NIP Chapter 384 - 140: A Shameless Family
Chapter 384 - 140: A Shameless Family
The two of them stopped.
"I’m going to use the restroom," Jie Jianjun said to the two people ahead of him. He turned and walked slowly toward the restroom.
As Jie Jianjun walked toward the restroom, he glanced around, trying to confirm who was in the house. He knew Jing Qi and Grandpa were inside, but he wasn’t sure about Jing Si’s wife and brother-in-law. His mother had said that Jing Si’s brother-in-law went to make a phone call, but it was unclear if he had returned.
As for Jing Si’s wife, it didn’t matter if she was there or not. In Jie Jianjun’s view, women had no right to speak. ’When men are discussing important matters, why should a woman butt in?’ Of course, his own mother was an exception.
It wasn’t just Zhang Hongyan; even Qiao Yanqiu never discussed matters with them. They only consulted with the eldest brother. All Qiao Yanqiu had to do was provide the money.
"This temper of mine... Am I really supposed to go out there and remind him?" Qin Xiang felt like he was going to lose it.
"Don’t be impulsive. Just wait," Qin Mei soothed. "The way Jie Jianjun was just looking around proves he hasn’t forgotten a thing. He probably knows what his own daughter is like, which is why he’s not confident. That’s why he didn’t make a big scene about Jie Jingchen the moment he walked in. He’s testing the waters."
’No, it’s not a test. He’s waiting for Jie Jingchen to bring it up first so he can see his attitude. Then he can properly assess the situation. What an old fox!’
’Jie Jianjun is an old fox, and Jie Jingchen is a young fox, but clearly a cut above his father.’
Since Jie Jianjun wouldn’t bring it up, Jie Jingchen just played dumb, making small talk right along with him. Neither of them got to the point. Even when Jie Jianjun was about to leave, Jie Jingchen didn’t stop him.
"Sis, I’m out of patience." Qin Xiang felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. "AAARGH! This is taking forever! Why can’t they just get it over with?"
"Are you this impatient when you’re on a mission?" Qin Mei asked curiously. ’It’s barely been any time at all, and he’s already lost his patience. I’m not a patient person myself, but Qin Xiang is even worse.’
"Heh." Qin Xiang rubbed his nose, thought for a moment, and spoke with some embarrassment. "I’m not calculating like Jing Si. That’s why whenever we’re on a mission together, he’s the commander, and I’m the one who carries out the orders."
Instead of mocking him, Qin Mei comforted him. "That’s normal. You aren’t good at what Jie Jingsi excels at, and he isn’t good at what you excel at."
Jie Jingchen was like a king, the kind who could command a battle from a thousand miles away, high above the clouds.
Qin Xiang grew even more embarrassed. "Heh, I’m not good at what Jing Si’s good at... but Jing Si is also good at what I’m good at."
Qin Mei paused for a moment, then reached out and patted Qin Xiang’s arm. "Jie Jingsi’s cooking isn’t as good as yours."
Qin Xiang was speechless. ’Sis, you really don’t have to try that hard to compliment me.’
After finishing in the restroom, Jie Jianjun came out and started looking around furtively again.
"Sis, look at him! That shifty, sneaky look on his face... he’s just asking for a punch. I can’t take it anymore, I’m going to go beat him up." Qin Xiang cracked his knuckles, ready to go out and do just that. He took two steps, but when he noticed Qin Mei wasn’t stopping him, he paused and turned to look at her sitting by the window. "Sis, aren’t you going to stop me?"
"If you want to go beat him up, then go. Why would I stop you? I’m sure he’s no match for you." Qin Mei finished gnawing on the duck head and started on the neck. The duck feet were still in Qin Xiang’s hands.
Qin Xiang froze, thought for a second, then said, "Never mind. A moment of patience prevents a world of trouble. If the conflict escalates, we’ll be in a very passive position."
"Are we not in a passive enough position already?" Qin Mei asked irritably. ’The initiative isn’t in our hands; it’s in Jie Jianjun’s. And Jie Jingchen is the one who handed it over to him.’
Qin Xiang fell silent, his gaze scrutinizing Qin Mei. ’My sister lost her memory, and her personality changed completely. The old her was even more hot-headed than I am. The sister I see now is calm and composed... It’s like she’s been completely reborn.’
’I’ve had a short fuse since I was a kid—the type to explode at the slightest spark. And my sister was usually the one holding the match.’
’For instance, if she was playing with her friends in the fields and they got into a fight, it didn’t matter who won or lost. As long as she came home to tattle to me, I wouldn’t even ask why. I’d just grab her hand, go find the other kid, and the two of us would team up to give them a beating.’
’Or if someone pulled out a single strand of her hair, I would absolutely beat them black and blue—even if she had already ripped a chunk of their scalp off, I’d still beat them.’
’The villagers used to say I was the Demon Lord of Mayhem, and my sister was a little devil.’
’I was unruly from a young age, and my parents couldn’t handle me, so they had no choice but to throw me into the army. Since they couldn’t control me, they let the country do it. My three older brothers even put in a word, telling everyone not to give me special treatment on their account. They said to treat me like any other soldier and punish me severely if I messed up.’