Just as Grandma Qi was about to recount stories from the past, Qi Xiaoyan arrived. Qi Xiaoyan had been quite bored since dropping out of school, and now that she had stories to hear, she was very happy.
"Xiao Yan, come quickly, Grandma Qi is going to tell you some old stories, you should listen too," He Tiantian said, hoping that Qi Xiaoyan could learn something from them. Grandma Qi the Third was a legend, although not many people knew about her, but in He Tiantian's eyes, ordinary old ladies couldn't compare to Grandma Qi the Third.
Not being outsiders, He Tiantian went inside and brought a stool for Qi Xiaoyan as well, and they sat on either side of Grandma Qi.
Grandma Qi had always been close to Secretary Qi's family and regarded Qi Xiaoyan as her granddaughter. She also knew that Qi Xiaoyan was not a talkative person, so she said with a smile, "Then I will say it, just don't find it annoying."
"Not at all, not at all," He Tiantian quickly said. "Go ahead and tell me."
"Third Grandma, I want to hear it too, hurry up!" Qi Xiaoyan urged, as there was no entertainment and it was too boring.
Grandma Qi slowly pieced together her long-buried memories and slowly said, "Back then, after our family's land was divided up, we only had a few acres left. Before, the servants in the family were in charge after they received their share of the land; everyone was treated the same. My sisters went to the city to seek their fortunes, but my parents were old, so I stayed behind to take care of them. I was pretty back then, and even though my class background as a rich peasant wasn't good, some people still showed interest in me, hoping to marry me. But they all said, 'If you marry me, I'll farm your family's land, and I guarantee you'll have no worries about food and clothing.' Only one person never said anything, but always came to work in our fields in the middle of the night. At first, I didn't notice and thought I was a good worker. But after comparing myself to others, I realized that someone was helping me. If I didn't see him in the fields during the day, it must have been at night."
Are there still young men like this working in the fields?
He Tiantian and Qi Xiaoyan were very curious and continued listening.
“Back then, I planted a lot of cabbages to sell in the winter, so I could have some money for the New Year. I was catching bugs during the day, but it was a slow process. The next day, when I tried to catch more, I found there were very few bugs left. I guessed that someone had helped me. I was very curious and wanted to know who this person was. I secretly came to the field at night and found out that he was one of my family's long-term workers. He wasn't good at saying nice things; he just kept his head down and worked hard,” Grandma Qi said, her face beaming with happiness. This was the first person to help her when she was in trouble, someone who didn't even ask for anything in return.
"Is that my third grandfather?" Qi Xiaoyan asked curiously. This man is so good, silently making sacrifices for the woman he loves.
“Yes, that’s your third grandfather,” said Grandma Qi. “While others were still just talking about it, he was already helping me quietly. While others were quietly telling me to take care of myself and eat well, your third grandfather was already saving money or buying good food for me when he came back from working outside.”
"Third Grandfather is such a good man!" He Tiantian exclaimed. Sweet words can be deceiving, but they can't compare to a man's sincere actions.
"Yes, your third grandfather was a good man. After I married him, life was peaceful but I didn't suffer. It was just that he suffered, passing away so young," Grandma Qi sighed. "I'm not saying this just to let you hear it; I want to say that girls your age, just beginning to experience love, are often shy and embarrassed when faced with the enthusiasm of suitors, and are easily deceived by appearances. When looking for a man to rely on for a lifetime, it's not about what he says, but what he does. People's words are fickle and unreliable. Only a willing heart shows true sincerity."
"That makes a lot of sense!" He Tiantian nodded seriously. Although Grandma Qi's words were simple, they contained profound truths.
Yes, men's sweet talk can easily deceive people and often blind women. Only genuine actions can reveal a person's true heart, not just empty words.
“That makes a lot of sense,” Qi Xiaoyan nodded. Qi San’s words reminded her of Niu Dajun.
"Hehe, men fear choosing the wrong career, and women fear marrying the wrong man. Although this is a new society where divorce is possible, public opinion can still have an impact. So, when you're looking for a partner in the future, you must keep your eyes open," Grandma Qi reminded her. She had seen many women marry men who were lazy and good-for-nothing, and who would beat and kick them when they were unhappy—it was no human life for them.
I spent the whole morning listening to Grandma Qi talk about herself and other people.
Not only is it interesting to listen to, but you can also learn some principles of life.
In the afternoon, He Tiantian had lunch and wanted to go out, but Grandma Qi stopped her and told her to rest for a while before going to the back mountain.
He Tiantian is actually better now, but Grandma Qi meant well, so He Tiantian will reluctantly accept it.
Knowing that Zuo Li and Xiang Rong would definitely come with her to the back mountain during the day, she couldn't get anything for her family and Huo Yingjie on her own. Since that was the case, she'd go at night. With the Snake King around, she could see the path clearly and wouldn't be afraid of the wild animals!
Thinking of this, He Tiantian began to prepare things, while pleading with the Snake King, saying, "Snake King, I have other people with me during the day, so I can only try to hunt more prey at night, process it properly, and bring it back to Nanshi when the New Year holiday comes."
"Not interested!" the Snake King said lazily; he couldn't eat it anyway.
He Tiantian knew that the Snake King, although not hibernating in winter, was still lazier than in summer and autumn.
Suddenly, He Tiantian had a flash of inspiration. Combining this with the nature of snakes, she remembered that the Snake King liked to swim in the pool in the cave, and she knew that she could persuade the Snake King.
"Snake King, I want to go play in that cave. It's our secret base. The water there is warm in winter, steaming, and it's so comfortable to soak your feet in it," He Tiantian said softly. "Why don't we go take a look?"
The Snake King hadn't been in the water since winter began. Its tiny, beady eyes darted around as it asked, "You...you're not lying to me?"
He Tiantian rolled her delicate eyes and pouted, complaining, "I hate being lied to the most. Why would I lie? If you don't believe me, you can come with me to see for yourself. If there's no hot spring, you can just not go next time, and you won't lose anything. On the other hand, if I lied to you and you stopped believing me, I would be the one who suffers the most. Tell me, would I have any reason to lie to you?"
Since her rebirth, He Tiantian has stuck to her own ideas, been willing to open her heart, and has become quite eloquent. What she just said was so well-spoken; He Tiantian was even convinced by herself. (To be continued.)
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