The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 742 - 711: Caring, Moving_1

Chapter 742: Chapter 711: Caring, Moving_1

When eating noodles, one must use a large bowl.

He Tiantian took out the large bowls specially used for eating noodles at home, filling half of each with noodles and topping them with a generous spoonful of sauce. She had put plenty of little greens in the noodles while cooking them, achieving a nice balance of meat and vegetables.

The sauce Tiantian had made wasn’t very salty, so adding a bit more wouldn’t make the noodles too salty.

Tiantian was feeding the two children their noodles, soaking the beef from the sauce in boiling water before giving it to them.

"Mom, I want to eat by myself," Huo Ruihua protested against being fed.

Tiantian smiled and said, "You can’t use chopsticks yet. Wait until you’re a little bigger, then you can eat noodles by yourself, okay?"

"Okay!" Little Ruihua was easy to talk to.

In winter, eating noodles was especially satisfying and warming.

"These are really tasty," Li Yunzhong praised, "The noodles are good, but the sauce is even better."

"Hehe, if you like it, we can make it more often," Tiantian laughed. "If it’s not enough, there are more noodles over there. I can cook some more."

"I’m full, really full," Li Yunzhong laughed. "Extremely full!"

After the meal, everyone moved to the living room.

Li Yunzhong was very diligent, helping to wash the dishes and clean up, a very hardworking young man.

Jiang Lifang told Tiantian to take care of the children while she and Li Yunzhong tidied up together.

"Yunzhong, how old are you?" Jiang Lifang asked, noting such capable and industrious young men were rare.

Li Yunzhong scratched his head and chuckled, "Aunt Jiang, I’m twenty-five this year."

"Oh, twenty-five already? Have you found a wife yet?" Jiang Lifang inquired, as most men at that age were usually married.

Li Yunzhong’s face turned slightly red, and he said sheepishly, "Not... not yet... I will be discharged this May, and then I’ll look for a partner after I return home."

"Oh, I see!" Jiang Lifang smiled and dropped the idea of introducing him to someone. If Li Yunzhong were at the Weapons Research Institute or in Nan City, she could have made an introduction.

But the distance was too far.

It wasn’t ideal for either the man or the woman.

Lifang continued to chat with Yunzhong as they worked, mostly listening to him talk about his hometown.

After two days, Jiang Lifang grew even fonder of the young man, Li Yunzhong.

It was a busy time before the New Year, and Lifang needed to head to the hospital early in the morning.

He Tiantian quickly held her mother-in-law back, insisting she eat something before going to the hospital. Otherwise, she would have to wait until noon before she could eat there.

"Mom, you can’t do this," Tiantian said. "If you don’t eat well, how will you have the strength? You always tell me and Brother Yingjie to eat properly, but if you don’t, we won’t listen to you anymore either."

While eating the rice porridge her daughter-in-law brought her, Jiang Lifang smiled contentedly.

"Okay, I’ve finished eating. I won’t do this again, I promise. Even if I’m busy, I’ll still eat," Lifang assured, a smile on her face. She and her husband had often skipped breakfast when they lived at home and had become accustomed to it.

Only then did Tiantian nodded and said, "That’s right. We have a lot of people in our house, and if I wake up a little early, I can cook a big pot of porridge in the rice cooker, along with eggs and side dishes. It’s simple, but it warms your belly afterwards."

"Yes," Jiang Lifang felt warm inside as well. Her daughter-in-law was much more considerate than her son.

Jiang Lifang finished her meal and then began to push her bicycle, ready to leave.

"Mom, wait a moment." He Tiantian hurried out and pulled out the blue hat and scarf she had bought a few days ago, which was just right for Jiang Lifang to wear.

Jiang Lifang felt a lump in her throat. Ah, this daughter-in-law was more thoughtful than her son. Even if she had her own daughter, she wouldn’t be as filial as He Tiantian.

"Thank you!" Jiang Lifang patted He Tiantian’s head and then left with her bicycle.

Huo Zhekun and Huo Yingjie watched from not too far away, exchanging glances and smiling involuntarily.

Isn’t this what a harmonious family brings, prosperity in everything?

Meanwhile, after He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie, with their two children, finished their meal, Huo Zhekun went to work. Before long, Zhou Yuanchao and Wang Ying came to visit.

Seeing that it was Zhou Yuanchao, He Tiantian said, "Yuan Chao, Wang Ying, it’s cold outside, come on in quickly."

"Sister-in-law, you look as young and beautiful as ever," praised Wang Ying. "Your skin is so well-maintained. Later you must share with me how you take care of it."

"Sure!" He Tiantian smiled. "Come on in. They’re all inside, go ahead; I’ll make tea for you right now."

"No trouble, sister-in-law," said Zhou Yuanchao, following his wife inside with lots of things in their hands.

They went together to put everything in the kitchen.

He Tiantian did not stand on ceremony. With plenty at home, she would prepare a more generous return gift for Zhou Yuanchao and Wang Ying.

Hearing voices from outside, Huo Yingjie saw it was Zhou Yuanchao and his wife and hurriedly greeted them into the house.

He Tiantian went to make tea; men would drink wild mountain tea, and women would drink floral tea.

Because they had visitors, He Tiantian didn’t go to her shop but stayed home to attend to the guests.

Zhang Aijun and Li Yunzhong also knew Zhou Yuanchao, so the four men chatted and laughed. He Tiantian and Wang Ying chatted softly and laughed with the two children on the side.

Wang Ying had been married to Zhou Yuanchao for nine months and had not become pregnant. Now, seeing the children, she hugged one for a while, kissed another, unwilling to let go.

"Sister Tiantian, I’ve been married for almost a year now and haven’t gotten pregnant. Is something wrong?" Wang Ying held the child tightly, wishing it were her own.

Just last night, her mother had asked her about it; this was her own mom. Once she got to Inner Mongolia, her mother-in-law would ask too, and that would be even more distressing.

"What’s the rush? You’ve only been married for half a year, it hasn’t been a year yet!" He Tiantian comforted her. "Now that you’re on vacation, you and your husband have good relations, relax a bit, communicate more with each other; the child will come sooner or later."

"Really?" Wang Ying murmured to her own belly.

"Yes, don’t overthink it. I was the same as you back then, always worrying about this and that," He Tiantian said. "Later, when I was teaching in Qijia Village, I was busy working every day, and before I knew it, it happened."

"Okay, then I won’t think about it anymore," laughed Wang Ying, and after that, she played games with the children, even more eager to make them laugh than He Tiantian, their own mother.

At noon, Grandma Wang helped look after the children.

He Tiantian went to prepare lunch.

"Wang Ying, go sit in the room and play with the children. I can manage here by myself," He Tiantian said with a smile, not letting Wang Ying come over to cook.

Wang Ying chuckled and said, "The kids are playing with Grandma Wang. I’ll just help you pick vegetables; that way, we can finish faster. After all, there are quite a few people today, and it’s too much for you alone."

Seeing that Wang Ying wasn’t leaving, He Tiantian didn’t insist further and chatted with Wang Ying while cooking.

She thought about Huo Yingjie being alone at the Research Institute. She hadn’t gone with him, and she wondered if any women had approached Huo Yingjie?

Now that she had the chance, she intended to ask thoroughly.