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Back to the 80s: A Beloved Marriage
It is rare to see Qi Zheng lose his calm and rational demeanor. However, Zhao Jin is indeed an exception, as she can always move Qi Zheng. This was true when they were at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative in the county, and it is even more so now.
Although Zhao Jin is delicate, she does not cry for just anyone. She learned early on that shedding tears in front of someone who does not care for her is futile; instead, it only invites endless disdain and aversion from the other person. Only in front of those who genuinely care for her do her tears hold any value.
At this very moment, even though her tears have yet to fall, they have already prompted Qi Zheng to rise and reveal his undeniable anxiety.
Seeing Qi Zheng awkwardly reach out his hand only to stop just before touching her, Zhao Jin pouted and glared at Qi Zheng with her tear-filled eyes: "I'm not a germ; can't you touch me?"
Qi Zheng had never felt so clumsy with words as he did at this moment. He opened his mouth but could not find any comforting words to say. In the end, he managed to stammer out two stiff words: "Not a germ."
"What do you mean 'not a germ'?" Zhao Jin wasn't genuinely trying to cry in front of Qi Zheng. His reaction still touched her deeply, but the urge to cry had diminished significantly. Moreover, his simple words piqued her curiosity.
"You are not a germ." If someone else had asked, Qi Zheng might not have reiterated it. But since Zhao Jin asked, he chose not to remain silent and answered truthfully.
Zhao Jin felt a bit dazed and somewhat amused.
So should she be happy? Because Qi Zheng did not see her as a germ? But why on earth was she comparing herself to germs?
She felt an inexplicable sense of having dug a pit only to fall into it herself, leaving the self-proclaimed conversational expert Zhao Jin at a loss for words for quite some time.
In that moment, Zhao Jin had to admit that although she had perfectly improved her relationship with Second Sister-in-law Qian Minmin and successfully resolved many conflicts and resentments from her past life, all her newly developed skills failed in front of Qi Zheng.
Whether she liked it or not, in front of Qi Zheng, she was still the Zhao Jin who could hardly be considered versatile. In fact, Zhao Jin was very willing to show her true self in front of Qi Zheng, preserving the most genuine part of herself.
Only in front of Qi Zheng could she feel so carefree and bold without any reservations—just being herself.
This was where her fortune lay. And Qi Zheng was the only bright spot who could bestow that fortune upon her.
Zhao Jin was certainly not a germ. She was not seen as one in Qi Zheng's eyes, nor in the eyes of the Zhao Family.
Despite sending Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng to spend some time alone, Xu Mei and the other two women were still worried. After all, it was the first time for Jin and Qi Zheng to talk privately, and they had no idea how it was going. They hoped there wouldn't be any awkward silence.
With a heart full of concern, Xu Mei nudged Qian Minmin, "Should we cut some fruits and send them in?"
"Oh dear, you know very well that our Jin loves cleanliness. She never allows anyone to eat in her room; it would dirty her bed," Qian Minmin replied, not being too particular about this point.
After all, she was a mother. Her son had wet the bed more than once, so Qian Minmin had long gotten used to it and remained calm.
Realizing what Qian Minmin meant, Xu Mei shook her head in response and scolded, "This girl is just too particular; spoiling her has led to all these bad habits."
"Mom, Jin just loves cleanliness; that's not a bad habit," Sun Chun'er said, always a particularly competent and gentle Sister-in-law. Knowing that Xu Mei wasn't genuinely scolding Zhao Jin, she immediately suggested, "How about we bring in two cups of water? They've been talking for quite a while; they must be thirsty."
Sun Chun'er's suggestion was undoubtedly good. However, regarding the idea of "talking for quite a while," Qian Minmin pouted and muttered, "Don't be fooled by how talkative our Jin is in front of us; when it comes to Qi Zheng, she might just be a mute!"
That said, Qian Minmin quickly poured two cups of water and planned to check on Zhao Jin.
As a Sister-in-law now, Qian Minmin felt a sense of responsibility and awareness. She thought that if things didn't go well, she could just stay in there with the water and help ease the atmosphere, encouraging the couple to get closer.
In this household, Qian Minmin's personality was indeed the most suitable for this task. Therefore, neither Xu Mei nor Sun Chun'er stopped her; instead, they actively supported Qian Minmin in going in to take a look.
Qian Minmin's timing was both right and wrong. It was wrong because there was no awkward silence between Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng; they were actually having a good conversation. Although it was mostly Zhao Jin's one-sided "requests."
The right timing was evident. It seemed that Zhao Jin and Qi Zheng had inadvertently run out of topics to discuss and had entered an awkward deadlock. If Qian Minmin hadn't come in, Zhao Jin would have had to muster up the courage to change the subject again.
However, since Qian Minmin had entered, things were different.
"Second Sister-in-law." Upon seeing Qian Minmin, Zhao Jin secretly breathed a sigh of relief and took the water that Qian Minmin handed over.
"Thirsty? Have some to soothe your throat," Qian Minmin said while giving Zhao Jin a knowing look; everything was unspoken yet understood.
Zhao Jin nodded shyly. There was no need for more words.
It seems that the Jin family is quite satisfied with Qi Zheng. With this understanding, Qian Minmin became even more enthusiastic towards Qi Zheng: "Qi Zheng, stay for lunch at home! We are all family now, so please don't be polite. Just treat it like your own home and feel free to tell Second Sister-in-law what you want to eat. By the way, does Qi Zheng like chicken? How about fish? Do you eat spicy food? Are there any ingredients you avoid, like green onions?"
Seeing that Qian Minmin was about to continue asking more questions, Qi Zheng timely spoke up to interrupt her enthusiastic inquiries: "Thank you, Second Sister-in-law, I can eat anything."
Compared to Qian Minmin's enthusiasm, Qi Zheng's attitude could definitely be considered cold. However, Qian Minmin was not angry and did not take it to heart.
Who wouldn't be nervous when a new son-in-law visits for the first time? Qi Zheng expressed gratitude and provided an answer, which was not considered rude. Moreover, didn't Qi Zheng just call her "Second Sister-in-law"? No one forced Qi Zheng to do that; he truly regarded them as family!
Thinking this way, Qian Minmin's smile became exceptionally bright: "Alright, no problem. Then Second Sister-in-law will let you Sister-in-law take care of it! Our family needs to improve our cooking skills, and Sister-in-law is the best at it. Today Sister-in-law must show off her skills; later, Second Sister-in-law and Mother will also cook a couple of dishes for Qi Zheng to taste."
Qian Minmin's words expressed enough importance placed on Qi Zheng. Among the four women in the house, apart from Zhao Jin, the other three were elders who all wanted to participate, which showed how much the Zhao family valued Qi Zheng as their son-in-law.
Qi Zheng naturally understood the deeper meaning behind Qian Minmin's words and nodded in acknowledgment while thanking her again.
"We're all family; there's no need to be polite," Qian Minmin said cheerfully as she waved her hand and turned to walk outside. Of course, she still had some instructions to give and casually reminded them, "Alright then, Second Sister-in-law won't disturb you two anymore. Jin, make sure to take good care of Qi Zheng! No throwing tantrums; behave yourself."
"Second Sister-in-law, I'm already very well-behaved; how could I throw a tantrum?" Although Zhao Jin didn't mind her image in front of Qian Minmin, she felt a bit uncomfortable with Qi Zheng standing right there beside her.
Zhao Jin couldn't help but forget that she had just been honest about not being gentle in front of Qi Zheng. However, in Qi Zheng's eyes, even if Zhao Jin were truly spoiled and willful, he would only find it adorable.
Regardless of what Zhao Jin did or how she acted, it held a different meaning for Qi Zheng. Therefore, Zhao Jin really didn't need to be so nervous or anxious.
"Alright, alright! Today you're the boss; everything you say goes. Second Sister-in-law won't argue with you." Qian Minmin deliberately glanced at Qi Zheng with a teasing look that filled the room with an even more heightened atmosphere.
Zhao Jin's face was turning so red that she could hardly bear it. She stomped her foot and pushed Qian Minmin out: "Second Sister-in-law, hurry up and go help Sister-in-law cook!"
"Okay, okay! Second Sister-in-law won't be annoying; I'll go out now." At this moment, Qian Minmin and Zhao Jin had completely entered a realm of being able to talk about anything without reservation; they bantered without any hesitation. With teasing remarks and playful jabs, they made Zhao Jin's face flush even more.
"Second Sister-in-law! I'm getting angry!" Zhao Jin pouted and issued a threat that lacked any real intimidation.
Qian Minmin burst into laughter at that. Not wanting to tease Zhao Jin any further, she walked out briskly.
Finally sending off Qian Minmin, Zhao Jin's face was already hot enough to cook an egg.
She squeezed her face hard with both hands, determined not to see how captivating she looked at that moment.
At least in Qi Zheng's heart, the Zhao Jin who turned to walk towards him radiated the most dazzling beauty.
Qi Zheng liked Zhao Jin, and naturally, he was pleased to see her genuine side while interacting with her family. Watching Zhao Jin's intimate interactions with Qian Minmin, Qi Zheng sincerely felt happy for Zhao Jin.
It was the same last time at the Supply and Marketing Cooperative. Sun Chun'er and Qian Minmin were genuinely protective of Jin. Today at home, the two Sisters-in-law had been scheming for Jin since they first saw him.
There was no doubt that Jin was very cherished at home. Whether it was his biological parents and older brother or his non-biological Sisters-in-law, they all truly treated Jin like a treasure.
Confirming this fact made Qi Zheng particularly comfortable. During the days he wasn't involved, Jin had been living happily. This was more important than anything else.
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