Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 49 - 048 To Explode (2422 characters)

Chapter 49: 048 To Explode (2422 characters)

"Hey, Yingzi." Tian Sangsang sincerely advised, "I admit, I was a bit reckless when I was younger. You think I wronged him, but was he entirely innocent toward me? All these years, I’ve been the subject of gossip, endured countless judgmental stares, and no one has wanted to marry me. Has it been easy for me?"

Chen Ying snorted, "Look at yourself in the mirror. As if anyone would want to marry you."

Tian Sangsang cleared her throat, "Yingzi, let’s look ahead, alright? I’ve already let go of the past. From now on, I only have my son; I hope you can forget him soon too and start a fresh life. Aren’t you dating Teacher Zhou now? You wouldn’t understand because you haven’t had kids—I’m speaking from experience. Trust me, Teacher Zhou is nothing but a hypocrite. He..."

"Also, killing snakes, killing snakes isn’t such a big deal. Your hero is way too cheap. I can slaughter pigs, you know? And I’ve never bragged about it."

"Mind your own business!" Chen Ying suddenly became dazed, recalling what had just transpired. "I really regret it. If I had been braver back then, there wouldn’t be a Meng Shuyan in this world now—it would have been Chen Shuyan."

Her tears were flowing. Chen Ying walked ahead like a lost soul, floating forward. "Yes, why couldn’t my face be as thick-skinned as Tian Sangsang’s."

Aw, young lady, listen. You can eat recklessly, but you can’t talk recklessly. Forcing oneself on a man is still a crime and comes with consequences. Haven’t you seen how tragic the original victim’s fate was? They met a swift demise, reuniting in heaven with their parents and grandmother. Young lady, your thoughts are dangerous...

It was nearly dusk when Tian Sangsang tossed the rabbit’s ear into her dimensional space and dragged her plump body back home.

At home, there was a clay pot that her grandmother had once used to pickle vegetables. Now, Tian Sangsang had cleaned it thoroughly and repurposed it to soak braised food. The longer the braised food soaks, the richer the taste. The remaining braising liquid was saved for next time—aged braising liquid, once infused over time, also worked better than the fresh batch.

For dinner, they had plain rice and a bowl of light soup. Tian Sangsang used a special pair of chopsticks to lift some braised food from the clay pot and placed it into a large serving bowl.

The vibrant red braising liquid seeped deep into the food—seasoned chicken drumsticks, pork trotters, eggs, chicken wings, duck feet, smoked tofu, and duck necks. Each piece glistened as an irresistible aroma filled the room. Meng Shuyan crouched attentively, his small frame hunched as he watched her dish out two braised chicken drumsticks, two pork trotters, two braised eggs, two chicken wings, two duck feet, four pieces of braised tofu, and two duck necks. The alluring red glaze and tantalizing smells ignited his appetite.

Braised food tastes even better once it has cooled. Luckily, Tian Sangsang had let it soak since noon, so everything was perfectly chilled.

"Son, quick, eat up—it should taste pretty good!" Tian Sangsang said with a beaming smile.

"Mm! Mom, you eat some too!" Meng Shuyan’s eyes sparkled as he reached for a duck neck first, clearly his favorite.

Watching her son eat so joyfully, Tian Sangsang swallowed hard but resisted the urge to grab a bite. She’d promised herself to stick to her weight loss plan. For days, she’d been finding excuses to start dieting "tomorrow," but how many "tomorrows" did she have to waste?

Starting today, she’d eat only bland, light food and deliberately reduce her portion sizes. The original owner of this body weighed nearly 190 pounds—she needed to shed at least 40 or 50 pounds to get into the "normal overweight" range before indulging again.

As she chewed on a plate of plain vegetables, Meng Shuyan lifted his head and asked eagerly, "Mom, why aren’t you eating any meat again?"

"You focus on eating, son. Mom’s on a diet. Let me tell you: people shouldn’t get too fat. If I don’t start losing weight now, I’ll turn into a ball—a big, round ball. You know what happens when a balloon gets stretched out for too long? It pops! Bang! Explodes!" Tian Sangsang widened her eyes and spread her fingers dramatically to mimic an explosion.

"Mommy! Wahhh!" Meng Shuyan stood frozen, his little brows furrowed tightly. He jumped off his chair with a thump, grabbed onto her leg, climbed onto her lap, and threw his arms around her neck as he wailed, "Mommy, don’t explode! I don’t want you to explode!!!"

"Oh, son, son." Tian Sangsang patted his tiny head. She hadn’t meant to scare him too much. "Don’t worry, son—Mommy definitely won’t get fat. That’s why Mommy is dieting right now."

Honestly, she hadn’t tried to scare him on purpose—it was just a recurring thought she couldn’t let go. Back when she read *One Hundred Years of Solitude*, most people claimed Jose Arcadio’s death was an unsolved mystery. She had entertained all sorts of conjectures and conspiracy theories at the time. But in retrospect, sometimes the simplest explanation is the truest. Jose Arcadio had an extraordinary physique and a passionate nature—could his death have resulted from some natural biological cause, rather than the rumored assassination by his brother’s political enemies or being poisoned by his wife Rebecca?

The little guy, with misty red eyes, gazed up at her. "But Mommy, you’re so pitiful. You can’t eat much, and I’m the only one eating meat."

"Mommy has food too, just not meat. Look—Mommy’s covered in fat! If I eat meat, I’ll gain even more fat." She stroked his fluffy, curly head, savoring its comforting texture. "You don’t want Mommy to explode, do you? So you have to help supervise Mommy. No meat—only vegetables!"

After coaxing and cajoling, she finally managed to calm her son. Once dinner was done, Tian Sangsang tidied up and, under the dim kerosene lamp light, began sewing clothes for Meng Shuyan. The current plain outfits were too dull, so she decided to embroider cute, cartoonish patterns to make them more appealing.

On one shirt, she stitched a duck in vibrant yellow—a classic design that reminded her of childhood baths, when she’d loved tossing a little rubber duck into the tub.

Another shirt featured a goofy little puppy—adorably clumsy and charming.

The next day, she dressed Meng Shuyan in the new outfit: the yellow duck T-shirt paired with little shorts. She also redeemed a simple pair of sandals from the dimensional space for him to wear.

They say clothes make the man, and sure enough, once dressed in fresh attire, Meng Shuyan seemed like a brand-new person. He was utterly delighted, running his hands over the new clothes repeatedly as if he couldn’t get enough.

While Tian Sangsang prepared another batch of braised food, he marched on his short little legs straight out the door.

She wasn’t sure where he was off to. When she finished her tasks and stepped outside, she realized he was strutting around amongst his little friends. His face bore a stern, noble expression, but his lips betrayed him with a slight, victorious curl.

"Oh dear, the little prince is showing off."

He looked just like a proud, puffed-up rooster, confidently holding his head high.

"Meng Shuyan, did you get new clothes?"

"My mom made them for me," the little guy announced triumphantly.

"Your mom can make clothes?"

Meng Shuyan pouted, slightly displeased. Of course his mom was amazing—why did everyone seem to doubt her?

"Hey, kids~" Tian Sangsang greeted them with a cheerful smile.

At the sound of her voice, the children instinctively retreated three steps, clutching each other and shrinking their heads, their eyes wide with fear. This plump woman had a reputation for stealing food!

She steals snacks~~~

"Auntie has candy here—want some?" She reached into her pocket and pulled out a handful of old-fashioned treats: chewy caramel candies.

"Yanyan, share these with your little friends."

Seeing the delicate candies adorned with sesame seeds, the children’s faces lit up with desire.

Meng Shuyan generously handed out one candy to each child. Suddenly, they all wanted to be his best friends, promising to come play with him more often. Meng Shuyan tilted his head slightly, as if he’d just gained some profound new understanding.

Nearby, Gou Sheng sulked in jealousy, his pout so exaggerated it could have hung a bottle of oil.

"Gou Sheng..."

"Hmph!" He turned his head to the left.

"Gou Sheng..."

"Hmph!" He turned his head to the right.

Meng Shuyan nudged him and opened his small fist, revealing another caramel candy, which he offered forward. "I saved this one especially for you."

"Brother Yan!" Gou Sheng exclaimed in joy, snatching the candy. He unwrapped it in seconds and stuffed it into his mouth, beaming, "Brother Yan, you’re the best! T-T!"

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