The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Anning finished packing her things, and Xiao Yuan took out a basket he wove with willow branches from under the stone he was sitting on, containing a large bunch of wildflowers he had picked.

Xiao Yuan was skilled and had a good sense of beauty. The basket he wove was delicate and pretty. Although the flowers were wild, he arranged them carefully, making the bunch look quite lovely.

He handed the basket to Anning: ”Take it home later.”

He must have thought about this in advance.

Xiao Yuan understood Anning just as Anning understood him.

He knew Anning would definitely bring him food and clothes, so he wove the basket and picked the flowers in advance, to give Anning an excuse when she returned home.

Anning smiled as she took the basket.

She didn’t linger much longer. Although she was reluctant to leave Xiao Yuan, she still bid farewell.

As she left, Anning advised Xiao Yuan: ”If you feel staying in the village is unbearable, go out and see if there are any opportunities to earn money.”

Xiao Yuan responded with a ”Hmm”: ”Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”

Anning then took the flower basket and headed back.

Xiao Yuan watched her until she disappeared from sight, then got up and drove the sheep back.

He timed it well. When he returned home, there was no one there, and the courtyard gate was wide open.

The main reason was that the Xiao Family was poor, with nothing at home to steal, so no one would bother to come and steal.

Xiao Yuan drove the sheep into the pen, went inside to hide the things Anning gave him, then came out to find matches and salt, took the ribs Anning gave him, and went to a deserted place to grill and eat them.

It wasn’t that Xiao Yuan was unwilling to share the meat with his family; he just kept it secret because it was hard to explain.

He couldn’t possibly tell his family that the ribs were given by Anning, or else Xiao Qun and He Fangfang would be scared to death.

Yang Erchou’s family situation was well-known. Yang Erchou was recognized as wealthy in the village; he was skilled in carpentry, and in the early 1980s, he made furniture and windows for others. Later, he opened his own factory, and people even from neighboring towns ordered windows and doors from his place. Over the years, he also took on several apprentices, having both skilled people and money.

Moreover, his daughter was both pretty and studious. People in the village secretly gossiped that Anning, with her looks and character, would surely marry into a big city in the future.

If Xiao Yuan suddenly mentioned that Anning and he were dating, the Xiao Family would be terrified.

They feared Yang Erchou coming to the house to settle accounts with them.

This was why Xiao Yuan kept it a secret, as everyone in the village saw the two as not a good match.

After finishing the ribs, Xiao Yuan returned, just as He Fangfang came home to make lunch.

Without a word, Xiao Yuan went to start the fire.

Today, Xiao Hei agreed to meet the mute girl, so He Fangfang was happy and made noodles for lunch.

During the meal, Xiao Yuan said to Xiao Qun: ”Dad, staying home all the time isn’t ideal. Now there’s no work in the fields, and Xiao Qi can take care of the sheep. I plan to go to the county and find a job to earn some money.”

Xiao Qun thought for a moment: ”Alright, later I’ll give you US$ 10 for travel expenses. You’ll have to take care of your own meals and lodging when you get to the county.”

”I know,” Xiao Yuan replied.

Xiao Yuan put down his bowl and went inside.

Xiao Qin glanced inside: ”Dad, I also want to find work to earn money.”

”What can you do?”

Xiao Qun replied with irritation.

Xiao Qin had thought it through: ”I’ve heard people say there’s more money to be made in the Southern parts, and some factories pay three to four hundred a month for work. I’ve also heard some people work as maids in big cities, with meals and lodging provided by the employer, and get paid monthly. Though I can’t read, I can do household chores. At the very least, I can work as a maid.”

She looked at Xiao Qun eagerly: ”Dad, if we’re always stuck at home, when can we get ahead? Look at our situation, and then look at the lives of others in the village; everyone’s better off than us. We were young and couldn’t work outside before, but now we’re grown up, and we need to find a way to feed ourselves.”

Her words made sense.

Xiao Qun thought about it but still felt uneasy.

He then called out, ”Second, come out.”

Xiao Yuan replied and came out.

Xiao Qun pointed to Xiao Qin: ”Your sister wants to work as a maid. I’m worried about her going out alone. Since you’re heading to the county, take your sister with you and see if you can find some work for her there. We’ll see if she can work there for a while before moving to a big city.”

Xiao Qun was considering things.

His daughter had never really left the village except to go to the neighboring town. The child hadn’t seen much of the world and was very naive. If she suddenly went to a big city, who knows what could happen? His daughter was quite pretty, and without someone looking after her, she might end up encountering bad people and be deceived for life.

Xiao Yuan understood what Xiao Qun was worried about.

”Okay, I’ll take her with me when I leave and get settled in the county before considering going to the Provincial City.”

Anning, on the other hand, took the flower basket home and happened to meet Li Cuixia coming back to cook ribs for her. Li Cuixia saw the basket she was carrying and asked, ”Where did you get this basket?”

Anning replied with a smile: ”I was wandering around when I saw Xiao’s second son weaving a flower basket while tending sheep. I thought it was beautifully woven, so I exchanged some food for it.”

”It is quite well-made. I didn’t expect Xiao’s second son to have such a skill.”

Li Cuixia didn’t think much of it, opened the courtyard door, and went to the kitchen to cook the ribs.

Anning took the flower basket inside.

She put her things down, grabbed a book, and started reading.

She didn’t need to look at books related to math, physics, or chemistry, but she had to read literature as its content varied with different times and spaces.

Anning found her literature books and started flipping through them, from first to third year of high school, and reviewed the exams papers she had completed to look at the questions.

Before long, Anning noticed the rich aroma of meat.

She took a deep breath, opened the window, and shouted outside, ”Mom, the meat smells so good.”

”Make sure you eat plenty later,”

Li Cuixia replied with a smile.

Anning was about to step out to help Li Cuixia when she heard a noise outside their door.

”Erchou’s, Erchou’s! Hurry and check; your mother-in-law has fainted.”

Upon hearing this, Anning quickly went to the kitchen to tend to the pot, allowing Li Cuixia to check on Yang Dachou’s situation.

Even though Li Cuixia had conflicts with Ge San Ni and there were grudges between Yang Erchou’s family and Yang Dachou’s, the old lady was still elderly. Now that she was sick, it was necessary to go over and find out what was happening.

While washing her hands, Li Cuixia said to Anning, ”Keep an eye on the pot, don’t let the water boil dry. Keep cooking; after half an hour or so, add the potatoes, and when they’re soft, dish them out. If your dad and I haven’t returned, eat first.”

”I understand,”

Anning handed Li Cuixia a towel: ”Go and take a look; if it’s too much, call Dad.”

Li Cuixia smiled.

She knew Anning was worried she might suffer losses at the elder’s house.

”Your dad will surely head over soon.”

After hastily drying her hands, Li Cuixia rushed out.

Anning watched Li Cuixia leave, added some firewood to the stove, grabbed a book, and read while watching the fire beside the stove.