Tian Tian looked over and saw Shui Lian standing in the alley.
Shui Lian was wearing a fitted long dress, her features elegant and poised, giving off an air of dignity. Slling the pork aroma wafting from the bag in her hand, Tian Tian felt a pang of inferiority for the first ti.
She had heard of this person; it was said she was a teacher at the town’s school.
"Are you Shui Lian?" Tian Tian asked.
"That’s ." Shui Lian smiled at her. "What a coincidence. I often see you carrying pork from Butcher Wang’s shop. Oh dear, for soone so pretty like you to be reeking of pork—it’s such a waste."
"That cousin of mine is just like that, always dumping heavy tasks on ." Tian Tian couldn’t help but complain in front of an outsider. "While she’s off eating waterlon and enjoying herself."
Shui Lian didn’t comnt. "This ti, I’m here to tell you sothing. You should know that Fangfang and I are friends. Fangfang asked to warn you not to cling to Chen Ming. If you don’t listen, then she..."
Tian Tian wasn’t afraid of Yao Fangfang but dared not act too rashly around Shui Lian. She asked cautiously, "What will Yao Fangfang do then?"
Shui Lian spread her hands, "Fangfang said she’d get soone to spike your bowl with laxatives, leaving you no room to defend yourself when Tian Sangsang fires you."
Tian Tian widened her eyes in disbelief. "Why are you telling this?"
"Because I think you’re a smart person." Shui Lian smiled ambiguously, handing her the laxatives. "Smart people should know what to do."
"I... I don’t know." Tian Tian was caught off guard and shook her head dumbly. She didn’t understand what Shui Lian ant.
"Think about it yourself." Shui Lian waved elegantly. "The pork sll here is unbearable, so fishy and greasy. I’ll be leaving now."
Tian Tian walked away mired in unease, her mind filled with the graceful image of Shui Lian’s retreating figure. Shui Lian had helped her avoid harm from Yao Fangfang and handed over the laxatives for her to deal with herself. If she dealt with it herself...
Clutching the laxatives tightly in her hand, she nearly bumped into Chen Ming.
"Why are you so late today? Sangsang is already getting anxious from waiting." Chen Ming frowned as he was about to head out.
Tian Sangsang, Tian Sangsang—always Tian Sangsang! He didn’t even care whether she was tired or not, only about whether Tian Sangsang was getting impatient. Tian Tian raised her head and saw Chen Ming’s piercing gaze, so she instinctively lowered hers, gripping the items tightly in her hand. "Butcher Wang was too busy, so I got delayed."
With that, she carried the pork into the shop.
Chen Ming glanced at her hands, his expression darkening, doubt flashing through his eyes.
For the first ti ever, Chen Ming didn’t return to the village that night but stayed in the shop instead. Though Tian Tian felt it was odd, Chen Ming acted naturally enough that she didn’t suspect anything.
The next day, Tian Sangsang, as usual, prepared the base soup early in the morning before leaving everything else to Tian Tian. She went to tend to her son’s washing-up and breakfast instead.
If you are heartless, don’t bla for being ruthless. If I can’t learn the secret recipe or start my own shop, I’ll make sure your reputation is ruined. Tian Tian stared at the direction in which Tian Sangsang had left with hateful thoughts.
Taking advantage of the mont when no one was around, Tian Tian pulled out the packet of laxatives and quietly poured it in...
Once, twice. Just as she was about to empty the powder, a cold voice erged from a corner, "Tian Tian, what are you doing?"
Tian Tian couldn’t help but shiver, the yellow paper packet falling from her hand onto the ground.
She slowly turned around. "I..."
"What’s in that packet? What did you add to the soup?" Chen Ming stared at her darkly, his fists crackling as he clenched them.
His gaze was so scorching and bare that Tian Tian shrank back. "Nothing, nothing."
"If you don’t tell , I’ll call people over." Chen Ming’s disappointnt was palpable. At this mont, he realized just how well he understood all of Tian Tian’s flaws.
"Chen Ming." Tian Tian licked her dry lips, a hint of expectation and wildness in her tone as she whispered to him urgently, "Don’t tell Tian Sangsang. You won’t tell her, right? I just wanted to get back at her. Look at her—she’s been deliberately making life hard for these days. Making do all that work—is that sothing a person should do?"
Chen Ming sneered coldly. "Before you ca, all of that was done by Tian Sangsang herself. If she could do it, why can’t you? Besides, you asked for this job. No one forced you into it, right?"
Tian Tian hadn’t expected Chen Ming to be so unforgiving. "I thought you still cared about . Otherwise, why did you give two pieces of Dongpo pork that day? And sneakily too, without letting Chen Ying and Tian Sangsang see. Isn’t it obvious that you still have feelings for ? Please don’t say anything, okay? If this works out, we can be together."
"Giving you pork and reporting you are two entirely separate things. Don’t mix them up!" Chen Ming shouted in anger.
"No! They’re not separate!" Tian Tian argued. "That day you still cared about , so why can’t you act as if you didn’t see today’s incident?"
"Get out." Chen Ming squeezed out the words from his mouth.
What? Tian Tian stared at him in disbelief. "You want to get out?"
"Either leave on your own or I’ll throw you out. Your choice." Chen Ming’s eyes gradually turned scarlet. "I won’t allow you to keep sabotaging Tian Sangsang. Haven’t you done enough harm already? Can’t you just stop for once?"
Tian Tian mustered her courage. "I won’t leave!"
"Do I need to make you?" Chen Ming stepped forward, grabbing Tian Tian’s hand and forcibly pushed her outside.
Tian Tian stumbled, barely catching herself on the doorfra to avoid falling to the ground. Looking at Chen Ming’s bloodshot eyes, Tian Tian couldn’t help but feel fear. She had a premonition that Chen Ming really wouldn’t hold back, that he would tell Tian Sangsang everything and kick her out. She mustn’t leave, not like this!
"It wasn’t , Chen Ming, you have to believe . Soone else told to do it!" Tears began trickling down Tian Tian’s delicate face.
Chen Ming stared at her with increasingly disappointed eyes, suppressing his voice. "Even now, you’re still lying."
"It’s true, it’s Shui Lian—she gave the laxatives! If I didn’t act, Yao Fangfang would’ve used those laxatives to fra !"
Chen Ming’s mind churned, looking at her moving lips but not believing a word. "You really are full of lies." She even tried pulling Shui Lian and Yao Fangfang into it. Why would they target her? Did she think everyone else harbored the sa darkness she did? Having seen Tian Tian’s deceit far too often, Chen Ming couldn’t believe her anymore.
Tian Tian had never imagined that after lying so many tis, when she finally spoke the truth, no one would believe her.
"You can’t kick out. Only Tian Sangsang can fire ."
"You actually have the audacity to let her know?"
"Fine, but give my wages!"
"How much? I’ll pay you myself!"
To go this far for Tian Sangsang. Tian Tian stared at Chen Ming like he was a fool, her heart sinking to rock bottom.
"I’ll handle her wages since I hired her. A staff mber who uses laxatives—I can’t keep her here either."
It wasn’t until Tian Sangsang showed up that Tian Tian couldn’t utter another word. Her lips trembled, pale and ghostly. She knew she had truly been fired.
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