The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 675 - 662: Slapping the Transmigrated Man 17

Ms. Ping had a bit of insomnia last night.

She tossed and turned, eyes wide open until midnight.

Today, Xiao Daya also stayed over at home, sharing a room with Ms. Ping.

Exhausted as Xiao Daya was, and not one to worry about things, it didn’t take long for her to fall asleep, her snores resonating in the room.

Unable to fall asleep, Ms. Ping felt a rush of annoyance as she listened to Xiao Daya sleep soundly.

Around midnight, she nudged Xiao Daya awake.

Xiao Daya stirred: "Mother, what’s wrong?"

Ms. Ping turned over, propped herself on the bed: "My back hurts, rub it for me."

Xiao Daya had no choice but to get up and massage Ms. Ping’s back.

Ms. Ping found it very soothing and after a while, feeling more comfortable, she asked Xiao Daya: "What do you think, should I act the part of the mother-in-law tomorrow?"

Xiao Daya was perplexed: "Mother, what are you talking about?"

"I’m asking you whether or not I should act the part of the mother-in-law?"

Ms. Ping sat up in bed, her eyes wide in earnest: "Your sister-in-law comes from a good background. If I don’t suppress her arrogance tomorrow, what will I do if she bullies me in the future?"

"Then you should put on the act."

Xiao Daya really hadn’t thought much about it and just went along with whatever Ms. Ping asked.

Ms. Ping nodded, then shook her head again: "No, that’s not right. If I don’t give her face, your brother might get angry. Besides, all of our family’s money is in their hands. What if she tripped me up secretly later?"

Ms. Ping was worried about future life.

Xiao Daya pondered and replied: "Then you should be a bit nicer to her."

Ms. Ping was still somewhat reluctant.

She sat cross-legged on the bed, feeling cold, she covered herself with the quilt: "Daya, sit with me and analyze, have you ever heard how daughters-in-law from high-status families are treated in other households?"

Xiao Daya sat down next to Ms. Ping: "I really haven’t heard about that; our family’s situation is quite unique."

Ms. Ping and Xiao Daya talked until the second half of the night before they went to sleep.

Consequently, both of them woke up late.

Over at Anning’s, she woke up early and pushed Xiao Yuan out of bed.

After the couple got up, they called Moli and a few others to tidy up the room and help Anning dress and make up.

After the whole cleanup, by the time they finished getting ready and went to the main hall to pay their respects, it was already well into the morning.

Ms. Ping and Xiao Daya were waiting in the main house’s hall, and after a long wait, they finally saw Anning and Xiao Yuan enter.

Upon seeing Anning enter the room, Ms. Ping’s heart was flooded with indescribable emotions.

Anning was truly beautiful, even among the noble and prominent families of the Capital, the Royal Family, or other families of the Jing Dynasty, there were few who could compare to her.

Ms. Ping usually saw ordinary people who were neatly dressed; she had never encountered a lady from a notable family like Anning.

At first sight, she was dazzled.

Forget about the notion that women are jealous of other women; most people, regardless of gender, have a preference for beauty, and as long as you are attractive enough, both men and women tend to like you.

Ms. Ping watched as Anning approached, dressed in a resplendent red outfit embroidered with peonies, her face more delicate than the finest blooms of spring, her waist so slender it could be encircled with a hand, yet as she walked, she did not seem frail at all, but rather exuded a brisk and capable air, and in that moment, Ms. Ping felt irresistibly attracted.

Seeing Xiao Yuan guarding her carefully at his side once again, a trace of sourness crept into her heart.

But for the most part, she felt this daughter-in-law was wonderful, truly a jackpot in this marriage.

Anning entered the room and smiled at Ms. Ping, "Daughter-in-law pays respect to mother. Mother and sister must have been exhausted yesterday, tending to our wedding preparations. I am feeling guilty for putting both mother and sister through such trouble."

Upon hearing these words from Anning, Ms. Ping felt warmth in her heart: "Not tired, not tired at all, what’s there to be tired about?"

Anning stepped forward to present a deep bow to Ms. Ping, offering her tea with both hands: "Please have some tea, Mother."

Ms. Ping took the tea and sipped it, then hurriedly helped Anning up: "Get up quickly, the floor is cold, be careful not to catch a chill."

"Mother cares about me."

Anning gracefully stood up, and with another smile towards Ms. Ping, she said: "My husband and I thought mother and sister must be tired from yesterday, so we didn’t dare to rise early this morning, for fear of disturbing mother’s sweet dreams. My husband also mentioned that mother has been overwhelmingly busy these days. Finally, today is tranquil, and we should let mother have a good rest."

Actually, it was Anning and Xiao Yuan who woke up late, but from her mouth, it was all spun as consideration for Ms. Ping and Xiao Daya—Xiao Yuan and she being considerate, wishing for them to get a good sleep.

The way she expressed it was exceedingly pleasant to hear, leaving Ms. Ping feeling utterly comfortable.

"Ah, I always said you were good-hearted, truly understanding and considerate."

Ms. Ping was smiling from ear to ear, and Xiao Daya was also exceedingly happy.

"It was all husband’s reminder."

Anning conveniently said: "My husband always tells me how challenging life has been for mother, and how sister has contributed tirelessly over the years. He instructed me to properly respect mother and sister. I am a new bride, still new to our home, and I’m not entirely familiar with mother’s preferences. There’s a lot I don’t understand, so I still need mother to give me guidance now and then."

She produced her own embroidery work while speaking, her cheeks flushing as she handed it to Ms. Ping: "I’m usually not skilled at this, it’s not very well made, but please take it as a token of my heartfelt effort."

The embroidery was indeed poor, really not presentable.

Ms. Ping and Xiao Daya forced a smile when they saw it, but remembering the considerate words Anning said before, they couldn’t bring themselves to say anything unpleasant.

Ms. Ping joyfully accepted the embroidery and then handed Anning a red envelope: "Here, you take this."

Anning received it and put it away properly, and afterwards the family began to have breakfast.

After breakfast, the family cleaned up and rode in the carriage back to the village to pay respects and offer paper offerings at the graves of ancestors buried there, informing the ancestors of the new addition to the family. Then they requested Xiao Jin to open the ancestral hall and record Anning’s name.

It wasn’t until evening that they finished these activities and returned.

The next event was the return-visit three days after the wedding. Xiao Yuan had already prepared the gifts for the return visit, which he would bring to the Ji Family.

And it so happened that during Anning’s return visit, it was exactly when the Guan family was delivering the dowry to the Ji Family.

Anning and Xiao Yuan were riding back in the carriage, and they coincidentally encountered the procession delivering the Guan family’s dowry.

Looking through the carriage window for a moment, Anning turned to Xiao Yuan and said, "The Guan Family’s daughter’s dowry seems a bit modest."

The Guan family were noble people of scholarly descent.

This kind of family held themselves in high esteem, those who prided themselves on purity and knowledge, but disdained the scent of copper. Add to that the chaos at the end of the previous dynasty, with frequent uprisings—families like the Guan family were fortunate enough to merely keep themselves intact, and their wealth must have dwindled significantly.

The Jing Dynasty hadn’t been established for many years yet, and the Guan family, relying solely on official salaries and rents from farmland, could not accumulate much wealth.

Compared to ordinary people or those from newly-risen poor families, they certainly had substantial wealth, but compared to the war-profiteering noble families, they really fell short.

For ordinary families, Miss Guan’s dowry—which filled up fifty-six carts—was not considered meager.

But compared to Anning’s lavish "ten-mile bridal procession," Miss Guan’s dowry seemed rather inadequate.

The Cuis, from top to bottom, had developed eyes only for profit. Their sights were set only on money, oblivious to anything else. With Miss Guan entering their home with what they’d consider a paltry dowry, she was likely in for a tough time.

Xiao Yuan also saw the dowry procession and, hearing Anning’s comment about the modest dowry, chuckled and pulled her into his embrace: "What does it matter how much it is, it doesn’t concern us at all."