The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 679 - 666: Slapping the Transmigrator 21

Granny Cui truly disliked the Guan family.

The most important reason was that the dowry from the Guan family was too little.

In Granny Cui’s heart, the ideal granddaughter-in-law was someone like Anning, a Miss from a noble family.

It was nothing else but the fact that such families had solid foundations and would provide substantial dowries.

The men of the Cui Family were living in a drunken stupor, still believing in the fantasy that we’re rich, we own mines, and I’m a second-generation rich kid.

However, Granny Cui, who had managed the household for years, knew all too well that the family’s circumstances were worsening by the day.

In the early years, the Cui Family’s ancestors were generals who rose in rebellion with the Grand Ancestor, amassing a fortune from the wars. Although it didn’t compare to the Ji Family, the Cui Family also had a considerable amount of wealth.

But the Cui Family was large in population; even the ancestor’s generation had several bastards, each requiring a portion of wealth when they set up their own households. Back then, there was a concubine whom the ancestor favored greatly, and her son received quite a bit of valuable assets when he separated from the main family.

Additionally, over the years, the Cui Family had been secretly supporting the Crown Prince, acting as his purse and providing him with large sums of silver time and again. Moreover, while Old Master Cui was alive and serving as an Inspector in Jiangnan, he supervised local officials and various activities on behalf of Emperor Shengxing.

During his tenure in Jiangnan, Emperor Shengxing visited more than once, and it was the Cui Family that hosted his stay.

Hosting him cost the Cui Family an unimaginable amount of wealth; they even borrowed a substantial sum from the national treasury, which the family had to repay.

Things were still manageable when Old Master was alive; his position was lucrative, earning enough money annually to sustain the family’s expenses.

But after Old Master passed away, neither Old Master nor Second Old Master could uphold the household, and they failed to bring in much money, leading to the decline of the Cui Family.

The current state was nothing but consuming the produce of the future to feed the present.

Granny Cui had her eyes on Anning because Anning’s mother brought a considerable dowry when she married into the Ji Family, a sum that was the envy of many Misses.

And Anning’s mother only had two children, Anning and An He, with her dowry meant for them.

Furthermore, the Ji Family was not short on money, so in addition to the dowry left by her mother, the Ji Family would surely provide additional support when Anning got married. Therefore, the dowry that Anning would bring would definitely be more than any the Cui Family had ever received in their marriages. Even if on the surface it doesn’t surpass Mrs. Cui Ji, the silver locked away would not be meager.

Granny Cui had long had her eye on this dowry.

She had decided that as soon as Anning entered the household, she would put her in charge of managing the family, finding ways to finance the expenses and help the Cui Family catch a break.

But who would have thought, with all her good planning, that good-for-nothing Cui Yiran would spoil everything.

He dared to plan not to marry Anning, letting all that silver slip into the Xiao Family’s pockets, while that fool Cui Yiran actually married someone useless like Miss Guan.

Noble indeed, are they really that noble and virtuous?

All Cui Yiran knew was that noble families had all kinds of messes, their daughters were raised a bit willful and spoiled. But were the daughters of the noble families raised any better?

That Mr. Guan certainly was good at poetry, rites, and etiquette, but that was only on the surface. What about his true nature?

He was nothing more than a hypocrite. On the surface, all fine and splendid, but filthy within. He didn’t even truly respect women, educating the females in his family to be narrow-minded while outwardly displaying an image of integrity.

Families like the Guan family have girls who have driven themselves foolish by reading the Four Books for Women, not as good as the Ji Family who straightforwardly don’t bother with literacy.

Ji Anning may not know how to read, but her mind is clear, and most importantly, having not received an education, she would be easier to instruct in the future.

But a girl from the Guan family who has read a bellyful of books has long set her personality, and if you try to teach her, I’m afraid she’ll think she knows even more than you do, and won’t listen at all.

Moreover, the dowry the Guan family provided was too meager. With Miss Guan entering the family, not only does it fail to alleviate the Cui Family’s financial crisis, but the future expenses will still need to be managed by the Cui Family. What’s the use of marrying such a bride?

Ever since Miss Guan entered the home, Granny Cui has made no effort to hide her displeasure.

Miss Guan also sensed the Old Madam’s discontent, and she didn’t feel good about it either.

Especially today, when Miss Guan saw the constant smile on the Old Madam’s face after Anning’s arrival, being kind and pleasant to Anning, yet very cold towards her, it made Miss Guan feel somewhat imbalanced.

She returned to her room, and after closing the door, the tears couldn’t help but fall.

Miss Guan’s dowry maid, Xi’er, quickly handed over a handkerchief: "Miss, the Second Master will be back soon, please don’t cry. It will definitely upset him to see you like this."

Miss Guan took the handkerchief, wiped her face, and sat dazedly in her chair for a good while.

Her days in her parental home were miserable, and she had hoped that life would get better after moving to her marital home.

She had looked forward so much to marrying, but in the end, life at the Cui Family was just as difficult. Her stepmother-in-law was a person who had a sour face and a sour heart, only caring about hoarding money for herself, taking note of every bit of silver, and showing no concern for her whatsoever.

That excellent Second Aunt from the Ji Family was not only indifferent, but would occasionally utter a few mocking words.

And the Old Madam was very distant with her, too. Seeing that Miss Guan was not favored by the several members of the family, the servants followed suit, treating her with contempt and making life difficult for her.

But that was not the worst of it. The key point was that Cui Yiran did not protect her at all.

Cui Yiran not only failed to defend her but also demanded her to do this and that. He wanted her to quickly wrest control of the household management and also challenged her to compete with the second branch of the family. In addition, he wanted to force her to lower her dignity and try to please the Old Madam.

How could that be possible?

Was she supposed to have no face left?

How could she, a woman born of a noble family and imbued with literary grace, bow her proud head to flatter that Old Madam?

Did he think she was Ji Anning?

Thinking of these, Miss Guan felt like crying again.

Xiao Yuan chatted with Second Master Cui in the study for a while. Second Master Cui was a bit old-fashioned. He always admired scholars and favored people who were good at poetry and literature.

Xiao Yuan, on the other hand, was confident in one area - no one could surpass him in poetry and literature.

After all, he had lived through so many generations and had once been the top scorer and a great scholar. If it came to understanding literature, he dared to claim he was second to none in this world.

Of course, the first was his wife.

As a result, when Second Master Cui asked Xiao Yuan a number of questions, Xiao Yuan answered them smoothly and even discussed literature with Second Master Cui.

Having been so engaged, Second Master Cui was utterly charmed by Xiao Yuan’s eloquence and came to have a very high opinion of him. When Xiao Yuan was about to leave for Cui Siran’s room, Second Master Cui was reluctant to part with him.

Watching Xiao Yuan leave, Second Master Cui mumbled a compliment to himself: "What a good kid. Talented and capable, yet so modest and unassuming. Such a gentleman is truly rare."

Yet, the gentleman that Second Master Cui believed in, upon arriving at Cui Siran’s room, displayed an entirely different demeanor.