Chapter 22.1

Seeing that Qin Qingman remained silent and showed no sign of a response, Qin Xiang, along with Li Meina and Yao Chunying, grew anxious.

Leaning heavily on their crutches, the three women, disregarding any pride or face, lowered their heads once more and said to Qin Qingman, “Qingman, we know we were wrong. Please forgive us this one time; we won’t dare to do it again in the future.”

Their apology wasn’t actually directed at Qin Qingman herself; it was because of Qian Xiangyang.

The fact that Qian Xiangyang had suggested they divorce showed just how furious the Security Officer must have been, or else he wouldn’t have said such a thing.

Qin Qingman’s gaze shifted to Qin Xiang and her two aunts.

Thoughts raced through her mind, recalling how these people had schemed against the original Qin Qingman while following behind Zhu Hongxia.

Remembering all the grievances and injustices suffered by the original person, Qin Qingman’s eyes misted up slightly.

The tears weren’t entirely her own; she knew they were tied to the feelings of the original Qin Qingman.

“Let’s hope Aunt and Auntie will live up to their word.”

Qin Qingman knew it was wise to stop here. Qian Xiangyang had only helped her as part of his efforts to improve the atmosphere in the village; he likely didn’t genuinely want divorces to start happening among the villagers.

“Of course we’ll keep our word, Qingman. Don’t worry. The money and grain I owe your family—I’ll repay it all as soon as we have a harvest next year,” Qin Xiang vowed, fully prepared to sacrifice her pride to win Qin Qingman’s trust.

Offering voluntarily made her seem more magnanimous than if she’d waited to be asked.

Li Meina and Yao Chunying, surprised by Qin Xiang’s generosity, quickly caught on and chimed in with their own promises. “Qingman, it’s the same for both our families. We’ll pay back what we owe next year once we’ve had a good harvest. Everything will be repaid. Plus, we’ll also take care of the firewood your family needs for next year. We’ll chop and prepare it for you.”

Qin Qingman was quite satisfied with the three women’s willingness to adapt to the situation.

She broke into a gentle smile. “Aunt, Aunties, there’s no need for you to chop the firewood. Your families go through a lot in winter, and gathering wood takes time and effort. I think it’s best to leave it be. It’s cold—why don’t you go inside and rest, recover from your injuries quickly, and enjoy a good New Year.”

Seeing the smile on Qin Qingman’s face, Qin Xiang immediately understood that this was a case of her yielding only to gain an advantage.

Forcing a smile, Qin Xiang couldn’t help but add, “Qingman, in the past, it was Aunt’s fault. I’ve realized now that we’re all family; the same blood flows through us. If family members don’t support each other, aren’t we worse than strangers? Don’t worry; your uncle and I are still able-bodied, and chopping firewood is no problem. We’ll handle the firewood for your family next year. You just stay home and take good care of Chuchu.”

“Aunt, how… how could I possibly accept that?” Qin Qingman responded with a slight, feigned hesitation.

“Oh, there’s nothing to feel bad about. It’s only right for elders to look after the younger generation. Chuchu is still young, and you’re a young woman. There’s no need for you to take on such heavy work. We’ll handle it since, after all, we’re family.” Qin Xiang, swallowing her pride along with her grievances, forced herself to keep smiling.

Seeing that the formalities had been spoken to a satisfactory extent, Qin Qingman decided to make it easy for them. “Then I’ll trouble you, Aunt, and both Aunts,” she said, taking advantage of the moment.

Qin Xiang and the others had made their promises in front of the entire village and Qian Xiangyang, the Security Officer, so Qin Qingman wasn’t worried about them going back on their word next year.

Finally seeing that Qin Qingman was willing to let go of the past, Qin Xiang, Li Meina, and the rest truly breathed a sigh of relief. In their forties now, none of them wanted a divorce. Whether they lived alone or returned to their own families, life would be tough, and the children would suffer even more. People are biased, and few stepmothers genuinely care for the children of their predecessors.

The daughters who had been supporting their mothers with trembling hands were terrified that their parents might actually divorce. Now, seeing that Qian Xiangyang wasn’t bringing up the topic of divorce anymore, they, too, finally let out a sigh of relief.

Staying by their biological mother’s side was far better than living under a stepmother’s roof. Hadn’t they seen how bitterly the girls in the village with stepmothers lived, as if their lives were soaked in the taste of bitter melon?

Qian Xiangyang watched as Qin Qingman reconciled with Li Meina and the others, giving her a second, more admiring glance. This young comrade had a strong sense of propriety and understood his intentions well. She was indeed talented. Thinking about how the Old Qin Family had mistreated this girl, he shifted his gaze to Qin Lei’s face.

Qin Lei, who had been trying to minimize his presence all along, felt Qian Xiangyang’s gaze and felt a chill sweep over him.

“Director… Director, no matter her faults are, my wife has managed our household and given me three children. I don’t want a divorce. Hongxia has wronged Qingman, and I apologize to Qingman on her behalf. I’ll accept any punishment, just… please, can we avoid divorce?” Qin Lei looked at Qian Xiangyang with a pitiful expression.

Perhaps due to the cold, he was hunched and even had a bit of a runny nose.

Qin Lei appeared both pitiful and rather pathetic.

Qian Xiangyang’s brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at Qin Qingman with a hint of hesitation.

Qin Qingman, being the injured party, had the final say in whether or not to forgive them. With this in mind, Qian Xiangyang glanced at Wei Ling, who stood next to Qin Qingman. Wei Ling was a striking man, one with both presence and real power. Part of the reason Qian Xiangyang had helped Qin Qingman today was indeed to improve the village atmosphere, but the other part was because of Wei Ling.

Otherwise, why hadn’t they intervened earlier in Qin Qingman’s situation?

Wei Ling, of course, noticed Qian Xiangyang’s gaze. After a moment’s thought, he leaned close to Qin Qingman and whispered, “Qingman, whatever decision you make, I will support you. You don’t have to compromise yourself or Chuchu.”

He was a fiercely protective person, both in this life and his past one.

The feeling of being protected filled Qin Qingman with strength. She knew that any punishment for Zhu Hongxia couldn’t be given lightly and taken back easily; as long as Zhu Hongxia didn’t truly realize her mistakes, she would continue scheming against her behind the scenes.

“Qingman, I’m begging you. Second Uncle is begging you. Please forgive your Second Aunt this once,” Qin Lei pleaded, realizing from Qian Xiangyang’s attention on Wei Ling that he knew who he should appeal to. “Your Second Aunt was foolish, but I’ll make sure she never makes you angry again. Just be generous and forgive her this time.”

“Second Uncle, from now on, let’s sever ties between our two families. We’ll mind our own business,” Qin Qingman replied after careful consideration.

In the original storyline, Zhu Hongxia was not a good person, and Qin Caiyun was difficult to get along with. Qin Qingman decided to sever their ties today to prevent her family from being implicated in any future troubles that might arise from theirs.

As for any notion of sending Zhu Hongxia to prison, that was unrealistic. As long as Zhu Hongxia lived in Kaoshan Village, Qin Qingman couldn’t disregard the positions of the village secretary and Qian Xiangyang. These two would never allow a resident of the village to be labeled a criminal and sent to jail.

Qin Qingman gave her answer, and everyone around looked at her in astonishment. No one had expected her to be so resolute and decisive.

Even Qian Xiangyang was somewhat baffled. Families in the village were all interconnected, and maintaining ties was generally seen as better than cutting them off. But this Qingman girl actually wanted to cut ties with her own uncle’s family.

However, remembering how her uncles had treated her after her parents’ deaths, Qian Xiangyang decided to withhold any opinion.

“You really want to cut ties?” Qin Lei looked at Qin Qingman, bewildered.

What kind of punishment was this? Even if they didn’t officially sever ties, their families were already distant and had little interaction anyway.

Without concern for whether Qin Lei understood or not, Qin Qingman nodded firmly. “Yes. I’d like the two directors present to act as witnesses. From today onward, our two families are no longer related. We will have no further interactions in this lifetime.”

She was doing this to seek justice for the original Qin Qingman.

If Zhu Hongxia had been lucky enough to survive being attacked by a wild boar, then it was by fate alone. In the future, Qin Qingman wouldn’t target Zhu Hongxia intentionally, as long as Zhu Hongxia didn’t provoke her.

“Agree to it! Cut her off! Without Qin Qingman, we can still live just fine!” shouted Zhu Hongxia.

Zhu Hongxia, supported by Qin Caiyun, wobbled to the doorway and yelled furiously in their direction. She practically shouted these words with every ounce of her strength.

As soon as she finished, she clutched her chest and began to cough uncontrollably.

“Mother, let’s go back inside,” Qin Caiyun who was supporting Zhu Hongxia said with a blank expression.

The scratch marks from a goose on her scalp were covered by a hat, keeping them hidden from both the wind and the gaze of the crowd. But her heart had died the moment her parents had sold her out by retracting her engagement to get their son a job.

“Let her cut ties if she wants, husband. We don’t need her,” Zhu Hongxia remarked once more to Qin Lei, her voice carrying finality as she prepared to head back inside.

Qin Lei turned back and looked at Qin Qingman.

“Director, since Zhu Hongxia has agreed, from now on, there will be no connection between our family and theirs. Neighbors, please don’t compare our families anymore,” Qin Qingman said, seeing clearly that Zhu Hongxia felt no remorse.

Since both parties were willing, Qian Xiangyang nodded in agreement. He could pressure Qin Lei to admit fault, but he couldn’t control people’s hearts. Since Zhu Hongxia bore no sentiment toward family ties, he felt there was no need to get further involved in the Qin family’s affairs.

He couldn’t help but think Zhu Hongxia was rather short-sighted. She assumed that her sons’ jobs were secured and acted boldly, but she didn’t realize that jobs could be arranged as easily as they could be taken away.

Without someone strong to support the family, it was difficult to stand tall.

“Father, let’s go home.”

With Zhu Hongxia’s agreement to cut ties with Qin Qingman’s family, Qin Lei and his family saw no need to linger and risk more humiliation. Qin Jianming and Qin Jiangu carried Qin Lei as they made their way back home.

At this point, Zhu Laoda and Liu Rong also took their leave, departing Kaoshan Village with nothing but embarrassment.

Along the way, they blamed one another, and most of the complaints were aimed at Zhu Laoda.

He was frustrated, too, but since his family’s trouble had been caused by his sister, he had no choice but to bear it.

At the entrance of Qin Qingman’s home, the crowd, seeing that the drama was over, began heading back as Qian Xiangyang urged them on.

They stomped their feet as they walked; watching in the snow was no small feat. Any longer, and their toes might have gone numb.

Seeing that the matter had come to a satisfactory close, Qin Qingman felt pleased. She glanced at Qin Lei, who was being helped home by his two sons, and murmured a few words to Wei Ling. Then, she called out to Qin Xiang and her two aunts.

“Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, please wait a moment.”

Qin Xiang and the others, who had been preparing to leave with the help of their daughters, immediately turned to her with tense expressions.

Even the villagers who had started heading home turned back to look.

Everyone was curious as to why Qin Qingman had called out to Qin Xiang and the others. Could it be that she intended to make things more difficult for them?

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Wei Ling walked over to Qin Qingman holding three large pieces of meat.

Each piece looked substantial, roughly estimated at seven or eight jin (approximately 3.5 to 4 kg). In an era when each person was allotted only about twenty jin of meat per year, this was an impressive gift. Though rural families might secretly raise a few chickens or geese in their backyards to add some variety to their meals, and could occasionally get a bit more meat when the village slaughtered a pig during the holidays, they still rarely had much meat.

Only hunter families tended to eat more meat regularly.

Envy filled the crowd.

The same neighbors who had once secretly laughed at Qin Xiang and her relatives now looked at them with envy. A simple apology to a younger relative, and they received meat. Others wished they had younger family members who could provide them with such gifts.

In that moment, every gaze directed at Qin Qingman brimmed with admiration. Some people even cast discreet glances at Wei Ling.

Many wondered if Wei Ling might have any unmarried comrades who could be introduced to their daughters. This thought was clearly shared by quite a few.

However, everyone looked at Qin Qingman’s face and could only sigh inwardly. Qin Qingman was beautiful and well-educated, and for Wei Ling to be drawn to him was indeed a testament to his charm. None of the daughters in their village could compare to Qin Qingman.

Qin Xiang didn’t realize that the villagers were envying her at that moment. She was staring wide-eyed at the meat, unable to believe that Qin Qingman was actually giving it to her. “Qing… Qingman, what do you mean by this?” she asked, startled.

Li Meina and Yao Chunying shared her disbelief.

The three girls who were supporting their mothers could barely contain their excitement, their mouths watering as they looked at the meat.

Qin Qingman noticed the astonishment in Qin Xiang’s eyes and calmly took the meat from Wei Ling, dividing it up piece by piece among the three women. “Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, we’re family. Let the past misunderstandings be carried away by the wind. From today on, let’s be as close as family should be.”

Qin Qingman’s words were so gracious, but what pleased Qin Xiang and the others more was the meat in their hands.

Despite it being frozen, they held the meat tightly, deeply satisfied, and gazed at Qin Qingman’s family with newfound warmth.

Sometimes, people are like that—a small kindness, a bit of food, and the resentment in one’s heart can simply dissolve.

“Qingman, if you need anything in the future, just tell us, Auntie here won’t hesitate to help as long as we have what you need,” Qin Xiang said, feeling a warm glow spread through her heart, even making her injuries feel less painful.

True feelings are often reciprocated in the simplest ways.

“Then I won’t hold back in the future, Aunt and Aunts,” Qin Qingman replied, reading the situation well and knowing when to offer kindness. “Aunt, Third Aunt, Fourth Aunt, it’s cold—go home quickly and rest. Once you’re well, come over and visit.”

“Alright, we’ll head home now.”

Qin Xiang took a long look at Qin Qingman before turning around with a smile on her face.

In the distance, Qin Lei, who hadn’t yet entered his house, saw Qin Qingman giving meat to Qin Xiang and the others so freely, and he felt even more bitter. If only his wife would lower her head to Qingman, would their family have meat to eat today, too?

Qin Jianming and his brother shared the same thought.

Both brothers were craving meat, watching with envy as Qin Zhenzhu and her group received it while they had none, and they began to blame Zhu Hongxia.

They even wished they could kneel before Qin Qingman and apologize on their mother’s behalf.

Grrrr—

Suddenly, the sound of a stomach growling loudly broke the silence, quickly followed by two more rumbling stomachs.

“Mother, are we going to Second Uncle’s house?” Qin Zhenzhu asked, supporting Li Meina and staring longingly at the meat in her mother’s arms.

“Silly, why would we go to your Second Uncle’s house? Don’t we have a place to stay?” Li Meina replied, scolding her daughter playfully while happily clutching the meat. If she went to Zhu Hongxia’s house now, she’d never keep hold of this precious meat.

Qin Xiang and Yao Chunying were having similar conversations with their daughters.

In the distance, Qin Jianming and his brother overheard this exchange and turned red with anger.

“Father, Aunt and the others are being too much! When they were injured, they used our warm beds. Now they have meat and are rushing home. They’re treating us like fools, just using us and tossing us aside,” said young Qin Jianjun, openly voicing his dissatisfaction without hesitation.

Qin Lei didn’t have time to cover his youngest son’s mouth before the words drifted over on the breeze, reaching Qin Xiang and the others.

Qin Xiang and Li Meina were immediately displeased.

With a darkened expression, Qin Xiang raised her voice, saying, “Second Brother, how do you teach your children? What’s this about ‘mooching off your heated beds’? Let’s not forget it was Second Sister-in-law who attracted the wild boar in the first place, and now you’re talking as if us staying at your place for a day to heal was something shameful?”

Li Meina looked sternly at Qin Jianjun, her tone hard. “Second Brother, whenever your family needed help, my husband didn’t hesitate. Now you’re saying that staying one night on your bed was mooching? If we’re really keeping track, then let’s tally up all the times we’ve helped each other and see who owes whom.”

“That’s right,” added Yao Chunying, seething. “This summer, when you twisted your ankle, my Qin Shi didn’t hesitate to help out at your place. It was Third Brother and my Qin Shi who filled in for you on work points. And now that Qin Shi isn’t here, you’re bullying us like this? Talking as if we’re taking advantage of your bed! Do I need your few pieces of firewood? If you truly feel we cost you wood while we healed, fine—I’ll send Huihui over to bring it back to you.”

Yao Chunying nearly choked with fury at Qin Jianjun’s words.

Sensing the rising anger, Qin Lei hurriedly patted Qin Jianjun on the back and tried to explain, “Aunties, please don’t be mad. Jianjun is young and doesn’t know how to speak respectfully. Please don’t hold it against a child. You resting in our home was our duty, really; we’re family, let’s not speak as strangers.”

“Oh, Second Brother,” Yao Chunying replied with a mocking tone, “I don’t dare accept your words about being ‘family.’ We considered you as such, but clearly, we’re outsiders to you. Even just healing in your home made us ‘moochers,’ as if my Qin Shi wasn’t capable of providing.”

With that, Yao Chunying turned on her heel, taking her daughter Qin Huihui back to their own home.

Soon, she would send Huihui to gather their bedding from her Second Uncle’s house—she had her own home; there was no need to be subjected to such treatment.

“Fourth Aunt, don’t go. I’ll have Jianjun apologize to you,” Qin Lei pleaded, but all he received was Yao Chunying’s unyielding, retreating back. Left with no choice, he turned his gaze to Qin Xiang.

Qin Xiang was his own sister, surely she wouldn’t hold this against him.

But though Qin Xiang didn’t openly argue with Qin Lei, her expression had turned sour. To be accused of “mooching” the beds by a youngster was highly offensive. Clearly, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law had spoken this way around the children; otherwise, young Jianjun wouldn’t have spoken so disrespectfully.

“Youngest Sister,” Qin Lei ventured uneasily, sensing that things were turning sour.

“Second Brother, my injury hurts. I need to go lie down,” Qin Xiang said, avoiding harsh words but choosing to leave.

As for Li Meina, she had already left with her daughter while Qin Lei was speaking to Qin Xiang.

She had her own home, and it wasn’t as if she lacked wood to warm her bed. She had stayed at Qin Lei’s house to heal only because she was carried there directly from the mountain and treated there. Moving about was inconvenient, and she thought that staying together while healing would be more lively and comforting. She never expected to be called a “mooch.”

Those words cut deep.

The three women didn’t bother with Qin Lei and walked away.

Faced with an irreparable rift, Qin Lei felt a chill in his heart.

“Father…” Qin Jianjun’s voice trembled. He knew he had caused trouble.

“You ungrateful boy! No one would think you were mute if you kept your mouth shut.” Qin Lei’s rebuke was accompanied by a resounding slap.

“Father.” Qin Jianjun covered his face, a trace of resentment flashing in his eyes.

He didn’t think he was wrong. After all, these were things his parents often muttered about in private; he had simply voiced them. And most importantly, if his parents had more capability, they, too, would be able to eat meat today.

Inside the house, Zhu Hongxia had already heard everything that had happened outside. She knew that this was Qin Qingman’s revenge on her.

Initially, she had gritted her teeth and held back, but seeing Qin Lei slap Qin Jianjun ignited her anger. “Husband, why are you hitting Jianjun? Even if he spoke wrongly, don’t the older relatives have their own little schemes too? A piece of meat revealing true character—what’s the point of having family like that?”

“Wife, do you truly want to be isolated, with no one left to speak to you?” Qin Lei entered the bedroom, looking at Zhu Hongxia sternly.

Zhu Hongxia wanted to retort, but with no one else around, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of anxiety. She pulled the quilt over her head to hide her turmoil.

The happiness she had once felt being treated warmly by her sister-in-law and her two sister-in-laws was now gone, replaced by bitter regret.

She never wanted to grow apart from Li Meina and the others—it was they who distanced themselves from her, blaming her, resenting her for the humiliation they felt due to her unwillingness to bend to Qin Qingman.

Qin Lei looked at Zhu Hongxia, her face hidden under the quilt, and couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh. With a deep sigh, he left the room to sit by the fire in the hall.