CHAPTER 96: 094 AUNT, JIANG JINGHUAI

"That’s Mr. Xu, not that other guy." Tian Sangsang glanced at him, "Of course he’s decent."

"Decent is decent, but he’s still a little worse than me." Zhao Chun raised his chin, angled precisely at 45 degrees.

"Hehehe..." Tian Sangsang curled her lips into a smile.

Damn it. What’s so funny?

Zhao Chun’s face flushed red as he weakly glared at her, "I’m telling you, as a woman, casually saying a man is decent can easily cause misunderstandings. You should watch your words."

Tian Sangsang snorted coldly, "A lecher sees lechery. A pure one sees purity... A wise one sees wisdom..."

On the way back, Zhao Chun began muttering to himself, intentionally or unintentionally.

"Being a teacher, they sure have lofty standards. Usually, teachers like dating other teachers."

"The woman next to him must be his partner, right? They look like they match well."

"You can know someone’s face, but not their heart. A hero takes stock of the situation. Falling flowers mean well, but flowing water has no intention. Since ancient times, this..."

"Zhao Chun," Tian Sangsang turned her head with a smile, "Don’t look at me—keep going! If you’ve got something to say, just spit it out in one go. Why bother playing this game of building suspense first?"

Zhao Chun felt he had offended Tian Sangsang. He couldn’t help but remember her smiling at him, flashing those stark white teeth—which made his legs tremble every time.

Early the next morning, before dawn, Tian Sangsang was in the yard slaughtering chickens. The pale orange sunlight mixed with the distant cacophony of rooster crows. The vigorous straining of the chicken in her hand only made the scene all the more thrilling. The chicken’s wings flapped wildly as she casually placed the cleaver on a nearby wooden stool. One hand restrained the wings, while the other pressed the bird’s body down. The poor chicken’s life ebbed away in her grasp.

"Amitabha. Mercy, mercy. Life is a sea of suffering—better to die early and reincarnate sooner."

After placing the now lifeless chicken in a basin, Tian Sangsang washed the cleaver and turned around, spotting Zhao Chun nearby, squinting sleepily like he hadn’t had enough rest.

The pungent smell of blood rushed into Zhao Chun’s nostrils, jolting him awake. Truth be told, he’d been roused by the rooster crows outside, and groggily wandered down. Seeing the cleaver in Tian Sangsang’s hand, the bloodied basin, and the limp dead chicken terrified him—he instinctively tightened his neck in apprehension.

"You’re up. Why’re you just standing there? Sit down." Tian Sangsang gestured casually, sitting down herself on another stool and starting to pluck the feathers.

Zhao Chun leaned on his cane with one hand, not even glancing at the stool as he slowly lowered himself onto it.

The morning breeze gently brushed past, ruffling Zhao Chun’s dark hair. From the side profile, he really did look like a handsome young lad. He was wearing the outfit Tian Sangsang bought him yesterday—a pale blue pair of pants, soft and light in color, as pale as it gets...

This was Zhao Chun’s first time seeing someone pluck chicken feathers. Tian Sangsang’s movements were incredibly adept. She was so different from the city girls he used to be surrounded by—those who played piano or danced, always stylish and trendy, never staining their delicate fingers with housework. But Tian Sangsang was the opposite—a bonafide village woman who wouldn’t even blink while slaughtering a chicken.

"Hey, Tian Sangsang, are we having chicken today?" Truthfully, when Zhao Chun ate at Tian Sangsang’s house, he was always satisfied. Today particularly excited him, seeing that there’d be chicken.

"Absolutely," Tian Sangsang replied, flashing her pearly white teeth again, "Once this chicken’s ready, I’ll whip up a KFC-style Family Bucket."

"Huh? Kentucky Chicken?" What kind of chicken is that? Zhao Chun asked in confusion.

"You’ll find out soon enough."

After breakfast, Zhao Chun felt a pang of guilt. He realized that, today wasn’t even a special occasion, yet Tian Sangsang chose to slaughter one of her chickens. Her yard now only had two little chicks left, chirping pitifully. It seemed like she was out of money, prompting her to kill one of her hens.

"I’m coming with you guys today—I need to pick up some money in town."

"Sure, if you insist. But you’ll regret it." Tian Sangsang smiled dryly, "Come now, Yanyan, Mommy will carry you for a while."

What the hell is with that smile again? Zhao Chun felt an icy chill down below—cold and unsettling.

Saying that, Tian Sangsang picked up Meng Shuyan’s small body. Little Milk Tea, their dog, scuttled gleefully behind Zhao Chun, wagging its tail. At one point, it cheekily raised a paw to cover its mouth and snicker. If someone was watching this scene, they’d probably think the dog was perfectly human-like.

Struggling at the rear, Zhao Chun hobbled along on his cane, pausing every few steps. Amidst his shallow, labored breaths, he suddenly heard Tian Sangsang say something inexplicable from ahead: "Your auntie’s here."

"W-who’s auntie?" Zhao Chun was completely baffled. "I don’t have an auntie."

Tian Sangsang turned back, her eyes curving, lips curling—her smile enchanting and radiant: "I’ve already warned you. Believe it or not, it’s up to you."

Zhao Chun stood there, dumbstruck, staring at her. Her bright smile sent chills down his spine. He didn’t have an auntie—his mother didn’t have any sisters.

...

At the postal office entrance, Zhao Chun waited for Jiang Jinghuai. Yet somehow, today’s passersby seemed odd—especially their expressions, as if they wanted to say something but hesitated. There was this indescribable look in their eyes!

Damn it! What the hell are you looking at? Keep staring, and I’ll gouge your eyes out! Did I give permission for you lot to stare! Huh!?

The two postal clerks snickering nearby caught his hostile glare and immediately suppressed their laughter. It’s not that they wanted to laugh—it was just impossible not to.

"Zhao Chun." Just then, a low, familiar voice rang out, and a package was tossed onto his chest. Instinctively, Zhao Chun caught it—it was heavy. Money.

"Been a while. What happened to you..." Jiang Jinghuai’s sharp brows furrowed, "Why the... pitiful look?" Fragile presence, pale cheeks, dazed eyes—this wasn’t the Zhao Chun he knew. It was like a total transformation.

As expected, Jiang Jinghuai’s words hit like a whip, sparing no mercy. Zhao Chun nearly coughed up blood. "Buddy, cut me some slack here."

"When are you going back?" Jiang Jinghuai asked blandly. His gaze wandered over the unfamiliar yet familiar surroundings. Old, buried memories surged back, making his expression suddenly serious and inscrutable.

"I’ll wait it out for now. My host treats me pretty well. She... don’t judge her by appearances, but..." Zhao Chun hesitated to finish his sentence in front of Jiang Jinghuai, fearing another sharp remark from his unyielding friend. Yeah, he used to complain about her endlessly, but now there was a faint feeling of treasure hidden under dust.

"I’m asking you," Jiang Jinghuai slowly lit a cigarette, his tone steady, "Which village are you staying in down there?"

Zhao Chun thought for a moment, "Tian Family Village. Why?"

"Is there a family named Tian in the village?" Jiang Jinghuai took deep drags from his cigarette.

"Most of the village is Tian families—Jinghuai, what kind of question is that?" Zhao Chun noticed something was off in his demeanor and, visibly startled, asked, "No way... do you know someone from there?"