How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 140: Graduation of the Male Virtue Class_1

Qin Jin came back with popsicles, holding a newspaper. His laughter was uncontained as he announced, "Qiaoqiao, you made it into the paper!"

Li Qiao replied calmly, "I knew it this morning! I was even planning to show you, but I totally forgot about it after returning from the trip to the countryside."

She took the red bean popsicle from Qin Jin’s hand, tearing off the wrapper and took a gentle bite.

It was refreshingly cold and rich with bean flavor.

"Mmm, this is delicious!"

Qin Jin smiled dotingly, "Greedy!"

Li Qiao agreed and disagreed at the same time. Her family’s pantry had never once run out of snacks, and the refrigerator was stocked with a huge tub of ice cream all year round. She would feel sick after only occasionally indulging in it.

Now, with nothing on hand, she found herself craving popsicles every day, and even those watermelon-shaped bubble gums.

Truly the delicacies of this world.

After finishing her popsicle, Li Qiao went back to her room for a nap.

When she woke up, the wall clock pointed to half-past two. The surrounding was eerily quiet when suddenly, voices came from outside.

Listening closely, it was Yan Xiaoyu from next door, tempting Qin Jin to work in the factory, "You’ll definitely earn more than your wife, and it’s stable too."

Qin Jin replied, "I appreciate the thought, but I don’t like being told what to do." He was self-aware; he had neither the skills nor the knowledge—why would anyone need him?

Moreover, he wasn’t fond of factory work. He knew a worker from a timber factory whose salary had almost doubled this year, and the number of workers had increased nearly by half, reportedly due to the higher-ups pushing for increased production.

He reckoned that when it’s time to cut back on production and staff, it would come without warning.

If he managed to get in through connections, wouldn’t he lose his job immediately at someone’s single command?

"Ew, bird poop!" A swallow flew overhead, and its droppings landed smack dab on Yan Xiaoyu’s shoulder. In desperation, she yelped, "Jin, can you get me some paper to wipe this off?"

Qin Jin’s eyes swept over her, his expression darkening.

He was supposed to help her wipe it off?

Who did she think he was?

He was about to curse at her.

The warning of Old Mrs. Qin resonated in his ears as if it were next to him, "You good-for-nothing! If you’ve offended all our neighbors in the old hometown, you must get along with those in the city, you hear me?"

With this in mind, he managed to hold back and responded with a cool smile, "Wouldn’t look too good if your boyfriend saw that, would it?"

The underlying message was to clean it up herself.

"Oh, come on, it’s just a shoulder. What’s the big deal? Hurry up," Yan Xiaoyu pressed, with a sweet, coquettish tone, as she gestured to push Qin Jin’s arm to urge him.

Qin Jin reflexively dodged backward, no longer able to contain himself, "If you’re feeling frisky, go find your own man to help you!"

The smile on Yan Xiaoyu’s face vanished, her embarrassment turning to mortification, "You—you—you! You’re speaking nonsense!"

"Buzz off! Ugly freak, don’t you have a mirror at home? Tell me, and I’ll give you one!"

Yan Xiaoyu, puffed up with anger, ran away crying.

Qin Jin continued to shout after her, "Just look at yourself. You’re like that line from my wife’s book, ’an unsellable product of the eighteenth century that got stuck unsold in the nineteenth century as well.’ Just what sins did you commit to end up with that face? And yet you have the nerve to walk around breathing fresh air with complete shamelessness?"

His voice was neither too loud nor too quiet, and probably everyone at home in the neighboring houses could hear.

Yan Xiaoyu sobbed. She seriously doubted he was even a man.

Never in her life had she been so insulted.

We’ll just wait and see! This isn’t over!

Li Qiao was taken aback, finding it unbelievable that he wouldn’t even accept a woman who threw herself at him. He must have graduated with honors in manhood.

And his way of insulting people—remarkably without the use of a single curse word.

She had seen those words in books but never thought to use them as insults herself.

He was incredible!

Qin Jin stormed back into the yard and chugged a cup of water furiously.

Dammit!

Always bumping into oddballs!

Upon entering the house, Li Qiao pretended she had just woken up, yawning as she said, "Jin, are you home?"

"Yeah, it’s cooler in the countryside at night."

Li Qiao got up to tidy her bed-head hair, used the bathroom, and then waited for Qin Jin to lock up. They got in his car and left.

Passing by Yan Xiaoyu’s house, Li Qiao deliberately peered into the yard, which was deserted, with the main house door closed.

Crying at home, huh?

Deserved it!

Flirting when you already have someone!

Li Qiao shifted her gaze and noticed Qin Jin’s back was damp with a small patch of sweat. "Jin, it’s hot, so don’t bother coming to find me tomorrow. My colleague, Ma Ling, also lives in the countryside. After work, I’ll catch a ride on the shuttle bus and travel part of the way with her."

It took two seconds for Qin Jin to reply, "I’m worried you’re too outstanding and that you’ll attract some other excellent comrade who’ll flirt with you. If I don’t keep an eye on you, what if you get hooked? What am I going to do then?"

Li Qiao laughed heartily, now playing the worrywart. "What can I do? You’re liked by me."

Qin Jin’s lips curled in a smile.

...

Li Qiao started a casual conversation, and the two of them chatted all the way home.

Qin Jin stopped the car and handed a newspaper to Old Mrs. Qin.

Old Mrs. Qin, unable to contain her joy upon reading the content, exclaimed, "Ah! Qiaoqiao is so amazing."

She went about showing the newspaper to everyone around.

The villagers, illiterate and not understanding what was written, clamored for Old Mrs. Qin to read it out loud. After listening, they all praised Li Qiao for being so promising.

Old Mrs. Qin was bursting with pride.

When the team heard that Li Qiao’s achievements made the newspaper, they flipped through the papers delivered by the paperboy today. Indeed, they found the page about Li Qiao, immediately cut it out, framed it with glass, and hung it in the most conspicuous place of the main hall. They also told the team leader to inform Li Qiao that from now on, she would be in charge of the village accounts.

Li Qiao was resolute, "It’s my duty to do what I can for the villagers."

"That’s the high consciousness of our Top Scholar."

Yu Feng overheard this and jumped in, "You doing the accounts? Are you going to mix personal grievances with official business?"

"What are you talking about?" Qin Jin’s voice was cool and ghostly as it crept into Yu Feng’s head.

"I, I, want to hit someone? Your wife is a Top Scholar now. If you hit someone, it’ll definitely damage her image," Yu Feng used Li Qiao’s status as a shield.

Qin Jin snorted coldly. Earlier that day, after finishing spreading fertilizer on two fields, he’d heard about Yu Feng bullying his grandmother and wife the day before. He immediately wanted to seek revenge on Yu Feng. His grandmother adamantly stopped him, using this very reason.

But he couldn’t swallow this insult—no way!

Just let him wait!

Li Qiao, afraid that the situation wouldn’t escalate, said, "I don’t care about the image of Top Scholar."

Upon hearing this, Qin Jin clenched his fists and stood up.

Yu Feng turned and ran, rushing home to lock his main door.

His comical behavior drew laughter from the neighbors who had come to visit.

....

The news of Li Qiao making the newspaper spread through the nearby villages overnight.

The next morning, quite a few people came to visit, having heard the news, and brought gifts.

Li Qiao was held up by everyone and missed the early bus, not arriving at the department until nine-thirty.

Xun Dong breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing her, "I thought you didn’t want to work anymore." He had already prepared to visit her home and talk her round.

Li Qiao was full of apologies, "I was delayed by something today. By the way, has the identity of yesterday’s victim been confirmed?"

"It’s been confirmed. She was from Jiangpu Village, named Cao Daping. She disappeared four days ago after reporting that she would be returning to her mother’s home. Folks say she was kind and honest in her dealings," said Xun Dong, summarizing Cao Daping’s situation and showing her the autopsy report.

There was a fatal wound on the head.

Distinct bruising on the lower back.

No sign of sexual activity before the incident; the only thing under her nails was mud—no skin tissue.

This case was proving to be a tricky one.

"What’s your take?" asked Xun Dong.

Li Qiao pondered for a moment, "Based on the scene, we can be sure that the murderer was someone she knew and trusted. So, if I were the victim, aside from my partner, no one could lure me into a cornfield."

Ma Ling couldn’t help snickering.

Li Qiao asked seriously in return, "Am I wrong? If it isn’t for investigating a case and looking for clues, Director Xun, if in good faith you ask her to follow you to a cornfield, or Xu Feng asks her, would she go?"