The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 455: Chapter 446: I Am the Vicious Eldest Aunt (33)

Zhou Xun felt that he already owed the Xu Family a lot, and since he could never repay it all in this lifetime, he was not going to worry about owing even more favors.

After discussing with Zhou Yu’er, within two days, he sent her to the Xu Family.

Zhou Xun was also planning to set off for the Capital while the weather was not yet bitterly cold.

He intended to go early, rent a house in the Capital, and settle down.

He and his good friends had already discussed this -- it was not to be delayed.

After delivering Zhou Yu’er to the Xu Family, Zhou Xun hurriedly hit the road with his friends.

Zhou Yu’er was the youngest daughter born to Zhou Xun’s mother in her thirties, and she was younger than Xu Minruo. The girl seemed petite and delicate, earning people’s affection.

The child was very well-behaved, doing as she was told.

Perhaps she felt like she was living at the mercy of others, as she never made any fuss.

Anning would feel a softness in her heart when she saw the child, thinking she should treat her even better.

Xu Minruo also liked Zhou Yu’er very much and often took her by the hand to play.

Lan would take her schoolwork and write and talk with Zhou Yu’er.

In just a few days, Zhou Yu’er became familiar with everyone in the Xu Family.

Her personality also became more lively.

After settling Zhou Yu’er in, Anning called a family meeting, from the Old Madam and the patriarch to Lan and Ying Ge’er, decreeing that from now on they must not mention Xu Erya; should anyone ask, they must say the second branch of Xu Family has only one daughter.

She didn’t just say this at home. She discussed it with Xu Zhiyong, Mrs. Feng, and Xu Zhiqin as well—the third branch had to be consistent, with no more mention of Xu Erya.

Even the people in the village, the clan elders of the Xu Family, have been warned, and the non-relatives, thinking of the disgraceful things Xu Erya did, refused to mention her anymore.

They were also afraid that Xu Erya would create another disaster that could bring trouble to the people of the village.

In Ancient times, there were crimes that implicated even those with the slightest connection.

After dealing with Xu Erya’s issue, the patriarch, alongside Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin, managed to fix the home’s heating walls.

Anning had Liu Bao and his two sons fire the walls for several days to dry them out.

During these days of firing, the heat made the house intolerably warm, with the Old Madam and patriarch digging out their summer clothes to wear.

Ying Ge’er was so hot that he wanted to go bare-bottomed, while Min Ruo and Zhou Yu’er kept drinking iced tea to stay cool.

Even after they stopped firing heat, the residual warmth in the heating walls still kept the house as warm as spring.

Xu Minruo seemed especially joyful.

She was sensitive to cold. Winters in the past had been harsh for her, with cold hands and feet at night, and red and swollen fingers like radishes from washing and cooking during the day.

But now, she had a heating wall in her room, ensuring warmth as long as there was firewood, and she no longer had to cook, promising a very comfortable winter ahead.

Zhou Yu’er’s health had never been strong, and she dreaded the cold. In previous years, Zhou Xun couldn’t care for her much, and instead, she had to find ways to care for him, enduring difficult winters. Now at the Xu Family, she hoped for a warm winter and brightened up at the thought, planning to use the winter to regain her health.

Xu Minruo had a talent for cooking, but she really couldn’t master embroidery.

She followed Anning for a while and only learned to cut and sew clothes, as well as embroider some simple flowers.

Eventually feeling that she would never learn, she devoted all her attention to culinary arts, pondering each day what dessert to make or new dish to try.

Zhou Yu’er, however, was the exact opposite.

She had no interest in cooking, and instead, loved embroidery.

She would rest her chin in her hands and watch Anning embroider, her eyes shining bright.

After a few days of watching, Anning asked her if she wanted to learn.

Zhou Yu’er burst with joy: ”Sister-in-law, can I, can I learn too?”

Anning nodded: ”Of course, if you truly like it, I will teach you.”

”Yes, I want to learn,” Zhou Yu’er nodded rapidly.

After that, Anning began to teach Zhou Yu’er embroidery.

Zhou Yu’er really had the knack, it didn’t take long after learning from Anning that she could embroider some simple flowers.

After she learned embroidery, she spent quite some time making things for Zhou Xun, like shoes, fan pouches, fragrance bags, and so on.

After finishing, Zhou Yu’er packaged everything up and wrote a letter, asking the merchant team heading to the Capital to deliver them to Zhou Xun.

Anning, when winter came, took on a lot of work and her daily schedule was very tight.

Not only did she have to teach children to read and write, but she also taught girls knitting, needlework, and cooking skills; moreover, Anning was pondering over a major issue.

That was how to lead Xiao Guan Village to become wealthy and successful.

The Xu Family was doing well nowadays, enjoying a very affluent life in Xiao Guan Village, and with Zhou Xun as their pillar, people in the village, despite their envy and occasional sour comments, dared not stir up trouble.

But Anning knew this was only temporary, if time passed and the Xu Family became more and more affluent while the rest of the village remained poor, it would likely lead to various problems.

Without mentioning anything else, even the second and third branches of the Xu Family could start causing issues.

Anning wasn’t afraid of trouble, but she was worried about its impact on Ying Ge’er.

After all, this was a clan-based society where people valued kinship and had a sense of community; if the Xu Family lived too well without giving a hand to their fellow villagers, there was no guarantee that it wouldn’t lead to unpleasant rumors, which would greatly affect Ying Ge’er.

Anning thought about pulling the villagers together to improve their lives; if everyone lived well, then even if the Xu Family was a bit special, people wouldn’t harbor bad thoughts.

She pondered for a long time and had many ideas, but some just weren’t suitable for ancient society.

Take garment-making, for instance.

Who makes their own clothes in modern times? Everyone buys ready-made clothing. Starting a clothing factory and building a brand would definitely be profitable.

But it was different in ancient times.

People back then made their own clothes at home, and many didn’t even buy fabric, spinning and weaving it themselves, so setting up a garment workshop here simply wouldn’t work.

Opening a Silver Tower was doable, but not suitable for Xiao Guan Village.

Anning also thought about making rouge and face powder.

But after thinking it over, she gave up on the idea.

Similar to garment-making, big households usually made their own cosmetics, and typically had their own cosmetic shops.

Smaller families did buy cosmetics from outside, but the price was really low, and not much profit could be made.

Anning was not interested in such labor-intensive and thankless businesses.

She racked her brain and finally decided to start with the small items that people use daily.

The first things that came to mind were soy sauce and vinegar, and then the needles and threads that women needed for their work.

Anning thought it over for a few days, wrote down the recipes, and also began researching the equipment needed to make needles.

When winter was half over, Anning asked the old master (her father-in-law) to call over Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin.

She also specifically had Liu Bao’s wife prepare a good meal.

Liu Chunmei and Xu Minruo, along with a few children, were playing in Min Ruo’s room, while Anning, the Old Madam, and the old master sat at a table.

When Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin arrived, Anning first handed them hot tea to warm up, and then asked, ”Second and Third Brother, what are your plans for the future?”

Xu Zhiyong and Xu Zhiqin were taken aback.

Xu Zhiyong said, ”Nothing but to do more work, it’s cold and the ground is frozen right now, so there’s not much to do. I just plan to make do through this winter and look for work outside when spring comes.”

Xu Zhiqin said, ”Me, I plan to farm diligently and do some odd jobs in my spare time.”

The old master was silent for a while after hearing this.

Anning smiled and said, ”What Second and Third Brother have said is a prudent approach, but while one may not worry about clothing and food, it’s not easy to live a good life. Second Brother has Gousheng at home, and Third Brother has two children, don’t you wish for your kids to study instead of farming and working for the rest of their lives?”

Once these words were spoken, Xu Zhiyong’s eyes reddened first.

”Thank you, elder sister-in-law, for your concern. I...I didn’t expect that Mrs. Feng had used all the money we earned over the years to support her own family, leaving our house bare. I would like to send Gousheng to school but don’t have the means to do so. For now, I can only work more until we’ve saved enough money to talk about schooling.”

Xu Zhiqin, on the other hand, bowed his head and remained silent.

Anning said, ”I have a recipe here that I would like Second and Third Brother to work on together. Would you be willing?”

”What kind of recipe?”

Xu Zhiqin perked up at the news.