Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Jie Jingshan sat in her wheelchair. With no book to read, she passed the time by plucking the bristles from a piece of pork belly. As she listened to Yanhong’s muffled screams, Granny Yu, consumed with worry, paced back and forth in the courtyard.

A baby’s cries echoed from outside the courtyard, while Yanhong’s screams rang out from inside the house.

Hearing the screams, the next-door neighbor couldn’t help but come out of her house. "Granny Yu, what’s wrong with your Yanhong?"

"The Fourth Wife of Jing is giving her a lactation massage," Granny Yu replied.

"A lactation massage?" The neighbor looked baffled, then incredulous. "A massage can make milk come in? Granny Yu, don’t let yourself get scammed. You’ll lose your money, your Yanhong will suffer for nothing, and your great-grandson will be out of luck."

"Shoo, shoo, what nonsense are you spouting? Do you know who the Fourth Wife of Jing is? Does the Jie Family look like they need a few pennies from me?" Granny Yu retorted, not liking what she was hearing.

The neighbor fell silent. ’What kind of family was the Jie Family, anyway?’

The neighbor from the left also came out and couldn’t help but ask, "Granny Yu, what’s going on with your Yanhong? Just listen to that screaming! It’s making my hair stand on end."

Granny Yu grew even more displeased. "Mind your own business! Why are you staring at my house? You’ve clearly got nothing better to do."

"I’m just concerned about your Yanhong." The neighbor from the left shot Granny Yu a look. ’It’s like feeding a dog that bites the hand that feeds you; she can’t even recognize good intentions.’

"Mom, what’s going on?" Granny Yu’s daughter-in-law returned, holding the crying little one. She had heard her own daughter-in-law’s screams from a distance and was thoroughly spooked.

"It’s nothing, don’t worry." Seeing her great-grandson crying in her daughter-in-law’s arms only strengthened Granny Yu’s resolve.

"Mom, what is really going on? What’s wrong with Yanhong?" The daughter-in-law was extremely worried. Seeing the door to Yanhong’s room locked made her even more afraid. "Mom, why did you lock the door? If something happens to Yanhong, what are you going to tell your grandson when he gets back?"

"Zhuzi’s wife, your mother-in-law hired a quack doctor to come perform a ritual to make Yanhong’s milk come in," the neighbor from the left jeered.

"Yes, yes, I saw it with my own two eyes," the right-side neighbor chimed in, eager to stir up trouble.

Hearing the words "quack doctor," Zhuzi’s Wife’s face went pale. "Mom, didn’t we agree not to try any more strange things? If Yanhong doesn’t have milk, she doesn’t have milk. We can give the baby formula and raise him to be just as healthy and chubby. Look, I’ve already bought the formula. I’ll go mix some for the baby right now."

"Zhuzi’s wife..."

"Mom, stop this nonsense. Hurry and open the door. Kick that quack doctor out." Zhuzi’s Wife pulled at Granny Yu and leaned in to whisper in her ear, "Mom, practicing feudal superstitions is a reportable offense. If someone reports us, our family will be..."

"What nonsense are you talking about? Who’s practicing feudal superstitions?" Granny Yu cut her daughter-in-law off.

"Didn’t you hire a quack doctor to perform a ritual for Yanhong’s milk?" Zhuzi’s Wife asked anxiously.

"Bullshit! You’re going to be the death of me! The Fourth Wife of Jing is giving Yanhong a lactation massage." Granny Yu felt a sudden urge to grab a broom and go after her two neighbors.

"The Fourth Wife of Jing?" Zhuzi’s Wife froze, pointing at the locked door. "Mom, are you saying the person in there is the Fourth Wife of Jing?"

"Who else would it be? You didn’t actually believe their rubbish about me hiring a quack doctor to perform a ritual for Yanhong, did you?" Granny Yu demanded irritably.

Zhuzi’s Wife laughed awkwardly. ’She actually had believed it.’

Granny Yu poked her on the forehead. "Yanhong is my granddaughter-in-law. Would I ever harm her?"

Zhuzi’s Wife chuckled. "A misunderstanding. It was all a misunderstanding."

Her second aunt praised the Fourth Wife of Jing to the skies every time she visited. Anyone who could earn such endless praise from her second aunt had to be someone truly capable.

"My fourth sister-in-law is amazing," Jie Jingshan finally spoke up. A look of pride spread across her face as she mentioned Qin Mei.

"You’re... Jing Qi." Zhuzi’s Wife had never met Jing Qi but had heard of her. Her second aunt always had a regretful look on her face whenever she mentioned Jing Qi.

Jie Jingshan lifted her gaze, glanced at the crowd, and said with unwavering conviction, "My fourth sister-in-law is amazing."

"Tch!" The two neighbors on either side looked disdainful.

They were workers from the cotton mill; they had no reason to be afraid of the director of the machinery factory.

Jie Jingshan was the machinery factory director’s daughter, not the cotton mill director’s daughter.

Yanhong’s screams stopped. Qin Mei’s voice called out, "Granny, open the door."

Granny Yu stood there stunned. Zhuzi’s Wife was still holding the crying baby. Seeing Granny Yu frozen in place, Jie Jingshan urged her, "Granny, my fourth sister-in-law is telling you to open the door."

Granny Yu snapped back to reality. She pulled the key from her pocket and, overjoyed, went to unlock the door. The moment it swung open, she jumped in shock. "Fourth Wife of Jing, what is this?"

Qin Mei glanced at the shocked Granny Yu, then her eyes moved to the crying baby in Zhuzi’s Wife’s arms. "Bring the baby in to feed?"