The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

The Yang Family across from the Pei Family’s gate had their main door pushed open just a crack; a head poked out, carefully took a look, then listened closely for any movement from the Pei Family’s side.

After a while, the door closed again, and the Yangs’ eldest daughter‑in‑law, Fan Zhili, jogged into the house.

As soon as she went in, she started whispering with her mother‑in‑law, Sun Jinhua, who was sitting cross‑legged on the bed.

”Ma, the Pei Family across the way is fighting again.”

”What now?”

Sun Jinhua had been cracking melon seeds; the moment she heard Fan Zhili was about to gossip about the Pei Family, she hurriedly pushed the plate of seeds toward Fan Zhili. ”Who’s fighting with who this time?”

Fan Zhili also took off her shoes, climbed onto the bed, sat cross‑legged and chatted with Sun Jinhua: ”It’s the Eldest and the Second fighting. The Eldest insists on driving the Second out, says this home is hers, the Second is a married‑out daughter and can’t stay at her mother’s house. The Second refuses to leave, they bickered and then started swinging. The Second’s mother‑in‑law came too, crying and sobbing over at the Pei Family’s place.”

Just as they were talking, Treasure Bead came into the room.

She’d heard that last sentence, and as soon as she entered she said: ”What’s going on, The Peis are fighting again? Where’s Anning? How is she?”

Fan Zhili curled her lip: ”You have to say, that Fourth Son of Pei Family is really unlucky. Who knows how many lifetimes of bad luck she’s carrying on her back, ending up born into that family. Such a good girl ruined by a whole houseful of useless trash. Still, our Treasure Bead is the blessed one.”

At that, Sun Jinhua got proud: ”Of course. Count around the whole village, who’s got the kind of luck our Treasure Bead has? Three older brothers above, plus a whole pile of male cousins, the entire Yang Family has only this one girl. She’s never done a lick of work since she was little... Our whole family is harmonious, the old generation and the young have never really quarrelled. Our reputation in the surrounding ten li is right up there at the top. Not like The Peis—generation after generation, not a single good one among them. Now look at Anning’s generation, all she gives birth to are girls. Who dares marry a daughter from her family? You just watch, no matter how good Anning is, she won’t marry into a decent family.”

Treasure Bead sat on the bed, took some yarn and needles and started knitting a sweater, knitting as she said: ”Don’t say that, Anning’s actually pretty nice, and she’s good at her studies...”

”What’s the use of being good at studying? With that kind of family, what can she do? Besides, didn’t she fail the college entrance exam too?”

Sun Jinhua curled her mouth: ”Treasure Bead, what are you thinking? Are you planning to repeat a year, or come back and find some work?”

Treasure Bead thought about it: ”I’m not repeating. I’ve already done senior year three times and still didn’t get in. Keeping on doesn’t make sense. Better to come back and find some work. I know how to cut clothes, and I like making clothes. Ma, do we have money at home? If we do, rent me a room in town. I want to set up a stall making clothes.”

Sun Jinhua thought for a moment: ”I’ll discuss it with your dad. You wanting to set up a stall should be fine. Your skills really are good, and you know how to dress yourself, your clothes have good styles. Setting up a stall might just make money.”

Fan Zhili chimed in: ”I’ve got faith in our Treasure Bead too. Treasure Bead’s quick with her hands; she’ll definitely make it.”

Anning came out from the Pei Family’s house and followed the road from her memory toward the village entrance.

As she walked, Anning kept thinking about what she ought to do.

She started school a bit late, only took the college entrance exam last year. Originally she was confident she could pass, but story‑wise she didn’t. During the exam the system played tricks on her, made her burn up with fever and muddle‑headed, and in the end she didn’t get in.

She’d already been staying at home for nearly a year now, with no idea what to do—just doing some housework and reading at home.

As for repeating a year, Anning quickly vetoed that.

If she repeated for a year and took the exam again, she’d absolutely have the ability to get into a good university.

But she really couldn’t leave.

If she left home to attend university and didn’t come back for half a year or a year at a time, who knows how chaotic the household would get.

If she wasn’t at home, wouldn’t those few just have free rein to go wild, stirring up trouble like crazy.

Anyway, Anning felt that with how hell‑bent they were on ruining themselves, even if no one did anything to them, they’d manage to destroy themselves.

After all, they were family, and ones who were pretty good to her too. She couldn’t just stand by and watch them march to their deaths.

So if she wasn’t going to university, then she had to do something.

With all her thinking, Anning could only decide to start with her old trade.

Right now she was in the countryside, and her old trade was farming.

She planned to stay home and develop modern agriculture, keeping an eye on her family so they wouldn’t cause trouble, while leading the villagers to get rich.

The Pei Family’s reputation was really too rotten; if she wanted to wipe away those stains and improve their name, this was the only road she could take. If she could lead the whole village—or even everyone in the town—to get rich and reach a modest prosperity, and make the entire town economically rely on her, then she could make sure no one dared to point fingers at the Pei Family.

Once she’d made up her mind, Anning felt settled.

She walked quickly to the village entrance, to Wang Erma’s house. As soon as she stepped inside, she heard a chorus of shouting and calling from the room. Looked like there were quite a few people at this mahjong table.

Anning didn’t say anything, just walked in with a dark face.

As soon as she entered, she almost choked.

The whole room was packed with Old Masters, each with a cigarette in his mouth. The smoke was so thick it was like fairyland. The smell was so acrid Anning’s eyes watered.

She carefully picked them out, then located Pei Laoshi.

”Dad.”

Anning walked over and called Pei Laoshi: ”Mom wants you to go home.”

Pei Laoshi was right in the middle of a hot streak at the table; he wasn’t about to go home.

”Just finish these few hands, I’ll go when we’re done.”

His eyes were bloodshot. As he spoke, he slapped down a tile: ”Three bamboo.”

Anning narrowed her eyes: ”Dad, I said Mom wants you home.”

”In a bit, in a bit.”

Pei Laoshi waved her off, his eyes never even moved toward Anning, all glued to the tiles.

Anning clenched her teeth, reached out, and flipped the mahjong table right over: ”Go home. Did you hear me?”

With a clatter, the tiles scattered all over the floor, followed by a bang as the table itself hit the ground.

The whole roomful of people was stunned.

Anning stood to the side, sneering: ”Dad, home.”

Pei Laoshi still had a tile in his hand: ”Fourth, what are you doing, how can you flip the table?”

The other three, just as hooked on the game, chimed in: ”Fourth Son Pei, how can a girl act like this? You really don’t know how to behave.”

Anning smiled: ”I’m already behaving very well. If I really didn’t, I’d just report you. If it weren’t for the fact we’re all villagers, flipping the table is the least I’d do.”

She reached out to pull Pei Laoshi away while throwing a warning at the rest around the table: ”I’ll put it here today: from now on, play if you want, I don’t care. But if you drag my dad into it, that won’t fly. If anyone invites my dad to play again, don’t blame me for being rude. Flipping the table is minor; I’m perfectly capable of calling the Public Security Bureau to report you. When that happens, don’t blame me for ignoring our same‑village ties.”

”Pei Laoshi, your girl’s too fierce. You better go.”

”Yeah, Pei Laoshi, you hurry up and go, and don’t come looking for us to play anymore.”

”Fourth, don’t report us, okay? We definitely won’t ask your dad to play again.”

”Yeah, yeah, you can play with anyone, why does it have to be your dad?”

Pei Laoshi was scared stiff, stammering: ”No, it’s not that, it’s not that bad. My Fourth just, just wants to scare you.”

”I’m not scaring them. I meant every word. If you don’t believe me, try it.”

Anning said this while dragging Pei Laoshi toward home: ”The house is almost blown apart and you’re still here playing cards. You’re having a grand old time, while your wife and kids you don’t care about at all. I’ve never seen a father like you. If you’re not up to being a decent dad, don’t blame me, as your daughter, for not ’knowing my place.’”

”No, no, you’re not out of line, you’re very sensible. It’s all my fault.”

Pei Laoshi hurried to admit he was wrong to Anning.

In his heart though, he was thinking: if he couldn’t play in this village anymore, then he’d just sneak off to the next one.

Anning snorted: ”Put that little idea away. Another village? Go try. If you dare go, I dare go over there with people and smash the game.”

”No, no, I won’t go, I won’t go.”

Pei Laoshi was truly scared this time.

He trudged along behind Anning with his head down.

As they walked, Anning kept scolding him: ”If you’ve got time to play cards, why can’t you do some work? If you really don’t want to work, go find something else to do outside. Why does it have to be that? What’s good about it? Never mind winning or losing—how can you stand that cloud of smoke? And you sit there playing for a whole day at a stretch; how does your neck stand it...”