The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

The result of the discussion between Su Liang and Yang Erchou was that after the New Year, they would first let Xiao Yuan and Anning get their marriage certificate, and once Anning got her college diploma, they would hold the wedding.

As for the bride price, neither set of parents would interfere; they would let Xiao Yuan and Anning work it out between themselves.

After all, whether it was the Yang family or the Su family, neither was as well-off as Xiao Yuan and Anning, especially the Su family— even if Su Liang emptied out everything he had, how much could he really come up with.

There was no other way; they could only let Xiao Yuan pay the bride price himself.

Xiao Yuan and Anning had no objections either.

Once things were settled, they cleared away the liquor and started eating.

Xiao Yuan and Anning didn’t stay long at home; once matters here were handled, the two of them went to the Provincial City.

Xiao Yuan mainly went to see Xiao Bai.

Xiao Bai was still learning his trade; he had heard a little about what was going on at home, but he wasn’t clear on the details.

Xiao Yuan came over because he wanted to talk to him.

Xiao Bai was following his master repairing cars; when he heard a classmate say someone outside was looking for him, he ran out without even changing his clothes.

When he ran out and saw it was his second brother, Xiao Bai broke into a smile. ”Second Brother, what are you doing in the Provincial City?”

Xiao Yuan smiled. ”Ask for some time off. Second Brother will take you out for a meal.”

”Okay.”

Xiao Bai agreed, went back to ask the teacher for leave, then changed into a clean set of clothes before coming over.

Xiao Yuan took Xiao Bai out of the school and found a restaurant nearby.

After ordering, Xiao Yuan told Xiao Bai to eat first.

At school, Xiao Bai couldn’t bear to spend money on good food; now that he had something tasty in front of him, of course he had to eat his fill.

He picked out the meat and ate quite a bit. Only then did he wipe his mouth and ask Xiao Yuan, ”Second Brother, what do you need?”

Xiao Yuan slowly told him the whole story of discovering the babies had been switched, him recognizing his biological parents, and cutting ties with the Xiao Family.

”Xiao Bai, I still mean what I said before—our brotherly bond isn’t broken. Your second brother is still your second brother. I came because I was afraid you’d hear about this from someone else and overthink it, so I wanted to explain it to you clearly.”

Xiao Bai felt really upset.

He had always been closest to his second brother since he was little; how did it suddenly become that his second brother wasn’t his second brother anymore.

”I... Second Brother, the money I’ve spent these two years learning the trade, I’ll pay it back to you. When I start making money in the future...”

Xiao Yuan waved his hand. ”What are you talking about? I’m your brother. You’re still young and can’t earn money yet; of course I should support you in your studies. If you keep talking like this, then don’t recognize me as your brother anymore.”

Only then did Xiao Bai drop the topic of paying him back.

Xiao Yuan went on, ”Don’t feel pressured. Just keep doing what you’re doing—study hard. When you’ve learned the skill well, your brother will pay for you to open a repair shop.”

”Mm.”

Xiao Bai nodded, thinking that he had to study hard, and once he made money in the future, he would definitely repay his second brother.

Xiao Yuan smiled and ruffled Xiao Bai’s hair. ”You’ll be graduating next year, right? When the time comes, come to the Capital to find Second Brother. I’ll take you around for a few days. Oh, and these few days you’d better take some time off and go home once. I left a house and a shop for the family back there, and we agreed each sibling gets one. You’re not at home, and I’m afraid Big Brother and Xiao Li will talk your parents into transferring your place to them.”

What Xiao Yuan said was very likely to happen.

After all, Xiao Bai was still young and had been staying in the Provincial City all along. Xiao Qun and He Fangfang were the soft-eared, muddle-headed type. Xiao Hei and Xiao Li were both married now; if the two of them started crying poor in front of them and making a big unreasonable scene, Xiao Qun just might really give Xiao Bai’s place to Xiao Hei and the others.

As for Xiao Qin and Xiao Xiu’s places, Xiao Yuan wasn’t worried. The properties for those two girls were still under Xiao Yuan’s name; he would wait until they came back and then take them directly to handle the transfer.

Seeing how serious Xiao Yuan was, Xiao Bai thought about it and understood what was going on.

”Okay, I’ll take leave tomorrow and go back, and get the transfer done as soon as I’m home.”

Xiao Yuan nodded in satisfaction; he didn’t stay long in the Provincial City and took the train back to the Capital with Anning that same night.

Hai City

Xiao Xiu ran out from her employer’s home, her eyes red from crying, and went to the central park to clear her head.

She was running fast and hadn’t expected to crash right into someone.

”I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

She hurriedly apologized.

The person looked Xiao Xiu up and down. ”You are... Your surname is Xiao, right?”

Xiao Xiu looked up and saw a fashionable young woman in her early twenties standing in front of her. Somehow, this woman’s features looked a lot like her own.

”And you are?”

The woman smiled and grabbed Xiao Xiu’s hand. ”Are you Xiao Xiu?”

Xiao Xiu nodded. ”I don’t think I know you, do I?”

”Of course you don’t know me.” The woman Xiao Xiu had run into was Xiao Xueqing.

She pulled Xiao Xiu to a place to sit and bought her a drink. ”I’m your second sister.”

Xiao Xueqing told Xiao Xiu the whole story of how the four families had mixed up the babies back then, and later how they each found their own children again. ”Your second brother is a child of the Su family, Su Yu from the Su family is the Yang family’s child, Yang Anzhen belongs to the Gu Family, and I am your biological second sister from the same parents.”

When Xiao Xiu heard this, and then thought about how much Xiao Xueqing’s features resembled hers, she suddenly felt a closeness toward Xiao Xueqing.

She figured Xiao Xueqing wouldn’t use something like this to lie to her anyway, since all she had to do was write a letter home and she could verify it.

”Second Sister.”

Xiao Xiu called out once.

After chatting with Xiao Xiu for quite a while longer, Xiao Xueqing finally asked her, ”What happened to you? I could see you’d just been crying. Did you run into some trouble?”

Having run into a blood relative, Xiao Xiu poured out all the grievances in her heart.

It turned out that when she came to Hai City looking for work, it hadn’t gone smoothly at first. Later, she ran into someone from her hometown who helped her find a job.

Xiao Xiu was working as a nanny in a rich merchant’s home in Hai City.

The family’s surname was Geng, and the household wasn’t complicated. Mr. Geng and Mrs. Geng were both locals of Hai City. They owned a factory and several buildings, and the couple had three daughters—there were only five people in total.

The Geng Family had had a nanny before, but she was getting on in years and her health wasn’t good, so Mrs. Geng wanted to hire a younger nanny to lend a hand.

And it just so happened that Mr. Geng, through an introduction, brought Xiao Xiu back.

Xiao Xiu was young and pretty. When she first arrived, she was sweet-tongued and quick at her work. Seeing how capable she was, Mrs. Geng decided to keep her on.

Who knew that after Xiao Xiu had been in the Geng Family for a while, Mrs. Geng would notice that Mr. Geng seemed interested in her. He often found excuses to chat with Xiao Xiu and from time to time would buy her little things.

This was something Mrs. Geng couldn’t stomach.

She started picking on Xiao Xiu and had even secretly cursed her a couple of times, calling her shameless and the like.

And by chance, those words had reached Xiao Xiu’s ears.

Xiao Xiu felt terribly wronged. This time, when Mrs. Geng started something again, she couldn’t take it and ran out crying.

After listening, Xiao Xueqing said angrily, ”How can she be like that? You don’t even have that kind of intention, so what gives her the right to treat you this way?”

Wiping her tears, Xiao Xiu said, ”Who told me to be poor and weak? I don’t dare leave the Geng Family. I don’t even know what else I can do. They pay well there, and the work isn’t hard. If I leave, what kind of job can I find?”

Xiao Xueqing snapped, ”You didn’t do anything and yet you’re being accused—might as well make it real. Instead of working yourself to death, you might as well really go with that Geng man. As long as you coax him properly, won’t the house, the car, and the money all be at your fingertips? And another thing: if you can really make him unable to live without you, then get him to divorce his Madam, and that’ll serve that old woman right.”

Hearing this, Xiao Xiu was so frightened she jumped. ”No, no, how could I do something like that? Besides, they’re a proper married couple, and they have three daughters.”

Hearing this, Xiao Xueqing understood that Xiao Xiu had been tempted.

After working in the Geng Family for this period of time, she should know they were rich. Xiao Xiu wasn’t the type who liked to endure hardship; she wanted a shortcut, wanted to get something for nothing, and in that case, being someone’s mistress was her only path.

”What are you afraid of? They’re three daughters, not three sons. From what I see, Mrs. Geng can’t give him a son. If you go with Mr. Geng and really give him a boy, won’t all the Geng Family’s assets be yours in the future?”