Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s
Chapter 91 - 089 Watch out, I’ll eat you up

Chapter 91: 089 Watch out, I’ll eat you up

Meng Shuyan gave a slight nod, then suddenly asked, "Chun Zisu, is the city fun? What’s Beijing like?"

"When there’s time, I’ll take you to Beijing!" Zhao Chun said, brimming with enthusiasm. "In the city, women curl their hair and wear bell-bottoms to keep up with trends... I’ll take you to the video hall to watch movies..."

Gradually, in the darkness, only Zhao Chun’s voice lingered.

Zhao Chun gently lifted his hand and pulled the thin quilt over Meng Shuyan. Under the moonlight, the little guy had sharp brows and bright eyes, his small face charmingly handsome. Zhao Chun’s heart softened for no clear reason. How magical—such a small bundle of a child, with a soft and squishy body, sleeping soundly with closed eyes. His hand was even bigger than his face.

Zhao Chun reached out and poked Meng Shuyan’s little cheek—so bouncy! Then he poked his long eyelashes, like miniature fans. And he realized that the child resembled someone from his memories quite a bit. Yet, some differences stood out: his eyes were bigger, his hair was curly—not straight like that person’s—and his smile even more endearing.

Suddenly, he thought, "Isn’t life nothing more than a wife, kids, and a warm bed?" Why had he been so determined to pursue music and film, fighting bitterly with his family, even leaving home? This rustic village life was proving to be quite the intriguing experience.

Damn it, what are you thinking, Zhao Chun? Have you fallen so far? How could you abandon your dreams?

...

Yawning, Zhao Chun blinked groggily. A waft of fragrant oil hit his nose, and he instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva. Leaning on his crutch, he sluggishly waddled over to the main room. In the cramped space, the popping of hot oil mixed with the singing of a woman’s voice: "Ah, so sweet, life is oh-so-sweet... I’m just a little little bird... flying freely in your heart, under the dazzling starlight, wandering eternally."

What’s this song supposed to be? Zhao Chun closed his eyes, reveling in it. That woman, though not much to look at, surely had some depth to her. Especially her voice—like pearls dropping onto jade plates. And her songs, he’d never heard any of them before. If only she’d record them...

"Zhao Chun, are you up? You can freshen up in the courtyard. If there’s anything you don’t know, my son can teach you..."

Tian Sangsang finished speaking and focused her attention on the frying oil in the pan. Today, on a whim, she started frying churros. It had been over ten years since she last had them—how nostalgic.

While the churros sizzled in the pan, she grabbed a wad of dough to make stuffed buns.

Come on now—does she think I’m some kid? Who doesn’t know how to brush their teeth and wash their face? Zhao Chun felt a bit offended. From his angle, he noticed the fire in the stove was dying down.

"Tian Sangsang, the fire’s about to go out."

But Tian Sangsang, absorbed in making buns, didn’t hear his weak voice. Early in the morning, crowded next to the stove, it was sweltering hot. Zhao Chun wiped the sweat off his nose, leaned on his crutch, bent down slowly, picked a few sturdy sticks off the pile, and added them to the fire.

When he stood back up, Tian Sangsang was staring at him with an almost surprised look. "I didn’t expect... you’d actually know how to tend a fire."

Embarrassed, Zhao Chun glanced at her quickly. "Of course I do! I’m not some delicate guy avoiding domestic chores... I’m just... a real man." The last three words were barely audible.

Tian Sangsang didn’t catch them. "What did you say you are?"

"I..." Zhao Chun’s face flushed red. Unable to bear her penetrating gaze, he hurriedly turned and walked toward the courtyard.

"Chun Zisu!" Meng Shuyan had just finished brushing his teeth and waved his towel at him. Under the sunlight, his neat row of white teeth gleamed.

Zhao Chun hobbled over on his crutch, took the towel from him, and was a bit surprised. "You brushed your teeth by yourself? Here, let Uncle help you wash your face."

Clumsily, Zhao Chun helped him wipe his face. He’d never wiped anyone’s face before; this was his first time, so he wasn’t skilled. But he only knew one thing for sure—the child’s skin was unbelievably delicate. He had to wipe gently... softly...

"Zhao Chun, Meng Shuyan, come eat breakfast!" Tian Sangsang called from inside as she set the table with bowls and dishes. Three steaming bowls of porridge, a platter of churros, a platter of stuffed buns, a small plate of chilled cucumber salad, and some homemade pickles.

Tian Sangsang was someone who loved making her meals as refined as possible.

Zhao Chun stared in disbelief at the spread. This... this wasn’t like the breakfasts he had at home. Why was their breakfast so lavish? He thought he’d be eating coarse food. But most of the items on the table were fresh, still warm.

He tried a stuffed bun—filled with mushrooms and cabbage. He couldn’t figure out how she made it, but it outclassed whatever his mother cooked. Goodness, his mom should really learn from her.

The churros were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the cucumber salad crunchy and refreshing, the pickles incredibly fragrant... And the porridge! The porridge was soft, fragrant, and—hold on—there were jasmine petals in it? No wonder it had that unique aroma. Zhao Chun sat there, absolutely floored, unable to find his composure.

"Xiaoyan, eat more," Zhao Chun said, adding some cucumbers and pickles to Meng Shuyan’s plate while he nibbled on a bun.

"Thank you. You should eat too, Chun Zisu."

"Uh..." Zhao Chun glanced up and noticed Tian Sangsang silently picking at her porridge, ignoring the churros and buns, her face resolute.

"Don’t look at me," Tian Sangsang said drily, catching his gaze. "I’m on a diet."

Zhao Chun choked, his dark eyes flickered. "But you’ll end up malnourished."

"I’m already over-nourished."

"Still—"

"Shut up," Tian Sangsang shot him a glare. "Just eat your food. Tempt me again, and I’ll eat you instead."

Zhao Chun weakly patted his heart. What the hell? All he did was show concern for her, and now she’s threatening to eat him. Too terrifying...

Meng Shuyan cast a sympathetic glance at Zhao Chun while quietly reaching for another churro—so delicious.

Feeling cheerful after breakfast, only Zhao Chun occasionally stole anxious glances at Tian Sangsang, imagining what she’d look like slimmed down. But then, what’s the point of slimming down? Wouldn’t she still be dark as a muddy eel? He thought to himself, you really don’t need to punish yourself by dieting—just eat more. People’s first impression isn’t your weight, it’s how incredibly dark you are. If anything, you should work on getting rid of all that darkness.

Damn it, what a bizarre situation—she’s so weirdly dark, it doesn’t seem normal anymore. Could someone have poisoned her? Or maybe she caught some rare illness from a Black person?

Tian Sangsang washed the dishes, strapped on her basket, picked up a cloth-covered container, and plopped a straw hat onto Meng Shuyan’s head, calling out, "Son, let’s go!"

"Okay." Meng Shuyan cradled Little Milk Tea and obediently followed her.

Zhao Chun was entirely reduced to mere background presence, watching the pair as if they were part of some deliberate operation. Finally, he asked, "Tian Sangsang, are you heading to town?" He’d heard she sold food at a stall there.

"Yep."

"Uh, didn’t we agree I needed to pay a deposit? Mind if I tag along? I can only pay when we get to town."