Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 38 - 037 Nobleman

Chapter 38: 037 Nobleman

The sun grew fiercer, sweat poured down her forehead like rain, trickling over her dark skin. Tian Sangsang raised her hand to wipe it away, then shook her hand. Fat people sure sweat a lot.

She hadn’t put on sunscreen when she left the house; now the ultraviolet rays were beating down on her.

Aunt Zhong’s eggs sold out quickly. She walked up to Tian Sangsang, glanced at her goods, and said warmly, "Sangsang, don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time. Buying and selling requires mutual willingness—sometimes there’s no one for a while, and then all of a sudden, someone comes along and buys everything."

Tian Sangsang knew she was trying to console her and smiled sincerely.

"I’m heading to the co-op now to pick up some things for my family. When I come back, I’ll help you yell out for sales." Aunt Zhong added.

"Okay, Auntie, you go ahead. I’ll wait a little longer."

After Aunt Zhong left, Tian Sangsang finally became aware of the unusual behavior of the passersby—the strange glances and the whispered pointing fingers. No one was willing to come up and ask about her goods. Clearly, they were keeping their distance from her. She never realized before how deeply discrimination could hurt. Turns out that her cheerful, joking demeanor of late might have seemed ridiculous to others. She was undoubtedly an oddity, yet somehow thought of herself as the reincarnation of a former Tian Sangsang.

Tian Sangsang sat on the ground, burying her head in her arms, silently reflecting. This was truly an era of vanity, a timeless truth across history.

Your face isn’t everything, but without a face, you truly have nothing.

Her face’s "lethal power" might be exceedingly strong...

Otherwise, why wouldn’t anyone dare to come near?

Suddenly, she was drawn to a burst of crisp laughter.

On the street stood two young women, both seemingly around twenty years old, arms linked as they chatted and laughed intimately like bosom friends.

One of the girls had almond-shaped eyes and peach-like cheeks, her appearance fashionable—a white Dacron blouse, blue polyester pants, and small stylish shoes. Such an outfit made her a unique sight in the entire town.

Tian Sangsang looked down at her own dusty outfit and the worn shoes on her feet. The soles had worn so thin that walking rubbed painfully against the ground—blisters must’ve formed by now.

The other girl wore a floral summer dress paired with simple sandals. Though not as refined as clothing from later times, there was a distinct charm for the era. She was slimmer than the first girl, the kind of delicate beauty that carries its own appeal.

"Fangfang, why’d you come back all of a sudden? No heads-up at all. My mom’s back home cooking for you—let’s head to my house for a meal afterward?" The girl in the dress said affectionately. "Ever since you went to college, we haven’t had proper time together."

"My cousin’s school is on vacation, so I came back with him to see Qianqian. We’ll be staying here for the summer." Yao Fangfang looked around and then waved her tender hand, wrinkling her nose in disdain. "The town is nothing like the city—everything here is filthy. I don’t know why Aunt still won’t take Qianqian and move to the city."

"Yiyuan’s back too?" Shui Lian’s eyes lit up with a soft smile. "It’s rare for him to come back, Qianqian must be thrilled."

Yao Fangfang smiled, "I missed Qianqian too."

"Who wouldn’t know Qianqian’s favorite is you, her cousin." Shui Lian laughed then added, "Let’s go. My school’s just let out too; let’s visit Aunt’s house and see Qianqian."

"Alright." Yao Fangfang nodded but suddenly stopped, pointing ahead. "Shui Lian, look!"

Shui Lian looked over, her eyes flickering with disgust. "Don’t bother looking—it’s sickening. She’s likely some beggar from the countryside."

"No way, how could someone be that dark? Looks like a gorilla, so revolting." Yao Fangfang covered her mouth.

"Hmm?" Shui Lian’s gaze dropped lower. "Looks like she’s not begging... she appears to be selling things. See what’s in front of her—is that pastries? Quite adorable; I’ve never seen anything like them."

Yao Fangfang pouted. "No matter how cute they are, just looking at her ruins my appetite. Let’s go; I might actually throw up."

"Fangfang, see—told you not to look. Feeling better now?" Shui Lian followed behind, speaking with concern.

Their voices faded into the distance, leaving Tian Sangsang filled with an uncontainable anger, with nowhere to let it out.

She draped a white cloth over her pastries, rested her hands on her knees, and hung her head low, curling herself into the shape of an ostrich. At that moment, she thought of her son...

Aunt Zhong hadn’t returned from the co-op yet. The sun blazed on Tian Sangsang, radiating waves of heat. She wiped her face, planning to pack up and find another spot to try her luck. If that didn’t work, perhaps she could sell her goods to some shops.

Just as she was about to stand, a pair of clean men’s leather shoes entered her view.

Tian Sangsang looked up. This man’s attire was worlds apart from that of the locals.

Black dress pants, a white shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, and a loosely tied necktie. Despite the casual look, the white shirt on him exuded elegance—a far cry from Zhou Zheng’s usual demeanor. His tall figure cast a shadow over Tian Sangsang. Though his features weren’t strikingly handsome, his refined and soft smile lent him an undeniable charm.

It felt like a gentle spring breeze.

And perhaps like distant fishing lights along the riverbank, softly illuminating her heart.

Seeing Tian Sangsang gawking in a daze, he bent down slightly and said, "Here, go buy yourself something."

As he approached, Tian Sangsang instinctively placed her hands nervously at her waist.

When she saw him about to leave, and then glanced at the money he’d given, she snapped out of her daze and called out to him, "Sir, wait!"

He paused, slowly turned back to look at her.

Picking up the money from the ground, she lifted the white cloth with her hand, revealing vividly crafted zodiac animal pastries under the sunlight.

"Would you like to buy something?" Afraid he might refuse, she looked at him directly and said, "I can’t accept your money for nothing."

Giving out five yuan in one go—even if it was dismissed as charity—such generosity was significant in this era. Wait, did he actually mistake her for a beggar?

His calm gaze slowly shifted from her to the ground, his eyes enquiring: "Mung bean cakes?"

"Yes, sir, you’ve got a sharp eye! Not just mung bean cakes—I also have sweet potato buns and crab roe dumplings. Sweet potato buns and crab roe dumplings are five cents each. Mung bean cakes are 1.2 yuan per pound. I run a modest business; the prices are very fair." Tian Sangsang explained.

"I see." He focused on the mung bean cakes. "Did you make these yourself?"

"That’s right. They’re delicious!" Tian Sangsang smiled brightly, her already small eyes narrowing into slits. "If you have kids in the family, they’d love them. Aren’t they adorable? Children won’t be able to take their eyes off them. My son loves them so much."

The man lowered his gaze briefly, as though remembering something, before responding after a pause, "Give me half of each type."