The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 532 - 523: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Stepping Stone 11

"On the way home, Anning repeatedly warned Liu Qi not to mention anything about buying a house to others, especially not to reveal it to Liu Ming and Liu Yuzhen.

Liu Qi understood the importance and assured Anning he wouldn’t say a word.

After selling the medicinal herbs, Anning bought some food and other daily necessities in the city.

By the time she and Liu Qi returned home, it was already getting dark.

Dinner was prepared by Li Jingyu and Li Jingyan, with Liu Ming also lending a hand.

After the dinner was ready, Liu Ming kept darting out to the entrance to look around, eagerly awaiting Anning and Liu Qi’s return.

When he saw their figures approaching, Liu Ming jumped up excitedly: "Mom, big brother..."

Anning rode her bicycle, pedaling fiercely, and quickly arrived at the entrance of the house.

Liu Qi jumped off the bike and pulled Liu Ming back towards the house.

The moment he stepped off, his legs went weak, and he nearly fell.

Liu Ming quickly supported him.

Li Zhifang in the house also heard the commotion and came out: "Why are you only getting back now?"

While walking into the house, Anning explained: "I brought more medicinal herbs today, which took longer to sell, and then I stopped by the department store."

Upon entering, she set the bag she was carrying on the table, and Liu Qi placed the basket he was carrying on the floor.

Anning then began to take out the contents one by one.

"These snacks are for mom and dad; I also bought them two pairs of cotton shoes. The remaining candies and cakes are for the kids."

As Anning took out the items and placed them on the table, she began to rub her hands: "It’s too cold, I reckon it might snow in a few days. There won’t be much herbs left to gather from the mountain, so we have to think of other ways to make money."

Ever since Anning married into the family and frequently went to the mountains to gather herbs, the household had some spare cash, and Li Zhifang could feel that life had improved significantly compared to before. Now that winter was approaching and there was no work in the fields, and he had no other skills, there was no way to earn money, and times might get tough.

Having grown used to a somewhat more affluent life, Li Zhifang really didn’t want to go back to the days of stretching every cent.

So he asked Anning: "What do you think we should do?"

Anning thought for a moment and shared her earlier plan: "I’m thinking about growing vegetables in a greenhouse."

"What?"

Li Zhifang looked at Anning in surprise: "Greenhouse vegetables? I’ve never heard of such a thing."

Li Zhifang prided himself on being an excellent farmer, able to grow grains or vegetables with yields higher than others, but he had never heard of greenhouse vegetables.

Anning called over the children, distributing food to them, and said to Li Zhifang: "Let’s eat first; Aqi and I are nearly frozen to death. Let us warm up, have some hot food, then we can discuss this matter."

"I’ll serve the food."

Li Jingyu pocketed some candies and hurriedly went to the kitchen to get the food.

Li Jingyan also followed her to help.

Once the meal was served, Anning looked at the cabbage and potatoes on the table, along with some pickled vegetables, and said to Li Jingyu: "Tomorrow when you go to school, I’ll give you some money, and you can bring back some meat after school. We’ll have stewed meat tomorrow."

Li Jingyu crisply agreed.

After the meal, the two girls went to wash the dishes, and Anning started discussing the greenhouse vegetables with Li Zhifang."

"I’ve made many trips to the city. Last time, after selling the medicinal herbs and seeing that I still had some time, I visited the agricultural school. I happened to meet a teacher from there who was once assigned to my mother’s village for a while before I got married. We were quite acquainted, so we chatted for a bit. He mentioned greenhouse vegetable farming, and what he said sounded promising. We don’t have many other skills, but we’re good at farming, so I thought about getting some materials to try our hand at it. If it works out, we could save some money. With six children at home, I’m thinking they all should go to school. If they are capable, I would even support them through high school and university. That means we need to be more proactive and work harder."

Although Li Zhifang had his faults, he worked incredibly hard and was willing to listen to Anning’s advice.

"Tell me about it in detail."

Anning then elaborated on the specifics of greenhouse farming, the materials needed, and what to be aware of, "There are many large factories in the city and county. Workers’ wages are much higher now than before, so we won’t have trouble selling our vegetables, especially from December to the Chinese New Year, when the demand is great and prices will surely rise."

Li Zhifang wasn’t worried about how to sell the vegetables. What concerned him was the initial capital and whether they could grow them well.

Anning understood his thoughts and encouraged him, "We are neither lazy nor stupid, and there’s no reason we can’t do what others can. If it comes down to farming, no one in our village can compare to you. You’re also exceptionally good at growing vegetables. Now, it’s just about growing vegetables in winter. We’re not afraid."

Smiling, Anning added, "At worst, we’ll just experience some famine. As a woman, I’m not afraid, so what’s there for you to fear? At most, we try again from scratch if we lose."

Her words indeed bolstered Li Zhifang’s resolve.

After marrying Anning, Li Zhifang indeed felt a great deal of pressure.

He had to provide for six children. Anning treated his children well, and he couldn’t be unfair to hers. Clothing, food, and schooling for six children all cost money, not to mention their future weddings. All of these required money.

Li Zhifang didn’t have much money on hand.

Even if his siblings were willing to subsidize him, how much could they really contribute?

As Anning said, every family has its own hardships. They might help you temporarily, but they can’t support you forever.

Li Zhifang understood the principle of "help in urgency, not in poverty."

Therefore, he was also eager to earn money, but lacked the means.

Now that Anning suggested greenhouse vegetable farming, he saw it as a viable way to make money.

"Alright."

Li Zhifang made up his mind with determination, "Next time, I’ll go with you to the city to inquire. We need to calculate how much money we’ll need. Then we have to figure out a way to borrow money."

"Good."

Anning wasn’t fooling Li Zhifang regarding this matter; she had indeed visited the Agricultural University and knew a teacher there, so even if Li Zhifang went with her, it wouldn’t be an issue.

After resting at home for a few days, Anning and Li Zhifang left their children with Zhang Fengfeng and took the bus to the city together.

This time, Anning and Li Zhifang stayed overnight in the city. They gathered all the information regarding greenhouse farming, where to buy materials, and how to transport them back home.

After returning, Li Zhifang began borrowing money.

Li Zhifang wasn’t the only one busy; Anning was too.

She also visited her maiden home.

Her original parents had passed away; now, all that was left of her family was a brother, and the original body also had a sister, who was married far away and rarely contacted.

Her brother’s name was Geng Anding, eight years her senior, who was already married with children, his eldest son being fifteen or sixteen years old.

When Anning arrived, Geng Anding wasn’t home, but his wife Zhou Juhua was twisting corn husks.

Upon seeing Anning come by, Zhou Juhua quickly set aside her work, "Elder niece, why have you come?"

Anning set down a few pounds of dried noodles she had brought, "It’s not busy at home, so I came to visit and discuss something with you and brother."

After Anning explained the situation of borrowing money, Zhou Juhua’s expression changed immediately, "Elder niece, it’s not that we don’t want to lend to you, but you know the struggles we face. Your nephew is already fifteen or sixteen, and in a couple of years, it will be time to find him a wife. The house needs to be renovated, and there’s also..."

In short, Zhou Juhua complained of various hardships, clearly reluctant to lend a penny to Anning.