Chapter 19 – The Female Supporting Character in the Confession Book

The two of them went to the cinema to watch a movie. The film The Flower Girl told the story of the tragic fate of a flower-selling girl and her family, and the fate of Master Gong and his family was equally sorrowful.

Before they had watched half of it, the sound of sobbing began to fill the cinema. Wen Xin’s eyes also became misty.

The 132-minute movie was emotionally overwhelming. When it ended, people streamed out of the cinema. Gu Xiuping shielded Wen Xin as they walked out of the screening room.

The sun was shining brightly outside. Wen Xin took a long breath and said: “This movie was really well acted.”

Gu Xiuping smiled with his lips pressed together. “It really is a good movie. Other films are good too. Shall we come watch another one next time?” His tone carried a hint of testing.

Wen Xin responded with a simple “Mm.”

It was already noon, and the two of them went to a restaurant for lunch. During the meal, Gu Xiuping stepped out for a while. When he came back, he was holding something in his hand, which he directly handed to Wen Xin.

Wen Xin opened the bag and asked: “What is this?”

Gu Xiuping gestured for Wen Xin to take a look herself.

Inside the bag was a bright red scarf. The scarf felt soft to the touch, with delicate yarn, and it was clear that it was made of high-quality cashmere. Cashmere was not cheap in this era.

Wen Xin stuffed the scarf back into the bag and asked: “Is this for me?”

Gu Xiuping nodded.

Wen Xin pushed the bag back towards him. “This is too expensive. I can’t accept it.”

Gu Xiuping replied: “Take it, please. My comrade’s wife works in a shop. I bought it at a discount, so it wasn’t very expensive. Besides, if you don’t take it, I have no one else to give it to. My sister doesn’t need scarves, and my mother wouldn’t use such a bright color.”

Wen Xin stared at the scarf for a while and then asked Gu Xiuping: “Gu Xiuping, if in the future, there’s a chance to attend a higher university, I want to go. Would you support me?”

Attending university was Wen Xin’s first personal goal after deciding to live her life. Gu Xiuping, however, was an unexpected person in this plan.

If Gu Xiuping didn’t agree with her going to university in the future, then there would be no future between her and him.

Taking advantage of the time still being early, Wen Xin thought it was best to ask clearly. Otherwise, when the college entrance exam resumed next year, if she wanted to go and Gu Xiuping disagreed, it would be too painful for both of them.

It was like the first life of the original person, when the news about the resumption of the college entrance exam came. She wanted to go, but Lin Jianzhang absolutely refused. The two of them had been in a standoff and silent conflict for a long time, and in the end, it was the original person who made the compromise.

Wen Xin didn’t know if the original person regretted it, but she thought that if she gave up the opportunity to attend university for Gu Xiuping, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Gu Xiuping was momentarily stunned, not expecting Wen Xin to ask this. Could it be that she had been recommended to attend a workers’ and peasants’ university?

It wasn’t entirely impossible. After all, according to his investigations, Wen Xin had performed exceptionally well at her workplace, so it wouldn’t be strange for her to be recommended for such a university.

Gu Xiuping became serious and said: “I will support you. If you can receive better and higher education, I have no right to stop you. Everything should be according to your will. I will follow your lead.”

As for whether Wen Xin would stop seeing him because she went to university, Gu Xiuping wasn’t worried. After all, he was confident in his own abilities.

Wen Xin lowered her gaze, thinking for a while, and then smiled as she placed the bag with the scarf beside her. “Then, Comrade Gu, I’ll accept the scarf.”

Gu Xiuping couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

After leaving the restaurant, Gu Xiuping encountered an acquaintance. When the acquaintance inquired, Gu Xiuping introduced Wen Xin as his lover, and Wen Xin didn’t object.

Throughout the day, Gu Xiuping’s smile never left his face.

After lunch, the two of them headed home. This time, Gu Xiuping didn’t ride as recklessly as before; he made sure to find a smoother path to ride along.

From the moment they got in the bicycle, Wen Xin’s hand had firmly grasped his clothes.

They parted at their usual spot. Gu Xiuping said to Wen Xin: “I’m quite busy with training, but when things calm down, I’ll come find you.”

Wen Xin obediently nodded to him. After she left, Gu Xiuping jogged back to the camp. When he reached a place where no one was around, he nearly skipped with excitement.

Upon arriving at the camp, the first thing he did was write a letter to his parents, who were far away in Capital City, to tell them that he had a girlfriend.

Afterward, he wrote another letter to his little sister, Gu Xiuzhi.

Then, he started to swagger around the camp, successfully arranging a few sparring sessions for himself.

Wen Xin didn’t tell her parents about her relationship, since it was still quite new.

There was good news from the Wen family as well: Eldest Sister-in-law Wen was pregnant. With both daughters-in-law expecting, the Wen family was about to have a third generation. Wen Yuejun smiled so broadly that his wrinkles seemed to bloom. He even took out his cherished wine and shared a drink with his two sons.

——

The weather grew colder, and by the end of November, snowflakes began to fall.

At first, the snow was light, melting upon touching the ground. But later, the snow began to accumulate, covering the ground with a thick layer.

Since it started snowing, Wen Xin stopped riding her bike to work. She put on a thick cotton coat and pants and left half an hour earlier than usual every morning. Her home was far, so she could leave work half an hour earlier in the evening as well.

Autumn and winter were crucial times for forest fire prevention. Firefighters and patrollers had to submit a report every two days, and the production team near the mountains had to organize daily patrols to prevent forest fires.

This day, snow had fallen all day. By the time Wen Xin finished work and headed home, the snow had almost reached her knees.

When Wen Xin stepped out, Gu Xiuping was already waiting by the entrance of her workplace.

Wen Xin walked over to him. “Why are you here?”

The cold weather had turned Gu Xiuping’s military uniform into a bulky winter coat, and he wore a dogskin hat on his head.

Gu Xiuping pointed to the jeep parked at the street corner. “The snow is heavy today. I was worried about you coming home alone, so I came to see you off.”

Hearing this, Wen Xin felt warmth in her heart.

Gu Xiuping took Wen Xin’s soft little hand in his, feeling heartache as he said: “Why is your hand so cold? Doesn’t your workplace have heating?”

“It does have heating, but it’s not that warm.” The workplace used coal for heating, and the leaders, in order to save a bit, set a daily limit on the amount of coal burned. As a result, the temperature was predictable.

Gu Xiuping’s heart ached even more.

His hand was warm and dry, and in no time, he had warmed up Wen Xin’s hand. It was too cold, and there weren’t many people on the street, so they simply held hands and got into the car.

Once they were in the front passenger seat, Gu Xiuping took out a military water bottle from under the seat. “I just filled this with hot water when I left. It’s been a while, so it should be just right for drinking. You should drink some to warm yourself up.”

Wen Xin opened the bottle cap, and the water inside was indeed just right for drinking. She took a couple of sips, then turned to look at Gu Xiuping. His lips had already started to peel. “You should drink some too. Your lips are all chapped.”

Gu Xiuping was reversing the car and, upon hearing her, replied: “It’s fine, I drink plenty of water every day. But I’ve been like this since I was a child. Every winter, my lips crack.”

Wen Xin nodded, screwed the cap back on the bottle, then pulled her bag closer to her and rummaged through it. She took out a small jar of lip balm. It was something she had made herself, using beeswax and rapeseed oil—ingredients that were quite precious. She hadn’t made much of it, and each woman in the family only had a small jar.

When Wen Xin had made the lip balm, Zhang Xiuying had told her she was wasting things, but once it was done and Wen Xin found it useful, Zhang Xiuying never mentioned that again.

As for how Wen Xin came to make this lip balm, she couldn’t quite remember. Perhaps it was something she had seen the young princess make in the Wang family’s mansion when she was younger.

Gu Xiuping turned his head and, smiling, said: “Xin Xin, how about I visit your family today? We’ve been dating for a month now.”

Wen Xin thought for a moment. Over the past month since she and Gu Xiuping had become a couple, they had exchanged letters twice a week, and in each letter, Gu Xiuping would subtly hint at wanting to meet her parents.

Wen Xin had always politely declined, thinking it was too soon.

But now, after some thought, Wen Xin felt it was about time for Gu Xiuping to meet her parents. After all, Gu Xiuping had already told his parents about their relationship long ago. Continuing to refuse would feel inappropriate, as though she were someone who only sought happiness without taking responsibility.

“Alright, let’s go. But I heard that a son-in-law should bring a gift the first time he visits his future in-laws. Did you bring one? If not, should we go to the Supply and Marketing Cooperative to buy something?”

Gu Xiuping was overjoyed to have Wen Xin finally approve of him meeting her parents. His face lit up with a big smile. “I have it in the trunk. I’ve always been prepared with gifts.”

These gifts had been prepared ever since they had confirmed their relationship. Before leaving that morning, Gu Xiuping made sure to load them into the car. He had planned to ask Wen Xin. If she agreed to let him meet her parents, the gifts would come in handy. But if she said the timing wasn’t right and asked him to wait, he would just take the gifts back. After all, it wasn’t a big deal.

As it turned out, opportunity favored the prepared. The gifts proved to be quite useful. If he hadn’t brought them, where would he have found them at the last minute? The local Supply and Marketing Cooperative didn’t have many things that would make for a suitable gift.

Seeing Gu Xiuping smile, Wen Xin couldn’t help but smile too. Throughout the drive, Gu Xiuping’s crescent-shaped eyes were always filled with joy.

Gu Xiuping drove the car into the village. Hearing the sound of the vehicle, the people who were staying home for the winter ran out to take a look. When they saw it was a military jeep, their curiosity grew. Gu Xiuping drove straight into Wen Xin’s family yard.

Hearing the noise, everyone inside the house came out.

Gu Xiuping was very respectful as he got out of the car, greeting everyone one by one. He also took the gifts he had prepared from the trunk of the car.

Zhang Xiuying saw him coming, and although there was a smile on her face, she shot several glaring looks at Wen Xin in places where no one could see.

Wen Xin felt guilty and dared not make eye contact with Zhang Xiuying.

The family entered the east room, and Eldest Sister-in-law Wen poured a cup of hot water for Gu Xiuping. They all sat down and casually exchanged a few words. Zhang Xiuying then prepared to go to the kitchen to add another dish. After all, guests were here.

Before leaving the room, Zhang Xiuying called Wen Xin along. Eldest Sister-in-law Wen and Second sister-in-law also wanted to go to the kitchen to help, but Zhang Xiuying sent them back, saying it was freezing cold outside.

She warned that if they went, the food might take too long to prepare, and by the time it was ready, it would be dark. The place would be pitch black, and if they tripped and fell, it could be dangerous.

Wen Xin felt even more uneasy. Once the cold wind from outside hit, her neck shrank down and didn’t straighten again.

When they reached the kitchen, Zhang Xiuying closed the door and immediately reached out to grab Wen Xin’s ear. She didn’t want to hurt her, so she only loosely held it: “You stubborn child, why don’t you listen? Haven’t I told you that Comrade Gu isn’t suitable? His home is so far away, and their family is doing well. If you marry him, you’ll suffer. You’re such a foolish child, why won’t you listen?”

Zhang Xiuying was very worried.

Wen Xin pretended to cry out with an “Ow, ow.” and Zhang Xiuying thought she had hurt her. She hurriedly loosened her grip.

Taking advantage of the situation, Wen Xin hugged Zhang Xiuying’s arm. “Mom, none of that matters. Look, he’s still working as a soldier here, and if he gets promoted in the future, the most I’ll do is transfer to the Provincial Capital. Our home is only about a four-hour drive from there. If I leave in the morning, I’ll be there by afternoon. Plus, he’s already told his parents about us. Some of the gifts he brought today were from his parents. He also told me that if we really do get married, the wedding will be here, and his parents will come over.”

Wen Xin’s words didn’t offer Zhang Xiuying much comfort. However, since the guest was already at their house, there was nothing to do but talk things over slowly. She couldn’t just chase them out with a big stick, could she?

Zhang Xiuying asked Wen Xin to grab some dried mushrooms and soak them in hot water, then soak the preserved chicken hanging from the beams, and chop it into pieces.

The preserved chicken stew with mushrooms would be delicious. Before serving, Zhang Xiuying cut some radishes into strips, added a little sugar and vinegar, and mixed them. Sister-in-law Wen was pregnant and had a craving for sour and sweet radish strips, which she mentioned earlier that afternoon.

Once the dishes were on the table, they were all simple home-cooked meals, mostly vegetarian, with only the bowl of mushroom and preserved chicken stew being a meat dish. If it weren’t for the guests, the preserved chicken would have been saved for the New Year.

While Zhang Xiuying and her daughter were busy in the kitchen, Gu Xiuping and the Wen family were having a very pleasant conversation. During their talk, he not only subtly shared his family’s situation with the Wen family, but also learned about their affairs.

The more Wen Yuejun watched Gu Xiuping, the more he liked him, and he brought out some of his prized white liquor.

Gu Xiuping drank two cups with him, and by the time they were done, more than half of the bottle was gone.

When the whole family finished eating, it had already gotten dark outside. At that moment, a noise came from outside, and Zhang Xiuying raised her voice, asking: “Who’s there?”

Liu Guixiang and her family of four had already reached the yard. She called out in a loud voice: “Big Sister-in-law, it’s me. We came to visit.”

The jeep was parked in the yard, and Wen Baogen immediately ran to the car as soon as he entered. The door was locked, so he couldn’t get in and started climbing on top of the car. Second Uncle Wen watched him with a grin, while Wen Panxi’s gaze was fixed firmly on the main house.

When Zhang Xiuying heard Liu Guixiang’s voice, her face darkened. It was almost comical—she and Liu Guixiang had been sisters-in-law for twenty or thirty years. Liu Guixiang would only call her “Sister-in-law” when she needed something, but when they met by chance, Liu Guixiang wouldn’t hesitate to throw her a disdainful glance.

Now, so late at night, Liu Guixiang came all the way here. Could it be that she was really just here to visit? Zhang Xiuying didn’t believe it. Most likely, she had heard that her daughter had been brought back in a military vehicle, and now she was here to see if she could take advantage of the situation.

Zhang Xiuying didn’t care whether Gu Xiuping was there or not. “If your brother asks for anything, and you dare to agree, just try it. If you agree, then you can go back with him.”

Wen Yuejun cleared his throat but didn’t say anything.

Meanwhile, Liu Guixiang had already led her husband and daughter inside, while the mischievous child was still outside, climbing on the car.

Wen Xin saw this through the window and furrowed her brow. She tugged at Second Brother Wen’s sleeve. “Second Brother, go out and have a look.”

Second Brother Wen noticed that Wen Baogen wasn’t among the people who entered the house, so he stood up and went out. Soon, the sound of Wen Baogen’s angry roar could be heard from outside. Second Uncle Wen, who doted on his son the most, couldn’t sit still after hearing that and was about to go out, but Liu Guixiang grabbed his arm.

“What are you doing? The cousins haven’t seen each other for a long time. Let them have a little reunion, and you, as the uncle, don’t go out and cause trouble.” she said to her husband. Then, turning to Gu Xiuping, Liu Guixiang added: “So, this is our Xin Xin’s boyfriend? What’s his name? Where is he from, and where does he serve in the army?”

Gu Xiuping, aware of the tense relationship between Wen Xin’s family and Liu Guixiang’s, didn’t respond.

Zhang Xiuying, not wanting Liu Guixiang to annoy her daughter, spat and said: “Liu Guixiang, you should just shut your mouth. What does my Xin Xin have to do with you? When she was little, you ate a mountain yam, and when she wanted one too, you made her bark like a dog to get it, and if she didn’t, you wouldn’t let her eat. Don’t come here acting all high and mighty like a big wolf with a tail. Who doesn’t know who?”

The fake kindness that had been on Liu Guixiang’s face disappeared instantly, and her expression turned dark as she looked at Gu Xiuping. Gu Xiuping was speaking in a low voice with Wen Xin, as if he didn’t notice the commotion at all.

Looking at Gu Xiuping’s face, then at his impressive demeanor, Liu Guixiang felt a surge of frustration. They were all from the same family, so why was it that Wen Xin, this silly girl, kept finding better and better boyfriends, while her own Wen Panxi, who wasn’t worse looking than her, and even more capable, couldn’t find such a good match?

Zhang Xiuying was really bad at thinking things through. The man was visiting for the first time, and she was already showing this attitude towards her own sister-in-law right in front of him. Didn’t she worry that he might think less of her?

Liu Guixiang felt that there was no need to stay any longer. After all, Wen Xin and the soldier wouldn’t last long, and soon enough, they would break up. She couldn’t wait to see how Zhang Xiuying would act then.

Outside, Wen Baogen was still causing trouble with Second Brother Wen. Fearing that her son would lose out, Liu Guixiang turned and walked out. Over the years, through subtle influences, Wen Second Uncle had developed a lot of dissatisfaction with Wen Yuejun, the Big Brother. Unless he needed something from him, he would rarely speak to him when they crossed paths.

Once Liu Guixiang left, he didn’t stay any longer either. With his parents gone, Wen Panxi wasn’t likely to stay either. Before leaving, she gave Gu Xiuping a long, deep look. Her eyes were shockingly bright.

Wen Xin noticed the glance and exchanged a brief look with Wen Panxi, who gave her a slight smile before heading out the door.

Wen Xin withdrew her gaze, suddenly recalling something. In the life before Luo Manzhen’s rebirth, Wen Panxi hadn’t had it easy. She had married a man who was abusive and had even forced her to miscarry once.

One year, Wen Xin had gone back home to visit family with Lin Jianzhang. During their visit, Wen Panxi took the opportunity, when no one was around, to stop Lin Jianzhang and shared many irrelevant things with him. As Lin Jianzhang grew older and more successful, his temper had become worse, and Wen Panxi’s pointless rambling had caused a few days of arguments between the original Wen Xin and Lin Jianzhang.

In truth, the original Wen Xin’s life had been tiring, despite its outward appearances. 

This was also why Wen Xin, after becoming the original Wen Xin, didn’t feel the need to cling to Lin Jianzhang. She wasn’t sure if Gu Xiuping would also end up becoming a person like Lin Jianzhang in the future, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t the original Wen Xin. If it came to that, she would definitely leave first.

After all, it was her first life—why should she accommodate anyone?

As for whether Wen Panxi would stir up trouble, Wen Xin didn’t care. If she did, it would only serve as a test for Gu Xiuping. If Gu Xiuping turned out to be as petty as Lin Jianzhang, then there was no need to keep seeing him.

———

After Liu Guixiang and her family left, Zhang Xiuying didn’t attempt to explain anything to Gu Xiuping. She cleared the dishes and headed to the kitchen.

On the other hand, Wen Yuejun and Big Brother Wen briefly told Gu Xiuping about the enmity between their family and Liu Guixiang’s.

Gu Xiuping was understanding and mentioned that his family also had some relatives like that.

With this delay, it was already dark outside, and snow had started to fall. Driving in such conditions was definitely unsafe. After washing the dishes in the kitchen, Zhang Xiuying wiped her hands and came into the room. “Gu Xiuping, right? It’s starting to snow again, and it’s dangerous to drive. Why don’t you stay the night? I’ll tidy up the guest room in the west wing and heat the bed. You can stay here tonight.”

Gu Xiuping was more than happy with the suggestion and immediately responded: “Thank you, Auntie, thank you. I was just worried about how I would manage with this weather.”

Zhang Xiuying nodded, instructing Wen Xin to tidy up the room and telling Eldest Sister-in-law Wen to heat the bed. She then stayed inside the room to talk with Gu Xiuping.

Compared to others, her questions were much sharper. Gu Xiuping knew that Zhang Xiuying wasn’t entirely satisfied with him, so he focused all his attention to answer her carefully.

Through this exchange, Zhang Xiuying was mostly satisfied with him. She thought that while the young man wasn’t particularly outstanding in other ways, he was honest and reliable—a man who could settle down and live a good life.

Gu Xiuping let out a quiet sigh of relief.

The guest room was right next to Wen Xin’s room. Around eight o’clock, with nothing to do, everyone went to bed.

The bed was warm and cozy, and the mattress he was given was a much better one than usual, one that the family would normally never use. It was soft and comfortable, far better than the hard beds in his dormitory.

Before getting into bed, Gu Xiuping thought he might have trouble sleeping. However, once he lay down, he fell asleep almost immediately. The next morning, he woke up to the sounds of people talking outside.

He got up, dressed quickly, and went outside. Wen Xin was squatting by the water basin, brushing her teeth. Her mouth was full of toothpaste foam, and she couldn’t speak clearly. She just pointed to the windowsill, signaling him to go take a look.

Gu Xiuping walked over to where she was pointing and saw a toothbrush sitting there.

Before Wen Xin arrived, the family had no concept of brushing teeth, except for the original Wen Xin. After she came, she bought a toothbrush for everyone in the family and told them about the benefits of brushing. Now, everyone had gotten into the habit, and not brushing for a day felt uncomfortable.

There was one extra toothbrush that no one had used, so it was just right for Gu Xiuping.

Gu Xiuping took the toothbrush, and by the time he did, Wen Xin had finished brushing her teeth. She handed him her water cup. “It’s so cold out here, hurry up and brush. After you’re done, put the cup on my room’s windowsill. I’m going inside first, it’s freezing.”

Wen Xin jogged into the east room, and Gu Xiuping squatted on the floor, holding her cup, his face reddening. Using the same cup and going into her bedroom later—it felt so embarrassing.