797

After the Lantern Festival, Huo Yingjie returned to his unit.

He Tiantian has also started school.

The year 1981 began.

Huo Yingjie's previous request was responded to. After discussing with several leaders, Chief Engineer Sun decided to implement a standard rest system to ensure the researchers' rest time and physical health.

Huo Yingjie is very lucky; he receives special treatment.

I can rest two days a week. After get off work on Friday, I go to the train station and it takes about three hours to get home, around 8 or 9 pm. Then I take the train on Sunday afternoon and get back to work at 6 pm.

Huo Yingjie was going home for the first time on a weekend, and he didn't tell He Tiantian in advance, wanting to give her a surprise.

It was evening, and Grandma Wang had already gone to bed. He Tiantian was reading a book, so she got up to open the door.

"Yingjie, why are you back?" He Tiantian asked in surprise, having long forgotten what Huo Yingjie had said earlier.

“I have Saturday and Sunday off,” Huo Yingjie replied, “so I can go home.”

He Tiantian was pleasantly surprised and said, "That's great! Brother Zhang, Yunfeng, come in quickly."

Jiang Lifang and Grandma Wang, upon hearing that Huo Yingjie had returned, also came over.

I was very happy to hear that my son can come home on weekends from now on.

We had dried noodles, beef, and vegetables at home, so we made beef noodles. We cooked a whole pot, and the three of us ate it all.

While He Tiantian was cooking, Grandma Wang and Jiang Lifang tidied up Zhang Aijun and Yunfeng's rooms before going back to rest.

He Tiantian hugged Huo Yingjie happily and said, "Brother Yingjie, it's so good to see you every week."

Five days is much shorter than five months; it passed in the blink of an eye.

“Yes!” Huo Yingjie said, “Sweetie, it’s a bit unrealistic, but coming back once a week is still possible. Anyway, I will definitely not work overtime.”

"This is already pretty good." He Tiantian smiled. "It's late, go to sleep early, I have to go to school tomorrow!"

The next morning, Huo Yingjie got up early, cooked rice porridge, and went out to buy breakfast. He didn't wake He Tiantian until seven o'clock.

After breakfast, Huo Yingjie took out his bicycle and drove He Tiantian to school.

He Tiantian sat on the back of Huo Yingjie's bicycle, her arms around his waist. The early spring breeze blew through He Tiantian's long hair, carrying with it the sounds of He Tiantian and Huo Yingjie's laughter.

Huo Yingjie escorted He Tiantian all the way to her office, saying, "I'll bring you lunch."

"Okay!" No matter how delicious it is, He Tiantian will not refuse Huo Yingjie's love.

After He Tiantian went upstairs, Teacher Wu asked enviously, "Teacher He, is that your husband?"

"Mmm!" He Tiantian nodded. Back in school, she and Huo Yingjie used to go to and from school together, and all their classmates knew that. However, since Huo Yingjie started working, the two of them hadn't come to school together anymore.

Mi Wei exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher He, your husband is so handsome and dotes on you so much, you're so lucky!"

"Alright, your husband is pretty good too. Didn't he come to pick you up yesterday?" He Tiantian laughed, teasing Mi Wei.

Teacher Chen smiled and shook her head, saying, "Mi Wei, this attitude won't do. You can't have your cake and eat it too. Be content with what you have!"

“Your partners all come to drop you off at work and pick you up after get off work, but my husband doesn’t,” Ms. Wu said, pouting, complaining that her partner was not considerate and that her married life was unhappy.

As everyone knows, Ms. Wu caused a huge scene because she didn't go back to her hometown with her husband for the Chinese New Year, so they didn't know how to respond to this situation.

He Tiantian tidied herself up and went to class, ignoring He Tiantian.

Huo Yingjie went home and stopped at the market to buy a lot of vegetables, planning to cook them for lunch.

Yunfeng, who was in charge of protecting Huo Yingjie, followed behind and asked, "Brother Huo, you can cook?"

"I can cook a little," Huo Yingjie replied. "By the way, can you cook?"

“I don’t know how, but Brother Zhang’s cooking is delicious,” Yunfeng said. “I ate at his house before. My wife was busy with work, so he bought the groceries and cooked for her. It tasted especially good.”

"Okay, let's just have the three of us cook a meal for lunch today," Huo Yingjie said. From now on, when he's home, he won't let Tian Tian cook; he'll let her rest for a while.

Zhang Aijun was also very happy to hear that the three of them were cooking today, as he felt quite embarrassed about being idle all day.

"Yunfeng, you stay on guard duty. Comrade Huo and I will cook together," Zhang Aijun said with a smile. "My specialties are poached chicken, squirrel fish, and boiled dried bean curd strips, among others."

"Wow, Brother Zhang, that's impressive!" Huo Yingjie laughed. "Come on, let's start making it now, and I'll learn from you."

Zhang Aijun didn't hold back, saying, "Then take a closer look later."

Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua stayed around their father, helping him pick vegetables, but mostly they caused trouble.

However, Huo Yingjie did not scold the children. Instead, he played with them while working and explained the various vegetables to them.

At noon, Zhang Aijun and Huo Yingjie prepared a table of dishes: poached chicken, West Lake vinegar fish, braised beef, scrambled eggs with garlic chives, hot and sour cabbage, and a plate of stir-fried shredded potatoes.

Huo Yingjie packed a portion, ate some himself, and was about to deliver the food to He Tiantian.

Grandma Wang smiled and said, "You're only sending it to your daughter-in-law, not your mother. Aren't you afraid of being scolded for forgetting your mother after marrying a wife?"

Huo Yingjie slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing what he had done, and said, "Oh dear, I almost made a mistake. I also have to deliver it to my mother, but luckily it's on my way."

Then I took out another insulated box and packed a portion for my mother.

Huo Yingjie rode his bicycle to the hospital to deliver food to his mother.

"Oh dear, why didn't you send some to Tian Tian?" Jiang Lifang was very happy to see her son coming over.

Huo Yingjie smiled and said, "I'll give it to Mom first, then to Tiantian."

He had a sweet tongue, which made Jiang Lifang very happy.

"Then hurry up and put it down, don't waste time. Take it to Tian Tian so it doesn't get cold and she won't feel comfortable eating it," Jiang Lifang urged, unlike before when she would wait for her to finish eating before having her son take the lunchbox back.

"Then I won't have dinner with Mom." Huo Yingjie smiled. Luckily, Grandma Wang reminded him, otherwise it would have created a family conflict.

Huo Yingjie remembered a saying: when the relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is bad, it's often because the son hasn't played a good role, or even has a negative impact. Fortunately, he was quick-witted and didn't make that mistake.

Very clever, kudos to myself.

Huo Yingjie rode his bicycle to school again.

All the way, I rode my old Type 38 bicycle with great speed and agility!

I arrived at school just as get out of class was ending.

He Tiantian waited for Huo Yingjie in the office and did not rush to the cafeteria.

When Huo Yingjie arrived, the two went to the cafeteria together.

The office is warm, and the windows are all closed, making it a closed space. If you eat in there, the smell will be unpleasant.