Qin Zongyao's Distorted Envy

"Yes! My sister-in-law and Commander Qin are a perfect match. They have such a good relationship," Gao Huabin nodded foolishly and leaned in closer, whispering, "Chief, have you ever felt like you're just superfluous whenever my sister-in-law and Commander Qin talk?"

"You noticed that too?" Xia Weiguo saw that Gao Huabin hadn't completely lost his wits, which made him slightly more satisfied.

Gao Huabin had a moment of insight but couldn't grasp it fully. He scratched his head and went to call the carpenter to move the bathtub inside.

He spent twelve yuan on a five-compartment cabinet, taking precise measurements for its placement. After everything had been settled, Qin Kaize also finished his congee.

Su Yijia then helped him with some bone broth before finally sitting down to have her dinner. She wasn't particularly skilled at cooking, but her dishes were more flavorful than many others because she wasn't stingy about using spices.

If it weren't for the fact that they wanted to leave some food for herself, Xia Weiguo and Gao Huabin would have already dug into the dishes, enticed by the aroma.

The Qin family members, who had sent off all the relatives, entered with Su Xinyue carrying a bowl. Su Yijia immediately stopped eating and stood up.

"Get out of here! I lose my appetite just looking at you. Don't you dare ruin my meal."

"Sister, Auntie Wei is your mother-in-law; how can you not let her eat?" Su Xinyue immediately accused her, emphasizing her lack of filial piety.

But Qin's mother's face turned unpleasant, and even Qin Kaize's father seemed a bit weak in the knees.

"Who are you to meddle in the affairs of the Qin family? Yijia's mother-in-law? Ask Wei Shufen if she dares to consider herself Kaize's mother!" Xia Weiguo slammed the bowl onto the table.

Su Xinyue trembled in fear. Before her brain could catch up, she was given a disgusted look by Qin's mother. "In Su's family, Yijia is your sister; in Qin's family, she's your sister-in-law. It's not your place, a junior, to criticize her."

"Go act pretentious in your own room," Su Yijia told them and pushed them away. She then returned to her room and closed the door. Her attitude clearly indicated that she had no intention of engaging with them.

"Uncle Xia, come and eat. If the dishes and soup get cold, they won't taste good," Su Yijia said when she returned to the table, acting as if nothing had happened. She urged them to start their meal.

Xia Weiguo and Gao Huabin ate with great satisfaction, praising her cooking skills. After dinner, they cleaned the table and washed the dishes.

The Qin family, including Su Xinyue, sat in the courtyard, eagerly watching Xia Weiguo. Mosquitoes buzzed around them, leaving them with itchy welts, but they were unwilling to give up any opportunity to talk with him.

"Yijia, why don't you go inside and keep Kaize company? We'll take care of preparing the bath water," Xia Weiguo suggested to Su Yijia in a gentle tone.

Once she left, he immediately changed his expression.

"Qin Zongyao, don't think I don't know what's on your mind! It's protocol for Kaize to come back and recuperate, but if anything happens to him, let's see whether your Qin family can withstand the scrutiny."

Xia Weiguo's warning made Qin's father feel both ashamed and angry. However, the vast difference in their status and his own guilt forced him to bow his head. The twisted resentment that had welled up inside him, on the other hand, made him want to torture Qin Kaize even more.

"Do you think sitting here accomplishes anything? Gao will stay here to take good care of him," Xia Weiguo ordered with disdain.

The anxiety of Qin's mother reached its peak, and she quickly rejected, "Kaize have us, and he now has a wife who can also help with his care."

"I don't trust you. And Yijia is still a young girl. She needs someone trustworthy to assist her," Xia Weiguo said more explicitly, suppressing his anger.

Qin's father, despite his inner turmoil, wanted to push Gao out, saying, "It might not be appropriate for Kaize's wife staying together with Comrade Gao here all the time."

"You're a man, and Qin Mingcheng is also a man. If you're really so worried, then just split the family and let them move out," Xia Weiguo sneered.

If it wasn' the fact that he was not fully sure whether Su Yijia was reliable or not, he would have split the Qin family right then and there.

"Uncle Xia, we're my brother's family. How could we possibly do something so shameless?" Qin Mingcheng expressed his indignation as if he had been seriously insulted.

However, Xia Weiguo's sharp gaze seemed to expose all the impurities in his heart. On the other hand, Gao Huabin couldn't contain his anger. He kicked Qin Mingcheng to the ground.

"What are you babbling about? You don't trust me? I don't trust you either! Big Brother saved my life, and I would never do anything to betray him," Gao Huabin exclaimed.

Qin Mingcheng screamed as he fell to the ground. Qin's mother rushed to help him and glared angrily at Gao Huabin, accusing, "Are people from the military unit always so careless? Bullying regular folks like us?"

"I've already left the military! I haven't been assigned a job yet, but if you keep saying nasty things or try to tarnish my sister-in-law's reputation, or bully my Big Brother, I won't hesitate to confront you," Gao Huabin replied defiantly.

After receiving a call from Chief Xia, urging him to hurry and assist Qin Kaize, Gao Huabin knew that the Qin family's trio couldn't be trusted.

Xia Weiguo was fed up with their antics and gave stern orders, "What are you still doing here? Go and heat up some water and prepare the guest room."

Qin's mother had no choice but to help Qin Mingcheng get up and obediently start working.

Back in their room, Xia Weiguo took two bankbooks and a thick envelope from his briefcase and handed them to Su Yijia.

"Yijia, this bankbook contains Kaize's monthly allowance. Since he's retired from the military, it's only 25 yuan per month, but this bankbook has 3,000 yuan, which is his injury compensation. The envelope contains all the coupons he had. He never used them during his time in the military, so it's quite a sum. Spend whenever you need; don't save them."

"This is too much!" Su Yijia was shocked. She had anticipated that Qin Kaize would give her some money, but not this much. She was overwhelmed. If it weren't for the tasks, she almost wanted to lie flat right away, doing nothing but eat and drink and play with her husband.

Xia Weiguo responded, "It's not that much at all. You and Kaize are together now, and you can't work at the moment. He will require good nutrition. If this money and coupons aren't enough, just let me know. I'm not married and don't have children, and I've always considered Kaize as a son of my own." After saying this, Xia Weiguo pushed the things in his hand into Su Yijia's embrace once again.

Su Yijia accepted the bankbooks and envelope. "Uncle Xia, don't worry. I'll take good care of Kaize and help him recover as soon as possible," she promised earnestly.

Xia Weiguo and Gao Huabin's smiles froze for a moment, and they exchanged awkward glances.