After Transmigrating As The Mother Of The Pitiful Female Supporting Character in a Campus Novel - Chapter 47

The eerie atmosphere persisted until the end of breakfast. The children had to bid farewell to their guardians and, following the staff’s instructions, split into groups to find their respective task locations.

Xia Yaozhou was not familiar with Jin Minna. The two walked tentatively, keeping nearly a meter’s distance between them, with no intention of making the first move to become friends.

The staff wanted to capture some interaction between the two to showcase the cuteness of human “cubs,” but the pair preferred to walk around staring at their own maps rather than huddling together. They essentially treated each other as air.

Xia Yaozhou knew how to read a road.

Gu Mingyi had taught her during breakfast that morning: she had to imagine herself standing in the exact center of the map and match the scene before her eyes with the one depicted on the paper to find the correct direction.

The place where she was to conduct the rainbow experiment was not far. It was uphill from Gathering Point A, on a high mountain closer to the sun. As soon as she arrived, she found many items laid out, with a television set in the middle.

Xia Yaozhou looked confusedly at the nearby staff, pointing at the TV. “I thought we were seeing rainbows? So, are we watching My Little Pony on TV?”

Are rainbows dragged out by the ponies’ tails?

Jin Minna pursed her lips, standing cautiously a distance away. Hearing this, she stared at Xia Yaozhou for a long time, clutching her map and unsure of what to do next.

After all, during breakfast, her fierce older sister had only told her to follow Xia Yaozhou closely, watch and learn, and talk less.

“If you dare to be pampered and fussy again and disturb everyone, I’ll throw you back into the pond,” Jin Minxi had said while feeding her lean meat porridge. Seeing the child so scared that food leaked from the corner of her mouth, she wiped it clean with a tissue and pretended not to notice. “Don’t throw your princess tantrums in front of outsiders, do you hear me?”

“I… I hear you.” Jin Minna nodded obediently, lifting her arm to show her sister a perfectly round mosquito bite. “It itches.”

“Don’t scratch it. The more you scratch, the more it itches.”

Jin Minxi glanced at it and pulled an anti-itch liquid from her pocket to apply it. Say what you will, though Jin Minxi was harsh with her sister, she wasn’t like their parents, who indulged Jin Minna to the point of ruining her—even if they wouldn’t admit it.

In fact, Jin Minxi could sense it—the malice her parents felt because they couldn’t produce a son in their second pregnancy was placed onto Jin Minna. They felt everything Jin Minxi earned should have belonged to a son, and Jin Minna’s birth disrupted that plan.

Maliciously driving a wedge between the two sisters had become a “nightmare” that everyone in the Jin family participated in.

Jin Minxi had thought carefully: when did her family suddenly rot? She realized it wasn’t sudden; they had always been rotten. It was just that back then, policies only allowed one child, so even if it was an act, they had to pretend to love Jin Minxi.

The staff couldn’t understand the connection between My Little Pony and rainbows, nor could they grasp how a child’s thinking could be so jumpy.

They patiently explained to the two little girls, “Before completing the rainbow task, there’s a prerequisite level. There’s a hint video on the TV. If you need it, just touch the screen.”

Xia Yaozhou nodded. Looking at the chicks and rabbits surrounded by a large inflatable pool, she really couldn’t figure out what she was supposed to do. She walked around the pool once and returned to her starting position. Suddenly, a staff member with a megaphone let out a loud blast, startling the two children like frightened birds.

“Welcome to our ‘Chicken and Rabbit in the Same Cage’ segment! For safety, please put on your protective suits before entering the inflatable pool to avoid being bitten. Also, children, please move gently so as not to scare the little chicks and bunnies.”

“In this segment, children must use the video hints and answer hints to fill in the blanks on the blackboard. The first one to answer correctly will earn points to enter the Rainbow Challenge.”

“What does ‘Chicken and Rabbit in the Same Cage’ mean?” Jin Minna threw her map aside and raised her hand high, wanting the staff to notice her. Once she had their attention, she said honestly, “I can’t read. I don’t understand the stuff on the blackboard.”

“I want to know what ‘Chicken and Rabbit in the Same Cage’ means!”

Staff: “…”

Xia Yaozhou leaned over the edge of the pool, her eyes shining as she stared at the small animals inside. She scanned the surroundings first and saw a large sign propped up nearby, with clothes and small rain boots underneath.

Without a second thought, she ran over. “Do I have to wear these to go in the pool?”

“Yes! Do you need help?”

“No, no, I can do it myself!” Xia Yaozhou moved quickly, setting her map aside and beginning to study the somewhat complicated denim overalls.

Finally, with the help of the staff, she got into them.

Click-clack, click-clack.

The small rain boots made a sound on the ground like squeaky shoes. Xia Yaozhou jumped twice and trotted back to the pool. However, her height and arm strength only allowed her to hang off the edge; climbing in was proving difficult.

The staff didn’t rush to help immediately. Their protocol dictated that unless a child asked for help, they couldn’t interfere with the filming.

Jin Minna was still listening to the staff explain the math problem. Seeing Xia Yaozhou already trying to climb the pool, she hurriedly asked the staff to put her down and rushed over.

Neither child opened the TV for hints. After asking for help, they were lifted into the pool by the staff.

Xia Yaozhou was a bit afraid at first, touching here and there, reaching out her hand and pulling it back quickly, worried the fluffy yellow chicks would bite her.

Before long, the entire platform was filled only with the cheers of children rolling and crawling around the pool. Who remembered the task? They even forgot it was a competition.

“LMAO, ‘Chicken and Rabbit in the Same Cage’ (X) ‘Toddler Sports Meet’ (√)”

“This segment is hard to judge. Did they overestimate a three-year-old’s brain development? They don’t really think these kids are 3.5-year-old geniuses from a web novel, do they? I bet they won’t finish this for hours.”

“Hours is an underestimation. They’re going to play with those chicks until the poor things are exhausted.”

“Aaaaah, so cute! Nana is actually quite cute when she isn’t talking. Too bad she has a mouth.”

“The game doesn’t seem hard, but it really doesn’t fit the physical and mental development of kids this age. The production team had good intentions, but they didn’t consider that three-year-olds are unrestricted; they are free as the wind.”

“Hahaha, are you sure it’s not ‘free as in crazy’?”

While the two kids were playing wildly with the chicks and ducks, the adults were arranged to harvest rice in the fields. It happened to be harvest season in Ping’ao Village. They needed two people in front to cut the stalks and two behind to bundle them and leave them on the field for the villagers to collect.

Because this was the south, the rice paddies were scattered, making large machinery impossible to use; it all relied on manual labor and small carts.

The four adults looked at the fields before them and felt their vision go dark.

As Xia Shibai put on her gloves, she couldn’t help but ask: “Was this in the project proposal?”

She swore that in the proposal she had practically memorized, these things were absolutely not there. If they were, she’d write her name backward.

Sheng Liu sighed. “Project proposals are always beautified. Who would actually write down what they’re really going to do for the higher-ups to see?”

Being one of the “higher-ups” being scolded by another “higher-up,” Xia Shibai was speechless.

A villager invited to act as a guide was already waiting. After teaching them the most convenient way to use the sickle, he taught them how to use straw to bundle the harvested rice.

Because it was a camp competition, the crew assigned them one mu (approx. 666 sqm) of land per person. Just standing at the corner in her shoes, Xia Shibai felt the sun was too high, making her head throb.

“I’ll do the cutting,” Xia Shibai said after a thought, grabbing the more dangerous job. If a sickle isn’t controlled properly, it’s common to end up with a large gash on a hand or leg.

Neither cutting nor bundling was easy; after a day of this, one wouldn’t even be able to crawl the next morning.

“Then I’ll do the bundling? Will I be too slow? Would it be better if we cut together and then bundle together?” Qin Zhijin shielded her eyes from the sun with a gloved hand. “How do I feel like we miscalculated? The kids are here on a vacation, while we’re like ‘Sent-down Youth’ undergoing life reform?”

Even the “Remembering Hardships” study tours back in the day weren’t this ridiculous.

“I don’t know…” Xia Shibai gritted her teeth, planning to have Yao Yao find the person who wrote that project proposal. In the future, every proposal she saw would need a disclaimer: Actual product may vary.

This wasn’t just a discrepancy; this was a total deviation. She didn’t even know which direction to look to complain.

Sheng Liu and Jin Minxi quickly split the work. Sheng Liu was a fast learner and her cutting motions were skilled; compared to Jin Minxi, she naturally took the cutting task. Jin Minxi didn’t refuse and began bundling with straw.

Once they started moving, the other two didn’t dare stand around talking and resigned themselves to work.

The morning sun wasn’t too intense yet, and the straw hats provided by the crew managed to block the rays. But in less than half an hour—fifteen minutes, really—the four reached their limit. They couldn’t even bend their waists anymore.

Qin Zhijin had spent the last twenty years sitting with a straight back, resulting in lumbar strain. Who would have thought she’d one day bend over until it hurt? Her expression was uncontrolled; she wanted to curse but held it in, eventually just squatting in the field, embracing a total lack of image.

Xia Shibai wasn’t much better. After her nightmares last night, she had woken up in a daze, only to be dragged to the fields. Her face was covered in sweat. Thinking she had done a lot, she straightened her aching back only to find they hadn’t even finished a sixth of it. For the first time, she had the painful thought: “Some money just isn’t worth earning.”

Jin Minxi was also dejected. She had come to this show primarily to educate her sister and test her family’s reactions; if it didn’t work, she planned to quit the industry. Who knew that before her sister’s personality could be fixed, she would be the one getting a “lesson” first?

Sweat fell into her eyes, making it hard to see, and she didn’t want to move. But Sheng Liu in front of her was like she’d been injected with chicken blood—she was addicted to the cutting, her movements getting faster and faster.

With her boss working herself to death in front, Jin Minxi, as an artist under the company, naturally couldn’t say no. She could only grit her teeth and follow. Even though she never stopped moving, she couldn’t keep up with her boss’s “involution” speed.

Looking at the trail of rice stalks piling up, Jin Minxi wanted to pass away on the spot. Why so diligent!

Compared to Sheng Liu’s manic work state, Xia Shibai stopped with great self-awareness. They’d probably have to come back this afternoon anyway. If they worked too hard this morning, they’d be paralyzed in bed by the afternoon, and getting up for tomorrow’s filming would be an issue.

Thinking this, Xia Shibai endured for ten more minutes, then threw the sickle down and walked toward where Qin Zhijin was.

A shadow suddenly blocked the light in front of Qin Zhijin. Her brain, numb with fatigue, didn’t react immediately. Her hands continued bundling straw as fluently as if she were tying surgical knots.

“What’s wrong?”

“Stand up, I’m taking you for a walk,” Xia Shibai said easily. “We sponsored this show ourselves anyway. Whether we win the reward doesn’t matter much. Don’tating to children in the mountains is the same regardless of whose name it’s in.”

If it came down to it, she’d just donate the proceeds from the show in their team’s name herself. It wasn’t that Xia Shibai lacked ambition, but this kind of suffering really didn’t suit Qin Zhijin. Dr. Qin shouldn’t be reduced to kneeling in the mud bundling rice; it was like dragging the moonlight down to earth and trying to brainwash it.

Filming or competition—neither was worth it.

“We’re still live,” Qin Zhijin said helplessly. Because her hands were covered in mud, she couldn’t even reach out to pull Xia Shibai’s clothes to tell her to be more discreet.

“I know. Whoever wins, I’ll add an extra donation at the end. Can’t I play the rogue occasionally? Besides, if we don’t do this work this morning, we can do it this afternoon.” Xia Shibai glanced at the guilty-looking crew standing nearby and let out a small “tah,” identifying the pit they had dug for them.

“When we ate breakfast this morning, they used a language trap to trick us.”

Qin Zhijin was stunned, allowing Xia Shibai to pull her up. Their muddy hands mingled.

“Tricked us about what?”

“They subtly hinted this morning that they wouldn’t provide us with food anymore. Since the chemistry points were cleared and the 24-hour ‘newbie protection’ is over, everything else enters ‘Island Survival Mode’.”

Xia Shibai raised an eyebrow and leaned into Qin Zhijin’s ear. “There are fourteen days left. We have to ensure we have food for at least thirteen of them. So I say there’s no rush for the work; instead, we should ensure we have a meal today.”

Hearing this, Qin Zhijin hurriedly dragged Xia Shibai out of the field to ask the crew. After getting a confirmation, even the usually even-tempered Dr. Qin got a bit irritable.

“Your production team really won’t act like humans for even a day!”

“Dr. Qin, you’re mistaken. We were human during the 24-hour newbie protection period yesterday,” a staff member said with a “kind” smile.

You better be!

With the confirmation, the field suddenly seemed much less important.

Qin Zhijin and Xia Shibai went to a nearby public stream to wash the visible mud off their arms and faces, then went to look for a household to borrow things from. Truthfully, they lacked everything. Their house had a stove, but no firewood. No rice, no flour, no seasonings—nothing.

Zhu Yuanzhang started his rise to power with at least a bowl; they had to borrow even the bowl.

Xia Shibai had no phone or cash on her, so buying wasn’t an option. As for credit… most of those left in the village were elderly, and she felt embarrassed to ask.

Xia Shibai proposed to an old lady that they would work in exchange for supplies.

The old woman scrutinized Xia Shibai from head to toe, then looked at Qin Zhijin. Her furrowed brow suddenly relaxed, and she nodded. “Come in.”

“It just so happens my water vat is empty. If you want to work for me, help me fill it. Then I’ll give you vegetables, seasonings, and bowls.”

The old lady didn’t have a well; she used her neighbor’s, which was a bit of a distance away. Xia Shibai measured the distance and the size of the vat. She thought this was manageable. After filling it, she’d still be alive; compared to harvesting rice, this was a breeze.

“Okay, no problem. I can do that for you.”

Xia Shibai took the buckets and carrying pole to the neighbor’s house. Qin Zhijin wanted to follow, but the old lady called her back. “It takes two people to fetch water? Are city kids really that weak? Come here, help me peel this pumpkin, these potatoes, and the eggplant.”

Qin Zhijin’s step was called back. She turned and sat with the old lady at a wooden table in the courtyard to prep vegetables.

While washing the pumpkin, Qin Zhijin kept glancing at Xia Shibai fetching water nearby. Seeing Xia’s unpracticed movements, her heart tightened. She wanted to set the pumpkin down and help, but the old lady called her out before she could move.

“She’s a grown person. Will staring at her make flowers grow?” The old lady gestured toward the pumpkin in Qin’s hands. “If you have time, why not wash the pumpkin properly, cut it into chunks, and put it on the plate. Later, when she’s done fetching water, she can eat something hot.”

Qin Zhijin held the pumpkin, her hands soaking in the cold well water. Hearing this, she felt a bit uneasy. She quickly washed the pumpkin, peeled it, and asked in a low voice: “What did you mean by that earlier?”

“What did I say?”

The old lady handled the potatoes, peeling the round tubers and placing them in a basin of cold water. She treated the eggplants the same way, her movements clean and swift—a stark contrast to her age.

“Nothing…”

Qin Zhijin glanced at her and quickened her pace. After finishing the pumpkin, she brought it into the kitchen. After helping tidy up, she rushed toward Xia Shibai, who was returning with water, not wasting a single second.

The old lady walked out of the kitchen and let out a soft “tah,” her voice trailing behind her.

“Things delivered to the mouth so easily… how could they be cherished?”

“Doesn’t even know how to play hard to get. Even Grand Duke Jiang knew to wait for the fish to bite the hook. Why is it the opposite now—Grand Duke Jiang rushing to deliver herself to the fish?”

The old lady’s voice wasn’t loud, and her words weren’t direct, but they still startled Qin Zhijin.

“I said, taking things from me requires a corresponding price.” The old lady pointed to her unfinished embroidery and smiled. “Are you going to help fetch water, or sit and rest with me for a while?”

If the old lady had only said the first part, Qin Zhijin might have suspected she was being called out. But the second part made it clear she was being teased.

Qin Zhijin waved her hand. “You also said there’s no such thing as a free lunch. Instead of sitting here, I’ll go do more work.”

Rather than waiting for the fish to bite, she’d rather put in the effort herself. After spending these days together, Qin Zhijin had a feeling—the chance of Xia Shibai “getting it” on her own was as slim as her own reincarnation.

Grand Duke Jiang had white hair; he could afford to wait. Qin Zhijin was 27 or 28; she could wait, but it wasn’t necessary. Better to force the “fish” to make a choice—if she taught her more, she’d surely catch on faster than before.

She instinctively thought of her earlobe being squeezed this morning. She reached up to touch it; it was still a bit warm.

She was already much more “awake” than before. Whatever this feeling was now, it was better than before.

Qin Zhijin thought this and acted on it, jogging over to help lighten the load on Xia Shibai’s shoulders, taking a bucket and heading toward the vat.

As soon as she moved, Xia Shibai stopped. “You should just rest. Why are you helping me?”

“My work is done. I came to help you,” Qin Zhijin said. “We still have to harvest rice this afternoon; I can’t let you get worn out.”

Xia Shibai found the words a bit strange, but she opened her mouth and said nothing, finishing the vat of water with Qin Zhijin.

Though Xia Shibai did most of the heavy lifting, having help made the task much lighter. Furthermore, as soon as they sat down, the old lady brought out two bowls of hot pumpkin dough-balls from the kitchen.

“Eat up. Consider it extra payment.”

“Thank you! We won’t be formal then!”

Xia Shibai picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily. After a morning of her clothes getting wet then dry, then wet again, she only felt the fatigue once she sat down. The portion of pumpkin dough-balls wasn’t huge, and they weren’t something they would usually like to eat, but because of the physical exertion, they ate more happily than anyone.

Full and satisfied, they washed the bowls. The old lady sat embroidering, with no time to care what the two outsiders did in her yard.

Xia Shibai walked around the beautiful courtyard, looking at the blooming flowers. Thinking of the mint and canned flowers she had planted in her own yard, she had an idea. She tilted her head and looked at Qin Zhijin sitting beside her.

Qin Zhijin was staring at the old lady’s nimble embroidery movements.

Xia Shibai thought for a moment and asked, “Old lady, can I pick a flower from this yard?”

“Pick one flower, fetch two more buckets of water,” the old lady said, raising an eyebrow.

Hearing this, Xia Shibai asked, “How many can I pick for another vat?”

“If you fill another vat, you can strip the whole yard bare,” the old lady scoffed. “You city girls really don’t know how tiring fetching water is, do you?”

Xia Shibai turned a deaf ear. After resting a bit, she took the buckets to fetch more water.

An hour later, the old lady’s meticulously raised multi-petaled large flowers were all plucked. The title of the flowers’ “owner” changed hands again and again.

Finally, they landed on Qin Zhijin. The flowers Xia Shibai had stared at for so long were now tucked into the side of Qin Zhijin’s hair.