Ch 19: Reborn to Raise My Husband

Linga County, Ligao Village, the Qin household.

“Mother, Little New Year’s almost here—does it look like Big Sister-in-law is planning to spend the whole New Year at her maiden home?”

Early in the morning, the Qin family’s eldest daughter-in-law had a worn-out apron tied around her waist, stained here and there, nearly polished with grease over time.

With one hand scrubbing the wok, she kept glancing toward the west room. It was already well into the morning, yet her sister-in-law hadn’t gotten up. Sleeping in like a child.

Even their oldest son was already up, but Chao Ge’er was still sleeping. And he didn’t even come to the kitchen to help, learn to light the stove or cook—how was she supposed to get married acting like that?

One or two days like this would be fine, but it had already been three or five.

The eldest daughter-in-law was long annoyed. Taking care of a big household was already frustrating, and now her sister-in-law came back to eat and stay—wasn’t that just bringing trouble on purpose?

Just then, another daughter-in-law entered the kitchen rubbing her hands. Seeing her mother-in-law come in, the eldest daughter-in-law finally couldn’t hold it anymore. She raised her voice toward the west room and asked when her sister-in-law would be leaving.

Old Madam Gu heard this and immediately glared at her. “This is second girl’s home. If she wants to come back for the New Year, she can. What kind of question is that?”

“I was just asking,” the daughter-in-law said, sticking out her tongue, intentionally loud enough for those in the west room to hear. “Big sister-in-law spending the New Year here—won’t her husband be upset?”

“Don’t say such things and curse your sister-in-law’s marriage,” Old Madam Gu scolded.

Seeing her mother-in-law side with her sister-in-law, the eldest daughter-in-law swallowed her frustration and shut her mouth.

Old Madam Gu poked at the fire a couple of times, then got up and went to the west room.

Qin Niazi had just quietly gotten out of bed from beside the still-sleeping Chao Ge’er.

She grabbed a cotton coat to slip on. In her thirties now, with little work and good meals over the past few years, her complexion was rosy, her figure full—more charming now than she was as a maiden.

The room felt cold—nothing like the Xiao household where they had a charcoal brazier.

The paper-covered windows glowed brightly. From the light, it looked like either a heavy frost had fallen or it had snowed.

Just then, her mother came in through a crack in the door, carrying a basin of hot water.

“Up already, girl?”

“Mm.”

Qin Niazi draped the coat over her shoulders and responded, “Mother, why are you bringing in water?”

“It’s snowing outside. It’s freezing.”

Old Madam Gu glanced at Qin Niazi wringing a cloth in the warm water and probed gently, “The snow’s come. The road’s bad. If you’re planning to go back to the Xiao family, it won’t be easy.”

Qin Niazi paused mid-motion, suddenly tense. “So now even you’re taking my sister-in-law’s side and think I’m a burden, that you want to send me and Chao Ge’er back to the Xiao family?”

“You’re overthinking,” Old Madam Gu said, flustered by how easily her daughter saw through her. “Your mother’s happy to have you both back—how could I want to send you away?”

Still feeling exposed, Old Madam Gu added, “It’s just that the Spring Festival’s coming and I haven’t seen that hunter come fetch you. I just hope nothing’s happened.”

“What could happen? He didn’t even go up the mountain.”

“I’m talking about that scholar who came to stay. Just hope he hasn’t stirred up trouble at the Xiao house, made your husband cold toward you. Didn’t you say he’s a clever type? He’s a reader, right?”

Old Madam Gu sighed. “You shouldn’t have come back this time. Leaving that man room to badmouth you isn’t smart.”

Qin Niazi’s chest tightened. “If I hadn’t come back, how would that hunter know what really matters? He’d have never driven that scholar out! Do you think I can tolerate someone else under my roof watching me like a hawk?”

“How can I sneak meat or coins home for us like before with him there watching? I did this for our family—so we could survive. That’s why I had to get rid of him!”

As she spoke, Qin Niazi grew aggrieved. It had already been seven or eight days since she returned, and her husband still hadn’t come to fetch her. It would be a lie to say she wasn’t anxious.

Now her own family seemed eager to send her away first.

Qin Niazi covered her face and cried:

“If my brother hadn’t gambled away the family’s money back then, if those debt collectors hadn’t grabbed him and said they’d chop off his hand without repayment, would we have pawned off everything of value just to pay it off?”

“To save him, I was married off to that cannibalistic Wang family. I barely survived that old brute before I remarried into the Xiao family. I never once blamed this family. I even supported you when father was sick. My brother may have quit gambling, but he still doesn’t earn much. I scrimped and still sent things home—and now you all find me a nuisance after just a few days back!”

“What’s the point of me living anymore!”

Old Madam Gu felt ashamed.

Their family hadn’t always been like this. Old Man Qin had been well-off and known far and wide for his cooking—people called him “Master Qin Stove” across several villages.

They only had one son and one daughter. Life had been easy, and they had good savings.

Old Man Qin doted on his son and wanted to pass down his skills. But Eldest Qin didn’t like cooking—he wanted to be a peddler.

The two constantly clashed. Whenever the son tried to sneak off to peddle, he was dragged back and beaten. His goods smashed.

Depressed and bitter, Eldest Qin eventually got tricked into gambling—and lost everything.

The family sold off anything of value, but it still wasn’t enough. In the end, they used Qin Niazi’s dowry to cover the rest.

Old Man Qin was so angry he coughed up blood, and it left him with a chronic illness. He coughed and wheezed constantly—who would still want to hire a sick man to cook for a banquet? No one knew if he could even pass on his craft.

People outside began to look down on him, and gradually, Master Qin Stove lost all his business and simply became Old Man Qin.

The household had already been squeezed dry from earlier troubles, and now without Old Man Qin’s income, life became tight overnight.

Fortunately, Qin Niazi had remarried. The betrothal money from the Qin family gave them some breathing room, and over the past year, she often brought home rice, flour, meat, and oil from the Xiao family, giving the household a bit of flavor again.

The family knew they owed Qin Niazi, but what could they possibly use to repay her?

Now that there seemed to be a rift between husband and wife, the family was anxious—afraid of losing this son-in-law.

“Aiya, my good daughter, why are you crying now? You’ll wake the child!” Old Madam Gu quickly moved to comfort her.

Qin Niazi sobbed, words catching in her throat. “You and Father have always favored Brother and not me. Even Grandma favors Brother’s son over Chao Ge’er! You all have such cruel hearts!”

Outside, Eldest Qin had just gotten up. Hearing the crying inside, and seeing his wife sneakily listening from the side, he gave her a side glance. “What are you eavesdropping for? Is breakfast done?”

The eldest daughter-in-law casually pinched Eldest Qin. “All you care about is eating. Your sister and your mother are arguing—why don’t you go in and try to help?”

“Women arguing—what can a man even say?” he muttered, hunching over and ducking into the warm kitchen.

After breakfast, Qin Niazi, red-eyed, packed up and dragged Chao Ge’er out of the village.

Half-asleep, Chao Ge’er didn’t know what was going on. Sitting in the ox cart, he asked, “Mother, weren’t we waiting for Stepfather to come get us? Why are we going back on our own?”

“It’s Little New Year today. I saw aunt slaughtering a duck.”

Qin Niazi cursed angrily, “We don’t need their duck meat! When we’re back at the Xiao household, there’ll be plenty of chicken, duck, and fish. Your aunt has a wicked heart—she stirred up your Grandma to speak badly of your mother, all just to get us driven out and hog the house for herself. She’ll get what she deserves sooner or later.”

That house full of heartless people—once she was back at the Xiao household, she wouldn’t be sending them another scrap of food. Let them suffer.

…

It snowed lightly today. Qi Beinan waited until the snow stopped before heading to the county town. By the time he arrived, it was already late.

Snow made the cold even sharper. It was Little New Year, and households in the city were all hanging red lanterns. Firecrackers echoed through the afternoon, adding to the festive mood.

It was clear that he wouldn’t make it back in time for lunch, so he had already told Xiao Hu in the morning that he’d return in the afternoon.

He also reminded Xiao Hu to just cook rice later—he’d bring some meat back from the city for their Little New Year dinner. It was the holiday, after all—no harm in eating something nice.

Perhaps because of the cold, or maybe because families were gathering, Bai Qiaogui didn’t show up today.

Xiao Yuanbao was a little disappointed, but since he had just learned to count coins yesterday, and business was trickling in, he focused on sorting and counting the copper coins he collected—keeping himself busy.

It was already much better than hiding timidly behind the stall like the day before.

“Here, over here!”

Qi Beinan had thought business would be slow today, but just after he finished ghostwriting one family letter, several well-dressed young men arrived at his stall.

The boy leading the group came up grandly and said, “Write ten sets of couplets for me—use the best paper you’ve got.”

Qi Beinan was about to confirm when one of the boy’s companions interjected, “Are you even going to use all that? Don’t waste it.”

The young man snorted, “Our house has so many doors, I’m more worried we won’t have enough. And if there’s extra, I’ll gift them to the students at the private academy. One set for each of them. Let them all paste them up.”

“When that old man comes to my house, I’ll be waiting at the door. I’ll ask him—Sir, aren’t these couplets written beautifully?”

Just imagining it made him giddy. “Let’s see how smug he still looks.”

Qi Beinan continued writing as he listened. Judging from the conversation, this boy was likely one of the old man’s students from yesterday—and apparently didn’t get along with him.

In Qiu County, Qi Beinan’s father had also been a teacher, and though some students were unruly, they still treated him with respect. It was rare to see someone so intent on embarrassing their own teacher.

Then again, that old man’s character was poor—respect was hard to earn.

The boy paid generously and left happily with the couplets.

Since they were having meat tonight, Qi Beinan ate lightly at noon. He bought two veggie pancakes and two bowls of lamb offal soup.

The hot soup and warm pancakes filled their stomachs nicely. Xiao Yuanbao enjoyed it more than the taro and amaranth his father had cooked at home.

Business was slow in the afternoon. The wind picked up, signaling more snow on the way.

Xiao Yuanbao was called over by the lady at a nearby noodle stall to warm up by the stove. He stood by the big pot, watching the woman cook noodles and chop meat with great interest.

Qi Beinan rubbed his cold-stiff hands and waited about another hour before packing up.

He bought two jin of pork scallion buns and half a braised goose—ready-to-eat food that only needed reheating. He didn’t buy raw meat.

Xiao Hu’s cooking skills were on par with his own—no need to get fancy and risk ruining good ingredients.

With everything bought and bundled, Qi Beinan picked up Xiao Yuanbao and caught the ox cart home early.

The two of them walked with light, relaxed steps, and just as they reached the courtyard gate, voices could be heard coming from inside.

Carrying a small bag of buns, Xiao Yuanbao’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. He suddenly gripped Qi Beinan’s hand tightly and said, “Qin Niazi and Chao Ge’er are back!”

His round eyes flashed with surprise for a moment—then his mood visibly dropped.

He lowered his head, staring at the toes of his shoes muddied by slush, not quite sure what he was feeling.

Qin Niazi and Chao Ge’er had been gone for quite a few days—seven or eight, and they hadn’t seen each other at all. Now that they were finally back, he should be happy.

But the moment he actually heard they’d returned, his heart didn’t feel joyful at all. Instead, the cheerful excitement he brought back from the trip to the county town seemed to fade by half.

Seven or eight days is a long time. Back when Father used to go up into the mountains, those days would feel like forever.

But this time, they’d flown by in the blink of an eye. It felt like Qin Niazi had only gone to her parents’ house yesterday.

He thought, maybe it was because Gege had come to stay, because he got to play at Grandpa Fang’s house, because he went to the county fair—every day had been full of fun, and time had slipped away like the wind.

Kids aren’t completely clueless. They may not be able to explain things clearly, but their hearts still keep measure of what feels good and what doesn’t.

Qin Niazi always acted in ways that left him unable to speak up against her. But more often than not, his little heart had been heavy and unhappy.

With Qi Beinan around, though, he felt truly happy every day. For the first time in a long while, he was tasting that carefree joy again—just like when his mother had still been alive.

Now, seeing Qin Niazi suddenly return made it feel like those gloomy, unhappy days might be coming back.

Whatever little spark of joy came from seeing someone familiar was quickly drowned by the fear of falling back into that life again.

Qi Beinan noticed the boy’s energy had drained all at once. He patted his hand gently and comforted him, “It’s alright. Gege’s here.”

Xiao Yuanbao nodded. Just moments ago, he’d been hopping and skipping through the slushy road, but now he was quiet and timid again, sticking close to Qi Beinan’s side as they walked into the courtyard.

˙✧˖°🎓 ༘⋆｡ ˚