Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 118 - 114 The missing pig’s trotters!

"So you’re saying, the person who beat you up is the same person who saved you?" Old Zhao’s eyes widened, his voice suddenly sharp as he pressed, "Did you spill everything? Still hiding something?"

What... what did he figure out?

Zhao Chun shivered, weakly pulling a bag out from behind him and stealing a glance at him. "I also took a bag of pig trotters from her house... They’re really delicious. She didn’t notice. Grandpa, do you want to try?"

Old Zhao wiped his sweat in defeat, turning his head away, unwilling to look at Zhao Chun anymore. Hopeless.

"No matter what, that woman saved you. We must show our gratitude. No amount of goods can repay the kindness of saving a leg. And about the gambling problem you mentioned—outrageous. That has to be dealt with."

"Grandpa," Zhao Chun immediately understood his meaning and looked up anxiously. "Tian Sangsang isn’t that kind of person. If you throw money at her, she’ll be unhappy."

"So you’re implying that your grandpa is that kind of person?" Old Zhao gave him an odd look. Seems like this kid really cares about that Tian Sangsang, even worrying that money might offend her. He was a little curious about her now.

Well, isn’t that rich—throwing money around like crazy.

"Fine... fine, you go handle your debtor’s repayment yourself." Old Zhao waved his hand dismissively, letting out a cold snort.

"Mom, can we go to the department store later? I’ll pick out a few sets of boy’s clothes to send over, maybe buy some little toys and stationery too," Zhao Chun said enthusiastically.

Old Zhao, who was about to get in the car, froze mid-step. Boy’s clothes?

An idea took shape in his mind. His grandson was too soft—perhaps it was time for a great-grandson. He wasn’t too old; he could still train a hard-as-nails great-grandson. This one? Hopeless. Beyond saving.

"Ah Chun, wait a second." Zhao’s mother pulled Zhao Chun by the hand with concern, carefully studying his face. "What boy... did you do something irresponsible? How do you even know the gender?"

"Mom, what are you talking about?!" Zhao Chun scratched his head in confusion. "I’m just buying clothes for Tian Sansan’s son. That’s my godson."

Old Zhao snorted. Soft—still too soft. He thought his grandson had finally toughened up for once. With distaste, he threw out one line: "Hmph. It’s all your dad’s fault for giving you the wrong name."

A person’s fate, set by their name.

Zhao’s mother sighed in relief. "Good, just as long as it’s not that."

"Oh, and mom, don’t throw out this pig trotter. Heat it up at home, and it’s still perfectly good. Don’t waste it—such a delicacy." Zhao Chun waved the pig trotter in his hand, swallowing his saliva. "Mom, you should learn from her. Both women—how does her cooking end up so much better?"

"You little brat, daring to criticize your mom! How good can it possibly be?" Zhao’s mother scolded with an amused smile.

"It’s delicious, I’m telling you," Zhao Chun declared. "Once you try it, you’ll want more." freёnovelkiss.com

...

Tian Sangsang opened the clay pot, instinctively reaching in with chopsticks to grab some food—it was the pig trotters she had just braised yesterday.

The chopsticks went in, but there was almost nothing left, the pot nearly empty.

When she took a closer look, well, what do you know—there were only two plump pig trotters left at the bottom of the pot.

Just yesterday, she clearly braised over twenty of them!

"What in the world? Was our house robbed?" Tian Sangsang muttered aloud in confusion. Grabbing Meng Shuyan, she asked, "Yanyan, did you see anyone touch the pot? Have there been any suspicious people around?"

Meng Shuyan walked over to check the pot, frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and answered earnestly, "No, mommy."

"Then how did the pig trotters disappear? Did they grow wings and fly away?" Tian Sangsang was thoroughly puzzled, even doubting if her own plump, hungry body had sleepwalked the night before and eaten them without realizing it.

"Mommy," Meng Shuyan suddenly brightened up, pointing at something on the floor. "Look, there’s something under the pot."

Under his expectant gaze, Tian Sangsang raised the pot. The bit of paper sticking out came into full view. She picked it up for a closer look—it was a few banknotes, a total of fifty yuan.

That wasn’t the main point, though. The main point was that each banknote had two words scrawled on it in pencil.

"Ah!" Tian Sangsang roared in fury, "Zhao Chun! You stole my pig trotters!"

"Mommy," Meng Shuyan lightly patted her shoulder in comfort. "Don’t be angry, Chun Zisu left us money. We can buy many more pig trotters."

"My dear son," Tian Sangsang pulled his soft body into her arms and rubbed her face against his fluffy head. "I’m not angry; I’m exasperated. Who could’ve guessed that your Chun Zisu, acting like such an obedient little thing, would sneak off with the goods just before leaving? What a rascal!"

"At first, I thought we’d part ways and never see each other again. But now, Zhao Chun, I’m definitely remembering you." Tian Sangsang gritted her teeth.

"Me too," Meng Shuyan said with a small pout.

In the following days, Tian Sangsang continued selling pastries and braised food in town. No one came to charge her a management fee.

Perhaps the higher-ups acted quickly, or maybe it was something else. Word got around that Chen Biao’s relatives in town had been demoted, and a group had arrived to search Chen Biao’s residence. However, Chen Biao either got wind of it early or something; he had vanished, nowhere to be found in the village. Overnight, he disappeared, just like Ye Jiang did back then, as if evaporating into thin air.

The police listed him as a wanted fugitive, searching for him for days without success.

Tian Sangsang was worried—if this man managed to get away, it would be a lingering threat. Finding him again would be hard. In these times, there was no surveillance, and equipment was outdated. Small towns like this were hotspots for crime. Many of the cold cases decades later were crimes committed in the eighties and nineties.

This day, while returning from the town with Meng Shuyan, in the distance, she saw a figure standing outside her courtyard. Judging by the silhouette—tall, not too fat or thin—it might even be a beauty. But was there such a person in the village? She didn’t recall.

"Tian Sangsang!" As she got closer, the figure turned and called out to her with a smile.

It was Chen Ying! After the last incident, Tian Sangsang hadn’t paid much attention to her. She’d only heard that the Chen siblings had undergone huge changes. The once reserved Chen Ying had become cheerful, while the once confident Chen Ming had grown melancholy. But one thing was the same—they both took jobs in town.

Chen Ying, being a high school graduate with her family’s connection to the village chief, got a job at the post office in town. As for Chen Ming, he volunteered to become a driver—helping transport goods—often spending long stretches of time away from home. Though being a driver might not seem too formal, in this era, it was considered a lucrative job. Those who knew how to maximize it could make a good income, for instance, by bringing goods back for others and pocketing the price difference.

"Hey, someone sent you something—it’s from that Zhao Chun guy from last time. I was passing by, so I brought it for you," Chen Ying said, holding a bag in her hand. At her feet was a pile of bags stacked high, almost as tall as Meng Shuyan.

"Thank you so much," Tian Sangsang said gratefully while helping her carry the bags inside the main room.

As they walked, she kept a close eye on Chen Ying.