Chapter 42 – The Female Supporting Character Whose Life Was Taken Away by a Transmigrated Woman

Old Qin’s eyes were bloodshot.

Wen Xin was startled by his appearance. Old Qin impatiently asked again, and only then did Wen Xin answer: “This is a relic from my mother.”

A relic from her mother…?!

Old Qin collapsed onto the sofa. Old Zhang immediately spoke up beside him: “Miss, here’s the thing. The jade pendant you’re wearing, Qin’s youngest daughter also has a similar one. Could you show us your jade pendant?”

Wen Xin looked down at the jade pendant on her chest, then glanced at Old Qin, who seemed disoriented. She took the pendant off. “Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding. Grandpa Qin’s surname is Qin, but my mother’s surname is Zhou.”

Old Zhang took the jade pendant and handed it to Old Qin. Old Qin stroked the pendant, and after a long time, he hoarsely spoke: “It’s not wrong. This is my daughter’s. I have three children. Your mother was the youngest. She had an older brother and sister. When your grandmother married me, she brought a piece of jade in her dowry. After your mother was born, we had three identical jade pendants made.”

“In 1965, we were investigated because of your grandmother’s background and my position at the time. We were strictly scrutinized. Your mother was still young, only sixteen. I couldn’t trust anyone with her, so I entrusted her to my old comrade. He became her godfather, and to keep her safe, he created a fake identity and a fake family for her and secretly sent her to the countryside.”

“In 1968, your great-grandfather passed away from illness, and I lost contact with your mother. I was rehabilitated in 1977, and after that, I searched for her, but all I could find was that she had been in Hunan Province. I had no information about where she was or how she was doing.”

“I came to Hunan for my health, but it was also to find your mother.” Old Qin said, his voice hoarse as he recounted the past. “A few years ago, your grandmother passed away. Before she left, she was still worried about your mother. She made me promise to find her. Now, thinking about it, they must have met each other down there, right?” Old Qin mumbled to himself.

Wen Xin hadn’t expected such a complicated backstory. She went to the bedroom, pulled out a small box, and took out a photo of Zhou Yi.

When Old Qin saw the photo, he could no longer hold back his tears, which flowed uncontrollably. Old Zhang also had red eyes. Wen Xin felt pained as well.

She was born in 1972, and the Original Owner’s mother passed away in 1979. By that time, Old Qin had already been rehabilitated. If the Original Owner’s mother had just held on a little longer, if she had made it to the 1980s, she would have surely found her family, escaped Wen Chengzhi. But she didn’t wait. There was no one to blame. Old Qin had made her hide her identity to protect her, so she could live a good life. Her godfather had crafted her fake identity so seamlessly that Old Qin had spent many years searching without discovering the truth, which also showed the care and thoughtfulness that had gone into it.

It was just fate playing tricks on her.

Wen Xin didn’t know how to comfort Old Qin.

Old Qin was no stranger to hardship. After a short while, he regained his composure. He used the handkerchief he always carried with him to wipe his eyes and looked at Wen Xin. “Girl, tell me, how has your mother been all these years? How is she? How did she pass away?”

“When she passed, I was seven years old, but she had been in poor health since I was born. I wasn’t born to my current father. My biological father was a soldier, and he passed away before I was born. My mother married my current adoptive father so that I could have a legitimate birth.” Wen Xin replied.

Had Zhou Yi lived well? Probably not. The man she deeply loved had passed away before their child was even born, and the man she later found for the sake of her child had such character. How could she have lived well? Wen Xin thought. If it weren’t for the Original Owner, perhaps her mother wouldn’t have made it to 1979.

Old Qin had seen Wen Xin’s file. Thinking about the things written in the file, he couldn’t help but sob.

Wen Xin held back her tears as she handed Old Qin the little alley. When Old Qin saw the name on the envelope, he froze.

“So your father was him.” Old Zhang remarked, leaning in.

“You knew him?”

Old Zhang nodded: “Of course. How could we not know him? He was the best soldier under your great-grandfather. He had just entered the military unit and hadn’t even finished basic training when your great-grandfather took notice of him. As soon as the training ended, he took him under his wing. At that time, your grandfather and I hadn’t had any trouble yet, and we both saw his potential, but your great-grandfather got to him first. Because of that, your great-grandfather treated us to several days of meals.”

“Your father was the best soldier back then. After he was taken, he achieved many accomplishments. When your mother met him, it wasn’t surprising that she fell in love with him.” Old Zhang sighed.

Old Qin remained silent. He didn’t look at the letters but focused on the remittance slips instead.

This was something Old Qin would need a long time to process. Old Zhang, knowing his temperament, called Wen Xin out, and the two of them went outside to look at the peach blossoms.

The peach blossoms were even more vibrant now than on New Year’s Day, with pink hues covering the entire mountain. It was incredibly beautiful. Beneath the trees, many wild herbs had started to grow.

Wen Xin chatted with Old Zhang while picking a lot of wild herbs. She was planning to make wild vegetable steamed cornmeal buns for lunch, adding some of the fried pork skin that He Xiunian had made before the New Year. It would surely taste delicious.

He Xiunian arrived around noon, carrying a pig’s leg. It was quite large, perfect for grinding the meat to mix with the wild herbs for the steamed buns. The flavor would definitely be better than using the fried pork skin. After He Xiunian put the pig’s leg in the kitchen, Wen Xin pulled him outside and told him about how Old Qin was her maternal grandfather.

He Xiunian was stunned. How could things be so coincidental? Wen Xin also felt it was too much of a coincidence. She had simply helped an elderly man on the road, not knowing that this person would turn out to be her real grandfather.

Wen Xin nudged He Xiunian’s arm. “He Xiunian, are your grandparents not around anymore?”

He Xiunian shook his head. “No, they’re gone. My mom came to our village to escape the famine. My grandmother bought her for thirty jin of grain to be a child bride for my dad. My mom was young back then and doesn’t even remember where her family is.”

Wen Xin looked at He Xiunian’s handsome face. “So, He Xiunian, do you look more like your dad or your mom?”

He Xiunian replied: “I don’t look like either of them. I look like my grandmother. The villagers say my grandmother was very beautiful when she was young.”

Wen Xin felt a bit disappointed. She had thought He Xiunian might have some hidden background. He Xiunian noticed her disappointed expression and found it amusing. He reached out and ruffled Wen Xin’s hair, and the dimple by his mouth deepened. “Do you think everyone is as lucky as you?”

Wen Xin didn’t pull away. When he removed his hand, she noticed that He Xiunian had worked hard from a young age. His hands, though still good-looking, had swollen joints and thick calluses. Wen Xin, almost unconsciously, reached out to hold his hand. It was quickly taken in his, his hand dry and, as she had expected, warm.

He Xiunian wasn’t as shy as before. His face didn’t turn red anymore. Instead, he held Wen Xin’s hand tightly, avoiding looking her in the eye. Seeing him like this, Wen Xin just wanted to hug him.

He Xiunian made lunch. By then, Old Qin had recovered somewhat, but he was still not easy to deceive. Wen Xin poured him a cup of water with spiritual water mixed in.

After drinking it, Old Qin’s complexion improved significantly. During the meal, he observed He Xiunian closely. After all, the intentions of one’s heart were obvious, just like Sima Zhao’s intentions were apparent to all.

In the past, before he knew that Wen Xin was his granddaughter, Old Qin looked at her relationship with He Xiunian with the mindset of someone enjoying a show. He would occasionally try to play matchmaker, just to see the two of them blush with embarrassment.

But now, with the perspective of a grandfather looking at his granddaughter’s potential suitor, Old Qin wasn’t entirely satisfied.

He Xiunian was indeed a very capable person, but he was only a businessman. In business, there are both profits and losses, and it was unstable. The army had plenty of fine young men, as did his old comrades’ grandsons and granddaughters. There were many outstanding candidates, and any one of them would be better than He Xiunian.

However, Old Qin had just recognized his granddaughter, and she hadn’t even called him “Grandpa” more than a few times. If he intervened in her matters now, it might cause resentment.

So, Old Qin suppressed his dissatisfaction and chose not to mention it.

After the meal, Old Qin said to Wen Xin: “Xiao Xin, Grandpa will call your aunt when we get back and ask her to come see you.”

Wen Xin nodded obediently: “What about my uncle?”

Old Qin paused for a moment and then replied: “You don’t have an uncle.”

Old Zhang, who was standing beside them, added: “When your grandpa was being investigated, your uncle wrote a letter of denunciation that made things even more difficult for your grandpa. Not only that, but he also severed ties with your grandpa. So, you don’t have an uncle.”

Wen Xin simply said: “Oh.” and didn’t press further. This wasn’t an uncommon story, and she didn’t ask any more questions.

After the meal, Old Qin left with Old Zhang. He planned to return to the family compound, tidy up, and move to the small courtyard to live with his granddaughter. After all, she had already invited him, and if he didn’t come, it would surely make her sad.

Back at the sanatorium, Old Qin called his eldest daughter, Qin Yishu, who worked in Beijing.

It was just after work hours when Qin Yishu arrived home. She had just put down her things when she received the call from her father. Hearing that Xiao Mei had been found but had passed away, leaving only a granddaughter, Qin Yishu felt a pang of sadness.

After hanging up, she went upstairs to pack. Halfway through packing, her husband returned. When he saw her packing, he was surprised. “Where are you going?”

“Just now, Dad called and said Xiao Mei is gone, but she left behind a granddaughter. I’m going to see her.” Qin Yishu replied, sniffling.

Her husband, Sun Jingyong, immediately said: “Then pack some of my clothes too. I’ll go with you.”

Qin Yishu had thought about having him come along, but he had an important meeting next year that he couldn’t miss. She refused. Sun Jingyong said: “Then help me explain to my father and give our niece a bigger red envelope. When you bring her over, I’ll apologize to her in person.”

“Alright.” Qin Yishu agreed.

Sun Jingyong had the Military Unit book train tickets to the station and personally saw Qin Yishu off on her way to Hunan Province. Three days later, she arrived successfully, but not finding her father at the sanatorium, she went straight to the peach blossom grove her father had mentioned.

There, she saw her father, Old Qin, pulling weeds under the peach trees, with a young girl by his side. As they approached, both the grandfather and granddaughter looked up, and Qin Yishu finally saw what her niece looked like. The girl didn’t resemble Xiao Mei, but she looked quite like Xiao Liangcai.

Though she didn’t resemble her own Xiao Mei, the young girl made Qin Yishu’s eyes redden with emotion.

Old Qin seemed not to notice the tears in Qin Yishu’s eyes. He introduced everyone, and Wen Xin called out “Aunt” first.

Qin Yishu pulled a red envelope from her pocket, one she had prepared before leaving, and handed it to Wen Xin while speaking with her. Wen Xin accepted it.

Qin Yishu had come directly from the train station, rushing in her hurry without eating anything. Wen Xin made her a bowl of noodles, added two eggs, and some vegetables.

Perhaps because she was so hungry, Qin Yishu ate heartily. After the meal, she slept soundly and didn’t wake up until it was time for lunch.

With Qin Yishu’s arrival, the matter of seeing Zhou Yi was set into motion.

Since Wen Xin wasn’t lacking money and had been idle at home, she agreed to go along. When He Xiunian heard that they were going back, he insisted on coming too. Old Qin didn’t say anything. He had been here for quite a few days already. Despite He Xiunian not matching up to the soldiers under his command or his old comrades’ grandsons, there was one thing that set him apart from them: his consideration for Wen Xin.

Whenever he came over, he made sure Wen Xin didn’t have to do any housework. If she told him to go east, he would not go west, something that those outstanding men couldn’t match. Furthermore, Old Zhang’s advice had been effective. His granddaughter had grown up in the countryside, and if he pushed other men to marry her, she would likely suffer. After all, most of the women in their circle now had high standards but little skill.

Thus, after several nights of thinking, Old Qin decided that if his granddaughter ended up with He Xiunian, he would likely not stir up any trouble. Plus, since He Xiunian had no parents, the household would eventually be run by Wen Xin anyway. Being in charge at home would be far more comfortable than living under someone else’s thumb.

After coming to this conclusion, although Old Qin was still a bit dissatisfied, he no longer gave He Xiunian the cold shoulder.

The next day, a group of four, along with the driver Xiao Zhang and the ever-assertive Old Zhang and Xiao Huang, set off in the sanatorium’s jeep towards Danxi Village.

At first, the mood was light as everyone chatted and laughed, but as they neared Danxi Village, the atmosphere grew quieter.

When the jeep drove into Danxi Village, the children ran out to watch. Xiao Zhang parked the car at the threshing ground in the center of the village. Just before 3 o’clock, many people were gathered under the large banyan tree near the threshing ground, playing cards. When they heard the commotion, they stopped playing and craned their necks to look at Wen Xin and her companions.

Among them was Wen Chengzhi. When he saw Wen Xin get out of the car, he tossed his cards aside, spat a thick mouthful of phlegm on the ground, and strode toward her.

“Well, well, you little slut, finally dare to come back, huh? Been running wild outside, huh? Couldn’t fit in at home anymore, huh?” Wen Chengzhi yelled as he raised his hand to slap Wen Xin.

Before he could reach her, Xiao Huang grabbed his hand and twisted it behind his back. Wen Chengzhi, a farmer with some strength, was no match for Xiao Huang, who had been trained for years. He was utterly powerless in Xiao Huang’s grip.

Hearing Wen Chengzhi’s abusive words, Xiao Huang applied more pressure. Wen Chengzhi winced in pain and bared his teeth, glaring at them. “Who are you guys? I’ll discipline my own daughter. What’s it to you? Let me go right now, or you’ll regret it. I’ll make sure none of you can leave this village!”