Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 52 - 051 Encounter Again

Chapter 52: 051 Encounter Again

The customers this time were rather unusual—burly men, their tank tops soaked with sweat, carrying a strong odor of perspiration.

The leader scratched his head and asked the person behind him, "Is this the place?"

The one in the back sniffed the air. "Judging by the smell, this must be it."

They had imagined the maker of such delicious food to be a nimble-fingered young lady. Who would’ve thought...

After a brief daze, the group shook off their surprise, and the leader stepped forward to greet her. "Miss, we’re Li Zhengxiong’s coworkers. He recommended your place to us. The braised food you make is just fantastic. I tried some earlier and couldn’t even wait to eat my lunch—I rushed over to buy more to go with my meals!"

During lunch earlier, Li Zhengxiong had shared some of the food he brought, and everyone had tried a bite. The taste was incredible. Comparing it to their own boring side dishes, they found their meals nearly inedible.

Tian Sangsang immediately caught on—Li Zhengxiong had brought her new business.

"Ah, so you’re Brother Li’s friends! Since we’re all acquaintances, I’ll give you a discount. Originally, it’s seventy-five cents a pound, but I’ll make it seventy-two cents for you. If you like it, make sure to come back next time!"

"We will, sure!"

Each man picked what they wanted to buy and then paid.

One big man wiped his sweaty forehead and said, "The food is delicious, but it’d be better in winter. With the sun blazing like this, I can’t eat too much. Miss, don’t get me wrong—it’s not that your food isn’t good. Quite the opposite! The flavor is fantastic. It’s just this heat!"

Tian Sangsang thought for a moment—it made sense. In this sweltering summer, people usually didn’t have much of an appetite for heavy, greasy foods. Instead, they craved water, popsicles, or a slice of watermelon.

Popsicles and watermelons were rare in this small town. If she could sell these items during the summer, she might make a decent profit. Still, popsicles were out of the question due to sourcing challenges. Juice seemed more feasible, but where would she get the fruits? Buy them? She did grow some fruits in her space, though the variety wasn’t large, and she still needed to get seeds. It seemed like she shouldn’t prepare too much braised food next time—selling pastries would be better. Those could be enjoyed year-round.

"Yanyan, are you hungry? Let’s have lunch now."

Sitting here by the roadside wasn’t very convenient. Once she saved enough money, she would buy a proper shop! Tian Sangsang took out the lunch she brought—it wasn’t much, just rice served in a wooden bowl, paired with some braised dishes and her homemade cucumber salad.

Meng Shuyan kept picking at the cucumber salad, only eating one braised egg. It seemed the heat had killed his appetite as well. They didn’t have a thermos, nor could they carry water. Seeing her little boy occasionally purse his dry, pale lips, Tian Sangsang felt a pang of heartache. Using the time while eating, she entered her spatial pocket with her consciousness.

The moment she entered her space, it was as if the air conditioning turned on—cool and refreshing.

She floated over to the supermarket area. Opening the fridge, she found a variety of popsicles and chilled drinks. Tian Sangsang grabbed a bottle of sour plum drink, paid 10 greening coins, and then found a glass bottle. This type of glass bottle was practical—like the old glucose containers—with a large bottle body and a cork stopper. She poured the sour plum drink into the bottle, and it felt cool to the touch.

"Here, son, have some sour plum juice." Tian Sangsang acted as if she pulled it from under the cloth beside her, her face beaming with a smile as she spoke.

Meng Shuyan was already used to his mother’s habit of magically producing things out of nowhere. He touched the bottle with his small hands, and his eyes lit up immediately. "Mom, it’s cold!"

"That’s right. Cold drinks can quench your thirst."

He held the bottle carefully in both hands, took a few big gulps, and then handed it back to her. "Mom, you drink too."

Tian Sangsang, thirsty herself, took a sip before returning it to him, letting him hold it to stave off the heat.

"Daddy, it smells so good~~~!" A little girl’s sweet and clear voice drifted over, growing closer to their spot. Tian Sangsang quickly looked up.

"Qianqian, slow down." A man’s warm, gentle voice accompanied the girl.

Their gazes met silently in midair. Xu Yiyuan froze for a moment before breaking into a soft smile at Tian Sangsang. "It’s you."

"Oh!" The little girl in a pink puffy dress suddenly stopped in her tracks as if frightened and darted into the man’s arms. "Daddy, she’s scary!"

Xu Yiyuan crouched down, cradling his daughter while gently patting her back. "Qianqian, don’t be scared—it’s an auntie."

He turned to Tian Sangsang and offered an apologetic smile. "I’m sorry. My daughter doesn’t know any better—please don’t take it to heart."

"It’s nothing." After all, she was thick-skinned; it didn’t bother her. "Your daughter is beautiful." Truly, the little girl was like a pristine Little Tangyuan, flawless and endearing.

"She smelled the food and came running." Xu Yiyuan glanced at her and said, "You’re not selling mung bean cakes today? She really loves the ones you make."

The little girl’s wide, almond-shaped eyes sparkled with unshed tears. She peeked at Tian Sangsang curiously but still seemed to find her intimidating. So, the mung bean cakes were made by her? But... she’s so scary!

Meng Shuyan bit his lip and frowned at the girl’s expression, which seemed to regard his mother as some kind of monster. His bright, inky-black eyes flashed with indignation. He hadn’t forgotten those words she said about his mom!

"Tomorrow I’ll sell mung bean cakes—today, it’s braised food." Tian Sangsang asked, "Would you like some, sir?"

"Sure." He nodded, his gaze lowering as he carefully looked over the options, speaking in a low voice. "Chicken feet, chicken wings, duck webs, duck necks..."

"Daddy, I want a drumstick too." Xu Qianqian lifted her head shyly and whispered in her father’s ear. She thought no one else could hear her, but both Tian Sangsang and Meng Shuyan caught every word.

Tian Sangsang smiled softly and added a drumstick to the order. Only then did Xu Qianqian smile widely, but she quickly remembered something and resumed her aloof demeanor, averting her eyes again.

"What a handsome little brother~~~!" Xu Qianqian exclaimed in awe.

Both father and daughter turned their gazes to Meng Shuyan.

"Yanyan, say hi to Uncle and Sister." Tian Sangsang patted his fluffy little head, encouraging him with a gentle tone.

Typically, Meng Shuyan was very charming and polite. But this time, for some reason, he stayed mute, pressing his lips into a tight line and refusing to utter a word, his gaze carrying a faint trace of hostility.

Tian Sangsang could only explain, "Sorry, my son is shy around strangers."

Xu Yiyuan smiled warmly and shook his head to indicate it was no problem.

He bought two dollars’ worth of food. As he was about to leave, he suddenly asked, "Did you write this?"

Tian Sangsang followed his gaze to the handwritten white cardboard sign and looked up in slight confusion. "Yes."

"Your handwriting is very elegant," he said.

Standing so close together, she could even catch a light, clean fragrance from him. Her face heated up instantly, though fortunately, her naturally darker complexion should mask the blush.

"They say handwriting reflects the writer. But in my case..." Tian Sangsang sighed with a hint of self-deprecation. Her handwriting was indeed praised throughout her school days. She had even taken amateur calligraphy classes and competed in city-level contests.

"No matter—it’s a sign of inner refinement." Xu Yiyuan remarked softly before walking away, carrying his daughter in his arms.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.