The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Anning pointed to the fertile fields in the distance: ”I plan to start by raising chickens and pigs, then get a machine for fermenting fertilizer. The manure from the chickens and pigs, along with some kitchen waste, can be turned into organic fertilizer to nourish the fields. Our family has seven members and a total of fourteen acres of land. I’ll start with these fourteen acres to grow greenhouse vegetables and gradually develop the entire Xiaxi Village into a vegetable village. Then, we can integrate the whole township into a greenhouse vegetable town. Once people have money, everyone can start growing organic vegetables, using technology to increase yields and cultivating new varieties.”

Xiao Yuan nodded with a smile: ”That’s a good idea.”

He then pointed to the nearby hills: ”I checked the county records. Previously, this area also used to grow tea leaves. We can try that as well.”

Anning hadn’t thought of this: ”Isn’t this the North? Can we grow it?”

”Yes,” Xiao Yuan nodded emphatically. ”If the ancients could grow it, why can’t we?”

This made sense. Anning was confident in her technique: ”Then let’s plant it.”

She thought of some fruits too: ”We can also grow fruits, taking it one step at a time and developing gradually.”

Xiao Yuan held Anning’s hand: ”The first thing we should do is define our relationship.”

Anning smiled gently, gripping Xiao Yuan’s hand tightly.

By this time, the sky had already darkened.

Anning glanced at the sky: ”I need to go back.”

”I’ll take you,” Xiao Yuan went to push his bicycle.

Anning waved her hand: ”No need, I’ll go back myself. Take it slow on your way.”

Xiao Yuan didn’t insist. He watched Anning walk away before riding his bike toward town.

When Anning reached the front of her house, she noticed the door of the Yang’s house across the street was open, with people coming and going.

”What’s happened with the Yang family?” Anning asked An Yi as soon as she entered.

An Yi glanced over at the Yang house: ”Yang Baolin got beaten up. He was just brought back, and they say he was beaten pretty badly.”

”Why did he get beaten?” Anning was curious: ”Did he say who did it?”

An Yi shook her head: ”No, he said someone blindfolded him and dragged him to a small grove to beat him. After the beating, they hung him up on a tree. If someone hadn’t happened to pass by, he might have been hanging there all night. Our dad and mom went over, so they’ll ask about it once they get back.”

”Is it serious?” Anning asked again.

An Yi said she didn’t know: ”We called a doctor, but it’s still not clear.”

Having asked, Anning lifted her foot to walk into the house.

An Yi followed her: ”Where did you go?”

Anning entered the house and began rummaging through boxes to find a book: ”Just wandered around the village. I checked out our family’s land and also took a look at our village pond. I’m thinking of renting the pond, and once we harvest the wheat, I plan not to plant corn and prepare the land to grow vegetables instead.”

”Grow, grow vegetables?”

An Yi exclaimed: ”Letting good land lie idle and planting vegetables instead of grains, have you gone mad?”

”You’re the one who’s mad,” Anning placed the book she found on the table. ”Do you know how expensive off-season vegetables are? Growing a season of vegetables is much more profitable than growing a season of grains. I plan for our family not to grow grains anymore and plant all vegetables instead in the fields.”

An Yi thought it over. In the deep winter, vegetables are indeed expensive, especially fresh ones. She remembered buying a few pounds of leeks for the New Year last year, costing over two yuan per pound. Tomatoes and cucumbers were even more expensive. If the family started growing vegetables...

An Yi calculated the accounts and was startled by the results.

”My God, it really makes money.”

”What are you doing?” Anning, organizing the room, asked.

”Do it,” An Yi slapped the table with force: ”If we have money, I wouldn’t bother sweet-talking those men. If I had money, I’d buy whatever I want to eat and wear whatever I want, it would be so wonderful.”

Anning realized that An Yi didn’t have to be a green tea best, but because the family was poor, this girl, being fond of beauty and good things, had no choice but to tread the indirect path, starting to use her looks to charm those men into buying for her.

If the family had money to provide everything An Yi wanted, then there would be no need for her to scrape money from those men.

The two sisters were just discussing how to get a loan and raise chickens when Pei Laoshi and Liu Dalian came back.

Pei Laoshi said as soon as he entered: ”Who do you think the Yang family offended, look at how badly Baolin was beaten, his face almost turned into a pig’s head.”

Liu Dalian kept sighing: ”Who knows, just looking makes my heart ache. After all, we’ve watched Baolin grow from a small kid to now. Beaten like this... I’ll buy some food and deliver it to him tomorrow.”

An Yi quietly asked Anning: ”Aren’t you going to visit?”

”What for?” Anning didn’t care.

”Weren’t you two...” An Yi made a gesture with her fingers: ”He got beaten, and you aren’t concerned?”

Anning sneered: ”We’re long over. He said our family’s reputation wasn’t good, and his parents didn’t agree. I said fine, and guess what he said? He said he’s like my brother, told me to find help from him if needed, and even offered to introduce me to his friends. Pah, does he think I don’t know what he’s up to? As if all the good things in the world panned out in his favor.”

Hearing this, An Yi was also angry.

”I thought he was good initially, but I didn’t expect him to be such a cowardly wimp. I really misjudged him.”

Anning chuckled: ”I guess my genuine feelings over the years have been fed to the dogs. Never mind, he’s not the only man in the world, and I can find someone better.”

”I’ll go see what mom and dad say about how badly he got beaten. It’ll be fun to listen,” An Yi wanted to join the excitement and ran out to talk to Liu Dalian.

Anning closed the door and laughed.

She knew who beat Yang Baolin; there was no one else but Xiao Yuan.

Anning didn’t expect that after so many lifetimes, Xiao Yuan still got so jealous. Upon hearing those unpleasant words from Yang Baolin, he even went so far as to put him in a sack and beat him. How childish of him.

Xiao Yuan returned home on his bike as Xiao Feng and the others came back from watching a movie.

”Where did you go?”

Xiao Lei asked as soon as he entered: ”We didn’t see you at the movie.”

Xiao Yuan smiled: ”Went to see someone about a relationship.”

Hearing this, Mrs. Xiao came over excitedly: ”Third is dating? Where is she from? When will you bring her home for us to meet?”

”I’ll ask her. If she agrees, I’ll bring her for you to meet,” Xiao Yuan poured himself a glass of water and drank it while asking Mr. Xiao: ”Dad, do we have a relative working at the credit cooperative?”

Mr. Xiao nodded: ”Your Aunt Zhenzhen’s son is assigned to the credit cooperative.”

”Is it the one from Tuping Village?” Xiao Yuan had some impression of this Aunt Zhenzhen.

”Yes, it’s their family.” Mr. Xiao, feeling thirsty, poured himself a glass of water and took a big gulp: ”Why ask about this?”

”I’m asking for a friend; he wants to take out a loan.” Xiao Yuan replied vaguely: ”Their family’s last name is Qian, right? I’ll go and see him tomorrow and ask.”