Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s

Chapter 23: 022 How does it taste?

Now, her stomach was growling with hunger, so Tian Sangsang decided to whip up something simple before trying out any fancy dishes.

Sweet potato porridge was out of the question—there was no rice at home; fried sweet potato slices and roasted sweet potatoes for dinner seemed too calorie-laden, plus, it was sweltering summer—totally unbearable.

If only there were some mung beans right now~~~

Tian Sangsang shook her head, dismissing those impractical notions. She decided to go with something more grounded. Mung beans—where would those come from? Fall from the sky?

The only plan she could think of was to make a few sweet potato pancakes to fill her stomach.

Making sweet potato pancakes wasn’t as simple as just having sweet potatoes. She also needed white sugar, eggs, and flour. Tian Sangsang rummaged through the storage room at home—found everything she needed. The eggs were hidden in a little basket tucked away in the corner with a rag covering them—that’s why she hadn’t found them yesterday.

She picked out four relatively large sweet potatoes, washed them clean. Using a kitchen knife, she cut each sweet potato into five pieces and set them aside. Then she poured water into the pot, lit the firewood, and waited for the flames to grow bigger gradually. Boiling water was a labor-intensive process and took time, and she suddenly found herself reminiscing about electric kettles from the past. Plus, this household wasn’t well-off—they didn’t even have a coal stove. How nice it would be! With a coal stove, she could boil water and cook at the same time, saving both effort and time.

Time was squeezed out bit by bit, and she still had peanuts to sort. Tian Sangsang stood up, dusted off the dirt from her clothes. She turned her head and saw that Meng Shuyan had disappeared again.

"Yanyan!" Tian Sangsang hurried to the door, anxiously calling out. Her son wasn’t in the house; instead, he was in the yard, sitting on a little stool and picking peanuts.

Tian Sangsang’s nose stung as her emotions surged—this mischievous child always kept her worrying.

"Mama, mama, I’m sorting the peanuts~" Meng Shuyan said with a bright smile, seemingly enjoying the task, his eyes curving into little crescent moons. "I used to watch Great-grandma do it just like this."

"Did your Great-grandma ever teach you to shake the dirt off the peanuts first before picking them?" Tian Sangsang brought over a bench from the house and sat beside him, asking gently, "How about Mama shakes off the dirt, and then you pick them, okay?"

Meng Shuyan nodded emphatically, "Okay!"

The dusky light of the setting sun bathed the entire village in twilight. In the distance, faint traces of smoke curled up from kitchen chimneys. Under the radiant, orange sunlight, Tian Sangsang gazed at her son’s innocent little face and his earnest peanut-picking movements, feeling a calm quietude and a sense of contentment. She thought she could hear the clucking of chickens, the barking of a dog, mingled with the lively chatter of people. She smiled lightly, bowed her head, and quickened her hands. Life, as it were, found its way forward.

Before long, Tian Sangsang went back into the main room to check on the water—it was boiling, steaming hot.

She washed her hands, poured the sweet potato pieces into the bubbling water, and covered the pot. Then, she took the peanuts picked by Meng Shuyan, carried them to a basket, rinsed them with water, and washed them thoroughly in a basin. These freshly unearthed peanuts, once boiled with a pinch of salt, had the most tantalizing flavor.

After finishing all that, she went on to shake some more peanuts clean. By then, the sweet potato pieces were fully cooked.

Using chopsticks, Tian Sangsang carefully transferred the sweet potato chunks into a metal bowl. They were perfectly tender—soft and fluffy on the outside. She set aside three small pieces in a separate little bowl, carried it outside, and chirped, "Yanyan, wash your hands and come have some sweet potatoes!"

Meng Shuyan’s eyes lit up instantly. He quickly washed his hands and obediently stood in front of her.

Tian Sangsang scooped him up and placed him onto the chair, smiling warmly, "You eat slowly, be careful not to burn yourself. Mama will go make you pancakes."

"Mama, you eat too." Meng Shuyan tugged on her clothes, refusing to let her leave.

"Mama already ate," Tian Sangsang explained with a chuckle. She had been so hungry earlier that she stuffed a piece straight into her stomach, barely chewing—it was embarrassing, her gluttonous stomach, oh dear...

Removing the sweet potatoes’ skins, she placed them together and mashed them into a paste with a small wooden pestle. Then, she gradually added flour, white sugar, beaten egg mixture, and a spoonful of oil—the oil was for making it easier to cook later. She kneaded it all into dough, picked out small portions, rolled them into balls, pressed them down with her hand until they formed round patty shapes, and dusted a thin layer of flour on both sides.

Heating the iron pan, Tian Sangsang drizzled a bit of oil in, placing five sweet potato pancakes in at a time to fry.

Not long after, all the pancakes were fried to golden crisp perfection on both sides. She carefully lifted them out and placed them in a bowl. They were scorching hot fresh from the pan—eating them too soon could cause inflamed gums—so she decided to wait a bit before calling Meng Shuyan over to eat. And then, the pancake-making process repeated itself again and again.

Sweet potato pancakes weren’t fancy by any means—every household would occasionally make them for a taste.

When all the sweet potato pancakes were done, Tian Sangsang roughly counted—they had about twenty or so.

"Yanyan, dinner’s ready!" Tian Sangsang called out toward the yard.

Meng Shuyan washed his hands again, toddling with his short legs into the main room. As soon as he entered, the aroma of sweet potatoes greeted him. The little one climbed onto the table, staring at the steaming pancakes as his dark eyes filled with wonder. So, Mama wasn’t just good at making dough balls—she could fry pancakes too. And they looked so well-made.

Tian Sangsang had tasted one earlier—it turned out delicious. She picked one up, blew on it, and held it near Meng Shuyan’s mouth. The little boy opened his mouth and took a bite.

"How does it taste, Yanyan?" she asked expectantly, watching his cheeks puff up as he chewed.

The boy bit down, first feeling the crunch of the outer layer, then the warm, sweet, and soft gooey texture inside. His peach-blossom-shaped eyes squinted halfway in delight. "Yummy, so yummy~ Mama’s food is always good~"

"If it’s good, then eat more." Tian Sangsang beamed with pride. "I’ll take some to Aunt Zhong too."

Tian Sangsang picked out eight of the better-looking pancakes, arranged them on a plate, and carried them to Aunt Zhong’s house. She arrived just as their family was having dinner.

Aunt Zhong and her husband, Tian Yi and his wife Li Xiaoqin, plus Tian Yi’s son Gou Sheng, were seated around a table in the main room. They were eating watery porridge, accompanied by dishes like pickled mustard greens, steamed buns, stir-fried cabbage, and stir-fried peanuts—nothing else, no other rich dishes. Yet, they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

"Sangsang, what brings you here?" Aunt Zhong put down her chopsticks and stood up warmly, "Have you eaten? Stay and join us tonight, bring Yanyan along too."

"That’s right," Tian Yi chimed in kindly, "We’re neighbors, yet you rarely come over."

As soon as he said that, Tian Sangsang caught Li Xiaoqin’s face slightly stiffening.

Li Xiaoqin’s hand reached beneath the table and pinched Tian Yi’s thigh. Why did she marry such a generous man!? They only had just enough food for their family, and now adding this big eater was too much! What about her and Gou Sheng—were they not supposed to eat then? Huh?

Gou Sheng gave Tian Sangsang a hostile glance, grabbing a steamed bun in his hand. He didn’t particularly like this auntie. Sure, he liked Meng Shuyan and often played with him—that was because Yanyan was fair-skinned and soft, unlike other kids. But his mom was different—they all said she looked like a pig, and his own mother had often called that strange "auntie" a fat pig behind her back. He honestly doubted whether Meng Shuyan was really this strange auntie’s son...