Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man

Mr. Xie had a real headache. He had finally managed to persuade Yan Qiu to let his elderly parents stay for a month, but out of all the empty rooms, the old woman was insisting on the one assigned to Jing Si.

That room was originally Jing Wu’s, but they had forcibly kicked him out and moved him to the room next to Jing San’s. If even Jing Wu wasn’t allowed to live there, could the two elders really move in? Highly unlikely!

"If you want a convenient way to use the toilet, that’s simple. We can give you Jing Qi’s chamber pot," Jie Jingchen said, crossing his arms and leaning lazily against the doorframe.

Granny froze for a moment, then glared at Jie Jingchen. "Jing Qi’s legs aren’t good," she snapped. "She needs it more than we do. We can’t just take her things. If word got out, how could we show our faces?"

"Jing Qi doesn’t need it anymore. It’s just sitting around, so you and Grandpa might as well use it," Jie Jingchen said, his voice cold and distant.

"Nonsense. Jing Qi is crippled, she needs it very much." Granny was disgusted. ’Taking a chamber pot from my disabled granddaughter... I’d really lose all face.’ "Of all the things to take, why a chamber pot? Isn’t that just revolting?"

Jie Jingchen’s amber eyes narrowed, his expression unreadable. When Granny mentioned Jing Qi’s crippled legs, her face showed not a hint of pity. Granny favored boys over girls, and because Jing Qi was close to Aunt Zhang, she disliked her. When the accident left Jing Qi crippled, Granny showed not the slightest bit of concern for her granddaughter.

"I’ll go buy you a new chamber pot tomorrow," Mr. Xie said. Jing Si was as stubborn as an ox. If Jing Si didn’t give the nod, he couldn’t arrange for his parents to stay in that room. In his heart, though, he agreed that the room was more suitable for his parents, as it would be more convenient for using the toilet at night.

Granny wasn’t pleased. "Buy one? What for? Are you made of money? Eldest, it’s not my place to say, but don’t waste money on unnecessary things. If you have extra money, you should save it. If you won’t, give it to me. I’ll save it for you."

"Mom, a chamber pot doesn’t cost much. Besides, it’s to show respect for you and Dad. The money would be well spent," Mr. Xie said with a smile.

Granny glared at Mr. Xie. "Well spent? What’s so ’well spent’ about it? It’s not! If you really wanted to show us respect, you wouldn’t have let your father and me squeeze in with Second Brother’s family at the machinery factory. The courtyard there is too small, and there isn’t even a toilet in it. Our yard is so far from the public toilet, it’s incredibly inconvenient. Especially in the mornings, the line is so long that if you’re in a hurry, you can’t hold it in and end up soiling your pants before it’s your turn. It’s mortifying!"

Listening to the old woman’s complaints, Mr. Xie felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He felt for his parents and wanted to grant their every wish, but he couldn’t. He had learned from past mistakes; while being a filial son, he also had to consider his own little family.

"Mom, the courtyard assigned by the factory is already quite nice. It’s big enough for you, Dad, and Second Brother’s family. Mom, if you really think it’s too crowded, then just have Second Brother’s family move back to the courtyard they were assigned." Mr. Xie knew in his heart that the house the factory had assigned him—that courtyard—was already very good, though of course, it couldn’t compare to this one.

"Have Second Brother’s family move back to their assigned courtyard? How could that work?" Granny disagreed. "Ever since you moved away with the children, Second Brother’s family moved in with us to make it easier to take care of me and your father. They’ve lived with us for over twenty years. You want them to move back now? Have you no shame?" The courtyard assigned to Second Brother was not a private one; four families shared it, and it was inferior in every way to the one assigned to her eldest son. For one thing, the eldest’s was a private courtyard.

Mr. Xie fell silent. Granny sighed and continued, "Eldest, we’re getting on in years now. Our legs aren’t what they used to be, and we could easily fall. A courtyard like yours, though—it’s spacious, with plenty of rooms. Not only is there a toilet in the yard, but there’s one in the house, too. It’s perfect for elderly people."

Mr. Xie didn’t make a sound. Those three rooms had been given to Jing Si; Jing Si had built the toilet and kitchen himself. It wasn’t just that he couldn’t make the call—if Jing Si didn’t agree, even Yan Qiu wouldn’t try to persuade their son for the sake of his parents.

Granny’s voice was filled with disappointment. "Eldest! Your father and I are old. Our lives are on a countdown; we could be gone any day. Your father and I struggled to raise you and your siblings. Times were so hard we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from, but we never once thought of abandoning you. Now we’re old and useless, and our children and grandchildren despise us. We’re only staying here for one month, and all we want is a room where it’s easy to use the toilet, but you won’t even agree to that. They say you raise sons to provide for your old age. Eldest, you’ve betrayed us. It’s like we raised you for nothing."

Mr. Xie couldn’t withstand the emotional blackmail. He cast a pleading look at Jie Jingchen, about to try and persuade him. "Jing Si, how about..."

"The day Mom divorces Dad, Dad will have to take Second Brother, Third Brother, and the others and move back. Then Second Uncle’s family will also have to move back into their own house," Jie Jingchen said out of the blue.

"..." Granny.

"..." Mr. Xie.

"You brat, are you hoping your mother and I get a divorce?" Mr. Xie was furious.

Jie Jingchen shrugged and said coldly, "Relationships can withstand tests, but marriage can’t withstand this kind of turmoil, especially from a mother-in-law. Dad, you know very well I’m not just trying to scare you. Think about your ex-wife. What did she go through?"

Mr. Xie’s face went deathly pale. His gaze drifted, unfocused, and his brows knitted together, as if tangled in an inescapable web of grief and guilt.

Back then, he had been foolishly filial. He’d had the ability to tell right from wrong, but his blind obedience to his mother’s every word had made Hongyan suffer terribly. Some memories were too cruel for him to face.

Now, he was remarried, with a happy marriage, a wonderful family, and a successful career, while Hongyan lay sleeping eternally beneath the ground.

Hongyan had sacrificed herself in exchange for the happy life he had today.

Seeing this, Granny sensed trouble and hurriedly spoke up. "Zhang Hongyan died saving your mother! Her death had nothing to do with me."

Qin Mei’s heart jolted. She stared at her mother-in-law beside her, stunned and shocked.

Mrs. Xie’s breathing grew ragged, and a faint tremor ran through her body. An inconsolable sorrow welled up in her eyes, as if she were caught in the grip of a nightmare from which she could not escape.

"Mom." Qin Mei hugged her trembling body, her expression filled with worry.

Mrs. Xie’s body went stiff for a moment before she felt the warmth of Qin Mei’s embrace. Her tightly knitted brows relaxed as she suppressed her sorrow. She forced a smile, but it was a desolate one. Her pale lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.

"Mom," Qin Mei repeated, unsure how else to comfort her.

’I don’t know anything about the older generation’s entanglements, their grudges and feuds, so I have no right to say anything.’

Her emotions gradually stabilizing, Mrs. Xie’s dry lips moved. She raised a hand and stroked Qin Mei’s hair. "Don’t worry, I’m fine."

"Mom, let’s go to my room. I’ll get you a glass of water," Qin Mei said softly.

"Alright." Mrs. Xie didn’t refuse.

Qin Mei took Mrs. Xie by the arm and led her toward her room.

Emotions churned in Jie Jingchen’s eyes. He said in a low voice, "Why would she give her life to save my mother? She had a husband and children, yet she had lost all hope in life. Who made her lose hope in life? Granny, it was you."

The weight of this accusation was so heavy it nearly suffocated Granny.

Mr. Xie, who was already filled with remorse, felt his guilt deepen. Jie Jingchen’s words also sounded a warning bell in his heart.

’Letting Mom and Dad stay, even for just a month... with Mom’s temper, the house would be in absolute chaos.’

Suddenly, Mr. Xie realized he had made a terrible mistake. The reason he had given Yan Qiu to persuade her was a fear of Zhang Hongying’s return, but he knew in his heart that the real reason was that he wanted his parents to stay. He wanted to show them filial piety, even if only for a month.

There were many ways to be a filial son; it didn’t have to mean having his parents live with him. He had to go to work, so he couldn’t attend to them during the day anyway. All he could do was serve them tea and water after coming home from work.