How I Tamed My Wolfish Husband Back in 80s-Chapter 158 - 160: Expectation_1

For dinner, Old Mrs. Qin made large flatbreads with fermented dough, braised fish, and stir-fried baby bok choy.

The reddish-brown fish was adorned with jade-green spring onions and bright red facing heaven peppers, which just by looking at it, would make anyone’s mouth water. Li Qiao’s craving was hooked, and clutching her chopsticks, she took big bites: "So fragrant."

"Be careful of bones," Old Mrs. Qin smiled warmly.

Li Qiao grinned foolishly. She had eaten early in the afternoon and had already become hungry before finishing work, absolutely unable to slow down.

After their meal, she and Qin Jin went out for a stroll to help digest, and unwittingly ended up at the Youth Spot.

Du Xinxin and Han Ting had just left, and the Youth Spot’s sign was removed and replaced with the Brigade Office sign. The once bustling courtyard now felt empty and quiet.

"The village acts so quickly. Where will they stay at the end of the year to settle their accounts?"

Qin Jin: "Why would they come from so far? Won’t they just write you a letter, asking you to help them mail the money over?"

Li Qiao felt a touch of melancholy: "There really isn’t a banquet in this world that doesn’t end."

Qin Jin: "Want to bet on it?"

Li Qiao confused: "Bet on what?"

"Bet whether they will come back or write to you asking to mail the money. Let’s wager the number of children we’ll have in the future."

Li Qiao followed his idea: "I won’t bet. If the firstborn isn’t a boy, I won’t have one. If it’s a girl, I’ll have another one, and if that’s still a girl, then I’ll adopt a boy."

It wasn’t that she favored boys over girls.

It was just that in this era, not having a son was terrifying.

Qin Jin had made two blunders, and Yu Feng wished she could swallow her and her grandmother alive.

There was also a woman from the east end of the village, who after moving in had a girl, and then her husband died. Her house was taken by her uncles, and she and her daughter were driven out.

Even the Brigade’s mediators couldn’t resolve it, they were just that barbaric and overbearing.

Even though she had an education and wasn’t afraid of being bullied, there was another saying: ’cutting off the family line.’

If she and Qin Jin had a silly daughter, wouldn’t all their hard work eventually be plotted and taken away by outsiders?

Therefore, it was necessary to have a boy at home to hold the fort.

Qin Jin disagreed: "Another’s child can’t be raised like your own. I only want daughters, ten or eight, I won’t mind. In the future, we can take in a son-in-law. If he’s not good, we can replace him, but a son can’t be replaced."

Li Qiao had an epiphany, what an unusual angle! But ten or eight was too many; she couldn’t give birth to that many. "One is not enough? I’ll only have one." Having too many children wasn’t conducive to raising them well.

No, wait. He liked daughters. Hadn’t he sworn before that he would take the bridal price for eight daughters?

Qin Jin lowered his gaze, with malicious intent fixed on her flat stomach, how many children they would have was still up to him to decide, wasn’t it?

....

The next day, Qin Jin called a bunch of brothers to help renovate the courtyard’s kitchen.

Zhu Changsheng visited with his parents-in-law to plead for Yan Xiaoyu and voluntarily offered to take responsibility for the Qin family’s losses.

Qin Jin was unmoved: "I don’t want money, I want her in jail!" If Qiaoqiao hadn’t wanted to go home because she couldn’t see the movie that evening, forget about finding evidence and arresting someone, the house would have been left with nothing but a shell. He was even more grateful that he was with her. What if she had been alone at home when the fire started at night?

He didn’t even dare to think about it.

What Yan Xiaoyu did was unforgivable even if she were shot.

Mrs. Yan tried to say nice things, and in her agitation, she knelt down: "Young man, as neighbors, I beg you to be the bigger person and let her go, will you? Auntie begs you."

Qin Jin was impervious: "Did she spare me?" First ruining his reputation, then setting his house on fire. If it were anyone else in the village, he would have beaten her eight times a day. "Hurry up and leave! Don’t delay me from working."

When softness didn’t work on Mr. and Mrs. Yan, they tried a tougher approach and made a scene in the courtyard.

Qin Jin barely perceptibly twitched his nose, his expression darkening. He was always the only one to pull such stunts; it wasn’t someone else’s turn. "Are you sure you won’t leave? Fine! Brothers, let’s take the gongs and drums and spread the scandalous affairs of Yan Xiaoyu flirting with other men everywhere. And you," Qin Jin pointed at Zhu Changsheng, "Is your job going too smoothly? You’re pathetic, keeping a woman with clear evidence of infidelity; don’t you find a green hat on your head too little to wear? Don’t you find it disgusting?"

Zhu Changsheng shivered with shame. He had been called in by the factory head multiple times because of Yan Xiaoyu, and if this incident caused more trouble, he feared he might indeed lose his job.

He promptly persuaded his parents-in-law to leave.

In the following days, Zhu Changsheng and his parents-in-law did not come to visit again.

Qin Jin restored the kitchen and commissioned someone to make new bowl cabinets and a dining table, agreeing to deliver in a month.

...

Feng Family Village.

It was dark on Friday when the sound of dogs barking echoed through the courtyard.

"Jin, it’s time to go." It was Feng Fugui. ƒreewebηoveℓ.com

"Coming." Qin Jin got up and got ready.

Li Qiao was also up, helping him organize his clothes for changing, and he mentioned that this trip north might even be farther than Beijing. It was now August, and who knew whether the far north would be cold; she packed a coat into the luggage, then went outside to wash up and brush her teeth.

Qin Jin had already finished washing up and told Li Qiao to wait for his return before moving back into the courtyard house. He checked his luggage to ensure nothing was missing, then picked it up, ready to leave with Feng Fugui and Li Jianguo waiting outside the gate.

Li Qiao asked, "Aren’t you going to eat?"

"I can eat just the same outside."

Li Qiao took out her treasured five-cent lucky coin, "Jin, wait a moment, I want to give you this. When Li Jinhua hit me with a brick, I ducked down to pick up this coin and avoided a disaster. I’m giving it to you to serve as a talisman."

Qin Jin casually put it in his trouser pocket, but feeling that wasn’t right, he took it out and placed it in the pocket over his chest. A wife’s gift, even scraps of iron would do, had to be kept where he could see it. "Well, I’m off." He leaned close and pecked her forehead.

Li Qiao boldly gave him a lingering kiss goodbye.

"What’s this fawning for when I’m about to leave?" Qin Jin complained. She wouldn’t even let him touch her more last night, and the more he thought about it, the angrier he got, lifting his foot as if to kick.

After a cough startled Qin Jin into retracting his foot, he hurriedly explained, "Grandma, I was just playing with Qiaoqiao, not trying to hit her."

"Get lost."

Qin Jin: "...."

Suppressing a laugh, Li Qiao found the single unfeeling word amusing.

Only after Qin Jin rode off did Old Mrs. Qin step outside, looking satisfiedly at Li Qiao, knowing that her hope for a great-grandson still depended on her granddaughter-in-law.

That boy, big and tall, was actually of no real use!

With a kind, benevolent expression, she said, "Qiaoqiao, you must be hungry, I’ll make some food for you, and boil a couple of eggs to nourish you."

Li Qiao smiled, "One will be enough."

She washed the clothes she had worn the night before, swept the courtyard, fed the chickens and ducks, and after tidying up, it was nearly time to go to work. She grabbed her green kettle and walked towards the road.

By the time she got to the minibus stop, she ran into Cai Hechuan and his mother also waiting for the bus, accompanied by Li Dadao, Li Xiaonan, and Li Fang.

The three behind them greeted her.

"Qiaoqiao, heading to work, huh? Why didn’t Qin Jin drop you off?"

Remembering the breeding farm exam that day, Li Qiao smiled, "He’s busy, and I can catch a ride just fine. How did your review go?"

"I haven’t cracked open a book in a year or two, and I’ve forgotten so much. So many people signed up and they’re only hiring two. I have no confidence at all."

"Have a little faith. If the breeding farm doesn’t work out, there’s also the tobacco factory. They are starting hiring exams too. There are five positions available there, though it might be tougher than the breeding farm," Li Qiao suggested.

Having heard about the tobacco factory, Li Fang knew it paid more than some officials. Getting in there could mean marrying a worker and living a secure life without worries about food and drink. "That’s great. Take us to sign up later, okay?"

Li Qiao readily agreed, "No problem."

Ever since Li Qiao had become the Top Scholar, He Qiurong had been worried about possible revenge and now treated her with courtesy, "Qiaoqiao, it’s almost school time, right?"

Li Qiao’s smile didn’t reach her eyes, remembering the insults and slander she had endured from this woman, whose attitude changed once Li Qiao had gained some recognition.

And there was that time, when she was in the limelight and her home was filled with guests.

Old Mrs. Qin said that after living in Feng Family Village for so many years, she didn’t realize they had made so many friends.

Such is human nature!

She had certainly seen it all now.

Li Qiao ignored He Qiurong and unscrewed her little green kettle to take a couple of sips of water.