Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 36 - 035 Little Lucky Star

Chapter 36: 035 Little Lucky Star

"Aunt Zhong, so you’re saying tomorrow is market day?" Tian Sangsang confirmed, relying on the original owner’s memories to recall that people here went to the market in town during the middle and end of each month.

The original owner had a sharp memory for such occasions, as every market day, Tian’s father and mother would return with delicious food for her. A child spoiled by her parents truly exudes a remarkable sense of confidence.

"Exactly." Aunt Zhong nodded in agreement.

"Auntie, can I go with you tomorrow? I want to try selling something to see if I can save up for new clothes for Yanyan. I still have some leftover flour and crabs at home, along with some pork; I could turn them into crab soup dumplings. Perhaps someone might buy them?" The space had some new clothes, but they were far too modern for now. She wasn’t ready to bring them out yet, but it didn’t matter—she could just save up to buy fabric and sew clothes herself. When things got better, she could even invest in her own sewing machine.

Aunt Zhong instantly recalled the taste of yesterday’s crab soup dumplings. She had tried one, though she saved the rest for her grandson.

"Your dumplings are delicious, especially with the crab filling. That was the first time I’d ever had something like that. It’s possible someone might buy them. If you’re keen on this, I’ll take you along tomorrow."

"When are you leaving tomorrow, Auntie? I’ll need to prepare."

"Be ready by 4:30. Wait for me at home, and I’ll come get you."

"4:30?!" Tian Sangsang shouted in shock before blurting out, "Why so early?!"

"You’ve never been to a market, so you wouldn’t know. The earlier we get there, the better. If we’re late, all the good spots will be taken, and we won’t have anywhere to set up our stall," Aunt Zhong explained with a laugh.

Tian Sangsang nodded in understanding. It was true. In summer, the sun rose early, and it took about an hour to walk from the village to the town. On market days, people from surrounding villages would all head to town to trade their goods.

"So you should go to bed early tonight so you’ll have the energy for tomorrow. What about Yanyan? Why don’t you leave him at my house? He can play with Gou Sheng, and I’ll ask Xiao Qin to keep an eye on them. I’d feel uneasy leaving Yanyan at home alone."

"Alright, I’ll have to trouble Sister Qin with that."

Since she was going to town tomorrow, Tian Sangsang busied herself by making three extra baskets of crab soup dumplings. Unlike vegetables, dumplings would cool and lose their freshness. The flavor would inevitably worsen once they weren’t hot. She planned to stealthily store them in her space and take them out when they arrived in town the next day.

She set a price for the crab soup dumplings at five cents apiece. After gathering some intel, she learned that regular pork buns, plump and hearty, sold for ten cents each. Hers were smaller but more delicate and filled with crab, so selling them at five cents apiece seemed fair.

However, selling just the crab soup dumplings wasn’t enough. Tian Sangsang wanted to make some pastries to sell too. Of course, she couldn’t make anything too unusual that might arouse suspicion. She decided to make green bean cakes, a common snack since every household could easily afford green beans. With some sweet potatoes at home, she also planned to make sweet potato steamed buns. She fondly remembered a pastry she loved as a child—similar to tangyuan but larger and filled with peanut or sesame paste. The exterior had the fragrant taste of coconut milk, somewhat like a coconut-flavored dessert but not quite the same. Unfortunately, she couldn’t for the life of her recall what it was called.

She exchanged a pound of green beans from her space. In her time, there was something called green bean flour, but she didn’t find it in the supermarket, so she had to use raw green beans. Turning raw beans into flour was a tedious process. Just the soaking alone took an entire night. Since she didn’t have that kind of time, she worked on them inside her space, which allowed her to speed up the waiting process. First, she soaked the green beans in a basin within the space, then exited to peel some sweet potatoes, wash, slice, and boil them. Sweet potato steamed buns were more common in the north than in the south, but to make them tasty required both skill and premium ingredients like powdered milk, honey, and cornmeal—items not commonly found these days. Luckily, her space had everything she needed, including crystal-clear water from the space’s spring. She was confident her version would turn out far better than the ordinary ones.

She pinched bits of dough and shaped them into the classic cone-like buns, pointy at the top and rounded at the bottom. She poked a hole at the base with her thumb, covered them, and steamed them until ready. After experimenting with a few, she confirmed the taste was excellent. This meant she could prepare a batch in the space tomorrow.

The green beans had soaked long enough, so Tian Sangsang got to work peeling the beans, fishing out the skins, and draining the water. She boiled the green beans until they were bursting at the seams, then mashed them with a spoon. Once wasn’t enough, as there were still lumps, so she sifted and strained the mixture, crushing any remaining bits repeatedly until she produced a fine green bean flour.

Tian Sangsang decided to make a larger batch of green bean cake. She cracked three eggs into the mixture, added sugar and spring water, and after finishing everything, she carried the bowl out of her space.

Meng Shuyan had just returned home and was lured to the main hall by the aroma of green beans. He climbed onto a chair to watch his mother work.

The little guy was filled with curiosity. His big round eyes sparkled, and his rosy cheeks made his delicate face even more endearing. He watched with fascination as his mother’s black-stained fingers deftly shaped the green bean paste. Before long, a neat row of square green bean cakes lay quietly on a piece of white cloth, still untouched by any molds.

Tian Sangsang washed her hands, scrubbing them spotlessly clean, then wiped them dry before asking, "Yanyan, do you want to try making one?"

"Can I?" Meng Shuyan asked softly, his big eyes glistening with eagerness.

"Of course," Tian Sangsang replied warmly. She set aside a small bowl and scooped out a bit of the paste for him to play with.

The little boy glanced at her, imitating her gestures as he tried his best. His chubby fingers fumbled clumsily, unable to create the perfect square shapes his mother made. Frustrated, his eyes darted around, and after some thought, he rolled the paste into a ball. Then, with a few mysterious tweaks, he shaped it into something unique...

When Tian Sangsang looked over, Meng Shuyan quickly lowered his head, shielding his creation with his hands.

"Yanyan, what’s wrong? Where’s the one you made?" Tian Sangsang asked as she finished her current green bean cake. She caught sight of his fluffy little head and, if her hands weren’t still covered in bean paste, would’ve patted it affectionately.

Slowly, Meng Shuyan peeked up at her, his face red as he pouted. "I can’t make it as good as yours, Mommy."

"It’s okay, sweetheart. You’re still little, and practice makes... wait, what’s this?" She couldn’t believe her eyes as she took the green bean figure from his hands. It was an adorable little dog! Who said green bean cakes had to be traditional? You could shape them into animals too!

Beaming, Tian Sangsang showered him with praise, "You’re amazing, sweetheart! You’re Mommy’s little lucky star! I love you! Mwah!"

Meng Shuyan’s eyes lit up brightly, and then he heard her exclaim, "I’m going to make Huaguo Mountain—no, wait—let’s make the Twelve Zodiac Army!"

Without further ado, Tian Sangsang got to work. Her fingers moved with mesmerizing speed as she sculpted a variety of tiny spoon-sized animals. All were plump, pinkish, and irresistibly cute.