The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 24 - Old Man Qi_1
Chapter 24: Chapter 24 Old Man Qi_1
Chapter 24 -24 Old Man Qi_1
Aunt Liu liked He Tiantian’s diligence and sweet words, offering her advice all the way, from which Tiantian benefited greatly.
“Girl Tian, if you have the time later on, cook something for Uncle Qi.
I’ve been busy and didn’t have the time, I only did it occasionally,” Aunt Liu whispered.
“He’s a lonely old man, quite pitiful, without a wife or children, and missing an arm, so it’s not easy for him to do things.
Help him out whenever you can.”
Tiantian nodded, “Sure, I’ll often cook for Grandpa Qi whenever I have the time.”
These were all trivial matters that Tiantian was very good at, and they weren’t troublesome for her.
Aunt Liu looked around to ensure no one was there before she said softly, “Uncle Qi is no ordinary man; not only does he have his work points in the village to get grain, but he also gets quite a few good things from the commune every month.
You won’t lack benefits if you cook for him.
And that’s not all; because of Uncle Qi’s high prestige, even the village secretary Qi Dazhu respects him a lot, and the villagers also respect him.
As long as he speaks well of you, no one in Qijia Village will dare bully you as a young girl.”
Tiantian was happy in her heart; her hard work that morning had not been in vain, as Aunt Liu guided her in every aspect.
Even though she knew she had to ingratiate herself with Old Man Qi, she also appreciated Aunt Liu’s kind reminder.
“Thank you, Aunt Liu,” Tiantian said with genuine gratitude, planning to share any future benefits with Aunt Liu.
She needed to avenge herself against the Qi family, and she knew she couldn’t do it alone, so she needed some people’s help.
But as she was new here, she couldn’t be hasty.
She had to first establish good relations with some people in Qijia Village and then gradually look for opportunities.
“No need to thank me.
You’re only two years older than our girl.
It’s not easy being away from home, so I hope you don’t mind me saying a bit more,” Aunt Liu said, feeling a sense of accomplishment upon seeing that Tiantian was sensible and took her advice to heart, which made her speak even more.
“You’re just looking out for me; how could I mind!” Tiantian replied, chatting and laughing with Aunt Liu as they returned to the village together.
In just one morning, as well as getting along with two “colleagues,” she’d made a good start and believed that her future work would go smoothly as well.
Tiantian went to fetch Third Grandma Qi, who was picking cotton pods, and they walked back home together.
Yes, in just two short days, Tiantian already thought of Third Grandma Qi’s place as home.
The elderly hoped Tiantian could accompany her and take care of her a little.
The younger one hoped to find a foothold with Third Grandma Qi to help open up her situation in Qijia Village.
The two complemented each other and proved mutually beneficial.
“Grandma Qi, sit for a while, I’ll go cook,” Tiantian said to Third Grandma Qi after helping her into the house, bringing over some water and a towel to help her cool down and freshen up.
“No hurry, we can just have something simple,” Third Grandma Qi replied, her heart sweeter than honey.
Now that the two of them were eating together, without anyone else around, Third Grandma Qi wasn’t worried about Tiantian sneaking extra food.
Tiantian cooked dough drop soup with greens, a little oil, and salt, enough for their lunch, including both the broth and the solid food.
As Third Grandma Qi had poor teeth, this kind of meal was perfect for her, and she was very satisfied.
She was willing to let Tiantian cook their meals from then on.
For the time being, she couldn’t give Tiantian any valuable things.
But if Tiantian continued to treat her this well, she would leave her the box of gold and silver jewelry she had secretly hidden away when she died.
Otherwise, she would have already given Tiantian a silver hairpin.
After eating, both Third Grandma Qi and Tiantian took a nap at home.
As long as it wasn’t the busy farming season, they would rise early to work in the heat of the day, allowing for an extended rest at noon, before resuming work at half past two in the afternoon.
He Tiantian poured hot water into her army-green water bottle, slung it over her shoulder, carried a bamboo basket on her back, and after taking Third Grandma Qi to the cotton-pod stripping area, she hurried off to the loamy uplands.
Old Man Qi, seeing He Tiantian coming, rarely broke into a smile and said, “You’re here!”
“I’m here,” He Tiantian replied, setting down her bamboo basket and shouldering the large basket Aunt Liu had carried in the morning.
“Grandpa Qi, I’m off to cut grass.
Aunt Liu will watch over things here this afternoon.”
Hardworking, with a sense of when to advance and when to retreat.
What a fine child!
“Go on,” Old Man Qi nodded and pointed towards the west, “There’s plenty of green grass that way.
Your Aunt Liu already cut quite a bit this morning, so it’s fine even if you cut less this afternoon.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Qi,” He Tiantian acknowledged and, with the large basket on her back, headed up the mountain.
Although Old Man Qi said so, He Tiantian could not afford to be lazy on her first day of work.
Prompt diligence was key to making a good impression; future laxity might then go unnoticed.
It was a communal effort nowadays, with everyone shirking a bit.
But everyone knew who was shirking and who was not; yet, a reputation for laziness could turn one into an object of gossip and scorn.
In her past life, He Tiantian hadn’t been lazy, but she’d been young and frail, unable to cope with certain tasks and often failing to complete her assignments, which had led to her being a subject of villager’s gossip.
Looking attractive and being literate were qualities that set her apart from the local girls and young wives, yet none of that mattered when it came to farmwork where she fell short.
To prove their own superiority over He Tiantian, people often discussed the educated youths, seeking a sense of pride.
Seeing no one around, He Tiantian quickened her pace and reached the patch of green Old Man Qi had mentioned.
He Tiantian didn’t feel tired at all; she had thanked Lord Snake more than once for improving her physique.
If it had been the past, just getting there might have taken an hour, but now it only took half that time.
The terrain here was relatively flat, with plenty of mud underfoot, which allowed the trees and grass to thrive.
Just this patch alone would supply He Tiantian with enough grass to cut for a week.
Old Man Qi was truly a good person!
He Tiantian got to work cutting grass, and even though the scythe wasn’t very sharp, it didn’t affect her speed.
With a sharper blade, she might have worked even faster.
In less than an hour, she had already gathered several large piles of green grass in the basket, filling it to the brim and packing it tight.
Since she had time, He Tiantian spotted some tender wild vegetables nearby, picked some, and blanched them to make a cold dish for Old Man Qi.
After finishing these tasks, He Tiantian rested on the mountain for a while before descending with the bamboo basket.
Going up the mountain is easy, coming down is hard.
It took He Tiantian half an hour to ascend the mountain, while descending took her about forty-five minutes.
Aunt Liu, seeing He Tiantian return with even more grass than she herself had cut in the morning, beamed with joy.
Oh boy, this girl sure could work, and she was strong, too—Aunt Liu’s job would be much easier from now on.
“Put it down quickly,” Aunt Liu said, “You’ve cut more than I did in the morning.
Girl, you’re too earnest.”
Aunt Liu said so, but inside, she was very pleased!
