Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 33 - 032 Idle Chatter

Chapter 33: 032 Idle Chatter

This meal of mountain delicacies left both mother and son thoroughly delighted.

Meng Shuyan wiped his mouth. "Mom, so crabs can be eaten like this~?"

"Not only can they be eaten this way, but there are plenty more recipes. We have plenty of time ahead, and Mom will make them all for you." Tian Sangsang was brimming with confidence. "Our lives will only get better, and we’ll never have to go hungry again."

That evening, she ran into Li Xiaoqin.

Li Xiaoqin was excited. "Sangsang, those crab meat dumplings you brought over at noon—they were amazing! The fragrance of crab and meat together was incredible. If we hadn’t stopped him, Gou Sheng would have polished off the entire basket himself. When did you get so skilled?"

Tian Sangsang chuckled. "It was actually Yanyan’s idea. He accidentally opened up a cooked crab and found the meat was edible. I figured the aroma was good, so I used it as stuffing."

"What? You mean to say crab meat can be eaten? I thought you just used some crab soup to knead the dough, giving it that crab flavor." Li Xiaoqin had heard of eating crab, but such indulgences were typically reserved for city folk.

"No, I mixed crab meat with pork to make it."

Li Xiaoqin studied Tian Sangsang intently. It was clearly the same person, but her entire demeanor had transformed. Her words now carried a smile, and she exuded an airy, refreshed presence. Li Xiaoqin couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh. "Ever since you were rescued from the hillside, you’ve become better at managing life. Your home finally feels like a home—meat on the table and all!"

Oh no! Judging by her expression, she might be getting suspicious. There were no pigs at home, and they hadn’t gone to the town supply co-op recently. So where did the pork come from?

"I happened to run into Brother Li while fishing. He’s always generous to the villagers and gave me a bit of pork," Tian Sangsang calmly explained.

Li Xiaoqin was no longer surprised after hearing that. Inwardly, she resolved to dig up some crabs herself tomorrow, cook them, and let her family have a taste. With her husband far away, Li Xiaoqin’s cooking skills were barely passable. Most of the time, it fell to her mother-in-law to cook. Though her mother-in-law never openly complained, there was a hint of something unsaid in her demeanor. Li Xiaoqin, being the carefree type, used to thoroughly dislike Tian Sangsang. She could loathe her with all her might. But recently, after a few gifts from Sangsang, she genuinely thought well of her.

...

"Li Sister-in-law, feeding the ducks?" Chen Guilan walked leisurely into the courtyard, smiling as she spoke.

"Tian Family’s third daughter-in-law, what brings you here?" The Li Family’s sister-in-law set down her basin, paused briefly, then warmly greeted her. "Come, come, have a seat inside."

She relied on a crutch to walk, moving with a limp—a clear sign of a leg ailment.

The Li Family wasn’t among the big households in the village. The sister-in-law herself had a leg condition, was a widow, and only had Li Zhengxiong as her sole son.

Li Zhengxiong was already twenty-six and long past the age for marriage, yet he remained single. The reasons were twofold: partly because of their family’s condition, and partly due to a previous engagement. A girl he was once promised to suddenly fell ill a few days before their wedding and died. By rights, the girl had always been frail, having been born with a sickness that the matchmaker deliberately concealed. Now that she was gone, Li Zhengxiong’s reputation suffered greatly. Everyone said he hunted too often, carried a murderous aura, and was cursed to bring bloodshed to any wife he married.

So, even though he was healthy and strong, no one was willing to marry their daughter to him. Even if a girl harbored a secret crush on him, she wouldn’t dare marry him.

Except for Widow Meng, who always seemed to gravitate toward him.

Chen Guilan followed her into the house. Though there wasn’t much in terms of furnishings, the place was filled with the aroma of meat. She couldn’t help but swallow a gulp of saliva.

"The house doesn’t have much, but Zhengxiong just loves to hunt for game. This is some rabbit meat I marinated—try it out."

"Sister-in-law Li, let me tell you, no one in the village is luckier than you. You have Zhengxiong, such a capable son, and you’re eating meat every day. For the rest of us, which household can have meat even once every three or four months, let alone every few days?" Chen Guilan commented, eating unabashedly and without a hint of restraint.

Though the household had ample meat, Sister-in-law Li’s heart was consumed with worry over her son’s marriage. She’d heard the rumors about Widow Meng and her Zhengxiong, and she’d noticed the widow treating her son exceptionally well. However, Meng was a widow herself! And of course, the meat wasn’t given for free—Sister-in-law Li soon brought up the topic.

"What’s the point of eating meat? When will I be able to hold a grandchild? Our Zhengxiong’s life is so bitter. It all started with this hunting business... sigh! He still hasn’t met someone suitable." The implication, of course, being: Do you know anyone to introduce him to?

Chen Guilan didn’t humor her straightforwardly. Instead, she took her time chewing and then said slowly, "There’s nothing wrong with hunting. Zhengxiong has a kind heart and always shares with others. Everyone in the village likes him. Just today, I saw him give some game to Sangsang from the Tian Family. Such a thoughtful young man."

"Tian Family’s third daughter-in-law, what’s that about?" Sister-in-law Li’s expression changed. "Their eldest girl usually stays holed up at home and barely goes out. How did she end up meeting my Zhengxiong?"

"Sister-in-law, I don’t like what you’re implying. Our family has no such shameless girls. Since Big Brother and Sister-in-law left, she’s been out-of-line, disrespecting both me and her grandmother. Just the other day, she even hit my Tiantian—completely unruly! Lately, she’s been fond of going to the back mountain, so it’s not unusual they crossed paths."

In Sister-in-law Li’s ears, this story began to sound... suspicious! Why would someone frequently visit the back mountain? Wasn’t it just to seduce Zhengxiong?

She was desperate to hold a grandchild, but certainly not someone else’s child. And the eldest girl from the Tian Family? A dark-skinned, chubby, lazy troublemaker? Nobody would take her, even as a daughter-in-law!

Tian Sangsang inquired about where to find Li Zhengxiong’s house. Carefully, she wrapped eight steaming crab meat dumplings in cloth and carried them over while they were still warm.

"Brother Li?!" The courtyard gate wasn’t closed, but she didn’t dare enter without permission. The Li Family’s courtyard was tightly fenced with wire. Inside was a small vegetable garden, some chickens, a few ducks, and even a pig. The air carried the distinct smell of swine.

"Who’s there?!" A woman hobbled out with her crutch.

Tian Sangsang immediately recognized her as Li Zhengxiong’s mother and greeted her politely. "Auntie Li, isn’t Brother Li home?"

"He’s not. What do you need him for?"

The tone was less than friendly.

Tian Sangsang wasn’t bothered by the attitude. After all, her predecessor hadn’t exactly been well-liked. She maintained a smile and explained, "It’s like this, Auntie. Today, when I went to the back mountain to fish, I was lucky to have Brother Li’s help. He’s such a kind person. Seeing as we’re a widow and a fatherless child, he was thoughtful enough to give us a pigeon. Such generosity shouldn’t go unreciprocated, so I made some crab meat dumplings and brought them here for you and Brother Li to try. Please accept them."

At this, Sister-in-law Li’s expression softened slightly. "So, you’ve been going to the back mountain these days just to fish?"

"Yes, I’ve been fortunate. With Brother Li’s help, I managed to catch quite a lot and even made fish soup."

No one could argue with someone who wore a warm smile. Sister-in-law Li didn’t quite grasp what "crab meat dumplings" meant, but weren’t they just dumplings? She accepted them. "That’s very thoughtful of you."

"It’s only right," Tian Sangsang said before taking her leave.

That evening, when Li Zhengxiong returned home, he saw his mother sitting in the main room, lit by the flickering glow of a candle.

Looking at her son, Sister-in-law Li asked, "Let me ask you. Did you give a pigeon to the eldest girl of the Tian Family today?"

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