Qin Mei was like a blooming rose, exuding a captivating allure that could bewitch anyone.
Jie Jingchen desperately tried to hold back, his self-control on the verge of shattering at any moment.
"Jing Si, it’s too hot..."
The heat had become her excuse to push him away, but this time, he wouldn’t indulge her. He lowered his head and captured her luscious red lips in a kiss. Unlike the gentle tenderness from before, this one was possessive, a release of pent-up desire.
On this sweltering summer day, the temperature in the room climbed as an ambiguous tension filled the air, fermenting uncontrollably.
The next day, Qin Mei woke up from the heat, a duvet cover still draped over her body.
"Jing Si, you bastard! You turned my fan off again." After cursing him, Qin Mei shot up, her body aching all over, and let loose another torrent of curses at Jie Jingchen.
Qin Mei lay back down on the bed and began to reflect. ’Can’t let a man be abstinent for too long, or I’ll be the one who suffers for it. Last night was a perfect example.’
She had begged for mercy, but he had tirelessly continued. In the end, she just went limp and let him do as he pleased.
After they finished, Jie Jingchen had helped her shower and change into her pajamas. Now she was covered in sweat, her pajamas soaked through, and she felt incredibly uncomfortable. After resting for a moment, Qin Mei pushed herself up, holding onto the bed for support. She picked up the thermos and went to the washroom. The steaming water was clearly something Jie Jingchen had boiled this morning. She poured the thermos into a bucket, added some cold water to make a full bucket of warm water, and took a bath. She emerged from the washroom feeling refreshed.
After washing her pajamas and hanging them out to dry, Qin Mei went to the kitchen to find something to eat. The congee and pickled vegetables were reasonably appetizing.
"Xiao Mei, what would you like for lunch? I’ll make it for you." Mrs. Xie had returned from grocery shopping and saw Qin Mei in the courtyard, watering the grapevine.
"Mom." Qin Mei paused her watering, looking at Mrs. Xie in astonishment. This was the first time she had ever seen her mother-in-law go grocery shopping. "Mom, don’t you have work today?"
"I’m off today," Mrs. Xie answered with a smile. She carried the vegetables and meat into the kitchen before coming back out to the courtyard. Watching Qin Mei water the grapevine, she seemed to want to say something but hesitated several times.
"Mom, if you have something to say, just say it." Qin Mei smiled at Mrs. Xie. After she finished with the grapevine, she moved on to watering the vegetables. There weren’t many—just some peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers...
She hadn’t planted them; Jie Jingchen had. Her only job was to water them every day.
"Jing Er and Lin Yaru are holding their wedding banquet on the fifteenth of this month," Mrs. Xie said.
"I know." Qin Mei nodded. She had overheard what Lin Axiu said to her father-in-law yesterday. ’My mother-in-law wouldn’t bring this up for no reason,’ she thought. Suddenly, a thought struck her, and she looked at Mrs. Xie. "Mom, they aren’t thinking of holding the banquet at our house, are they?"
Even if they didn’t invite the neighbors and only invited relatives, Qin Mei knew how many relatives the Lin Family had, and the Jie Family had quite a few on their side as well. Holding the banquet at home would require several tables, and the mere thought of it gave Qin Mei a headache.
"They won’t," Mrs. Xie said, shaking her head.
Qin Mei breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t at home, it would be fine. Otherwise, her social anxiety would act up.
Mrs. Xie thought for a moment before adding, "The Lin family did want to hold it at our house. But I didn’t agree, so it was useless even after they convinced your father. In the end, the result of their discussions was that your father will pay to have it at the state-run restaurant."
Holding it at the state-run restaurant was expensive, but it saved a lot of trouble and was very respectable, so naturally, the Lin family wouldn’t object.
"Mom, with the current situation, are we really allowed to hold a large-scale celebration?" Qin Mei asked, a little worried.
"It won’t be a huge affair, just a few tables for the close relatives of the Lin and Jie families." Mrs. Xie looked at Qin Mei, a hint of guilt in her eyes. She pulled Qin Mei over to sit under the tree. As Qin Mei watched, looking puzzled, Mrs. Xie began to speak guiltily. "Qin Mei, you’ve been married to Jing Si for a year now. You only registered your marriage, but we never held a banquet for you two. Why don’t you and Jing Si discuss it, pick a good date, and I’ll arrange a banquet for you."
Qin Mei was taken aback for a moment. She stared at Mrs. Xie, then her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Mom, there’s no need."
"How can you say there’s no need? Marriage is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Mom doesn’t want you to feel wronged." Mrs. Xie said, her heart aching for her. "I want to give you what other people have. If we can’t have a grand celebration here, I’ll take you back to Xiangjiang and hold a magnificent wedding reception for you there."
The more Mrs. Xie spoke, the more excited she became, but Qin Mei could only offer a wry smile.
This continued until Lin Axiu showed up at their door. She had heard from a neighbor that they had run into Doctor Qiao at the non-staple food store, and they had chatted for a bit. Upon learning that Doctor Qiao was off today, Lin Axiu skipped work and came directly to the Jie Family’s house to find her.
"Doctor Qiao, have you made a decision about what we discussed yesterday?" Lin Axiu asked bluntly as she stepped into the courtyard.
Now that the Lin and Jie families were to be joined by marriage, Lin Axiu had originally thought to call her "in-law." But thinking of Qiao Yanqiu’s cold attitude last night, she decided against it. ’After all, she’s a stepmother and so arrogant. I’m not going to offer a warm welcome just to be met with a cold shoulder.’ So, she stuck with the old form of address.
Mrs. Xie took a deep breath and said lightly, "I’ve given the north house to Jing Ling."
"What?" Lin Axiu thought she must have misheard.
Qin Mei was also surprised. She hadn’t expected her mother-in-law to give the north house to Jie Jingling.
"You heard me right. I’ve already called Jing Ling and told her to come home for a visit, taking advantage of Jing Er’s remarriage," Mrs. Xie said with a serious expression.
Lin Axiu’s eyes widened in disbelief. "You’re not giving the north house to Jing Er, but to Jing Ling? Doctor Qiao, have you lost your mind? Jing Er is the son, he’s the one with the right to inherit! Jing Ling is a married daughter; she has no right to inherit property from her maiden family."
In Lin Axiu’s mind, it was only right and proper to give the north house to Jing Er.
Qin Mei remained silent, her heart pounding with excitement. Jie Jingling was coming back.
"The house is mine. I decide who has the right to inherit it," Mrs. Xie said domineeringly.
"Qiao Yanqiu!" Lin Axiu was so angry she used her full name.
"Lin Axiu, what you said yesterday left a deep impression on me. You were right. Zhang Hongyan is watching from heaven, and I have wronged Jing Ling. It’s time I made it up to that poor, unfortunate eldest daughter." Mrs. Xie’s gentle voice was filled with guilt toward Jie Jingling.
Yesterday, she had used Zhang Hongyan’s name to provoke Qiao Yanqiu, hoping to force her to give the north house to Jing Er. Who would have thought it would instead give Qiao Yanqiu the idea of giving it to Jie Jingling?
’No, absolutely not. If the north house goes to Jing Ling, what will happen to Jing Er?’
"Doctor Qiao, the one you should feel guilty towards isn’t Jing Ling, it’s Jing Er!" Lin Axiu shrieked hysterically.
Mrs. Xie swept a frosty gaze over her, her indifferent voice laced with mockery. "Lin Axiu, search your heart and ask yourself, in all these years, have I ever mistreated Jing Er or Jing San? Especially Jing Er."
Lin Axiu was struck dumb. The neighbors were all perfectly aware of how Qiao Yanqiu treated Jing Er and Jing San. Especially after Jing Er married Xu Chunyan, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say Qiao Yanqiu had supported Xu Chunyan’s entire family as well.
’But the Xu Family were the ones who had benefited immensely; my Lin Family hasn’t gotten a single thing out of it.’
Lin Axiu couldn’t accept it. ’Why the different treatment? Both women married Jing Er. Never mind anything else, just look at Xu Chunyan and Yaru. Why was Xu Chunyan allowed to live here after marrying Jing Er, while Yaru has to move to the machinery factory after she marries him?’
"You’re giving the north house to Jing Ling. Does Director Jie know about this?" Lin Axiu asked. Qiao Yanqiu was the stepmother, but Jie Jianguo was the biological father.
"He knows." Mrs. Xie had never intended to hide it from Mr. Xie.
"And does Director Jie agree?" Lin Axiu pressed.
Mrs. Xie’s expression turned icy, and a cold smile played on her lips as her sharp gaze shot toward Lin Axiu. "It’s my courtyard. I have the final say. It doesn’t matter if he has an opinion or not; even if he did, he could only keep it to himself."
"I don’t believe you." Lin Axiu shook her head. For the life of her, she couldn’t believe he would give the house not to his son, but to his daughter who had been sent down to the countryside, married in a village, and had children there.
Mrs. Xie’s expression grew stern, her brow set with determination, and her red lips parted. "Lin Axiu, this is my family’s business. Don’t concern yourself with it, and don’t waste your energy. Jing Er will not be getting a house here, nor is it possible for him to move back in."