The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 409 - 380

Chapter 409: 380

Third Grandma Qi was upset and sullen, feeling that she was being disliked by her daughter-in-law.

Tiantian, ever so intelligent, brought over some small pastries and two cups of flower tea, saying, "Grandma, have some pastries, drink some tea."

Third Grandma Qi sat in a lounge chair under the big tree, lost in thought.

"It’s only Girl Tian who cares for me," Third Grandma Qi commented with emotion, "After this summer, I think I’ll go back. Here, no one talks to me; I feel a bit lonely."

"Would you really bear to leave?" Tiantian inquired—regardless of whether Third Grandma Qi left or not, she was going to leave, for sure, as her biological parents and childhood sweetheart were all back home.

"What’s there to bear?" Third Grandma Qi replied, "Anna is nice, and the grandchildren respect me a lot. My son also cares for me, but I..."

"Okay, grandma, I know you’re upset because Aunt doesn’t understand you. But think about it this way: your incense burning and praying, even spirit-calling, work in our Huaxia Country, but this is the United States. Here people believe in God, and it’s God’s domain. God doesn’t understand our Eastern secret techniques," Tiantian comforted Third Grandma Qi, though her reasoning was a bit humorous.

"You saw through me, you little girl?" Third Grandma Qi was a tad embarrassed, "But then again, it’s true. This place belongs to God, not the deities and spirits of Huaxia Country. My rituals indeed don’t work here."

"Haha, just take it easy. After all, we’re a family. It wouldn’t be good to be upset over something like this," Tiantian said, "Grandma, have some pastries, drink some tea!"

Third Grandma Qi savored the cheesecake Tiantian brought over, taking a small bite and praising, "This tastes delicious, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to have these foreign delicacies once I’m back."

"If you’d miss it, then simply don’t go back," Tiantian suggested. After more than twenty years apart from her son, she felt Third Grandma Qi wouldn’t want to leave the United States.

"No, a fallen leaf must return to its roots," Third Grandma Qi sighed, "No matter how good it is abroad, it doesn’t compare to the mountains and waters of Qijia Village, where my old man is, as well as your Grandpa Qi. I owe him so much in this life. Even though we can’t be together, I still want to see him often in the last few years of my life."

"Could you really leave Uncle Qi?" Tiantian challenged her, as Third Grandma Qi’s views always seemed to defy conventional wisdom.

Third Grandma Qi glanced at the beautiful surroundings and smiled, "As long as Uncle Qi is doing well, I’m content. After all, he has his own life and journey. I have mine too. In the last years of my life, finding my son has already filled me with satisfaction. I, too, want to live a carefree life, living just for myself."

Tiantian sighed inwardly. Third Grandma Qi, Grandpa Qi—they both had a place for each other in their hearts but couldn’t stay together because of societal norms. Yet, Tiantian believed that their feelings for each other were a form of sincere love!

The grandmother and granddaughter ate pastries and drank tea together.

Third Grandma Qi thought about her future life.

As for Tiantian, she was thinking of finding a way to meet Huo Yingjie once she returned home.

She missed Huo Yingjie.

So very much!

Once Qi Zhengmin recovered, Tiantian thought of the kind-hearted Lady Brown.

"Zhengmin, let’s go visit Lady Brown," Tiantian suggested, tired of the routine of eating and sleeping at home, occasionally going out to listen to opera without any other entertainment.

Qi Zhengmin nodded and said, "Sure, Mrs. Brown is a good person!"

Qi Shuliang never stopped his daughter from making friends as long as they were worth befriending.

The worth he referred to wasn’t about how much money one had, but rather their nature and character.

He had sent a bodyguard to thank Lady Brown, but she had refused.

At the same time, he also had someone investigate Lady Brown. She was pitiable, but at the same time, she was a resilient and kind woman.

Lady Brown’s husband had passed away due to illness, and the once well-off middle-class family became extremely poor. Remarkably, Lady Brown did not wallow in pessimism or despair, but instead she took greater care of her two children, worked tirelessly, and gradually improved their situation.

Qi Shuliang had provided He Tiantian with an address, and Anna helped Qi Zhengmin prepare a large basket full of food.

All of these were homemade, not bought from an outside supermarket.

Third Grandma Qi also contributed her own homemade rose cake, lily cake, and meat floss buns.

With bodyguards in tow, which included both male and female guards, Qi Zhengmin and He Tiantian were protected at all times, preventing incidents like the one in the restroom from happening again.

This was a subsidized housing unit, something Lady Brown could easily apply for, given her family’s circumstances.

The house was old, but the surrounding amenities were very comprehensive, with a small park nearby and the school close by.

He Tiantian knocked on the door. Jimmy opened it, but not fully; a safety chain was still in place, which Jimmy would immediately fasten if the visitor was a stranger.

"Hello, Jimmy!" He Tiantian said with a smile.

Next to her, Qi Zhengmin also spoke up, "Jimmy, I’m Angela’s sister."

Seeing that it was someone he knew, Jimmy finally opened the door, saying, "Janie, Angela, hello!"

At that moment, Amy ran over, her round, rosy cheeks making her particularly adorable.

"Angela, Janie, please have a seat," Amy sweetly said. "Mom’s at work and won’t be back until evening. It’s just my brother and me at home."

"I see!" Janie nodded and said, "That’s really impressive, you can stay at home by yourselves. But how will you manage lunch without your mom here?"

"Mom prepared a lot of bread, cakes, cookies, and milk for us," Jimmy explained, adding that as their mom had to work during the summer holidays, he typically looked after his sister at home and reviewed his schoolwork.

He Tiantian looked around; there were three small rooms. The living room was not very big, but Lady Brown had decorated it very warmly.

"Since your mom is at work, we won’t go to find her. How about I make you lunch, does that sound good?" He Tiantian offered with a smile, finding the children very cute, especially sensible ones like Jimmy and Amy.

"That would be great," Jimmy and Amy exclaimed joyfully.

Since she decided to cook, it would be Chinese food; she wasn’t very skilled at Western cuisine.

If she were to make rice, Lady Brown’s home didn’t have a rice cooker or rice, but they did have flour, so why not make dumplings?

He Tiantian sent the bodyguards to buy some celery, carrots, ham, wood ear mushrooms, beef, and other vegetables, while she started kneading the dough at home.

There was a supermarket not far downstairs, which stocked all these common household items, so they were quickly brought back.

Jimmy, Amy, and Qi Zhengmin helped with the vegetables, while He Tiantian washed them.

Soon after, they had prepared a filling that was rich in color, aroma, and flavor.

He Tiantian rolled out the dumpling wrappers, making them very thin, and then taught Jimmy and Amy how to make dumplings.

Since their attempts might not be perfect, He Tiantian planned to make pan-fried dumplings, which tasted even better than regular ones.

The one adult and three children chatted and laughed as they made dumplings, enjoying a particularly fun time.

Seeing the adorable Amy, He Tiantian thought to herself that she and Huo Yingjie must have more children in the future, to make up for the regret of not having any in her previous life.