Chapter 50 Chapter 50 Going home.

The train station on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year was indeed not very crowded. Following repeated requests from the staff, the passengers lined up in an orderly manner.

Qian Juxiang, carrying a bag on her back and her hands full of bags of all sizes, followed her daughter into the station and lined up. Looking at the long line ahead, she couldn't help but mutter, "Why is this train station different from what they described?"

The sound wasn't loud, but because they were so close, Liu Suqin still heard it. She turned around and asked, "What's the difference?"

Liu Suqin originally wanted her mother to stand in front so that if they accidentally got lost, she could pull them back in time.

But Qian Juxiang disagreed. Her son-in-law and his brother were carrying the most and heaviest luggage, and they couldn't hold them back from getting on the bus. They were already at the front of the line. If her daughter, holding the child, fell behind, what if someone rushed and bumped into her? Qian Juxiang insisted on standing behind them, personally helping her daughter and granddaughter block the crowd. She also needed to see her grandson board the bus safely before she could feel at ease.

Liu Suqin couldn't persuade her mother, so she had to let her get closer and closer, preferably close to her mother's back, so that when the team moved, her mother would not be swept away by the people behind.

Qian Juxiang listened to the advice. She leaned against her daughter's back and exchanged glances with Fangfang, who was slumped over her mother's shoulder. After confirming that the child's eyes were filled with curiosity and excitement, she quietly explained, "Don't we even have a train service in our county? This is my first time traveling so far, and I'm taking a train. I'm unsure, and I'm even more worried about making a fool of myself and embarrassing you and your son-in-law. So I asked around in the village for advice. Hongxing's mother told me that my eldest nephew has been traveling by train for the past two years. It just so happened that her family was visiting that day for New Year's greetings, so Hongxing's mother enthusiastically brought her nephew home to tell me about it herself."

Qian Juxiang swallowed hard, "The young man said that the few times he got on the train, the station was incredibly crowded, and there was no time to queue up. The people in front of him somehow didn't move, and the train was about to close and leave before their turn. He and his friend ended up climbing in through the window. This made me nervous for several days. I heard that the train windows are taller than people, and the young man, tall and strong, can climb in easily, but what if I can't climb in? Wouldn't I be unable to go to Shenzhen?"

Liu Suqin usually saw her mother cursing and lashing out, but she hadn't expected such a contrast. She couldn't help but burst out laughing, and before her mother could frown, she quickly comforted her, "They're talking about the Spring Festival travel rush. It's only going to be so crowded starting with the Lantern Festival. Today is only the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, so that kind of thing won't happen. Besides, we bought sleeper tickets, which are separated from the hard seat cars. Not many people get on that side, and the ticket inspection is strict. You won't even have a chance to climb in through the window."

Seeing her mother's tense expression relax a lot, Liu Suqin joked, "If it's like what you said, shouldn't I be the one who's most worried? I can't even climb into the car with the child in my arms."

Qian Juxiang looked at her "fragile" little body and curled her lips. "You still know what it is? I asked you to go home and give birth, but you refused and insisted on giving birth outside. Do you two young people know what confinement is? Look at your little arms and legs now, they can run away at the slightest breeze. This is the result of not taking confinement seriously! If you don't make up for it, in two months you won't even be able to hold the baby."

Liu Suqin: ...

Liu Suqin just wanted to ask her mother to stop using her magical powers, but she was also asking for trouble. She didn't remember that her mother's aesthetic taste was still stuck on plump, round and perky buttocks. Wouldn't her thin figure attract attention?

She was just like that in the bustling and noisy train station hall, unable to even raise her head because of what her own mother said.

But Liu Suqin's sacrifice was not in vain. When Qian Juxiang started scolding people, she was no longer so nervous and alert to the surrounding environment. She followed her smoothly all the way to the station, got on the train, found the carriage and bed, and began to put the luggage away quickly.

After everything was piled up in the appropriate place, Lin Quansheng said hello, "Aunt, sister-in-law, I'll go next door first. Come find me if you need anything."

Qian Juxiang asked someone to buy her ticket two days before departure and successfully got a sleeper ticket, but unfortunately she was not in the same carriage as them.

Lin Quansheng knew about this before he left, so he took the initiative to suggest exchanging beds so that the four of them could be together. Qian Juxiang would feel more at ease with her daughter and son-in-law.

No one refused Lin Quansheng's kindness. Qian Juxiang was particularly delighted and thanked him repeatedly. She then stood up and repeatedly reminded him, "Be careful over there, be careful. Leave your valuables with us. We are many and can help you keep an eye on them. If you feel thirsty or hungry, just come over. Auntie has brought enough food."

As he spoke, he swiftly stuffed a handful of peanuts and oranges into the other person's hands, and only stopped when both hands were full and could not hold any more.

Lin Quansheng thought that he didn't have any valuables. The only thing worth money on him was the clothes his brother and sister-in-law bought for him years ago.

The cash I brought with me before returning was not taken away all at once, but I asked him for some every now and then. I asked him for cigarettes and alcohol for entertaining guests, and red envelopes for relatives, children and the elderly. Now, all of it has been taken away from me.

The night before, they even wanted to take away his big gold chain, under the pretext of keeping it for him. They also said that they would help him get married if they found a beautiful and virtuous girl, and the gold chain would be just the right gift for him.

The last sentence frightened Lin Quansheng so much that he protected his neck with both hands.

He could laugh off minor quarrels, but if he let his family arrange his marriage on their own, then he would really be like what the Nanjiang couple said, never escaping from the Five Finger Mountain in this lifetime, and be prepared to be their slave for the rest of his life.

Lin Quansheng had never been so tough before. After much persuasion, he finally said, "The gold necklace is an employee benefit given by the boss's wife. If he gave it to anyone casually, the boss's wife would think that he did not respect them enough, and it would be bad to make things difficult for him and deduct his salary in the future." Only then did he successfully keep his beloved big gold chain.

This was his first victory in a struggle, but Lin Quansheng was not happy because he knew that his parents compromised not for him, but because they were worried that they had gone too far and would attract the attention of the Nanjiang couple, who had become bosses and were well-known in the village, and would lead the villagers to accuse and despise them.

Ultimately, it was all for their own face, otherwise they wouldn't have waited until the day before he left to take action.

In short, during this period of time when he was fighting wits and courage with his parents, Lin Quansheng saw through them for the first time: they were greedy, unruly, and had no bottom line. He had been too naive before, thinking that he could buy peace and quiet with a little money. Unfortunately, they were never satisfied, and it was a bottomless pit.

After waking up, Lin Quansheng did not sleep well in the second half of the night, always on guard against their counterattack. Then at dawn, he ran to Lin Nanjiang's house with a simple luggage. To put it nicely, he came early to help pack the luggage, but in fact, he could not stay in this house for a moment. He wished he could carry the locomotive and run away at night.

From the moment he stepped on the train back to Shenzhen, Lin Quansheng let out a deep breath. He felt as if he had escaped from death and that the world was vast and boundless from then on. When he thought about what had happened in the past few days, he only felt that it was absurd and funny. He could not remember any sadness at all.

At this moment, Qian Juxiang's instructions made him accidentally recall those farces. Lin Quansheng did not feel any pain in his heart. He smiled warmly and listened to the other party's earnest instructions patiently. It took him a long time to deal with the overly enthusiastic Qian Juxiang. Before turning around and leaving, he deliberately bumped his good brother's shoulder.

Lin Nanjiang glanced at him and said, "Why, are you satisfied only if I stand up and say farewell too?"

"I dare not trouble Mr. Lin." Lin Quansheng sighed and then leisurely returned to his own carriage.

Qian Juxiang was full of energy. As soon as she finished scolding Lin Quansheng, she immediately went back to her daughter and continued to chatter, "When does the train leave? Will we be able to arrive tomorrow morning?"

Liu Suqin had answered the same question eight hundred times, but she still patiently replied, "It's leaving soon. It won't leave tomorrow morning, it will arrive tonight."

"So if we're not staying overnight on the train, then buying a sleeper berth wouldn't be a waste? It's more than double the price."

Liu Suqin had to explain again that the sleeper car was spacious and quiet, and it was better to lie down than to sit for a ten-hour journey. Besides, even if they didn't sleep, the children would need a nap as well.

After hearing the last sentence, Qian Juxiang still looked a little disapproving, but she didn't dwell on the topic anymore. Instead, she asked, "What time can I get off tonight?"

"If we're not late, we'll be there around twelve o'clock."

Qian Juxiang exclaimed, "So late? It's already the dead of night. How are we going to get home?"

"As long as there's a train arriving, it's always busy no matter how late it is. Just go to the station and take a taxi home." Liu Suqin saw her mother open her mouth again and answered directly, "It's very fast to take a taxi home from the train station. It won't take more than 20 minutes at most."

"Is your house so close to the station?"

"It's still a bit far, but the city has wide, clean roads, and there are bright streetlights even at night. Cars drive faster than during the day, so we'll be home soon." Seeing that his wife was already overwhelmed by the questions, Lin Nanjiang took the initiative to take the conversation and stood up. "Leave Fangfang to me. The little one can't wait to stroll around the carriages. Do you want to go and look around too?"

Qian Juxiang was still thinking about what her daughter said about the train leaving soon, until they said that the train was running very steadily and it would not affect people walking around to watch or chatting with people in each carriage.

Especially the last sentence, which made Qian Juxiang abandon her daughter who was sitting motionless on the bed without hesitation. She stood up with a smile and said, "Okay, follow my granddaughter to go for a walk."

The "abandoned" Liu Suqin just felt relieved. Her mother was so talkative. At least she wouldn't be bored at home with Aunt Zhang in the future.

As for the fact that her mother still didn't know about Aunt Zhang's existence, she wasn't in a hurry. She could just wait until Aunt Zhang came back to work and then introduce them to each other. Since her mother was already here, she wouldn't turn around and leave. So the initiative was in her hands. Liu Suqin was very calm.

Lin Nanjiang accompanied his mother-in-law for nearly an hour before returning. Qian Juxiang's face was full of joy at having her gossip satisfied, and the little one in his arms had fallen asleep without him knowing when.

Her daughter had an amazingly good sleep quality. Once she fell asleep, she would not wake up no matter how much she tossed and turned. However, Liu Suqin subconsciously lowered her voice, took the solid little girl, took off her coat and trousers, and stuffed her into the bed covered with her special blanket. Lin Nanjiang and Qian Juxiang also cooperated by keeping silent, and soon they fell asleep on their respective beds.

The shaking and rocking of the train was actually very conducive to sleep. After a nap, they chatted and watched the bustling scenes of the train stopping at different platforms. It seemed as if it was dark in the blink of an eye, and the smell of various foods began to float in the carriage. Lin Quansheng also came over to have dinner with them.

Liu Suqin and her friends only brought some temporary fruits on the bus today, because they saw someone bought a box lunch on the bus last time and ate it with relish. This made Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng very curious about the box lunch on the bus. They discussed this topic for a long time. Seeing this, Liu Suqin said that they would not bring any food when they returned to Shenzhen, and would buy a box lunch once to know what it tasted like.

The two had been looking forward to this for a long time.

Unfortunately, plans cannot keep up with changes. Qian Juxiang was forgotten to be informed. Of course, it was more likely that she would not listen even if she was informed. She enthusiastically prepared food for everyone and even carried the cloth bags for lunch boxes herself. Lin Nanjiang offered to help carry the food several times, but his mother-in-law refused without mercy, for fear that he would be clumsy and ruin the food she had carefully prepared.

At this moment, Qian Juxiang started to take out lunch boxes as if presenting treasures, and placed them on the small table one by one. Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng sat obediently opposite her, and put on the posture of elementary school students looking forward to the meal. Liu Suqin found it funny and sad. She said she was going to the bathroom, but her mother rolled her eyes and she turned and walked away leisurely.

When they returned to the carriage, Liu Suqin was holding the lunch box that Lin Nanjiang and Lin Nanjiang had been waiting for for a long time. Ignoring Qian Juxiang's unfriendly look, she handed the lunch to Lin Nanjiang with a calm expression, "I asked for an extra pair of chopsticks, so you two can share it."

Lin Nanjiang was a little afraid to move, and whispered, "Suqin, Mom has prepared a table full of food."

Liu Suqin: "Oh, I didn't know she prepared such a rich meal. She was worried that you guys had big appetites and wouldn't be full, so she asked for a box lunch when she saw the food truck. I've already bought it, so you guys can eat it while it's hot."

Qian Juxiang: ...

Liu Suqin's words were half-truths, but one thing was clear: the lunch box was freshly cooked by the chef, hot and fresh, and the aroma was so tempting before she even opened the lid. The staff said their chef had just made his signature dish, Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables, and was enthusiastically recommending it to the passengers. She chose it without hesitation. The Braised Pork with Preserved Vegetables lunch box also came with Mapo Tofu and shredded cabbage, just the way she liked it.

In fact, Lin Quansheng couldn't sit still after smelling the fragrance. When he saw the proprietress personally standing in front to resist his mother's anger, he bravely took the lunch box, opened the lid, divided the chopsticks, and was ready to start eating at any time.

Lin Nanjiang took the first piece of meat and subconsciously brought it to Liu Suqin's mouth, muttering softly, "Why only buy one? Aren't you going to eat it yourself? Then you should try it too. This preserved vegetable braised pork smells delicious..."

Qian Juxiang was just about to explode when she saw her son-in-law's disgusting behavior, and her temper instantly died down. Once her emotions faded, they could never be regained. She could only mutter a few words indifferently, but Liu Suqin didn't care at all. Instead, she greeted, "Mom, sit down and eat, or do you want a box lunch too? Then I'll go buy another one..."

"I have two coins in my pocket that are burning with worry. I prepared so much food, but I still can't stop you from talking?"

Qian Juxiang's preparations were indeed very rich, with all kinds of meatballs, fried fruits, radish cakes, fried pancakes that were only eaten during the Chinese New Year, and she even made the glutinous rice balls that Liu Suqin had mentioned once.

The seemingly ordinary white rice ball is filled with homemade pickles, diced radish, diced bacon, salted duck eggs, and the indispensable homemade chopped pepper sauce. It has a rich taste, is spicy and appetizing, and the taste is not affected at all when it gets cold.

After eating one, Liu Suqin wanted to eat more, but unfortunately her stomach was not cooperating. In the end, she stuffed two more meatballs and a piece of radish cake, peeled an orange slice to relieve the greasiness, and then withdrew from the battle early.

Qian Juxiang usually does farm work and has a much bigger appetite than her. She ate two glutinous rice balls in one go, and the rest were eaten up by Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng. The lunch box they shared seemed to be just an appetizer. After eating it, they finished the remaining glutinous rice, and also ate a lot of fried meatballs and radish cakes.

Seeing that they really didn't waste anything, Qian Juxiang felt a little satisfied. She stopped chanting the spell, started to clear the table, and then took the lunch box to wash it.

Lin Quansheng was actually a little full, so he picked up the little one who was waving his arms and legs on the bed, trying to attract the adults' attention, and started teasing him, which helped him digest his food. Lin Nanjiang took the opportunity to move closer to Liu Suqin and whispered, "Wife, you are so brave to be so presumptuous in front of your mother-in-law. In fact, our mother prepared enough, so you won't be hungry even if you don't buy lunch boxes."

Liu Suqin raised her eyebrows and asked, "Is the lunch box not tasty?"

"It's delicious, but to avoid being scolded, you can choose not to eat it. We'll be home soon, and we won't be able to eat anything delicious we want."

"Have you ever thought that my mother couldn't even bear to eat a box lunch on the train, so would she watch us eat and drink lavishly at home every day?"

The relief on Lin Nanjiang's face disappeared in an instant. He had previously thought that only by asking his mother-in-law to take care of the child could he feel completely at ease. He didn't expect that this was actually a big Buddha. They would live under the same roof in the future. This was no joke.

"Then...what do you think we should do?" Lin Nanjiang asked humbly.

"There's nothing we can do. Our living habits are different, so we just have to adjust as quickly as possible. Don't think you can just endure it for a while. Can you really endure it forever?" Liu Suqin concluded. "In short, it will be the same as it was before. Let my mom say whatever she wants. There's no need to argue or persuade her. She'll get used to it sooner or later."

Lin Nanjiang reminded quietly, "Since it's a run-in, why don't you just ask my mother-in-law to adapt to our situation? Don't we have to do anything?"

Liu Suqin said confidently, "It is said that it is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go from luxury to frugality. We take her to eat delicious food instead of asking her to eat coarse food. Of course my mother has adapted to us."

Lin Nanjiang found his wife's words so reasonable that he couldn't refute them. After all, he didn't want to save trouble and affect his future quality of life.

In that case, of course I should follow my wife's footsteps.

Lin Nanjiang made a decision and stopped worrying about it. He got up and went to find his good brother to take the kids for a walk to help digest the food.

At around nine o'clock, the lights in the sleeper car began to be turned off for rest. The whole car was quiet. Liu Suqin and the others fell asleep unknowingly. They slept until twelve o'clock and were woken up by the conscientious attendant. They carried their luggage and got off the train sleepily. They successfully hailed a taxi and drove into the community.

The car windows were opened and the cold wind blew in. The few people who were still a little confused became more and more awake. Lin Nanjiang and Lin Quansheng began to introduce the scenery and road sections outside the car window to Qian Juxiang.

The closer she got to the residential complex, the straighter Qian Juxiang straightened her back. She stared out the window intently, trying to take in the environment near her daughter's home.

The night in the big city was as bright as day, rows of street lights were on as if they were free, the main road that everyone walked on was even cleaner than their own homes, and cars whizzed past from time to time. All these unprecedented shocks combined were not as great as the impact that the decoration and configuration of her daughter's house brought to her.

In fact, when Qian Juxiang saw the taxi driving into a residential area where there were people on guard, she realized that something was wrong.

Looking at the tall and imposing buildings in the community, I carefully followed my daughter and her family into the bright stairwell. They actually had light bulbs installed in their stairwell, and they were the kind of magical things that would light up by themselves when you shouted!

Everything she saw and heard along the way constantly overturned Qian Juxiang's three views, but poverty still limited her imagination. When she actually walked in and saw the scene inside the house, Qian Juxiang gasped in surprise, suspecting that what she saw was an illusion, or she was still dreaming on the train.

When they got home, everyone changed their shoes and went in, but Qian Juxiang stood stupidly at the door, unable to recover. Liu Suqin quickly handed her daughter, who had been sleeping all the way and was still asleep, to Lin Nanjiang and said, "Don't worry about the luggage for now. We can pack it slowly tomorrow. Husband, take Fangfang back to her room first and change her into pajamas before going to bed. Brother Quansheng, you should go back to bed early too."

After giving her a brief explanation, she returned to the door and personally took out a pair of new slippers and placed them at her mother's feet. "Mom, change your shoes first so I can take you to your room to rest."

"Oh, okay." Qian Juxiang came back to her senses. She only knew what her daughter said and did. Thousands of words were stuck in her throat and she couldn't utter them. Liu Suqin took her to Aunt Zhang's room first.

Aunt Zhang has to wait for her son to return to the company before she can come to work. During this period, Lin Quansheng should slowly move his luggage to his own home.

When they closed their business last year, he and Lin Nanjiang had already decided to resume business after the Lantern Festival after the New Year, so that their night snack stall in the urban village could successfully catch the new year's rush of people returning to the city.

Brother Quansheng is still very active in making money and will definitely complete the moving work before the opening. After he moves his things out, Liu Suqin can let her mother move to the more spacious and brighter second bedroom.

Of course, the guest bedroom where Aunt Zhang was currently staying also made Qian Juxiang stunned. It took her a long time to regain her voice. "Didn't you say you bought an old house? Why does it look so magnificent? Is this what a big boss's house is like?"

"The house is old, you can tell from the outside. But houses in Shenzhen are not cheap no matter how old they are. I spent tens of thousands of dollars on it. How can it be worth the price if it is not properly renovated?" Hearing her mother's gasp, Liu Suqin didn't give her a chance to continue asking questions and quickly interrupted, "Mom, come and take a look. This white panel at the head of the bed is also a light switch, just like the one at the door. Press it once and the light turns off. Press it again and the light turns on. Try it yourself."

Liu Suqin taught her mother how to turn on and off the lights, and showed her how to draw the curtains before going to bed. Then she opened the cabinet, took out the quilt and spread it out. "Sleep like this tonight. If the sun comes out tomorrow, you can dry the quilt again. I'll take you to the bathroom first."

"Oh, you built a toilet at home? Don't you need a urine bucket?"

"Separate toilets are popular in cities now. Besides urinating and defecating, they also have faucets and showers. You can shower and wash your face in the toilet." When Liu Suqin took her mother to the bathroom, Lin Quansheng had already finished a simple wash and went back to his room to sleep. She patiently explained and demonstrated each thing to Qian Juxiang, "Twist it and water will come out directly. Wash your hands, brush your teeth, and wash your face here. If you want hot water, turn the left turn and wait two minutes for hot water to come out. There's a toilet next to it. After using the toilet, press the flush tank. At the back is the shower..."

The mother and daughter seemed to have swapped identities. Qian Juxiang didn't show any of the cursing attitude she had before getting off the car. She just followed behind her daughter, nodding like a chicken pecking at rice, even more well-behaved and obedient than when she was a child.

It wasn't until she asked if she wanted to take a shower before going to bed that Qian Juxiang subconsciously replied, "Why take a shower so late? It's a waste of water. I'll just wash my face."

"Okay, then you go to bed early. If there's anything you don't understand, we can learn it slowly tomorrow." Liu Suqin accompanied her mother to wash her face, and then sent her back to the bedroom. After confirming that she had at least mastered closing the door and turning off the lights, she left and returned to her master bedroom.

Only the desk lamp was on in the room. Liu Suqin saw her daughter lying on her back in the crib, sound asleep, a corner of her floral pajamas peeking out from under the covers. Satisfied, she looked away and saw Lin Nanjiang coming out of the shower. "Wife, have you settled Mom down? I've got you a set of pajamas in the bathroom. Go in and wash up."

When Liu Suqin finished washing up and lay down in bed, it was already past one in the morning. However, she was not sleepy at the moment, so she told Lin Nanjiang, "If you get up early tomorrow, please call me too. My mother should be up very early."

Lin Nanjiang hugged her directly in his arms, "Don't worry, sleep well. If my mother-in-law can't sleep, I'll get up early and take her to the morning market. It's a good opportunity to buy some food. There's nothing to eat in the refrigerator except frozen food."

Liu Suqin thought this arrangement was good. Her mother was energetic, so she could take her to walk around the neighborhood more often so that she could get familiar with the environment sooner and she could be freed from the family sooner.