The Sweetness of the Seventies
Chapter 827 - 796: Wasting Away, Buying Shares

Chapter 827: Chapter 796: Wasting Away, Buying Shares

Jiang Lifang nodded and said, "Yeah, you’re right, I’ll be on holiday soon too. When the time comes, we can tidy up the house together to prepare for the New Year."

"No need, Mom, I’m here," He Tiantian smiled, "I’m already on break, and Grandma Wang and I can handle the household chores. You get especially busy in winter — we mustn’t let work tire you out. Remember to rest."

"Mm, I know," said Jiang Lifang. Her husband had also been very busy lately. Considering this, she had to admire her daughter-in-law’s ability to handle so many things and still have free time to spare.

As they were talking, three more people arrived at the door.

Huo Yingjie had returned.

"Mom, Tiantian, Grandma Wang, I’m back," Huo Yingjie said softly, carrying his luggage with him.

He Tiantian looked up at Huo Yingjie.

Despite being well dressed, Huo Yingjie’s gaunt face made He Tiantian realize that he must have been overworking again.

Yet, she found herself unable to resent him for it.

The reason he did so was to come back to her, to see his family.

"Yingie, my child, how have you lost so much weight?" Jiang Lifang said with concern. The boy was exasperating; she told him to take care of his health, but he just wouldn’t listen.

It was utterly heartbreaking.

"Mom, I’m fine," Huo Yingjie laughed, "It’s just that the food over there wasn’t tasty, and I’m a bit picky, that’s why I lost some weight. Now that the New Year is here, with you and Tiantian making delicious food, I’ll eat more and gain some weight back."

"Right, right, I’ll go cook now," Jiang Lifang said hastily, "You go rest inside."

He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie exchanged a look, everything clear without a word spoken.

"Brother Zhang, Yun Feng, I’ve already prepared your rooms. You can put away your things first," He Tiantian said with a light laugh, leading them to the bedroom.

In front of everyone else, He Tiantian resisted the impulse to throw herself into her husband’s arms.

In the evening, He Tiantian prepared a lavish dinner.

Jiang Lifang and Grandma Wang kept urging Huo Yingjie to eat, hoping he could regain some strength.

Huo Yingjie didn’t refuse the elders’ kindness and ate quite a bit.

The two children, seeing their dad enjoying his meal, also took big bites of their food, smearing several grains of rice on their faces.

Later that night, the couple embraced, and after their intimate time, they talked about their respective experiences.

Mostly, He Tiantian spoke about school, students, and business matters, while Huo Yingjie listened attentively, gently playing with He Tiantian’s long hair.

"To be your student must be lucky," Huo Yingjie whispered, "You’re good at spotting students’ strengths and encouraging them. You even offer financial and practical assistance. If they have talent and work hard, they’re sure to succeed."

"I just feel like if I have the ability, then I should help them out. After all, they are young, with a broad future ahead, and they lack experience. But they’re all very talented individuals. Proper guidance can make them achieve twice the result with half the effort," He Tiantian explained, saying that if they truly succeeded one day and were grateful to her, she wouldn’t refuse their thanks.

To do good deeds without seeking recognition is the way of Lei Feng.

He Tiantian is an ordinary person and can’t go to that extent.

Although caring for students is what teachers are supposed to do, He Tiantian has devoted more time, effort, and resources than other teachers. It’s understandable that she desires the students’ recognition.

"Work smarter, not harder, and they can avoid taking detours," Huo Yingjie said. "By the way, I’ve suggested to Chief Engineer Sun that researchers should get rest days. Perhaps next year I can come home once every two weeks."

"Really?" He Tiantian was surprised and delighted, "I can hardly wait."

"It should be possible. Working on research without proper rest can lead to a shorter life span, which is a loss for the country. The higher-ups are starting to pay attention to this issue," Huo Yingjie said. "A combination of work and rest, tension and relaxation, leads to higher efficiency."

"Yes, that’s true," He Tiantian nodded. "Thank goodness our child has a good memory. He still remembers you even after half a year of not seeing you."

"Ha, that’s my son, naturally intelligent," Huo Yingjie said. "But his mother teaches him even better."

He Tiantian hugged Huo Yingjie gently and said, "Though I’ve gotten used to you not being around, it would be nice if you could come home more often in the future. The child misses you."

"Just the child misses me? Doesn’t the child’s mother miss the child’s father?" Huo Yingjie gently nibbled He Tiantian’s ear.

He Tiantian, exhausted, closed her eyes and quickly said, "The child’s mother misses the child’s father even more."

"That’s more like it." Huo Yingjie kissed He Tiantian’s forehead and embraced her softly as they fell asleep.

During the New Year, the family stayed in Yanjing until the sixth day of the first lunar month before returning to Nan City.

Although there were some minor issues, overall, there was domestic harmony.

Of course, Song Chunli also asked He Tiantian when she would open her store.

He Tiantian told her directly that there would be someone opening a store in Yanjing this year, and she just needed to prepare the money to invest.

Song Chunli was very happy and went off to prepare the money. She even wanted to get some money from grandma to aim for a larger share of the investment.

At the same time, He Tiantian also told Zhao Huanhuan to prepare some money, and she would give Zhao Huanhuan a share when the time came.

It was only after they returned that their extended family’s holiday officially began.

Even though Jiang Lifang and Huo Zhekun had to work during the day, Huo Yingjie would bring lunch to his mother every noon, and in the evening, they would gather together at home, a bustling and lively scene.

Finally having some alone time, Jiang Lifang approached He Tiantian and asked, "Tiantian, you’re planning to give some of the Yanjing business to the first branch of the family. How are you arranging that? Can you tell me?"

Even if grandma hadn’t asked, He Tiantian would have found an opportunity to discuss it with her.

"I’ve thought it through. I’ll give one tenth to Uncle and Aunt, and another tenth to Brother Zhang and his wife," He Tiantian answered. "Is that okay?"

Jiang Lifang thought for a moment and said, "That’s fine. I was worried that you might give too much and whet Aunt’s appetite. Then she might meddle in everything."

He Tiantian thought for a moment and then asked, "Mom, what if they want more shares?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll talk to grandma about it when the time comes," Jiang Lifang said. "By the way, it’s better to find trustworthy people to run those shops rather than letting Aunt get involved. Otherwise, everything might end up in her pocket."

"That’s true. Brother Dajun and Xiao Yan are planning to settle in Yanjing. I can trust Brother Dajun to handle things there," He Tiantian explained. "Moreover, Brother Dajun has managed businesses before; he understands these matters and will handle them well."

"That’s good," Jiang Lifang said. "When it’s time to sign the contracts, you must write out all these conditions clearly. Put the scoundrels before the gentlemen, and outline everything to avoid future conflicts over money."

"Got it, I’ll remember that," said He Tiantian. Anyway, with grandma around, it wasn’t her place as the younger generation to speak out. So, she would let grandma handle it.