The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 659 - 628: Letting Go, House Arrest_1

Chapter 659: Chapter 628: Letting Go, House Arrest_1

He Tiantian heated some water, took out cups, and poured tea for everyone.

Huo Zhekun, seeing that his wife and Aunt Wang were in low spirits, smiled and said, "I’ve already spoken with father, elder brother, and Yingjun about these matters, asking them to pay attention. It’s important for a man to strive outside, but it’s even more important to handle the conflicts at home well."

"Ha ha, if everyone were as sensible as you, that would be great," Aunt Wang said. "But let’s not talk about this anymore; there are some things we can’t control even if we want to. As long as you guys are doing well, the Old Madam will have fewer things to worry about."

He Tiantian fed the children milk, with the two plump babies holding their bottles, cheeks sucking and puffing, their big eyes glancing around, as if they could understand the adults’ conversation.

Aunt Wang, seeing the two adorable babies, was cheered up from her previous gloom, and started playing with the children.

With Jiang Lifang looking after the babies during the day, He Tiantian spent most of her time sleeping and stayed up at night with the kids to let her in-laws rest.

When the train arrived at Nan City station, He Tiantian immediately felt the stale air in the train become fresh.

In her heart, the old house in Yanjing was not home; Nan City was their home.

Secretary Guo had arranged for two cars to pick them up, directly taking them and their luggage to their house before leaving.

Secretary Guo had been very thoughtful, procuring fresh vegetables for them, which had taken him a lot of effort to get.

Jiang Lifang offered Secretary Guo to stay for a meal, but he declined, saying that after the leaders and their families had endured such a tiring train journey, he didn’t feel right staying for a meal, so he left with the other driver.

Having been away for only ten days, they felt as if they had been gone for many more.

Grandma Wang cared for the children in the house, while Huo Zhekun, Huo Yingjie, Jiang Lifang, and He Tiantian took care of some light cleaning. Around noon, He Tiantian started cooking.

After the meal, the family of seven finally felt the relief of being back home.

It was not just He Tiantian who felt this way; the others did too.

It was most comfortable to be in one’s own home.

Nan City University was to start classes on the twelfth day of the first lunar month, which was not much time left. He Tiantian prepared some school supplies and received some items sent from Yanjing on the tenth day of the lunar month.

He Tiantian had already planned to invite a few close classmates over for the Lantern Festival. The items that had been sent would be useful then, to entertain her classmates.

Just as He Tiantian finished organizing the items that had been sent and was preparing to sleep, she heard a "bang bang" knocking at the door.

"Who could it be at this late hour?" He Tiantian wondered, asking Huo Yingjie beside her.

"It shouldn’t be mom and dad, I’ll go take a look," Huo Yingjie said. No matter who it was, there was no need to be afraid with him in the house.

Huo Yingjie went to open the door and saw a disheveled Huang Jingli standing outside.

"Huh?" Huo Yingjie was surprised. "Huang Jingli, were you robbed?"

Huo Yingjie had a good impression of Huang Jingli since she handled matters well, and considered her a friend he could chat with.

"I’m sorry for disturbing you so late, I really have nowhere else to go," Huang Jingli leaned on him, her voice a bit hoarse, her expression forlorn.

"Then come in," Huo Yingjie said. He didn’t think it appropriate to entertain Huang Jingli, "Tiantian, it’s your classmate Huang Jingli."

He Tiantian heard the voice and hurried out.

"Something must have happened; you should ask her carefully. I’ll go inside and check on the child," Huo Yingjie said. It wasn’t fit for him to listen to women’s matters.

Moreover, Huang Jingli was such a mess, she must have had an unbearable experience, and it wasn’t proper for him, a man, to be around.

He Tiantian took Huang Jingli to the guest room, picked up a stove from the kitchen, and poured her some hot water, saying, "Sister Jingli, have some water first to warm up your body."

Huang Jingli didn’t refuse and drank two cups in succession before she finally calmed down.

He Tiantian found her mother’s old cotton jacket and shoes and said, "Sister Jingli, you can’t fit into my clothes, so I’ve found some of my mother’s old clothes for you to make do with."

Huang Jingli’s clothes were tattered, and her shoes exposed her toes.

Watching He Tiantian bustling about, Huang Jingli finally let the tears she’d been holding back all the way flow down.

"Tiantian, thank you," Huang Jingli said with gratitude through her tears.

There were no other places she could go in this vast world, so she had no choice but to trouble He Tiantian.

"Sister Jingli, were you robbed?" He Tiantian thought Huang Jingli had been mugged on her way to school at night.

Recently, there were many unemployed youths in Nan City, and security had deteriorated somewhat. She definitely had to speak to her father-in-law tomorrow to ask him to strengthen Nan City’s security measures.

Huang Jingli shook her head and, despite it being a family disgrace, said, "When I got home, I was put under house arrest by my family."

"House arrest?" He Tiantian was astonished. "And it was done by your own family?"

This... this was just too strange...

Unimaginable!

"Yes, you heard me right," Huang Jingli had calmed down, "There are four siblings in my family, and I’m the third eldest. My two older brothers are already married, and I have a younger sister. At that time, my brothers had been allocated jobs. I was about to start work at a factory, and my younger sister had just dropped out of school. She was supposed to be the one to go to the countryside as a young person from the city, but she suddenly broke a bone, so the spot fell to me to take her place and go down to the countryside. I had no complaints about going, and sometimes I even saved up my tickets and money, along with some mountain goods I picked in the hills, and sent them secretly to them."

"Yes, I heard from Sister Wu that you lived very frugally," He Tiantian said, knowing how rations for youth sent to the countryside were tight, and Huang Jingli still managed save some, exchange them for money, and send it home along with what she saved herself.

Like pearls off a broken string, Huang Jingli’s tears continued to fall.

"I was so filial, but only my mother occasionally replied to my letters. I never received a single word from anyone else, nor was I invited to return home for the New Year," Huang Jingli said. "It was as if they didn’t have a daughter like me. I didn’t tell my family when I went to university, holding a grudge inside. However, just before the holidays were about to start, I received a letter from my mother asking me to come home for the New Year."

"If you hadn’t told your family, how would they have the address for Nan City University?" He Tiantian frowned, certain there was a twist here she didn’t know about.

Huang Jingli gave a wry smile, "It was Lin Xiaoru. My mother wrote me a letter, which ended up in Lin Xiaoru’s hands. She wrote back to my parents, telling them I had gotten into Nan City University."

"Lin Xiaoru is that kind-hearted?" He Tiantian was doubtful, aware that sending a letter took effort to write, buy stamps, and had to be delivered to the county town. Lin Xiaoru wouldn’t do such a thing without some benefit.

"I got into university, and she didn’t. Of course, she wouldn’t want me to have an easy life," Huang Jingli hit the nail on the head. "Given I hadn’t returned home for the New Year in so many years, it was clear I wasn’t the favorite at home. Informing my parents about my situation was sure to bring me trouble."