Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 129 - 125 BBQ skewers, drinking, and talking about life

The firepot broth in the big pot had already come to a boil, its spicy, aromatic fragrance wafting through the courtyard, mingling with the scent of blooming flowers.

This smell—absolutely divine!

Chen Ying and Chen Ming couldn’t help but swallow hard.

As the saying goes, life is nothing more than firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea.

In this era, people didn’t have many entertainment options, so their lives were essentially reduced to those basics. In fact, even managing firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea was a challenge for many. Hardly anyone studied food, as time was scarce.

So nowadays, whenever they saw Tian Sangsang, Chen Ying and Chen Ming’s stomachs would grumble uncontrollably, and they were utterly smitten with the magic of her cooking skills.

Tian Sangsang placed a large bowl of ingredients in the center of the table, along with a few slices of freshly cut watermelon.

Lamb, beef, and pork were sliced paper-thin, delicate as butterfly wings, and laid out on plates. Tofu, lettuce, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, rice cake—everything was carefully washed, cut, and skewered on long bamboo sticks, neat and pristine.

In Sangsang’s eyes, firepot, spicy hot pot, oden, and skewers were fundamentally similar. Often, when having firepot at home, she’d turn it directly into a makeshift version of spicy skewers—why bother with too many rules?

This time, the firepot was divided into two sections: one for dipping and one for boiling.

Sangsang first served Meng Shuyan a small bowl and let him eat quietly on his own. His bowl was like a mini oden, filled with an assortment of goodies. Little Milk Tea, on the other hand, ate like a regular person rather than a typical dog, so Sangsang prepared a bowl of boiled bone broth mixed with leftovers for him.

As for Sangsang, Chen Ying, Chen Ming, and the others, well, they were adults. Eating and drinking while chatting about nonsense, tossing in a dirty joke, raising their voices, and devouring skewers—such was the norm.

It turned out she had overthought things.

Chen Ying picked up a simple skewer of greens and dipped it into the bubbling red broth. Don’t underestimate vegetables—they might seem plain, but when immersed in the savory, spicy broth, they’re infused with that numbing and spicy flavor, awakening the taste buds in a way that words can’t fully describe.

"This is so convenient!" Chen Ying said while eating, praising the long bamboo skewers.

Skewering everything together was incredibly handy, and she found herself admiring Tian Sangsang even more. Why was it that anything Sangsang made was not only delicious but also exquisite? Reflecting on the past twenty years, she realized what she’d been eating was practically pig slop. Ah, what nonsense! Pfft, pfft, pfft!

Chen Ming was blanching some beef. His face turned red from the heat as he smacked his lips. "A beer right about now would be perfect, but I forgot to bring any soda back with me too."

Sangsang immediately got nostalgic—grilled meat or firepot paired with ice-cold beer was pure bliss.

But right now, where could anyone find beer? Never mind the beer—where would ice come from? With that thought, she remembered her long-forgotten sangren wine.

"Wait a moment, I’ve got some homemade sangren wine from a while back. How can you eat spicy food without alcohol? That would be so dull. The idea is to tease and excite the taste buds!"

Chen Ying and Chen Ming lit up with excitement at the mention of alcohol.

In no time, Sangsang brought out a large glass jar. This was the sangren wine she’d decanted from an earthenware jar into the glass container earlier.

Chen Ying stared at her with a greedy, childlike expression. "Sangsang, how do you always manage to come up with things we couldn’t even imagine?"

Sangsang raised an eyebrow and gave her a mysterious, knowing smile. "Why do people crave certain foods? Isn’t it simply because they can’t get what they really want to eat?"

Chen Ying didn’t fully grasp the meaning.

"Were those mulberries picked from the hills?" Chen Ming asked more directly.

"Exactly," Sangsang replied. "That time I went up the mountain, I specifically picked a ton of mulberries for fermenting. I made two jars—one got ruined by my second aunt, and the other I’ve just opened now." In truth, she had brewed other types of wine too, but offering explanations for those would be trickier.

"Your second aunt, that woman..." Chen Ying trailed off, then glanced at Chen Ming. Seeing no signs of anger on his face, she continued, "Speaking of your second aunt, I can’t help but think of Tian Tian and her match. When I visited the village a few days ago, they seemed to get scorned wherever they went. Rumor has it Tian Tian thinks Teacher Zhou has no prospects anymore and is making a fuss about ending things with him."

Chen Ying recalled the way Zhou Zheng had looked at her that day—his eyes burned with hatred and anger, intense enough to feel tangible. She hadn’t expected Zhou Zheng to hold such a stubborn grudge, always refusing to show her a kind expression, as though he were yearning to kill her with his gaze alone.

Chen Ying chuckled self-deprecatingly in her heart. Chen Ming took a bite of beef and lowered his gaze. "All that scheming just to get to the city. Now that Teacher Zhou’s reputation has suffered in the eyes of my uncle, of course, she’s dissatisfied and wants something better."

Chen Ming’s tone when evaluating people was calm now, especially when it came to Tian Tian. Outwardly calm, at least—what he truly thought was a mystery only he himself knew.

Sangsang took a sip of wine, its sweet and tangy flavor spreading across her palate. "A good life ultimately relies on what you earn yourself—whether you’re a man or a woman, it’s the same. Why pin your hopes on others or lean on someone else?"

Even if that person were willing, who could predict the future?

As a young girl, Sangsang had once been swept up in a Mary Sue-like fantasy, imagining men as heroes capable of sheltering women under their wings. But as she grew older, she realized those notions placed her in a dependent position. Reflecting further, she acknowledged her thinking had been too idealistic. Men were just people—not gods. They made mistakes like everyone else. Sometimes, men could be less reliable than women.

At the end of the day, men and women were equals. Aside from the obvious gender differences, were they truly any different?

Chen Ying and Chen Ming were visibly shaken by her words. It wasn’t their fault—they’d grown up believing men were the pillars of the household, and such dependence was a nearly immutable mindset. But they couldn’t deny that Sangsang made a valid point.

After a few drinks, everyone was a little tipsy. In the glow of the evening’s red clouds, Chen Ying suddenly said, "Sangsang, why does it seem like your face has gotten paler again?"

Chen Ming also glanced over, noticing that Sangsang’s previously dark complexion now had a healthy red tint under the sunset glow—not purely dark anymore.

Sangsang sipped her drink gracefully. "I’ve been experimenting with a whitening formula. It works, though the effect isn’t too noticeable yet."

"What? What kind of formula is that amazing?" As a woman, Chen Ying couldn’t help but be intrigued.

"It uses flowers—I extract their essence and turn it into essential oil. But making it is a hassle. Having the proper equipment would make things much easier," Sangsang replied. She figured she’d definitely become paler over time, so she might as well prepare a credible excuse. Plus, she’d need to get her hands on some chemistry apparatus to divert suspicion.

"What kind of equipment?" Chen Ying asked.

"The kind used for chemistry experiments. Unfortunately, finding it is rather tough. If I had it, everything would be way simpler." Sangsang feigned a sigh.

"That’s easy," Chen Ying said. "I’ll have my brother look for it. He’s always driving around—he might just come across what you need."

Chen Ming took a sip of wine. "No problem. Sangsang, tell me exactly what you’re looking for. Who knows? I might actually find it for you." After all, you can’t take something for granted without giving back. Chen Ming volunteered for the task without hesitation.

Perhaps it was the alcohol loosening tongues, but Sangsang began describing the kind of equipment she needed. In any case, everyone might forget the conversation when they sobered up later.