"Yes," Jie Jingling nodded.
Sun’s mother finished her bath quickly, emerging from the bathroom drenched in sweat. "Oh my goodness! It’s hot! So hot! What kind of godforsaken weather do you have here at your family’s home? Why is it so hot?"
Sun’s mother liked to bathe in scalding hot water—the kind so hot that Qin Mei wouldn’t even dare to touch it. Taking a bath that hot on a day like this, in such a small bathroom... it was a wonder she hadn’t passed out from the heat.
"Mom, hurry over and cool off by the fan," Sun Dexiang said, waving her mother over.
"What fan? I just took a bath! Are you trying to make me sick?" Sun’s mother glared at her daughter. But it was so hot that she didn’t last long before running over to the fan and aiming it right at herself.
Jie Jingling went into the bathroom to pick up the bucket and headed for the kitchen.
Jie Jingjue was cooking on the briquette stove while Jie Jingchen was out buying groceries. When he saw Jie Jingling come in with the bucket, he asked curiously, "Big Sis, who are they?"
"My mother-in-law and my sister-in-law," Jie Jingling replied as she scooped water.
It was the answer he’d expected, so Jie Jingjue wasn’t surprised. But he was still puzzled. "Where’s our brother-in-law?"
Jie Jingling paused her scooping. "He couldn’t get away, so he didn’t come back with me," she answered.
"Oh, I see." Jie Jingjue sounded a little disappointed. Seeing that Jie Jingling had filled the bucket and was about to lift it, he stepped in first. "Big Sis, I’ll get it."
"Aren’t you injured?" Jie Jingling looked at Jie Jingjue, amused. He had been leaning on the wall for support when he came out of the bathroom earlier.
"Heh heh, I was faking it. I wanted to get your sympathy so you’d help me get revenge on Fourth Brother," Jie Jingjue chuckled. "It really did hurt yesterday, but after taking the medicine Fourth Sister-in-law gave me, it stopped hurting after a night’s sleep."
Jie Jingling just smiled without a word. When Jie Jingjue carried the bucket to the doorway, she took it from him, not letting him carry it into the room.
"Sis." Qin Mei emerged from Jing Qi’s room with an empty bucket. She smiled at Jie Jingling and said, "Sis, go take your bath in Jing Qi’s room. I’ll get the water for you."
"You won’t be able to carry it. I’ll do it," Jie Jingling said, smiling at her. She was well aware of Qin Mei’s strength; forget a full bucket, even half a bucket would be a struggle for her.
"It’s alright. Just take your clothes and wait in Jing Qi’s room. If I can’t carry it, I’ll get Jing Wu to do it," Qin Mei insisted. Jie Jingling relented.
As Qin Mei was scooping water, Jie Jingjue sidled up to her and asked in a low voice, "Fourth Sister-in-law, why didn’t our brother-in-law come? Why is it her mother-in-law and sister-in-law who came instead?"
"What did your sister say?" Qin Mei asked in return.
"I didn’t ask her," Jie Jingjue said, scratching his head. "I felt too awkward. Asking would make it seem like I don’t welcome them."
"So, do you welcome them?" Qin Mei asked. She had lived with the Sun Family for half a year, and even though she’d been in a deep slump back then, she was still well aware of their family’s dynamics.
Sun’s mother was very overbearing. She had insisted on coming, and Jie Jingling couldn’t have stopped her. As for why Sun Debao didn’t come, Qin Mei hadn’t asked Jie Jingling about that either.
"Do you want the truth or a lie?" Jie Jingjue asked.
"The truth," Qin Mei said.
"I’m not exactly thrilled they’re here," Jie Jingjue said honestly.
"I’m not thrilled either, but there’s nothing to be done. They came with your sister, so we have to be polite for her sake. We have to treat them warmly, otherwise you’ll just make things difficult for her. If they feel slighted here, they’ll take it all out on her when they get back home," Qin Mei said.
"You’re right, Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingjue agreed. "Don’t worry. For Big Sis’s sake, I’ll be sure to give them a warm welcome."
"Jing Wu, welcoming them warmly doesn’t mean we have to tolerate any nonsense. As long as they behave themselves, we’ll treat them politely. But if they start any trouble, we’ll have to teach them a lesson and let them know her family is her strongest support. If they dare to bully our sister, we will make them die a very ugly death." Qin Mei’s tone for that last sentence was sinister, and she enunciated every word with chilling weight.
"Okay." Jie Jingjue agreed without hesitation.
Qin Mei filled a bucket and had Jie Jingjue carry it to Jing Qi’s room. She stayed in the kitchen, keeping an eye on the large cooking pot.
’This skirt is so inconvenient.’ When Jie Jingjue returned to the kitchen, she went back to her room to change.
"Where’s Jing Wu?" Jie Jingchen asked as he returned from buying groceries. Seeing Qin Mei in the kitchen, a flicker of displeasure crossed his eyes.
"He’s taking bath water to your sister. What did you buy?" Qin Mei leaned in to look. Seeing that he had only bought prepared cold dishes, the corner of her mouth twitched. ’Looks like he doesn’t want to cook, either.’
"Cold dishes are easier," Jie Jingchen said, going to the cupboard to get some bowls.
"The rice is ready to be drained. I’ll get the bowls, you handle the rice." Qin Mei took the bowls from Jie Jingchen’s hands.
Jie Jingchen smiled, washed out an enamel basin, and placed a strainer over it. Just then, Jie Jingjue returned, so he handed the task of draining the rice over to him.
Qin Mei went back to her room to change out of her skirt. After Jie Jingling finished her bath, she washed the clothes the three of them had changed out of and hung them up to dry.