Chapter 44 Chapter 44 Going home for the New Year.

This trip back to her hometown was fully arranged by Liu Suqin, who asked someone to buy a sleeper berth on the train in advance.

Compared with the workers around them who often have to sit in hard seats for days and nights to go back to their hometown, Liu Suqin and her colleagues' ten-hour drive is very convenient and fast.

There are many trains from Shenzhen passing through their hometown. Liu Suqin decided to choose a train that departs at around 8:00 in the morning. Although she still has to get up early to queue up at the station, it is better than those that depart at 5:00 or 6:00 and then have to go to the station late at night to prepare for the train.

Moreover, we would depart at around 8 o'clock in the morning and arrive in their city at around 7 or 8 o'clock in the evening. If we were lucky, we could get a van at the train station and rush back home to eat and sleep. This itinerary is also more friendly to children.

Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng had no objection to this arrangement. After getting their train tickets, they looked at them over and over for a long time. After years of drifting in Shenzhen, they finally took a train and got their first train ticket in their life. Lin Quansheng even said that he would keep this ticket well.

Seeing this, Liu Suqin casually offered another big promise, "That's just the beginning. You guys work hard, and from now on, we'll only ride in soft sleeper compartments when we go out. They used to be reserved for cadres, but now that life's better, anyone with money can enjoy them. There are planes, cruise ships, cars. There's nothing we can't imagine, and nothing we can't afford."

Lin Nanjiang, who was about to nod in agreement with his good buddy, immediately raised his head high and held his chest out, "That's right, don't act like you have no regrets in your life just because you took a train. We still have planes and cruise ships to take in the future."

Lin Quansheng thought that this guy now thinks he is useless. Who was the person who just held the train ticket with his name on it with him and couldn't let it go?

But knowing that his good brother had no other problems in his life and just liked to pretend in front of his wife, Lin Quansheng was kind enough not to spoil his tricks. He just said with a half-smile, "Wow, so amazing! I'll wait for the time when you can take me to heaven."

Lin Nanjiang said proudly, "That's called flying. You've never seen the world, if you want to go to heaven, go to heaven yourself."

The day before departure, Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng officially packed their luggage under the command of Liu Suqin. There were three large snakeskin bags filled to the brim, and there was also a large-capacity travel bag that contained the children's clothes, diapers, milk powder, toys, etc., plus the handbag that Liu Suqin carried with her, the whole bag was full.

Lin Nanjiang picked up the largest snakeskin bag. With his current strength, it was not a problem for him to carry it in one hand, but he couldn't help but feel a little scalp-tingling about the pile of luggage.

Some time ago, when Liu Suqin was shopping, she would talk to him at night about what she had bought, such as the gold chains and brand-name watches she prepared for the elderly. Lin Nanjiang nodded and praised his wife for being generous and filial, and at the same time enthusiastically suggested that they could buy some clothes, shoes, toys and so on for the brothers and sisters, nephews and nieces of both sides. The clothes in Shenzhen are fashionable in style and of good quality, and can be quite presentable as gifts.

After all, they haven't been home for two years, and their parents are being taken care of by their brothers. In addition, everyone in the village knows that they have bought a house in Shenzhen and have made a name for themselves. If they don't behave generously when they return home, they will be criticized.

Liu Suqin said that what he said was right. She went to pick out some gifts to take home and also asked Lin Quansheng for his opinion. She also prepared a few items for his parents and brothers. The final result was this mountain of luggage.

Lin Nanjiang never expected that making a suggestion would be a pleasure for a moment, but when he was moving his luggage to the crematorium, he felt for the first time the trouble of his wife loving him too much. If he had known earlier, he would not have given blind instructions. He would have just given big red envelopes to all his nephews and nieces according to his wife's previous wishes. Although the money they spent was about the same, their return trip would have been much easier.

Liu Suqin saw his regret clearly and pointed at the snakeskin bag in the middle with a malicious smile, "Hubby, these are all clothes and shoes bought for Mom, Dad and the kids. There are also new clothes for Quansheng and his brothers. Look at the bag full. When the time comes, we can open it and share the gifts in front of the folks. Wouldn't it be so proud?"

Lin Nanjiang: ...

The reason why Liu Suqin changed her mind so easily and adopted Lin Nanjiang's suggestion was certainly not because he thought that she loved him so much that she had lost her mind.

The fundamental reason for her choice was what Lin Nanjiang said. The interpersonal relationships in their hometown are sometimes not simply measured by money. Giving red envelopes is of course convenient, but in the eyes of others, it may be suspected that "just after getting a little rich, you start to use money to get rid of relatives." To put it nicely, it lacks some human touch, and to put it bluntly, it means that you are heartless and ruthless. If it is spread a few more times, you may be regarded as an ungrateful person.

But if the same money is used to buy clothes and shoes for the children, it will become evidence that their uncles and aunts still miss home. When the children run around the village in new clothes, the villagers will know that they are thoughtful and generous.

You don't need to bring so many bags every time you go back to your hometown, but you still need to show your roots in the first two years. Once your image is solid, you can choose easier and more convenient ways in the future.

Besides, what does it matter if there are a lot of things? She doesn’t have to carry them anyway. Her task tomorrow is to carry her own bag and hold her daughter tightly.

Liu Suqin said it was easy.

Lin Nanjiang was under pressure, and his brain began to race. "With so much luggage, I can't ride my own bike to the station, and taking the bus wouldn't be convenient, right?"

Liu Suqin agreed. "Although it's not the most crowded time for the Spring Festival travel rush, there are still quite a few tourists returning home. You should arrive at the train station at least an hour or two in advance to queue for ticket inspection. It's best to leave home after 6 a.m., as there probably won't be buses that early."

Lin Nanjiang further suggested: "Then let's call a taxi?"

Liu Suqin had no objection, but Lin Quansheng suddenly asked, "Can we get a taxi so early?"

This was indeed a problem. Liu Suqin almost forgot that now was the time when a driver would be waiting downstairs with just a few taps on the phone. After thinking for a moment, she said, "There seems to be a taxi company's phone number in the newspaper. Why don't we go down and call and order one?"

Lin Nanjiang smiled and said, "No, no, I have the phone number of Lao Deng, the taxi driver. I can just tell him directly."

Liu Suqin had some impression of this Old Deng. "Is he the Old Deng who is also from our Gan Province and often goes to the store to eat fried noodles?"

"It was him. We were talking about going home for the Lunar New Year the other day. Lao Deng said he had just bought a taxi and was working for himself. He was in debt and he wasn't going back this year. He wanted to pick up more passengers during the Lunar New Year. He also left his phone number and asked me to go and look after his business when I was free."

Estimating Lao Deng's rest time, Lin Nanjiang went out to make a phone call and arranged a specific departure time. When he returned to the community, he chatted with the security guard for a while, and took Lao Deng's license plate number and asked him to let the car go if he saw it the next morning.

So the next morning, Liu Suqin and the others had almost finished packing, and Lin Quansheng came back from the balcony. "There's a taxi parked downstairs. It must be Old Deng's."

Lin Nanjiang immediately called out, "Suqin, take the child and wait in the car. We'll come down after we finish moving the things."

Liu Suqin followed the advice and went downstairs first, just in time to stop the driver who was about to go upstairs to help move things.

"Brother Deng, right? Please wait here for two minutes. Nanjiang and the others will be down soon. They can move all the luggage in one trip."

Unlike Liu Suqin, who had only heard Lin Nanjiang mention her a few times and didn't have much of an impression of Lao Deng himself, Lao Deng was deeply impressed by the proprietress, who didn't often appear in the store but was said to be very generous, beautiful, warm and patient with customers. He smiled brightly and said, "Boss, long time no see. You can take the child to the front first. It's more spacious and the child won't be easily carsick."

Liu Suqin thought that her daughter had been used to riding in big cars, small cars and baby strollers since she was a child. Once in the car, she would just grin and smile foolishly, so the probability of her getting carsick was low.

However, the passenger seat had a good view, which seemed to suit the little girl's taste, so she thanked Lao Deng for his kindness and got in first to sit in the passenger seat.

Old Deng helped the mother and daughter close the car door, then busied himself opening the trunk and helping Lin Nanjiang and the others put their luggage in.

With his skillful movements, the two snakeskin bags and the travel bag were successfully stuffed into the trunk. There was still one snakeskin bag left that could only be placed on the back seat. Together with the two tall and strong men Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng, the entire taxi was instantly crowded.

The two didn't expect that the scene would be like this when they took a taxi for the first time. It was crowded and cramped, and they were hesitant for a moment.

Old Deng was used to this scene. As he started the car, he cheerfully reassured the two people in the back seat, "Oh, who doesn't bring a lot of luggage home for the New Year? Yours is still good. At least the packages are clean. Unlike some people, they have a chicken in their left hand and a bag of fish and shrimp in their right hand. I don't even dare let them put them in the trunk."

Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng felt much more at ease. Lin Nanjiang said with a smile, "If it weren't for Brother Deng, we wouldn't know how we would carry all this luggage to the station."

"Boss Lin is so rich, calling a car is just a matter of waving. I should be thanking you for taking care of my business."

While the adults were giving each other a business blowjob, little Fangfang was already excited. Looking at the scenery outside the glass window that was constantly changing and receding, she not only stretched her neck, but also knew that she could see higher and farther by standing on her mother's legs.

Such a clever and lively appearance made the rough man, Old Brother Deng, very surprised. He would turn his head and look at her from time to time, "Boss, your child is well raised. Look at this little nose, little mouth and smart big eyes. He looks so kind..."

Liu Suqin was really worried that the driver was so engrossed in looking after his baby that he even neglected the steering wheel, so she quickly interrupted him, "How old is your child?"

"Those two brats will be taking the high school entrance exam next year. I wonder if they can get into a good high school." Old Deng's attention was indeed diverted. He stared straight ahead, concentrating on driving, his mouth still chattering. "Speaking of this, I can't figure it out. Back home, I said if they could get into technical secondary school, I'd go back and throw a three-day banquet to celebrate. But now in Shenzhen, I didn't expect that those students with good grades are taking the high school entrance exam and going to college. The teachers also encourage everyone to apply to key high schools..."

As soon as the topic turned to children, Lin Nanjiang, who was sitting in the back, couldn't sit still anymore. He leaned on the passenger seat and joined the conversation in a physical sense. "My wife also said that going to university is better than going to a technical secondary school, and that learning never ends. If the child is willing, he can go to graduate school, get a doctorate, or something like that after graduating from university..."

"You're so lucky. Your wife is so beautiful and far-sighted. She planned everything for our children long ago. We moved to Shenzhen when they were in junior high school, and our two kids had trouble keeping up at first. I heard there were university students working part-time on weekends who could tutor kids, so I found one and started tutoring them in some foreign language. They charge by the hour, which is ridiculous. But luckily, their grades have improved a lot."

Although Lin Quansheng didn't have any children, he gradually leaned over and exclaimed, "You're making money while you're still in college?"

"That's right. Those college students who come out to be tutors can earn three to five hundred yuan a month by just scheduling a few more classes on weekends, which is already better than working part-time."

When talking about the employment prospects of college students, the three men were talking with great enthusiasm. Liu Suqin, who initiated this topic, couldn't find a place to interrupt. Seeing that they were about to reach the train station, she took the opportunity to ask about the driver's license test.

While helping them move their luggage from the trunk, Lao Deng told Liu Suqin that he had an acquaintance and fellow villager who taught driving at a driving school. He could help connect them if needed. "You don't understand this business, so you might not know how complicated it is. The fees are all over the place. Having an instructor you know would at least make it easier for you to practice driving."

Liu Suqin has also heard of many examples in the early years of students being extorted by their instructors when taking driving tests. Just like Lao Deng said, actual driving practice depends on the instructor's mood. In some places, students cannot even touch the steering wheel if they don't pay.

She was naturally happy that Lao Deng could introduce her to a familiar coach and thanked him repeatedly.

Old Deng waved his hand nonchalantly, "It's just a small matter. Just let me know when you need me. Go get ready to cross the station first."

Lin Nanjiang quickly took out his wallet to pay the bill, and said goodbye to Lao Deng in a friendly manner. He turned around and was about to ask his wife why she wanted to get a driver's license for no reason, but he didn't expect to see the crowded square in front of the station. In an instant, his eyes went dark and he couldn't remember anything.

In the end, it was Liu Suqin who took care of the three of them, leading them in an orderly manner to queue up for ticket checking, enter the station to wait for the train, until they successfully boarded the train and found their own beds in the carriage.

The crowding and noise were mainly on the hard seat side. Although the sleeper berths were basically full, there were only dozens of beds in a carriage and the ticket checking was stricter. Few people boarded the train without paying. Therefore, as soon as a few people stepped into the hard sleeper carriage, the surroundings became much quieter.

Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng mechanically followed Liu Suqin's movements, finding their own beds and settling their luggage. As their ears quieted down, their foggy minds gradually cleared. Finally, they both sat down on the lower bunk and wiped their sweat. "Oh my god, I've never seen so many people in my life."

Lin Quansheng also sighed, "The whole queue was buzzing, and even my head was buzzing. If I hadn't followed Suqin, I probably wouldn't have realized I got on the wrong bus."

Liu Suqin seemed calm, but in fact she was also afraid. "I heard that the trains are less crowded these two days, so I asked someone to buy a ticket for today. I really don't know what it will be like during the peak of the Spring Festival travel rush. I definitely won't be able to squeeze into the train with a child."

Fortunately, she had foresight and booked a sleeper ticket for the return trip on the seventh day of the first lunar month. The large influx of migrant workers occurred after the Lantern Festival, and the situation on the seventh day of the first lunar month should be similar to what it is now.

Lin Nanjiang took a break, went to the bathroom to wash his face, and came back to take his daughter, who was looking around with wide eyes, from Liu Suqin's arms. "I took the child to look around. It was her first time on a train, and she wasn't scared by all the people. On the contrary, she was very curious."

Lin Quansheng was also curious. He stood up and said, "I'm going too."

Liu Suqin then warned, "The train should be leaving soon. Just walk around in the carriage and don't go down to the platform."

Lin Nanjiang and his friends were gone for half an hour. Liu Suqin had already spread out a small blanket for her daughter, and placed the lamb doll that she always slept in. She had also packed up the milk powder, bottles, and diapers, and even got some hot water, ready to feed her daughter at any time. But he didn't come back until half a day later, and both father and daughter still had some unsatisfied looks on their faces.

Liu Suqin: "Finally you're back. I thought you forgot about the carriage and the bed, and I almost asked the attendant to help find you."

Lin Quansheng subconsciously touched his pocket and said, "How could that be? Even if I forgot which carriage I was in, the information is on the ticket."

Lin Nanjiang sat down next to her, holding his daughter in his arms. He looked curious and asked, "How do we ask the train attendants for help? Isn't it just one train car at a time?"

Liu Suqin pointed to the radio overhead and said, "People can make announcements and remind the lost people to reunite at the designated location."

"Radio has this function?" Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng were puzzled.

Then the two of them talked to each other, telling Liu Suqin everything, including which carriages they had been to and what excitement they had seen.

"We also found a dining car, which is the train's cafeteria. They serve three meals a day, but we'll only be on the train for about ten hours and we brought our own food and instant noodles, so we probably won't need the dining car."

"By the way, there's a little boy in the next carriage next to us. He's two years older than Fangfang. They were just playing together. The little boy fed Fangfang some milk tablets. His mother said she'd bring him to our carriage to see his sister later."

Liu Suqin wiped the little guy's candy-stained mouth with a wet wipe and said affectionately, "You really have people feeding you wherever you go."

Lin Nanjiang smiled proudly, "It shows that our daughter is loved by everyone."

Children who don't cry or make a fuss while riding on the bus are really endearing. People playing cards around them subconsciously lower their voices, and those who smoke try to walk as far away as possible, or go directly to the connection between carriages to smoke and then come back.

It is impossible to completely avoid smoking, and the train conductor doesn't care about this. Liu Suqin and the other two can only take turns holding the little one to a ventilated place to get some fresh air. Every time they arrive at a station, they will take her to the platform to relax.

The security at the train station platform was not strict at that time, and there were all kinds of boxed lunches and snacks, comparable to a small vegetable market. Their actions made Xiao Fangfang, who loved to watch the fun, very happy.

Except for the two-hour nap, the little one has been paying attention to the radio with her ears perked up all day long. She doesn’t understand much of the content, but she has cleverly discovered that as long as the radio sounds, they will stop wandering around, and then her parents and uncle will take turns taking her outside to watch the fun, and occasionally buy delicious food. She loves going outside!

After repeating this process several times, the little guy immediately got the hang of it. When the announcement sounded, no matter if he was lying on his back on a small blanket chewing his toes or staying in mom or dad's arms drinking milk, the little guy would immediately put down what he was doing, start waving his little fists, stretching his neck, and reminding the adults with his own actions that it was time to take the baby outside for a walk.

Time after time, never tired of it.

It was their last time to get some fresh air and it was also their arrival point. This time, without the need for the little one to remind them, Liu Suqin and the others had already started to move. Some packed their things, some held their babies, and then lined up at the door to get off the bus.

While waiting for the train to stabilize, little Fangfang lay on her mother's shoulder. Seeing her father and uncle carrying luggage behind them, she tilted her head cutely, with a look of confusion in her big eyes, but she didn't care the next second.

Dad and uncle are all with the baby, and the baby is happy.

The little one was so comfortable that she started sucking her fingers. Her mother gently patted her hands away, but it did not affect her good mood. She continued to swing her little feet and stayed in her mother's arms. They followed the crowd out of the platform, climbed the stairs, and came to the train hall. The little one only realized belatedly that she could not see the big truck, and began to struggle in her mother's arms, babbling to remind them that they had taken the wrong way.

Liu Suqin gently stroked her back and soothed her, "Baby, we've arrived at our stop. We'll be able to go home soon and see your grandparents, brothers and sisters. Are you happy?"

I don’t know if it was because she felt comfortable being touched or because she understood the word “go home”, but Xiao Fangfang quickly and obediently lay back on her mother’s shoulder and continued to curiously observe the different scenery around her.

Then her careless father and uncle started to make trouble.

Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng have been living in Shenzhen, a city with warm weather all year round, for two years and have completely forgotten the lethality of the cold winter in their hometown. When Liu Suqin was changing her daughter into a sweater and a down jacket in the car, she reminded them that it would be better for them to wear autumn clothes as well. The two men said confidently that they were big men with strong sexual energy and were not afraid of the cold.

Now that they had walked out of the hall and were standing under the eaves, the damp and cold night wind blew on them. Not only did they immediately wake up, they also became obedient, and tremblingly asked Liu Suqin for help.

Liu Suqin had seen enough of their huddled, dazed expressions before mercifully reminding them, "That green snakeskin bag contains the down jackets I bought for you..."

Before she could finish her words, Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng had already found the corresponding snakeskin bags and hurriedly pulled out two long down jackets. Without even having time to look at the styles and sizes, they each took one and hurriedly put it on.

As the temperature returned, the two seemed to have regained their confidence in returning home in glory. They walked past her with firm steps to lead the way. "Wife, follow closely behind. Don't get separated. I'll find a van to take us back to the village."

Liu Suqin's mouth twitched, but she still cooperated and gave up the home court.

Forget it, it’s New Year’s Day, give him some face.

She hugged her daughter tightly and followed silently behind, watching Lin Nanjiang find a brand new van and wave his hand to charter a car.

The driver and boss looked delighted. "Boss, the price for you three adults renting a car is the same as if you were to share a car with ten people. Are you sure you want to rent a car?"

Ten people is the minimum number; the most passengers his car has ever carried is thirteen.

However, he had just returned to the station after dropping off the previous group of passengers when he met this family. Their destination was not far away, they were all in the same village, and they didn't have to take a detour. If they set off immediately, he could still come back after dropping off everyone and take another trip, so it was not a loss to charge the price for only ten people.

Lin Nanjiang didn't let him down. After hearing the price, he nodded readily and said, "Okay, let's hire a car and leave now. We have a child with us and want to get home and settle him down as soon as possible."