The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 1169 - 1138: Nostalgic Fear

So that’s how it is!

Village Chief Qi laughed and said, "No wonder you changed your walking route these past few days, you’ve been waiting for Tiantian!"

"Hehe, yes," Old Man Qi said, "Tiantian that girl wanted to surprise us, but we have our informants and already knew about it, we just didn’t know the exact time. So we couldn’t sit still at home and decided to come here and wait."

As they were speaking, the sound of the car grew nearer and clearer.

From a distance, He Tiantian could see people at the entrance of the village, but she couldn’t make out who they were.

It wasn’t until the car got closer that He Tiantian could see clearly that it was Third Grandma Qi and Grandpa Qi.

"Hurry, hurry," He Tiantian urged, "I can hardly wait."

"Mom, we’re almost there, don’t be in such a rush," Huo Ruihua said, not understanding why her mother was so excited.

He Tiantian just smiled and did not explain.

Except for herself, perhaps no one else understood what Qijia Village meant to her.

It was the place filled with her hardships.

It was where she was reborn.

It was where she came to a new understanding of life and where she found happiness.

When they reached the entrance of the village, He Tiantian felt warmth in her eyes, hastily got out of the car, and ran over, shouting loudly, "Grandma, Grandma, Grandpa, I’m here..."

Although Bai Qiongyu was He Tiantian’s biological grandmother, He Tiantian only respected her, but she didn’t feel as close to her as she did with Third Grandma Qi.

But Third Grandma Qi was different; they had lived together for several years.

They understood each other, supported each other, and He Tiantian had learned a lot of life’s principles from Third Grandma Qi.

Third Grandma Qi was very happy and reached out her hand.

He Tiantian hugged Third Grandma Qi tightly, cooed, "Grandma, I’ve missed you so much. The moment the kids had a break, I couldn’t wait to come here."

"Hehe, I’ve missed you too," Third Grandma Qi replied with a smile, examining He Tiantian from head to toe, "Hmm, you look well!"

He Tiantian then hugged Old Man Qi and said, "Grandpa Qi, I’ve missed you too. How have you been?"

"Very well, everything tastes great," Old Man Qi replied with a laugh. He didn’t have children of his own, so these children’s closeness to him brought him much joy—they were all his descendants.

The four kids got out of the car, each dressed warmly, looking chubby and adorable, like little round balls.

"Great grandma, great grandma," Huo Ruimin, who was sweet and the most cheerful and enthusiastic, called out even before arriving.

Third Grandma Qi counted and asked, "Oh my, why is there one extra? Now there are four? They don’t look like they belong to Qi Xiaoyan’s family."

The two sons from Qi Xiaoyan’s family were both like little calves, taller and bigger than the average children.

Once the child ran up to her, He Tiantian introduced her to Third Grandma Qi and Old Man Qi, "This is Xuanxuan, my adopted daughter. Uncle Qi, you don’t need to envy us, Xiao Yan will return after the Spring Festival Gala, and then you’ll be able to see Niu Da and Niu Er."

"Those two mischievous kids, they’re a bit bothersome when you see them, but you miss them when you don’t," Secretary Qi said, "It’s getting windy, let’s go, let’s head home."

"Grandma, do you need to get in the car?" He Tiantian asked, worried that Third Grandma Qi’s feet might be sore.

"No need, it’s not far," Third Grandma Qi said, "I need to walk every day anyway, just walking slowly is fine. Xuanxuan is it? When we get home, Great Grandma will give you a meeting gift."

Little Rotating Turtle was also acquainted with Third Grandma Qi and respected the elderly lady, politely saying, "Thank you, Great Grandma."

"Such a good child," Third Grandma Qi said.

"Great Grandma, I want one too," Huo Xiaosan felt left out as he used to be the most spoiled, but now it had shifted to Huo Xuanxuan.

Although she was now his sister, he already had sisters and did not want any more sisters, but wanted... wanted a child bride...

Ha ha, the kid was still not out of the drama from the TV series!

He was quite resentful that no one did his homework for him.

The group made their way home in high spirits, greeting people they met along the way, with He Tiantian also joining in the salutations.

Aunt Liu lived at the entrance of the village and was the first to see He Tiantian, smiling and saying, "Tiantian, you’re here, that’s wonderful. It’s just perfect; Da Niu gave birth yesterday and had a big, chubby boy. I’ll send you and Third Aunt Qi some red eggs in a bit."

"That truly is great news for Da Niu," He Tiantian responded happily, "I’ll settle in and go visit Xiao Yan tomorrow!"

"Sure thing, I’ll head over soon and let Da Niu know you’re here; she will definitely be thrilled," Aunt Liu said with a smile. Her daughter was close with He Tiantian, and being the school director added some prestige in the village.

All of this was thanks to the help He Tiantian provided in the past; otherwise, how would the Liu Family, with generations lacking academic success, have made it into the teacher’s college?

By the time they got home, the house was very warm, and He Tiantian neatly took off her thick coat.

The house was equipped with modern heating, making it very cozy.

"Knowing you were coming, I had someone prepare a lot of cured meats. I want you and the child to enjoy a feast, and you can even take some back with you when you leave," Third Grandma Qi said, "Our village is doing well these days, eating and drinking well."

Village Chief Qi was quite proud, chuckling, "Ha ha, our village has high incomes and distinct characteristics, and it has been recognized as a model village at the provincial level. The only thing is, family planning has been difficult to implement. Every time we attend meetings at the county or city level, we get criticized because of family planning issues."

"Ha ha, is there really no way to resolve it?" He Tiantian asked, "Family planning is easier to implement in the cities, and relatively harder in the rural areas."

"Continuing the family lineage is a natural duty. It’s an easy sell if a son is born, but for those who haven’t had a son, they try to have one in secret," Secretary Qi said, "I’ve been resisting the pressure, but if there are more births than allowed next year, not only will there be fines, but the village’s dividend rights will also be retracted."

"Ah? It’s that strict?" He Tiantian said, "I’ve heard that in some places they even demolish houses."

"Our village is a tourism demonstration site; who would dare to demolish houses here?" Village Chief Qi said, "That’s why people in the village are bold, but now the county is serious about taking back dividend rights."

"That must be causing quite a stir in the village now, isn’t it?" He Tiantian asked with concern.

"Yes, those who already have children are relieved, but those who are unmarried or only have a daughter are upset," Village Chief Qi said, "So I’ve been lobbying privately, if the first child is a son, then they won’t be allowed a second; if it’s a daughter, then they can have another one regardless of gender. That way, at least they have two and don’t seem too meager."

After thinking it over, He Tiantian nodded, "Hmm, would that work?"

"Of course, it’s workable," Village Chief Qi declared, "Our factory was established with our own investment, and it contributes a lot of tax revenue to the county annually. So Qijia Village’s matters naturally carry some privileges. I spoke privately with the villagers, and that’s why there hasn’t been a fuss."