Only when Niu Dajun was out of sight did He Tiantian withdraw her hand and turn to look at the environment in the sleeper compartment.

There are two rows of beds in a small room, with three beds in each row, for a total of six beds.

Although it was crowded, it was still relatively clean!

There were five people in this room. The upper bunk opposite was empty. The others were chatting and eating. Since none of them came from Taoyuan County, no one knew He Tiantian, which saved them the trouble of greeting each other.

He Tiantian was in a bad mood, so she climbed to the top bunk, covered herself with the blanket and went to sleep, putting her small bundle, her army green crossbody bag, her water bottle and food inside.

Before going to sleep, He Tiantian spoke with the Snake King in the barrier, instructing it to observe its surroundings and wake her if there was any danger. He Tiantian was exhausted and wanted to get a good night's sleep; the train wouldn't arrive in Nanshi until around 9 PM the next night, and there was still a long way to go.

The Snake King knew that He Tiantian was facing a major crisis. He might not be able to help in other ways, but he could guarantee He Tiantian's safety throughout the journey.

Niu Dajun walked to the bicycle and saw a gray cloth bag on it. When he opened it, he found four dried wild rabbits and a pheasant inside.

"Wow, He Tiantian is really generous!" Niu Dajun exclaimed. But he had heard from Qi Xiaoyan that He Tiantian knew how to hunt, so it wasn't surprising that she had these things. He had originally planned to send something to his cousin who worked at the train station next time, but now that he had something from He Tiantian, he decided to use it to his advantage. He would give his childhood friend a dried chicken, his cousin Niu Lili a wild rabbit, and keep one for himself.

Niu Lili, the cousin who received the item, was very happy. It's true that good deeds are rewarded. She hoped that He Tiantian could overcome her difficulties.

Because of her bodyguard, Snake King, He Tiantian slept soundly through the night, without any dreams, until dawn, when she was woken up by the urge to urinate.

He Tiantian, carrying her military green crossbody bag, got off her bunk, went to get hot water from either end of the train, and also went to the toilet.

After quickly washing my face, I returned with my lunchbox. The person in the lower bunk was a robust woman in her thirties.

He Tiantian smiled and said, "Big sister, can I sit down for a moment? I'd like to have breakfast."

The woman said cheerfully, "Sit down, let's eat together."

He Tiantian took out a pancake and two eggs from her package and ate them with hot water.

"Where are you going?" the cheerful older woman asked, eating a flatbread and drinking hot water.

He Tiantian said softly, "I'm going back to Nanshi to visit relatives!"

"Are you a sent-down youth?" the older woman asked. "It must have been tough for you to become a sent-down youth at such a young age."

Not wanting to be looked down upon, He Tiantian smiled and said, "I may look young, but I'm actually quite old. Big sister, what do you do?"

The woman said with a hint of pride, "We are all model workers in Huai City. We are going to Beijing to be received by Chairman Mao."

"That's amazing!" He Tiantian said enviously. "Being able to go to Beijing and meet the Great Leader is something everyone dreams of. I will also work hard in the future and strive to become a model worker."

Seeing that He Tiantian was highly conscious of her situation, everyone treated her kindly and asked her about her experiences as a sent-down youth. He Tiantian was cautious and only spoke well of the positive aspects, constantly quoting from the Little Red Book.

By the time they got off the bus, He Tiantian had become quite familiar with the older woman.

The two women exchanged contact information, so they can keep in touch in the future.

Although she knew the chances of meeting again were slim, He Tiantian still kept the woman's contact information.

Zhang Runan, that's the name of the older woman. She's the workshop director at the Huai City Tractor Factory.

He Tiantian returned suddenly, without her parents' knowledge. It was already past nine o'clock at night, pitch black outside, and there were no more buses running. There were also no private tricycles available at this hour, and He Tiantian dared not walk home alone.

Just as they were about to head to the guesthouse, the Snake King inside the barrier scoffed, "You idiot, with me here, what are you afraid of!"

He Tiantian slapped her forehead. How could she have forgotten about the Snake King!

He Tiantian had a military green bag containing certificates slung across her left shoulder and a military water bottle slung across her right shoulder. She was carrying a small package in her hand, which wasn't heavy at all; she could run home!

"Thank you very much, Snake King." He Tiantian said gratefully. Snake King is truly an essential item for home and travel!

"Alright, alright, hurry up and go home," the Snake King said impatiently. "I haven't had a proper rest for a whole day and night!"

Upon hearing this, He Tiantian took off running home. She didn't do any fancy stretching exercises; she only had one thought in her mind: to get home as soon as possible.

Dayushu Lane is about seven kilometers from the train station.

He Tiantian didn't stop for a moment and arrived in just forty minutes. She kept overtaking the bicycles in front of her, which startled the cyclists, who thought they had encountered a ghost.

It was already past ten o'clock when we entered the alley. At this time, most of the surrounding residents were already asleep.

He Tiantian became even more excited.

She... she, He Tiantian, is back again!

This time when she returned, many people lived here. It was clean, and there were lights that warmed people's hearts, unlike the place she returned to in her previous life, which was dilapidated, deserted, and covered with mottled moss.

He Tiantian walked through the familiar alleyway from her dream. Even though it was a bit dark, she could still find her home with perfect accuracy.

He Tiantian reached out and grabbed the two large brass rings on the heavy wooden door, banging on it a few times, "Bang, bang, bang..."

A moment later, the lights in the room came on, and the familiar voice from He Tiantian's dream came through: "Who is it?"

He Tiantian, tears streaming down her face, choked out, "Mom, it's me!"

Even though it had only been four months since they last saw each other, He Tiantian burst into tears as soon as she heard her mother's voice.

"Ah!" Wang Shuping exclaimed, "Jingyu, come out quickly, Tiantian is back."

"Clang, clang," came the sound of things being knocked over inside the house.

Wang Shuping jogged over to open the door, and when she saw that it was indeed her daughter outside, she hugged her tightly and said, "My son!"

When He Jingyu saw his daughter, her eyes were red. He turned his head and whispered, "Keep your voice down. If people hear you crying at night, they'll think something happened!"

Even though He Jingyu spoke up to remind them, it still woke up the Huo family next door.

"Shuping, why are you crying?" Huo Yingjie's mother, Jiang Lifang, put on her clothes, walked into the yard, and asked through the wall.

“It’s Tian Tian back,” Wang Shuping replied.

Hearing this, Huo Yingjie's parents quickly dressed and came over to ask what was going on. Why was He Tiantian back so soon, not during a holiday? Had something happened?

When the Huo family arrived, He Jingyu and Wang Shuping were holding their daughter and crying.

Huo's mother, Jiang Lifang, stepped forward and comforted her, "Shuping, you and your husband, don't cry. The child came home in the middle of the night; he must be tired and hungry. Quickly make something to eat for him." (To be continued.)