The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 527: Chapter 518: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Stepping Stone 6

Anning had a good night’s sleep and got up in the morning to cook some food.

After preparing breakfast, Anning woke Li Zhifang and discussed with him over breakfast, ”Let’s bring the kids back home today.”

Li Zhifang gladly agreed.

Li Zhifang’s house was newly built when he got married. There was plenty of land in the village, and aided by the Li family’s connections, the housing plot allocations for him and his brothers were quite spacious. Wang Baozhu, intent on gaining an advantage at that time, asked to build more rooms.

Initially, the three elder brothers of Li Zhifang built four-room houses. Li Baolai and Zhang Fengfeng also intended to build four rooms for Li Zhifang, but Wang Baozhu wanted more. She argued that since a bigger plot was allocated, they should build more rooms now rather than wait and go through the hassle in a few years. Better to finish it all at once for convenience.

At that time, Li Zhifang was wholly devoted to Wang Baozhu. Whatever Wang Baozhu suggested, he followed. Insisting on more rooms, he quarreled with his parents to fulfil her wishes.

Li Baolai was furious with Li Zhifang but had no means to stop him. Since Li Zhifang’s three elder brothers were doing well and did not squabble over trivial matters with their younger brother, they not only refrained from arguing but also helped him build the house. Considering family harmony and peace, Li Baolai agreed to build more rooms.

Li Zhifang’s main house had seven rooms, and adding three rooms on each side made a total of thirteen rooms, which was considered a lot in the village. Now, all thirteen rooms were available for Anning’s use.

While eating, Anning discussed with Li Zhifang how to allocate rooms for their children.

Her idea was that she and Li Zhifang would occupy the easternmost room of the main house. Li Zhifang’s son, Li Jinghan, being young, would stay in the room next to them; Anning’s daughter, Liu Yuzhen, was also not very old, and Anning planned to sleep with her for a couple more years before moving her next to Li Jinghan.

Li Zhifang’s two daughters, Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan, would stay next to Liu Yuzhen, and Anning’s two sons, Liu Qi and Liu Ming, would occupy the two westernmost rooms.

With this arrangement, all seven rooms of the main house were occupied, one person per room, which was fair and rational. Anning also planned to tidy up the wing rooms gradually.

Li Zhifang found Anning’s allocation very fair, and raised no objections, simply saying that currently there were not enough beds at home and suggested the kids could share for now. He would speak to Lao Liu and ask him to spare some time to make a few beds.

Anning smirked and said, ”That’s fine, but since Lao Liu has his own family to support, we shouldn’t take advantage of him. Let’s do this: Lao Liu can make the beds, and we’ll pay him whatever it costs. Even with siblings, accounts should be clear, that’s the right way to get along.”

Li Zhifang lowered his head.

He was actually reluctant to spend the money.

Among his six brothers, he was the least capable and the poorest. His brothers pitied him and often supported him, which led to Li Zhifang always seeking more advantages.

Wang Baozhu also liked to take small advantages and had never, unlike Anning, suggested paying. Now, Anning’s mention of settling accounts even among siblings left Li Zhifang feeling rather helpless.

”Although our life is not as good as my brothers’, it’s decent in the village, and there’s no reason to always depend on them.”

Anning spoke very gently and reasonably with a smile, ”Even biological parents don’t take care of their children forever, let alone self-sufficient siblings. If we keep seeking small advantages, who would genuinely want to help us in significant matters later? It’s better to take a loss in small things so that when big issues come, people will sincerely lend a hand.”

Li Zhifang understood this rationale.

It’s just that Wang Baozhu had never mentioned this before, and over time, his nature skewed.

Now that Anning brought it up, he too felt she was right.

”Alright then.”

Li Zhifang hastily finished his meal, ”I’ll discuss it with Lao Liu in a bit.”

As he was about to leave, Anning stopped him, ”There’s still something we need to handle first before bringing the kids back.”

”What is it?”

Li Zhifang paused.

”Get the family registry book. Let’s go get our marriage certificate.”

Anning said with a smile.

Li Zhifang was stunned for a moment: ”Also, getting a marriage certificate? Um...”

Li Zhifang and Wang Baozhu got married without obtaining a marriage certificate. It’s not trendy in the village nowadays, and he had no such plans. Anning suddenly bringing it up really made him puzzled.

”We are officially married, I was legitimately married into your family, of course we should get a certificate, otherwise, it would be illegal cohabitation.”

Anning looked at Li Zhifang with a smile: ”Or do you mean, you have no plans to stay with me for the long haul?”

”No, I didn’t mean that, I definitely want to be with you for a long time.”

Li Zhifang quickly waved his hand: ”Okay, I’ll grab my household register, let’s hurry.”

While Li Zhifang went inside to get his household register, Anning washed the dishes, tidied up the kitchen, went back to her room, changed into clean clothes, and also took out her own household register.

While she was changing clothes, An Xin, who had just absorbed the Merit Power from the last world, jumped out quite angrily and asked Anning: ”Ningning, why are you even thinking about getting a certificate with someone awful like Li Zhifang? If you really do, it’ll be harder to get rid of him later.”

Anning chuckled lightly: ”It’ll be him who will find it hard to get rid of me instead. I want to see what kind of faces they will make when Wang Baozhu comes back.”

That’s right, in the original life, they never got the certificate. The two were merely cohabiting, not officially husband and wife, so when Wang Baozhu came back, Li Zhifang just kicked the original body out directly.

In his words, the two were just helping each other out with no real feelings involved, the original body hadn’t borne him any children, whereas Wang Baozhu was the mother of his three kids. For the sake of the children, he had to let Wang Baozhu come back.

This time, Anning was determined to get the certificate and then see what excuse Li Zhifang would find to chase her away.

Plus, there were also the wishes of the original body.

If it weren’t for those requests made by the original body, Anning probably would have broken it off with Li Zhifang long ago, confident that with her abilities, even alone with three children, she could raise them well and ensure they had good lives.

But the original body wanted Li Zhifang and Wang Baozhu’s reputations to be ruined, wanted to have an exceptionally good reputation herself, make everyone believe that she as a stepmother was better than their real mother, and also save Zhang Fengfeng from being frozen to death.

Anning is on a mission, not living her days as she pleases. Having gained the original body’s Merit, she must do her best to complete the mission. Naturally, it’s impossible for her to break up with Li Zhifang now. Not only can she not break up, she even needs to get the marriage certificate and be especially good to Li Zhifang and his children publicly.

Actually, the original body was also very good to the children, but the original body was someone who did but didn’t talk, she did good deeds, but if she didn’t tell, no one knew.

Additionally, during that life, the Wang Family made a scene. Li Zhifang’s three children often stayed at the Wang family’s home for periods, where the Wang family occasionally brainwashed the three kids, making them unable to feel close to the original body.

But now that wouldn’t happen.

This time, Anning planned to speak less but do more. If she ever did something good for the children, she would make sure the whole village knew about it, she would also let everyone know if she was wronged, but still magnanimously forgave the children.

She wanted everyone to know how good Geng Anning was to Li Zhifang and the children, how much she cared for this family and how sincerely she was living her life. By the time Wang Baozhu ran back, if Li Zhifang wanted to divorce her, everyone would stand by her side, pointing fingers at Wang Baozhu and Li Zhifang, criticizing them as worthless.

Anning shared her thoughts with An Xin.

An Xin was still a bit worried.

”But, if you keep this up for so many years, you and Li Zhifang are husband and wife, it won’t be possible to never share a room. If...”

An Xin really didn’t want Anning to actually have anything with Li Zhifang, even his touching Anning would be a desecration to her.

Besides, there’s still Xiao Yuan. Although Xiao Yuan hasn’t appeared yet, An Xin knows he will eventually, if Anning really had something with Li Zhifang, how could she marry Xiao Yuan?

Anning just smiled: ”Don’t worry, I’ve already thought about this, I have a plan.”

Hearing Anning say this, An Xin was relieved.

After all, Anning had much more cunning than her. Anning saying she had a plan meant there definitely would be a way.