The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 908: Chapter 886: Top Student in the 1980s (Part 14)

All the way until she got home, Anning was pondering over things in her mind.

Once home, Zhang Heping had already prepared dinner.

Sure enough, it was the pork and cabbage dumplings that Anning had mentioned.

The moment Anning got home, he started cooking, and soon, the dumplings were ready.

Anning washed her hands and went to eat, and after dinner, she playfully asked Zhang Heping, ”Dad, do we have any photo albums? I want to see what you and mom looked like when you were young. Also, when can we take a family photo?”

Zhang Heping took Anning inside: ”We have photo albums, let me find them for you. Ah, my daughter thinks of everything; we ought to have a family photo taken. This Sunday, let’s go together and take some, and we’ll take a few extra for my daughter.”

Father and daughter went inside, where Zhang Heping retrieved a photo album from the dresser.

Anning accepted the album and flipped through it, finding several photos of Zhang Heping and Secretary An when they were young.

”This one was taken before we went to the front line; it wasn’t easy to take photos back then.”

”This was taken after going through the explanation; this one was taken when we were in the northeast, and this in...”

Zhang Heping pointed out each photo to Anning.

The photos were quite old but had been preserved very well.

There were photos of Zhang Heping and of Secretary An, many were of the two together.

Some were pictures of Secretary An at work; back then Secretary An looked around thirty years old, much younger than now.

She wore a collared shirt and suit pants, with short hair, looking particularly spirited.

Seeing these photos made Anning think how much Secretary An looked like Xiangling.

She covered Secretary An’s chin on the photo, looking only at the eyebrows, eyes, and nose, which were identical to Xiangling, just the mouth was a bit different.

Anning then looked at Zhang Heping, noticing Xiangling’s mouth and ears resembled his.

Zhang Heping had big ears that appeared somewhat thin, and the earlobes were not thick, Xiangling was the same.

Anning furrowed her brows, pondering in her mind.

”What’s up? What are you father and daughter looking at?”

Secretary An tidied up the kitchen and came over smiling.

Anning looked up and smiled at her: ”Looking at pictures, mom was so pretty when she was young.”

”Really?”

Secretary An smiled and sat down: ”Look at this picture, it was taken when mom was working in the northwest; I did look young back then.”

Anning lowered her head to look again: ”I think mom looked just like a lady I met in Tuliang Village earlier, especially the eyes and eyebrows, exactly alike, except that lady’s mouth and ears were like dad’s.”

Secretary An was about to turn the page for Anning but stopped at hearing this.

Zhang Heping also froze.

Anning seemed to casually say, ”I didn’t pay attention before. I happened to see her again at the school gate after class today, and the more I looked, the more familiar she seemed, but couldn’t recall why. Then when I looked at the album, she looked too much like mom during her younger days.”

Secretary An’s hand trembled a bit.

Zhang Heping took a deep breath: ”Ningning, what’s the name of this lady you mentioned?”

Secretary An eagerly leaned in: ”What’s her surname?”

Anning shook her head: ”We always called her Aunt Xiangling; I don’t really know her surname. But today she was talking to someone I know, they seemed to be relatives. I’ll inquire at school tomorrow and find out.”

Secretary An’s heart was pounding, about to leap out of her throat.

Zhang Heping felt a wave of worry and happiness in his heart.

”Then ask around tomorrow, really try to find out her surname, and what her parents are called.”

”Okay.”

Anning nodded obediently, then handed the album to Zhang Heping: ”Dad, keep it safe, I’m going to do my homework now.”

After Anning left, Secretary An collapsed into Zhang Heping’s arms: ”Old Zhang, do you think she might be our daughter?”

Zhang Heping took out a cigarette and took a couple of puffs.

He wasn’t a heavy smoker normally, but the emotional turmoil made him crave a cigarette now.

”I don’t know, let’s not get our hopes too high; haven’t we faced enough disappointment over the years?”

Secretary An nodded but had red eyes: ”I hope it’s her, hope it’s her, if I could see her again in my lifetime, I would wake up smiling from my dreams. I’m just afraid of dying without ever seeing our daughter’s face, not knowing if she’s alive or dead, or how she’s doing.”

Zhang Heping patted Secretary An’s shoulder: ”That won’t happen, no, the heavens won’t be that cruel to us. Look, now we have Ningning; Ningning is a lucky child. I heard when she was taken in by Zhang Fugui’s family, just two months later, Zhang Fugui’s wife got pregnant, maybe she could bring our daughter back too.”

”Yes, she certainly will bring her back to us.”

Secretary An sniffed: ”Thirty years have passed, longing for thirty years...”

Zhang Heping hugged Secretary An’s shoulder with one arm: ”Don’t think too much, let’s wait for Ningning to find out more, and even if... if we find our daughter, we shouldn’t neglect Ningning.”

Secretary An glanced at Zhang Heping: ”You don’t need to say that, that one’s my daughter, but Ningning is also my daughter, both are our daughters, how could I play favorites?”

Once Anning finished her homework, she read for a while before going to sleep.

When she got up in the morning, she saw that Secretary An and Zhang Heping had dark circles under their eyes, knowing they didn’t sleep well, perhaps tossing and turning all night.

While having breakfast, Anning spoke to Secretary An: ”Mom, I will definitely find out the details in the morning.”

Secretary An smiled, worried Anning might think too much: ”Ningning, you know that mom once had an older daughter, your sister, who we entrusted to villagers right after she was born. We later went back to search for her, but we couldn’t find the family anymore. Over all these years we’ve been searching, but without any news.”

Anning nodded: ”I know about that, Sister Hong Mei already told me, but I was afraid it might sadden you and didn’t dare mention it.”

Secretary An patted Anning’s head: ”Don’t be afraid, I’m your mom, there’s nothing you can’t speak to me about.”

She continued speaking to Anning: ”If we really find your sister, our family will finally reunite; mom and dad will have two daughters, and you will have a sister.”

Anning smiled: ”Yes, I hope to have a sister who cares for me too.”

If it were other young children, they might feel uncomfortable, uneasy, and perhaps afraid.

But not Anning.

Zhang Heping and Secretary An were good people; Anning always hoped they could find their biological daughter; she wasn’t afraid they would abandon her or mistreat her if they did.

Zhang Heping and Secretary An were not Zhang Fugui and Li Guilan; they were kind-hearted and wouldn’t treat Anning badly just because she wasn’t their biological child.

Then there was Xiangling.

In Anning’s memory, later on, Xiangling helped her continue her education; Xiangling had a tough life, losing two daughters, later being exploited by Zhang Erzhu’s family for life.

After Anning graduated from university, she had met Xiangling upon returning to the village; by then, Xiangling appeared old and weary. Anning was grateful and secretly gave her advice. Later, when she returned to work in the city, Xiangling found her way there, and Anning helped Xiangling find a job, ensuring she didn’t suffer to death under Zhang Erzhu’s family oppression.

Anning knew Xiangling was kind-hearted too, and if it were possible, she truly wished Xiangling was Secretary An’s biological daughter. If Xiangling recognized her family, her future days would be better.