The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 444: Chapter 435: I Am the Vicious Eldest Aunt (22)

Anning put away the embroidery portrait: ”My family is currently facing hardships, and I had no choice but to make embroideries to supplement our household expenses. I’ve been working on this portrait for over half a year, originally intending it for the elderly at home, it’s just that...”

Anning lowered her head, showing a touch of sadness: ”My child’s second uncle broke his leg, and now we can’t stop buying his medicine. Living people are more important than lifeless objects, so I had to find a way to sell it.”

Mrs. Lu Huang understood Anning’s feelings.

The embroidery portrait that took a lot of effort to make would naturally be especially cherished, and she also understood Anning’s reluctance to part with it.

She patted Anning’s hand: ”Good child, your aunt will definitely find a good home for this portrait. My aunt is a rare benevolent person; she will surely cherish it properly.”

Anning looked up and smiled, a smile that was relieved and also full of gratitude: ”Thank you, Aunt.”

Mrs. Lu Huang, who had no daughters, already liked Anning very much, and seeing her smile made her like her all the more.

Anning leaned close to Mrs. Lu Huang and asked several questions, mainly concerning the appearance of Old Mrs. Huang. Drawing was Mrs. Lu’s specialty in the boudoir.

She took paper and pencil to draw for Anning.

After Anning looked at it, she took over the needle and thread, and right before Mrs. Lu Huang’s eyes, she threaded the needle and made some slight adjustments to the embroidery portrait, prompting Mrs. Lu Huang to exclaim in amazement: ”This Bodhisattva, this Bodhisattva, how does it resemble the Old Madam?”

Anning finished altering the embroidery portrait and put it away again: ”This is a stitching technique I developed myself, a portrait that can be slightly altered to resemble anyone.”

Mrs. Lu Huang was extremely impressed, continuously praising Anning for her intelligence.

After lunch, Mr. Huang, the Old Master, arrived.

Anning being a woman, it was inconvenient for her to meet Mr. Huang personally. It was Scholar Wen who took the embroidery portrait to Mr. Huang.

Scholar Wen had scholarly status and was also a good friend of Scholar Lu, and Mr. Huang was very polite to him.

As soon as Mr. Huang saw the embroidery portrait, he almost instantly decided to take it, and then he ordered someone to go home to get the money.

Just like that, an embroidery portrait was sold for over two thousand taels of silver.

Scholar Wen was shocked when he received the silver note.

Although his family was not short of money, and they were considered a rich family in the village, he had never seen so much money before.

At the same time, Scholar Wen also had some understanding of his daughter’s skills.

Upon returning to the inn, when Scholar Wen handed the silver note to Anning, he was particularly happy: ”I was originally worried about your difficult life, but who would have thought that you’re so smart, to have researched this unique stitching technique yourself. In the future, you will surely become a great master; your life will get better and better, and I no longer have to worry.”

Scholar Wen was an honest man.

Knowing that Anning had earned so much money, he never grew greedy; instead, he was particularly happy for his daughter, a pure kind of happiness.

Anning was also aware of Scholar Wen’s fatherly heart, and after taking the silver note, she said that with the money earned from selling the portrait, she wouldn’t have to work from dawn till dusk for the next two years, their household would be much more comfortable, and she could also stay with Scholar Wen in Prefecture City for a few more days.

Scholar Wen also pitied his daughter for the difficult times she had at the Xu Family in the past two years, thinking that since they were out, it would be good to take his daughter out to relax, so they discussed staying a few more days.

There were indeed several scenic spots in Prefecture City worthwhile, and afterwards, Scholar Wen took Anning to tour the mountains and waters, and also bought some things to take home.

Anning bought several pieces of jewelry for the Old Madam, and also bought a few items for Mrs. Yu; besides, at night before going to sleep, she made two outfits for Scholar Wen, along with purchasing some fabrics not available in the county and the town, intending to take them home to make clothes for the children.

Scholar Wen also bought some things that could be of use at home.

That day, Anning heard about a famous restaurant in Prefecture City, so she thought of trying the food there with Scholar Wen. Father and daughter went out early in the morning, strolled around the streets for a while, and by almost noon, they planned to head to that restaurant. They had only walked a few steps when suddenly someone hurriedly chased after them.

It was already autumn, and most people needed to wear lined clothes, but that person was still wearing a single layer of clothes and seemed rather down on his luck.

He stopped Anning, looking pale and guilty: ”My name is Zhou Xun, may I ask if you are the sister-in-law?”

Anning was taken aback, and then her expression turned sour: ”What does it matter whether I am or I’m not?”

Zhou Xun suddenly knelt in front of Anning, kowtowing fervently: ”I, I have wronged my sister-in-law, I am undeserving...”

Scholar Wen, upon seeing so many people on the street, hurried over to help Zhou Xun up: ”Get up first, let’s find a place to talk.”

Zhou Xun, while crying, stood up but still felt ashamed to face Anning.

Scholar Wen found a restaurant and went in; Anning had the waiter lead them to a private room upstairs.

Once they were seated, Zhou Xun wept bitterly.

Anning sat indifferently on one side, watching him: ”You still have the face to see me. If it were me, I would have no face to see anyone ever again.”

Zhou Xun wiped his tears: ”It’s my fault. I have wronged Brother Xu and also your sister-in-law. Brother Xu protected me with his life, but I...”

Scholar Wen hurriedly asked Zhou Xun what had happened.

After listening to Zhou Xun’s intermittent account, he heaved a long sigh: ”Fate is making fools of us. This isn’t your fault.”

Anning’s expression softened quite a bit: ”Enough, what’s a man crying for? I haven’t even cried.”

Zhou Xun wiped away his tears and, when facing Anning, he seemed somewhat intimidated, evidently still somewhat afraid of Anning.

”I have been too ashamed to face your sister-in-law these past few years. I originally thought that after I became a scholar, I would go and apologize to her, but...”

As it turned out, after Zhou Xun was saved by Xu Zhiwen that year, he was in a daze and failed the college examination because of his fear.

After returning home, his family faced disasters and both his parents died in a short period of time. Zhou Xun observed mourning for over two years.

He felt it inappropriate to visit the Xu Family in mourning clothes and had planned to send some Silver Coin to them, but he was penniless and could offer no help to the Xu Family.

It was only after he passed the Scholar examination last year that his family’s situation improved somewhat.

Last year, he thought about visiting the Xu Family, but the psychological burden was too great. He lingered in front of the Xu Family’s house for a long time without daring to enter. He thought since being a Scholar wasn’t of much significance, he might as well become a higher-ranked scholar this year before visiting the Xu Family. By then, he would be able to take care of Xu Zhiwen’s parents and wife and children.

He had all these good intentions, but unexpectedly, he ran into Anning on the street while coming to take the rural examination this year.

Since they had encountered each other, Zhou Xun could no longer avoid her and thus came to apologize to Anning.

Having heard everything Zhou Xun had to say, Anning could not be too harsh.

It really wasn’t Zhou Xun’s fault that they encountered bandits, and Xu Zhiwen’s death wasn’t caused by Zhou Xun; even if it were to be blamed, the blame couldn’t fall on Zhou Xun.

Moreover, Xu Zhiwen and Zhou Xun were particularly close friends, and in such a critical moment, Xu Zhiwen thought of protecting Zhou Xun. How could Anning blame him?

Anning wiped away her tears and then smiled: ”All right, you don’t need to feel guilty towards me. I never blamed you. My husband saved you, and that was his choice. I respect him and have never truly blamed you. I think my husband wouldn’t want you to be crushed by guilt either.”

Hearing this, Zhou Xun’s heart felt somewhat relieved.

”When I achieve high honors, I will definitely take good care of your sister-in-law’s family. I will fulfill Brother Xu’s filial duties towards his parents and look after your sister-in-law and the children.”

That’s what Zhou Xun said, and it was indeed what he thought in his heart. He was nearly ready to swear an oath to heaven.

Anning just smiled and said no more.

After they finished eating, Zhou Xun went to settle the bill, with Anning and Scholar Wen also following downstairs.

Once Zhou Xun had settled the account, he asked the waiter to pack up their leftover food.

He really did not have much money at the moment. Even the travel expenses for the rural examination were cobbled together with difficulty. This meal had taken a good chunk of his budget, so naturally, he wouldn’t let the leftovers go to waste.

Now that the weather was gradually getting cooler, even leftover food could be kept for a night. He thought he could still have a couple of meals with these leftovers, saving money on two meals.

The waiter went to pack the leftovers, while another waiter approached Zhou Xun: ”Are you Mr. Zhou Xun?”

Zhou Xun quickly replied: ”Indeed, it’s I.”

The waiter handed over a silver note to Zhou Xun: ”This was given by the father and daughter who dined with the gentleman earlier. The lady said to let the gentleman buy a few warm clothes and some good quality ink and paper, to think of nothing else and just focus on performing well in the examination.”

Zhou Xun’s hands trembled as he received the silver note. Seeing the amount written on it, he was almost overwhelmed with tears.