CHAPTER 407: 392 JIANG JINGHUAI GETS SLAPPED IN THE FACE BY REAL POWER AGAIN

Tian Sangsang broke out in a sweat... She hadn’t started selling men’s products yet. Before she could say it, her cheeks suddenly flushed as Hua Zifeng leaned in close to her ear, his breath brushing her face as he teased, "Your mother-in-law is here to inspect."

Anger flared within her; she wanted to explode on the spot, but Hua Zifeng had already wandered off to mingle with others, leaving her standing there alone. She turned toward the door and saw Ye Binyi and Jia Wenxiu.

Ye Binyi was staring at her with a dark expression.

She knew her mother-in-law had misunderstood, and she hadn’t expected Hua Zifeng to act so ambiguously.

"Mom." She quickly stepped forward and asked gently, "What brings you here?"

Ye Binyi replied indifferently, "Your shop has opened. Of course, I need to come and have a look." Her gaze roamed the store, never once directly addressing Sangsang.

She walked around the shop with Jia Wenxiu accompanying her, while Tian Sangsang simultaneously kept an eye on them and managed the customers.

"What was she doing earlier? She’s married but still keeps it unclear with another man!" Ye Binyi coldly expressed her displeasure to Jia Wenxiu.

Jia Wenxiu held her arm affectionately and said, "Mom, maybe she was just attending to customers."

Ye Binyi scoffed and said, "Look around here; most of them are women. There are hardly any male customers."

Jia Wenxiu agreed, "Hua Zifeng is Sister-in-law’s friend." The shop was elegantly decorated; each essential oil was placed in the center of wooden boxes. These items were irresistibly appealing to women. Jia Wenxiu envied them, thinking disdainfully that all these belonged to Tian Sangsang. She would never buy them! If she were to buy something, she’d go to another shop!

Tian Sangsang finished receiving payment from one customer and looked around again. Where were her mother-in-law and Jia Wenxiu? They had come and gone in a flash. Well, at least it saved her the trouble of being distracted.

**

When Jiang Jinghuai returned for the fourth week, Tian Sangsang happened to be in those few days of the month again.

She felt sorry for her husband and didn’t dare tell him about it.

But he eventually figured it out himself, with his sharp intuition. He spent the entire day in confusion, chain-smoking, revealing his inner turmoil.

That night, Jiang Jinghuai sat at the bedside.

Tian Sangsang climbed onto the bed, kneeling, and leaned over his shoulder from behind.

"It’s not your fault. I think it’s because of the smoking." She coaxed him gently. "I’ve heard people say smoking isn’t good for fertility. Even if it works, it can lead to deformities."

Jiang Jinghuai frowned deeply in thought, then decisively said, "Then I’ll quit smoking."

"Wow!" She exclaimed. Before, no matter how much she pleaded, he refused to quit, but now he suddenly decides to quit just like that. Tian Sangsang backed away half a meter, stared at him in horror, and pointed at him, "Are you even a man?" Everyone says cigarettes are like the Five-fingered Girl to men. If he can quit smoking, how terrifying must he be? She couldn’t even fathom it!

Jiang Jinghuai thought to himself, Haven’t you always wished for me to quit smoking? Now that I’m willing to quit, you blurt out, "Are you even a man?!" Besides, he already felt humiliated, and now with her remark, he felt even more dejected and didn’t want to respond.

"That’s not what I meant." Tian Sangsang said quickly but skeptically, "I believe in you. Quitting smoking is good for your lungs."

"Come here." Jiang Jinghuai’s face turned completely dark. He pulled her into his arms with a heavy sigh and said, "I’ll keep trying. Just wait and see."

Business at Yipin Xiangju was thriving. When Tian Sangsang returned home, Ye Binyi rarely took the initiative to talk to her: "Sangsang, Wenxiu still has half a month before she returns to East Sea. She’s idle at home anyway. Since you’re the only one at your shop, if you’re too busy, I’ll have Wenxiu help you out."

Tian Sangsang’s heart skipped a beat, her mind spinning rapidly. This time Jiang Jinghuai could stay home for two days, today and tomorrow. Jia Wenxiu certainly had ulterior motives and had already made her life unbearable with her interference in the household. Now she even wanted to meddle in Yipin Xiangju. Sangsang didn’t want to see her for even a second longer!

Facing Jia Wenxiu’s obedient yet subtly provocative gaze, Tian Sangsang smiled warmly: "Sure, Mom. I do need an extra pair of hands. If Wenxiu comes to help, it’ll be a lot easier for me. She can come tomorrow."

Ye Binyi nodded in satisfaction.

Jia Wenxiu responded, "Okay, Sister-in-law." She went to help at the shop as a pretense to keep an eye on Tian Sangsang for Ye Binyi, making sure she wasn’t being unfaithful. But she had her own plans. With half a month left before her return to East Sea, she intended to exact revenge before leaving. As long as she could settle the score, she’d be happy.

As Tian Sangsang walked to the shop, she thought about what strategy she could use to drive Jia Wenxiu away. She had to take the initiative, and better yet, do it while Jiang Jinghuai was at home. Without him, she would be isolated, and Ye Binyi would surely side with Jia Wenxiu. It would be best if she could expose Jia Wenxiu’s true nature and make Jiang Jinghuai see her not as "optional" but as a genuine threat to the family’s safety and harmony while she remained in their lives.

This kind of win-win solution required careful planning. She lifted her head to look ahead and saw a woman wearing a floral headscarf, wiping her tears, holding a small boy about the same age as Meng Shuyan.

But the boy was vastly different from Meng Shuyan. Meng Shuyan was pampered, fair-skinned, and energetic, while this little boy looked malnourished, thin as a stick. Starving, he kept crying for food.

Tian Sangsang found them pitiful, sitting on the street like they’d been abandoned by the world.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" She walked over and looked closely. In the 21st century, people rarely meddled in these kinds of affairs, but in this era, Tian Sangsang couldn’t turn a blind eye. Sometimes a small act of kindness could save someone from despair.

Never lose the heart to do good, despite the chaos of the world.

Taking a closer look, she realized the woman looked familiar—it was the same woman who had reminded her about her dropped money earlier in the day.

The woman looked up and wiped her tears, seemingly recognizing her too: "It’s you?"

"Yes, big sister. You reminded me about my lost money last time. I’ve always remembered your kindness. I didn’t expect to run into you again," Tian Sangsang said warmly, then glanced at the child in her arms.

The boy stopped crying, looking somewhat shy.

Tian Sangsang thought for a moment and took out a triangle-shaped pastry wrapped in a white plastic bag from her purse. It had a white layer, a yellow layer, and a golden cheese topping that smelled delightful.

"Are you hungry, little one? Auntie has some bread here for you. Eat this, and you won’t be hungry anymore."

"No, comrade! We can’t afford such things; it’s too extravagant!"

Tian Sangsang said hastily, "When injustice arises, one must act. Big sister, you helped me before, and now that you’re in trouble, I can’t ignore it."

The little boy sobbed softly, his swollen eyes red. Unable to resist, he grabbed the bread and wolfed it down, then realized he’d eaten too quickly. It was the most delicious thing he’d ever had. Embarrassed, he glanced at Tian Sangsang and said, "Thank you, Auntie."

"You’re welcome."