Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 332: Puncture

Chapter 332: Chapter 332: Puncture

Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao finished their meal and once again arranged for Xiaomi to return the dishes. The two stayed at home waiting for Aunt Zhuang’s return.

Aunt Zhuang was out for a moment. When she returned in the noon, she was surprised to see Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao still sitting in the hall, a hint of confusion flashed across her face.

"Miss, aren’t you supposed to go to the restaurant today?" She had purposely lingered outside to avoid running into them upon her return, never expecting that they would still be home by noon.

"I’ll be going in the afternoon. However, it certainly seems like Aunt Zhuang took quite a journey to the market today." Nanzhi squinted in a smirk, making the listener turn a little pale.

"Yes, the master wanted to eat beef, so I had to go a bit further," Aunt Zhuang explained, carrying a basket.

"Is that so?" Nanzhi didn’t bother peering into her basket, merely nodding and smiling, "Well, you must have had a hard time then."

"Not at all," Aunt Zhuang, seeing she wasn’t being grilled further, left quickly for the kitchen with the basket. Seeing her like this, Shen Miaomiao wondered aloud.

"Sister Nanzhi, why does she look so guilty about buying groceries? Did she take a bribe?"

"Unlikely. Let’s just wait and see."

Nanzhi shook her head and didn’t say more. They would find out soon enough.

Only after she had prepared the lunch did Aunt Zhuang seem to let out a sigh of relief, ready to leave with a meal box in tow.

"Miss, Miss Shen, lunch is ready, you eat first."

"Aunt Zhuang, where are you off to? Aren’t you eating with us?" Shen Miaomiao asked timely.

Aunt Zhuang paused, then laughed stiffly, "I’m delivering meals to the master and mistress."

Nanzhi nodded and shooed her off.

Once she was certain Aunt Zhuang was gone, Shen Miaomiao turned to Nanzhi and whispered, "Sister Nanzhi, shall we follow her?"

"Yes."

Nanzhi looked at the dishes on the table and clicked her tongue.

This morning she had seen the kitchen only had potatoes and one piece of not fresh cabbage left. Now the table has only two dishes.

A plate of shredded potatoes and a bowl of soggy cabbage fried meat.

She had seen the vegetables in Aunt Zhuang’s basket. But none of them were on their table.

That meal box can’t carry much, supposedly meant for her parents. So, should her brother and sister-in-law starve then?

Not letting Miaomiao eat at home but asked Xiaomi to clean the dishes after eating, Nanzhi took Shen Miaomiao to their mother’s food stall.

Their food stall was just down the street and around a corner from home, surely Aunt Zhuang would have stopped there first if she was making food deliveries.

Being mealtime, the food stall was quite busy, and Mother Lin and her daughters-in-law were working non-stop.

"My dear, why are you here?" Mother Lin saw her daughter after clearing up a table and smiled immediately.

Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao helped her clean and asked, "Mother, did Aunt Zhuang come to drop off food?"

Mother Lin paused and shook her head, "Why would she bring food?"

Seeing Aunt Zhuang had not come to deliver food, Shen Miaomiao and Nanzhi exchanged, spotting a trace of chill in each other’s eyes.

"It’s nothing, I was just asking. Miaomiao and I are just going to make a visit to father’s shop."

Nanzhi waved her hand, ready to leave with Shen Miaomiao, leaving their mother somewhat bewildered by their abrupt departure. Seeing the empty table swiftly filled by customers again, she could only ask, "Aren’t you going to eat before you leave?"

"No, no, you guys go ahead and stay busy." Nanzhi shook her head in refusal, and promptly set off with Shen Miaomiao towards the Lin family’s shop.

By the time the pair reached the carpentry shop, almost two quarters of an hour had passed. On the way, they ran into Lin Yicheng, who had bought food from a restaurant and was hurrying back to the shop.

"Big brother?"

"Nan Fat? Miaomiao? What brings you both here?"

Lin Yicheng had been starving, and was rushing towards the shop with two large containers of food, when he was unexpectedly stopped. Just as he was about to curse, he realised that it was Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao; immediately his anger dissipated.

"We came to check on you." Nanzhi spotted the containers in his hands, asking curiously, "Didn’t Auntie Zhuang bring you food? Why did you come out and buy food again?"

The smile on Lin Yicheng’s face vanished instantly, replaced by an expression of disgust, answering with a grim face, "Don’t even mention that Auntie Zhuang. Every day she hangs around the shop clinging to our father. It’s really bothersome. She may look honest, but she’s as deaf as a post when it comes to listening."

Nanzhi looked surprised; she had not expected that in just half a month, Auntie Zhuang would dare to behave so boldly.

"Alright then, Miaomiao and I haven’t eaten either. We’ll go to the shop with you."

When the three of them returned to the shop, their father was staunchly working on his furniture, with Auntie Zhuang diligently serving tea and water like a dutiful wife, she actually looked like she belonged in the role of his wife.

Both Nanzhi and Lin Yicheng’s faces turned dark, Shen Miaomiao also felt somewhat awkward.

Auntie Zhuang sure had guts; despite knowing that Nanzhi and she might be suspicious of her, she still had the nerve to show up and look for their father...

"Move away!" Father Lin wished he could physically push Auntie Zhuang away, but he feared it might cause drama if she sat on the floor sobbing, calling attention from passers-by.

"Brother Lin, let me wipe your sweat for you." Auntie Zhuang was a thirty-something with an honest face, though she was not pretty, she believed she had an advantage being younger than Lin’s wife. She seemed to believe if she paid more attention to details, she might secure a position in the Lin family.

"Auntie Zhuang, what do you think you are doing?" Nanzhi’s face turned as dark as the bottom of a pot, her voice revealing a cold tone.

She intended to give her some dignity, yet it seemed she had overestimated her.

Auntie Zhuang’s face flashed a hint of panic when she heard Nanzhi’s voice, and she promptly distanced herself from Father Lin.

"Miss, why are you all here..."

"This is my Lin family’s shop; do I need a reason to come?"

Auntie Zhuang instantly waved her hands to defend, "No no, you misunderstood my words."

"Then what’s your intention?"

"I just saw the master working so hard, sweating, and I just wanted to help him wipe it off."

Nanzhi squinted her eyes, continuing to interrogate: "Aren’t you supposed to deliver food to my parents? Why didn’t you deliver it to my mother first?"

Auntie Zhuang breathed a sigh of relief, put on a faint smile, "Miss, it’s lunchtime now, they are very busy. If I delivered the food now, they wouldn’t have time to eat it. I plan to deliver it in another hour."

Looking at Zhuang’s honest appearance, Nanzhi felt incredibly frustrated. Had she did not witness her behaviour last night and pay extra attention today, she would’ve been easily fooled.

"Where’s the food box you brought?" Nanzhi gestured with her chin, asking.

Auntie Zhuang’s smile faded abruptly: "Miss, are you hungry? Didn’t I already cook and prepare a meal at home?"

As the standstill continued, Lin Yicheng simply proceeded to open the food box from the corner.

Inside, astonishingly, were two plates of meat.

One was lean beef, and the other was a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, appearing right in front of Nanzhi and Shen Miaomiao.