After Transmigrating As The Mother Of The Pitiful Female Supporting Character in a Campus Novel - Chapter 30

Pushed along with the dinner was also a cake that Qin Zhijin had ordered and sent over in advance.

As the little birthday girl, Gu Mingyi was given the chance to make a wish. Wearing her birthday hat, she puffed out her cheeks and blew at the candles several times without being able to extinguish them; in the end, Qin Zhijin helped her out.

Qin Zhijin took out the gift she had prepared long ago: a set of detachable animal models. On the outside, they were complete animals, but they could be taken apart like a Zhuge mechanical puzzle to see the internal organs, and even came with matching animated books.

One could use a phone to scan the QR codes in the books to watch animal science educational videos produced by the publisher.

This set was quite expensive. When Qin Zhijin asked someone to buy it from abroad, it even got stuck at customs for a bit. She had been worried it wouldn’t arrive on time, but now it was just perfect.

“Thank you, Godmother!” Gu Mingyi looked at the brand-new model toys and wanted to hug them, but her arms weren’t even as long as the toy box; she could only happily reach out and stroke the cardboard box back and forth.

Xia Shibai was more direct, having commissioned a pure gold “Safety Lock” pendant, attached to a gold ring to be worn on the hand.

“If you don’t want it when you grow up, recycling it according to its weight in grams will still be a small sum of money.”

For things that hold value, one naturally looks to gold; plus, for educational gifts, Xiao Yi shouldn’t receive too many for one birthday.

Xia Shibai wasn’t an expert in this field, but she had a bit of an eye for spending money and investments.

The safety lock was a bit heavy on her hand. Gu Mingyi only knew these things were very expensive and nodded to Xia Shibai: “Don’t worry, Auntie, I will store it well and won’t lose it.”

“It’s fine, if you lose it, we’ll just buy another one,” Xia Shibai waved her hand hurriedly. “Gifts are meant to be used. Use it however you like; if you feel the hand ring is too heavy, I’ll have it made into something else for you later.”

“Okay.”

While they were exchanging gifts, Xia Yaozhou took the opportunity to get her own. It was a very large one; she couldn’t pick it up the first time, so she could only seek help from the cameraman who hadn’t left yet.

The cameraman helped her carry the item over, and only then did Xia Yaozhou wiggle and push her gift toward Gu Mingyi.

“This is for you.” Comparing them, Xia Yaozhou knew her item wasn’t as high in value as those sent by Mommy and Auntie Qin, but she had spent a lot of effort on this thing.

Added to that, in the afternoon, Xiao Yi told her that her mother had given her a star.

Poor person Xia Yaozhou: Politely declined.jpg

Stars are too expensive; she couldn’t afford to give one.

Gu Mingyi wasn’t in a rush to unwrap the gift. Instead, she looked at the gift and said “sorry” first, and only then thanked Xia Yaozhou for the present.

“Can I open it now?”

“Of course.”

Gu Mingyi opened it; inside were plush dolls she had seen long ago in a science magazine.

“These are…”

“Proton, Neutron, and Electron!” Xia Yaozhou recognized them all. “We had to look through so many stores to find them! That publisher of yours isn’t famous at all, many malls don’t have tie-ins with it. We searched for a long time.”

“Thank you.”

Xiao Yi touched the plush surface of the dolls and couldn’t help but smile softly.

This toy was indeed hard to find. After all, domestic mall collaborations with foreign publishers were few and far between. Back then, she had just glanced at them in a magazine and mentioned it; she didn’t expect Xia Yaozhou to remember for so long.

“As long as you like it.”

Xia Yaozhou put her hands behind her back and nodded with feigned maturity.

The money wasn’t spent in vain, and that was enough.

Seeing this, Qin Zhijin pulled a small box from her backpack. Inside was a small fish jade pendant attached to a thick red string, which she handed over to Xia Yaozhou.

“This is a gift from Xiao Yi’s father.”

“I have a gift too?” Xia Yaozhou looked at the box in her hand, tilting her head. “But today isn’t Zhouzhou’s birthday.”

“Yes, but this was sent by Xiao Yi’s father. Just take it; otherwise, if it stays with me, it’ll feel like a hot potato.”

Qin Zhijin was only helping to bring the item; she wasn’t responsible for safekeeping.

As for how Gu Chen knew about Xia Yaozhou, only the father and daughter knew. After all, when Xiao Yi called Gu Chen, Qin Zhijin basically didn’t stand nearby to listen.

Therefore, Qin Zhijin didn’t know what they had communicated.

This gift was placed at the very bottom of the delivery box. Gu Mingyi hadn’t seen it when she took the things out, thinking she had already emptied the package.

It was only when Qin Zhijin checked again before throwing away the trash that she found a small accompanying card and box inside.

“Accept it if you like it.” Xia Shibai rubbed Xia Yaozhou’s head; there was no need to push back against a gesture of social reciprocity.

Xia Yaozhou nodded and handed the box to Xia Shibai to have it put on for her.

“Look at you, being so vain.”

After putting it on, Xia Yaozhou asked everyone one by one if it looked good. Only after receiving an affirmative answer from each did she circle back contentedly, pinching the little fish and saying, “It’s just beautiful, and I’m beautiful too.”

Xia Shibai twitched the corner of her mouth, not wanting to engage.

Satiated with food and drink, Xia Yaozhou lay on the bed holding her kitty milk bottle, rolling to the side to give up a small portion of the bed.

Xia Shibai then saw the “Queen of Trash” pat the bed.

“What are you doing?” Xia Yaozhou looked at her crossly.

“Mommy, come here and tell a story.”

“I really raised a master at home, didn’t I?” Xia Shibai was speechless. She walked to the bedside and pulled Xia Yaozhou up. “Lying down right after eating—how old are you? Aren’t you afraid of indigestion? Sit up and listen.”

“Sitting is so tiring.” Though Xia Yaozhou said she didn’t want to move, her body stood up very honestly, her full little belly bulging slightly.

Xia Shibai was worried she would overstuff herself.

“Take some digestive tablets, and don’t eat so much next time.” Xia Shibai poked Xia Yaozhou’s belly, then looked at Gu Mingyi, feeling that tonight’s meal was indeed too lavish; the two children had almost no restraint.

After they took the digestive tablets, Xia Shibai pulled the two little brats up, making them move around in the tent so they wouldn’t get lazy.

As a result, not long after standing up, Xia Yaozhou plopped her bottom back down, like a cartilaginous animal, not wanting to move at all.

“So tired, Mommy.”

“Xia Yaozhou.”

“Coming, Mommy! Your cutest baby suddenly appears!” As soon as Xia Yaozhou heard her full name, she knew something was wrong and hurriedly scrambled up from the bed, standing straight.

Xia Shibai felt mentally exhausted. She sighed softly, circled the room, found a stick, and then found a string in her pocket.

Great, the tools were complete.

Xia Shibai had no cash on her, so she could only turn her gaze toward the photography crew.

“I only have a few dozen yuan, is that okay?” The photography crew searched everywhere and barely managed to scrape together sixty yuan in change, handing it to Xia Shibai.

“Fine, this little bit of money is enough.”

Xia Shibai tied the loose bills to the stick with the string and placed it gently in front of Xia Yaozhou. “How about playing another game?”

“Play what?”

Xia Yaozhou walked to the bedside very cooperatively, not caring at all about the nightgown she was wearing. Her feet touched the soft sofa bed as she looked at Xia Shibai with a face full of anticipation.

Meanwhile, Qin Zhijin on the other bed felt something was amiss.

Xia Yaozhou was definitely going to fall for it.

For a child to want to outwit an adult with schemes, they clearly still needed a period of growth.

Xia Shibai shook the stick, and the end tied with the money moved lightly before Xia Yaozhou’s eyes. “If you catch this money, the money is yours. The prerequisite is that you must stand in front of the stick, and the distance for catching the money cannot exceed the length of the stick.”

“Do you understand?”

Fearing she hadn’t understood, Xia Shibai even gestured with her hands.

“It’s just this long a distance; you can only catch the money within this range.”

“If I catch it, it’s mine?” Hearing this, Xia Yaozhou had already shuffled her small steps to the edge of the bed and put on her small slippers.

Worried there might be a trick in the middle, she asked Xia Shibai again.

“Of course.”

Xia Shibai pointed at Qin Zhijin and Gu Mingyi who were sitting nearby watching the show. “There, Auntie Qin will be your witness, and Xiao Yi too. What are you afraid of?”

“When have I ever lied to you? This afternoon it was clearly you who failed the game yourself, that’s why I didn’t give you money.” Xia Shibai enticed her: “Didn’t Mommy give Xiao Yi money?”

Xia Yaozhou shifted her gaze to Gu Mingyi sitting on the adjacent bed, and the latter nodded to her.

Even Qin Zhijin, who was sitting nearby browsing a reading app, didn’t forget to join in.

“Auntie got money too. If Zhouzhou had won the game this afternoon, maybe Zhouzhou would have money now too.”

Qin Zhijin made a move as if to let Gu Mingyi, who was sitting on the bed, go down to play as well. “If Zhouzhou doesn’t want to play, then let Xiao Yi play first. It’ll just happen to help Xiao Yi digest as well.”

“No need, Zhouzhou can do it.”

Hearing this, Xia Yaozhou hurriedly stepped into her slippers and walked to the front of the stick, rubbing her hands together, determined to win. “I’m ready.”

“Alright.”

Xia Shibai didn’t take the little tot seriously at all. For a little girl who hadn’t even grown past ninety centimeters yet, if the stick was held slightly higher, her hands wouldn’t even reach if she jumped.

Grandma Xia is fishing; only the chubby ones take the bait.

The fish that had eaten itself fat swam back and forth in the room, thinking her movements were fast and agile. Every time the money fell near the tip of her nose, Xia Yaozhou immediately reached out to grab it.

Missed.

Missed again.

Kept missing.

The continuous sense of frustration didn’t make Xia Yaozhou angry; instead, the little girl put her hands on her hips and panted, “Mommy, wait a bit, I’ll rest a while, I’m tired.”

“With this amount of exercise, you haven’t even walked eight hundred meters in total…”

Xia Shibai only stood in place teasing the child into jumping back and forth; how many steps of distance was this?

“I’m tired, resting for a bit.”

Xia Yaozhou sat on the floor of her own accord, huffing.

“Fine, then let you rest for a bit. When you feel it’s about time, we’ll continue.”

Xia Shibai had originally wanted to use this game to make Xia Yaozhou stand up for a while longer. Who knew the child wouldn’t beg for mercy even if she couldn’t get it, insisting on trying over and over again, playing until she was covered in sweat and still wouldn’t give up.

Xia Shibai offered to give her the money as a reward.

Xia Yaozhou shook her head. “No, I have to get it myself.”

“Who on earth does she take after with this stubbornness?” The stick with the money had already been swapped back and forth between Xia Shibai and Qin Zhijin several times, over and over.

“Like you…” Qin Zhijin said. “This drive is exactly the same as yours in the game today.”

“Well.” It wasn’t impossible for a niece to take after her maternal aunt.

In the end, Xia Shibai couldn’t stand Xia Yaozhou’s persistence. She used a small trick to send ten yuan to her hand to brush off the game, then hauled Xia Yaozhou to the bathroom to wipe her body down once, threw her onto the bed, and that was that.

“Alright, time to sleep. If you keep acting up, I’m really going to hit someone.”

Gu Mingyi had already covered herself with the quilt and was lying on the bed ready to sleep.

Xia Yaozhou was still high-spirited, clutching that ten yuan. “Mommy, the steamed shrimp tonight was delicious, I want to eat it tomorrow too!”

“Give money.”

Xia Shibai said, “Eating shrimp doesn’t cost money? I don’t have a penny on me right now. You’re so rich, why don’t you take some out, and Mommy will take you to eat delicious shrimp again tomorrow?”

“But I’m a child!”

“What’s wrong with being a child? Children have to give money when they come in too.” Xia Shibai righteously pointed at the ten yuan Xia Yaozhou was clutching, preparing to bring into the covers to sleep with. “I don’t want too much; just give me the ten yuan.”

Xia Yaozhou was reluctant; on one side was the delicious shrimp, on the other was the ten yuan she had just worked hard to earn back. She licked her lips and asked Qin Zhijin and Gu Mingyi to be her witnesses.

“I gave ten yuan, I’m going to eat delicious shrimp tomorrow.”

“Fine, you’re even making a profit.”

Xia Shibai pinched the little money-grubber’s face. “That plate of shrimp is three digits, you’re only giving two digits; I’m losing so much money.”

“Humph, humph.”

Xia Yaozhou didn’t care. She painfully gave up her love and stuffed the ten yuan into Xia Shibai’s hand, fearing the person would change her mind. She settled into a sleeping posture and patted her “All-in-One Intelligent Story Splicing Machine.”

“I want to hear a story today too!”

Gu Mingyi slept very quietly. Hearing there was a story, her heart also grew restless, and she opened her eyes to turn and look at the adjacent bed.

The “Story Tailor” became inexplicably nervous.

Raising one little dummy was enough; if she turned someone else’s genius child into a little dummy too…

Xia Shibai had already started calculating the probability of the Gu family killing her.

“I want to hear it too.” Qin Zhijin also joined the fun. “Let me also hear what kind of good story President Xia tells.”

“Lots and lots, stories Mommy knows how to tell!” Xia Yaozhou, who not long ago was determined to become the Queen of Trash, had recently become obsessed with being a valiant female general.

The female general in the stories rode a steed; she rode a wooden horse.

But it didn’t matter; it couldn’t stop her yearning and love.

Xia Shibai wasn’t in a hurry. Anyway, children’s wishes changed every three days. At the start, she was still agonizing over whether it was better to attend Tsinghua or Peking University.

Given those pinyin characters she hadn’t memorized after studying for days, Xia Shibai had already begun planning: starting from now, she’d donate teaching buildings to the local university for fifteen years to see if she could get in for a 2+2 program as a springboard to study business abroad.

At least graduate from university, but then Xia Shibai thought of the brilliant Xia Yaozhou in the “dream” and felt that shouldn’t be the case.

Growing up healthy would be enough.

“Alright, let me think of what kind of story to tailor… no, tell for you today.”

Xia Shibai thought for a moment in her mind and quickly spliced together a brand-new story.

Cinderella attended the ball, and her slipper was left at the banquet. She had no interest in marrying the Prince, and felt speechless at the behavior of him holding a pair of shoes coming to find his “beloved.” Even when the Prince finally found her and said she was his true love, Cinderella politely declined.

The news of Cinderella refusing to be with the Prince became known to all the citizens. They flocked to the vicinity of Cinderella’s house, wanting to catch a glimpse of her appearance.

Cinderella knew well that her father was unreliable; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been in the house for so long without discovering she was being bullied by her two stepsisters. She was anxious to leave this home, yet didn’t want to be called unfilial, so she thought about doing business.

Doing business naturally required capital. The banner she could fly was the Prince holding her shoe to find her, but if she flew it outright, she would surely face condemnation and suppression from the royal family and incur the jealousy of her two stepsisters.

Because this matter would constantly provoke them.

So, the clever Cinderella made a small wish to her Fairy Godmother: she hoped for a set of old clothes-making and shoemaking machines. She took the initiative to lower her head and make clothes for her stepsisters, offering advice and strategy, eventually letting her two stepsisters steal the show at every ball.

The stepsisters wanted to climb into higher social circles and meet the boys of those families to find good marriages for themselves, so they used Cinderella as a bargaining chip, contacting higher-level ladies over and over again.

Cinderella cleverly hid herself behind the entire situation, giving out some benefits and letting those who wanted to steal the show stand at the very front. In the end, the situation turned into a win-win for everyone.

She broke away from her family of origin and made money, while the stepsisters fulfilled their wishes, broke away from their original class, and joined wealthy families.

As for the Prince holding the crystal slipper looking for his beloved, who cared?

Qin Zhijin listened to the newly edited version of Cinderella and thought for a long time without understanding: how on earth was such a complex plot thought up in such a short time?

As expected, raising a child is a profound field of study.

Learning is endless.

Gu Mingyi didn’t manage to guess the ending at all; this Cinderella was worlds apart from the one her mother told her.

But if one had to say that the Cinderella who married the Prince would live a happy and joyful life, Gu Mingyi still felt the latter Cinderella lived more freely.

Xia Yaozhou huddled in Xia Shibai’s arms drowzily, her eyes barely able to stay open. Before falling into a deep sleep, her hand still clutched Xia Shibai’s pajamas, her mind full of one thought—”That shop Cinderella opened, how much ‘money-money’ can it make?”

Xia Shibai was full of confidence; the story she made up this time would surely tell Xia Yaozhou that one shouldn’t stand out too much in doing things and needs a long-term strategy.

Little did she know…

It was a complete failure.

After the two children fell asleep, Xia Shibai sent the filming crew in the tent back to where they were staying before coming back to lie down again.

Exhausted for a whole day, she lost consciousness as soon as she lay down. Naturally, she didn’t see the little fish pendant that had fallen into Xia Yaozhou’s clothes emitting a faint, fluorescent green light.

It was only for a moment, as if one’s eyes had played tricks.

A flash, then it vanished.

The next day, there was no sound of getting up in the tent even by noon; everyone was so sleepy their eyes wouldn’t open.

Even the program crew, who had followed for a whole day yesterday, didn’t get up.

When Qin Zhijin woke up, she felt as if she had been beaten all over, aching and exhausted, especially the area wrapped in gauze between her legs; a slight pull while moving made her have to stand still and recover slowly.

Gu Mingyi stayed in bed for a while, reached out to Qin Zhijin, and was carried to wash up.

As for the mother and daughter on the other bed, no one urged them, so they were naturally still in a deep sleep.

After Qin Zhijin finished washing with Gu Mingyi, she followed the map with a few staff members from the photography crew who had gotten up to have a buffet lunch before leisurely strolling back.

It was nearly two in the afternoon, and Xia Shibai and Xia Yaozhou had not yet woken up.

Only then did Qin Zhijin sense something was wrong. She hurriedly moved to the bedside and reached out to feel the foreheads of the mother and daughter.

Xia Yaozhou’s temperature was normal, and her breathing was steady.

However, the adult had a low fever and couldn’t be woken no matter how she was called.

Qin Zhijin hurriedly found the staff from the photography crew. After a period of panic, they called the park’s ambulance and sent them to the nearest hospital.

Qin Zhijin led Gu Mingyi to the hospital.

The doctor’s judgment was similar to Qin Zhijin’s preliminary conclusion.

Xia Yaozhou was normal; the whole person was in a state of deep sleep. As for why she couldn’t be woken, a deep examination was required.

“If the parents don’t want to do it, they can also wait and see. After all, children get too tired from playing, and falling into a lethargic state has happened before.”

“Let’s observe a bit more. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll do the tests.”

“Alright.” The doctor pointed at the adult lying on the hospital bed. “The adult mainly has a fever. The abrasions on the back you mentioned aren’t a big problem. As for whether there’s a spinal fall injury or internal organ issues… my personal judgment is that the probability isn’t high, but I recommend an examination to check the situation.”

“Alright, she mainly has fall injuries, which is the concern. Nothing has happened to the child.”

Yesterday, Xia Yaozhou was followed by program crew personnel the entire time; if something had really happened, someone would have definitely told them.

Qin Zhijin and Gu Mingyi waited in the ward for a long time, and Xia Yaozhou still hadn’t woken up.

She looked as if she were sleeping very soundly, it was just that she couldn’t be woken.

No one knew what she was dreaming about.

And in the dream, Xia Yaozhou looked at the “Big Sister” in front of her who looked like she’d seen a ghost, and huffily put her hands on her hips. “Human trafficker!”

“…” The fourteen- or fifteen-year-old Big Yaozhou looked at the small child who suddenly appeared in the internet cafe booth, her mouth twitching.

So annoying, you stinky brat.

“Who’s a human trafficker? This is a private booth I booked. While I went out to use the bathroom, you ran in yourself and even cursed at me? You stinky brat, where’s the logic?”

“I didn’t run in myself.” Xia Yaozhou stood slightly on her tiptoes, trying to reason with the Big Sister in front of her.

She put her hands together against her ear and babbled a whole bunch of prefixes.

Big Yaozhou pinched her earlobe, irritably picking the key sentence out of the trivial words—”You’re saying you don’t know how you appeared here with me?”

“Yes, I opened my eyes and saw you pushing the door and coming in.”

Xia Yaozhou nodded. “So you are a human trafficker.”

“…” Big Yaozhou rolled her eyes speechlessly. “According to your logic, I’m in your dream; how could I kidnap and sell you?”

“When you wake up, maybe you’ll still be in your original spot.”

Big Yaozhou felt the little kid in front of her was silly and most likely brainless, abandoned by her family.

Otherwise, why would a child be running around in broad daylight wearing a nightgown with messy hair?

Thinking this way, Big Yaozhou was very certain of this deduction.

She was practically a female Sherlock Holmes in the flesh, incredibly smart.

Families who abandon disabled children are truly hateful!

Big Yaozhou felt she should learn from Lei Feng and do a good deed, so she beckoned to Xia Yaozhou. “Come here, I’ll tie your hair nicely, then take you to find the dream police to see if she can send you back.”

“Dream police?” Xia Yaozhou remembered the latter part and forgot the former, looking at the person in front of her with total confusion.

Big Yaozhou: “…”

Children, really, are so stupid.

I can’t stand it.

She couldn’t be bothered to explain too much to Xia Yaozhou. she wrapped her school uniform jacket around her, then used her hands to comb the messy hair smooth and tied a high ponytail, and that was that.

In the end, before Big Yaozhou could admire her perfect work, the little girl unhappily reached out to touch the back of her head.

“Why is it a ponytail?”

“What’s wrong with a ponytail?”

“But Mommy always ties pretty hairstyles for me, and she even makes princess hair. Why is the person in the dream so incompetent? So dummy-dummy, can’t even tie princess hair! Zhouzhou isn’t pretty at all!”

“You stinky brat…”

Big Yaozhou heard Xia Yaozhou’s mumbling and only thought the other party was also a child named “Zhouzhou.” She engaged her teeth—for the sake of you also being named “Zhouzhou,” I’ll begrudgingly change it to a new hairstyle.

She used the computer to search for a “Three-Step Tutorial for Simple and Pretty Braided Children’s Hairstyles.” Unfortunately, without a comb, it was also hard to do.

Moreover, she herself had a ponytail all year round; who had the spare time to study these things?

Just as Xia Yaozhou was tightly pursing her lips, suffering the pain of Big Yaozhou’s almost ruthless hair-tugging project…

Xia Shibai, walking into the light from the darkness: “…”

Finished. Her daughter, who seemed rebellious but was actually a fake slacker who studied like a top student in internet cafes, seemed to have been driven mad by academic pressure.

She was actually making hair-combing motions toward thin air…

And was mumbling to herself, “Your mom is so impressive, why don’t you go find your mom to do it? I’m not your mom! In my territory, you must listen to me!”

“My mom? My mom died long ago.”

The long-dead Xia Shibai: “…”

Oh, wait, the biological mother is indeed dead.

She’s the maternal aunt.

Then it’s fine.