Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 536 - 520 saves beauty

In the small restaurant at dusk, it was packed with people.

When Zhao Chun went inside, the narrow restaurant happened to have no empty tables.

Among the five tables of guests, nearly all were occupied. Only one table had a young woman sitting quietly with her head down. This table could still accommodate another person. The other four tables were mostly normal, appearing to host people who knew each other, eating noodles and chatting at a pleasant volume—not too loud, not too quiet.

At the last table, a few men sat around it in a circle. Although they wore normal clothes, their demeanor was sleazy and unruly. They were drinking, and on the table lay seven or eight empty beer bottles scattered about, along with small plates of peanuts and pig intestines to snack on. Some peanuts had fallen onto the tabletop, lying around in twos and threes.

It was the sort of mess that anyone who likes cleanliness wouldn’t be able to stand.

Zhao Chun stood in place, pondering whether he should try another small restaurant. But within a hundred miles, the only option on West City Road was a noodle shop specializing in beef noodles—which was quite a distance away.

If he were to sit opposite the young woman, he thought it might feel inappropriate.

"Sir, there’s no empty table left in the shop. Why not sit with this young lady?" The owner didn’t let go of an already-present customer, naturally eager to keep business going. After all, there were no empty tables, but there were still unused chairs.

Sitting at the same table isn’t the same as sharing the same bed. What’s the big deal?

"Alright." Zhao Chun rubbed his nose and nodded at the owner, saying, "One bowl of plain noodles for me."

"Sure thing, hold on a moment."

The young woman had ordered rice, a dish, and a soup, and upon hearing Zhao Chun’s response of "alright," she raised her eyes in surprise.

That glance coincided with Zhao Chun’s clear, earnest gaze.

Zhao Chun nodded sincerely, and the young woman lightly pressed the corners of her lips together before quickly lowering her head again.

Before long, the owner brought out a piping-hot bowl of plain noodles.

Zhao Chun ate the noodles mechanically. He was very hungry and ate quickly. But he wasn’t in the mood to savor the meal—he ate purely to fill his stomach.

He had already received news that Jiang Jinghuai had sacrificed himself at the border. Today, Tian Sangsang had gone to the military base to attend Jinghuai’s memorial service, as all family members were required to attend. With her not at home, Zhao Chun had no desire to cook himself, so he had gone out to eat something quick.

The tragedy hung over the courtyard house like an unshakeable cloud. However, they had hidden the truth from Meng Shuyan, who continued going about his studies as usual. Such a blow would be devastating for a four-year-old child.

"Hahaha~~~ Hahaha~~~"

A burst of harsh, wicked laughter exploded from the neighboring table, dragging Zhao Chun out of his thoughts.

He frowned in annoyance and turned his head to look over.

Perhaps the men had drunk too much alcohol; they were leering maliciously at the women in the restaurant and the young woman sitting opposite him. Their mouths spouted occasional obscenities.

One of the men grabbed a peanut and popped it into his mouth while glancing at the young woman.

He played a drinking game with the man opposite him, saying mockingly, "White... I’m guessing white."

The man across the table whistled, "White? Anyone wanna bet? I’m guessing red, I’ll tell ya."

"Me, me, me! I’ll bet on white!"

"I’m betting red."

Most of the guests at the other tables had arrived earlier, finished their meals, and were now settling their bills and leaving together.

The young woman sped up her eating, her face marked with fear. Earlier, when the other customers were still around, she could suppress her anxiety, but now, with everyone else gone, terror gripped her.

Every loud noise made by the men stirred tremors deep in her heart.

With fewer people in the restaurant, the men’s gaze grew even more brazen.

The young woman finally couldn’t eat anymore. Casting a glance at the remaining food on her plate, her eyes flashed with a hint of distress.

In those days, it was rare for people to leave food unfinished. They typically felt meals out at eateries were insufficient, let alone waste any. Besides, the young woman was clearly from a poor background.

"Owner, the bill." She stood up and called softly.

The owner walked to her, took the payment, and the young woman hurriedly headed for the door.

The owner understood the situation but was angry yet in no position to speak up.

Why did those drunks have to come to his shop today?

Lately, Beijing had been cracking down heavily. Why hadn’t these drunkards been rounded up?

The owner didn’t dare report them. With his small business, it wasn’t worth sticking his neck out.

But the citizens of Beijing really harbored grievances toward the discipline inspection department. They failed to deal with the ones who should be punished while catching those who shouldn’t, dragging many innocent people into trouble instead. The situation was a murky mess.

Zhao Chun picked up his bowl, slurped a few noodles, drank some soup, and, almost immediately, someone sat in front of him.

"Man, it’s been a while since I’ve smelled a young woman’s scent—I had to come sit here for it."

"Wow, truly the smell of a woman." He made a dramatic inhaling motion.

Screw you! Zhao Chun cursed inwardly! Couldn’t they see there was still a grown man sitting here, yet they were babbling nonsense about a woman’s scent!

"Hey Second Brother, you’re wrong about that one. This young lady looks so young—since when does she qualify as a woman?"

"You get it, Third Brother, you really get it."

"No joke, that young lady looks so fair-skinned. Only thing is her head’s been down the whole time—I’ve only been able to see her side profile, not her full face."

"Why not go take a look then?"

"Heh-heh, alright, Big Brother, we’ll follow your lead."

The four men got up, leaning on each other while staggering toward the door.

The terrified owner rushed out behind them, trembling, "Gentlemen, today your total comes to four yuan."

"Four yuan? What kind of rip-off joint is this? No way did we eat that much!"

"You’re blatantly trying to rob us!"

"Eight bottles of alcohol, two plates of meat, and three small dishes—that’s everything. It’s accurate." The owner felt a sinking dread, worried they wouldn’t pay, and it seemed his fears were coming true.

"Listen here, don’t you have eyes? I’m telling you right now, we’re not paying. So, what are you gonna do about it?"

"You think you can report us to the authorities?"

"Let me tell you, we happen to be regulars there; even the officers can’t do a thing about us."

Zhao Chun heard this, let out a smirk, and said airily, "Can’t afford it? Don’t eat out then."

He pulled the money out of his pocket and easily handed it to the owner.

The four men immediately felt insulted.

"Second Brother, pay the man, pay him fast—we’ve still gotta go find the girl."

Second Brother rummaged through his pants pocket, checked this and that, and finally pulled out a handful of loose change.

Examining it with a glance, it totaled exactly four yuan.

"Here, we’ve got loads of cash!" Second Brother declared arrogantly.

"You got lucky today!" One of the other men said, pointing at the owner.

They threw the money at the owner’s head, the coins clinking to the floor, before staggering disorderly out the door.

The owner hurried to collect the money—why pick a fight with it? Running a small business was hard enough.

As they stepped outside, their senses seemed to sharpen. "Look around—where’s that young lady from before?"

"Over there!" One man pointed ahead, and they could make out the young woman’s figure in the distance. She was wearing a gray dress walking along the edge of the street.