Chapter 35 – The Female Supporting Character Whose Life Was Taken Away by a Transmigrated Woman

Wen Xin was momentarily stunned, but since the words had already been spoken, she couldn’t immediately backtrack and say: “I don’t welcome you, don’t go.” 

Helpless, Wen Xin steeled herself and said: “Alright, I’ll wait for you at home this weekend.”

He Xiunian was quite satisfied with this response, giving a slight nod. “Then I’ll go, they’re calling me.”

Wen Xin gave a quiet “mm.”

He Xiunian walked away with the people who had been calling for him. They went to the construction site, where Wang Zhuang was supervising. Seeing He Xiunian, Wang Zhuang came over with a bottle of water. “In a good mood?”

“Not bad.”

Wang Zhuang rolled his eyes and made a face. After so many years of friendship, how could he not understand He Xiunian? When He Xiunian said “not bad.” it was practically the same as saying “great.”

After parting ways with He Xiunian, Wen Xin went to the flower and bird market. She wandered around for quite a while, buying four different-colored pots of chrysanthemums to plant at home. She also bought two large pots of camellias, each with buds. From the buds, it looked like they were a mix of pink and white.

Loaded up from the flower and bird market, Wen Xin then went to the hospital to sell the remaining purple lingzhi. The quality of this lingzhi was comparable to the previous one. The Old Doctor was quick to give her a note as well.

After leaving the hospital, Wen Xin visited the vegetable market, buying two pieces of marrow bones and a Da Bai radish. Returning home, she began simmering the bones, adding some well water from her space. The soup turned out both fragrant and fresh, making the white radish even more delicious.

Wen Xin happily drank two bowls of the soup, but when she looked at the remaining large pot of soup, she suddenly felt a wave of loneliness as she remembered the scene from her past life when her whole family had gathered to drink bone soup together.

The sun had not yet set. Wen Xin scooped a small bowl of soup and went down the hill to the village chief’s house. The village chief had not yet eaten, and when she saw Wen Xin bringing the soup, the village chief’s wife was very happy to accept it. She then packed a large bag of freshly picked vegetables and corn for Wen Xin.

Exchanging goods between the two families had become a routine, and neither side bothered to decline anymore. Zhang Chunhua and her second brother had gone up the mountain to herd the cattle, and their eldest brother and sister-in-law were at home. When Wen Xin arrived, Zhang Chunhua’s eldest brother, Zhang Chunguo, quietly left, while Zhang Dajie, his wife, stayed in the kitchen talking to Wen Xin.

As the three of them talked, the conversation drifted to the big black dog at Zhang Lao Er’s house at the village’s edge, which had had a litter of puppies last month.

Almost every household in the village had a dog, but puppies didn’t sell for much money. Zhang Lao Er’s dog had had five puppies at once, which was more than they could afford to raise.

Wen Xin’s eyes lit up as she heard this. “Auntie, Big Sister, you know I’m living on the mountain now, and it’s not as safe up there as down here. I was thinking of raising a few dogs. Do you think you could help me ask Zhang Second Uncle if his dogs are for sale? If they are, I’ll take all five.”

Wen Xin’s mountain top was large, and since she lived alone, there was always the possibility that someone might try to bully her. While she could certainly defend herself, having a dog would make things a bit more convenient, wouldn’t it?

Furthermore, when it came to training animals, Wen Xin was a natural. Training dogs was as easy as snapping her fingers.

The village chief’s wife wiped her hands on her apron. “What’s the problem? Little Fairy, you keep an eye on the pot, I’ll go with your sister to visit your Second Uncle Zhang and see about those dogs.”

“Mm.”

Wen Xin followed the village chief’s wife to Zhang Lao Er’s house. When they heard Wen Xin was there to buy dogs, they knew she had money and would surely treat the dogs well, so they readily agreed. They only asked for two and a half yuan, which, rounded up, was essentially giving the dogs away for free.

Zhang Second Uncle, full of enthusiasm, delivered the puppies to Wen Xin’s home. Before leaving, he praised her small yard again and again.

Zhang Chunhua had returned as well. She brought the vegetables her mother had sent for Wen Xin and played with the dogs for a bit before going back.

Wen Xin ladled the bone soup she had simmered in the afternoon over rice and placed the small bowls in front of the five puppies. The puppies sniffed the air and then rushed forward to devour the food.

The five puppies—two males and three females—were Chinese rural dogs, still puppies, and they were incredibly cute and beautiful. Their looks could easily surpass the adorable pet dogs that became popular later on.

What stood out most were their eyes, which were like little glass orbs, simply gorgeous. Wen Xin named them from Wen One to Wen Five.

Their fur was sleek and shiny. Wen Xin couldn’t resist petting them. The puppies were too busy eating to pay her any attention.

She petted one after the other, her hands moving in a flurry, filled with happiness to the point of being overjoyed.

Wen Xin went into her room, spreading out a few clothes she had brought from Danxi Village on the left side of the entrance hall as makeshift beds for the puppies. As the sky darkened, she didn’t rush to train the dogs and instead decided to go back to her room to sleep.

After finishing their meal, the puppies played in the yard for a while, then obediently went back to the beds Wen Xin had made for them. Those who needed to use the bathroom simply walked out through the small crack in the door Wen Xin had left open. Once finished, they wobbled back, shaking their little round behinds.

The next day, the weather was still clear. Wen Xin made a bowl of noodles with the bone soup, as usual, and made sure to prepare rice for the puppies. She took a few of them with her as she went out.

As she walked, Wen Xin trained the dogs. True to their reputation as the most intelligent animals, the dogs understood her commands perfectly, and Wen Xin taught them with ease and relaxation.

Before she knew it, the weekend had arrived. Wen Xin got up and tidied up the already neat and clean house. Just as she was finishing, she heard noise outside. Wen Xin opened the door and stepped out to see her five little puppies, their front paws scraping at the ground, growling and showing their teeth, as they faced off against He Xiunian, who was carrying a load of things in both hands.

The little puppies, with their fierce yet cute demeanor, made growling sounds from their throats, trying to intimidate, but they only ended up being even more adorable. Wen Xin couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Wen One, Wen Two, Wen Three, Wen Four, Wen Five, these are guests. You can go play now.”

With the master’s command, the puppies scattered at once, heading in different directions in groups of two or three.

As Wen Xin’s orchard watch dogs, they needed to patrol the entire mountain twice every day. With their short legs, it took them the whole morning to complete one round. By the time they finished patrolling, it was just in time for their meals.

He Xiunian glanced at the dogs running off into the distance. “Are they all yours?”

“Mm.” Wen Xin replied. “I live alone on the mountain, and it’s not very safe, so I raised a few puppies to guard the house. They grow quickly. How about it? My dogs are pretty fierce, right?”

Fierce? He hadn’t really seen any fierceness, but they were certainly amusing. However, based on He Xiunian’s twenty-four years of experience, he knew it was pointless to argue with women. When they were saying something, even if you didn’t agree, as long as it didn’t touch on principles, it was best to just go along with them.

So, He Xiunian replied calmly: “Mm, they’re pretty fierce.”

Wen Xin was pleased and led He Xiunian inside.

He Xiunian casually looked around, noticing that Wen Xin’s home was well-decorated, with a comfortable and homely atmosphere. It felt cozy at first glance, and the overall style of the place seemed to match her name—completely Wen Xin.

The coldness on He Xiunian’s face softened significantly.

“Sorry for the sudden visit.” he said. “I bought some chicken and duck, along with some vegetables.”

He Xiunian walked toward the kitchen with the items, and Wen Xin followed to take a look. The chicken and duck were already prepped, and He Xiunian efficiently organized the vegetables into categories.

Wen Xin wasn’t too surprised. After all, He Xiunian had gone off to make his own way at fourteen, and by the time he was eighteen, he’d been kicked out by the Zhou Family. If he hadn’t learned to cook by then, he would have starved, right? He couldn’t possibly eat out every day.

He Xiunian knew that Wen Xin wasn’t a great cook. He said: “I’ll cook later.”

Wen Xin was still somewhat self-aware. Although she had learned to add spiritual water to her dishes, which made the taste vastly improved compared to before, that was all thanks to the spiritual water. Without it, her cooking skills were still pretty terrible.

“Alright.”

Wen Xin took He Xiunian to walk through her orchard.

Compared to when they had come to renovate, the orchard had changed a lot. In addition to the vegetable garden that had been added next to the yard, there were now peach trees all over the mountain.

Wen Xin led He Xiunian on a tour around the orchard. “So, what do you think? My orchard’s pretty nice, right?”

“It really is nice. It’s well-planned, and the peach trees are growing well.”

Receiving confirmation for her hard work, Wen Xin was pleased. “By next spring, my orchard will be full of blossoms. The entire mountain will be covered with peach flowers. I’ll invite you over to enjoy them, and when the peaches ripen in July, I’ll send you a few pounds.”

“Sounds good.”

He Xiunian’s gaze lingered on the thorny wall for a moment. “Wen Xin, this thorny wall might keep out a gentleman, but it won’t stop a villain. Why not just build a brick wall?”

Wen Xin scratched her nose. “Bricks are pretty expensive right now. To build a wall like this would cost a lot, and I might not have enough money.”

Money wasn’t particularly hard to come by for Wen Xin. If she ran out of it, she could always go up the mountain and speed up the growth of some rare herbs. But she couldn’t keep spending so freely; after all, she already stood out enough as it was.

He Xiunian, being clever, immediately understood Wen Xin’s concerns. After thinking for a moment, he said: “I’ll come by often in the future.”

Wen Xin responded quickly: “No need, no need! I can take care of myself. Usually, taking down three or five grown men isn’t a problem.”

He Xiunian’s gaze shifted to Wen Xin’s slender arms and legs. He recalled the image of Wen Xin, back in elementary school, being held down by someone during a fight. He let out a sound of acknowledgment, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

The two of them went back to the house to cook. He Xiunian took the lead in cooking, while Wen Xin tended to the fire. He Xiunian’s culinary skills were indeed impressive, and before the food was even finished, the delicious aroma had already filled the air.

Wen Xin observed He Xiunian’s every movement, mentally noting down his techniques.

He Xiunian was amused by the way Wen Xin seemed to be sneakily learning from him. His smile appeared, and a small dimple formed on his left cheek. His normally cold expression softened and became unexpectedly cute.

So He Xiunian had dimples! No wonder he didn’t smile much. Honestly, He Xiunian looked rather charming when he smiled.

Wen Xin’s gaze was too obvious, and He Xiunian cleared his throat, quickly wiping the smile from his face. His dimple disappeared, and he returned to his usual cool demeanor.

Wen Xin propped her chin in her hands and said: “He Xiunian, I think you look good when you smile. You should smile more often.”

The reason He Xiunian didn’t smile much was because he thought that dimple made him look less manly. He had been holding back from smiling for so long that it caught him off guard when someone complimented his smile—especially when that person was a woman he had some affection for.

Even He Xiunian’s usual coolness couldn’t withstand the compliment, and he smiled again. He lowered his gaze to focus on the duck meat he was frying, avoiding Wen Xin’s eyes. His ears were turning so red it seemed like they could bleed, and the pale skin of his neck flushed a faint pink.

Surprisingly innocent.

Wen Xin couldn’t help but laugh out loud. In that moment, she felt like a mischievous woman teasing an innocent man.

She was completely caught off guard by her own comparison, feeling both amused and slightly embarrassed.