The Jie Family was wealthy, and Director Jie had married a daughter of the Qiao Family. So even though Jie Jingling had been a sent-down youth who married and had children in the countryside, with support from her family back home, her life shouldn’t have been too difficult.
Unless, after Jie Jingling married in the countryside, the Jie Family had completely ignored her, leaving her to fend for herself.
"Brother Zhang, let’s go. Take me to see my teacher and his wife," Jie Jingling said.
Hearing this, Zhang Haoyuan grew resistant and took two steps back. He didn’t even dare to meet Qin Mei’s gaze.
"I have something to do, so I’ll be going." Zhang Haoyuan tried to make a clumsy escape, but after just a few steps, Qin Mei blocked his path.
"And where do you think you’re going?" Qin Mei asked, pushing the bicycle toward Zhang Haoyuan.
Zhang Haoyuan steadied the bike, his eyes falling on the items hanging from it. ’They must be worth a lot,’ he thought. ’She’s so generous to my parents. She brings so many things every time she visits.’
"Lead the way," Qin Mei ordered.
Zhang Haoyuan didn’t dare to resist. He was terrified of Qin Mei, especially since she had managed to scare Xu Chunwang away. ’She’s really something else!’
Pushing the bicycle obediently, Zhang Haoyuan walked ahead and grumbled under his breath, "It’s not like you can’t find it. Do you really need me to lead the way?"
"Amie," Jie Jingling began, her mind swirling with questions she hoped Qin Mei could answer.
"Sister, you can ask your teacher and his wife in a little while," Qin Mei said. ’It wasn’t her place as an outsider to comment on the Zhang family’s affairs.’
Jie Jingling didn’t press the issue. She was about to see her teacher and his wife, and her heart fluttered with excitement. Thinking of the man from before, she asked curiously, "Who was that just now?"
"You don’t recognize him?" Qin Mei was a bit surprised. When Jie Jingling shook her head, she said, "Xu Chunwang."
"Who’s Xu Chunwang?" Jie Jingling had no idea.
Qin Mei’s lips twitched. ’It was one thing not to recognize him, but to not even know his name was another. Then again,’ she mused, ’Xu Chunyan is so snobbish; she would never have kept in contact with Jie Jingling.’ "He’s Xu Chunyan’s brother."
Jie Jingling froze for a second, then finally remembered that Xu Chunyan did have a brother named Xu Chunwang. "Is he very afraid of you?"
’How could he not be afraid?’ Qin Mei thought. ’I taught him a harsh lesson.’ She smiled and said, "I’ve dislocated his jaw before. But he hates your Aunt Qiao even more."
’Xu Chunwang was afraid of her, but he hated her too. The Xu Family’s current predicament had taught him to bide his time and endure. If they ever got a chance to make a comeback, the first person they’d likely go after would be her mother-in-law, and the second would be her.’
"Dislocated his jaw?" Jie Jingling frowned. Qin Mei looked so delicate, while Xu Chunwang was burly. ’No matter how she looked at it, Qin Mei didn’t seem like someone who could get the upper hand against him.’
"I’m an expert at dislocating jaws," Qin Mei said proudly, raising a hand and wiggling her fingers in front of Jie Jingling.
Jie Jingling laughed. "I believe you."
Qin Mei furrowed her brow. ’Her expression clearly said she didn’t.’
"Why does he hate Aunt Qiao?" Jie Jingling asked, curious about her aunt’s involvement.
Qin Mei glanced at Zhang Haoyuan, who was walking ahead and pushing the bicycle. "Your Aunt Qiao is quite the warrior. She kicked him right where it counts, ensuring he can never have children."
"What?" Jie Jingling was stunned. No one had ever told her about this.
Zhang Haoyuan suddenly felt a chill between his legs. ’So that’s why Brother Xu was so down in the dumps for a while,’ he thought. ’I just assumed it was because of his family’s misfortune that he’d lost all his drive. He only pulled himself together much later.’
’In comparison, what happened to the Xu Family was nothing. The real fatal blow was what happened to the Zhang family—it was like falling from heaven straight into hell.’
"Amie, are you saying that the Xu Family is..."
"Xu Chunwang is a lost cause," Qin Mei stated. "Unless his father and mother have another son, but that’s highly unlikely. His father was sent to the Northwest for reform through labor."
’Please, stop talking,’ Zhang Haoyuan begged internally. ’Knowing this much could get a person killed.’
"We’re here," Zhang Haoyuan announced, cutting them off.
The original, dilapidated door had been replaced. ’This one looks sturdy,’ Qin Mei thought. ’Jie Jingchen is so reliable; he really puts your mind at ease.’
"Is it okay for my teacher and his wife to live in a place this nice?" Jie Jingling couldn’t help but ask. Given her teacher’s status, better living conditions weren’t necessarily a good thing. She thought about the shacks the other "sent-down" individuals in the village were forced to live in. While she was relieved to see her teacher in a better place, she was also worried.
"Sister, you can’t judge a house by its door," Qin Mei said with a laugh. ’Appearances really are everything,’ she thought. ’They can be so misleading.’
Zhang Haoyuan looked mortified. He was the one who’d kicked the old door to pieces.
’This new door Jie Jingchen had installed was solid,’ he thought. ’It would be nearly impossible to break it down.’
Zhang Haoyuan was about to bolt, but Qin Mei ordered him to knock. "What are you spacing out for? Knock on the door."
Zhang Haoyuan didn’t dare refuse. He stepped forward and knocked. He could act tough, but Qin Mei was on another level. The bottom line was, he had never once managed to get the upper hand with her.
’He had called her "Mom," he had kneeled, he had spewed all sorts of flattery. And not only had Qin Mei refused to give him a single cent, she had chopped off his thumb.’