The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

When Anning entered the room, Xiao Yuan was just pouring hot tea for Yang Laoer.

”Old Yang, just say what you have on your mind.”

Pei Laoshi sat opposite Yang Laoer, speaking in a somewhat deep voice, and sneezed while talking: ”We’re not outsiders here, nothing can’t be said.”

Anning smiled as she walked over: ”Dad, I’ve told you not to be stubborn, but you didn’t listen. Now look, you’ve caught a cold. Hurry up and drink the medicine and go lie down on the bed, maybe you’ll be better by tomorrow.”

After speaking to Pei Laoshi, Anning pretended to just notice Yang Laoer: ”Uncle Yang, why did you come by? You didn’t even say anything when you arrived quietly, I didn’t know at all. Since you’re here, stay and have dinner at home, I’ll have my mother cook a couple of dishes, and let my brother-in-law and Xiao Yuan drink with you.”

Yang Laoer quickly said: ”No, no, don’t bother, I just came to ask something.”

Anning laughed: ”What is it?”

Yang Laoer really seemed quite embarrassed.

”Just, just...”

The more he spoke, the softer his voice became.

Pei Laoshi frowned urgently: ”What is it that you can’t say?”

Yang Laoer gritted his teeth: ”The vegetables in my greenhouse aren’t bearing fruit, I just wanted to come over and ask what’s going on.”

Pei Laoshi was even more anxious upon hearing that: ”Not bearing fruit? That’s impossible, my vegetables are producing plenty. Our plots are close, the same soil, the same water, why aren’t yours bearing fruit?”

”Who knows.” Yang Laoer sighed: ”I put all my savings into growing these few acres of vegetables, if I lose this, how will life go on? Old Pei, think it over for me and figure out what’s going on.”

Anning also looked anxious upon hearing this: ”Uncle Yang, why didn’t you say earlier? If they aren’t bearing fruit, you should have asked sooner. Really, isn’t this delaying things? Come on, don’t sit around, let’s quickly go to your field and take a look.”

Yang Laoer was momentarily stunned.

”Why are you still dazed? Quickly let Anning go with you to have a look.”

Pei Laoshi hurried Yang Laoer.

Anning had already gone inside to fetch a military coat and draped it over herself, she also grabbed a flashlight: ”Uncle Yang, let’s go quickly.”

”Okay, sure.” Yang Laoer felt awkward inside, and also a bit ashamed.

He actually knew very well that his family hadn’t thought much of the Pei family, seeing them as shameless, especially Third and Pei Yu, they often bad-mouthed them behind their backs. The entire family never said a good word about the Pei family.

He also knew about the situation between Yang Baolin and Anning, knew the two kids were in a relationship, but when Sun Jinhua opposed, he didn’t say anything.

He just felt that having his child marry the Pei family’s daughter was too embarrassing.

In many matters, what the Yang family did was really unfair to the Pei family.

Today he came over, prepared mentally to be ignored or insulted by the Pei family.

However, he didn’t expect that after coming over, not a single person from the Pei family said anything unpleasant, Anning was still as enthusiastic as ever, not only not showing a cold face because of the issue with Yang Baolin, but even eagerly arranging to go to the field with him to check the vegetables.

From the Pei house to the field, Yang Laoer felt quite upset inside.

Arriving at the field, Anning went into the greenhouse to check the vegetables, Yang Laoer quickly followed her in.

Anning looked for a while, then came out with Yang Laoer.

Walking back, Anning sighed: ”Uncle Yang, I don’t mean to criticize, our families have been neighbors for years, though there have been spats, there’s no deep-seated hatred. When there’s a problem, why don’t you speak up? As they say, distant relatives aren’t as good as close neighbors, it’s very true. Remember, when we were kids, we often ate at your place, and Baotian and the others would often come to my place to play. Whenever there was an issue, both families would lend a hand. If there’s an illness or disaster, distant relatives can’t come in time, you need the neighbors’ help. That’s the kind of relationship we have. You say...”

Anning sighed again: ”If you’d said something earlier, these vegetables could’ve been saved, but now it’s too late.”

”What’s the problem?”

Yang Laoer still seemed confused.

Anning said seriously: ”Greenhouse vegetables are different from those grown in spring and summer. In spring and summer, there are bees for pollination, flowers bloom and fruit follows. But greenhouse vegetables are different, without bees or butterflies in the greenhouse, flowers can’t be pollinated, how can they bear fruit? If you’d mentioned it sooner, we could’ve helped with pollination even if the fruit were sparse it wouldn’t be a loss. But now the flowers are almost wilting, pollination won’t make it in time.”

Yang Laoer’s steps faltered, he almost stumbled: ”My fault, my fault, how did I forget?”

”Be careful.”

Anning supported Yang Laoer: ”The road is hard to walk, let’s go slower. Follow me, don’t fall.”

”Sure, sure.” Yang Laoer kept patting his head as he walked: ”Why is my brain so dull, can’t even think of such simple things.”

Anning smiled: ”There’s lots to consider when farming, I didn’t realize all these things before, but before farming, I consulted specifically at an agricultural university, bought lots of books to study myself, learned about pollination and pest control and such, even asked professors for specifics, got everything figured out before I dared to plant in a greenhouse.”

Talking to this point, Anning stopped for a moment and scanned with her flashlight ahead: ”Uncle Yang, there’s a rock ahead, walk around it.”

”Alright, I’ve seen it.” Yang Laoer was filled with worry, walking without much strength, his feet shuffled.

Seeing him like this, Anning quickly supported him: ”You better follow me.”

Walking along, Anning started to chatter again: ”From a young age, my dad always told me, no matter what you do, plan it well beforehand, think about how to go about it, what difficulties might be encountered, get all these figured out before acting, can’t let a rush of enthusiasm cloud your judgment, just blindly carrying on. If one doesn’t think ahead, there will be immediate worries. Back then I didn’t quite understand, but now I do. Like with greenhouses, we never planted before, can’t just think we know how to farm and blindly proceed. We need to understand what it involves, what needs attention, how much to invest, what selling price makes profit, market position, get all these clear before investing. Otherwise, one truly won’t know profit or loss. Us rural families, if we profit, everyone is happy, there’s songs and theater; if we lose, we’ve lost all our savings, the family is both disgrace and anger.”

”Yes, yes, you’re right.”

Yang Laoer felt utterly embarrassed, nodding absently the whole way.

When they reached the doorstep, Anning said with a smile: ”Uncle Yang, come sit in our house for a bit, have a drink with Xiao Yuan and the others.”

Yang Laoer waved his hand: ”No, no, I have to go back home for dinner, otherwise your aunt will worry.”

Anning then said: ”Wait a moment, let me bring you some eggs.”

”You keep them for yourselves, keep them.”

Yang Laoer quickly opened the door and went in.

Anning returned, without changing clothes, carried the basket of eggs and noodles Yang Laoer had brought to the Yang house.

She went over and handed the things with a smile to Sun Jinhua: ”Auntie, what is this all about? We have chickens too, don’t sell eggs nowadays, enough for home needs. Why did Uncle take eggs from my house, keep them to supplement my sister-in-law and Treasure Bead, you know if there’s anything, just come over and say. We’ve known each other for years, why bother with this?”

After speaking, Anning didn’t wait for Sun Jinhua to say a word and quickly slipped away.

Returning home, she finally sat down peacefully to eat.

During the meal, Pei Laoshi asked Anning: ”What’s up with the Yang family’s vegetables?”

Anning let out a laugh: ”What’s up? Just no artificial pollination, I had warned before, greenhouse vegetables aren’t so easy to grow, their family wants to follow the trend, just waiting to lose money. Look at it, isn’t it just as I said?”

”Did you tell him?”

Liu Dalian frowned while asking Anning.

Anning ate a mouthful of food: ”I did, it’s not something that can’t be said. Our family made money this year, next year surely more will grow vegetables, you say this one asks, that one asks, can I not tell them? Since it’s going to be said, saying early doesn’t matter anyway, Yang family’s vegetables can’t be salvaged now, losing money is certain.”

Liu Dalian’s face softened.

She thought about it and also smiled: ”All of you are so clever, what do you think Yang Laoer is feeling now? He came to our house without a single unpleasant word, Anning even accompanied him to the field at night. He asked, and he was told everything. Our family absolutely hasn’t wronged them, whatever they want to say or do in the future, let them think it over themselves.”