The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 100 Naturally Occurring Problems_1

Chapter 100: Chapter 100 Naturally Occurring Problems_1

This time when she returned, He Tiantian found the situation to be better than she had imagined. She no longer needed to worry about her parents for the time being, and could focus all her energy on counterattacking Qi Jianguo.

He Jingyu was worried that having only the commune’s official seal might not be enough, so he went to the street office to get more stamps and prepared several proofs.

Since He Jingyu couldn’t be there to protect his daughter, he treated these documents like protective talismans for her, trying to get as many as possible, as much as possible!

Time flew by, and tomorrow was the day He Tiantian would be leaving.

Huo Zhekun had booked a sleeper for He Tiantian, so she could spend the night having long talks with her parents, discussing future matters, urging them to be extra careful, and to stay optimistic until the light at the end of the tunnel appeared.

Just as Wang Shuping had said, Liu Lingli’s mother indeed brought a parcel too large for one to wrap their arms around, nearly half a person tall, and said, "Tiantian, this is a lot of trouble for you."

Before He Tiantian could say anything, Jiang Lifang expressed her displeasure, saying, "Sister, look at Tiantian’s small frame, and she has her own things to carry. How could she possibly carry so much of your stuff?"

Initially smiling, Mother Liu’s face fell upon hearing Jiang Lifang’s voice of discontent, saying, "These are all things my daughter needs for the winter, not a single item is unnecessary."

Was it really such a big deal to send a few items? Why the stinginess?

Hearing what Liu Lingli’s mother said made Jiang Lifang even angrier.

"These are things your daughter needs, you brought them over yourself, puffing and panting from the effort. On our end, we have family members to help send them off, but over there, Tiantian will be alone. How could she carry such heavy things? Or did you send a telegram asking your daughter to come and pick them up?" Jiang Lifang said angrily, "Take some more out, or else take it to the post office and mail it. We can’t carry so much."

With the money for a telegram, she could have afforded to mail them; why bother coming here to beg for help?

Although He Tiantian had the Snake King’s help, she had to carry her belongings for part of the way. She could manage it but didn’t want to indulge some people’s sense of entitlement.

"But these are the things Lingli is accustomed to using, and it would be pitiful without clothing in the cold weather."

Liu Lingli’s mother mentioned nothing about mailing the items; telegrams cost money, so instead, she played the pity card here, talking about how pitiful her own daughter was, without considering how much more pitiful He Tiantian would be carrying all those things on the road!

In this era, there were no suitcases or trolleys to push or pull; all belongings had to be carried on one’s back.

"Sister, you’d better take some things out quickly. My Tiantian can’t carry so much. Your child is a child, and ours is not a beast of burden either!" Wang Shuping said unhappily, "If you won’t take any out, then forget it. Go to the post office. They can send however much they can, and they won’t complain about the weight. Tiantian isn’t very strong, and she still has her stuff to carry; anyway, we can’t take so much."

Seeing Jiang Lifang and Wang Shuping both saying this, and with He Tiantian bowing her head quietly, Mother Liu had no choice but to say sheepishly, "Alright then, just take two cotton-padded jackets for Lingli."

Two sets of cotton jackets and trousers weren’t particularly heavy but were bulky. These items were necessary, and He Tiantian couldn’t refuse them.

Mother Liu left with a glum face, clearly unhappy.

"You shouldn’t have stopped me earlier. Look at that sulky face. Carrying things for her family and ending up with resentment. If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed to carry her things," Jiang Lifang grumbled resentfully, unable to fathom how someone could be so shameless.

"Let it be, we are all poor," said Wang Shuping indifferently, "It’s winter over there, two sets of cotton clothes are enough to wear; we did our part to help. We don’t care if they appreciate it or not."

He Tiantian picked up the package and tested its weight; it must have been around fifteen to sixteen pounds. Adding her own package, she estimated she had to carry somewhere between forty to fifty pounds total.

Huo Zhekun was busy with something today and couldn’t come to see He Tiantian off. Jiang Lifang had the night shift, so she was free during the day and came to the train station with Wang Liping and He Jingyu to send off He Tiantian.

Each return home filled her heart with jubilation, but every departure was deeply saddening.

She could only comfort herself that this sorrowful goodbye was paving the way for the joy of their next reunion.

Through the train window, He Tiantian waved goodbye to her parents and Jiang Lifang, forcing a strong front with a smile across her face.

But as the train gradually left the station and picked up speed, her parents’ figures grew smaller and blurrier, and He Tiantian could no longer hold back her tears as they flowed ceaselessly.

Don’t cry, don’t cry!

Her current situation was much better than in her past life!

He Tiantian wiped away her tears, her eyes red, and climbed into her berth in the middle bunk, burying her head to sleep. It seemed only this way could she temporarily forget the pain of parting.

It wasn’t until around five or six in the afternoon that He Tiantian got up to eat the pancakes her mother had made.

While others chatted, He Tiantian wasn’t in the mood to talk. To anyone who tried to strike up a conversation, she simply responded with nods or shakes of her head.

The more you say, the more mistakes you make; say nothing, and you’ll make none!

The train was delayed, arriving at Taoyuan County two hours later than last time, close to 2 a.m.

In the county town, He Tiantian only knew Niu Dajun, but Niu Dajun was a postman and likely out delivering mail, so he might not be in town. Other than Niu Dajun, there was only his cousin Niu Lili.

If it wasn’t for Niu Lili hearing about these matters, He Tiantian wouldn’t have known in advance. This time coming back, her mother prepared a few boxes of pastries from Nan City Xinghua Building to thank Niu Lili, hoping Niu Lili could find someone to take her to Qijia Village.

He Tiantian walked to Taoyuan Restaurant to find Niu Lili.

It was past lunchtime, and Niu Lili was dozing off inside the counter.

"Sister Lili, Sister Lili!" He Tiantian called out softly, cautious not to startle the sleeping Niu Lili.

Upon seeing He Tiantian, Niu Lili, beaming with warmth, greeted, "It’s Tiantian! You’ve come back from your hometown already! You haven’t had lunch yet, have you? Let me treat you to a bowl of noodles."

He Tiantian quickly replied, "I have grain coupons, Sister Lili doesn’t need to treat me!"

Niu Lili had received dried wild rabbit from Niu Dajun and had a favorable impression of He Tiantian. Treating He Tiantian to a two-cent bowl of noodles was no big deal to her.

"Alright, if you keep refusing, you are treating me like an outsider. You sit and rest, I’ll go let the kitchen know," Niu Lili said as she asked He Tiantian to take a seat and went to the back to arrange.

Soon, Niu Lili brought over a bowl of vegetable chicken soup noodles and said, "You must be hungry, eat up. Carrying so much stuff, you can’t possibly walk the tens of miles on your own. Wait here for a bit, I’ll go check if my cousin is at the post office. If he’s not there, I’ll find someone else to take you."

"Thank you, Sister Lili," He Tiantian felt touched in her heart, realizing that the world was still full of good people. She resolved to hunt more rabbits and pheasants in the mountains to thank them.