Chapter 238 - 92: Qin Mei, Pay Me Back My Grandson
Qin Mei didn’t take it to heart, knowing that Mrs. Xie was just speaking out of anger.
"Qin Mei." Granny Guo was absolutely furious, rushing into the courtyard with a carrying pole in her hands.
She didn’t even call her "Fourth Wife of Jing" anymore. It was only then that Qin Mei understood. When they called her "Fourth Wife of Jing," they were treating her as a neighbor. But to shout her full name like that... that was how they treated a stranger, or an enemy.
"Sister Guo, what are you doing?" Mrs. Xie greeted her with a smile. "Let’s talk this out calmly. Whatever the problem is, we can resolve it."
"Doctor Qiao, you’re a good person. I don’t want to accidentally hurt you, so stay back." Granny Guo pushed Mrs. Xie aside and slammed her carrying pole hard on the ground, fuming. "Qin Mei, give me back my grandson!"
"And how am I supposed to do that? Do you want a child that I have with Jie Jingchen?" Qin Mei asked calmly.
Granny Guo glared at her. ’A child from the Jie Family? I can’t afford to raise one, and I wouldn’t dare.’ "You said my daughter-in-law was carrying a grandson, but now she’s had a granddaughter! Qin Mei, give me back my grandson!"
"When did I ever say your daughter-in-law was carrying a grandson?" Qin Mei asked.
"You did say it! Second Sister told me you said it with your own mouth!" Granny Guo’s voice was so loud that neighbors started gathering to watch the spectacle.
Mr. Xie didn’t appear, but Jie Jingwei and Jie Jinghun put down their bowls and chopsticks to come out. Shen Qing retreated to her room, while Xu Chunyan and Aunt Zhang came out holding their rice bowls. Jie You wanted to join them but was held back by Mr. Xie.
"Grandpa," Jie You pleaded, looking up at her grandfather pitifully.
"You are not to go out," Mr. Xie said, his face stern. Jie You pouted but obediently sat down beside him.
Qin Mei raised a hand to rub the bridge of her nose. She looked at Granny Guo and said, slowly and deliberately, each word clear, "I only told your son and your daughter-in-law the baby’s gender."
Granny Guo froze, a look of shock and disbelief on her face. Her legs felt weak, and she struggled to stay upright, gripping the carrying pole tightly for support. "They... they knew it was a girl all along?"
"Why else would he take his pregnant wife to go live with her mother?" Qin Mei retorted.
Completely devastated, Granny Guo dropped her carrying pole and collapsed onto the ground. She began slapping the dirt and wailing, "Oh, heavens above! My own son has turned against me! He got a wife and forgot his mother! My poor grandson! Qin Mei, you’re despicable! You conspired with my son and daughter-in-law to deceive me!"
"I did not deceive you," Qin Mei countered.
"Yes, you did! You deceived me! You told me my daughter-in-law was carrying a grandson!" Granny Guo began to throw a baseless tantrum.
The gossiping neighbors began to whisper amongst themselves. One of them pointed a finger, saying, "Fourth Wife of Jing, this is your fault. Whether the Hero’s wife was carrying a boy or a girl, you should have just said it. How could you lie to Sister Guo?"
"That’s right, exactly," someone else chimed in.
"Fourth Wife of Jing, it’s wrong to lie," said another, eager to stir the pot.
"You should have told her the truth so Sister Guo could make arrangements. If it was a boy, she’d keep it. If it was a girl, she’d get rid of it. Now the baby’s already born, so what is she supposed to do?"
"Exactly! Dealing with it while the baby is in the womb is fine, but trying to do something after it’s born is a crime! Fourth Wife of Jing, you’ve really caused serious trouble. Now that the baby girl is born, nobody will take her even if they give her away. They’ll have to raise her themselves. Just think how awful it is to raise a ’money-losing good’ in the house!"
Listening to those cold, almost heartless words, Qin Mei’s expression darkened, her gaze turning grim and hostile.
Jie Jingchen raised an eyebrow slightly. His gaze swept over the crowd of neighbors outside the courtyard, finally locking onto the last person who had spoken. His eyes were utterly cold, and the faint curl of his lips betrayed a hint of derision.
Jie Jingchen reached out and took Qin Mei’s hand.
Startled, Qin Mei stared at Jie Jingchen.
The grimness on Jie Jingchen’s face softened, and his gaze grew gentle as he looked deeply at Qin Mei.
"It’s just—" Xu Chunyan began, wanting to seize the opportunity to stir the pot and make Qin Mei a public enemy. But she was cut off as soon as she opened her mouth by Aunt Zhang, who pinched her waist. Startled, Xu Chunyan looked at her aunt.
Aunt Zhang knew Xu Chunyan was a fool, but she hadn’t realized the extent of her foolishness. She glanced behind them, giving Xu Chunyan a look. ’Jie Jianguo is home.’
Understanding dawned on Xu Chunyan. She had almost forgotten her father-in-law was there. She gave Aunt Zhang a grateful look and went back to quietly watching the drama unfold.
"Li Axiu, are you not a woman yourself? Didn’t you give birth to your own daughter, Teacher Lin?" Mrs. Xie could no longer tolerate it and confronted Li Axiu directly, showing her no courtesy.
Hearing the name "Teacher Lin," Qin Mei paused. She couldn’t help but look at the woman who had been speaking so vehemently. ’I’ve met her before,’ she realized. ’We’ve even spoken.’
Li Axiu stiffened, clearly not expecting Qiao Yanqiu to publicly humiliate her and leave her with no way to save face. If it had been anyone else, she could have goaded the neighbors into joining in, but it just had to be Qiao Yanqiu.
Whenever the neighbors had a headache or a fever, they preferred not to go to the hospital. Instead, they would privately ask Qiao Yanqiu for a diagnosis, and she never charged them any money. In this neighborhood, Qiao Yanqiu was held in very high regard.
The neighbors would much rather offend Li Axiu than get on Qiao Yanqiu’s bad side. After all, if they offended Qiao Yanqiu, who would have the nerve to ask her for help the next time they had a headache or a fever?
"Doctor Qiao, I was just trying to help Sister Guo. You don’t have to be so serious about it," Li Axiu said with an awkward laugh.
"I won’t stand for snide remarks. If any of you want to stir up trouble, go do it in your own homes and stop blocking my courtyard." Qiao Yanqiu’s words were harsh. They were all neighbors, and she didn’t want to make enemies. They could watch the show, but she wouldn’t tolerate them voicing their opinions. If someone didn’t want to get along, then she wasn’t afraid of making an enemy.
Seeing that Qiao Yanqiu was genuinely angry, the crowd of neighbors fell silent.
"Granny Guo, did I ever once tell you the gender of your daughter-in-law’s baby?" Qin Mei looked down at the woman on the ground, her gaze so cold it seemed coated in frost, as if it could freeze Granny Guo solid.
"Yes, you did! You told me, plain and simple, that my daughter-in-law was carrying a grandson, but she had a granddaughter! You liar! Qin Mei, you are a complete and total fraud!" Granny Guo was bluffing, but in front of all the neighbors, she was determined to stick to her story that Qin Mei had told her the baby’s gender.
’I’ve lived here for so many years. How long has Qin Mei been married into this family? Even if she is Jing Si’s wife and Doctor Qiao’s fourth daughter-in-law, plenty of neighbors sympathize with me. They’ll definitely take my side.’
"If you’re so certain, then do you dare swear an oath?" Qin Mei asked in a cold voice.
"Swear an oath?" Granny Guo was taken aback. She never thought Qin Mei would demand something like that.
"Sister Guo, I’m with you! Swear the oath! If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear," Li Axiu urged. The other neighbors, however, didn’t join in, content to remain silent spectators.
"Sister Guo, you shouldn’t swear oaths lightly. They have a way of coming true," Aunt Zhang interjected, taking on the role of peacemaker. "Sister Guo, the Hero’s wife has already given birth. You can’t get a grandson by raising a fuss with the Fourth Wife of Jing. Just let it be. You had a granddaughter this time, so the next one is bound to be a grandson. A son and a daughter make the perfect pair. You’ll be very blessed, Sister Guo."
"Aunt," Xu Chunyan whispered. ’Is she trying to help Qin Mei out of this mess?’
"Be quiet," Aunt Zhang whispered, her voice almost inaudible, as she shot Xu Chunyan a warning look.
"Let it be?" Li Axiu fanned the flames. "Zhang, you work for the Jie Family and you’re their aunt, of course you’d side with the Fourth Wife of Jing. It’s easy for you to talk since you’re not the one who’s been hurt. Sister Guo’s precious grandson turned into a granddaughter! How is she supposed to accept that? The Fourth Wife of Jing is the one who lied to her. If she doesn’t go after her, who should she go after? You?"
Qin Mei ignored both Aunt Zhang and Li Axiu, focusing her pressure on Granny Guo. "Do you dare?"
Granny Guo hardened her heart, gritted her teeth, and forced herself to say, "I dare."
’I’m an old woman,’ she thought. ’What do I have to fear from some silly oath?’
With everyone watching, Granny Guo raised her right hand. "I swear! If I have wronged you with even half a word, may I die a terrible death!"
A derisive smile touched Qin Mei’s lips, a cold, ruthless energy spreading from her expression. "And if I never told you the baby’s gender, then may you go your entire life without ever holding a grandson."