Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 34 - 033 Affectionate

Chapter 34: 033 Affectionate

Li Zhengxiong sat across from her, starving. He took a big mouthful of rice, stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, and asked, "What’s wrong, Ma?"

"Before, you never gave her anything. Now you’re giving her something. Why is that?" Li’s sister-in-law grumbled.

"Didn’t meet the Tian Family girl before, that’s all," Li Zhengxiong said casually. "Isn’t it you who always says we should be kind and share more with others? Our family can’t finish everything anyway."

Li’s sister-in-law choked on her words. She had indeed said that before, but: "There are so many mouths in this village. In the future, just ignore her when you see her, to avoid giving people something to talk about."

Li Zhengxiong paused in mid-bite, lifted his head with a hint of gravity, and asked, "What’s happened, Ma?"

"Look." Li’s sister-in-law glanced sideways. "She even sent you a return gift."

Their family often acted generously, but most people just accepted without much thought. Those who reciprocated were rare—only Widow Meng came to mind, but everyone could see what her intentions were. Yet today, Tian Sangsang had sent something over as well. How could Li’s sister-in-law not overthink it!

Li Zhengxiong couldn’t help but look toward the table. Wrapped in a piece of white cloth, the bundle sat there. Li’s sister-in-law turned her head, refusing to look at it. Ever since bringing it back, she had casually tossed it on the corner of the table. Someone like Tian Sangsang, who supposedly couldn’t even cook—how would she manage to make buns? Were they as unattractive as she was?

For some unknown reason, a grinning face with dark skin surfaced in his mind, and Li Zhengxiong’s ears turned red. As he thought, he unwrapped the white cloth. Inside were rows of delicate steamed buns. A faint crab aroma wafted out, even catching the attention of Li’s sister-in-law.

These were the most beautiful buns he’d ever seen. Shaped like flower buds, each had a bit of yellow "pollen" at the center—simply picture-perfect.

"Such adorable buns—I almost can’t bring myself to eat them," Li Zhengxiong murmured as he carefully moved his rough hands aside.

"Hah, buns so cute they’re hard to eat—" Li’s sister-in-law stretched her neck to take a look, but immediately fell silent in astonishment. Then, she sneered. "Looks nice doesn’t mean it’ll taste nice."

Li Zhengxiong couldn’t resist anymore. He picked up one of the steamed buns and popped it into his mouth. The small size made it disappear in just a few bites. But after one bite, without even swallowing, he immediately grabbed another, then another, and then—

Li’s sister-in-law slapped his hand. "Is this stuff for you to gobble down without thinking? Even the finest food would be wasted on you."

"It’s not that, Ma—it’s really delicious." Li Zhengxiong licked his lips.

His sister-in-law picked one up as well, thinking she’d lost this round. Who would’ve thought buns could be made like this? Taking a bite, her mouth filled with the sweet aroma of crab. As she chewed, the flavor of pork complemented the seafood perfectly. Even though her face remained expressionless, the speed at which she continued eating said everything.

Seeing Li Zhengxiong reaching for more, she quickly stopped him. "They’re cold now—I’ll heat them up. Things like this taste even better warm." After saying that, she couldn’t help but regret eating so quickly. For something so delectable, it should’ve been savored slowly. Then there was her son, eating like a literal cow chewing cud—could he even taste the flavors?

The next day, Tian Sangsang heard the gossip flying through the village. The gist was that she and Li Zhengxiong had been seen together, igniting a story about her competing with Widow Meng for him. These three—one a supposed "wife killer," another a widow, and the last an unwed single mother—made for a scandalous combination. Everyone expected drama to unfold, but in reality, Li Zhengxiong was too straightforward to think in that way, and Tian Sangsang, as usual, didn’t care about gossip. She went on eating, drinking, and catching crabs as she pleased. Widow Meng, on the other hand, grew uneasy—but thinking of how Tian Sangsang was dark-skinned and fat, she reassured herself, figuring only a blind man would want to marry her.

Rumors without follow-up or evidence soon fizzled out.

In the dead of night, the cicadas chirped endlessly. Beneath the moonlit trees, a pair of figures leaned close—man and woman intertwined.

"Ah Zheng, I can’t stop worrying. Tian Sangsang actually has such good luck—she survived and even seems sharper than before. If she exposes our secret, won’t we be...?" Tian Tian’s voice trailed off, her pale face even more pitiful under the moonlight.

"What’s there to fear? Your villagers don’t even believe her," Zhou Zheng whispered comfortingly. "Tiantian, our happy days are just around the corner. Tian Sangsang isn’t even qualified to be an obstacle for us."

"But haven’t you heard? People’s impressions of her are changing. They say she knows how to cook now, chop wood, and catch fish..."

Zhou Zheng recalled the imposing manner Tian Sangsang had displayed that day, and he couldn’t help but feel irritated. He frowned. "Things are up to us. She’d better behave herself, or I’ll make sure the villagers change their opinions of her again."

"I believe you." Tian Tian smiled sweetly, then suddenly asked, "Haven’t you settled things with Yingzi yet?"

"That nagging old maid is so prudish—one word from her father, and she refuses to compromise. I haven’t even kissed her yet," Zhou Zheng said with bitterness. He hadn’t expected that all the shoes and clothes he’d made for her would lead to a deadlock at the crucial moment.

"Oh, so you’re really eager to kiss her, huh?" Tian Tian pouted and playfully glared at him, her lips red and inviting.

Zhou Zheng couldn’t handle her mischievous charm. He pulled her into his arms and smothered her with kisses. After a while, he gasped for air and said, "I’m only doing this for our future. If her uncle weren’t an official in the county, I wouldn’t even look at her."

"It’s easy to talk. Why haven’t you gotten her yet? If the village chief doesn’t arrange your marriage, when will you be able to use her family’s influence to return to the city? My mom might marry me off by then—maybe even to Chen Ming. Plenty of girls in the village want to marry him."

"But..." Zhou Zheng started to panic.

"Let me give you an idea." Tian Tian’s gentle smile returned as she leaned in close to whisper something into his ear.

"That’s it?" Zhou Zheng’s eyes lit up.

"I know Yingzi well. She didn’t get into college and adores city culture and romance. It’s bound to work."

"Good girl, Tiantian." Zhou Zheng pulled her even closer, savoring the softness of her body. Despite the darkness, he glanced warily around before murmuring urgently, "Tiantian, there’s no one here—how about we...? I can’t take it anymore."

"Stop it." Tian Tian laughed softly as she pushed him away and cupped his face. "Ah Zheng, I don’t want our first time to be here. When you’ve transferred back to the city, I’ll give myself to you." A beauty through and through, Tian Tian knew Zhou Zheng’s feelings for her and skillfully used her charms to keep him in line.

Zhou Zheng cupped her face and gave her a few wolfish kisses before saying, "You tell Chen Ming to spend more time influencing Yingzi."

Thinking of Chen Ming, Tian Tian couldn’t suppress a sly smile. A big oaf who trailed behind her every day, bringing her face cream and pastries—did he really think she didn’t notice? Still, she enjoyed the attention. Too bad, as good as Chen Ming was, he was just a lowly country bumpkin without any education.