She really couldn't bear to shatter the child's beautiful dream. Logically, that handsome man probably didn't even know he had a son, and after all these years, he hadn't come back. It's very likely he will never return. Even if he did come back, upon seeing Tian Sangsang, and remembering how he was taken advantage of by a fat woman, he might feel like strangling her? If by any chance the handsome man has a bad temper and blames the son for what she did, it's not impossible. But she's lucky that the little bun didn't inherit her own dark skin. Otherwise, he would be more of a lump of something than a little bun...
Hunger temporarily pulled Meng Shuyan back from his thoughts and fantasies about his father. He sat properly, holding a small spoon, scooped up a piece of dough, opened his little mouth, took a bite, puffed his cheeks and chewed for a moment, then took another bite.
He can already eat without being fed by others.
Tian Sangsang rested her chin on her hand, admiring her son's adorably handsome face. This child even ate like a little gentleman, calmly and methodically, not gobbling down his food, but he looked so happy that it was clear he was quite satisfied with the meal.
"Yanyan, eat more. Once you finish, mom will serve you more." Heaven gifted her such a soft and adorable son, what a blessing for her. Tian Sangsang chuckled foolishly for a bit and then started eating herself.
Without her noticing, Meng Shuyan, who had been watching her all the while, lifted his little reddened face and stole a glance at her, a subtle curve forming at the corner of his mouth. Mom's cooking is really delicious~~~
Tian Sangsang quickly finished all the dough in her bowl, used her chopsticks to pick up a whole bowl of wild vegetables gathered together, plopped it into her mouth, though it was only a few stalks. Then she lifted the scallion-scented soup to her lips and drank it to the last drop,
"Ah!" Meng Shuyan stopped eating and suddenly said, "Mommy, there's one more."
"Eh?" Tian Sangsang looked into the bowl and indeed, there was one more piece at the rim. But why was her son staring at her?
"Mommy, great-grandma said not to waste food." Meng Shuyan pursed his little lips, "Don't even let a scallion slip by."
"Hehehe..." Tian Sangsang laughed until she twitched, and under her son's expectant gaze, picked up a scallion and put it in her mouth.
Meng Shuyan's eyes curved with satisfaction, as he resumed eating in a manner both graceful and clumsy.
Tian Sangsang...
Mentally, a bowl like that was satisfying to the old her; but as a now plump person, physically, Tian Sangsang felt as if she hadn't eaten at all.
The real sensation from those meals was like having had a mouthful of water.
Note, not a bowl of water, but merely a mouthful.
A fat person's stomach is a bottomless pit!
Finally, she understood the pain of those trying to lose weight; it's a struggle of willpower over physiology, requiring immense self-control to achieve!
She had to lose weight. With such a weight, it was clearly unhealthy, and she'd always loved beauty, so she couldn't possibly accept such a fat body. She wanted to be slender as before and for her well-behaved son, so he wouldn't be troubled by having such a mother in the future.
She needed to lose weight! To become fair! To get rich! To be a good mom!
Tian Sangsang placed a hand on her stomach, trying to divert her attention away from her rumbling stomach. She blinked her eyes and said, "Yanyan, you said earlier that your name is Meng Shuyan, right."
Meng Shuyan put down his spoon, wiped his mouth, and said somewhat proudly, "Yes, mommy. Great-grandma hopes I'll be a learned and cultured scholar."
"So that's how it is." Tian Sangsang nodded. It seemed great-grandma came up with the name, and the little bun was named after his great-grandmother. The name Meng Shuyan is indeed impressive, much better than names like Aiguo, Guohua, Jianjun, Jianshe, Jiaye, Jiaguo, Zhiqiang, and Zhizhong that you find everywhere nowadays.
Wait!
Why does the name Meng Shuyan sound so familiar?
Meng Shuyan... Meng Shuyan...
Tian Sangsang?
Li Yibai!?
Meng Shuyan, Li Yibai!?
Oh my God! No way! What a melodramatic twist!
Meng Shuyan, that's the same name as the protagonist's adopted son in a reincarnation novel from the male perspective she read before, and that adopted son had a mother who died early, named Tian Sangsang.
Usually, she didn't read novels from the male perspective, as they often featured harems. It's not that she disliked harems, but too many could be off-putting. Moreover, women's thoughts generally differed from men's. Most women still hoped for a one-on-one partnership for life, while only a few girls liked female-oriented content, but most men were indifferent to polygamy.
She had been recommended to read that reincarnation novel with a male protagonist by a fellow book lover, who commented: "It's a refreshing alternative in the male genre lately, 1V1, the protagonist is devoted, not a philanderer, doesn't start a harem, consistently shows deep love for the female protagonist, and it's one of the more popular countryside farming stories set in a reincarnation era from the past two years."
The male protagonist was named Li Yibai, who, with the golden finger of reincarnation, rose from being a nobody at the bottom, to acing entrance exams, becoming a top student, planned when entering college, and started his career after graduation.
Meng Shuyan was a pitiful child whose biological mother died from falling down a slope. A three and a half-year-old child was sent to his grandma's house, where he was bullied by older cousins due to his good looks. When he couldn't go on any longer, he happened to meet Li Yibai, who came to the village. Li Yibai saw the child's talent for learning and took him as his adopted son.
Due to the family's drastic changes and years of bullying, the child developed a reserved personality, becoming a cold male supporting character in the novel.
From then on, Meng Shuyan followed Li Yibai to the city. Since childhood, he was a little genius, outperforming peers academically and skipping grades multiple times, eventually getting into a military academy, distinguishing himself in battle, a typical figure of exceptional potential. With both the father and adopted son's reincarnation benefits, along with Meng Shuyan's help, Li Yibai's path to success was smooth.
In the novel, the main villain is a traditional high-ranking child, with superior family background, appearance, and ability. Outstanding in all aspects since childhood, until overshadowed by Li Yibai's protagonist aura.
From then on, the villain's tragic tale begins. The childhood sweetheart adopted by his family falls for Li Yibai, his father was brought down by the sweetheart's complaints, his mother fell ill, wanting to see him one last time. Escaping from the military, he not only failed to meet his mother but was captured and recorded with a major offense. He fell from a favored child to having nothing; the sweetheart became someone else's, his parents were gone, and he inadvertently learned that Li Yibai was his father's illegitimate child. The villain determined to become stronger in the military, rising step by step, his heart beginning to darken.
The villain wanted revenge on Li Yibai but then met a young boy who looked so much like him and found out it was his son. Yet, his son stood in opposition, calling Li Yibai his dad. Out of guilt for his son, the villain acted with restraint, and in a final act, he sacrificed himself to save his son. With his dying breath, he told his son that it wasn't his intention to abandon him, he'd been unaware of his existence, but had been silently watching and loving him since knowing.