Chapter 181: Chapter 74: Your Fourth Brother Won’t Agree

Instead of rushing to the kitchen to heat water for a bath, Qin Mei went to see their new kitchen and toilet. Seeing that not much had changed behind the house, she was quite surprised. She looked at Jie Jingchen, who had followed her. "What were you busy with all day?"

"Sewage disposal," Jie Jingchen said. He had been busy all day with the workers, trying to figure out how to handle the wastewater.

Qin Mei paused, taken aback. This was an awkward period for Shijiu City, as it lacked a proper drainage system. In some alleyways, the residents of an entire lane had to share a single public toilet. The fact that the Jie Family had its own toilet with decent sewage disposal was impressive. ’I have to admit, the Qiao family is really something else,’ she thought. ’They were so considerate of Mrs. Xie.’

"You’ve worked hard. Take your time; there’s no rush." Qin Mei patted Jie Jingchen’s shoulder. She hadn’t washed her hands when she got home, immediately rushing to see the progress on the kitchen and toilet.

Jie Jingchen had been dirty from work too, but he had showered and changed before she got back. Qin Mei’s pat left a noticeable smudge on the clean white shirt he was now wearing.

"Heh... my bad. I’ll wash it for you," Qin Mei said, looking at Jie Jingchen in embarrassment as she hid her hands behind her back.

Jie Jingchen remained silent. ’The last time she was brewing medicine, she got my sleeve dirty and said the same thing,’ he thought. ’But I ended up washing it myself. Her promises can’t be taken seriously.’

"Have you had dinner?" Jie Jingchen asked.

"Nope." Qin Mei shook her head and rubbed her stomach. She really was a bit hungry.

"Go wash your hands and eat." Jie Jingchen pulled Qin Mei toward the sink.

"You cooked?" Qin Mei asked as she turned on the faucet to wash her hands. When she saw Jie Jingchen shake his head, she asked tentatively, "Did Second Great-Aunt make it?"

"Mhm." Jie Jingchen nodded. "Word about us splitting from the family is making the rounds with the neighbors again. Second Great-Aunt stopped by around noon."

"Second Great-Aunt is as warm-hearted as ever," Qin Mei teased with a smile. Instead of eating right away, she carried a pile of herbs to the kitchen. The large cauldron was clean, so she put the herbs directly inside and filled it to the brim with water. She tried to close the lid, but the pot was too full of herbs for it to fit, so she gave up.

"Another medicinal bath?" Jie Jingchen asked with a smile as he began stoking the fire.

"Not for soaking. This is a medicinal wash for everyone," Qin Mei replied.

"Everyone?" A glint flashed in Jie Jingchen’s eyes. "Including Second Sister-in-law’s family?"

Hu Wan’er had suffered a miscarriage, and Aunt Zhang was at the hospital looking after her, so they definitely wouldn’t be back tonight.

"Her family is an exception." Qin Mei explicitly excluded Xu Chunyan’s family of three.

"Second Sister-in-law’s family already bathed first thing," Jie Jingchen said; Xu Chunyan was always quick to claim the bathroom. "Don’t just stand here. Go to Jing Qi’s room and eat."

Qin Mei really was hungry. She grinned and headed to Jing Qi’s room, where Jie Jingjue and Jie Jingshan were waiting for her. The two of them didn’t pick up their chopsticks until she arrived.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, do I have to move out?" After agonizing over it for a long time, Jie Jingjue finally worked up the courage to ask Qin Mei.

Qin Mei paused, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. She gave Jie Jingjue a troubled look. "This is Mom’s courtyard, so she calls the shots. It’s not my decision to make."

Qin Mei was passing the buck to Mrs. Xie. It didn’t matter to her whether Jie Jingjue moved out, since she and Jie Jingchen had their own room. ’If my mother-in-law wants him to move, she must have her reasons.’

"You should talk to Mom. She’ll listen to you," Jie Jingjue said.

"Fifth Brother, it won’t do any good for Fourth Sister-in-law to say something. It’s Fourth Brother who wants you to move," Jie Jingshan interjected, saving Qin Mei from the awkward spot.

At the mention of Jie Jingchen, Jie Jingjue’s head drooped, and his food suddenly seemed tasteless. He pinned his hopes on Qin Mei again. "Fourth Sister-in-law, please talk to Fourth Brother. He’ll listen to you."

"Your Fourth Brother won’t listen to me," Qin Mei said evasively.

"When Fourth Brother decided we should split from the main household, wasn’t that your idea?" Jie Jingjue asked. It wasn’t just him; everyone probably assumed that Jie Jingchen’s sudden decision was at Qin Mei’s instigation.

"You’ve got it all wrong! Your Fourth Brother wanting to split the household had nothing to do with me. I swear, I knew nothing about it beforehand," Qin Mei protested. The decision was entirely Jie Jingchen’s own.

"I can vouch for that," Jie Jingshan added righteously.

Jie Jingjue shot Jie Jingshan a sideways glance. ’Of course she’d be on Fourth Sister-in-law’s side.’ After a moment of thought, he said, "Fourth Sister-in-law, how about this? I’ll follow you guys."

’Jing Qi is staying with them, so he doesn’t have to move. If I stick with them, I won’t have to move either!’

"Your Fourth Brother wouldn’t agree." Qin Mei furrowed her brow, not rejecting him directly but once again using Jie Jingchen as her excuse.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, help me convince Fourth Brother," Jie Jingjue pleaded.

Qin Mei shook her head and shrugged. "My hands are tied. Your Fourth Brother is more stubborn than an ox. There’s no way I can convince him."

"Fourth Sister-in-law, have some faith in yourself! I know my Fourth Brother will listen to you," Jie Jingjue said, trying to encourage her.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com