The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 555 - 546: The Stepmother Who Refuses to Be a Stepping Stone 34

Anning’s face bore a gentle and open smile as she poured more tea for Li Zhikang and said, "I haven’t been in touch with Li Zhifang, and he doesn’t know where I am. I only heard about you and Fifth demanding money from Third Sister-in-law when I went to seek his help for Yuzhen’s transfer to a new school."

Li Zhikang’s expression softened slightly.

He pushed the passbook back: "Fifth Brother and I don’t lack working capital, we simply couldn’t stand the sight of Fourth Brother and Wang Baozhu. We sought the debt simply to make life difficult for them."

Then, Li Zhikang spoke with a serious tone: "Don’t feel like you are responsible for half the debt. According to that logic, you would also own half of the fish pond and the fruit trees on the mountain that Fourth Brother owns. If the property isn’t being divided, then the debt should be repaid by Li Zhifang alone."

Anning sighed: "I understand this principle too, but I don’t dwell on Li Zhifang’s issues, nor do I wish to inconvenience the children. I know that Li Zhifang really doesn’t have money right now. If he repays the debt, he will probably live tightly for the next two years. Jing Yan is about to start senior high school this year and will surely have higher expenses, Jingyu needs money for studying in the county, and in a few years Jing Han will need to go to junior high as well. Jing Han is doing well in his studies, and I’m considering having him study in the Provincial City later, which will mean even greater expenses. If Li Zhifang has money, he might be able to support the children coming into the Provincial City for their studies. But without money, and with Wang Baozhu’s influence, it could potentially impact the children’s futures."

Anning reached out and touched Liu Yuzhen’s head: "I have been a mother to these children for seven or eight years, especially Jing Han, whom I took care of when he was so small. When he was sick, I held him throughout the nights, just as I would my own child. I would rather take on hardships myself than see the children suffer. And it’s not like Li Zhifang and I have such deep-seated hatred; there’s no need for a life-or-death struggle."

She passed the passbook again: "This money here is for paying back what I owe you and Fifth Brother. Once I’ve paid my half, Li Zhifang will have some breathing room."

Li Zhikang was deeply moved by Anning’s words.

Looking at Anning’s hands placed on the table, he realized how hard she had worked over the years, tending to the fields and the mountains, toiling as much as, if not more than, any laborer, which left her hands rough and calloused, with small injuries on her fingers illustrating her suffering.

But Anning never complained about her hardships to anyone and always faced life with a smile.

Although Li Zhifang had also worked hard and contributed a lot, it was Anning who busied herself with all the household affairs.

Anning worked alongside Li Zhifang outside, and when at home, she looked after six children.

Li Zhikang himself, having only two children to look after, found it exhausting; Anning had to take care of six, which was no easy task.

Moreover, over the years, five of the Li brothers were not at home, and it fell to Anning to take care of Li Bao and Zhang Fengfeng alone. When the elderly fell ill, it was Anning who took them to the hospital. She ran back and forth, tending to everything with impeccable care.

This woman managed every aspect so well, without a single complaint being uttered by others, an ordeal unimaginable to many.

Now that her life was just getting on track, the shameless Wang Baozhu returned to reap the benefits. And Li Zhifang, with no consideration for years of marriage, immediately sought divorce.

Such events would likely be unbearable for any woman, provoking a tempestuous reaction.

Yet Anning said not a word and made no scene; she just quietly divorced Li Zhifang, and without asking for anything, left with the children.

Even upon leaving, she bore no grudge against the Li Family, nor did she utter a single ill word about Li Zhifang.

Even at a time like this, Anning was still concerned about the Li’s three children, considering all aspects of their well-being. This woman was indeed a rarity, a truly good person. Li Zhifang was truly heartless to mistreat such a good woman; he surely courted retribution.

In that moment, Li Zhikang pondered deeply over many things.

He felt moved, and at the same time, very angry.

His feelings were utterly complex.

The meal was served at that point, and Li Zhikang had no choice but to cast away those mixed thoughts.

While eating, he asked Anning, "Fourth... Fourth Sister, how are you and Yuzhen doing in the Provincial City? If you face any difficulties, just tell me, and don’t hide anything about the kids."

Li Zhikang had intended to call her Fourth Sister-in-law, a name he was accustomed to using, but upon recalling that Anning and Li Zhifang were divorced, he corrected himself to Fourth Sister.

Anning readily agreed, smiling, "It’s okay, Yuzhen and I are doing quite well. When your Brother Liu Shan passed away, he left two things for Aqi, and I’ve been keeping them all these years. I took them to sell a few days ago, and it did bring in some money, enough for us to settle down. I’m thinking, once Aqi and Aming take their high school entrance exams, I should go out and look for work. We’ll need money for their high school and college education, and I need to find a way to earn that money."

Li Zhikang nodded, "You should indeed plan for yourself. If Aqi and Aming are short of money for high school, you must tell me."

Anning smiled, "Alright, I know. I heard from Second Brother earlier that it’s easier to make money in the South. I want to go down to the South to take a look at the situation. Also, I learned a lot about embroidery from my mother when I was little, and there’s an old lady in our village who was an embroidery woman; she taught me too. I saw some embroidered items in the Provincial City these past days, and they were not as good as mine but sold for a very high price. I’m thinking I should really take care of my hands and take on some embroidery jobs to make some money first."

Li Zhikang had not expected Anning to have such a skill.

Thinking of the high prices of those handcrafted embroideries in recent years, he no longer worried about Anning’s livelihood.

After eating, Anning insisted on making Li Zhikang put the bankbook away.

Li Zhikang couldn’t argue with Anning and reluctantly accepted it.

He made up his mind, he would keep the money as if it was stored with him, and later find ways to help Liu Qi and Liu Ming.

After Li Zhikang left the Provincial City, he first went to see Li Zhiping and told him about Anning’s repayment, then withdrew the money from the bankbook to split with Li Zhiping.

Then, with fury in his heart, Li Zhikang headed back to Li Jiazhuang.

He didn’t go to confront Li Baolai and Zhang Fengfeng but went straight to the fishpond to corner Li Zhifang and gave him a thrashing.

Today was the day to catch fish from the pond, and Li Zhifang had hired several people to help. He had just caught some fish and hadn’t had time to get back into the water when Li Zhikang grabbed him and gave him a good beating.

Li Zhifang was instantly anxious, "Li Zhikang, Lao Liu, what are you doing? I’m your fourth brother, how could you..."

Li Zhikang’s eyes were red with anger, "It’s you I’m hitting. You’re no better than a pig or a dog... Do you even deserve to be human? How exactly did Wang Baozhu bewitch you? She told you to repay half the debt each, and you didn’t even fart. You know... Fourth Sister found out about it, I went to the Provincial City a few days ago, and she specially came to see me. Despite her difficulties, she still figured out a way to gather the money to pay back me and Fifth. You coward."

The people who came to help were mostly from Li Jiazhuang.

Hearing Li Zhikang’s words, they also started to talk among themselves.

Some thought Anning was silly; already divorced, why still help Li Zhifang repay the debt.

Others felt Anning was a truly good person, too kind-hearted. For Li Zhifang to mistreat such a person would be inviting divine punishment.

Most of Li Jiazhuang had received Anning’s kindness; she was the one who taught them the technology to grow vegetables in greenhouses, and there were times when a family was so poor they could barely make ends meet, Anning lent them money.

Anyway, everyone remembered Anning’s goodness; there had never been a shortage of gossip in the village when Li Zhifang divorced Anning to be with Wang Baozhu.

Now hearing what Li Zhikang said, everyone was truly speechless and shook their heads. They thought it regrettable that Li Zhifang had discarded such a good woman for someone like Wang Baozhu. Surely, he would regret it in the future.

"I, she..."

Li Zhifang was stunned too; he never expected Anning to be so magnanimous and to help him repay half of the debt, "I didn’t ask her to pay it, I never thought she would..."

"You didn’t think of it, but Fourth Sister did."

Li Zhikang became increasingly angry, "She said it was all for the children, afraid if you repaid the debt, you wouldn’t be able to turn things around for years, which would then impact the children. She also mentioned that Jing Yan is going to high school this year, and if she gets into Provincial First Middle School, there will definitely be expenses. If you don’t have money on hand, what if you don’t let Jing Yan pursue education in the Provincial City? She also said that Jingyu and Jing Han need money for school, and she doesn’t want the children to suffer. She said once the children call her ’mother,’ she will always be their mother and will always care for them no matter what."

By the end of his speech, Li Zhikang, a grown man, was close to tears.

Squatting on the ground clutching his head, Li Zhifang also felt a pang of sorrow.