The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

”I don’t want your money.”

Anning said angrily.

Xi Zhenhua rubbed his brow. ”Mom, just take it as me begging you, okay? Don’t make trouble. Things are expensive over in Su Hai. If you don’t have money, what are you going to do there? You think hotels are free? Think Jingchen won’t want you to buy stuff?”

Only then did Anning reluctantly say, ”Fine, then transfer me the money.”

She proudly took out the smartphone she’d just bought. ”I already registered a Flying Messenger account. Add me as a friend and transfer the money to me on here.”

What else could Xi Zhenhua do? He could only obediently add Anning as a friend and then transfer the money to her.

After Anning got the money, her mood improved a lot. ”Hurry home. Once we’re back I’ll cook something good for you.”

On the way back the mother and son bought some meat and stuff. Once they got home, Anning directed Xi Zhenhua to carry the trunk into her room, then dragged this brain‑dead son into the kitchen to cook.

After dinner, seeing that Anning had nothing else going on, Xi Zhenhua tidied up a bit and left.

As soon as Xi Zhenhua left, Anning called Xiao Yuan again.

The two of them chatted for another half hour before reluctantly hanging up.

The next day, Xi Zhenhua called to ask Anning when she was going to Su Hai. Anning said there was no rush; she had to get things on the home side squared away first.

After breakfast, Anning went to a few families in the village she had good relations with and said she wanted to tear down and rebuild the house over in Jingxia Village. That house had been there for so many years; no matter how well you repaired it, it was done for. In a lot of places the plaster on the walls was peeling off, and the roof was about to cave in. She was thinking of tearing it down and building a few new rooms.

A few Old Madams who were close to Anning tried to persuade her not to toss herself around like that. ”It’s just an old house. If it collapses, it collapses. You’re not living in it anyway.”

But Anning was dead set on tearing it down and rebuilding. Other people figured that putting up a few rooms in the village wouldn’t cost that much anyway, and it’s not like Xi Zhenhua had no money. He could definitely afford to build, so they stopped trying to talk her out of it.

Anning was efficient. Once she’d found the people she wanted, that very day she took a few laborers over to Jingxia Village to start tearing down the house.

She paid high wages and had high demands: they had to dismantle it bit by bit, couldn’t damage the timber and such; whatever they took down had to be stacked to the side. The bricks and stones also had to be piled neatly.

Because Anning’s wages were especially high, nobody complained about her requirements; they just did as she asked.

It took two days to tear down the old house. On the afternoon of the day they finished, a big truck came, along with a man who looked like some big boss. As soon as he arrived, he went looking for Anning, then brought in an expert to inspect that Daliang. On the spot they confirmed it was golden nanmu, no doubt about it, and it was old timber of more than three hundred years.

The big boss bargained with Anning. Once they settled on a price, money was handed over and goods were handed over, and he very neatly hauled that Daliang away.

Anning got a big windfall out of this. After it got dark, she rummaged through the timber pile for a while and dug out a few small pieces of Agarwood, then searched through the bricks and stones and found two chunks of raw stone. She took these things and rode back home on a beat‑up tricycle she’d borrowed.

As for how to build the house over there, Anning found someone in the village she had a good relationship with. That family was honest and upright, and the guy had worked in construction before, knew a lot of the ins and outs. Anning handed the matter over to him and told him that if he ran into something he didn’t know how to handle, he should contact Xi Zhenhua.

As for the chickens and ducks she raised at home, Anning spent a day slaughtering them all, then stewed the meat and invited a few close old sisters over for a meal. She also bought some locally raised pork and beef, and while the weather was good, made some jerky and such.

Once everything was packed up and people had been entrusted with things on the home side, Anning finally called Xi Zhenhua and told him to book her plane ticket.

Xi Zhenhua was terrified Anning would start tossing around again. In these few days she’d really scared him. One minute she wanted this, the next she wanted that, and then she even tore down the old house, leaving Xi Zhenhua with a pounding headache.

On the phone he even asked Anning, ”Mom, I heard the Daliang in our old house was golden nanmu. How much did you sell it for?”

This wasn’t something you could keep secret. People in both Jingxia Village and Jinggou Village knew, so of course it couldn’t be kept from Xi Zhenhua.

Anning curled her lip. ”What, you’ve got your eye on that bit of money now? I’m telling you, forget it. I’m keeping that money for my grandson.”

Xi Zhenhua didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ”No, I’m not eyeing it. I’m just asking, so you don’t get cheated by someone.”

”It sold for a little over a million. Not much.”

Anning didn’t care to chit‑chat with Xi Zhenhua. ”You think I’m stupid? Of course I checked the market before I sold it. You’re worried I’ll get scammed? With that brain of yours, you’re doing well if you don’t get scammed yourself. No, wait, didn’t you already get spun around in circles by Li Wanping?”

Xi Zhenhua’s old face flushed red with shame. ”Mom, can we not bring that up? It’s old history from years ago.”

”Pah. Tell me the truth, are you still in touch with her? I’m warning you, Xi Zhenhua, that woman is a pit. If you dare secretly contact her again, then stop calling me mom. The money I’ve saved, the things your grandma left, I won’t give you a single one. I’ll leave all of it to my grandson.”

”Okay, okay, okay.”

Now Xi Zhenhua was genuinely scared. ”I won’t contact her, I won’t contact her, all right? I’ll listen to you.”

Only then did Anning hang up.

A while later, the ticket information was sent to her phone. She checked the time, gathered up her bundles, and headed to the Provincial City by bus.

In the Provincial City, Anning didn’t even go see Xi Zhenhua, mainly because just seeing him irritated her. She timed it just right and went straight to the airport.

When she arrived at the airport, Anning smiled and took out her phone to call Xi Jingchen.

Xi Jingchen had just finished class and had only just arranged with Xia Man over the phone to grab a meal together when Anning’s call came in.

Over these past few years, contact between Anning and Xi Jingchen had gotten less frequent.

The main thing was that she figured Jingchen would be doing fine with his biological mom. Thinking that Li Wanping didn’t like her, and worried she’d hurt her grandson’s prospects, she didn’t dare contact Xi Jingchen too much.

Xi Jingchen, on the other hand, called back home pretty often. Later, the original Anning kept saying she didn’t have time and whatnot, so Jingchen called less and less.

Seeing that it was his grandma’s number, Xi Jingchen answered with a smile.

”Grandma, how come you suddenly thought of calling me?”

Anning’s face was all smiles. Talking to her grandson was nothing like talking to that brain‑dead son. Her voice was very gentle. ”Jingchen, are you busy right now?”

Xi Jingchen walked out of the classroom with his phone. ”I just got out of class. I’m free right now.”

Anning laughed. ”Let me tell you something. I’m at the airport right now. It won’t be long before I get to Su Hai.”

”What?”

Xi Jingchen was so shocked he almost threw his phone. ”Grandma, y‑you, what are you doing?”

Anning laughed heartily. ”Well, I missed you, so I wanted to come see you. And I heard people say Su Hai is a big city, lots of fun over there. I figure I won’t live that many more years anyway. While I can still move around, I want to come take a look and see the world a bit.”

Put that way, it did make sense.

Xi Jingchen thought for a moment. ”All right then. Have you booked a hotel? If not, I’ll help you. And send me your flight information; I’ll come pick you up.”

”No need, no need. I’ve already booked the hotel. I’ll just take a cab over when I get there.”

Anning’s smile was warm and friendly.

”No, that won’t do. It’s your first time traveling so far. How can I not pick you up?” Jingchen said seriously, ”Hurry up and send me your flight information.”

”Okay then.” Anning was very obedient when it came to her grandson.

She hung up and sent the flight information to Xi Jingchen.

After that she sent a message to Xiao Yuan, telling him what time she’d arrive.

As for the hotel, naturally it was booked by Xiao Yuan. It was a Xiao Family hotel, and it was one of the suites Xiao Yuan kept on reserve for his own use.

After Anning notified both Xi Jingchen and Xiao Yuan, boarding time was just around the corner.

She hurried to line up.

After Xiao Yuan hung up, a smile appeared on his face.

Honestly, he was quite looking forward to Anning’s arrival.

And he was also very much looking forward to the series of family dramas to come.

Anning’s son was a roast‑pork braincase. If you asked Xiao Yuan, that cheap son of his, Xiao Zhe, was even more brain‑dead—so brain‑dead that the original owner didn’t even want him. Her remaining wish was to not want her son or her grandson; basically she didn’t want the son, the grandson, or the granddaughter. Best of all would be to give them a good lesson, let them experience what it feels like to be driven mad by idiots. Most importantly, she wanted to find the most suitable person to take charge of her own company.