CHAPTER 160: 156 REALLY LOST WEIGHT, LOST FLESH

Chen Ying felt that her reasoning made sense, so she nodded and continued, "My brother naturally doesn’t want to get married. But my dad said that Yao Fangfang’s family conditions are pretty good, and she’s a city girl. Although she’s a bit spoiled, she’ll definitely tone it down once she’s married. The important thing is that she likes my brother. Overall, she’s so much better than Tian Tian. My dad doesn’t care about money anymore; he just thinks my brother is no longer young and should settle down with a wife. That way, he won’t be deceived by Tian Tian anymore. We’ve all been traumatized by what happened with Tian Tian."

So, the village chief wants Chen Ming to marry?

"This is my dad’s decision. Even if my brother doesn’t want to, he has to marry her now." Chen Ying sighed. Thinking about Yao Fangfang becoming her sister-in-law in the future dampened her spirits, but she couldn’t do anything to help her brother.

"A twisted melon may not be sweet," Tian Sangsang said.

"I think I’ve finally figured it out, Sangsang." Chen Ying seemed to have matured all of a sudden and looked straight at her. "My brother is struggling because he doesn’t have money. My dad said if he doesn’t marry, he’ll have to pay off the debt himself. The other side is demanding it urgently, and he can’t come up with that much money in such a short time. So, even when it comes to marrying, he has no choice but to listen to my dad. As for me, I’ll definitely keep control over my own money in the future. I have to have my own private stash, or one day if my dad decides to marry me off to some fool, I’ll have no choice but to go along with it."

Chen Ying’s tone had a sharp edge to it.

"What are you saying?" Tian Sangsang shook her head and patted Chen Ying’s hand soothingly. "Yingzi, you’re overthinking. No father would wish for their daughter to marry poorly. How could he just casually marry you off to a fool? What happened with your brother is an exception. Besides, Yao Fangfang at least likes your brother. The rest can be worked out with time. Marriage is just like that—there’s always some compromise and adjustment."

"But my brother has a hot temper," Chen Ying said, worried. "They’re bound to have plenty of conflicts in the future."

"Maybe he’ll change his mind after marriage. As for Yao Fangfang, the path is one she chose herself. It’s no use for us to worry about it," Tian Sangsang replied calmly.

After this conversation, Chen Ying suddenly felt more at ease.

In the end, Chen Ming and Yao Fangfang’s marriage was finalized. This month, they’d get engaged, and the wedding would be next year. Since Yao Fangfang still had to attend university and Chen Ming had his own matters, both families decided to give them some time to ease into things, allowing their relationship to develop further during the transition.

Yao Fangfang was in high spirits these days because of her engagement and spent her time at home accompanying Qianqian. Xu Xixi was gradually recovering from the trauma of falling into the water.

"Well, finally—no more eyesores like Tian Sangsang. These days, my cousin has been staying in his study every day and doesn’t go to her shop anymore. Shui Lian, we can return to our old, peaceful days."

Shui Lian gave a faint, noncommittal smile. "As long as everyone stays in their own lanes, living peacefully, it’s not bad."

"We should never have associated with someone like her in the first place. The way she clung to my cousin—anyone could tell what her intentions were." Yao Fangfang sneered, peeling a slice of orange and placing it in Xu Xixi’s hand with a bright smile. "Qianqian, are you happy? Now you don’t ever need to go to that black-auntie’s shop anymore."

"Why can’t I go to her shop anymore?" Xu Xixi asked.

"Because she made you fall into the water. It’s not safe to be around her."

At the mention of falling into the water, Xu Xixi instinctively drew back slightly. She looked at Shui Lian before softly asking Yao Fangfang, "Auntie, does that mean Daddy won’t go anymore either?"

"That’s right," Yao Fangfang replied. "Your dad can finally see her true colors. Besides, he’s going back to the city soon and will be really busy."

When Chen Ming got engaged, he made a point to invite Tian Sangsang. Throughout the engagement ceremony, his face was constantly sour. But Yao Fangfang didn’t care and laughed with unrestrained happiness.

Chen Ying handed a few candies to Meng Shuyan, then gave Tian Sangsang a look of disbelief, "I’ve only been busy in the village for a few days, and you’ve lost weight again!?"

Tian Sangsang shrugged indifferently. "Really? Must be because I’ve been too busy. They say when you’re busy enough, nothing else matters."

There’s being busy, and then there’s losing weight at a pace noticeable to the naked eye. Chen Ying frowned. "You better not work yourself into an illness. If you collapse, what’s going to happen to little Yanyan? If you don’t want him, you might as well give him to me and let me raise him as my son."

A flicker of panic crossed Meng Shuyan’s peach blossom-shaped eyes. Holding a candy in his mouth, he looked at the two of them, momentarily forgetting to chew.

Tian Sangsang tightened her grip on his hand, flashing a grin at Chen Ying. "Don’t worry, Yingzi. You’re not going to get that chance."

Chen Ying replied with a chuckle, "Let’s hope so."

Relieved by her answer, Meng Shuyan broke into a wide grin, revealing a set of crooked little white teeth. This prompted Chen Ying to jokingly reach out as if to pinch his cheeks, though she didn’t dare press too hard. "Little Yanyan, look at how happy you are. Isn’t Aunt Ying nice to you?"

"Aunt Ying is very nice to me," Meng Shuyan giggled. But Mama can’t transform into someone else.

Seizing the moment when the two women weren’t paying attention, Meng Shuyan quietly walked over to Xu Xixi’s side. Now recovered, Xu Xixi’s complexion was healthy and radiant. Her delicate features glowed like a porcelain doll, making her stand out in a crowd.

"Qianqian," a little hand poked hers. Xu Xixi turned to see Meng Shuyan, with his sharp eyebrows and bright eyes.

"Are you feeling better?" he asked softly.

"I’m better now," Xu Xixi replied.

"Oh." Meng Shuyan blinked his big eyes and spoke in a grown-up tone, "Then I can stop worrying. I’m going back to my mama. Bye-bye."

"Bye-bye," Xu Xixi stammered, her rosy lips trembling to form the words. She felt an urge to cry.

"Yanyan." Tian Sangsang came over and took Meng Shuyan’s hand. Xu Yiyuan noticed the movement, his obsidian-like eyes freezing briefly.

"Qianqian has recovered, hasn’t she?" Tian Sangsang asked, her tone dry.

He grunted briefly in acknowledgment, nodded, and looked at her as though wanting to say something but couldn’t find the words. Finally, he managed, "She’s fine now."

Tian Sangsang smiled wordlessly and led Meng Shuyan back to her seat.

After the banquet, Tian Sangsang encountered many of the villagers she used to know. They were all shocked by her appearance.

Wasn’t Tian Sangsang supposed to have made some money in town? How could she have lost so much weight? This doesn’t look like enjoying life—it looks like suffering! Heaven have mercy!

One after another, they came forward to ask her what had happened. She used to be plump, her round face making her features blend together. But now her face had proper contours: her eyes were eyes, her nose was a nose, her mouth was a mouth. Her sleeves hung loose, flapping in the breeze instead of hugging her arms tightly. Her eyes looked significantly larger, wet and bright, though her complexion was pale.

What—

They could even tell her paleness just by looking at her face!!!!

Faced with their concern and questions, Tian Sangsang grew exasperated. She could only explain that she’d been too busy and fell ill. Yes, that’s right—an illness, a sickness of the heart: heartbreak.

Women, as they say, are remarkably resilient creatures. They bleed for seven days every month without dying and adapt extraordinarily well. In her past life, Tian Sangsang had been thin, and even after being reincarnated into a plump body, she’d still considered herself a thin person. But after being a chubby woman for over a month, she’d finally gotten used to it. Now, with the sudden weight loss—well, not exactly sudden, but a drop from over 190 pounds to just above 130—she found it slightly unsettling. Though she didn’t really care, because whether thin or fat, everything felt trivial in the face of heartbreak. Moreover, the darkness in her skin had started to lighten thanks to her deliberate care regimen, now reduced to about fifty percent of what it used to be.

No wonder the villagers found it disconcerting.