After Transmigrating As The Mother Of The Pitiful Female Supporting Character in a Campus Novel - Chapter 19

Having agreed to buy mint to plant, both households woke up bright and early.

Xia Shibai dragged Xia Yaozhou out from under the covers where she was attempting to keep sleeping. She forced the girl to sit upright for ten seconds; the moment she let go, Yaozhou went limp and flopped back onto the bed, rolling over in her quilt to continue her slumber.

In the end, it was only after Xia Shibai gritted her teeth and counted to ten that Yaozhou got out of bed, her voice thick with a tearful pout. “Mommy is mean. Getting up so early… I don’t like it!”

“You’ll like it whether you want to or not. Who told you to toss and turn until dawn last night? Didn’t I tell you we had to get up early today?”

Xia Shibai didn’t coddle her. She ruthlessly stripped the quilt from Yaozhou’s grasp and dressed the girl in a T-shirt printed with a rainbow cat head and a pair of shorts in one fluid motion. Then, she carried Yaozhou to the bathroom to wash up.

The little girl kept her eyes shut, clutching her toothbrush. Brush, stop. Brush, stop. She slept through the entire process.

Impatient, Xia Shibai simply set her down on the floor, leaving her to nestle limply by the bathroom door while she went out to pack their essentials. She prepared warm water and milk in the bottles and stuffed the bread bought yesterday into her bag. Once everything was arranged, she went back for her little girl.

Good. She hadn’t taken root in the bathroom; she had merely splashed water on her face before crawling onto the sofa to fall back into a deep sleep.

Last night, Yaozhou had been so excited by her dream of skipping school and getting rich by “investing” in her three friends that she stayed awake until who-knows-when. Even after Xia Shibai had fallen asleep, she could still hear her muttering away.

Across the wall, things were much better.

Gu Mingyi was rarely a cause for concern. When Qin Zhijin knocked on her door to wake her, Xiao Yi was dressed and waiting at the dining table for breakfast in no time. The two ate in blissful, “Peach Blossom Spring” silence.

Before Xia Shibai reached the end of her rope, she finally managed to toss her “little debt collector” into the car, buckling her into the child safety seat. Once they were in the car, Yaozhou could sleep as sloppily as she wanted; as long as she was in the vehicle, she wasn’t sprawled out stubbornly on the floor.

The back seat of Xia Shibai’s SUV was spacious enough for two car seats. The one Qin Zhijin bought hadn’t been installed yet, so she brought it over to use. Gu Mingyi struggled a bit to climb into the high SUV, needing a little boost from an adult.

The moment Xiao Yi got in, she saw the slumped, sleeping Yaozhou. Luckily, Shao Qing had chosen a large seat, so sleeping in it was quite comfortable. Xia Shibai had even brought a small AC blanket, and the girl was sleeping soundly under it. Even the sound of the car doors closing didn’t wake her.

“If you want to sleep too, Xiao Yi, feel free. I brought an extra blanket for the back. If you’re cold, I’ll turn up the heat.”

In reality, the temperature was fine. Children are like little furnaces; they aren’t afraid of the cold, but Xia Shibai worried about them catching a chill.

Gu Mingyi nodded. “I know. Thank you, Auntie.”

Xia Shibai watched the sensible, well-behaved Gu Mingyi through the rearview mirror and sighed. When she first arrived, Yaozhou was also this sensible and cute. How did the child turn into this after just over a month of her parenting?

If Shao Qing or the others heard Xia Shibai’s inner thoughts, they would have paused and asked: “Doesn’t she just take after you?” But Xia Shibai lacked that particular brand of self-awareness.

She had done her homework on the nearby flower and bird markets last night. After starting the navigation, the calm, mechanical female voice caused Yaozhou to blink open an eye in her sleep, but she quickly drifted back off, completely unconcerned that Xia Shibai might be driving her into the middle of a forest.

The destination was seventeen kilometers away—about a thirty-minute drive with smooth traffic and no red lights. Once the car stopped, Qin Zhijin hopped out, stretched, and lifted Gu Mingyi down. She pulled out a “child-walking artifact” she’d found online—a retractable spring cord that attached to the adult’s and child’s wrists.

Seeing the girl’s unhappy expression as she slipped the bracelet onto her wrist, Qin Zhijin apologized. “It’s crowded here, and I’m worried about us getting separated. It’s safer this way.”

“Mhm…” Gu Mingyi twisted the bracelet and waited for the others.

Yaozhou still hadn’t had enough sleep. She clung to her mother, nuzzling into Xia Shibai’s neck, refusing to open her eyes or walk. Xia Shibai felt she had spoiled a little ancestor. She vowed that from now on, the kid had to be in bed by 10:00 PM; any later, and the next day was just self-torture.

Fortunately, while she insisted on being carried, Yaozhou didn’t make a scene. She just huffed and stayed in the embrace, dreaming away.

The four entered the market. The natural fragrance of plants mixed with the raw scent of animals made the sleeping Yaozhou knit her brows, looking like she might wake at any second.

They had a goal and headed straight for the flower stalls. One large stall had beautiful potted flowers and fresh cuts glistening with moisture. The proprietress was busy processing the day’s stock, with layers of cardboard wrapping fresh blooms.

As she turned around, she was holding a cluster of Tiger-Head Jasmine. “What are you looking for?” she asked with a practiced smile. Upon hearing that they wanted to replace their garden grass with mosquito-repelling mint, she pulled out packets of seeds and a beginner’s gardening kit.

“These should do. Take twenty packets of mint seeds. I’ll throw in a few packets of basil and a beginner’s guide. If they don’t grow, you can add my WeChat and ask me.”

Since Xia Shibai was holding the child, she looked at Qin Zhijin. As Qin Zhijin added the contact, she asked, “If they don’t grow, what’s the use of calling you?” Surely she wasn’t going to send new seeds for free?

The lady chuckled. “You can send me a photo so I can see how someone manages to fail at growing such an easy plant.”

Qin Zhijin’s hand paused, her finger hovering over the “Delete Contact” button.

“Wait, wait! It’s just a joke,” the lady called out. “Why can’t young people take a joke these days?”

“If you really can’t grow them, you can pay us for our planting service,” she said, pointing to the fresh flowers in the shop. “Not just mint—if you like jasmine, peonies, or roses, we can plant anything that survives here. You just have to water and fertilize.”

“Actually, if you can’t even manage that, we provide a service for that too. We’ll come by once a month to check on them.”

Xia Shibai smiled. “Your business is quite broad, ma’am. But we don’t need that yet; we’ll try it ourselves first.”

“Alright. Anything else? The fresh cuts are in great shape today.”

Yaozhou had finally woken up. With bleary eyes, she stared at the dew-covered flowers, gave a soft huff, and turned her head to stare at Gu Mingyi. It wasn’t a big sale, but since both parties were straightforward, Qin Zhijin paid a little extra, and the lady threw in four fresh cuts and some fruit and vegetable seeds. She pinched the girls’ cheeks. “Take these and have fun. If they don’t grow, come back and hire us!”

Xia Shibai: “…” Thanks for the ‘blessing,’ but I doubt it’ll come to that.

With the shopping done, Xia Shibai held the bags in one hand and Yaozhou’s hand in the other. It was easy enough, especially since Gu Mingyi was keeping an eye on Yaozhou. They wandered through the market, passing peach-colored and purple parrots, lop-eared rabbits, and fish with shimmering tails.

The “illiterate” Yaozhou fully demonstrated her limited vocabulary.

“Wow, pretty bird.”

“Wow, it’s a bunny.”

“Wow…”

Before she could embarrass them further, Xia Shibai pinched her cheek. “Wow, it’s time to go home!”

She was terrified the girl would say “Mommy, I want to keep one.” She scooped Yaozhou up and ran for the exit like a bandit. Raising one was enough; Xia Shibai couldn’t handle another living thing that needed care in her 400-square-meter house.

By the time Dr. Qin brought Gu Mingyi to the car, Yaozhou was drinking from her bottle. “Auntie Qin, you’re so slow! Mommy carried me and ‘shoo-ed’ all the way here! We’ve been waiting forever!”

“Is that so? Then next time, Auntie will carry Xiao Yi and ‘shoo’ too, so Zhouzhou doesn’t have to wait.”

“Okay!” Yaozhou then noticed the cord connecting the two. “What’s that?”

“A safety rope. The market is crowded, and I didn’t want Xiao Yi to get lost,” Qin Zhijin explained as she started to take it off.

Yaozhou grabbed her hand, excitedly offering her own wrist. “Put it on me! Put it on me! I’ll look after Xiao Yi!”

“See? Mommy didn’t give me one because I won’t get lost. Auntie Qin, if you tie me and Xiao Yi together, I can definitely watch her!”

Xia Shibai, having just stowed the gear in the trunk, heard this “grand claim” and felt the corner of her mouth twitch. I only didn’t give you one because I forgot they existed, otherwise I’d have strapped you to my waist.

Qin Zhijin glanced at Xia Shibai, who immediately looked up at the sky. The sun is really bright today, Xia Shibai thought, shading her eyes.

“You’ll have to ask Xiao Yi about that.”

All eyes turned to Gu Mingyi. She looked at the cord, then at the excited Yaozhou. Even though she felt deep down like she was being walked like a puppy…

“Do you really want to?” Gu Mingyi asked, her brow furrowed. “I don’t think it’s good.”

Yaozhou’s “tail” practically drooped. She grabbed the cord. “Why? Why is it not good?”

“Why does ‘Xia-Xia’ like it?” Gu Mingyi countered.

“It’s fun! If we’re tied together, we won’t get separated!” Yaozhou leaned in close. “When I first came back, Xiao Qiu said you’d never come back again. If we’re connected by a rope, we won’t get lost! No matter how many people there are!”

Xia Shibai suppressed a laugh, realizing how much Gu Mingyi meant to Yaozhou. A child doesn’t understand the distance between the US and China; in her small world, a “crowd” was the flower market, and distance could be fixed with a string. Yaozhou thought as long as they were tied together, they would always know where the other was.

Gu Mingyi sighed, seemingly giving in. She took the wristband from Qin Zhijin and fastened the other end to Yaozhou. Even though she still felt like a little animal, she didn’t refuse.

With the cord on, Yaozhou shook her hand twice and stood on her toes. The cord pulled tight. When Gu Mingyi tugged back, Yaozhou felt her presence. This delighted the girl; she turned and ran toward Xia Shibai. “Mommy, look! With this, I’ll always know if Xiao Yi is with me!”

Xia Shibai looked at the cord—less than a meter long—and didn’t burst her bubble. She just gave an affirmative “Mhm.” When it’s time to go home, you’ll realize that string isn’t even long enough to reach the distance between our front doors.

The cord swayed as Yaozhou moved, the slight tugging making Gu Mingyi dazed. Am I really raising a puppy? But Yaozhou’s words made her feel pity; it felt like if she didn’t do this, the girl would cry. Yaozhou had cried enough when the “Bad Granny” was around; Gu Mingyi worried she’d go blind if she cried any more.

So, on the ride back, whenever Yaozhou gave the cord a tug, Gu Mingyi would give a soft “Mhm” and turn to look at her. Yaozhou would just grin and say nothing.

The task of “planting mint” was meant to burn off energy. They dressed the kids in work clothes and sun hats and began the mission to “ruin”—excuse me, “renovate”—the garden.

Qin Zhijin wanted to participate. Though she didn’t know how, seeing the “one adult and two kids” look so heroic made her want to see what kind of earth-shattering mess they would make. However, she didn’t get the chance; before she could change, Xia Shibai called her over.

“Dr. Qin, your hands are for treating patients and performing surgeries. This rough, hand-destroying labor is for punishing… er, letting the kids experience life.” Xia Shibai gestured toward a garden chair. She had her hair up, and her white T-shirt emphasized her curves, her skin looking incredibly pale in the sun.

Even though her posture with the hoe was quite “macho,” Qin Zhijin found her more beautiful than the “department belle” who had pursued her in college. Stunned, Dr. Qin decided the sun was just too hot and was giving her inappropriate thoughts. She turned and hurried inside, drinking cold water to chase away her distraction and the heat.

She looked down at the mug in her hand and felt ridiculous. She gripped it tight, rubbing her cheeks as she crouched by the water dispenser. Thinking of the figure hidden under Xia Shibai’s T-shirt, her ears and neck burned.

Help! It’s not like I haven’t seen beautiful women before, why am I falling for a mother? Am I insane?!

The usually calm and stoic Dr. Qin crouched by the glass kitchen door, her forehead against the cool glass, muttering the Heart Sutra. “Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when practicing deep Prajna Paramita…” ①

Before she could get to “Form is emptiness, emptiness is form,” a beautiful face suddenly appeared on the other side of the glass. It was so close that if the glass weren’t there, they would have been face-to-face. Startled, Qin Zhijin fell back, her mug clinking against the door. Luckily, it didn’t break.

Xia Shibai was also startled. She was holding the garden hose and had jumped in to connect it to the kitchen tap because her rented garden’s outdoor faucet was broken. She’d climbed in through the window for convenience. Upon entering, she saw Dr. Qin crouching with her face covered, looking red and in pain while muttering something. Worried, she leaned in to check.

When their eyes met, both jumped. Xia Shibai tossed the hose and helped her up, patting the dust off her. Before she could ask what was wrong, Qin Zhijin pushed her away.

“I-I’m fine… nothing’s wrong.” Qin Zhijin declined the intimate gesture of patting her down. She set her mug on the table. “Just go back to what you were doing. Ignore me.”

“But… look, it’s not my place to say,” Xia Shibai said awkwardly, “but if you’re upset about something, you can tell me. You were crouching there like that… I thought something happened.”

Qin Zhijin bit her lip, feeling a bit of displaced anger. Her eyes widened. She was uncomfortable, but was it on the same level as a headache or stomach pain? She could hardly say: “So, I think I like you, just a little. By the way, are you divorced or widowed? Do I have a chance?” Xia Shibai would have jumped back out the window in a heartbeat.

In her panic, she made an excuse. “The bottled water didn’t sit right with me. My stomach hurt for a second.”

“Then what were you muttering?”

“The Calming Mantra…” Qin Zhijin said solemnly. “To soothe my stomach.”

Xia Shibai nodded, enlightened. Although she didn’t understand why a doctor would do that, Qin Zhijin looked so serious and cold that it didn’t seem like a lie.

“Okay. I just came in to hook up the hose, sorry I scared you.” Worried the kids would get into trouble, Xia Shibai looked back at her one last time while fixing the hose. Seeing she looked normal, she believed her.

Plants can listen to music to grow better. Why can’t a stomach listen to a mantra to feel better? Xia Shibai rationalized the excuse and hopped back out the window.

The two kids were guarding a pile of tools, waiting forever.

“Mommy, you’re so slow!” Yaozhou complained, hands on her hips.

“I’m here, I’m here. You’re such a little debt collector. Hey! Don’t touch the hose—”

Qin Zhijin watched the lively garden next door through the window, a smile touching her lips. The last time she’d seen a scene like this was in a primary school essay. Later, as she realized her own sexuality and discovered certain books passed around among girls, she figured out her difference—not physical, but psychological. She thought it was just a passing interest in beauty, but in high school, her natural distance from and rejection of men confirmed it.

She let out a breath, not wanting to dwell on the past. Whatever the case, what was done was done. She decided to make some refreshing drinks so the three in the garden wouldn’t get dehydrated. She pulled lemongrass and lemons from the fridge to boil some tea.

Outside, Xia Shibai was suddenly soaked by the hose Yaozhou had grabbed. As a mother, she couldn’t exactly retaliate in kind.

“Xia Yaozhou!” Xia Shibai gritted her teeth at the girl who had already dropped the hose and run. “For the next five minutes, I am not your mother! I’m going to teach you a lesson today!”

“Save me—!”

Since the cord was still on, Gu Mingyi had to run with her to avoid being yanked over. Xia Shibai didn’t really try to catch her; with the girl’s short legs, Xia Shibai could have caught her in a few strides if she wanted.

Yaozhou was having the time of her life, her bangs soaked with sweat as she ran in circles. She didn’t even notice that Gu Mingyi had become the center of the circle, standing still while she ran around her. Her mother was walking slowly, occasionally taking two quick steps to scare her into running faster.

“This is great for burning energy,” Xia Shibai thought, watching the happy Yaozhou. Kids are so easy to fool.

Well, except for the cold-faced Gu Mingyi at the center. Xia Shibai smirked. That’s the luck of a smart kid paired with a dummy.

Before Yaozhou could make herself dizzy, Xia Shibai caught her and gave her two firm pats on the bottom. “Any more mischief and you’re in for it! Take that cord off, Xiao Yi is getting dizzy from you.”

Yaozhou shook her dizzy head and reached out for a hug from Gu Mingyi, wobbling across the grass. Gu Mingyi sighed and pulled the “illiterate” girl toward her to stop her from hugging a phantom and falling over.

“Xiao Yi is the best!” Yaozhou hugged her.

Gu Mingyi remained stoic. “What makes me ‘the best’?”

“You give me snacks, you’re smart, and you’re pretty.” Yaozhou grinned. “You have to study hard and grow up well.”

“Mhm?”

“When I grow up, I’ll give you lots and lots of money.”

Gu Mingyi: “?”

“Then you make lots and lots and lots of money back, and I’ll love you even more!”

Gu Mingyi decisively unfastened the cord and pushed Yaozhou toward Xia Shibai. “Auntie, please educate her.”

Xia Shibai looked at the grinning, silly Yaozhou clutching her leg. It takes ten years to grow a tree, but a hundred years to cultivate a person… How am I going to turn this dummy daughter back into the genius from the book? It’s a long road.

① From the Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra.