Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

”Five hundred seventy-three yuan and fifty-seven cents,” Qin Mei answered honestly.

The corner of Jie Jingchen’s mouth twitched. He nuzzled his head against her neck. ”You earned this much? That’s amazing.”

’Is he complimenting me? Why doesn’t it feel like it?’

”Not as amazing as you,” Qin Mei said, giving Jie Jingchen a little push. This wasn’t false modesty; when it came to making money, she really was no match for Jie Jingchen. ”Stop nuzzling me, it tickles.”

”Are you tired?” Jie Jingchen asked.

Qin Mei’s body went rigid. She tilted her head slightly to meet his amber eyes, which were as deep and bottomless as an abyss. ”I am.”

”Time for bed.” Jie Jingchen snatched the cookie tin from her hands, tossed it into a cabinet, and then scooped Qin Mei up. He turned and walked toward the bed.

Two buttons of Jie Jingchen’s shirt were undone, revealing a firm, lean chest that looked incredibly sexy.

Qin Mei swallowed hard. ’Wait a minute... if he... should I go along with it, or should I refuse?’

Lying in bed, Jie Jingchen just held her without making any further moves. Soon, she heard the sound of his steady breathing next to her ear. ’He’s asleep?’

Qin Mei felt mortified. He just wanted to sleep, but her mind had gone straight to the gutter.

’Argh! My mind is so corrupted! It’s full of nothing but dirty thoughts.’

Gazing at Jie Jingchen’s captivating sleeping face, Qin Mei, far from being lulled to sleep, found she couldn’t drift off at all. Only after he was sound asleep did she carefully slip out of his embrace, tiptoe off the bed, and leave the room.

Qin Mei was in the courtyard brewing medicine when Wen Xingnan arrived.

”Jing Si’s wife, you’re back to brewing medicine already? Is it for Jing Si?” Wen Xingnan asked. Her gaze on Qin Mei held no hostility; instead, it was filled with warmth and a deliberate attempt to curry favor.

Taught by several past encounters, Qin Mei didn’t spare Wen Xingnan a glance. She knew exactly why the woman was here and had intended to ignore her, but her gaze fell on Wen Xingnan’s flat stomach.

’Did she give birth prematurely?’ Qin Mei’s expression, however, remained unchanged.

”Is Jing Si’s health really that poor?” Wen Xingnan murmured, as if talking to herself, yet also posing the question to Qin Mei.

Qin Mei frowned. ’Doesn’t Wen Xingnan like Jie Jinghun? Why is she so concerned about Jie Jingchen’s health? What’s this? Has her affection shifted? Is she trying to make a move on Jie Jingchen? Doesn’t her husband have anything to say about it?’

Qin Mei had seen Wen Xingnan many times but had never met her husband. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t curious. After all, this was the man Shen Qing had once loved so deeply, the same man who had stolen Wen Xingnan from Jie Jinghun.

She remembered seeing Shen Qing at the department store with a man, but she’d only seen his back. ’Could it be him?’

Qin Mei figured he must be exceptional in both talent and looks. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been the object of Shen Qing’s unrequited love, nor would he have defeated Jie Jinghun.

”Oh, it’s terrible. Especially when we... you know... he can never quite perform.” Qin Mei deliberately slandered Jie Jingchen to stop Wen Xingnan from getting any ideas about her man.

Her bluntness caught Wen Xingnan completely off guard. This wife of Jing Si really dared to say anything. Offering comfort didn’t feel appropriate, but pretending she hadn’t heard would seem too cold.

After careful consideration, Wen Xingnan chose her words. ”Jing Si’s wife, I heard you even cured Jie Anlin’s secret ailment. You should treat Jing Si, too. With your help, maybe Aunt Qiao will be holding a grandchild by next year.”

The corner of Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’What is this Wen Xingnan getting at?’

Qin Mei really had nothing more to say to Wen Xingnan. If she kept slandering Jie Jingchen and he happened to overhear, she’d be in for a world of hurt.

”Comrade Wen, do you hear that?” Qin Mei asked out of the blue.

Wen Xingnan frowned. She was trying to get friendly with Qin Mei, who in turn was keeping her at a distance by calling her ”Comrade Wen.” Suppressing her anger, Wen Xingnan forced a smile and asked curiously, ”Hear what?”

”A baby crying.” Qin Mei’s implication was clear: ’Your son or daughter is crying. You should go back and tend to your child instead of trying to make your presence known here.’

”You must have misheard. There aren’t any newborn babies in this entire alley,” Wen Xingnan said.

Qin Mei was stunned. ’No newborn babies? Then what did she give birth to? A raccoon?’

Qin Mei’s eyes locked onto Wen Xingnan’s flat stomach. The smile on Wen Xingnan’s face froze for a few seconds before she said in a calm voice, ”I had a miscarriage.”

’A miscarriage?’ Qin Mei’s pupils contracted. ’What on earth happened while I was away?’

When Wen Xingnan spoke of her miscarriage, there wasn’t a trace of sadness in her voice, as if she were talking about someone else.

Wen Xingnan seemed to realize how cold she sounded. She touched her stomach and gave a bitter smile. ”What’s meant to be will be, and you can’t force what isn’t. I guess that child and I just weren’t fated to be.”

”You’re certainly taking it well,” Qin Mei said with a sarcastic smile. She had thought about offering some words of comfort, but the other woman didn’t even give her an opening.