She had always thought it was the common surname, Xie. Who would have guessed it was this particular Jie? 'Isn't that character pronounced differently?' she wondered. 'Oh, right. It's one of those characters with multiple pronunciations.'
With a surname like Jie, anyone would normally assume it was the other "Xie," not this one.
"Are you really illiterate?" Jie Jingchen stared at Qin Mei, a hint of inquiry in his eyes. 'An illiterate person who can read... is she still illiterate?'
Back in the army, Qin Xiang had talked most about his little sister, Qin Mei. Every word had been laced with disdain, yet also brimming with indulgence and affection.
Qin Mei didn't want to get into the topic of her illiteracy. She'd learned her lesson from last time and was much more cautious now.
"What's your older sister's name?" Qin Mei asked. Of the in-laws the body's original owner had found for her, she only knew the eldest sister.
'She's only trying to verify things now? Isn't it a little late for that?' Despite this, Jie Jingchen was very cooperative. "My older sister is named Jie Jingling, my brother-in-law is Sun Debao, and my niece is Sun Tong."
Qin Mei fell silent. She carefully studied Jie Jingchen's features, unable to find the slightest resemblance to Jie Jingling. She couldn't help but wonder, 'Are they really brother and sister?'
Doubts aside, the verification was a success. The conclusion was that the man before her was her husband.
Qin Mei shot Jie Jingchen another deep glance, then took off her jacket and tossed it aside in disgust. It had Zhou Hongyi's spit on it, and she was so repulsed she didn't even want it anymore.
As she straightened her messy hair, her fingers brushed against the scratches on her neck. The fiery sting of pain made Qin Mei frown slightly.
Jie Jingchen cleared his throat and said in a low voice, "You should go find a nurse to put some medicine on that."
Qin Mei's eyes twitched. She tilted her head, looking at Jie Jingchen. She couldn't see a trace of worry in his amber eyes. He wasn't worried, nor did he seem to care. 'Telling me to get medicine from a nurse is purely a formality because we're husband and wife.'
Qin Mei was a sucker for a pretty face and had no immunity to handsome men. Since Jie Jingchen was devastatingly good-looking, she was more than satisfied with him as her husband.
'The original owner of this body certainly had good taste in men.'
"Mhm," Qin Mei grunted, then walked out of the hospital room without her jacket.
The scratches were simply disinfected. Seeing that it was almost time for dinner, Qin Mei didn't return to the hospital room but went to the cafeteria instead.
Qin Mei saw Zhou Hongyi in the cafeteria. The two of them had gotten into a fight over a man, and both had come away with injuries. To avoid an awkward encounter, Qin Mei deliberately tried to walk around her.
"Comrade Qin Mei," Zhou Hongyi called out.
Qin Mei stopped in her tracks. 'I was deliberately avoiding her, so why is she saying hello?'
"Sister-in-law." Qin Mei's eyes curved into a smile. She called Zhou Hongyi "sister-in-law" because she felt she was in the wrong. In truth, she felt quite wronged herself. She'd mistaken the man for her husband and taken care of him for days, but she didn't even dare ask Zhou Hongyi for compensation for her trouble.
If Zhou Hongyi decided to be unreasonable and accused her of coveting her husband with ulterior motives, she wouldn't be able to clear her name even if she jumped into the Yellow River.
Zhou Hongyi walked over to Qin Mei, holding an aluminum lunchbox, and asked, "Did you find your husband?"
"I did." Qin Mei nodded, looking at Zhou Hongyi with a complicated expression.
"That's good to hear." Zhou Hongyi looked relieved, then asked with concern, "Did he blame you?"
"No," Qin Mei said with a smile, shaking her head.
"Good, good." Zhou Hongyi breathed a sigh of relief and placed a hand on Qin Mei's shoulder. "If your husband blames you and you can't explain it clearly, I'll go explain for you. Don't be embarrassed. It's alright. We're both women, and we're both wives. Why should women make things hard for each other? We should help one another."
"Thank you, Sister-in-law, but there's no need to trouble you." Qin Mei politely declined, but Zhou Hongyi's words still sent a warm feeling through her heart. It was a bit like that old saying: you don't know someone until you've fought them.
In this day and age, Zhou Hongyi's reaction was remarkably magnanimous and understanding. If it had been someone more belligerent, the matter likely wouldn't have ended so smoothly.
"It's no problem. Just consider it my way of thanking you for helping take care of my husband these past few days," Zhou Hongyi said.
Qin Mei flushed with embarrassment. "Sister-in-law, it was my mistake. I got the wrong person."
"Getting the wrong person was your mistake, but it's also a fact that you took very good care of him," Zhou Hongyi said with a smile. She clearly came from a good family and was a reasonable person. If her way of thinking had been just a little twisted, she could have used this as an excuse to relentlessly torment Qin Mei. Even if she couldn't have caused any fatal harm, she could have made Qin Mei suffer dearly.
Mistaking one's own husband... the excuse was a bit far-fetched. After all, what wife wouldn't recognize her own husband after six months of marriage?
Since she'd put it that way, Qin Mei thought for a moment and said, "Sister-in-law, if you really want to thank me for taking care of your husband these past few days, I wouldn't say no to a small fee for my trouble."
Qin Mei hadn't actually planned on asking for payment. She hadn't finished spending the money Xie Jingchen had given her, and she had no intention of returning the rest, considering it her fee. Of course, if Zhou Hongyi insisted on giving her a little something extra, she would gladly accept.
'You can pick a fight with anyone, but never with money.'
No matter the era, money was always a good thing.
"Huh?" Zhou Hongyi was stunned. A fee? To be honest, she'd never considered it. She was generous with verbal gratitude, but parting with money was another story. "Comrade Qin Mei, how about this? You took care of my husband for a few days, so I'll take care of your husband for a few days."
'Is she just trying to get out of paying me?' Qin Mei's eyelid twitched. The image of the handsome Jie Jingchen flashed in her mind, and she decisively refused. She laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, don't take it seriously, I was just kidding. Let's just turn the page on this whole thing and never mention it again, okay?"
"Alright." Zhou Hongyi gratefully took the out she was given. Being reasonable was one thing, but giving away money was something else entirely. "Comrade Qin Mei, you go get your food. I'm heading back to the room."
"Okay." Qin Mei nodded, watching Zhou Hongyi leave.
After finishing her meal in the cafeteria, Qin Mei returned to the hospital room carrying an aluminum lunchbox.
Zhou Hongyi was feeding Xie Jingchen. When she saw Qin Mei return, she smiled at her. She had learned from Xie Jingchen that Qin Mei's husband was none other than their roommate, Jie Jingchen.
Qin Mei saw Jie Jingchen sitting up against the headboard, and her eyes flickered. 'He can already sit up?'
"Here." Qin Mei handed the aluminum lunchbox to Jie Jingchen.
Jie Jingchen didn't take it. His gaze was deep and reproachful as he stared at Qin Mei. She had been so thoughtful and attentive when feeding Xie Jingchen, but now that it was his turn, she expected him to eat by himself. The difference in treatment was like night and day, and Jie Jingchen felt a surge of indignation.
Seeing that Jie Jingchen wasn't taking the lunchbox, Qin Mei pinched the bridge of her nose and casually asked, "Where are you injured?"
'If his hands are injured, I might consider feeding him.'
But Jie Jingchen's answer was, "My waist."
"Your waist?" Qin Mei looked astonished. An injury to the waist was a sensitive matter. Even after it healed, someone with terrible luck could suffer from aftereffects. And these aftereffects could be serious, affecting one's marital bliss and ability to have children.
Qin Mei's strange gaze slowly traveled down from Jie Jingchen's waist, eventually stopping between his legs. Even through the quilt, Jie Jingchen could feel her stare, which was both intense and bizarre.
Instantly, a suggestive atmosphere filled the hospital room. Qin Mei's thoughts, however, were pure; she was simply worried about his ability to carry on the family line.
"Qin Mei, where are you looking?" Jie Jingchen demanded coldly. His amber eyes narrowed, and his sharp gaze shot toward Qin Mei's face.