Ch 7: Reborn to Raise My Husband

Qi Beinan saw Xiao Yuanbao’s pitiful little face and immediately set down his chopsticks to try and comfort him—but before he could speak, Xiao Yuanbao had already finished his meal, slid down from the table, and wouldn’t respond no matter how he called.

The child went straight back to his room.

Qi Beinan hurried after him, but as soon as he entered, Xiao Yuanbao slipped into the cabinet to hide.

“Xiao Bao.”

Qi Beinan bent down in front of the cabinet and called softly. Xiao Yuanbao heard his voice and didn’t dare be rude, but could only bury his head deeper into the pile of clothes.

Xiao Hu came in from behind and crouched down to scoop Xiao Yuanbao out of the cabinet. “So big already, and you still like hiding in here?”

Xiao Yuanbao had nowhere left to hide. He looked at Xiao Hu, lips trembling, and finally couldn’t hold it in—he burst into loud sobs, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I don’t want a big brother! Make him leave!”

Usually, Xiao Yuanbao barely spoke to Xiao Hu and was timid by nature. This was the first time he had shown such strong rejection toward anyone.

Xiao Hu’s heart ached as he looked at the crying child. He patted his back gently and coaxed him, “Alright, alright, we’ll let big brother go back to his room for now.”

He gave Qi Beinan a look. Though worried, Qi Beinan saw how distressed Xiao Yuanbao was and had no choice but to quietly leave the room.

In the kitchen, Qin Niazi craned her neck toward the inner rooms. Seeing the drama unfold, she was delighted. She scrubbed the dishes with extra vigor.

She turned to Wang Chao Ge’er and said, “Don’t go embarrassing yourself. Stay up in the small room.”

Xiao Yuanbao cried for quite a while. Xiao Hu wasn’t one to be great at calming children—he couldn’t settle things with just a few words. He could only walk around the room carrying the boy.

Who knows how long passed before the little guy finally stopped crying.

Xiao Hu looked down and saw the child had cried himself to sleep in his arms, snuggled close to his chest.

His long lashes were still wet with tears, and his face and nose were flushed red. Even in sleep, he hiccupped now and then from sobbing.

Xiao Hu held him for a while longer before finally placing him gently in bed. He sat by the bed for a while, and only when he was sure Xiao Yuanbao wouldn’t wake did he quietly leave the room.

“He’s asleep?” Qin Niazi asked when Xiao Hu entered the kitchen.

“Mm.”

“I don’t think Bao Ge’er likes Beinan. That’s strange—he’s usually so mild-tempered.”

Xiao Hu sat near the hearth, tidying up his damaged bow and arrows. He wasn’t blind—he’d clearly seen Xiao Bao’s displeasure.

It puzzled him. When he first brought Qin Niazi and Chao Ge’er back, Xiao Bao had been happy. The two kids played well together.

Qi Beinan seemed gentle by nature. Normally, children liked older boys who were kind. Why was it different this time?

He didn’t voice any doubts. He only said, “Xiao Bao’s just shy. He’ll warm up once he gets used to him.”

Qin Niazi huffed in her heart.

She hadn’t dared to speak up at the dinner table, but now with just the two of them, she had fewer reservations.

Seizing the moment, she said directly, “Let’s not even talk about whether Bao Ge’er likes him or not. You got all worked up and let him stay, but have you really thought it through?”

Xiao Hu looked up at her. “What do you mean?”

Qin Niazi replied, “Another person means another mouth to feed. More people mean more labor taxes and expenses. You don’t manage the household accounts, so you don’t know how much more silver another person will cost. Sure, you’ve got skills and can earn money, but why add such a heavy burden to your shoulders? Has the Qi family ever done a single good thing for you?”

“And he’s a scholar—what heavy work can he even do? If he’s living here, are you planning to shell out silver so he can keep studying? Buy paper and ink and find a teacher?”

The more she thought about Qi Beinan’s ever-smiling face, the more she felt something was off.

Her words grew sharper: “Settling marriage arrangements early isn’t rare, but I’ve only heard of child brides. This is the first time I’ve seen someone take in a child husband!”

“Other people choose sons-in-law based on family wealth, but you? You’re paying out of your own pocket to raise one? What are you, a living bodhisattva?”

All these reasons sounded fair and logical, as if she were thinking for Xiao Yuanbao and the family—but deep down, she was worried about Chao Ge’er’s future.

Only if the household had enough would she have room to maneuver for her own son. If things became tight, she’d have no way to plan anything for him.

She and Xiao Hu had been married for a little over a year. While she hadn’t exactly been soft and gentle, she had at least acted like a capable and proper wife.

Never mind that Xiao Hu had never truly moved on from Xiao Bao’s mother. The two of them hadn’t spent much time together, and while there wasn’t much affection, they had gotten along respectfully.

This was the first time Xiao Hu had seen her red in the face and arguing with him—he was a bit surprised.

“You spoke nicely at the dinner table—why say these things now?”

“You never even discussed it with me beforehand,” Qin Niazi retorted. “I only held my tongue earlier for your face, with the kids and that Qi boy there. That’s why I didn’t say anything unpleasant.”

Xiao Hu realized this had all come on suddenly, and it was reasonable for her to be caught off guard.

Still, he had made up his mind to take in Qi Beinan, and he wouldn’t change it lightly.

He set down his bow and arrows and tried to reassure her: “I didn’t tell you ahead of time because I only just learned of the Qi family’s misfortune.”

“But don’t worry—since you brought Chao Ge’er here to live with me, I won’t let him go without. When the time comes, I’ll provide him a proper dowry. That won’t change because of Beinan’s arrival.”

Qin Niazi sneered coldly in her heart. Words were easy to say, especially ones without proof. A promise that wouldn’t need to be fulfilled for years—who could say what would happen by then? But the trouble of having that boy stay was real and immediate. How could she possibly be willing?

When she had first married in, she saw that cold and stern Xiao Hu, who didn’t talk much but was generous with money and agreed to whatever she asked.

He hadn’t pressured her to have a son either, and treated her own son like his own.

She’d been quietly delighted, thinking she’d finally married a dependable man. She even developed real affection for Xiao Hu. In the beginning, she’d sincerely treated Xiao Yuanbao well, running the household with care.

But as time went on, she realized that he never stopped holding onto the memory of the woman before her. There was never any real feeling for her.

She had felt jealousy, bitterness, and had stubbornly tried to win his heart—but in the end, she gave up.

And along with that, she started seeing Xiao Yuanbao as an eyesore.

Now she no longer cared about love. As long as he handed over the money and made sure she and Chao Ge’er lived comfortably, that was enough.

But now, thanks to this Qi Beinan, even the easy days with some spare money were going to be gone.

No affection, no money—what kind of rotten deal was that?

Before, when life was smooth, she could still keep up the act of being a good wife. But now that her fundamental interests were being threatened, there was no way she could hold back.

“You think you’re so capable. Just when things could’ve gotten easier, you go and drag us into more hardship over some sentiment.”

Seeing that Xiao Hu was as stubborn as an ox and wouldn’t be persuaded, she raised her voice toward the window.

“What do you call a son-in-law living in his wife’s house? Living off a woman! Any man with real ability wouldn’t do such a thing!”

Xiao Hu’s brows furrowed tightly when he heard her raise her voice. If Qi Beinan heard that, wouldn’t it just break his heart?

He said, “Beinan came because his family ran into misfortune. If he had another choice, he wouldn’t be here.”

Qin Niazi, still fuming, suddenly thought of her dead husband again. That man had thrown around money for relatives, acting generous, yet left his own family hungry and cold. Her anger surged.

“You treat him like that—anyone who didn’t know better would think he’s your real son!”

Xiao Hu had been silently enduring her, not even truly angry. But upon hearing this, his expression visibly darkened.

His voice dropped low, full of authority and edge—the kind of tone a hunter carried when truly stirred: “Watch your words!”

Qin Niazi immediately shut her mouth at his glare.

Though Xiao Hu always seemed a bit fierce, living with him had taught her that he was steady and softhearted. Because she knew his nature, she’d grown bolder over time, doing whatever she pleased.

But this was the first time she’d seen him truly angry. It genuinely startled her.

She sobered a little, realizing she’d gone too far. But even so, how could someone still boiling with frustration admit they were wrong? In her mind, he was the one being unreasonable.

Her eyes turned red as she tried to patch up the goodwill she’d just torn to pieces: “I’ve done everything for you—for this family—and you treat me like this.”

“If I’d known life would be like this, I’d have stayed a widow. Why suffer like this as a stepmother? I may as well just go back to my own family!”

With that, she covered her chest, pretended to cry, and stormed out of the kitchen.

But she didn’t go far. When she saw Qi Beinan walking toward the kitchen, she quickly ducked behind a wall.

Scholars were thin-skinned and proud. She wanted to see just how the boy from a scholar’s family would react after such a quarrel.

Outside, Qi Beinan narrowed his eyes and quietly watched the show unfold.

He had heard the whole argument from earlier—Qin Niazi hadn’t exactly kept her voice down. Clearly, she wanted him to hear it.

The quarrel had been about him. If she couldn’t move Xiao Hu with words, she hoped to shame him into leaving on his own.

If it were truly the ten-year-old version of him, he might’ve packed up and gone.

But now, he’d seen storms far worse than this. What was this, if not just a bit of petty squabbling?

The more he saw of Qin Niazi’s two-faced nature, the more he couldn’t bear the thought of Xiao Bao living with such a woman.

Now that he knew she was so devious, he wouldn’t treat her with courtesy anymore.

But he still needed to reassure his father-in-law, to keep Xiao Hu from changing his mind because of a little drama.

He straightened up, shed the amused air from watching the show, and switched to a sorrowful expression as he stepped into the kitchen.

“Uncle Xiao… Auntie…”

Qi Beinan looked at Xiao Hu, hesitating.

His face carried guilt and unease.

After a moment, he seemed to make a difficult decision. “Looks like tomorrow will be clear… I… I’ll return to Qiu County. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Behind the wall, Qin Niazi nearly burst into laughter.

She knew it—these scholars were spoiled by good treatment and couldn’t take a bit of shame.

Now that he’d decided to leave on his own, no one could say they had kicked him out.

Xiao Hu panicked: “Why would you go back to Qiu County! You just gave me your word—are you breaking your promise now? How could I trust you with Xiao Bao’s future after this?”

Qi Beinan said, “I gave my word to care for Xiao Bao, and I won’t go back on that. But I also don’t want Uncle and Auntie to fall out over me.”

Xiao Hu furrowed his brow. “Your aunt has a bit of a temper—don’t take it to heart. I’ll speak to her properly. You don’t need to worry. Just settle in and make yourself at home.”

Qi Beinan looked troubled. “I… I can’t. How could I disrupt Uncle’s household like this? If Aunt were here, she surely wouldn’t want to make things hard for you.”

“If your aunt were here, she certainly wouldn’t let you leave. Now things are like this—where would you even go? The world might look peaceful on the surface, but without anyone to rely on, it’s dangerous. Just listen to me!”

Qi Beinan was silent for a moment, then said, “I do want to return, but Father always taught me to obey my elders. Now that my parents are gone, Uncle Xiao is the elder I trust most.”

He lowered his head. “I’ll do whatever Uncle Xiao decides.”

“That’s more like it. Don’t overthink it.”

Qi Beinan nodded, then added, “Auntie might not like me, but I’ll make sure to respect and honor her even more in the future, to make her happy, and not let Uncle be put in a hard spot.”

Pah! That little brat!

Hiding behind the wall, Qin Niazi was stunned, nearly spitting in anger. Could this boy be any more slick, playing along like this?

Just one gentle push and he was already going along with the flow, every word making him sound pitiful.

The more Qi Beinan bowed low and made himself humble, the more he made her seem like the villain.

Xiao Hu, already full of guilt, felt worse. He had spoken so boldly before, insisting that Qin Niazi wouldn’t cause any trouble—only for things to turn out like this, beyond what he’d expected.

“You’re too good-natured. It’s your aunt who went too far—unlike how an elder should act.”

Behind the wall, Qin Niazi’s chest tightened with fury.

This damn hunter—siding with an outsider instead of her, even criticizing her now?

And that sly little brat too—not even grown yet and already full of tricks.

Getting the village head to come help him into the house after being shut out—she should’ve known he wasn’t going to be easy to deal with!

Clinging like a piece of stubborn plaster, won’t listen when persuaded, won’t leave when pushed.

Fine. She’d eaten more salt than he’d had rice. She refused to believe she couldn’t get rid of this half-grown boy!

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