Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 124 - 120 records

At the end of work, Chen Ying came back and said with curiosity, "Sangsang, that Zhao Chun sent you something again."

As she spoke, she handed her the package.

By the way, she widened her eyes, her gaze carrying a hint of hostility.

"Oh, thank you so much." Tian Sangsang took the item and touched its shape with her hand—it was round, like a disc. It must be the music piece Zhao Chun had finished.

Chen Ying couldn’t help but ask, "What’s the deal between you two? Why is he always sending you stuff?"

Her tone was full of gunpowder.

Tian Sangsang replied gloomily, "It’s just a normal friendship exchange. Zhao Chun is Yanyan’s Susu, you know."

She really couldn’t fathom why Chen Ying always held onto this grievance.

"Fine then." Chen Ying stared at her for a while with a fixed gaze, sighed bleakly, and said, "Do whatever you want. In any case, Ye Jiang won’t be coming back." Although she knew she had no grounds to meddle in Tian Sangsang’s affairs, nor any right to oppose her having male friends, she just felt indignant on behalf of Ye Jiang. Yet thinking further, Ye Jiang might have already married after all these years, which would make Tian Sangsang pitiful—Yanyan even more so...

"Yingzi..." Tian Sangsang curved her lips into a smile and said warmly, "That heat is unbearable. Thanks for bringing me the package. How about some watermelon juice to soothe your throat?"

Chen Ying’s attention was instantly drawn to the bright red watermelon juice. "Hey, how did you make it into juice? And why does it seem magical, like soda!"

All her life, she had never seen anything like watermelon juice!

"If you want to make it, there’s nothing you can’t achieve." Tian Sangsang smiled vaguely and mysteriously, deliberately leaving no explanation.

"Hmph." Chen Ying hummed softly, scrutinizing her with a peculiar gaze. Tian Sangsang had truly changed—even her smile seemed unusually enigmatic now. She picked up her watermelon juice and took a couple of gulps, letting the cool sensation flood her body entirely, while her mouth was filled with the sweet flavor of watermelon.

When Chen Ming came back, he happened to spot the red liquid in Chen Ying’s hand. He was intrigued and kept staring. "What is that? Why is it red?" It didn’t look like soda.

Tian Sangsang chuckled and said, "Chen Ming, you’re back. I made some watermelon juice myself. Care to have a bowl to cool off?"

"Alright, I’ll have some." Chen Ming picked up the big bowl on the table and drank half of it in one gulp. His eyes immediately lit up. "Delicious! So delicious! Sangsang, you’re amazing! This taste doesn’t lose to soda at all!"

Only at home or in front of Tian Sangsang, Chen Ying, and the others would Chen Ming shed his despair and regain his former self.

After taking a sip, he realized he drank too quickly and fetched some water to pour into the drink, experimenting curiously.

Tian Sangsang: "..."

Watermelon’s essence diluted with water would surely lose much of its intensity. If Chen Ming were a businessman, he would undoubtedly be a cheating merchant cutting corners.

Meng Shuyan: "..."

Chen Ying: "..."

Tian Sangsang opened the package; inside was indeed a disc.

A disc—something that required a phonograph to play.

However, there wasn’t a phonograph. Would modern DVDs work for it?

"Sangsang." Suddenly, a clear and gentle voice spoke up.

"Mr. Xu," Tian Sangsang instinctively set the disc aside, smiling brightly as she looked at him. During the sweltering summer, he always seemed calm and pleasant—just seeing him could lighten one’s mood.

Beside her, Chen Ying quietly observed the interaction between the two.

"No wonder I couldn’t find you—you’ve moved into a shop now. Congratulations." He said warmly.

Tian Sangsang felt that moving into the shop didn’t really change much except for one essential difference: having a house. One involved selling goods outdoors, while the other shifted the goods indoors. Despite the moves, it was still the same stuff.

"Are you here to buy something today?" Tian Sangsang asked with a smile, glancing at the little girl in his arms, Xu Xixi. Xu Xixi was truly adorable, with a chubby face, almond-shaped watery eyes. When she caught Tian Sangsang’s gaze, Xu Xixi disdainfully turned her head, burying it in her father’s embrace.

"Hmm."

Xu Yiyuan had a sharp eye when it came to things, but the town didn’t have many people who appreciated good food. As a result, Tian Sangsang rarely made anything unusual. Yet even so, he was still a frequent customer of hers. Sometimes she couldn’t understand why he persisted.

"Don’t you ever get tired of eating the same thing?" Tian Sangsang asked casually as she exhaled gently.

"No." Xu Yiyuan answered lightly, pausing before continuing, "Because your cooking is excellent."

Tian Sangsang chuckled. Was that a compliment?

"You listen to records too?" His gaze fell on the disc atop the counter.

"A friend just sent it to me, but I haven’t listened to it yet. A disc alone isn’t enough—I need electricity and a phonograph." Tian Sangsang shook her head helplessly.

This Zhao Chun, seriously—doesn’t he know she’s broke? Does she look like someone who can afford a phonograph? Though, to be fair, phonographs nowadays were already antiques, only appearing in certain Europe-and-America-period or Republic-era films. When she was a child, her family used cassette tapes and recorders. Even now, recorders were nearly obsolete. Yet in many places, phonographs were still in use. It would take several more years for phonographs to fade from history.

"Must you listen?" he said softly. "I happen to have a phonograph at home, though I rarely use it. Such things should be used by those who need them."

Tian Sangsang was momentarily stunned. What did he mean by this?

"If you need it, I’ll lend it to you," he said.

Before Tian Sangsang could respond, Xu Xixi seemed to be provoked and shouted indignantly, "Dad, don’t lend it to her!"

Auntie said this fatty was a terrifying person—indeed, a terrifying person!

"Xixi, behave." Xu Yiyuan gently stroked his daughter’s head and comforted her softly.

"No, no! Dad, don’t lend it to her—she’s a bad person!" Xu Xixi wailed in his arms, clearly refusing.

Tian Sangsang felt a bit awkward. Xixi had always disliked her.

Xu Yiyuan seemed to pause for a moment, his face showing an apologetic smile as he soothed Xu Xixi and said to Tian Sangsang, "I’ll bring it over this afternoon."

"Mr. Xu," Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but call his name.

He turned back, his eyes as gentle as ever, "Yes?"

"You... you’re very kind." After thinking for a while, those were the only three words she could muster.

"Kind to you, or kind to everyone?" He smiled faintly, gazing at her as he asked.

"Kind to everyone." Tian Sangsang laughed. "Thank you."

He shook his head gently to imply it wasn’t necessary, then carried the restless Xu Xixi away.

As Tian Sangsang watched his receding figure, she fell into contemplation—kind to everyone, kind to her. But was he excessively kind to her? She felt both delight and uncertainty—why? She couldn’t find an answer. Just like every time she faced him, his smile always seemed laden with some reminiscence, yet she couldn’t find an answer to that either.