Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 35 - 034 Rural Love Story (Supplement for 06/22, extra update for 1000 subscriptions)

Chapter 35: 034 Rural Love Story (Supplement for 06/22, extra update for 1000 subscriptions)

Tian Sangsang started her running routine, waking up every day at 5:30 a.m., drinking half a bowl of sugar water, throwing on a damp towel, and heading out. She ran from the end of the village to the front and then circled back again.

At first, sticking to it wasn’t easy. Halfway through the run, Tian Sangsang collapsed on the ground, panting heavily.

"Look! Isn’t that Tian Sangsang?"

"What’s she up to?"

"Looks like she’s trying to lose weight."

"What a joke! Running a few laps and expecting to shed all that pork fat? Why doesn’t she just fly?"

"A grown woman, wandering around the village at the crack of dawn, aren’t you ashamed of yourself?"

"..."

In this mountain village, most households still didn’t have TVs. Even having electricity was a luxury. With little to keep them entertained, someone as eccentric as Tian Sangsang naturally became the topic of everyone’s idle chatter.

"Hey, Tian Sangsang, with those pig trotters of yours, you’re actually trying to run? I could walk faster than you!" Zhou Zheng sneered as he passed by.

Tian Sangsang stuck out one of her "pig trotters".

With a loud "thud," Zhou Zheng went sprawling face-first into the dirt, landing in spectacular fashion. He looked like he’d just eaten... well, you know.

His white shirt was smeared with dirt and grime as he clambered up, hands and feet scrambling, his face bright red. "Tian Sangsang!"

Tian Sangsang lifted her head to look at him, only to see his eyes glowering like he wanted to eat her alive. Her face broke into a wide grin like a blooming flower. "Mr. Zhou, please watch your demeanor. You’re a teacher, a role model for the village, meant to educate and inspire with gentle charm, not violence. Everyone’s watching; if you want to kick me, go ahead."

Zhou Zheng gritted his teeth, stomping down the urge to lash out. He looked around furtively, brushed off his pants and shirt with a calculated nonchalance, and strolled away, embodying the very picture of elegance.

Oh, so dignified. Sure, keep pretending.

After resting for a while and waiting for the burning sensation in her throat to subside, Tian Sangsang pushed herself up, hands on her knees.

A familiar voice called out, coming closer, "Tian Sangsang, are you out of your mind? You can’t even run properly, yet you’re still forcing yourself. Ew, you smell like sweat—stay away from me!"

"Just now, Mr. Zhou walked past me and said I had pig trotters. So, I tripped him with those pig trotters. He wanted to kick me but held back because he cared about his image. His frustration was written all over his face," Tian Sangsang said matter-of-factly.

"Are you nuts? Mr. Zhou’s not like that!" Chen Ying rolled her eyes so hard they nearly lodged in her skull. Apparently, that wasn’t enough, so she stomped her foot for good measure. "Hmph!"

Watching Chen Ying’s retreating figure, Tian Sangsang yelled, "Hey, I wasn’t finished talking... Yingzi..."

Never mind. Back to running. Suddenly, Chen Ming appeared beside her, holding a hoe and jogging along. He raised an eyebrow, "Your hand’s healed, huh?"

Tian Sangsang ignored him, using her towel to wipe the sweat off her face.

"I’ve been thinking these past few days—what happened made it look like I was bullying you." Chen Ming gazed straight ahead as he spoke.

Well, well, is that a guilty conscience I hear?

But before she could say anything, Chen Ming continued, "Why would I even bother messing with you? You’re not even worth it... Anyway, Tiantian!" And off he sprinted. His fleeing figure was oddly reminiscent of a certain classic character from Gaoshan Village.

In a village teeming with testosterone, Tian Sangsang thought to herself, "..." Life as a semi-widow sure is lonely—ugh.

Two days passed in a flash, and things improved slightly in the food department. After her morning runs, Tian Sangsang would work in the fields for a bit before heading to the back mountain in the afternoons. Over the past two days, she’d gathered quite the haul: guavas, loquats, starfruit, longan trees. All of it went into her secret stash. The variety of flowers on the mountain wasn’t bad either: Sunflowers, wild daisies, dandelions, azaleas, lilacs...

Meanwhile, the two family chickens were on death’s door. No matter how much she fed them, they remained scrawny, heads drooping listlessly. It was all Tian Sangsang could do to resist the urge to give them a swift kick.

Why posture like it’s mating season when spring is long over...

"Are they sick or what? I was counting on them for chicken soup. Maybe I should take them to my stash to recover?"

Squatting in front of the hens, Meng Shuyan rested his chubby hands under his chin and sighed, "Mom, they’re hungry."

"That’s impossible. I just fed them some grain."

"No, no." Meng Shuyan shook his little head, completely confident. "Mom, they want something else."

"Like what?"

Looking a bit hesitant, Meng Shuyan finally murmured, "They like eating the things I catch."

Tian Sangsang froze, her maternal instincts kicking in as she patted her son’s head. "Shuyan, do you want some chicken soup?"

Meng Shuyan nodded fervently.

"Alright then, these two chickens are your responsibility. I expect them to look robust and full of life soon."

"Mom..." Meng Shuyan’s dark eyes twinkled mischievously. "Can I go catch that... thing?"

"Yes."

With his mother’s approval, Meng Shuyan immediately sprang into action. Every day, he could be found crouching by the chicken coop, feeding the chickens with extraordinary enthusiasm. His passion even spread to the neighbor boy, Gou Sheng. The two often went out together and returned with jars full of—well, you could pretty much guess.

While Tian Sangsang was busy shelling peanuts in the courtyard, she overheard the boys whispering nearby. She perked her ears up to listen in.

Gou Sheng: "Shuyan, I caught a lot today—six bugs and one earthworm. What about you?"

Meng Shuyan: "About the same as you."

After a bit of scuffling, Gou Sheng exclaimed, "Wow, Shuyan, you’ve got one, two, three, four... seven, eight, ten, twenty bugs, and three earthworms!"

"Eleven bugs and three earthworms," Meng Shuyan corrected, his voice soft and childlike.

"I counted twenty! Why is it eleven?" Scratching his head, Gou Sheng added, "But, fine, I’ll go with your count, Shuyan. Eleven it is... Eleven minus six is, uh, ten minus five is five, plus one makes six. You caught six more than I did."

"My Xiaohua can’t eat that much. Gou Sheng, you can take some back for your chickens."

"Shuyan, you’re the best!"

"It’s nothing; respect for elders and care for the young."

Tian Sangsang couldn’t hold back her laughter anymore. She lightly tapped Meng Shuyan on the head, chuckling, "Impressive, my little Shuyan. You even know words like ’respect for elders and care for the young’ now."

"Mom, Gou Sheng taught me that. Gou Sheng’s amazing! He even teaches me counting and pinyin. Right, Gou Sheng?" Meng Shuyan grinned wide, his smile pure and shimmering.

"Huh!?" Gou Sheng, busy sorting bugs, was baffled. Respect for elders and care for the young? Did Teacher Zhou even teach us that phrase? But then he looked at Meng Shuyan’s adorable, admiring little face, his crescent-shaped eyes brimming with sincerity. So, Gou Sheng puffed up his chest and declared, "Exactly, Auntie! I taught him that, and Shuyan learns fast—it only took one try."

Turning away, he quickly began flipping through his textbook. What the heck does "respect for elders and care for the young" even mean?

Kid, you’ve already become... something else, haven’t you? Tian Sangsang ruffled her son’s curly hair and smiled kindly at Gou Sheng, "Gou Sheng, you’re absolutely brilliant."

Still, Tian Sangsang had a lingering worry—she hadn’t figured out a reliable way to earn money. She rummaged through the old crock where the original owner’s grandmother had hidden some money. It was well-concealed and had gone unnoticed by others. However, the stash wasn’t very useful—just a few food stamps and some silver notes of small denominations.

Just as she was fretting over this, she overheard Aunt Zhong discussing the upcoming market day with someone. In this village, they called going to the market "going to the street."

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