Chapter 41 – The Female Supporting Character Whose Life Was Taken Away by a Transmigrated Woman

He Xiunian returned to the Provincial Capital without delay and went straight to find Wen Xin, passing on Huang Xiangqin’s message to her.

When Wen Xin heard that her biological mother’s belongings were still there, she stood frozen for a long while.

After all, this had never happened in either her past life or the life before that.

However, it was unlikely that Huang Xiangqin had lied to her, considering that Huang Xiangqin had been married into the family for over ten years. She had never harmed the Original Owner, and in fact, had given the Original Owner some protection.

Without that protection, the Original Owner’s life would have been even harder. After thinking for a while, Wen Xin decided to go back for a visit.

He Xiunian was also aware of the relationship between Wen Chengzhi and Wen Xin, and he feared that Huang Xiangqin, together with Wen Chengzhi, might deceive Wen Xin into returning and sell her off. He insisted on following her, and Wen Xin agreed.

The next day, Wen Xin and He Xiunian took the earliest train back.

They arrived in Danxi Village just as dawn was breaking. There were only a few people outside, and He Xiunian led Wen Xin to his house at the edge of the village.

It was a very simple mud-brick house, with just a living room and a bedroom. The courtyard wall was quite high, though.

He Xiunian told Wen Xin to wait inside while he went to call Huang Xiangqin, and Wen Xin followed him.

Wen Chengzhi hadn’t returned last night. Since Huang Xiangqin had given birth to their second child, Wen Chengzhi had often stayed out, either drinking or going to sleep with Widow He at the end of the village.

Huang Xiangqin had argued with him, even had physical altercations with Widow He several times, but it had all been in vain. Over time, she had stopped caring about Wen Chengzhi.

Although Huang Xiangqin was surprised that He Xiunian had found Wen Xin so quickly, she asked him to leave first, saying she would be there shortly. Before leaving, she went into her room, took a small box from under the brick, and put it into a basket, pretending to be heading to the mountains to gather firewood as she walked toward He Xiunian’s small courtyard.

She avoided people along the way and finally reached He Xiunian’s home, where Wen Xin came out to greet her.

Huang Xiangqin gave Wen Xin a once-over, noticing that her complexion was rosy, and she had gained some weight. This made her feel somewhat pleased. She followed Wen Xin inside, set down the basket, and took out the small black box.

“Xiao Xin, this is your mother’s belongings. I found it under the bed while cleaning the other day. Take a look.”

The small box was square. Wen Xin opened it, and the first thing she saw was a photograph. As soon as she saw the photo, her eyes turned red.

Wen Xin knew that this was a fragment of the Original Owner’s consciousness, as well as a bit of her obsession. During the years the Original Owner was imprisoned by Su Quihe, the thing she longed for the most was to see her mother. She had dreamed of meeting Zhou Yi, even if it was just by looking at a photo.

In the Original Owner’s life, only her prematurely deceased mother had truly treated her well.

Wen Xin didn’t look at the letter beneath the photo. She wiped her eyes and turned to Huang Xiangqin. “Aunt Qin, does my dad know you took the box?”

Huang Xiangqin shook her head. “No, he doesn’t know. I took it secretly, but don’t worry, he doesn’t know it was me.”

Wen Chengzhi, though a jerk, did trust Huang Xiangqin in one thing. Over the years, as his wife, Huang Xiangqin had only argued with him a few times early on because of Widow He. Other than that, she had been a very good wife.

And Wen Chengzhi had another flaw—when he drank too much, he would blackout. In the past, Huang Xiangqin had taken a fair bit of money from him when he was in a blackout, but when he woke up and asked, she denied it. Wen Chengzhi never suspected anything.

Thus, Huang Xiangqin was confident she could handle Wen Chengzhi. “Don’t worry, even if your dad notices the box is missing, it won’t be a big deal.”

Wen Xin looked at Huang Xiangqin, seeing no sign of reluctance on her face, and then thanked her. “Thank you, Aunt Qin.”

Huang Xiangqin waved her hand. “No need to thank me. I haven’t done anything for you all these years. Take the letter and leave. Don’t come back here. Take care of yourself outside. Last time, Su Quihe said you were in the Provincial Capital, and your dad spent several days there. Be careful. Alright, I’m going. If I stay too long, your dad will start to suspect.”

Wen Xin took out the household registration booklet she had secretly taken the day she left and handed it to Huang Xiangqin. “Aunt Qin, take this back. I’ve moved my household registration.”

The household registration booklet wasn’t something that was needed often, and Huang Xiangqin hadn’t looked at it when she took it. She hadn’t expected Wen Xin to take the family’s household registration with her before leaving. However, she wasn’t angry. She took the booklet and left.

Wen Xin watched her leave.

He Xiunian, standing behind Wen Xin, said: “Your stepmother is pretty good.”

Wen Xin hummed in acknowledgment. “She is. Sometimes, I’m really glad that she’s my stepmother. If it had been someone else, my life would have been much harder over the years.”

After all, Wen Chengzhi, her biological father, didn’t like her, and there was no one in her maternal family to turn to. If she had ended up with a cruel stepmother, she would have had no one to care for her, no matter how much she was mistreated.

He Xiunian nodded. “Next time I go back to the village, I’ll bring something for them.” This time, neither of them had brought anything since they weren’t sure of Huang Xiangqin’s true intentions.

Wen Xin nodded. After they packed up, they left.

Back at the small courtyard, Wen Xin took the box out to look at its contents.

She placed the remittance slips to the side, then began looking at the letters.

The letters were all sent by someone named Xiao Liangcai, starting from December 1968. Every two months, there was always one letter.

Wen Xin read through them, year by year, one by one.

Zhou Yi’s family had encountered problems, and she had been sent down to the countryside under a false name and identity, arranged by her father’s comrade. It was during this time that Xiao Liangcai met Zhou Yi. After Zhou Yi went to the countryside, Xiao Liangcai sent her many letters, which started out as simple greetings but gradually became more detailed. He would share many stories from his time at the Military Unit with Zhou Yi.

Wen Xin reached the year 1971. The last letter of that year mentioned that Xiao Liangcai had applied for discharge, which had been approved by the Military Unit, and he had already found a post for his civilian life. However, he still had one more mission to complete, and once it was finished, he would return to Zhou Yi and stay with her forever.

In the letter, he also apologized to Zhou Yi, saying that if he had been more self-controlled back then, she wouldn’t have had to suffer so much. He told Zhou Yi that if the child she was carrying turned out to be a daughter, they would name her Xin Xin, taken from the phrase “家有宁馨儿” (a home with a peaceful, happy daughter), which was a beautiful wish from a father for his daughter’s health, safety, and good reputation.

If it was a son, he would be called Cheng Ze.

The letter ended with many well-wishes for the child and for their future life together.

The final letter was from January 1979, only a month after the one from 1971. Wen Xin opened it to read.

The words “遗书” (will) were written plainly at the top.

Having been a military wife, Wen Xin knew how painful and heart-wrenching it was for a wife to receive such a letter when her husband was away on duty. Just seeing those two words, she could already feel the weight of that heartache.

Her tears fell immediately. She wiped them away and continued to read.

—

Dear Comrade Zhou Yi,

By the time you receive this letter, I will have already sacrificed myself on the battlefield. As a soldier, sacrificing myself on the battlefield is both my honor and my fate. But the one thing that makes me most sorrowful is that I am sorry for you.

There is no one left in my family. The only person I worry about is you. If I do fall in battle, my compensation will be given to you. You will terminate the pregnancy, take the money, and marry a man who treats you well. This is the dowry I leave for you.

In the rest of your life, I only wish for your peace and happiness.

Xiao Liangcai

Written in December 1971

The letter was short, just a few lines, with a large blank space at the bottom, marked with tear stains.

Wen Xin calculated the timing. At that point, Zhou Yi had already been pregnant for more than three months.

In that era, under such circumstances, the most reasonable choice would have been to terminate the pregnancy. But Zhou Yi didn’t. She insisted on having the Original Owner.

From this letter, it could also be inferred that Zhou Yi’s marriage to Wen Chengzhi was nothing more than a mutually beneficial arrangement. Wen Chengzhi needed money, while Zhou Yi needed the Original Owner to have a legitimate birth.

This could explain why Wen Chengzhi treated the Original Owner the way he did. After all, the Original Owner wasn’t his biological child.

the Original Owner’s childhood memories also included the fact that Wen Chengzhi and Zhou Yi never slept in the same room.

the Original Owner also remembered how Wen Chengzhi once got drunk and tried to force his way into Zhou Yi’s room, only to be thrown out by Zhou Yi. Wen Xin folded the letter back and placed it into the envelope. She began to look through the remittance slips—mostly amounts of thirty-five, twenty, and twenty. The largest one was from March 1979, a full 1000 yuan.

After that, there were no more.

Wen Xin picked up the jade pendant and held it in her hand, rubbing it gently. It had been hanging around Zhou Yi’s neck for years. Ever since Zhou Yi passed away, she had never seen it again.

Wen Xin hung the jade pendant around her neck. She thought to herself, if the Original Owner were here, she would probably do the same.

While Wen Xin was reading the letters, He Xiunian had been sitting quietly beside her. He wasn’t uninterested in the contents of the letters, but he respected Wen Xin and had no intention of peeking.

After Wen Xin put on the jade pendant and wiped away her tears, she turned to He Xiunian and said: “These are letters my biological father wrote to my mother. Wen Chengzhi isn’t my real father. My real father was a soldier, but he sacrificed himself.”

He Xiunian was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Wen Xin’s background to be like this. “Congratulations.” he said.

Wen Xin smiled. “Yes, I’m not Wen Chengzhi’s child. I should indeed congratulate myself.”

In the Original Owner’s memories, she had often wished that she wasn’t Wen Chengzhi’s child, especially during the time when she was imprisoned by Su Quihe. She had repeatedly sought help from Wen Chengzhi, but he had ignored her.

Now, it seemed like her dream had come true. After the world ended, if she and the Original Owner were to meet again, the Original Owner would probably be happy too.

Wen Xin placed the small box into the wardrobe in the master bedroom and put it away. In her lifetime, she probably wouldn’t open the box again.

After the minor New Year, it was time for the big celebration. He Xiunian and Wen Xin worked together to clean the entire house inside and out. On the 25th of the lunar month, Wen Xin began preparing for the New Year.

She made tofu, fried snacks, and shaped dumplings, and before she knew it, it was New Year’s Eve.

On New Year’s Eve, according to local customs, everyone had to eat long vegetables, which meant cooking all the greens without cutting off the stems or leaves. This symbolized a wish for longevity and lasting prosperity.

They stayed up for the night, and at midnight, He Xiunian set off a firecracker to mark the beginning of the new year.

The next day, Wen Xin woke up and saw that many of the peach trees in her yard had already started blooming. The pink flowers hung from the branches, and Wen Xin excitedly called He Xiunian to come see.

He Xiunian looked and smiled, pleased.

In the village, besides the village head’s family, she didn’t have many people to celebrate with. The village head’s family didn’t come to visit her for New Year’s, so Wen Xin spent the days until the 8th of the new year playing alone.

Mr. Qin and Old Zhang returned, and the first thing they did after arriving at the nursing home was to come and find Wen Xin to spend time with her.

Wen Xin cooked for them, and while bending over, the jade pendant around her neck fell out. Mr. Qin immediately saw it and jumped up from his seat.

“Girl, where did you get this jade pendant from?”