Chapter 230 - 90: Qin Mei, You’ve Gone Too Far
Gao Hai pressed his lips together and said no more. The person was already on their way to the Northwest; there was no point in saying anything now.
"Murder is against the law," Jie Jingchen reminded him.
Gao Hai shot him a cold glance and continued to stir-fry, complaining resentfully, "Seriously. I came here as a guest, not to be a chef."
"Did I invite you to be a guest?" Jie Jingchen asked.
"Your wife did," Gao Hai retorted, glaring at him.
Qin Mei finished showering and washing her hair. Stepping out of the bathroom, she initially planned to check on the kitchen, but she immediately abandoned the thought when she heard the sizzle of stir-frying. She’d just washed her hair, and the oily fumes in the kitchen were too heavy; it would have been for nothing.
Her hair wasn’t dry and was still dripping, so Qin Mei didn’t go to Jie Jingshan’s room. Instead, she sat down in a wicker chair under a tree in the courtyard, closed her eyes, and relaxed in utter contentment.
She hadn’t taken an afternoon nap, and sleepiness soon crept over her. Qin Mei dozed off.
Xu Chunyan was leading Jie You home from work when she saw Qin Mei asleep in the wicker chair under the tree. Jie You was still talking, but Xu Chunyan suddenly clamped a hand over his mouth.
Jie You’s eyes went wide as he stared at Xu Chunyan, completely baffled.
"Shh!" Xu Chunyan placed a finger to her lips in a hushing gesture. Jie You understood and nodded vigorously, so Xu Chunyan released her hand.
Jie You blinked and whispered, "Mom."
"The little wench is asleep. Just watch me teach her a lesson." Xu Chunyan glared viciously at Qin Mei. Towards Qin Mei, she felt a mix of hatred, envy, and even jealousy.
’Qin Mei had married into the Jie Family and didn’t have to do a single thing. She didn’t work, she didn’t do chores—all she did all day was eat and sleep. She lived such a carefree life and never lacked for money. It was one thing for Qiao Yanqiu to give Qin Mei money, but for her father-in-law to give her a thousand yuan at a time? It made her sick with jealousy.’
’Jie Jingshan had also given Qin Mei money, and had even scammed two thousand yuan from me to give to her. Jie Jingjue still owed Qin Mei two thousand. How long had she even been married into the Jie Family? She was practically a ’ten-thousandaire’ already!’
"Mom, Fourth Uncle is home," Jie You reminded her. He didn’t dare provoke Qin Mei anymore, or even call her a vixen. His Fourth Uncle would really beat him.
Xu Chunyan froze. She glanced toward Jie Jingchen’s newly built kitchen, listening to the sounds of stir-frying coming from inside. Her gaze turned sharp and cold.
’Qin Mei didn’t work and did nothing at home, yet Jie Jingchen still had to come home from work and cook for her. It was just too much.’
Seeing the enamel mug on the stone table, a wicked idea popped into her head. A malevolent, cold smile twisted Xu Chunyan’s lips as she leaned down and whispered in Jie You’s ear.
After listening, the little boy turned and ran out of the courtyard. He returned a moment later and held out his chubby little hand in front of Xu Chunyan. "Mom, look!"
Xu Chunyan saw an earthworm in the boy’s chubby palm. She patted his head and praised him, "Good job, Xiao You."
The mother and son tiptoed toward Qin Mei. Xu Chunyan shot a wary glance at her, and seeing no sign of her waking, a sinister glint appeared in her eyes.
Xu Chunyan carefully lifted the lid of the enamel mug and gestured with her eyes for Jie You to put the earthworm inside. The little boy’s shifty eyes darted around. Seeing no one nearby, he dropped the earthworm into the mug. His grimy little hand even stirred it around a few times before he pulled it out, and Xu Chunyan immediately replaced the lid.
Their mission accomplished, the mother and son covered their mouths to stifle their giggles. Xu Chunyan then led Jie You back into the house.
From the kitchen, Jie Jingchen and Gao Hai had seen the entire thing. Someone standing in the courtyard might not be able to see into the kitchen, but from inside the kitchen, you could see the whole courtyard perfectly.
"Jing Si, your second sister-in-law and nephew are out of line," Gao Hai said, seething with righteous anger. "She’s an elementary school teacher, and she’s teaching her own son to pull such a dirty trick? That’s awful. Is that her idea of being a role model? It really makes me worry for my own children. If a kid is taught by someone like that, who knows what they’ll grow up to be?"
Jie Jingchen remained silent. He didn’t have any children yet, so he didn’t share Gao Hai’s concerns.
’As for Xiao You, his second brother’s parenting style wasn’t much different from Xu Chunyan’s. And their father just spoiled the boy rotten. One was Xiao You’s father, the other his grandfather. It wasn’t his place as the fourth uncle to discipline him.’
"Jing Si, aren’t you going to go out and warn your wife?" Gao Hai asked. His own sister-in-law and nephew had just put something in his wife’s drinking mug, yet he had no reaction at all. It was as if they had just dropped a sugar cube in it.
"That’s not my wife’s mug," Jie Jingchen said slowly.
"Huh?" Gao Hai exclaimed. Still, he couldn’t help but warn, "What if your wife wakes up thirsty and just grabs it for a drink? You won’t have time to stop her."