The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

”Unreasonable, unreasonable.”

Yang Lao Mao was being slapped around by the Old Madam, and his face was turning blue with anger: ”Let’s see if you can have a grand funeral after you pass away. Once you’re underground, how will you explain things to the ancestors of the Yang Family.”

The Old Madam chuckled, ”Pfft, your Yang Family’s ancestors, huh? Back then, your dad fled to Yangjiazhuang, and only settled down because he also had the last name Yang. Your dad doesn’t even know who your grandpa is, let alone your Yang Family ancestors. Do you even have ancestors?”

Li Cuixia pulled Anning inside, and the two of them laughed heartily in the room.

Yang Lao Mao feared nothing in his life, except when the Old Madam lashed out at him.

With that sharp tongue of hers, the Old Madam was unmatched in the village, and as far as verbal battles go, Yang Lao Mao was no match for her at all.

Just look at that, with a single sentence, the Old Madam left Yang Lao Mao feeling stifled.

”Even emperors of ancient times couldn’t pass their empires down for a thousand years. So many powerful figures’ descendants are now lost to history. What’s the point of you, an old farmer, going on about the Yang Family lineage all day? Can you guarantee that every generation of the Yangs will find wives and have sons to carry on the family line? Pfft, even if you have sons and grandsons, with your miserable state, what can you provide them? They’re just born to suffer with you.”

Yang Lao Mao was truly at a loss for words before the Old Madam.

He angrily said to Yang Erchou, ”Second son, your family has money. Fine. Now I want to buy something, so hand over some money.”

Yang Erchou looked troubled, ”Dad, why didn’t you say so earlier? I saw An Zhen buy a house, and I wanted to get some property as well, so I followed suit and bought a few houses. As a result, I’ve spent all our money, and even accrued debts. I don’t even know how I’ll get through the New Year. How about this, you talk to my big brother later; during New Year’s Eve, our whole family can come over, and let the elder sister-in-law prepare something nice.”

”Dream on.”

Yang Lao Mao said harshly.

Full of anger, he left Yang Erchou’s home, only to find Yang Dachou waiting for him outside.

As soon as he saw Yang Lao Mao, Yang Dachou hurriedly asked, ”Dad, what did the second son say?”

Yang Lao Mao felt powerless and waved his hand, ”The second son refuses to give any money, says he’s also spent it on houses. I suspect he’s doing it on purpose. He just can’t stand you having a son and deliberately doesn’t want Fugui to find a wife.”

Upon hearing this, Yang Dachou became both angry and resentful, ”How could he do that? I always said that Fugui would take care of him in his old age, but now he can forget about it.”

”Forget about him. He’ll realize his mistake when he’s old and can’t move.”

Yang Lao Mao waved his hand, ”By the way, hadn’t Fugui started dating someone again? How’s that going?”

Yang Dachou scratched his head, ”Who knows? He doesn’t say anything when asked. Isn’t that frustrating?”

Father and son couldn’t do anything about Yang Erchou, so they could only support each other back home with resentment.

Anning hadn’t been able to rest at home for a moment these past few days; there was always something happening. Additionally, a few girls she played with as a child came by to chat.

Anning couldn’t turn them away, even if she truly had nothing in common with them anymore.

So, Anning had to bring out sunflower seeds and candies to entertain them, all the while listening as they chatted about domestic trivialities.

These girls had all left school early, and talked of little else than who was settled with what kind of family, who would marry first, and whose future husband’s family had money.

As they talked, they asked Anning, ”Ningning, what kind of partner are you looking for? I heard there are plenty of rich people in the Capital; you should find a wealthy one with a house in the city. Ideally, his family runs a factory, and demand a large dowry...”

Anning nodded along in a daze.

To her, these topics were truly like lullabies.

Seeing Anning agreeing, the girls seemed quite pleased, and then they started talking about the Xiao Family.

There was one girl named Zhang Xiaomei who knew Xiao Hei’s wife, Wu Chunli.

Zhang Xiaomei didn’t hold a high opinion of Wu Chunli.

”You guys don’t know, but that Wu Chunli is no good.”

Zhang Xiaomei lowered her voice to her friends, ”The other year her family bought her some kind of hearing aid. After she started using it, she could hear some things, but having been mute for so long, she could hear but not speak. Ever since she could hear, she’s been causing trouble, taking advantage of small things all around the village, stealing onions from one family, taking a few eggs from another. When confronted with evidence, she just pretends to be deaf and mute—well, she is mute, right? There was one time she took some money from somebody’s house. When they traced it back to her, she just started crying, gesturing that they were bullying a mute. Everyone in her village knows what she’s like, and they stay away from her.”

Anning felt a bit of a headache coming on.

She couldn’t help but wonder what Xiao Yuan had done in his life to end up surrounded by such people.

If Wu Chunli married into the Xiao Family, it would certainly cause a stir.

Since Xiao Yuan and Xiao Hei were close brothers, this relationship was unbreakable, bringing a future full of worry.

In any case, by the afternoon, Anning’s head was filled with village gossip.

The next morning was the wedding day for Xiao Hei and Xiao Li. Prior, Xiao Qun had brought cigarettes to discuss with Yang Erchou about borrowing the Yang’s tractor for the wedding, as well as another tractor from another family in the village.

Before dawn, Anning heard fireworks, then heard Yang Erchou driving the tractor out.

Anning put on her clothes to take a look and returned to ask Li Cuixia, ”Did my dad dress warmly? We don’t want him to catch a cold.”

Li Cuixia waved her hand as she went to the kitchen, ”He won’t catch a cold; he’s wearing the down jacket you bought.”

Mentioning the down jacket reminded Anning of something.

She quickly ran back inside to fetch another particularly old-fashioned down jacket, ”Mom, I brought one for my grandpa, but I forgot to give it to him. What should I do?”

Li Cuixia couldn’t help but laugh, ”If you forgot, then you forgot. Just bring it to him when you visit for the New Year, and say it was meant as a surprise.”

That was the only thing to do.

Anning put the clothes away and helped Li Cuixia with cooking.

Before the fire was even lit, they heard a voice outside, ”Auntie, are you home?”

Anning quickly opened the door, spotting Xiao Qin outside, ”Qinzi’s here, come in and sit down.”

Li Cuixia also came out from the kitchen, ”Is that Qinzi? What brings you here? Need to borrow something?”

Xiao Qin didn’t sit down, ”I just came to check on you, and to let you know that our house is starting up the fire later, so don’t bother cooking in the morning. Just come eat with us.”

”That works.”

Li Cuixia agreed without hesitation.

Actually, this is also a tradition in Yangjiazhuang. Whenever a family hosts a wedding, they provide meals for those who come to help from early in the morning. Today, with Yang Erchou driving the tractor for the Xiao Family, they were expected to provide the meal.

But if the Xiao Family hadn’t come to say anything, Li Cuixia didn’t plan on going over to eat.

However, Xiao Qin made a special trip to inform them, so it would have been rude for Li Cuixia not to go.

After Xiao Qin left, Li Cuixia told Anning, ”Qinzi’s a good person, just has bad luck, getting stuck with a family like that.”