??60: Chapter 60: Lip Reading_1
60: Chapter 60: Lip Reading_1
“Let them gossip if they want; if they think I’m not decent or say I’m no good, then they’re only worthy of seeing my bad side,” Li Qiao said.
Qin Jin smiled, then asked, “Where did you get the pork?
Did you settle the accounts with the supply and marketing cooperative in advance to buy it?”
When he ca with the dry supplies on the weekend and offered her money, she refused to take it, insisting that he keep it for household expenses.
She said if there was no money, they could settle up at the supply and marketing cooperative.
“No, I’ll settle it later.
This is the reward I got for ranking first in the grade, and there’s also a two yuan cash prize,” Li Qiao boasted.
Qin Jin’s lips curled up.
“My wife is truly amazing.”
“We’ll buy a few more pounds of at later and send so to eldest sister and second sister.
Are you free tomorrow?” Li Qiao asked.
“I have to keep digging ditches for another five or six days,” Qin Jin estimated.
Li Qiao, unable to find the way to her sister’s village, changed her mind, “Then forget it, I don’t want to go alone.”
“Our village brigade and your eldest brother-in-law’s village brigade work close to each other; I can take it along the way,” Qin Jin said.
“Perfect, my eldest sister’s village is next to my second sister’s village, so she can have her husband take it along the way,” said Li Qiao.
After a week apart, the young couple had endless things to say, each responding line by line.
The wind was strong ahead, so Li Qiao sat behind Qin Jin and wrapped her arms around his waist.
He glanced down with a hint of a smile and stuffed her cold hand inside his cotton coat.
Li Qiao leaned on his back accordingly.
Their cart caught up with Li Jinhua, Liu Lanlan, and Zhao Li.
Li Qiao paid them no mind.
They had different paths and didn’t plan together.
Liu Lanlan said, “Are you and your third sister not talking at all now?
But your brother-in-law really is quite handso and tall, and he dresses so neatly.
When people ntioned Loser Qin, I thought he’d be like those aimless young n in our village, with untucked shirts, spiky hair, always holding a cigarette and shaking their leg, never looking proper.”
Li Jinhua watched this scene with mixed feelings.
She was hardworking and took care of the family, while Li Qiao was lazy, gluttonous, and selfish.
How was she better than herself?
Why was Qin Jin bewitched?
She cursed Qin Jin inwardly for having no taste and waited until Qin Jin’s cart was far away before saying, “He doesn’t look so proper when he’s hitting people.
Smoking and drinking, he’s done it all.
My third sister used to date soone before, and when she first married him, she often got beaten until her nose was blue and her face swollen.”
“Didn’t Li Qiao say she’s never been beaten?”
“Who would admit to being beaten?
It’s so embarrassing.
By the way, Li Jinhua, do you think your brother-in-law knows about your third sister’s close dealings with the educated youth?”
Zhao Li asked this; she had heard the gossip about Li Qiao and the village’s educated youth from Liu Lanlan.
“My third sister’s character should not allow her to do inappropriate things.
Since I’m not from the sa village, I don’t really understand the situation,” Li Jinhua purposefully defended Li Qiao first, then added that she wasn’t clear about Li Qiao’s situation, leaving the explanation vague enough to spur endless speculation.
“You shouldn’t be laughing and joking with other n though.
Even an outsider like
finds it inappropriate.
If she dated before marriage and didn’t know to restrain herself after, no wonder she got beaten—it’s well deserved,” Zhao Li said.
Li Jinhua replied, “I’ll talk to her when I have the chance; you all better not spread rumors.”
A few words were enough to label Li Qiao with the stigma of being flirtatious.
Good grades, bad reputation.
Whenever people talked about Li Qiao, they would scorn her—that was Li Jinhua’s goal.
As the three of them walked, Qin Jin’s cart stopped ahead.
Li Qiao got out first, said sothing to Qin Jin, and he left first.
Li Qiao walked back slowly, and as she approached, she angrily slapped Li Jinhua twice with a dark expression, “So, Li Jinhua, that’s how you talk about
and Qin Jin in front of our classmates!
You two can go to Feng Family Village and ask around if Qin Jin beats his wife!
There’s no need for hearsay here.
But you, Li Jinhua, have you forgotten so soon how Qin Jin hit you twice?
Let
remind you.
Once was because you tried to seduce him when I wasn’t there, even telling him you were a chaste virgin, very clean, suggesting that he should take you.
The second ti was during the New Year when we visited relatives.
Qin Jin and I hid in a haystack, and you spread rumors that I was with another man, and you personally brought your whole family to catch us in the act.
You almost crawled in yourself; did you see what we were doing?
Anyway, you scared him enough to be kicked out.
Later, you even tried to spike Qin Jin’s drink under the guise of apologizing, secretly putting sothing in my teacup.
What’s wrong, you wanted to drug
so that when he was drunk and stayed at your house, there would be no one to disturb you sneaking into his bed?”
She only understood this matter after thinking it over for a long ti later.
After drinking water, all she could think about that day was n.
She had her suspicions about the water, but couldn’t bring herself to believe it; after all, getting drugs was a challenge.
She just thought it was spring fever as the season turned.
But by the next day, she was fine.
Qin Jin probably saw through Li Jinhua’s intentions early on, hence why he said young ladies shouldn’t drink, and he made a point of ntioning that his own brothers didn’t drink either.
He deliberately provoked Li Shengcai to lose his temper and deal with Li Jinhua.
There she was, foolishly being manipulated by others.
Liu Lanlan and Zhao Li exchanged looks, wondering if this could be true or not.
Liu Lanlan suddenly thought of how Li Jinhua described Qin Jin.
At that ti, she found it odd how one could scrutinize their brother-in-law in such detail.
She had a brother-in-law as well, and even after several years of him being married to her sister, she still hadn’t looked closely at what her own brother-in-law looked like.
Li Jinhua was truly disgusting!
Li Jinhua covered her numb face, a panic rising in her heart, it was over!
With Liu Lanlan being a big mouth, everyone at school would know her business by tomorrow.
The damned Li Qiao, how could she have overheard their conversation?
Crying, she retorted, “Don’t talk nonsense!”
Li Qiao was fierce in her tone, “You know full well whether I’m talking nonsense or not!
Li Jinhua, let
tell you seriously, don’t think you can control
just because you have your dad backing you!
I can easily cut ties with him.
And you two, I can read lips, so the next ti you want to badmouth , rember to lower your heads.
If I catch you again, I’ll imdiately tell your targets, so be careful or they might co and turn your hos upside down.”
The three of them were left speechless.
Li Qiao could actually read lips!
Li Qiao snorted coldly and walked away.
….
Qin Jin was still unaware of Li Qiao’s situation; at the mont, he was holding the cooperative’s account books, his eyes curved from smiling.
Last week, Li Qiao had handed in 31 vases, and after deducting the cooperative’s share, there was still 5 yuan and 15 fen.
He had a good chat with Gao Dagang, calling each other brother.
Gao Dagang hinted at wanting to buy in bulk, planning to supply other co-ops.
Qin Jin said, “My wife has to go to school, so if we were to do it, we’d have to invite others in.
Let
discuss it with her first.”
“OK, there’s no rush,” Gao Dagang replied.
“Then, Brother Gao, let’s talk another day.”
“No need to be polite,” Gao Dagang said as he saw him out.
Qin Jin cycled out to pick up Li Qiao and discuss the matter with her.
Li Qiao planned to teach her sisters how to weave, as they couldn’t do much work at ho while looking after children, and life was certainly not easy for them.
She and Qin Jin bought so fruit and stopped by the pork shop to get six jin of pork.
Using her own five jin, she asked the owner to divide the pork into two portions of four jin each.
After that, she and Qin Jin headed ho.
Back at ho, Qin Jin went inside to change clothes.
Li Qiao distributed the gifts and inford Old Mrs.
Qin of the specific amount earned from selling the vases.
After setting aside the cost of the at and fruit, which totaled 4 yuan, and subtracting the vegetable money for the upcoming week, there was still 2 yuan and 55 fen left, which she handed over to Old Mrs.
Qin.
Old Mrs.
Qin did not accept it, “Jin gave so pocket money when she ca back from a trip a while ago; keep your money and buy yourself sothing nice to eat.”
Seeing that Old Mrs.
Qin truly didn’t want it, Li Qiao put the money back into her pocket.
“Also, I have so good news.
I got first in my grade in the monthly exams, and the school awarded
five jin of pork and two yuan in cash.”
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