Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

"You’re not allowed to pat my head anymore," Jie Jingshan warned.

Gao Hai readily agreed. "Alright, I won’t pat it anymore."

"Swear on it." Jie Jingshan was still skeptical and glared at Gao Hai. She’d heard that line countless times, but he always went back to patting her head whenever he saw her.

"Fine, I swear." Gao Hai raised his right hand.

Satisfied, Jie Jingshan let him off the hook. With a huff, she turned her head to the side, refusing to look at him.

"I wonder who you get this temper from." Gao Hai lowered his hand, a teasing smile on his face. Then he couldn’t resist patting Jie Jingshan’s head again.

"Brother Gao Hai!" Jie Jingshan was furious. He had just sworn an oath, and here he was, patting her head again. With the meat and vegetables resting on her lap, she had the strongest urge to hurl them at him.

"Don’t be mad, I’ll stop teasing you," Gao Hai said, smiling at Jie Jingshan.

Jie Jingshan snorted coldly and turned her head away from him.

Qin Mei watched their interaction. Their relationship was obviously something special.

"Jing Qi is Jing Si’s younger sister," Gao Hai explained, having astutely noticed Qin Mei’s confusion. "Jing Si and I are as close as brothers, so his sister is my sister."

"He has a younger brother too," Qin Mei pointed out.

Gao Hai froze, his face twisting in disgust. "I’m not short on brothers. I’m short on sisters."

He and Jing Wu just didn’t get along; every time they met, they’d argue until they were red in the face. But Jing Qi was different. As a child, she was chubby and adorable, always smiling. You couldn’t help but love her. Everything changed after her accident. Her once-plump face had grown so thin that he’d almost failed to recognize her.

Seeing the flesh return to Jing Qi’s cheeks, her rosy complexion, and her improved vitality, Gao Hai was genuinely happy for her. "Sister-in-law, this is all thanks to you."

Qin Mei paused. Jing Qi had changed because of her. Among the Jie Family members, some were truly grateful, while others were just putting on an act. She could tell Gao Hai was sincere. ’Sometimes, strangers are kinder than your own kin.’

"Jing Qi is my sister-in-law. I’m fond of her too, so of course I didn’t want to see her so listless." For Qin Mei, the most fulfilling part of moving in with the Jie family with Jie Jingchen had been treating Jing Qi’s leg.

Gao Hai rubbed his nose. "Sister-in-law, I just finished my errands and have some free time. Let me take you guys home."

Qin Mei stared speechlessly at his bicycle. ’Take us home? He’s on a bike, not in a car.’

"I’ll walk you home," Gao Hai corrected himself.

Qin Mei recalled that Gao Hai had done her a great service, and Jie Jingchen had promised to have him over for dinner. So, she didn’t refuse, and even extended an invitation for that evening. Gao Hai was flattered and naturally accepted. He pushed his bicycle while Qin Mei pushed Jie Jingshan’s wheelchair. Gao Hai was a great conversationalist, keeping Qin Mei and Jie Jingshan laughing the entire way.

Qin Mei steered the conversation toward interesting stories from their time in the service, especially ones about Jie Jingchen. Gao Hai held nothing back, telling her everything and completely selling out his friend.

"Sister-in-law, you have no idea how popular Jing Si was in the service. So many women wanted to marry him," Gao Hai said.

The corner of Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. She asked tentatively, "But isn’t the army full of men? Are you saying all the men wanted to marry him?"

Dark lines seemed to form on Gao Hai’s forehead, his composure cracking. ’Jing Si’s wife sure has a wild imagination,’ he thought, then explained, "Sister-in-law, you’ve misunderstood. Most of the medical personnel are women. Plus, female entertainers from the arts troupe would occasionally come to our unit to perform. The unmarried ones would fight for a chance to come to our base, all for Jing Si."

’Thinking about Jie Jingchen’s good looks, it’s no wonder the original owner decided to strike first. That woman was really something else, drugging him and sleeping with him, then forcing him to marry her. I wonder if the original owner ever even got to see their marriage certificate?’

’If she saw the certificate, she could have died without regret. If not, what a terrible injustice.’

"So Jie Jingchen is really popular with women," Qin Mei said. Her tone was calm and her expression was tranquil, betraying none of her inner feelings.

"Popular? He was a magnet for women!" Gao Hai said, not exaggerating in the slightest. "Especially Doctor Du. She could have been assigned to the city hospital, but she gave up that bright future to come to our unit, all for Jing Si..."

"Brother Gao Hai," Jie Jingshan cut in. She was moving alongside him and kept shooting him meaningful looks.

Qin Mei took it all in and deliberately quickened her pace, moving to walk beside Gao Hai herself and breaking the line of sight between him and Jie Jingshan.

"What is it, Jing Qi?" Gao Hai asked. He had been getting into the swing of his story and wasn’t finished when Jie Jingshan interrupted him.

"There’s no ’Doctor Du’," Jie Jingshan said pointedly.

"Yes, there is! How could there not be?" Gao Hai insisted. "You’ve met her. One time on leave, Jing Si even brought Doctor Du home. She stayed at your house until his leave was over, and then they returned to the base together."

Jie Jingshan rolled her eyes, then turned to look back at Qin Mei, who was pushing her wheelchair. "Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t listen to Brother Gao Hai’s nonsense. Fourth Brother only brought Doctor Du home to treat my leg."

"Ah!" It finally dawned on Gao Hai that he had misspoken. "Sister-in-law, Jing Qi is right! Jing Si brought Doctor Du home to treat Jing Qi’s leg. I don’t think there was anything between them..."

"Gao Hai!" Jie Jingshan snapped, dropping the "Brother." Through gritted teeth, she said, "If you don’t know how to explain, then just shut up! You’re only making it worse. Are you determined to drag my fourth brother through the mud?"

"No, that’s not what I meant! What I mean is..." Gao Hai trailed off, not knowing how to explain himself.

Jie Jingshan shot Gao Hai a glare, then said to Qin Mei, "Fourth Sister-in-law, there’s really nothing between my fourth brother and Doctor Du."

Qin Mei smiled but didn’t say a word. A sour feeling grew in her heart. It was hard to say if there was anything between Jie Jingchen and that Doctor Du. After all, his marriage to the original owner wasn’t based on mutual affection. It was the result of the original owner’s one-sided obsession, drugging him and forcing the issue. That was the only reason they got married.

’Jie Jingchen must have liked Doctor Du. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought her to the Jie family home. He’s too rational; he wouldn’t just grasp at straws for Jing Qi’s leg unless he had an ulterior motive.’

’Then again,’ she thought, ’I’ve never met Doctor Du or seen her medical skills. What if she really is an exceptional doctor...’

’Pfft! If she were that exceptional, she would have cured Jing Qi’s leg already. It wouldn’t have been left for me to handle.’

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingshan called out, her voice laced with worry.

Qin Mei snapped back to the present, tucking away her thoughts. She smiled at Jing Qi and, not wanting to worry her, forced a nod. "Mm, I believe you."

"Sister-in-law, Jing Si might seem cold, but he’s a very devoted man," Gao Hai added, trying to patch things up. "The fact that he married you proves the stuff about him and Doctor Du is just a rumor."

"Aren’t you two supposed to be as close as brothers? Whether it’s a rumor about him and Doctor Du... shouldn’t you know the truth?" Qin Mei gave Gao Hai a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Gao Hai faltered and rubbed his nose. "Jing Si was transferred, and I was discharged to a civilian post. I’m not clear on what happened at the base after that."

"Fourth Sister-in-law, I want some roast duck," Jie Jingshan said, changing the subject.

Gao Hai looked at the food shop across the street and volunteered, "I’ll go get it."

Jie Jingshan glared at Gao Hai and enunciated every syllable with perfect clarity. "I. Want. My. Fourth. Sister-in-law. To. Buy. It."

"What’s the difference who buys it?" Gao Hai asked, looking completely baffled.

"It’s not the same! It tastes better when my fourth sister-in-law buys it," Jie Jingshan insisted.

"It’s not like she’s the one roasting it. The taste will be the same no matter who buys it," Gao Hai retorted, rolling his eyes.

"You watch Jing Qi. I’ll go buy it." Qin Mei was genuinely worried they would argue endlessly about the roast duck, so she strode into the food shop across the street. She bought not only the roast duck but also a few cold side dishes.

She wasn’t much of a cook and could only manage to stir-fry a couple of simple dishes by the time Jie Jingchen got off work. Gao Hai was a guest she owed a favor to, and she wanted dinner to be a bit more impressive.

Jie Jingshan looked at Gao Hai, her voice laced with a warning, "Brother Gao Hai, when my fourth sister-in-law gets back, do not talk to her about my fourth brother’s affairs."