The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 175: Happy (Monthly Passes 1040+) _1

Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Happy (Monthly Passes 1040+) _1

Huo Yingjie saw He Tiantian acting this way and was even more delighted. Pointing at the plump dumpling on the table, he said, "Look, this dumpling is white like your skin; its belly is bulging, just like your puffed-up baozi face..."

She could accept the white skin, but what was he talking about with a baozi face? Did she really have that much flesh on her face?

"I am not a baozi face. I don’t have wrinkles on my face," He Tiantian retorted, "You’re the one with a baozi face, you’re the one with a big meat filling for a baozi face."

Huo Yingjie was startled, then realized He Tiantian didn’t know what baozi face meant.

"Alright, I’m a baozi face with wrinkles, and you’re a mantou face, okay? Smooth on top, soft and fluffy," Huo Yingjie surrendered, stretching his hand to pinch He Tiantian’s face, leaving two floury fingerprints on it.

He Tiantian didn’t dodge, and Huo Yingjie got her right, turning her into a little calico cat.

He Tiantian, not to be outdone, reached out to pinch Huo Yingjie’s face, but with his long arms and legs, she couldn’t reach him. She could only jump up and down in frustration, to no avail.

"What are you two doing?" Third Grandma Qi chided with a half-laugh, "You’re both so grown up and still being naughty. Look at all this flour spilled on the ground, such a waste. I’m going to wash my hands and come help you make dumplings."

Caught in the act like children who had done something wrong, Huo Yingjie and He Tiantian quickly admitted their fault, "We’ll stop messing around, Grandma. You go inside, and the two of us will wrap the dumplings. In a little while, they’ll be ready to eat. It’s cold in here; better go to the living room."

"You really don’t need my help?" Third Grandma Qi asked. In truth, she could see the affection between the two, but she just couldn’t bear to see them waste food.

The two chattered and laughed, and she, an old lady, should just go inside, so as not to disturb the two of them.

Old Man Qi was inside drinking tea, squinting his eyes, sitting in a chair listening to the radio.

After Third Grandma Qi came in, Old Man Qi smiled and said, "Childhood sweethearts, eh!"

"Yeah, the two kids are really good together. If they end up together, they will be very happy," Third Grandma Qi said. The status of the two families was quite similar. Perhaps the Huo Family had a slightly higher standing, but the He Family wasn’t lacking either, a family of scholars—both of Tiantian’s parents were researchers, intellectuals.

"Childhood friends, puppy love," Old Man Qi said enviously, "If back then I hadn’t killed that villain, hadn’t gone off to be a soldier, would you have married me?"

While talking about He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie, suddenly Old Man Qi changed the subject, bringing up old matters of Qijia Village. Third Grandma Qi’s face showed a touch of embarrassment; those events were all in the past now. Why bring them up?

"We’re old now, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let the past be the past," Third Grandma Qi said. She didn’t want to dwell on the past.

Old Man Qi heard this and felt somewhat resigned. Back then, she was the most beautiful memory in his heart. After he had killed someone, he fled into the night, met her on the road, and she was the one who gave him a few Da Yang currency for food and travel expenses.

But it was also good this way. Even though she had aged, and he had too, being able to see each other from time to time was already quite nice.

Old Man Qi didn’t have many more expectations!

Third Grandma Qi knew everything; she had been shrewd all her life. She just didn’t want to talk about the past anymore. She was old now and only wanted a simple life. She didn’t want to cause gossip when she was old.

As long as they had each other in their hearts, that was enough!

Just now, Third Grandma Qi had scolded He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie. Now, the two didn’t dare to be naughty and were earnestly rolling out the dough and wrapping dumplings. Once they made enough dumplings for two people to eat, they quickly cooked them for the two elders to eat first.

He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie continued wrapping, making enough for the two of them before they started to cook the dumplings.

After they had eaten their fill, He Tiantian wrapped all the remaining dough and dumpling filling, filling up a whole kneading board. Huo Yingjie carried the dumplings outside, covered them with a muslin cloth, and let them freeze, so they wouldn’t turn soft and could be boiled directly in the evening.

After the meal, the two elders took a stroll in the courtyard to aid digestion before heading inside for an afternoon nap.

He Tiantian stretched her back and said, "You clean up here, I’m a bit tired and am going to sleep. Once you’re done, you can go home to rest as well."

"You go ahead, I’ll clean up," Huo Yingjie said, not wanting He Tiantian to tire herself out.

He Tiantian washed her hands and brushed the flour off her clothes before going back to her room to grab a rubber hot water bottle and place it inside her quilt.

He Tiantian closed the door behind her with a casual motion, took off her coat and sweater, and lay down to sleep in her undershirt and underpants, as she still had to line up at the supply and marketing cooperative early the next morning. She was so tired from the day’s work she couldn’t hold out any longer in the afternoon.

Huddled up with the warm water bottle, He Tiantian fell asleep on the soft bed.

She fell asleep quickly due to exhaustion and even began to snore lightly.

Having cleaned everything up, Huo Yingjie wanted to come and chat with He Tiantian.

As soon as he opened the door, he saw He Tiantian sleeping soundly. Instinctively, he thought to close the door, letting He Tiantian sleep. But his gaze landed on the lump in the bed, and he halted his steps abruptly.

He couldn’t bear to leave!

Like a man possessed, he pushed the door open and sat beside He Tiantian’s bed.

Inhaling the pleasant fragrance in the room, Huo Yingjie took deep breaths and closed his eyes involuntarily, basking in the sensation of the lovely presence in the room.

However, after a while, Huo Yingjie felt that wasn’t enough. He wanted to feel more and turned to look at the sleeping He Tiantian, reaching out to touch her face.

Huo Yingjie’s hand was a bit cool and when it touched He Tiantian’s face, it made her shiver slightly in her sleep, trying to avoid his touch.

"Hehe," Huo Yingjie laughed silently and drew his hand back.

But, after a while, once Huo Yingjie’s hand warmed up, it became insatiably greedy again, reaching out to touch He Tiantian’s face once more.

This time, He Tiantian didn’t dodge away but instead cozily nuzzled Huo Yingjie’s warm hand a few times.

He Tiantian’s unconscious action, however, tormented the wide awake Huo Yingjie.

He had made his own bed and now must lie in it!

With difficulty, Huo Yingjie pulled back his fingers and turned to look at other places in the room.

After a moment’s hesitation, wanting to stand up and walk out, yet unable to part, he sat back down once again.