Chapter 17: Qin Chi is Truly Mean

Chapter 17: Qin Chi is Truly Vicious

Upon learning from Mrs. Li what had transpired at home while they were in the county town, Qin Chi was left speechless.

"It’s fortunate you didn't marry that troublemaker."

Mrs. Li had been in a foul mood ever since she found out her son had been schemed against by Old Mrs. Liu.

Now, having a point of comparison, she felt a sense of relief. "I never expected your grandmother to actually do something good for once."

Qin Chi smiled calmly.

At this moment, Qin Chi had no idea.

In his past life, he had married her, but back then, Song Xiu had not been reborn. She was still a genuine fourteen-year-old girl, and having suddenly arrived in an unfamiliar environment, her willfulness had been temporarily restrained by her fear and anxiety.

But now, Song Xiu was reborn.

Knowing the future, she appeared full of confidence.

In reality, Song Xiu hadn't eaten breakfast and was quite hungry. She had accidentally bumped into Chen Dong'er, who was acting coy while bringing steamed buns to curry favor with Qin Mingsong.

She had immediately gotten into a fight with Chen Dong'er!

Qin Mingsong couldn't stop them even if he tried.

Song Xiu wanted to make a scene today specifically to humiliate Chen Dong'er, so that she wouldn't dare to covet her man in the future.

However, Song Xiu had underestimated Chen Dong'er's combat prowess.

Although Chen Dong'er was the same age as Song Xiu, she had been doing manual labor for years.

Song Xiu was beaten quite miserably; if the Qin family hadn't come out to intervene, she would have been beaten even worse.

After Chen Dong'er went home, she returned to the Qin house in the afternoon—presumably coached by someone—insisting that Song Xiu had slandered her reputation that morning and demanding that Qin Mingsong take responsibility.

This disgusted Qin Mingsong to no end.

Song Xiu immediately got into another fight with Chen Dong'er.

The matter escalated, drawing a crowd of villagers to watch.

The Chen village head's family rushed over.

It was a noisy, endless mess, and by the time Qin Chi and Song Jin returned, they were just in time for the finale.

Song Jin brought a pile of gifts into the main room, where everyone had gathered, waiting for dinner.

Young Mrs. Liu’s eyes lit up. "Daughter-in-law, is it heavy? Do you need my help?"

"Sure, Second Aunt."

Song Jin handed the gifts intended for the second branch to Young Mrs. Liu.

Young Mrs. Liu was overjoyed.

Song Jin distributed the gifts one by one.

There were gifts for both adults and children, but none for Qin Mingsong and Song Xiu.

The others noticed but pretended not to.

But someone was not pleased.

"Sister, where are mine and Fourth Brother's?"

Song Xiu sat beside Qin Mingsong with a gentle, sweet smile, as if she weren't the one who had been causing a scene earlier.

Song Jin laughed. "We are sisters; haven't I given you enough in the past? Don't be so short-sighted; it only invites ridicule."

"But my Fourth Brother didn't get one either."

Song Xiu wanted to put Song Jin on the spot.

If the gifts weren't complete, it was Song Jin's fault.

Song Jin smiled and said nothing.

Qin Chi was not pleased. "Little Aunt, shouldn't Fourth Uncle's gifts be prepared by you? My wife is a person of propriety and simply knows how to avoid suspicion."

"Then Eldest Brother, Second Brother, and Third Brother all got gifts; why didn't she avoid suspicion with them?" Song Xiu was relentless, refusing to let the matter go.

Song Jin indeed hadn't bought gifts for the two of them.

Mainly, she found them a bit repulsive.

She was willful, yes, but she simply didn't want to give Qin Mingsong anything.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became awkward.

A cold, dark glint flashed through Qin Chi's eyes.

"Dalao, don't bicker with your Little Aunt; she is still young and ignorant."

As soon as Qin Mingsong spoke, he used the tone of an elder, continuing with great magnanimity, "It’s fine that you forgot this time. As an uncle, I am not that petty."

"Heh."

Qin Chi straightened his clothes and sat up properly, smiling without warmth. "This was my wife's first time going to the county town since joining our family, and she brought gifts for my family to show closeness. But Fourth Uncle is different. Strictly speaking, Fourth Uncle still needs to call my nephew 'Brother-in-law'."

"Pfft!"

"Haha... Brother-in-law?"

Several of the younger ones couldn't help but laugh.

Sanlang laughed the most exaggeratedly. "Haha, Fourth Uncle has to call Eldest Brother 'Brother-in-law'!"

Song Jin couldn't help it either.

Qin Chi was truly vicious; it would be a miracle if Qin Mingsong ever called him that.

Just imagining the scene made Qin Laoda and the others unable to hold back their laughter.

Everyone in the family, except for the two elders sitting at the head, looked at Qin Mingsong, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

"Dalao, what nonsense are you spouting? That is your Fourth Uncle; of course, we must go by the seniority of the Qin family," Old Mrs. Liu said with a dark face.

Even Old Man Qin couldn't say anything.

The marriage had been arranged in such a rush that they hadn't considered the issue of seniority.

Only now did he realize that the seniority was indeed a mess.

Song Jin spoke at the right moment. "In the Qin house, we shall follow the Qin family's seniority. When we visit the Song family later, we shall follow the Song family's."

"My wife is indeed sensible." Qin Chi had no objections to that.

At home, if he really dared to make his uncle call him brother-in-law, not to mention whether the uncle would do it, his grandparents certainly wouldn't allow it.

Thus, no one mentioned the gifts again. Dinner proceeded in a strange atmosphere and ended in a strange atmosphere.

Afterward, Qin Mingsong mentioned that he had to rush back to Ziyang Academy that night.

He had rushed home to stop the engagement, only to find himself forced into marriage. Thinking of his sweetheart still in the prefectural city, he couldn't stop the anxiety in his heart.

Song Xiu said reluctantly, "Fourth Brother, can't you stay at home for a few more days?"

"I only asked for three days of leave. Time is already tight; I must head to the prefectural city tonight to make it to class tomorrow morning."

With Qin Mingsong saying this, Song Xiu had to pretend to be understanding and stopped asking him to stay.

Song Jin sneered inwardly.

Of course he was in a hurry to go back; otherwise, how would he explain things to his sweetheart?

On second thought, as long as Qin Mingsong didn't say anything while in the prefectural city, no one would know he was married. He would still be that brilliant, elegant literary talent.

And Song Xiu, at this time, didn't dare to set foot in the prefectural city.

Song Xiu had never been a low-key person.

Since she was twelve, she had frequently attended private poetry gatherings, literary appraisals, and flower-viewing parties held by young ladies.

The young masters and ladies of wealthy families in the prefectural city might not all know Song Xiu, but many had seen her.

Song Xiu knew this very well herself.

That was why she didn't dare to suggest going to the prefectural city with Qin Mingsong.

Otherwise, with her temper, she would never have been so well-behaved...

Old Mrs. Liu turned to look at Qin Laoda.

She was about to tell Qin Laoda to take Qin Mingsong to the prefectural city.

Mrs. Li spoke up first, gently and softly: "Husband, you've worked hard today. You must be tired; go back to your room and rest early."

"Alright, I'm going."

Qin Laoda stood up happily and left, not forgetting to take the jar of tea leaves Song Jin had given him.

This caused a wave of stifled anger to churn in Old Mrs. Liu's chest.

Unfilial son!

He was born just to make her angry!

The third son said nothing, grabbed his own jar of tea leaves, and slipped away quickly.

It was late at night; who would want to go out to drop someone off?

In the end, this arduous task fell to Qin Laoer.

Who told him to be the slowest to run?

No one noticed the haze that rose in the depths of Qin Mingsong's eyes.

Since when had he become so unwelcome in this house?

Even if he were careless, Qin Mingsong realized the severity of the problem today.

Recalling the past, there had been no such anomalies.

Studying away from home was exhausting enough, so he rarely spent his energy on family matters. When he was rarely home, he would fulfill his filial duties before his parents...