Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 41 - 040 The Servant of the People

Chapter 41: 040 The Servant of the People

Tian Sangsang’s cold gaze swept over her without lingering for a single moment.

Yao Fangfang, for the first time, felt insulted—how could a rural bumpkin dare to look at her with such an expression?

Her almond-shaped eyes glared wide open: "Who gave you the right to look at me like that? So what if I paid before you? What can you do about it?"

Throwing a proper spoiled-brat tantrum.

Tian Sangsang wasn’t picking a fight with her. Girls like her thrive on adoration; anyone who defies them is unacceptable. But Sangsang wasn’t her lackey—why should she indulge her?

"Fangfang, don’t get upset." Shui Lian tried to soothe Yao Fangfang, politely nodding towards Tian Sangsang and giving a faint smile. "Miss, we didn’t mean to cut in line for payment; we honestly thought you hadn’t bought anything yet. Sorry about that. I’ll let you pay first, okay?"

She stepped aside.

"Xiaolian, why are you tolerating someone as uncivilized as her?!" Yao Fangfang gritted her teeth.

"Comrade, are you here to make trouble? The transaction is already halfway done; it’s not like waiting these few moments will make a big difference. If you want to settle your payment, wait until this fellow comrade is done, then I’ll assist you."

Tian Sangsang didn’t care about who paid first or later—when that woman moved aside, it almost gave the impression that Sangsang was uncultured, as if bullying others. This wasn’t about the billing anymore; it was about attitude.

"Set the payment aside for now. What I question is your attitude as public servants."

The chubby saleswoman snorted derisively in a deliberately sarcastic tone, "And what’s wrong with our attitude?"

"Earlier, the elderly lady over there kept asking you questions. Why didn’t you respond?"

The woman knitting a sweater looked a bit guilty: "The prices are clearly written on the paper. If she can’t read, how is that our fault?"

"This is your attitude towards serving the people? Sure, the prices are written there—just writing them down is enough, huh? Then why bother having you here at all? Why bother employing police officers at all? If everyone could read and handle it themselves, what’s your purpose here? Just to live off an easy paycheck? If you’re in the position, you need to fulfill the responsibilities that come with it. The public pays for your salary, and in return, you’re expected to do the job properly. Keep in mind, the authority you hold comes from the people, and you are supposed to serve the public with dedication. Now that you have power, you emulate the attitude of landlords, unwilling to serve wholeheartedly. What good are you then!" Tian Sangsang’s words were decisive and powerful.

The two female employees were dumbstruck by her speech.

The chubby woman refused to back down: "Didn’t you see how busy we were? When we’ve got time, of course we’ll respond to people. Posting a sign is just for convenience when we’re overwhelmed and can’t attend to everyone."

Tian Sangsang shook her head: "Busy? Snacking on sunflower seeds counts as busy? Knitting sweaters counts as busy? This is a public space, not your own home. Your attitude toward serving the people is problematic. Where’s your supervisor? I need to bring this to their attention..."

Nowadays, employees who slack off, munching snacks and doing personal activities during work hours—if their company tolerated such behavior, imagine where integrity would be. They’d be immediately terminated if this were the modern day.

Let alone in this particular era—these people were living off government-issued salaries, working minimally and holding an awful attitude.

"Going to a supervisor for such trivial matters? You sure are bold!" Yao Fangfang sneered disdainfully.

"Miss..." Tian Sangsang responded coolly, "I don’t think this is a trivial matter. Small lapses lead to larger ones; small clues reveal bigger truths. If disregarding discipline is considered a minor issue, then everyone could behave this way eventually—society would spiral into chaos. Our staff are meant to be disciplined and responsible; we don’t nurture parasites of society."

"Miss, we’ve already given way. Why make such a big deal out of it? Take a step back, and the seas calm, the skies clear. If this escalates further, it won’t look good for anyone," Shui Lian tactfully chimed in.

"I’m just stating my concerns." Tian Sangsang gave her a cool glance, "Alright, go ahead and finish your payment. I’ll be next."

The surrounding crowd, inspired by Tian Sangsang’s words, began whispering among themselves. They’d long been frustrated with the sour attitudes of these supply and sales workers—nobody expected them to be overly friendly, but they should at least maintain basic civility. Their perpetual air of someone being indebted to them ruined people’s moods every time.

The two saleswomen, overhearing the chatter around them, flushed red with embarrassment, their necks stiffening with anger. As they helped Shui Lian tally her items, they shot venomous glares at Tian Sangsang.

"Miss, I apologize," Shui Lian said gracefully and softly.

Tian Sangsang didn’t see any trace of genuine apology in her demeanor; she nodded lightly to acknowledge it.

A familiar voice suddenly carried over: "Fangfang, are you done yet?"

Crisp and pleasant, it felt refreshing, like spring breezes.

Xu, Xu Yiyuan?

"Cousin!" Yao Fangfang called out joyfully, no longer sparing a thought to despising Tian Sangsang. Conveniently, Shui Lian had finished, and the two girls, arms entwined, exited the venue carrying their purchases.

Tian Sangsang froze abruptly and looked towards the entrance. Were they relatives...?

What might those two say?

But if...

Ah, wait a second, Tian Sangsang—why do you care about other people’s opinions? The moment you encounter an attractive man, does your brain stop working?

If he turns out to be an unreasonable person, then that just means you judged him wrongly.

"I heard the commotion from afar. What happened here?"

Xu Yiyuan proffered his hands to take the large and small bags from Yao Fangfang, but when he reached Shui Lian, she smiled gently, "Yiyuan, I can carry them myself. It’s no trouble."

Yao Fangfang rushed to complain: "Cousin, you didn’t see the fat woman—she was terrifyingly ugly! Dark-skinned, overweight, reeking all over, terribly coarse. She got mad because I paid before her, glaring at everyone like she couldn’t stand the sight of anything, and then she scolded the sales clerks non-stop. Honestly, I don’t know where she gets the nerve."

Fat woman?

Xu Yiyuan’s obsidian-like eyes flickered, "Why was she scolding them?"

"Well, Fangfang accidentally took her spot in line. She wasn’t happy about it and decided to lecture everyone in line," Shui Lian interjected at the right moment.

"Exactly." Yao Fangfang chattered on, recounting the events of the day. Expecting some sympathy from her cousin—after all, aside from Qianqian, he doted on her the most.

But—

"Ridiculous," Xu Yiyuan uttered in a low reprimanded tone.

"Exactly! She’s so unreasonable!" Yao Fangfang agreed.

"I was talking about you." Xu Yiyuan cast her a glance, "She wasn’t wrong."

"Cousin, how can you take the side of a stranger?" Yao Fangfang halted her steps, baffled.

"This whole thing was your fault," Xu Yiyuan sighed softly, as if deep in thought, "Even in the county we live in, clerks aren’t this arrogant compared to this small place. It does need to be brought to the higher-ups’ attention—it’s a matter of discipline and behavior."

Yao Fangfang scoffed incredulously, "Cousin, you’re too rigid. Such trivial matters can’t prove anything. Society here is built on personal ties—if she couldn’t articulate her concerns, that’s her own problem. Pretending to stand on some righteous pedestal for the common people’s sake, she’s just embittered and envious of me and Xiaolian. So she lashed out at the clerks. Let’s be real, even if you swapped those clerks out, who can guarantee the next won’t act the same? Being a little materialistic isn’t wrong. It’s not like they were murdering or robbing anyone. Who did it hurt?"