The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 18 - Mysterious Cave_1
Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Mysterious Cave_1
Chapter 18 -18 Mysterious Cave_1
Work was urgent, and Zhao Dajiao didn’t have much free time either.
“Hehe, it’s nothing, just a twisted ankle, not an injured hand, I can still work.” Third Grandma Qi didn’t take others’ politeness for granted and, sitting on her little stool, started to peel cotton bolls.
Over the years, Third Grandma Qi had become accustomed to relying on herself for everything.
This was something that genuinely commanded respect.
Zhao Dajiao was very satisfied.
Having one more person meant they could finish the task earlier.
Once these were peeled and dried, they could be promptly delivered to the city to fulfill this year’s quota.
“Third Auntie, is this the young city dweller who recently came to live in your home?” Zhao Dajiao had heard her son praising He Tiantian more than once last night and was curious about her.
“Yes,” Third Grandma Qi said, “I feel bad for the girl, she carried me all the way here.
There are more city folks now, and there isn’t enough room at Luluo Diandian’s place.
From now on, this girl will live with me and keep this lonely old woman company.”
Everyone was aware of Third Grandma Qi’s family situation, and they all understood having a young city dweller staying with her would be good company for her.
He Tiantian squatted by the side, helping Third Grandma Qi with her work.
They had to peel six basketfuls per day to earn six work points, one basketful for one work point.
He Tiantian was petite, but she worked efficiently.
Plus, she was stronger than before, and she peeled the cotton bolls quickly.
In no time, she helped Third Grandma Qi complete the morning’s task.
“Third Auntie, you and Tiantian peel so well and fast,” Zhao Dajiao said with a smile, “Alright, you’ve finished the morning task.
You should go home and rest now; you can come back in the afternoon.”
“Alright, I’ll head back then.” Third Grandma Qi was pleased.
With the help of He Tiantian, today would be a bit easier.
Later in the evening, when there were fewer people around, she would speak to Zhao Dajiao about assigning He Tiantian some lighter tasks.
With the envious looks of those around, Third Grandma Qi was supported by He Tiantian as they left.
Everyone talked among themselves, saying that Third Grandma Qi had lucked out, living with such a hardworking young city dweller; not only would she have company, but her workload would also be lighter.
He Tiantian and Third Grandma Qi hit it off from the start, walking home slowly while laughing and chatting along the way.
As they approached home, they encountered someone He Tiantian didn’t want to see, yet couldn’t avoid.
“Grandma, how is your foot?” Qi Jianguo asked with concern, moving forward to support Third Grandma Qi on her other side.
Third Grandma Qi smiled and said, “It’s fine, I’m much better now.”
“Grandma, my mother asked me to bring you six eggs to help boost your health,” Qi Jianguo said as he helped Third Grandma Qi into the house.
He Tiantian didn’t want to see Qi Jianguo’s face, keeping her head down, daring not to look up.
It wasn’t that she was scared of Qi Jianguo, but she was worried she couldn’t hide the resentment in her eyes and might end up scratching Qi Jianguo’s face.
A man who wove so many despicable lies, making her live in bewilderment and regret for life.
Third Grandma Qi was taken aback.
Although they lived in the same village, she didn’t interact much with Qi Jianguo’s family and wasn’t on such good terms with them. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
“These eggs are precious, you better take them back.
My foot is just slightly sprained and it’s nothing serious,” Third Grandma Qi said, declining the unwarranted offer.
Normally, she would stealthily exchange these eggs for salt or oil.
She couldn’t bear to give them away to others!
Qi Jianguo gave a shy smile and spoke softly, “Third Grandma Qi, this is something my mother asked me to bring over, please accept it quickly.
I have other things to do, so I’ll be heading back first.
Sister Tiantian, I’ll leave Third Grandma in your care.
If there’s anything, just find me at the east end of the village.
Oh, by the way, my name is Qi Jianguo.”
He Tiantian nodded but did not respond.
Qi Jianguo took He Tiantian’s shyness for granted, his eyes lingering on her figure, feeling his heart stir; he admitted to himself that he had taken a liking to this city girl named He Tiantian.
However, it seemed like this city girl did not have a friendly attitude towards him, and he knew he had to put some thought into how to win over the beauty’s heart.
Faced with Third Grandma Qi’s refusal, Qi Jianguo knew it wasn’t appropriate to linger, and without waiting for her to shove the eggs back into his hands, he quickly walked away.
It was only then that He Tiantian lifted her head and, from a spot where Third Grandma Qi couldn’t see her, coldly watched Qi Jianguo’s retreating figure.
In this lifetime, no matter what good deeds you do, she’d never trust you, nor would she have any involvement with you.
She hated not only Qi Jianguo but also Mother Qi and Qi Fangfang, and all those who had deceived her.
“That’s odd, that Jian Guo’s mother is notoriously stingy.
Our relationship is just so-so, yet she sent six eggs; I really can’t accept them,” said Third Grandma Qi.
That woman, Jian Guo’s mother, was never the kind to do anything that didn’t profit her; there’s no way she would send six eggs over for no reason.
He Tiantian rolled her eyes – a weasel paying a New Year’s visit to a chicken, surely up to no good.
“Well, when something comes up in their family, you can return it to them and not take advantage of them,” He Tiantian said dully, “Grandma Qi, you sit for a while, I’m going to cook.”
In the kitchen, Tiantian mixed fine flour with coarse flour to make dough, rolled out noodles, enough for two bowls, added some cold-cucumber salad and boiled greens, and that was lunch.
In the afternoon, when Tiantian took Third Grandma Qi to the work site, they coincidentally ran into Qi Jianguo’s mother, her mother-in-law from a past life, Old Pious Women, who sized up Tiantian with the scrutinizing gaze one uses on merchandise.
Tiantian, who was already fed up with Qi Jianguo, was even more disgusted with Mother Qi; such looks made her very uncomfortable.
Not wanting to stay a minute longer, she carried her little basket and headed towards where the city youngsters were stationed.
Although she knew that most of the people in Qijia Village were good, she was still an outsider.
If she had conflicts with people in the village, most would side with the villagers.
Yet, these city youngsters, being outsiders too, might help her in a crunch if she got along well with them.
Right now, most of the city youngsters were working and not at their base, so Tiantian decided to wait a while before heading over.
The season was just right for the sour dates on the back hill to ripen.
Those dates, even when ripe, tasted sour when first picked and needed to be left for seven or eight days to sweeten.
Most of the sour dates on the trees of the back hill had been picked.
The place Tiantian intended to visit was extremely hidden, known only to her.
In the year 1972 of her previous life, when Taoyuan County faced a drought and crops failed, after delivering their due to the authorities, the villagers had little left and were not well-fed; they resorted to foraging for wild vegetables on the hills.
By accident, Tiantian fell into a cave that contained many wild vegetables, a sour date tree, and a puddle where sometimes she could catch fish, which kept her from starving.
Whenever she felt unhappy, she would go there to be alone, even Qi Jianguo and Qi Fangfang didn’t know of that place.
There were many memories there for Tiantian, so she prepared to visit.
Climbing the hill, Tiantian was remarkably swift, not just because of her strength, but she also noticed that her walking and climbing speed were quicker than in her previous life.
What used to take an hour to reach now only took her half an hour.
There was a rope in the basket.
She tied it around a thicker tree trunk and concealed it with leaves before smoothly sliding down the rope to a cave hidden by bushes.
