The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Li Cuixia was just eating ribs when Yang Dachou and Wang Shushu came in.

Wang Shushu’s eyes went red the moment she saw the ribs.

”Aiya, just right, we haven’t eaten yet either, let’s all have some together.”

Anning neatly packed up the lunchbox and put it into the cabinet: ”Uncle, Auntie, how come you haven’t eaten yet? I got here earlier than you and I’ve already eaten. Oh right, what’s left is for my dad. He’s been busy getting Grandma admitted and paying the fees, he hasn’t even had a sip of water yet.”

”You child.”

Wang Shushu’s face fell: ”Why are you so stingy, just like your dad.”

What Wang Shushu said made Li Cuixia unhappy: ”Sister-in-law, you can’t say it like that. Our Ningning is being filial, she’s thinking about how her dad hasn’t eaten yet.”

Anning smiled: ”Yeah, I am stingy, not as generous as you, Auntie. If Uncle and Auntie want ribs, that’s not impossible either. You go to the restaurant first and buy a meal for my dad, and when you come back I’ll share some ribs with you.”

Li Cuixia added, ”Right, if you’re buying, bring a portion for Mom too.”

Yang Dachou tugged on Wang Shushu: ”We’re just joking, we already ate at home, we ate.”

Ge San Ni lay on the bed, listening to the younger generation going back and forth exposing each other’s faults. Not a single one of them was thinking of her, and she felt really bitter inside.

She watched Anning, who knew she was ill and still rushed to the hospital to see her. Whether it was to deliver food or whatever, at least she’d come. But those two grandsons she doted on most, who knew where they were. That just made her even sadder.

”Where are Fuyu and Fugui?”

Ge San Ni asked Wang Shushu.

Wang Shushu walked forward a few steps: ”Fu Yu’s wife is pregnant, he’s at home looking after her. Fugui’s gone out to find work, I guess. After all, getting married costs money—if he doesn’t earn, what’s he going to do?”

Ge San Ni fell silent.

She practically wanted to shut down.

Yang Erchou rushed in, carrying a boxed meal, anxious and flustered.

He didn’t even bother wiping his sweat, and said to Ge San Ni, ”Mom, I bought you food. Do you want to eat now or wait a bit? Oh, do you need the toilet? If you do, just say so...”

He turned his head and only then saw Yang Dachou and Wang Shushu: ”Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you’re here.”

Yang Dachou nodded with a stiff face.

Wang Shushu, however, was staring at the lunchbox in Yang Erchou’s hand: ”Second, what good stuff did you buy Mom?”

Seeing the way Wang Shushu looked, Anning also felt it was an eyesore.

She tugged on Li Cuixia’s sleeve: ”Mom, Uncle and Auntie are here, so I’ll head back first. Tomorrow I can take a shift for you, then you both can go home and get some rest too.”

”No need, we’ve got enough people here. In a bit let your uncle and auntie stay and watch her; your dad and I will go back first, and tomorrow we’ll come over to switch.”

Right then and there, Li Cuixia decided who would be doing the caregiving today.

Yang Erchou grunted in agreement: ”Then we’ll have to trouble Big Brother and Sister-in-law today.”

What else could Yang Dachou and Wang Shushu say? They could only smile repeatedly: ”What trouble, it’s fine. If you’ve got things to do, hurry on back. We’ll stay today, you come over tomorrow to switch.”

Anning quickly took out that box of ribs: ”Dad, Mom, let’s go home.”

Yang Erchou thought about it. The fees were paid, the food was bought, and there really wasn’t much else to do here, so after saying a few words to Ge San Ni, he took his wife and daughter home.

On the way back, Yang Erchou pulled the cart, had Li Cuixia sit in it, and Anning rode her bike alongside them keeping them company. The three of them went home chatting and laughing.

Once they got home, Yang Erchou quickly returned the borrowed cart, and when he came back, Anning hurried to serve him rice.

While Yang Erchou was eating, Anning brought over a bowl of cooled mung bean soup.

After waiting for Yang Erchou to finish his meal, Li Cuixia shooed Anning back to her room to study.

Once Anning left, Li Cuixia asked Yang Erchou, ”What’s going on with the Eldest’s side? I seemed to hear that Fugui’s match wants to break it off?”

Yang Erchou chuckled: ”What else could it be? They’re just coming over to make a fuss about Fugui’s marriage. Fine, they can make trouble, but I can make trouble too. I already found people to spread some words over at Fugui’s fiancée’s place. I found a few busybodies in town to gossip in her village, saying that the Eldest’s family favors sons over daughters. If Fugui gets married and they have a boy, anything goes, but if it’s a girl, they’ll probably divorce. They also said the Eldest originally planned to have Fugui and his fiancée not register the marriage, just hold a banquet in the village, then wait until the baby is born to see what it is. If it’s a boy, they’ll go register the marriage; if it’s a girl, they don’t even need to go through with the marriage, just throw the woman out. So, once her family heard that, they quietly asked around and found out our parents really do favor boys. Their family’s not happy about it anymore.”

Speaking of this, Yang Erchou proudly took a sip of Water: ”Besides Fugui’s fiancée’s family, I also had people say some things in front of Fu Yu’s wife, and Fu Yu’s wife is fighting with the Eldest too.”

”What’s Fu Yu’s wife kicking up a fuss about?”

Li Cuixia just couldn’t figure it out.

Yang Erchou took another sip of Water: ”What else? The bride price, of course. Fugui’s fiancée is asking for a big bride price, but when Fu Yu’s wife married in, what she got wasn’t much at all. She thinks it’s unfair and is demanding the Eldest make up her bride price; otherwise, she says she won’t have the baby.”

”You can do that?”

Li Cuixia was truly seeing the world: ”Our parents keep saying having sons is good, having sons is good, but look at what’s so good about it. Never mind anything else, just these two daughters-in-law are enough to torment the Eldest half to death.”

Anning sat in her room, vaguely hearing what Yang Erchou and Li Cuixia were talking about. She lowered her head and smiled, took out a book and read for a while. When her eyes started to feel strained, she got up and looked out of the window. Just like that, the whole afternoon passed.

The next day, Yang Erchou and Li Cuixia went to the hospital to look after Ge San Ni.

Yang Erchou was worried about Ge San Ni’s breakfast, so he and Li Cuixia left especially early.

They had barely gone when Xiao Yuan came over.

Anning heard movement at the door and rushed out to open it.

As soon as the door opened, Xiao Yuan slipped inside.

Anning couldn’t help laughing: ”What, are you a thief or something?”

Xiao Yuan laughed too: ”Mm, a rapist.”

Anning turned and went into the kitchen, and in no time at all she brought out a plate of stir-fried pork, two big white steamed buns, and a bowl of tomato and egg soup.

Xiao Yuan sat down and ate. After he’d had his fill, he said to Anning, ”I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Anning went back to her room to get money.

Xiao Yuan called her back: ”Don’t take money.”

Anning was a little worried: ”What are you going to do if you don’t have money on you? They all say poor at home, rich on the road—if you’re out there with no money, you’ll be really miserable.”

Xiao Yuan pulled Anning down to sit: ”It’s fine, I’m a grown man, I’ll manage. Besides, we’ve been through worse than this already, what’s this count as?”

”So how are you planning to make money?”

Anning asked.

Xiao Yuan had already thought it through: ”This time my little sister is coming out with me, so a lot of ways to make money can’t be used. I’m thinking of doing day labor first, and take the chance to save some money. Once I’ve got a bit, I’ll find a way to buy some goods to sell for profit. You’re definitely going to study in the Capital, so I’m thinking I’ll go to the Capital and put together a renovation crew, start by doing renovation jobs, and when the time is right, I’ll go into real estate.”

Anning mulled it over. Xiao Yuan’s current body had no diploma and no education. If he wanted to make money, he could only start out as a small contractor.

”Alright then.”

She smiled: ”As long as you’ve thought it through. It’s just, if you want to do real estate, shouldn’t you start from the Provincial City first? It won’t be easy in the Capital; the Water there runs deeper than anywhere else.”

Xiao Yuan waved his hand: ”It’s fine, that can’t stump me. Don’t worry, once the business is up and running, I’m planning to go into finance too.”

Since Xiao Yuan had it all planned out, Anning didn’t say anything more: ”Then be careful on the road. Once you arrive, write me a letter and send it to my school.”