Chapter 17 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

The days passed by one after another. Wen Xin had not met Gu Xiuping again, but they exchanged letters twice a week.

Gu Xiuping’s wit and humor were evident in his letters, and even the smallest things could make him write with great enjoyment.

Wen Xin read the letters with joy, and she became increasingly eager to receive his next letter.

After the Mid-Autumn Festival, the autumn harvest was completed, and the weather turned colder. The mushrooms on the mountain still had a small batch left, and a variety of medicinal herbs and foods, such as Schisandra and red pine nuts, entered their harvest season. This was the time for the men to shine.

As the weather grew colder, she had to wear a hat and scarf when going out in the mornings. In the office, people started knitting sweaters again.

The original owner of the body couldn’t knit, but Wen Xin watched everyone knitting passionately and, feeling envious, decided to learn as well.

She inherited the original owner’s dexterity and quickly got the hang of it. She knitted a scarf for herself, and once she became more skilled, she knitted a sweater for her elderly parents.

Her parents were very happy, and they wore the sweaters over their jackets and went out to show them off for several days.

Wen Xin wrote about this in her letter, and when Gu Xiuping sent his reply, he indirectly mentioned that it was cold for his morning jog.

Wen Xin immediately understood his hint.

Wen Yuejun still had some leftover yarn after knitting the sweaters, so knitting a scarf for him wasn’t impossible.

Zhang Xiuying went to her daughter’s room to get something and saw her holding a letter and smiling.

Without asking anything, she walked straight out.

“Old man, your daughter is holding a letter and smiling again. Do you think she has a lover?”

Wen Yuejun clicked his tongue, chewing on his tobacco pipe: “Don’t worry about it. If she had one, she’d definitely tell us. Since she hasn’t said anything, it’s obviously not the case.”

Zhang Xiuying spat at him in disdain: “Aren’t you afraid your daughter might be tricked?”

“My daughter is so smart, she definitely won’t be tricked.” Wen Yuejun had a blind confidence in Wen Xin, especially after learning that his daughter was preparing for university entrance exams.

“Aren’t they supposed to be focusing on the high school exams? Isn’t dating going to distract her?” Zhang Xiuying mumbled.

“That’s not a problem. Xin Xin has always done well in her studies. Even when she wasn’t in school, she was always reading books. Didn’t her teacher also say that she has no problem passing the college entrance exam? We’ll just wait for it. If she doesn’t pass this year, she can try again next year. Since the country is reopening the college entrance exam, it means there’s a shortage of talent. They wouldn’t just give one chance.” Wen Yuejun had been thinking about this a lot recently.

Zhang Xiuying fell silent.

The scarf was knitted quickly, and Wen Xin finished it in two days.

She went to the post office to send it to Gu Xiuping.

Gu Xiuping received her package soon after.

When he opened it and saw the dark blue scarf inside, he immediately put it on.

He walked very slowly on the way back to the dormitory. Whenever he ran into an acquaintance, he would stop and chat with them, subtly showing off his scarf. If anyone asked, he would casually say that it was sent by his significant other.

This led to a wave of envy and jealousy among many single men, while the married men gritted their teeth at his bragging style.

Several of them immediately wrote letters to their wives or significant others, and over the next half month, most of the married men in Gu Xiuping’s group wore scarves. Those who didn’t wear them quietly donned clothes made by their wives.

Surrounded by constant displays of affection, the single men were filled with sour feelings. The Kitchen Unit even joked that they didn’t need to buy vinegar anymore to cook dumplings.

In contrast to Gu Xiuping’s group, Lin Jianzhang, who was stationed far away in the Provincial Capital’s Military District, was not having a good time.

In early September, Luo Manzhen joined the military unit, but Lin Jianzhang didn’t want to see her and stayed in the camp all day, even making excuses to stay there at night.

Naturally, Luo Manzhen was unhappy with this treatment, so she went to the wife of the political commissar to complain.

After arriving at the military unit, Luo Manzhen got along very well with the other military wives. When she suffered such grievances, the political commissar’s wife couldn’t ignore it, and that night, she told the political commissar about it.

The political commissar had a talk with Lin Jianzhang, and under pressure, he returned home.

That night, while lying in bed, Luo Manzhen wore a camisole she had made, her full figure barely hidden under the fabric. Lin Jianzhang, unlike the virtuous and restrained Liu Xihui, couldn’t resist the temptation.

Once the rain stopped and the clouds cleared, Lin Jianzhang, after venting his frustrations, turned over and went to sleep.

Luo Manzhen who was laying in bed, breathing heavily, flashed a satisfied and sweet smile on her lips.

She thought to herself that she must have been crazy in her past life to have an affair with Sun Haowen, that soft and useless man.

In terms of looks, body, and other qualities, Lin Jianzhang was far superior. Especially after Sun Haowen started fooling around outside, leaving her with very little time and never truly satisfying her.

Where could she find someone like Lin Jianzhang, who could make her so happy?

Luo Manzhen fell asleep in this moment of satisfaction.

The next morning, she woke up and lovingly made Lin Jianzhang a bowl of noodles. He didn’t even look at it, put on his clothes, and left without saying a word.

He didn’t come home for lunch or dinner. At night, he returned on time to sleep, but as the previous night, after venting, he went to sleep without a word.

However, this time, Luo Manzhen was not as satisfied or happy as she had been the night before. She keenly realized that Lin Jianzhang saw her only as a tool for release.

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Time flew by, and it was soon the National Day holiday, a time for nationwide celebration. The Military Unit, of course, was no exception. All the soldiers in the military district got the day off. The Kitchen Unit prepared dumplings for the soldiers, and in the afternoon, a cultural performance was held at the square, performed by the military district’s cultural troupe.

The lively atmosphere at the family area could not be missed. Luo Manzhen went to the square with the other wives, watching the performers, who were dressed in bright clothes, either singing or dancing.

At first, Luo Manzhen enjoyed the show, but her joy quickly faded when she saw Lin Jianzhang talking to one of the singers from the troupe.

The image of Lin Jianzhang talking to the singer slowly merged in her mind with the image of Sun Haowen and his mistresses.

——-

During the National Day holiday, Wen Xin’s workplace also had a two-day break.

On the morning of October 2nd, Wen Xin woke up early. After having breakfast, she went to her room and spent quite some time getting ready—combing her hair and changing into a new outfit. By the time it was ten o’clock, she put on a scarf and a hat, then rode her bike out the door.

After she left, Zhang Xiuying was sweeping the yard with a large broom and, noticing Wen Yuejun weaving a basket under the eaves, said: “Your daughter is definitely out on a date.”

Wen Yuejun didn’t even look up from his work. “So what if she’s going? She’s a grown woman; it’s about time she had a partner. You’re so anxious whether she’s dating or not. When she’s not, you worry, and when she is, you worry even more.”

Wen Yuejun had agreed with Wen Xin’s decision to not date anyone for the sake of focusing on the college entrance exam next year, while Zhang Xiuying had also agreed, but privately, she couldn’t stop mentioning it.

Now that Wen Xin seemed to have the prospect of a relationship, Zhang Xiuying began to murmur about it again.

With her hands on her hips, Zhang Xiuying started to reason with Wen Yuejun.

In the East Wing, the two sisters-in-law who were gathering to do some needlework overheard the conversation and couldn’t help but chuckle, covering their mouths.

Second Sister-in-law Wen was already heavily pregnant, sitting on the kang, with the small bulge of the baby’s movements clearly visible under her clothes. Eldest Sister-in-law Wen’s eyes were filled with envy.

“This child is really lively. Look at how much it’s moving.”

Second Sister-in-law Wen gently rubbed her belly and said: “Yes, especially at night. It moves so much that it wakes me up. By the way, Big Sister, I went back to my family’s home the other day, and there’s a woman in my village who couldn’t conceive for two years after marriage. She went to the hospital, and the doctor gave her some medicine to regulate things. Not long after, she was pregnant. Maybe you could go and see a doctor too?”

Sister-in-law Wen paused for a moment, surprised. “Do you think it will work?”

“Why not? Hospitals are very advanced now. If you don’t want to go alone, ask Xiao Mei to come with you. She’s well-educated and knows a lot.”

Although Eldest Sister-in-law Wen didn’t act on the suggestion, she quietly kept it in mind.

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Meanwhile, Wen Xin rode her bike all the way to the village, and at the street corner, Gu Xiuping, dressed in military uniform, was already waiting there.

Wen Xin got off her bike, and Gu Xiuping, ever so considerate, stepped forward to help push it.

Wen Xin felt relieved and happy.

The two of them slowly walked down the street, pushing the bike. In their letters, they had no secrets from each other, but in person, they both felt a little shy and bashful.

Fortunately, Gu Xiuping was thick-skinned. After a few awkward exchanges, he quickly found his rhythm in the conversation.

The two of them chatted back and forth, the more they talked, the more enjoyable the conversation became.

The distance from the street corner to the end of the street was quite short, and even though they were walking slowly, they soon reached the end. They stood at the street’s edge, facing each other in silence.

After a while, Gu Xiuping asked: “Comrade Wen, are you hungry? Let’s go eat.”

Wen Xin had already had breakfast before leaving and wasn’t hungry. She was about to say so but, looking at Gu Xiuping’s face, she, almost without thinking, said she was hungry.

So, Gu Xiuping took Wen Xin to the State-Owned Restaurant.

For lunch, they served beef noodles, and the two of them each ordered a bowl and sat in a corner, chatting while eating. They spent a full hour on the meal, and in the end, Wen Xin, who wasn’t hungry to begin with, finished the soup, and Gu Xiuping did the same.

By the afternoon, there was nothing left to see on the street, so Wen Xin suggested heading home, and Gu Xiuping walked her to the intersection.

Wen Xin got on her bike, and just before leaving, Gu Xiuping called out to her. “Next Sunday, the county cinema is showing ‘The Flower Girl.’ I’ll take you to see it.”

The cold air made their breath visible in the air, yet Gu Xiuping was sweating through his clothes.

Wen Xin looked at him, and after a while, she replied: “Next Sunday, I was actually planning to go to the bookstore in the county to buy a book.”

Although Wen Xin didn’t directly respond, her answer was enough to excite Gu Xiuping.

“Then, next Sunday, I’ll wait for you here.”

What answered him was Wen Xin’s figure as she rode off on her bike.

——

When Wen Xin returned home, Zhang Xiuying could no longer hold back her curiosity. She immediately grabbed Wen Xin and pulled her into the room.

“Xin Xin, tell me honestly, are you seeing someone? Where is the young man from? What’s his job? How old is he?”

Zhang Xiuying’s questions came one after another, and Wen Xin didn’t know which one to answer first. She smiled, trying to calm her mother down. “Mom, can you wait until I take off my hat and scarf before we talk?”

Zhang Xiuying let go of Wen Xin’s hand, and Wen Xin took off her hat and scarf, hanging them on the wall. Then she said: “I don’t even know if I can call it dating, but we’ve been writing letters to each other regularly, just talking about funny things from our work and life.”

Zhang Xiuying stamped her foot. “My silly girl, if this isn’t dating, then what is? Do you have to sleep on the same bed to count? Tell me, where is this young man from? I’ll send someone to inquire about him.”

“Mom, his family is from Yanjing, his name is Gu Xiuping, and he’s stationed near here. You’ve seen him before, remember that night when we sent Gei Wei home? He was the one who came with her two comrades, the one who looked the fairest.”

In an instant, Zhang Xiuying knew exactly who Wen Xin was talking about. Her mouth moved faster than her thoughts. “What? You’ve got your eye on that little pale-faced one?”