The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 530: Chapter 521: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Stepping Stone 9 (Bonus Chapter for 50 Monthly Tickets)

Anning took the children up the mountain, teaching them along the way how to recognize the various plants there—identifying which were poisonous, which were edible, which could be sold for money. She explained in great detail, and the four children listened very earnestly.

Of course, Anning did more than just teach; she also gathered a good amount of mountain produce, including walnuts, chestnuts, winter jujube, and some mushrooms.

Besides that, Anning also dug up some medicinal herbs.

Upon descending the mountain, Anning was quite lucky to have caught a wild rabbit.

She tied the wild rabbit and put it in her basket, covered it with some grass, and then led the four children down the mountain.

This time, Anning’s main goal in going up the mountain was to get some medicinal herbs.

Now that she had dug up the herbs she wanted, naturally, it was time to hurry back down the mountain.

When they got back home, Li Zhifang had finished his work and was washing his face by the well.

Anning gave the wild rabbit to him: ”Clean it up, we’ll have stew for dinner tonight.”

Li Zhifang was happy to see meat and called Liu Qi and Liu Ming to slaughter the rabbit.

Li Zhifang thought of how well Anning treated his children, accompanying them in all tasks, so he also resolved to treat Anning’s children well and to teach them how to work.

He had no ill intentions, and Anning let him be.

Anning dried the medicinal herbs and mushrooms well, then went to Zhang Fengfeng’s place to pick up the children.

When she returned with the children, Li Zhifang had already started stewing the meat.

As soon as they entered the house, Anning smelled the fragrance of the meat.

She had the children wash their hands and faces, asking them to sit quietly, while she went to the kitchen to prepare some dry food. Soon, cornbread came out of the pan, and a pot of rabbit meat was brought out by Li Zhifang as well.

Anning served a bowl of meat to Li Jingyu: ”Take a bowl over to your grandma.”

Li Jingyu held the bowl, her face alight with a smile, and crisply acknowledged.

No sooner had Li Jingyu left than Li Jinghan wanted to take some meat, but Anning tapped the table: ”Everyone sit properly, no one is allowed to eat. Wait for your sister to come back, then we’ll eat. From now on, this will also be the rule in our family, no matter who’s not back, we all wait.”

Li Jinghan pouted and looked like he wanted to cry; Li Zhifang felt a twinge of pity and looked at Anning, asking, ”Let the children eat first, shall we?”

Anning glared at him: ”Running a household without rules simply won’t do. Children need to establish rules from young; that’s how they learn to be sensible. Otherwise, if they grow up crooked, what are we to do?”

Li Zhifang, who was not very articulate to begin with, didn’t dare to voice any more opinions after Anning spoke.

And so, the family waited for Li Jingyu to come back before starting their meal.

At dinner, Anning didn’t restrict the children much, allowing them to eat their fill.

After dinner, Anning looked through the chests and cabinets to find fabric and cotton, calling the children over to take their measurements for making cotton-padded clothes.

For several days, Anning spent her days taking the children up the mountain to dig for medicinal herbs and gather mountain products, and her nights sewing clothes by oil lamplight.

Once the first batch of medicinal herbs was processed, she had Li Zhifang stay home with the children while she rode the cart to town to sell the herbs.

Anning left exceptionally early, setting off before dawn.

Before heading to town, she took advantage of everyone still being asleep to make another trip to the mountain.

Anning had been going to the mountain these past days and had discovered some good things.

She had already started practicing the Cultivation Technique, identifying the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy in the mountain, and found that the mountain housed ginseng over a hundred years old. Additionally, through the external projection of her Divine Sense, she found a cave, which must have been used by bandits to stash things, containing many valuable items.

Anning did not think of touching the things in the cave; after entering the mountain, she went and dug up the ginseng she had previously scoped out, then quickly descended the mountain and rode her cart to the county.

She had told Li Zhifang that she was going to town, but she did not actually plan to sell things in town.

For one, Li Zhipeng had many acquaintances in town, so the amount of money she earned from the sale could quickly reach the ears of the Li Family, and secondly, the ginseng she dug up would not sell for much in town.

Anning also had no plans to sell in the county; she wanted to go to the City to sell.

When she arrived at the county at dawn, Anning caught the early bus to the city.

By the time she arrived in the city, it was past breakfast time. After asking around for a bit, she found an herbal medicine shop.

After entering, she found the owner, not only selling the gathered medicinal herbs but also the ginseng. Afterwards, she bought some medicines from the shop.

After buying the medicine and since it was still early, Anning walked around the City, inquiring about the prices of goods and the housing market in the city.

Having gathered information, Anning then took the bus back to the county.

By the time she reached the county, it was already getting dark, so Anning hurriedly biked home.

Back home, Li Zhifang had already prepared dinner. Anning ate hastily and then told Li Zhifang, ”I didn’t go to the town to sell the medicine, but went to the City instead. The prices they offer there are higher than both the town and the county. I plan to sell the medicine in the City from now on.”

”Okay.”

Li Zhifang didn’t mind where Anning sold the medicine, as long as it brought in money.

Anning took out the money she earned from selling the medicine: ”I sold this much in total. I’m thinking of selling the rest of the herbs and using the money to get two sets of new clothes for everyone at home. I checked out the department store in the City, and the ready-to-wear clothes there are really nice. I plan to use the money to buy each of our three girls a beautiful outfit. The boys can just wear the clothes we make ourselves.”

Li Zhifang was especially pleased to hear this.

He had two daughters who were grown up, and if they were to buy clothes, it would definitely cost more than what Liu Yuzhen would spend.

Both Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan were also visibly happy.

After dinner, Anning did some more chores and waited until everyone was asleep before she started processing the herbs.

She had gathered all the necessary herbs today and ground them into powder that night. Early the next morning, while serving Li Zhifang’s breakfast, she added some of the powder to his bowl.

Li Zhifang did not notice anything wrong with his food; in fact, he found the porridge particularly tasty this morning and even had two large bowls of the spiked porridge.

Afterward, Anning went to the mountains to gather herbs every day and would sometimes bring back some rare items. This went on for a month or so, and Anning managed to save up a tidy sum of money.

She went to the City to sell the herbs and indeed bought clothes and shoes for the three girls.

Additionally, Anning also bought backpacks, notebooks, and pens, and sent Liu Qi, Liu Ming, Li Jingyu, and Li Jingyan to school.

When it was time for school, Anning had Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan wear the new clothes she bought for them and carry the new backpacks, as she led the four children to school.

This was breakfast time, and people from the village who had time to spare liked to eat on the streets, chatting and eating at the same time. This how various matters in the village were spread.

Anning walking by the street with the four children naturally drew attention.

Anning greeted everyone with a smile. When asked, she would say she was taking the children to school, emphasizing that it was important for them to get an education now that they were old enough, as the adults hadn’t had the same opportunity and were like blind people without education. She insisted that she couldn’t let her children suffer in the same way.

On hearing this, villagers agreed and said that Anning was right, children should go to school and get an education.

Some women who favored sons over daughters couldn’t help but advise when they saw Anning taking both daughters and sons to school: ”If you ask me, it makes sense for boys to study, what’s the use for girls? Eventually, they’ll marry into another family, and even if you provide them a university education, it won’t bring you any benefit.”

Anning wasn’t upset and replied with a smile: ”Regardless, I must let the children study. Whether it’s the boys or the girls, they need to go to school. I don’t ask for any benefits for myself; even if none of them take care of me in the future, as long as I have done my duty, it’s enough.”

Her genuine response made people feel that she was a truly good person, with a kind heart and a broad mind.

Some couldn’t help but sneer, and when they talked about it, they would curse the Wang family for their dirty minds and hearts, for not trusting Anning, a good person, and even maligning her.

They said that even if the Li family kids were being brought up by Old Wang’s family, they wouldn’t necessarily send the girls to school. They are the ones behaving badly, yet they blame the innocent.

Seeing Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan in new clothes, some joked with Anning: ”Why didn’t you buy new clothes for your own two as well?”

Some village aunts asked Li Jingyu, ”Jingyu, was it your Auntie or your grandma who bought these clothes for you?”

Everyone assumed that Anning had bought the clothes because it made no sense for her to buy clothes only for the Li family’s children and not for her own.

Li Jingyu, an honest child, replied to the inquiries, ”Aunt Geng bought them for us. The clothes were bought in the City; they were quite expensive.”

Everyone was taken aback, looking at Anning with incredulous eyes.

Anning smiled and said, ”I don’t have much money, so I only bought new clothes for the girls in our family. The boys wear clothes we make ourselves.”

After finishing speaking, Anning led the four kids to school.

Then, rumors about Anning treating the Li family’s children even better than her own spread throughout Li Jiazhuang.

Many people thought Anning was foolish; why would she let someone else’s children outshine her own biological ones? However, others said that Anning was being fair, treating her stepdaughters no less than her own.

Many young girls were especially envious of the Li sisters: despite having a stepmother, she was allowing them to go to school and get an education, whereas their own mothers weren’t.

Some with bad tempers even argued with their families, saying, ”Aren’t you my real mother? Why aren’t you as good as a stepmother? Li Jingyu’s stepmother bought her new clothes in the City and sends her to school, yet being my real mother, why don’t you let me go to school?”