The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 670 - 639 Bustling Market_1

Chapter 670: Chapter 639 Bustling Market_1

After dinner, worrying that He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie might be tired, they were encouraged to rest early.

The next day, just past four in the morning when the sky was still dimly lit, they got up.

It was the hottest time of the year, and only in the morning was it a bit cooler. They rose just past four, got ready, had some food, and set off after five to take the oxcart ride which would take over two hours, arriving at their home around eight.

The oxcart had been arranged the day before; Old Man Liu came directly to Qi Xiaoyan’s doorstep to pick them up.

As soon as he saw that it was He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie, Old Man Liu recognized them!

The two young people were generous, always paying more than just the fare each time they took the ride, and even offering some candy and pastries.

"Hehe, are you coming to visit Third Grandma Qi?" Old Man Liu asked with a chuckle, almost aware of the goings-on of every household in the village.

Especially those who regularly took his cart.

"Yes, Grandpa Liu, thanks for your trouble," He Tiantian said with a smile, while organizing the luggage, loading all sorts of items onto the oxcart haphazardly.

Niu Dajun rode his bicycle, trailing the oxcart with two children in tow.

He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan each held a child, sitting in the oxcart.

Huo Yingjie, on the other hand, was riding a bicycle, pulling a double-seat baby carriage behind him.

The children, still young and particularly sleepy, slumbered soundly in the arms of He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan.

He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan chatted quietly, their giggles occasionally prompting sideways glances from Huo Yingjie and Niu Dajun.

In the early morning, the streets were less crowded, allowing them to travel swiftly, and they reached Qijia Village in two hours.

Old Man Liu brought them directly to Third Grandma Qi’s doorstep before coming to a stop.

Huo Yingjie was ready to pay, while Niu Dajun had already taken out three yuan and handed it to Old Man Liu.

Old Man Liu accepted the money from Niu Dajun, but did not take Huo Yingjie’s. Logically, Niu Dajun was the host and Huo Yingjie the guest, and he made a clear distinction.

From a package at the back, Huo Yingjie took out a box of chocolates, saying, "Uncle, these are some sweets, take them home for your grandchildren to enjoy."

"Well, thank you very much," said Old Man Liu as he accepted them, unceremoniously as he had often been given treats in the past.

Aunt Liu was in the midst of washing dishes and pots when she heard a noise outside and rushed to open the door. Delighted to see He Tiantian, she exclaimed, "Third Grandma, Second Uncle, look who’s here!"

"Who is it?" Third Grandma Qi was inside the house; hearing the call, she slowly made her way out.

After greeting Aunt Liu, He Tiantian, holding a child, ran to Third Grandma Qi’s side and said, "Grandma, I’ve come to see you."

Third Grandma Qi was momentarily stunned, then her eyes moistened with tears. She took out a handkerchief to wipe them away and said, "Tiantian, oh my, it is Tiantian, my eyes aren’t deceiving me..."

"Grandma, it’s me, it’s me." He Tiantian sobbed, "How have you been this year? Has your health been okay?"

"Good, I’ve been very healthy." Third Grandma Qi answered, "You don’t need to worry about me, I’m fine. Come, come, let me see my great-grandson and great-granddaughter."

The two children had already woken up and were confused to see their mother crying one moment and laughing the next, not understanding what was going on.

"Ruihua, Ruimin, come, call her Great-Grandma." He Tiantian said from inside, the children were now fifteen months old and could speak simple words.

"Great... Great..." Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua said, only managing to say single syllables.

"Good, good children!" Third Grandma Qi praised, unable to hold the children, she could only pat their heads.

Old Man Qi had gone out for a walk and just then returned.

Seeing He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie back, he was also very happy.

"Call him Great-Grandpa!"

"Great... Great..." Again, single words, but everyone understood what they meant.

Aunt Liu brewed some tea and served water to everyone.

After catching up with Third Grandma Qi, He Tiantian took out two pieces of fabric from her bag, one turquoise and the other light blue, and said, "Aunt Liu, thank you for taking care of grandma this past year. These two pieces of fabric are a gift for you, enough to make two or three pieces of clothing."

Aunt Liu rubbed her hands together and refused, "Taking care of Third Grandma Qi and accepting money from the Shuliang Brothers already makes me feel uneasy, how can I take your things too?"

"Why can’t you? It’s a token of my appreciation." He Tiantian had looked around earlier, and the house was cleaner than when she and her mother were there, which showed Aunt Liu was really meticulous.

Third Grandma Qi was always generous and said with a big smile, "Daughter-in-law, take it, just take it. You’ve been so devoted to us, and the children can see it. If you don’t accept, it’s they who will feel uncomfortable!"

"Take it," Old Man Qi said, "Stop being so polite, quickly take it and put it away. Make some good dishes at noon to welcome Tiantian and the rest."

Seeing this, Aunt Liu reluctantly accepted, expressing her thanks, "Then I’ll accept it. You all chat, I’ll go buy some ingredients and make a few more dishes at noon."

"Aunt Liu, just something simple will do, you don’t have to go to the county town," He Tiantian said, fearing that Aunt Liu would have too much trouble going to the county town in the scorching heat just to cook.

Aunt Liu smiled and explained, "It’s not the county town I’m going to, but the tidal flat behind the school that’s been leveled out; it’s now a small market that opens on the 2nd, 5th, and 8th of the lunar month. Today happens to be the 8th, and it’s still early; there should be plenty of good stuff to buy."

"That’s great, no need to go to the county town then," He Tiantian said. After Aunt Liu left, "Grandpa Qi, they’re not cracking down on speculation and profiteering anymore?"

Old Man Qi curled his lip, "What’s there to crack down on? The land was allocated to individual households at the end of last year. Recently, when we harvested the wheat, each household, after paying their public grain, still had around fifteen hundred pounds of grain left, plus other assorted produce. We can’t eat it all, so of course we should trade it. Hence, this little market emerged."

"Now it’s not only in Qijia Village but also in other places. The higher-ups haven’t explicitly forbidden it, so for convenience, people flock here to trade," Niu Dajun said. "Besides, with the land allocation to households, every family in Qijia Village got plenty of grain, increasing production by twenty percent. Other villages that were initially reluctant are now rushing to Taoyuan County to request the same, and almost the entire Taoyuan County has finished dividing up the land, greatly motivating the efforts of the working people!"

Old Man Qi said with a chuckle, "You don’t know, now to get a little more fertilizer for the fields at home, people are collecting dung everywhere. If someone has a stomachache, they insist on relieving themselves on their own land, truly not letting a single drop of ’fertilizer’ flow into a stranger’s field!"

"Hehe, always talking nonsense," Third Grandma Qi said. "But with this market, it really is a lot more convenient. Whatever you want to eat, you can just buy and cook at home. If you have too much of something at home, you can also sell it. Now, every family in our village is living a good life, the best in Taoyuan County. Some time ago, the county wanted to promote Dazhu and have him work in the county town, but Dazhu refused outright. He won’t leave the comfort of our village for anywhere else."