Reborn in the 1970s — Married a Proud Rough Man-Chapter 37 - 27: Qin Mei’s Promise

Ever cautious, she habitually left herself an escape route, never one to overpromise. But now, facing Jie Jingshan’s expectant gaze—perhaps out of sympathy, perhaps fueled by the confidence from inheriting her grandfather’s superb medical skills—she challenged her own principles and gave a firm promise.

Outside the courtyard entrance, Jie Jingchen’s pupils contracted in sheer disbelief.

’In front of me, she said she was seventy percent sure. In front of Mom, eighty percent sure. And now, in front of Jing Qi... good heavens, she’s claiming one hundred percent certainty.’

’This woman is a real chameleon, telling everyone what they want to hear. She gives a different promise to every single person.’

’Just how much of what she says is true, and how much is a lie?’

’Seventy percent? I could believe that. Eighty percent? I could grudgingly accept it. But one hundred percent? Honestly, I don’t buy it for a second.’

"Fourth Sister-in-law," Jie Jingshan said, her voice filled with excitement. She squeezed Qin Mei’s hands, her eyes shining with hope. "Really? You’re not lying to me?"

"I’m being completely honest," Qin Mei said, hiding a wince of pain. Jing Qi hadn’t noticed the wound on the back of her hand. Qin Mei subtly pulled her hand free and patted the girl’s leg. "As long as you cooperate with the treatment and let me work, I’ll give it my all. I guarantee you’ll be able to stand on your own within three months. As for walking or running, that will depend on your rehabilitation afterward."

Jie Jingshan was so stunned, she couldn’t find the words to express her gratitude to Qin Mei.

It wasn’t just Jie Jingshan who was stunned; Jie Jingchen, listening from outside the courtyard, was shocked too.

"When does the treatment start?" Jie Jingshan asked eagerly.

"We’ll wait for Aunt Zhang to get back," Qin Mei replied.

Jie Jingshan frowned in confusion. "Why do we have to wait for Aunt Zhang to get back?"

Jie Jingchen was also puzzled. ’What does treating Jing Qi’s leg have to do with Aunt Zhang?’

Qin Mei looked at Jie Jingshan with a troubled expression. "To treat your leg, we need more than just acupuncture; you’ll also need to take herbal baths. I have to go to an apothecary to buy the ingredients, but some herbs might not be available there. I might have to go into the mountains to find them. I’m new here and can’t even tell north from south. What if I go out to buy the herbs and end up getting lost?"

"Have Fourth Brother go with you," Jie Jingshan said.

Qin Mei feigned contemplation, then shook her head. "No, that won’t work. Your Fourth Brother needs to stay here and look after you."

"I don’t need Fourth Brother to look after me. I can manage on my own," Jie Jingshan insisted, clearly desperate for Qin Mei to start the treatment right away.

"No, absolutely not," Qin Mei maintained. "Given your condition, we can’t just leave you home alone. We’d be worried sick. If something happened, everyone would blame us."

Jie Jingshan thought for a moment, then said, "Then have Fifth Brother come back and look after me."

When Aunt Zhang had returned to her hometown, and her Fourth Brother and new sister-in-law hadn’t yet arrived, it had been her Fifth Brother who took time off work to stay home and care for her.

Qin Mei’s mouth twitched. ’This girl is so stubborn. She’d rather call Jing Wu back to look after her than go out with us to buy the medicine.’

’At that moment, Qin Mei felt that having a big family wasn’t always a good thing. Jing Wu, for instance, was just getting in the way.’

Treating Jing Qi’s leg was a major event for the Jie Family, and everyone would cooperate fully. If Qin Mei asked, even their workaholic father, Mr. Xie, would take time off to stay home and await her instructions.

"Jing Wu has to work," Jie Jingchen’s voice cut in as he stepped over the threshold and walked toward them.

"Fourth Brother!" Jie Jingshan’s eyes lit up. "Fourth Sister-in-law says she can fix my leg!" she exclaimed.

"She said that yesterday," Jie Jingchen replied, shooting Qin Mei a look. He took two aluminum lunch tins from a mesh bag, handing one to Jie Jingshan and the other to Qin Mei.

Jie Jingshan accepted the tin, looking a bit sheepish. Her sister-in-law had said so yesterday, but she hadn’t believed her. "Yesterday was yesterday," she said. "Today is today."

’Yesterday, it was just words. Today, it was a promise.’

Jie Jingchen said nothing, but the look he gave Qin Mei was profound and complicated.

When Jie Jingshan opened her lunch tin to reveal plump, white dumplings, Qin Mei slumped over the stone table without opening hers. "It’s not dumplings again, is it?"

’She’d chased after him to tell him her order but hadn’t caught him. Instead, she’d gotten a front-row seat to the drama between him and Teacher Lin.’ 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Jie Jingchen’s lips curved into a faint smile. "Open it and see," he said softly.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, don’t you like dumplings? They’re delicious!" Jie Jingshan loved dumplings, and her cheeks were puffed out with food, making her look adorable.

’Her good mood today made the dumplings taste even better than usual.’

Qin Mei forced a smile. ’She wasn’t a fan of anything made with flour; she was a rice person, through and through.’

Opening her lunch tin, Qin Mei’s eyes lit up. Inside was sweet potato congee with a side of savory pickles. It wasn’t her absolute favorite, but it was a thousand times better than dumplings.

"Jie Jingchen, thanks," Qin Mei said gratefully. She picked up her chopsticks and ate every last bite of the congee.