The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Anning had already agreed on a time with Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin to come over and give New Year’s greetings.

That morning, Mr. Qin and Mrs. Qin got up early to prepare food and drinks.

Qin Anping was also dragged out of bed by the two of them to help.

Qin Anping’s wife, Li Rongrong, watched her son Qin Yue Lin finish his homework for the day and then listened to him recite his lessons before she went into the kitchen to give Mrs. Qin a hand.

Both Qin Anping and Li Rongrong lived in the City. They only knew that Anning had remarried; as for what the man looked like and what kind of person he was, they really had no idea.

Originally they’d said they would meet during the New Year, but who knew that by the time they came back, Anning’s whole family had already gone on vacation, so they did not get to meet.

Because of that, Li Rongrong was quite curious about this brother‑in‑law, Xiao Yuan.

As she picked the vegetables, she muttered to Mrs. Qin, ”Mom, how’s the man my sister found later on? Is he good to Xiao Cong and Xiao Meng?”

Mrs. Qin laughed. ”You mean Xiao Yuan? I’m not exaggerating, there’s just no one better than your brother‑in‑law. The looks, the bearing—oh my, you’ll know when you see him. To say something not very modest, this brother‑in‑law of yours, he really looks like a Heavenly Immortal.”

Seeing Li Rongrong completely stunned, Mrs. Qin added, ”He really is a good man, can earn money and takes care of home. Ever since your sister married him, she’s hardly cooked. He treats Xiao Cong and Xiao Meng so well, just like they were his own. Of course, your sister is also very good to the three kids he brought with him.”

Li Rongrong froze again. ”How come three kids?”

Mrs. Qin then told the story of how Xiao Lu and Xiao Yilin had been switched at birth. ”Yilin is a pitiful child too. No one ever imagined her real parents would be that kind of people. Yilin already told them not to buy that plot of land, but they insisted on not listening. And what happened? The money got trapped, the family went bankrupt, and now they blame Yilin, say she’s bad luck or whatever, and even kicked the child out. Tell me, is that something real parents can do? They’re simply not human.”

”That really is way too much.”

Li Rongrong also felt that the couple from the Zhang Family really had terrible character. She herself had a son, she was a mother, and she thought: No matter what happens to Yue Lin in the future, she would never be willing to cast him off. Even if she starved to death, she’d still leave a bite for her son. How could they be like that Zhang couple...

”So my sister and brother‑in‑law took her in?”

Li Rongrong asked again.

Mrs. Qin nodded. ”The child is really pitiful. Your brother‑in‑law raised her till sixteen or seventeen; could he really just stand by and do nothing?”

Li Rongrong thought for a moment. ”Mom, my sister did the right thing.”

Mrs. Qin looked at Li Rongrong, her face full of puzzlement.

Li Rongrong said, ”That girl is the same age as LuLu, they’re both in the third year of high school now. She’ll be taking the college entrance exam next year. She won’t be staying home much longer anyway—once she goes to college, they basically won’t need to take care of her that much. Your brother‑in‑law has raised her for sixteen or seventeen years; if he doesn’t take responsibility now, wouldn’t all those years have been for nothing? Her real parents don’t want her; my sister and brother‑in‑law brought her back and are taking good care of her. How could the child not understand that in her heart? How could she not take care of my sister and brother‑in‑law in the future?”

That was true. They’d paid so much up front, and the fruit was just about to ripen; it was impossible to just walk away. If they did, all that earlier effort would have been for nothing.

Once Li Rongrong finished picking the vegetables, she went to wash them. As she washed, she kept talking to Mrs. Qin. ”From now on, we should be a bit better to the three kids my brother‑in‑law brought with him, too. The kids are all grown now; they know good from bad. We’re not doing it for anything else—just for the sake of our Yue Lin, we should treat them better. Anping and I only have Yue Lin. If something happens to him in the future, the ones he can really rely on will be the kids from my sister’s house. Xiao Meng and Xiao Cong are definitely dependable, and then add those three kids my brother‑in‑law is raising. If the children can mutually help and support each other, that’s a good thing.”

Mrs. Qin thought it over and felt that Li Rongrong’s reasoning was quite thorough.

Wasn’t that just it? Qin Yue Lin was an only child. In the future, besides his grandparents and parents, the closest people to him would be the kids at Anning’s house. Those three might not be blood‑related, but if the relationship is handled well, and with Anning there, they really are people he can rely on.

”That’s why, back then, I wanted Anping to marry you. Ever since you were little, you’ve had a clear head about both big and small matters.”

Mrs. Qin laughed. She was truly satisfied with this daughter‑in‑law. A good daughter‑in‑law, who does things thoroughly and has her head on straight, is the foundation of a harmonious family and prosperity in everything.

While the mother‑in‑law and daughter‑in‑law were chatting, the doorbell rang.

Anping hurried to open the door. Once he opened it, he saw Anning with her whole family standing at the door.

”Sis, you’re finally here.”

Anping called out, then turned to Xiao Yuan. ”You must be brother‑in‑law? Mom’s been praising you nonstop, and I’ve always wanted to meet you. Finally got to see you today.”

As he invited them into the house, he chatted with Xiao Yuan.

Xiao Yuan put the gifts they’d brought on the cabinet in the living room, then went over to talk with Mr. Qin.

The five kids went off to find Qin Yue Lin to play, and Anning went into the kitchen to help.

Li Rongrong poked her head out of the kitchen and snuck a few glances at Xiao Yuan. When Anning came in, she grabbed Anning and laughed. ”Sis, this time you really scored. My brother‑in‑law’s looks and character are like this.”

She stuck up her thumb and laid on the praise.

Anning smiled and chatted with Li Rongrong for a bit, then said to Mrs. Qin, ”Mom, I’ve talked it over with Xiao Yuan. After the kids finish their college and high school entrance exams next year, we want the three younger ones to go to high school in the City. By then, we’ll all be moving to the City. So I wanted to ask if you two want to move over as well. After all, if both our families—mine and Anping’s—go to the City, we won’t feel at ease with you living in the county.”

Mrs. Qin was not willing to go to the City.

She and Mr. Qin had lived in the county for so many years; all the old neighbors and old friends were there, and they were reluctant to leave.

”We’re not going. Your dad and I are still in good health, you don’t have to worry. If something really comes up, we can talk about it then.”

Li Rongrong had been about to say something, but one look at Mrs. Qin’s expression told her that persuading her wouldn’t work, so she didn’t push it.

Anning thought for a moment. ”That’s fine too. But once we move, you’ll have to come to the City more often. You and Dad should come stay in the City for ten days or half a month every so often, so we can do our duty as children.”

That she could accept.

Mrs. Qin did not say she wouldn’t go.

After a while, Anning brought up Mrs. Qin’s family.

”Mom, ever since I was little, I’ve never seen my maternal grandma, and I’ve never heard you talk about what relatives you have on your side. We didn’t ask when we were kids, but now we’re curious. Tell me about it.”

”Yes, yes.”

Li Rongrong also didn’t know what relatives were over there, so she asked Mrs. Qin, ”Mom, tell us about it.”

Mrs. Qin sighed. ”In the past I really didn’t want to mention it. Now I’ve come to terms with it. I’ll talk about it, so that if you ever run into them in the future, you won’t get fooled.”

Mrs. Qin had Mr. Qin and Anping come in to stir‑fry the dishes, and she went to the living room with her daughter and daughter‑in‑law to talk.

”My family is from Liushu Village, a really long way from here.”

Anning and Li Rongrong both listened very attentively.

You could say that Mrs. Qin’s coming‑of‑age story was a history written in blood and tears.

Mrs. Qin suffered since she was little. The people of the He Family didn’t treat her well. When she wasn’t even as tall as the stove, they were already making her cook every day. A lot of the work at home had to be done by her, and she was beaten and scolded every day, never got enough to eat.

Other kids went to school, but her family wouldn’t let her. Later, Mrs. Qin toughened up, went to find the village chief, and made a fuss several times before the He Family finally let her go to school.

Even after she started school, Mrs. Qin didn’t do any less work at home.

That was something she could have accepted, but the key point is that when Mrs. Qin was seventeen or eighteen, the He Family, for the sake of money, actually wanted to marry her off to a mentally disabled man in the neighboring village.

When Mrs. Qin found out, her heart completely turned cold.

She was sharp; she didn’t show anything on her face and didn’t openly resist the He Family. Later, she got in touch with a classmate she was very close to, pulled some strings to get an introduction letter, and then found a temporary worker job. That’s how she secretly ran away from the He Family.

Mrs. Qin had already made preparations beforehand.

She ran very far, and afterward she met Mr. Qin. When Mrs. Qin was young, she was truly beautiful, and Mr. Qin fell in love with her at first sight. After hearing her talk about her situation back home, Mr. Qin found people to help cut off ties with the He Family, then had her household registration moved over. After that, they got married and all that.

After listening to Mrs. Qin finish, Anning asked, ”Besides you, did the He Family have any other daughters?”

Mrs. Qin nodded. ”Yes, I have a younger sister, and my uncles’ families all have daughters too.”

”So besides treating you like that, how did they treat the others?”

Anning asked again.

Mrs. Qin thought for a while. ”They were good to my younger sister. They never hit or scolded her.”

Anning fell silent, thinking.

Li Rongrong also felt that something about this wasn’t quite right.

After a while, Anning said, ”Mom, don’t you find it strange? If they despised you for being a girl, they should’ve treated my aunt badly too. But they were good to her. Why was it only you they treated like that? Could it be that you’re not their biological child?”