Chapter 20: An Overflow of Sympathy
Jie Jingjue stood below the window and asked in a low voice, "Fourth Brother, are you awake?"
"What is it?" Jie Jingchen opened the window.
"Fourth Brother, Aunt Zhang went back to her hometown. She won’t be back for a few days, and Jing Qi..."
"Enough. Mom told me yesterday. Don’t worry about Jing Qi. Your fourth sister-in-law and I are home. Just go to work and don’t worry." Jie Jingchen cut Jie Jingjue off, knowing what he was about to say.
"Heh, I was just worried you’d forget." Jie Jingjue chuckled and rubbed his nose. He helped Jie Jingchen close the window, then went to Jie Jingshan’s room to give her a few reminders before finally heading off to work, relieved.
Seeing that Qin Mei wasn’t awake, Jie Jingchen changed his clothes, went out to wash up, and then left the house.
The old Qin Mei used to go to bed early and wake up early, keeping a regular schedule. But since transmigrating here six months ago, she had developed the habit of sleeping in.
Mainly, in this era, besides sleeping, she really couldn’t find anything else to do.
Qin Mei was woken up by a full bladder. She didn’t want to get out of bed, but she had to.
She got up, slipped on her shoes, and started for the door with her hair a mess. After a few steps, a cool breeze on her chest made her stop. She looked down and saw that the top two buttons of her collar were undone. Her eyes flickered, and she quickly buttoned them up.
Qin Mei opened the door but didn’t rush out. She poked her head out first. Seeing no one, she made a dash for the toilet.
After using the toilet, Qin Mei walked back, looking around in all directions. She didn’t see a single soul and muttered, ’Where is everyone?’
’Did they go to work, or are they sleeping in?’
Qin Mei went back to her room, but instead of going back to sleep, she changed her clothes.
She put on a white shirt and black trousers. Instead of fastening the last button, she tied the shirttails in a knot at her waist, a look that was both casual and alluring. She threw on a jacket and casually put her hair up in a bun. The effect was pure and gentle, like a blooming snow lotus so beautiful it could steal one’s very soul.
BANG! A loud crash rang out, accompanied by the sound of a bowl shattering on the floor.
Startled, Qin Mei went out to check.
The noise had come from the room to the left. The room on the right was Jie Jingjue’s, so who lived on the left? Qin Mei was very curious.
"Jie Jingchen," Qin Mei called out. When no one answered, she raised her voice and called again. "Jie Jingchen."
Still no response. She concluded that Jie Jingchen wasn’t home.
’Did he go to work?’ Qin Mei’s expression darkened. ’Why won’t he listen to me? A back injury is no joke. It could affect his future... happiness in bed.’
Curiosity killed the cat. Qin Mei walked to the door of the room and gave it a token knock.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!
"May I come in?" Qin Mei asked. She wasn’t sure who was in the room and didn’t dare to just rush in. ’What if it’s Jie Jingchen’s older brother and sister-in-law?’
There was no response, so Qin Mei asked again, "Do you need help?"
Still no answer. Qin Mei raised an eyebrow. ’Did something happen to the person inside?’
After a moment’s thought, Qin Mei said with a frown, "If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes."
"Get out," a furious voice snapped. From the sound of it, she could tell it was a young woman.
At the same time, Qin Mei pushed the door open. A pungent, strange smell assaulted her nostrils, and she reflexively covered her nose. Inside the room, a young woman of about fourteen was sprawled miserably on the floor. A chamber pot lay tipped over beside her, its contents spilling out. Shards of a broken bowl, spilled congee, and two steamed buns were mixed in with the puddle of urine on the ground.
Qin Mei was about to make a sarcastic remark when she caught sight of a wheelchair in the corner. ’A disabled person?’ A wave of shame washed over her, and she wanted to slap herself.
’How could I have such a vicious thought?’
"Are you okay?" Qin Mei asked softly as she stepped into the room.
"Get out," Jie Jingshan roared.
"’Get out?’ Get out where? It’s just the two of us at home. In your state, can you handle this yourself?" Qin Mei had a temper, too. Sympathy was sympathy, and her temper was her temper; the two couldn’t be mixed.
"You get out! I don’t need your fake kindness." Jie Jingshan knew who Qin Mei was. Even though she hadn’t left her room, she knew what happened outside. Besides, her fourth brother had come to her room yesterday to tell her.
"Trust me, in your current situation, you really need my ’fake kindness’." Qin Mei crouched down, relieved that Jie Jingshan hadn’t gotten any urine on herself. Otherwise, she would have had to boil water to give her a bath.
"Just get out!" Jie Jingshan was only fourteen, after all. Being seen in such a pathetic state by Qin Mei filled her with indignation and anger, but even more so with a helpless sense of inferiority. Tears streamed uncontrollably from her eyes.
Although her legs were disabled, she would still show her claws when Qin Mei tried to force the issue. Just as Qin Mei reached out to help her up, sharp nails raked across the back of her hand.
"Ah!" Qin Mei cried out in pain and pulled her hand back. Looking at the three scratch marks on the back of her hand, she frowned deeply. Jie Jingshan thought Qin Mei was about to hit her and reflexively covered her head.
Jie Jingshan’s instinctive act of self-defense made Qin Mei’s heart ache. Ignoring the pain in her hand, she softened her tone. "You should trim your nails."
Qin Mei’s words left Jie Jingshan stunned.
"The floor is cold; you’ll catch a cold. Let me help you up," Qin Mei coaxed gently.
Jie Jingshan didn’t agree, but she didn’t refuse either. She just stared at Qin Mei, frozen like a statue.
Qin Mei took it as a tacit agreement and reached out. But before her hand could even touch Jie Jingshan, the girl grabbed it and bit down hard. It happened so fast that Qin Mei was bitten before she could react.
"Ah! Hey, let go! If you don’t let go right now, believe it or not, I’ll pull out your teeth," Qin Mei threatened.
Not only did Jie Jingshan not let go, she bit down even harder with a ferocity that seemed intent on tearing off a piece of flesh.
Qin Mei’s hand shot to her waist. ’Damn it, I’m not wearing my satchel. No silver needles.’ But her reaction was swift. Her left hand grabbed a fistful of Jie Jingshan’s hair while her right hand directly dislocated the girl’s jaw.
Jie Jingshan’s mouth hung open, drool trickling from the corners. She couldn’t move her mouth or speak. Even so, she glared at Qin Mei with eyes full of hostility, as if she could kill her with a look.
Qin Mei looked at the scratch and bite marks on the back of her hand. She really didn’t want to deal with this, but her sympathy was getting the better of her. ’Oh, forget it. I should be the bigger person. I’m eighteen... no, this body is eighteen, but I’m twenty-eight. Why am I squabbling with a fourteen-year-old girl?’
Qin Mei stood up and pushed the wheelchair in front of Jie Jingshan. "I’m going to help you into the wheelchair now," she said. "You are not to attack me again. Otherwise, I’ll dislocate both of your arms. And don’t look at me like that. Looks can’t kill."
Qin Mei’s threat frightened Jie Jingshan. She allowed Qin Mei to help her up and into the wheelchair, then push her out of the room.
To make it easier to move the wheelchair, Jie Jingshan’s room had no threshold.
Qin Mei pushed her under a tree but didn’t rush to reset her jaw.
’How dare she bite me? If I don’t teach her a little lesson, I wouldn’t be Qin Mei.’
Qin Mei saw a broom and dustpan in a distant corner. She hesitated for a long time before finally making a decision.
After sweeping the room, Qin Mei mopped the floor several times with water. Only when the pungent smell was gone was she satisfied. She opened the door and windows to air the place out.