The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 958: Chapter 935: Glory Amid Chaos (Part 3)

If it were the original persona, they would probably be blushing with shame from what the Old Madam said, and their heart would surely feel even worse.

Anning’s heart remained calm without a ripple, and she didn’t argue with the Old Madam: ”I understand, I will definitely go back and serve the Third Young Master well.”

The Old Madam smiled and pointed to a girl next to her wearing a willow green dress with a voluptuous figure: ”This is Cuiyu, I specially left her for Third. You take her back to serve Third.”

Anning sized up Cuiyu for a few moments and responded with a smile: ”Alright.”

In just a few days, the mansion here would be thoroughly searched, and by then, these maidservants might be sold off somewhere. Anning certainly wouldn’t argue with the Old Madam at this time.

At this moment, what she sought was stability.

She called Cuiyu over and inspected her for a while: ”The Old Madam really has a keen eye for selecting people. Just look at the maidservant groomed to look like a water lily, she looks so radiant.”

This made the Old Madam laugh.

Anning seized this moment to speak to the Old Madam: ”There’s one more thing I would like to request your guidance on.”

”Go ahead.”

The Old Madam replied lazily.

Anning said with a smile: ”You see, the Third Young Master is still ill now, so I was thinking of nourishing him well. I’ve been thinking about cooking our branch’s meals myself for a few days, and the small kitchen next to our Yuanxiang Courtyard in Qiuli Courtyard hasn’t been used for a long time. Why don’t you let me clean it up and use it.”

Anning smiled even more sweetly as she said: ”The Old Madam always dotes on our Third Young Master, treating me like her own daughter. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn’t dare make such a request, but I know you cherish us, not just for a small kitchen but even if it were gold or silver, it would surely be for the use of our Third Young Master. So I’ve gathered the courage to speak to you.”

The Old Madam was taken aback, and a surge of anger arose in her heart.

Anning wasn’t just asking to use the small kitchen, she was also requesting silver to buy things.

Moreover, she was making digs with her words, emphasizing how much the Old Madam cherished the third branch. It would be difficult for the Old Madam to refuse.

Additionally, Anning had happily accepted Cuiyu. If the Old Madam refused, who knows what incidents Anning might stir up later.

The Old Madam sighed inwardly, muttering about short-sightedness, then instructed the maid beside her: ”Hongyu, go fetch fifty taels of silver for the Third Madam.”

Hongyu went off with a smile, and soon returned with a box.

Anning took it and opened it to see ten ingots of silver inside, each weighing five taels, made of snowflake silver: ”You do say you care for our third branch. Look at this, I only asked to use the small kitchen, and you’ve given us silver. Indeed... in the future, our third branch will definitely give filial respect to you.”

Anning took the silver and left with Cuiyu.

When she left, she still wore a smile on her face.

Just now, Anning estimated the silver not because of short-sightedness; she wasn’t the type to care about just thirty or fifty taels of silver. If she wanted to make money, she had many ways.

What she wanted was to find out where the Old Madam kept her silver, and where important items were stored.

Anning returned to Yuanxiang Courtyard with Cuiyu and pointed to a small adjoining courtyard: ”Cuiyu, find someone to clean out a room there to live in. Now the Third Young Master is ill, and I don’t have the energy to settle you down. Once the Third Young Master gets better and I’ve spoken to him about you, I’ll find you a suitable room.”

Cuiyu bowed: ”Understood.”

She knew well enough why she was here and wouldn’t dispute short-term arrangements with Anning, she could endure these grievances.

Cuiyu was thinking about the future.

She planned to wait until the Third Young Master recovered and she could serve him before striving for what ought to be hers.

Anning sent Cuiyu off and entered the main room.

When she entered, Xiao Yuanzheng was chatting with several children, and upon seeing Anning come in, Xiao Yuan smiled: ”You’re back, how were things at the Old Madam’s place?”

”The Old Madam is doing quite well.”

Anning placed the box away and went over to embrace Xiao Yin: ”The Old Madam asks you to recuperate well, there’s not much else.”

”Making the Old Madam worry.”

Xiao Yuan said a sentence, and then continued talking to the children.

Come evening, Anning got up to seek Lady Ping, who was also the First Madam Mrs. Zhao.

She went over and directly told Mrs. Zhao that she would be using Qiuli Courtyard’s small kitchen for the next few days, hoping to take some rice, grain, and vegetables from the main kitchen.

Mrs. Zhao was somewhat reluctant, but since even the Old Madam had agreed, Mrs. Zhao wouldn’t make matters difficult for Anning over such a small thing.

Thus, Mrs. Zhao sent someone to fetch some supplies from the main kitchen and delivered them to Qiuli Courtyard, also dispatching several rough-serving servants to clean the small kitchen over there.

Once the supplies were delivered, Anning, along with two maidservants, started cooking.

Since it was dinner, Anning wouldn’t make anything greasy.

She made home-cooked meals, boiled some porridge, steamed some buns, and then stir-fried several dishes.

Once the meal was ready, Anning invited Xiao Ying and the five others to eat in the main room.

She instructed the maidservants to serve the meal in the main room, where she noticed the children already gathered around the table waiting.

Anning smiled and told them to set the table.

Xiao Ying, looking at the steaming food laid on the table, couldn’t help but have her stomach rumble.

Xiao Fu said softly: ”After all these years, we’re finally having a hot meal today.”

As soon as these words were uttered, Anning’s heart stung with pain, her eyes reddened, and she almost shed tears.

The third branch wasn’t favored, the children’s food and usage were always secondary. When food was sent from the kitchen, it wasn’t actually hot anymore, just lukewarm, and in all these years, the children hadn’t truly eaten a meal as steaming hot as this.

”Go ahead and eat.”

Xiao Yuan picked up his chopsticks and gave a signal.

Anning served Xiao Yin a bowl of rice and placed it in front of her, handing her a spoon: ”Yin’er, eat by yourself.”

Xiao Yin responded with a smile.

Xiao Yin took the little spoon and scooped some porridge into her mouth, and upon tasting, she almost screamed.

This porridge was simply too delicious, too extraordinarily delicious. Xiao Yin hadn’t tasted such a delicacy in her two lifetimes.

She felt like the meals she had eaten all those years before were in vain.

Not only Xiao Yin, but all the children who tasted the porridge began to wolf it down.

Anning laughed as she picked dishes for the children.

Xiao Yuan divided the minced meat egg custard placed in the middle of the table amongst the children: ”Eat slowly, don’t rush, don’t choke. If you want more in the future, have your mother make it for you.”

This meal was eaten joyfully by the whole family.

After the meal, Anning reminded the children: ”When you go out, none of you are allowed to say that the food your mother cooks is delicious, do you understand?”

Growing up in Duke Mansion, with so many people in the house, the children had actually become quite shrewd, each having their little schemes.

The children quickly understood why Anning gave such a reminder, and all assured that they would never carelessly speak of it outside.

Anning’s cooked dishes were all finished, not a morsel left for the whole family, and the maidservants were instructed to clean up the table before she told the children to go to bed.

Only then did Anning rest with Xiao Yuan.