The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 657 - 626: A World for Two, Jiang Wenhui_1

Chapter 657: Chapter 626: A World for Two, Jiang Wenhui_1

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, everyone had returned from visiting relatives.

Old Madam Huo suggested that Huo Yingjie take He Tiantian out for fun, to relax, and not to stay cooped up at home all day.

With so many people at home, someone to take care of the children, Huo Yingjie was happy to oblige and took He Tiantian out.

He Tiantian brought money and Overseas Chinese Coupons, ready to go on another shopping spree today.

"Aren’t we going out for a stroll?" Huo Yingjie felt a bit aggrieved, "What happened to our private world, sweet and delightful as it was supposed to be?

He Tiantian looked at the dark sky outside, where amidst the cold wind, snowflakes were mixed in, and countered, "Are you sure you want to go out in this kind of weather?"

All Huo Yingjie could see was He Tiantian, weather be damned, but since Tiantian was cold, he could only reply, "Alright then, let’s go to the Overseas Chinese Store to shop. At the very least, it’s warm inside with the heating."

This time, He Tiantian brought a total of 2,500 yuan and 3,000 yuan worth of Overseas Chinese Coupons, determined to spend it all.

He Tiantian continued to pick out items, while Huo Yingjie followed behind with the shopping basket, acting as a porter.

The salespeople were very enthusiastic upon seeing He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie. This young couple had come before the New Year and spent over a thousand yuan—big spenders indeed!

This time, He Tiantian spent over a thousand yuan just on food, and then bought some elegant, light-colored silk, which could be made into skirts for the summer. She also purchased several beautiful scarves.

He Tiantian also liked the handicrafts and other things here, and bought some to give as gifts when visiting others in the future.

This time, she spent a total of 2,200 yuan.

These items were sorted and all sent to their home in Nan City.

After all, they were planning to take the train back to Nan City on the sixth day of the New Year.

By the time they got home, these items would have arrived as well.

At noon, coming out of the Overseas Chinese Store, several salespeople watched as they left.

"Ah, they really have money," one salesperson exclaimed, "We only make fifty yuan a month, and the amount they spent in these two visits is enough for us to earn for several years."

"They are Overseas Chinese, they have money," another chimed in, "In the past, if a family had relatives abroad, they would be criticized. But not anymore, having overseas relatives is now a remarkable thing. I really wish I had such wealthy relatives."

"Who wouldn’t want wealthy relatives!"

······

From the conversations of these salespeople, one could tell that not just the upper classes, but also the general public, had undergone a drastically different change in attitude towards the outside world.

The dark times had passed, and spring was on its way.

"Brother Yingjie, we’re not going back for lunch. I’ll treat you to a meal at the Overseas Chinese Restaurant for a romantic lunch," said He Tiantian with a smile, ready to cheer up Huo Yingjie.

Brother Yingjie had always yearned for a romantic place where they could spend time alone.

Sure enough, Huo Yingjie’s eyes lit up upon hearing this, "Great, I can hardly wait."

"Alright, I still have money and coupons on me. Let’s spend it all today." He Tiantian declared spiritedly, with the philosophy of spending money freely because life is short and there’s no pleasure without enjoyment.

Huo Yingjie was taken aback, suddenly feeling that if he didn’t start earning money himself, he was doomed to be financially dependent in the future.

As a man of pride, being supported by his wife continuously was a bit uncomfortable. It seemed that after returning home, he would need to think about how to make money.

The two arrived at the Overseas Chinese Restaurant, which was divided into several dining halls, each offering food of different cuisines.

"Brother Yingjie, which country’s cuisine do you like?" He Tiantian inquired, looking for Huo Yingjie’s suggestion.

Huo Yingjie thought for a moment and replied, "I don’t have a particular favorite, you choose."

"Then how about French food?" He Tiantian asked, "I guess you’re not accustomed to other countries’ cuisines!"

"Alright, as you wish," Huo Yingjie responded, following He Tiantian’s lead.

The French restaurant was very elegant inside.

In ’72, when He Tiantian and Third Grandma Qi returned from the United States, they transited through France and had the fortune to eat an authentic French meal, which He Tiantian has never forgotten.

The atmosphere here was nice, with a touch of the romance and comfort of a French restaurant.

After hearing this, He Tiantian, smiling, asked, "Do you like it here?"

"It’s nice, very quiet," Huo Yingjie smiled, and pointed to a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows, "Let’s sit there. We can enjoy the meal and the view at the same time."

"Sure!" He Tiantian agreed, and followed Huo Yingjie to the table by the windows.

There was heating inside; it was quite warm.

He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie took off their coats, and a waistcoat-clad, bowtie-wearing waiter came to help take their clothes.

He Tiantian was wearing a light yellow sweater underneath, and Huo Yingjie donned a light blue one, both looking fresh and youthful, like an early spring in the midst of winter.

French cuisine was famously slow.

However, the couple’s outing was not merely for dining; they enjoyed these moments alone face to face, with only each other’s reflection in their eyes.

Tiantian’s smile and gentle words created a beautiful scene for the couple, in the eyes of others.

The lunch was delicious, and they chatted merrily.

"Cousin?" Just when He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie were enjoying their conversation, a woman at a nearby table called out softly.

The woman was looking in He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie’s direction as she called out.

Huo Yingjie frowned slightly and looked toward the source of the voice. Ah, indeed, it was a distant relative from the family. He said, "Hello, Wen Hui, this is my wife, He Tiantian. He Tiantian, this is my mother’s second uncle’s daughter, Jiang Wenhui."

"Hello," He Tiantian greeted, standing up to shake hands with Jiang Wenhui.

"Hello, cousin-in-law," Jiang Wenhui said with a smile, "I thought I’d see you and cousin yesterday, but only aunt and uncle came, you didn’t."

Huo Yingjie replied politely, "We have children at home, we can’t all leave."

"Then you could have brought the children too," Jiang Wenhui suggested, "My dad and grandpa have been talking about you guys!"

Huo Yingjie laughed slightly, very detached, "Many thanks to great-grandpa and uncle for their concern."

As they were not particularly close relatives, Huo Yingjie maintained a polite yet distant demeanor in response.

"Then, cousin, cousin-in-law, if you have time, you’re welcome to visit our home," said Jiang Wenhui, appraising the couple’s attire opposite her. No wonder her mother often said in front of her that the in-laws’ household was well-off, which was certainly true.

"Hmm, we’ll talk about it when we have time," Huo Yingjie said politely, without specifying a date, which indicated he would not be visiting.

They had come here looking for a quiet, elegant atmosphere to spend time in their own world.

Now that the sweet ambiance had been disrupted, Huo Yingjie no longer wished to stay.