yes, quite a lot. I didn’t even recognize you.” Zhang Haoyuan smiled too, but his smile was tinged with sorrow.

In the past, they had been so full of life and ambition. Now, each of them was down on their luck.

”You’ve changed a lot too, but I recognized you at a glance,” Jie Jingling said, her heart aching a little.

”Heh, is that so?” Zhang Haoyuan touched his face, his expression a bit awkward. Jie Jingling’s transformation had been completely unexpected.