The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Xiao Bai actually doesn’t really want to stay at home either.

Primarily because the Xiao Family doesn’t have a great reputation in the village, and on top of that, the family is poor. Staying at home, he doesn’t even have enough to eat. He’s thinking of going out sooner, finding some work to do, and at least earning enough to fill his stomach.

”Second Brother, can I really learn to repair cars?”

Xiao Yuan nodded: ”You’re better than us, you’ve at least attended school, and you can recognize most of the words. I remember your math was pretty good, which means you’re smart. You should be able to pick up car repair skills quickly.”

Xiao Bai was quite pleased: ”I’ll listen to you, Second Brother. When can I go to learn?”

Xiao Yuan thought about it. If Xiao Bai really wanted to learn a skill seriously, the county was probably not the place. There weren’t many people in the county who could repair cars, and besides, they had no ties, so why would they teach Xiao Bai their craft?

He had spent some time in the Provincial City, and he knew a lot about it.

He also knew that a technical school had been established a couple of years ago in the Provincial City, and it was said that the teachers there were quite diligent and responsible. Xiao Yuan considered it might be worth spending money to send Xiao Bai to study for a few years. After learning the skills, he would fund Xiao Bai to open a car repair shop.

By learning a skill in the Provincial City, Xiao Bai could not only acquire real skills but also gain some experience in the city, which was better than being stuck at home.

If he brought Xiao Bai out, it would show that he wasn’t an uncaring and heartless person towards his relatives. Even if anything were to happen in the future, people in the village wouldn’t say anything about it. At most, they would say that the rest of the Xiao Family wasn’t capable. Otherwise, why would he only bring Xiao Bai and not the others?

Having made up his mind, Xiao Yuan patted Xiao Bai’s shoulder: ”This is a plan between us brothers. Don’t tell Dad and the others. This has to be kept secret. After the New Year, I’ll take you to the Provincial City to find a school to learn some skills.”

Xiao Bai knew his Second Brother meant well for him and quickly nodded in agreement: ”Sure, I’ll definitely keep it a secret.”

The two brothers had just finished talking when they heard footsteps approaching. Xiao Li came over cheerfully.

”Second Brother, Xiao Bai, what are you two talking about?”

Xiao Yuan smiled: ”Just talking about nothing much. Xiao Bai wants to venture out, so he was just discussing it with me.”

Xiao Li lit a cigarette from who knows where and took a couple of puffs: ”Venture out for what? There’s so much hardship out there, in unfamiliar places, and no one to help if you get bullied. I say it’s better to stay at home. Even though you can’t earn much money, there’s plenty of land here. Our family has over two acres per person, and you can at least grow something to avoid hunger. If you feel like you don’t have pocket money, you can do some odd jobs in the county. Staying at home is so much better.”

Speaking of this, Xiao Li seemed quite smug.

He lowered his voice and said to Xiao Yuan: ”Second Brother, do you think Big Brother is foolish to take a fancy to that mute? What can that mute bring? Can’t even speak, can’t do any work, and after marrying her, he’ll still have to look after a mute every day. Thinking about it is exhausting. Look at my wife, she has a proper job. Although she’s missing a hand, it’s the left hand, it doesn’t affect anything. She can do all the house chores and even earns a salary. Marrying her definitely makes life better, certainly better than marrying a mute.”

Xiao Yuan said softly: ”Each to their own ambition.”

He called Xiao Bai and turned to enter the house.

Xiao Li finished smoking a cigarette outside before going back inside.

Yang Family

Yang Erchou got drunk.

Anning and Li Cuixia helped him into the house. When they came out, Yang Anzhen was tidying up the dishes.

Anning quickly went over: ”Sister, you should sit down, I’ll tidy up.”

The Old Madam also said: ”I told you to sit peacefully, but you wouldn’t listen.”

Yang Anzhen smiled and put down the dishes to take a seat.

Anning put away the leftover dishes and took the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen to wash.

When she finished washing and came over, Yang Anzhen leaned over to talk to her.

”Ningning, I don’t want to work at the factory anymore.”

Coincidentally, Li Cuixia heard this, and her eyebrows shot up: ”What are you up to again, not wanting to work anymore? Your factory is so good, you...”

The Old Madam also said: ”Yes, others can’t even get in if they want to.”

Instead, Anning nodded: ”If you don’t want to do it, you should start planning for a backup.”

When Anning spoke, Li Cuixia and the Old Madam didn’t say anything more.

Anning smiled at the Old Madam: ”Grandma, Mom, my sister has thought it through thoroughly. I was also planning to come back and talk to her about it, letting her and brother-in-law plan for one person to step back. Didn’t expect my sister to be so smart, she thought of this already.”

The Old Madam and Li Cuixia didn’t know what Anning meant by this.

Anning explained: ”My sister’s factory isn’t doing well. In a couple of years, it might shut down. By then, what can she do if she’s laid off? It’s better to take advantage of the factory’s funding to buy out her working years and use the money to plan something.”

”What should I do then?”

Yang Anzhen truly didn’t know what to do now.

Anning pondered for a moment: ”Sister, you should learn computing.”

”What?”

Yang Anzhen was a little stunned: ”Can I really learn it?”

Anning smiled and said, ”How come you can’t learn? You’re so smart; there’s nothing you can’t learn. You were always first or second in your grade during exams in junior high. You felt that high school was too tiring and wanted to earn money sooner, so you chose to study at a vocational school. You’re not less capable than others. If they can learn, can’t you learn too?”

That’s true.

Yang Anzhen nodded, ”What can I do with learning computers?”

Anning pondered while saying, ”I think computers will be a major field in the future. You can learn typing and graphic design, master the basics, and then you can open a print shop or something when you come back. Right now, there’s no one doing that in our county. If you open one, you’ll definitely make money, at least for a decade, and then you can use the money to buy a house or a shop, and wait to collect rent, ensuring you have enough money to spend.”

Anning’s words made Yang Anzhen’s eyes light up, ”Don’t say that, your plan is actually pretty good.”

She whispered to Anning, ”There’s something else: our factory has built a residential community and some street-facing properties. The factory workers can buy them, but the prices are a bit high. My brother-in-law and I are still undecided. What do you think, should we buy it?”

”Where are the street-facing properties located?”

Anning asked.

Yang Anzhen mentioned a place, ”It’s quite remote, and my brother-in-law and I are unsure.”

Upon hearing the location, Anning immediately said, ”If you have money, buy it quickly, buy two more rooms if possible. If you don’t have enough money, I can lend you some, or you can borrow some from dad.”

”Can that place work?”

Yang Anzhen listened to Anning and knew Anning thought the place was good.

”It can work.”

Anning nodded emphatically.

The place Yang Anzhen mentioned is truly good. It’s not obvious now, but in two or three years, the bus station will be relocated there. By then, the street-facing properties will be valuable. Another five or six years later, after 2000, the rent for that place will be quite high, and having several rooms will ensure the Yang Family can live comfortably just from collecting rent.

Moreover, the residential community built by Yang Anzhen’s factory is in a good location. Next year or the year after, the county will build a new employee school there. The school will be very large, with elementary, junior high, and high school all included. After 2000, due to its high teaching quality, it will become a key school in the county, with many families hoping to get their children enrolled.

Yang Anzhen’s factory’s residential community will be included in the school district because of its proximity to the school, making the houses there school district properties.

Additionally, this should be the last batch of houses built by the factory, and the houses are really well-constructed, with a small courtyard for each, though they aren’t large, they are all two-story, resembling small villas, although the price isn’t cheap.

”Sis, although your family has split, you don’t have a house yet. You and brother-in-law are still cramped in the employee dormitory. You two might manage, but can my little nephew manage? I say, hurry and buy a house while the factory is offering these buying options, even if it means making ends meet. Living in your own courtyard home is much more comfortable.”

Anning’s words moved Yang Anzhen.

But she thought about the price of the house and felt hesitant.

Anning asked her, ”How much is it?”

Yang Anzhen gestured, ”Fifteen thousand yuan for a house in the residential community. Not many people in our factory dare to buy it. The street houses are also expensive, they’re all two-story, and two rooms will cost more than thirty thousand. Where can we get that much money?”

Anning calculated, if two street-facing rooms cost over thirty thousand, then six rooms would be around one hundred thousand, plus the residential community for twelve thousand can definitely be purchased.

”I will lend you.”

She generously offered, ”I’ll send you the money from school; you and brother-in-law go to the factory and pay the deposit first and secure the slots.”

”You, you...”

Yang Anzhen was startled.

Li Cuixia and Old Madam were also startled.

”Oh my, where did you get so much money?”

To Old Madam, ten thousand yuan is astronomical, something she wouldn’t even dare to imagine.

Li Cuixia couldn’t imagine either.

She and Yang Erchou had worked hard for so many years to earn around one hundred thousand yuan, but Anning, having just started school, dared to say she would lend her sister tens of thousands.

”I earned it from translating books.”

Anning didn’t actually have that much money, but Xiao Yuan did.

Xiao Yuan made quite a lot during his trip to Hai City, and tens of thousands is a small matter to him now.

”Wow, my Ningning is indeed capable.”

Old Madam instantly became happy.

Yang Anzhen was no longer worried.

She had gained confidence.

”Since you dare to lend it to me, I dare to buy it. After all, you’re my sister; I don’t need to rush to repay you. I’ll repay it slowly, and eventually, it will be repaid.”