After Transmigrating As The Mother Of The Pitiful Female Supporting Character in a Campus Novel - Chapter 49

Since Gu Mingyi and Sheng Huaixing had finished their tasks, the production team didn’t restrict their movements or force them to do anything specific.

After double-checking with the staff to confirm she was allowed to roam, Gu Mingyi grabbed Xia Yaozhou, who was full of energy after a nap. “Wait, I’m going with you.”

“Huh?” Xia Yaozhou was still carrying her small bamboo cage, which was full of chicks.

She had to bring back the props she’d taken; even if she wanted to raise free-range chickens, she had to wait until this round of the game was over.

Gu Mingyi pulled a hat from her bag and put it on. The afternoon sun was too scorching; wearing it provided a bit of shade. Especially after hearing Xia Yaozhou’s task progress at lunch, Gu Mingyi felt today’s task would take a long time to complete, making sun protection very important.

Sheng Liu didn’t take Sheng Huaixing to the fields. After all, the rice stalks were dense there; one blink and you might lose track of where a child was hiding. The staff was very attentive, so letting Sheng Huaixing stay out on her own was actually fine.

It wasn’t until “clock-out” time at noon that the adults realized there was no food provided. In the end, Jin Minxi had to grit her teeth and go to the neighbors to borrow food. She happened to run into an auntie who was watching her new historical drama.

She was caught by the auntie to film a Douyin video and sign two autographs. Neighbors from all around came to watch the fun. Amidst a barrage of questions like, “Hey, do the leads end up together?”, “Does the hero like the heroine or the rival?”, and “Is the heroine actually the secret daughter of the rival’s father?”, Jin Minxi finally made her escape.

She even brought back quite a bit of food. Lunch was a makeshift affair.

Sheng Liu held her rice bowl, looked at Jin Minxi who had invited them to eat, and said, “Thanks for the hard work.”

Thinking about the business sectors she managed, Sheng Liu realized there wasn’t anything perfectly suited for Jin Minxi at the moment. She said tactfully, “I’ll talk to Xia Shibai later and see what projects she has on hand to pry one or two loose for you.”

After all, with the show turning out like this, Xia Shibai had to shoulder at least one percent of the blame for her poor auditing.

Jin Minxi naturally knew what Sheng Liu meant, but a casual promise from a boss could very well be “painting a cake” (empty promises). Jin Minxi laughed it off and didn’t take it to heart.

Jin Minna was having a great time, completely forgetting her “grudge” against her sister from a few days ago. Now she was “Sister this” and “Sister that,” happily sharing the new friends she made this morning with Jin Minxi, talking about chicks and rabbits while eating.

Sheng Huaixing watched with wide eyes, her face full of envy. Her level was so boring, and Gu Mingyi solved the puzzles so fast that she didn’t feel any sense of achievement. It sounded much better to play with chicks and rabbits.

With that, Sheng Huaixing had an idea—she wanted to play with them too!

As soon as the two adults left, Sheng Huaixing looked at Jin Minna, who was slowly putting on her shoes. She cautiously approached and poked the younger girl.

Jin Minna tossed her two braids, turned around, and said fiercely, “What do you want?!”

“I… I want to do the task with you.”

“No.” Jin Minna pouted. After struggling to pull on her shoes, she stomped out, having no desire to be with Sheng Huaixing at all.

Sheng Huaixing froze for a moment, staring down at the ground in silence. The staff was terrified she was about to drop “pearls” and start crying.

Instead, Sheng Huaixing patted her own chest to calm herself down. “Don’t be angry, don’t be angry. Stay away from illness.”

“If you won’t play, then fine…” Sheng Huaixing pouted slightly. It wasn’t like she had to play with a kid younger than her!

After composing herself, Sheng Huaixing prepared to walk around the village. Within a few steps, she ran into Xia Yaozhou and Gu Mingyi.

“Can I play with you guys?” Having failed with Jin Minna, Sheng Huaixing didn’t give up and sent her “friend request” to the other two instead.

Xia Yaozhou and Gu Mingyi didn’t think much of it. Taking her along was fine, though they might not actually play together since Xia Yaozhou hadn’t finished her task yet.

Once they arrived, Xia Yaozhou was much better behaved. With help from the staff, she watched the TV video and finished the blackboard tasks bit by bit. Suppressing her itching desire to play, she began creating a rainbow.

The production team had put a lot of effort into the videos. Most were simple children’s drawings. They had even tested the science experiment explanations in preschools to ensure most kids could understand the pictures before using them on the show. The preparation time alone exceeded a year—longer than the time it took for the actual proposal to be approved.

Facing away from the sun with a water gun, Xia Yaozhou successfully created a rainbow on her first try. She then stumbled through the scientific principles. Having won the “match,” she immediately dragged Gu Mingyi to see the chicks and rabbits, completely unconcerned with the actual victory.

During the morning session, the crew noticed the inflatable pool was too high, making it hard for the kids to see their surroundings. In the afternoon, they replaced it with a fence. This was better for filming, and it allowed the kids to move in and out on their own without staff frequently appearing in the shot.

Thus, Jin Minna, who was playing house, saw the entire process of Xia Yaozhou completing the task.

At first, she wasn’t worried at all, still immersed in her play. But gradually, as Xia Yaozhou’s speed increased, Jin Minna looked up more and more frequently.

When the crew announced Xia Yaozhou had won the competition, Jin Minna sat on the ground staring blankly. Tears welled up, and soon she was wailing loudly, startling the three children playing together.

Hearing the crying, Xia Yaozhou looked over hesitantly. Memories of their arrival yesterday flashed in her mind—Jin Minna loved to cry and had a bad temper.

Xia Yaozhou instinctively resisted going over, but her hand stroking the rabbit slowed down. She said worriedly, “She’s crying.”

Gu Mingyi said, “Let’s get the big sisters to check on her.”

It was safer for adults to handle it; kids definitely wouldn’t be able to stop her crying, and it might even lead to more trouble.

However, none of the nearby staff moved. They huddled together, seemingly debating whether they should interfere.

Sheng Huaixing set down the small animal and stood up. “I probably can’t play with you guys for now. My teammate is crying; I have to see what’s going on.”

Regardless of the others’ expressions, Sheng Huaixing sighed and walked over to Jin Minna on her short legs. Seeing the girl’s face dirty from crying and the chicks and rabbits huddled in a corner in fear, she found it a bit funny.

Jin Minna looked at the reddish-brown haired child through tears. Before Sheng Huaixing could even ask, the little girl spilled her heart out like beans from a bag.

Xia Yaozhou finished the task, so she lost. But Jin Minna couldn’t even read the questions; she was the youngest on the show, having only just turned three. Furthermore, the partner who was supposed to be on her team was playing with Xia Yaozhou. In that moment, she was simply overwhelmed with anger and sadness.

Sheng Huaixing scratched her head, not really understanding why this was worth crying over. However, her good upbringing told her that everyone’s tolerance level is different. She couldn’t force Jin Minna to stop crying; she could only distract her.

“It’s okay. If you can’t do this task, I’ll help you. Once we finish, we can come back and play with the chicks and rabbits.”

Jin Minna bit her lip and nodded. Wiping her tears, she began the task. Though the progress was slow, at least there was movement. The staff breathed a sigh of relief; at least the little guest wouldn’t have a breakdown, and they wouldn’t be scolded into oblivion by the internet.

When Xia Shibai and Qin Zhijin reached the fields, Sheng Liu and Jin Minxi were both sitting in the shade of the ridge with no intention of working.

Walking closer, Xia Shibai raised an eyebrow. “What? Worked all morning and don’t want to move this afternoon?”

Sheng Liu let out a “tah” and glanced at her. “It’s because President Xia chose such a ‘great’ variety show. It’s exhausting. Your investment eye is truly once-in-a-millennium; other investors join their own shows and at worst they’re cooking or traveling. You? You invest in one that works you to death. You must have masochistic tendencies.”

“What do you know? This is called ‘Remembering Hardships’ and ‘Returning to Basics’.”

Hearing this, Sheng Liu immediately pointed toward the path. “Fine, you go right ahead.”

Xia Shibai wasn’t in a hurry and didn’t let Sheng Liu bait her. “Do you have any plans for dinner tonight?”

“None,” Sheng Liu said. “What, is President Xia going to invite us to mooch a meal?”

“An invitation is out of the question, but if you come help me with farm work, I might consider it.” Xia Shibai was plotting something, but doing it herself wasn’t feasible. If it were recorded on the livestream, it would draw criticism; more importantly, it would affect Lan Sui’s stock price.

Both she and Sheng Liu were Lan Sui executives. Appearing on a variety show meant representing Lan Sui’s image. A single careless joke could affect the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees. They had to be cautious.

Sheng Liu rolled her eyes. “Forget it. I work for you at the company; I’m not being your subordinate on a variety show too. Have I gone mad?”

“I came over because I wanted to discuss something with you and Xiao Xi.” Xia Shibai sat on the ridge and beckoned Qin Zhijin to sit too.

“We can’t keep doing farm work like this. After finishing this acre, I can guess what the next task will be,” Xia Shibai said. “We need to find a new way—hire someone to work the land for us instead of stubbornly fighting against nature ourselves.”

“Otherwise, by the time the farm work is done, we’ll be dead tired.”

“The food issue is also a major problem. They aren’t providing three meals, so we have to solve it ourselves. If we spend all our time fighting these rice stalks, where will the food come from? We can’t beg the villagers every day.”

Sheng Liu knew exactly where Xia Shibai was going with this. “You want to hire people to work the fields? We need capital for that.”

“You didn’t secretly hide money when you came on the show, did you?” Sheng Liu asked suspiciously.

Qin Zhijin couldn’t help but retort, “If we had hidden private money, why would we be here discussing this with you? We’d just hire people, eat and drink well, and secure our points, wouldn’t we?”

Sheng Liu admitted defeat and gestured for Xia Shibai to continue her plan.

“I’ve asked around. Ping’ao Village is remote, but there’s a large market about a thirty-minute drive away. We don’t have cash, but we can barter,” Xia Shibai said. “We have a lot of unused items in our backpacks. If we set up a stall and sell them at a discount, we can make some money. Finding work at the market is better than doing mindless labor here.”

Jin Minxi immediately chimed in, “That works! There are more opportunities at the market; we have a better chance of getting money. It’s a competition, but they never said we couldn’t hire help. They faked the project proposal, so why can’t we exploit the loopholes in the rules?”

Xia Shibai snapped her fingers. “Exactly.”

Sheng Liu looked at Xia Shibai warily. “Wait, if it’s that simple, why didn’t you go yourself? Why come to us?”

Xia Shibai chuckled. “I’m just worried you’ll be too tired from filming and take your annual leave when we get back. That would be a loss for me.”

It was fine if Xia Shibai took leave, but Sheng Liu taking leave would force Xia Shibai back into “996” (9 am-9 pm, 6 days a week) mode. That was a fate worse than death.

The four of them plotted loudly, making no attempt to hide from the production team. Once the plan was set, they were in total agreement. To get to the market, asking the crew was out of the question. The crew wanted nothing more than to see the four of them exhausted and crying in the fields, capturing their “ugly” states to boost the livestream’s heat.

Xia Shibai and Qin Zhijin exchanged a look, thinking of the old lady from this morning.

Qin Zhijin awkwardly rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Is it really okay to bother the old lady so frequently?” After all, they had behaved like locusts this morning, practically stripping her house bare. Going back again in the afternoon…

The old lady might just hang a sign on her door: “Xia Shibai and Qin Zhijin Not Allowed.”

“We’re just going to ask about something; it should be fine,” Xia Shibai thought. “If not, we can give her more money once we earn some. We’ll fill her water vat again; that should be enough.”

Sheng Liu and Jin Minxi stayed silent; they didn’t know who this “old lady” was, but it sounded promising. After all, the other two were gone all morning, presumably doing their own thing.

“Fine. Or we can ask her if there’s any help she needs after the show is over.”

During the show, the four of them were dirt-poor with four bare walls; after the show, that would be different—they were wealthy enough to ask which “gold water vat” or “silver water vat” someone wanted.

“Good.”

So, the four plotted to ditch the fields, return to their old profession, and begin a difficult “startup.”

The old lady was in a good mood. Although her yard had been stripped of flowers this morning, it didn’t stop her from eating two extra bowls of rice at lunch. It hadn’t been this lively in a long time.

She was lying in a rocking chair with her eyes closed, a cattail fan resting on her body. A breeze came and went, making her look asleep. The surroundings were peaceful.

Until— “Grandma, are you home?”

The voice that had plucked her flowers this morning appeared again. The old lady slowly opened her eyes. Good heavens, four of them.

There were two more than this morning. She didn’t even have the heart to answer; she wanted to close her eyes again and endure it. She sighed and sat up. “What are you here for now? You couldn’t possibly have taken a liking to my bare flower stems, could you?”

Xia Shibai gave an awkward laugh. “Hahaha, how could that be?”

“Grandma, we just wanted to ask if there’s anyone in the village who specifically helps people harvest rice?”

“Sure, the family at the village entrance. They charge to help people harvest every autumn. It’s about 130 to 140 yuan an acre per day, lunch included.” The old lady snorted. “Why ask? Don’t tell me you want to do that job in the village?”

“That work is exhausting; you city girls can’t handle that hardship.”

“I’m not doing it; I want to hire them.” Xia Shibai briefly explained their situation to the old lady, then asked how to get to the market.

“From the village to the market, there are only two bus trips a day—one at 6 AM and one returning at 5 PM. Usually, if people have an emergency, they go to Old Man Qiao; he has a little three-wheeler.” The old lady told them everything. “He’s kind-hearted; if you ask him to take you, just give him whatever.”

The four calculated and decided to head to the market now to earn money early; otherwise, they wouldn’t even have breakfast tomorrow. Four dusty adults—they looked quite pitiful.

The old lady clicked her tongue, stood up, and pulled her door shut. “Fine, fine, I’ll take you to Old Man Qiao. Don’t know if he’s home today.”

The four wanted to sell things they didn’t need at the market. They went back to pack, eventually filling one backpack. However, there was nothing in the bag suitable for a gift for Old Man Qiao.

Sheng Liu asked hurriedly, “Does Grandpa Qiao smoke?”

Old Lady: “He does. A heavy smoker for decades.”

Knowing this, the four acted like “bandits” entering a city, confiscating cigarettes from the staff. Dozens or hundreds of yuan worth of cigarettes—they seized them without blinking.

Sheng Liu picked out what she knew was the best tobacco for Old Man Qiao; she held the rest, unsure what to do.

Xia Shibai glanced over and took a plastic bag from her bag to pack them. “It’s fine. We’ll sell the cheaper cigarettes secondhand at a low price. It’s zero cost to us, so no loss.”

The staff who were forcibly “shopped” for free: “…”

Every new show resulted in new staff members suffering psychological damage.

Jin Minxi added quickly, “You’re right. Cigarettes are harmful, especially since the staff will be around kids for the next twelve days. We’re doing this for everyone’s safety.”

It couldn’t possibly be for the money.

The old lady walked ahead, watching the three girls justify their “bandit” behavior in unison. The simple old woman opened her mouth but couldn’t find a single word of evaluation. She turned her gaze to Qin Zhijin, who was walking beside her.

Qin Zhijin asked in confusion, “Is something wrong?”

The old lady placed a hand gently on Qin Zhijin’s arm and said pityingly, “One is influenced by their company. Trying to maintain your original heart while fighting against your own nature… it must be hard work.”

“Eh?” Qin Zhijin didn’t understand.

“The best way to escape a predicament is to change your environment.”

Qin Zhijin: “???”

“What do you mean, Grandma?” Qin Zhijin really didn’t understand how the topic had suddenly jumped to this. Why the sudden need to change environments?

The old lady sighed and patted Qin Zhijin’s elbow. “You’re a good person. It’s a pity…”

A pity that the friends around you don’t seem like they’re on the righteous path.

Old Man Qiao was home. Hearing they wanted to go to the market, he said with a smile, “I happen to be going there to trade some things too. Come along, though I might have to trouble you a bit.”

Old Man Qiao quickly brought out a cage from the back. Inside were four puppies, full of energy and restless, barking constantly. Seeing strangers, they became even more excited, lunging at the cage.

“I’ll have to trouble you to make do with them. Don’t worry, they’ve had two vaccinations; today I’m taking them to the vet for their third, then I can sell them as guard dogs.”

The old lady teased the dogs a bit. “You aren’t keeping one for your daughter? Doesn’t your little granddaughter miss this litter every day?”

“She took one already. As soon as they were born, she rushed over from the city and took one overnight. The rest are for sale.” Old Man Qiao put the cage on the back of the three-wheeler along with a bag of processed peanuts. “See if you can fit.”

Xia Shibai helped Qin Zhijin onto the vehicle, letting Jin Minxi and Qin Zhijin sit inside next to the peanuts. She and Sheng Liu sat on the edge, barely steadying themselves.

The roads in Ping’ao Village were truly dilapidated; the ride was incredibly bumpy.

Frightened, Qin Zhijin grabbed Xia Shibai’s arm and looked at her in a panic. “If I were any lighter, I would have been thrown right off just now!”

Qin Zhijin felt it was a close call. Her back had hit the edge of the three-wheeler, which was already below her waist; any mistake and she would have flown out.

“Then sit further in and hold onto me.” Xia Shibai told Qin Zhijin to move inward, following her. She switched hands so Qin could hold her, while her other arm reached behind Qin’s back to grab the opposite handrail.

Suddenly, most of Qin Zhijin was surrounded by Xia Shibai. Her back was against the back of Xia Shibai’s hand, and their legs were pressed tight together.

The question of whether it was bumpy was no longer in Dr. Qin’s brain. She was “burning” quietly in the stifling heat, her blush almost impossible to hide from the camera. The barking puppies behind her couldn’t disturb her, and she couldn’t even hear the wind.

There was only a scent of freshness at the tip of her nose.

The others present weren’t blind or deaf. Sheng Liu’s teeth ached with jealousy. If the camera weren’t on her, she would have rolled her eyes.

As the “face” of Lan Sui, she couldn’t roll her eyes, but she could be sarcastic. “Xiao Xi, what’s the positioning of this variety show again? I feel like some investors haven’t quite figured it out.”

Jin Minxi: “…”

I don’t dare speak, big boss. I’m just an ordinary worker.

Sheng Liu clicked her tongue repeatedly. Thinking about how she couldn’t even get through to her own wife on the phone, she got even angrier.

This rotten show. When it’s over, I’m definitely writing a 10,000-word review to bash it!