The Sweetness of the Seventies-Chapter 991 - 960: Worries, Furnace Fire Leak

The birthday feast today was very successful.

The more respected villagers and those who had a good relationship with Old Man Qi were all invited.

Everyone congratulated Old Man Qi on his good health and wished him longevity.

Third Grandma Qi was also very happy, happy for Old Man Qi, that so many people were showing him respect and affection, not letting all the good he had done for the villagers go to waste.

Most of Old Man Qi’s stipend had probably been spent on village children who couldn’t afford schooling.

His hard work had been rewarded, and he didn’t have many regrets left in his life.

As the party came to an end, Old Man Qi’s face was slightly flushed. Seeing He Tiantian and Qi Zhengmin, he was very relieved and smiled, "You two worked hard today."

"It wasn’t hard at all." He Tiantian smiled. "It’s what we as the younger generation should do. Grandpa Qi, you should head back and rest now, don’t stay outside."

"Alright, you rest too." Old Man Qi chuckled and happily went upstairs.

The men who had come for the feast had had their drinks and then went home to continue drinking.

The women who hadn’t drunk helped with washing dishes and cleaning up after the feast, and only after everything was tidy did they leave.

Everyone who came brought some gifts that were a token of their sentiments.

However, Old Man Qi didn’t care much for material possessions; he accepted the gifts since they were given, and if there were leftovers, he would pass them on to someone else who needed them.

By 3 p.m., the house was finally quiet, and everyone dispersed.

Huo Ruihua was sleeping with Huo Ruifeng, while Huo Ruimin, along with Niu Da and Niu Er, had gone out to play.

If it were just the children, He Tiantian would’ve been worried, but fortunately, Zhang Ning accompanied them to ensure their safety.

Upon reaching the village, the two kids ran around free like birds out of a cage, scurrying all over the mountains and through the entire village.

"You should rest for a bit too," Huo Yingjie said softly. "Come, take a nap."

Although He Tiantian was a bit tired, she felt uneasy and couldn’t fall asleep.

"Brother Yingjie, I heard from Daniu that this spring, those big pits in the back mountain have hot springs again," He Tiantian said. "Do you know what’s going on? Could it be that the Snake King has been injured again?"

"Haha!" Huo Yingjie chuckled. "Don’t think too much, it must be something else."

Huo Yingjie had already felt the faint heat emanating from the cave in the back mountain; it was because there was a vein of magma underground, and the seeping heat caused the nearby water to warm up.

"But I just feel a bit uneasy," He Tiantian said. "I hope the Snake King isn’t in trouble."

He Tiantian had long regarded the Snake King as a friend and family member and didn’t wish any harm upon him.

Huo Yingjie frowned, the Little Spirit Snake shouldn’t be so vulnerable.

"Alright, rest well. I’ll take you there tonight to have a look," Huo Yingjie comforted her, gently patting He Tiantian’s back with his large hand, helping her fall asleep quickly.

Despite her worries, He Tiantian had gotten up early and had been busy all day. She was really tired and soon fell asleep.

When Huo Ruifeng woke up, he wanted his mom to hold him.

Huo Yingjie hurriedly picked up Huo Ruifeng and took him out so he wouldn’t disturb He Tiantian’s sleep.

Huo Ruifeng felt wronged, his big watery eyes looking at Dad, accusing Dad of his "brutal acts."

However, as soon as he saw his brother and sister running back from outside with flowers and a rabbit in their hands, his attention shifted to them.

They had only been here for three or four days, and the kids had already gotten tanned from playing outside, their faces and skin darkened by the sun.

"Hot?" Huo Yingjie asked, placing Huo Ruifeng on the mat under the tree and using a towel to wipe sweat from both his daughter and son.

"Dad, it’s not hot, not hot at all," Huo Ruimin lied through her teeth, her face and body covered in sweat, yet she claimed not to feel the heat at all in order to go out and play, her words hiding her true feelings.

"You’ve both tanned," Huo Yingjie said with concern, "You can’t go out to play anymore."

"It’s okay, Dad, Mom says I’m beautiful no matter what, so I’m not afraid of getting tanned," Huo Ruimin replied with a triumphant smile, full of confidence. Although she was already aware of beauty standards, she was willing to set them aside for the sake of playing outside.

"Yes, Sister is pretty," Huo Ruihua chimed in, "And even if we’re tanned, we can become fair again. Mom says we need to play and run around a lot to stay healthy."

"Uh-uh..." Huo Yingjie had to admit he was persuaded by his son and daughter, "Alright, then you must pay attention to safety and stay within Uncle Zhang Ning’s sight."

"Mhm, we’ll remember that," Huo Ruimin and Huo Ruihua nodded.

By five o’clock, the heat of the day had dissipated, and everyone was eating watermelon in the yard.

Washing and cutting the watermelon were small tasks that Tang Qian took care of.

Eager to make a good impression, Tang Qian always volunteered for chores.

Fortunately, Qi Zhengmin was always there by his side, which made Tang Qian even happier and more willing to work. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

Come nighttime, all three of them had fallen asleep.

Huo Yingjie set up a barrier and took He Tiantian to the back mountains.

The first thing they did was to check several large pits in the back mountains. He reached into the water to try it out. It was no longer bone-chilling cold like before, but warm instead; indeed, it was suitable for bathing and soaking.

However, it had not yet reached the temperature of hot springs.

"Brother Yingjie, this water is warm," He Tiantian remarked, "Where is all this steam coming from?"

"Obviously, it’s from underground. I’ve investigated, and there’s magma beneath, releasing some of its heat," Huo Yingjie explained, "That’s why the water is warm, but it’s still not as hot as hot springs."

He Tiantian was startled and asked urgently, "Does that mean there’s a volcano down there?"

"Uh-uh..." Huo Yingjie frowned, unsure how to explain that it wasn’t a volcano. In fact, it was a furnace of alchemical fire he had drawn from the earth during his former days of alchemy, and even if some heat escaped, it wouldn’t cause a volcanic eruption.

"You don’t know either?" He Tiantian asked anxiously, "Should we have an expert come take a look?"

"There’s no need for that, it’s just heat seeping up from the underground, not a volcano," Huo Yingjie said with a smile, "I assure you, it has nothing to do with the Little Spirit Snake."

"Really?" He Tiantian felt somewhat relieved.

"Of course, it’s true," Huo Yingjie replied with amusement, "I never lie to you. If you don’t believe me, I can take you down to have a look."

"Go down?" He Tiantian was taken aback, "Where to?"

"To the place where the hot water originated. A long, long time ago, it was a stream of earth fire drawn from underground for the purpose of alchemy that I had sealed off. Over time, there might have been a slight leak, but it would never result in a volcanic eruption," Huo Yingjie explained, "Trust me, I wouldn’t deceive you."

He Tiantian was intrigued and nodded repeatedly, "Okay, if there’s no danger, you can take me to see it."

That night, He Tiantian had such a dream. She always felt that she was not just a spectator but also the woman named Yunyun.