The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 452 - 423: Can You Let Go of My Hand Now?_1

Chapter 452: Chapter 423: Can You Let Go of My Hand Now?_1

It was all because he lacked foresight!

"Ah, it’s all my fault for not paying enough attention. If I had placed more importance on it, perhaps we could have gotten more seedlings last year," Qi Dazhu said regretfully, "Let’s do this, Brother He, we work on reclaiming new land and raising seedlings at the same time and try to cultivate all the remaining seedlings on the mountains."

"Aren’t you afraid that there will be too many peaches and you won’t be able to sell them?" He Jingyu asked with a smile.

"Not afraid, our peaches are so good, and we’re in Taoyuan County, which has a lot of buzz, so there’s no worry about selling them," Village Chief Qi said. "If it really comes to the worst and we can’t sell them, we can eat them ourselves or quietly trade them with others. After all, these are grown in the mountains and don’t take up any farmland, so it’s all profit for Qijia Village."

"That makes sense," He Jingyu said. "Fine, this year we’ll set up a few more greenhouses in the Peach Orchard to try and get more seedlings. After all, it takes three years for seedlings to bear fruit. The sooner we start, the sooner we get fruit."

Back in the village, the people of Qijia Village were very happy to hear that the peaches had sold for nearly the same price as meat, which meant they would be able to share a considerable amount of money and food during the New Year.

Qi Shuliang had already chosen the date and personally informed Niu Peng.

On that day, all the men of Qijia Village, both young and old, came to help.

The leaders of Huai City visited once again, their attitude even better than the last time, bringing many wreaths with them.

That batch of peaches was sent directly to Yanjing after Village Chief Qi delivered them to the county town.

Village Chief Ma’s work was praised by provincial leaders, and even his former superiors hinted that he might be promoted further next year.

All this was thanks to Qijia Village, He Jingyu’s achievements.

This time, Village Chief Ma also brought He Jingyu a second-class merit certificate along with a 500 yuan reward, 500 kilograms of Grain Coupons, and some assorted industrial vouchers.

Qi Shuliang, along with his son Qi Zhenghan and the nearby menfolk, went to the mountain to pay homage to their ancestors.

With three bows and nine kowtows, Qi Shuliang lay crying on his father’s grave, repeatedly saying, "I have been unfilial, unfilial, for not being able to take care of my aged father..."

Traditionally, women were not allowed to partake in ancestral rites, but now in the new society, those old customs were not as strict, so Anna took the children to kowtow to her father-in-law.

Next were He Jingyu and Wang Shuping, bringing He Tiantian to kowtow.

They had recognized Third Grandma Qi as their adoptive mother, and this elder was their adoptive father, so it was only right for them to kowtow too.

Then the leaders paid their respects, but they did not need to kowtow, a bow was enough.

Nearly all the men in the village came to kowtow and pay homage.

After everyone had left, Qi Shuliang took out the prepared paper money, and alongside Qi Dazhu, Qi Shuming, and a few other close relatives, began to burn paper money for their father, hoping he would have money to spend freely in the afterlife, without worry of running out.

That evening, the brothers gathered at home to talk about old times.

After completing the ancestral rites, Qi Shuliang remained gloomy for a while, taking time every day to sit by his father’s grave and tell him about the years that had passed. Sometimes he would bring some vegetables from home, carry a bottle of wine, with two cups, drinking one cup and pouring one for his father’s grave.

So it went on for several days, until Qi Shuliang gradually recovered.

With his father gone, he needed to stand strong, carry the weight of the family, and provide a haven for his mother and his own family.

Qi Zhenghan and Qi Zhengmin, the brother and sister duo, spent these days following Tiantian all over the mountains, picking wild fruits, collecting mushrooms, setting traps, and catching game, their days full of color and variety.

Qi Zhengmin was starting to enjoy himself too much to think about returning home.

At the moment, Qi Zhengmin was holding a fish skewered on a branch, grilling it over the fire.

This was a freshly caught fish, very fresh.

He Tiantian always carried some seasonings with her; after cleaning the fish, she began to grill it over the fire.

"Sister Tiantian, the mountains are so much fun," Qi Zhengmin said. "I don’t want to go back anymore. Brother, you and Dad and Mom can go back after a while; I’ll stay here."

Qi Zhenghan laughed and said, "Aren’t you going to go to school anymore?"

"Sister Tiantian didn’t go to school either," Qi Zhengmin replied. "Anyway, I think it’s pretty nice here. It’s simple but fun. Every day, I can go up the mountain, pick fruit, catch fish, and trap rabbits. It’s much better than dancing and studying at school."

"Haha, Mom definitely won’t agree," Qi Zhenghan shrugged, not taking it seriously.

He Tiantian smiled and said, "Zhengmin, you’ve just arrived and find it interesting here, but after a while, you’ll stop liking it. Look at that girl over there; she has to go up the mountain every day to pick fruit and gather dried goods to help out with home expenses. Even if you don’t need to work, doing the same thing every day can get boring."

"I don’t care; I really like it right now," Qi Zhengmin said. "By the way, Sister Tiantian, are we going to check the traps for game next?"

"Yes," He Tiantian said. "If there is any, we’ll have an extra dish tonight."

They were in luck today; there were two rabbits in the traps, so they could stew rabbit meat for dinner.

Qi Zhenghan also enjoyed such activities. He would always tie a rope around his waist and go into the traps to retrieve the game.

Qi Zhengmin hopped and skipped ahead, with He Tiantian and Qi Zhenghan following behind.

"Do you want to go back?" He Tiantian asked. Qi Zhenghan was already past the age of being overly playful.

Qi Zhenghan looked around, thought for a moment, and said, "The scenery here is beautiful, and it’s okay to come here for a trip, but I couldn’t live here for long. I still prefer life in New York."

Qi Zhenghan was quite forthright!

He Tiantian could understand. If it wasn’t for spending many years here in her previous life, she wouldn’t be used to it either.

"Yes, you belong to a big city like New York," He Tiantian said. "Let us, who are adapted to this place, have the mountains and waters here."

At those words, Qi Zhenghan frowned. He had told He Tiantian before that he wanted her to stay in New York, and she had refused.

Later, when He Tiantian recognized her biological grandmother Bai Qiongyu, as Bai Qiongyu’s only heir, He Tiantian was expected to stay with her grandmother, since Bai Qiongyu had many estates that needed someone to inherit and manage them.

"Won’t you go back?" Qi Zhenghan asked. "Your grandmother is in New York; why would you still stay here?"

Qi Zhenghan didn’t want to hear the answer he suspected in his heart.

He Tiantian smiled and said, "Things are not as simple as you think. Just like you like and choose New York, I like it here in China."

After saying this, He Tiantian went off to catch up with Qi Zhengmin.

Qi Zhenghan grabbed He Tiantian’s hand and said, "Although it’s unethical of me to say this knowing you have someone in your heart, I still want to tell you, Tiantian, don’t you think we are a natural match in terms of age, looks, and family background?"

"Ah?" He Tiantian was surprised and then smiled, saying, "We have never been a natural match. I’ve only ever seen you as a brother, nothing more. You are an honorable gentleman and will know how to carry yourself in the future. Can you let go of my hand now?"