The next morning, Zhang Xin and Chen Yan arrived at the train station to pick them up.

The two looked at the timetable and waited for the train to arrive.

Zhang Xin rarely went home after joining the army. Later, Ge Qiuqin brought the children to the city, and he didn't return to the village for several years.

He was the most excited about his mother and sister's visit.

"In a little while, I'll treat my aunt and sister to a meal at a restaurant."

Chen Yan, holding Zhang Xin's arm, said that she wasn't afraid of being seen.

“No. I’ve already spoken with Ge Qiuqin. She’ll cook at home to welcome my mom.”

Upon hearing that Ge Qiuqin was cooking at home, Chen Yan became even more enthusiastic, determined to outdo her and leave her waiting alone at home.

"No way. I have to treat my aunt to her first meal. What good food can that old hag like you make? It's just everyday food. Your mother has come all this way to Yongning City, so she has to have a good meal for her first meal."

Zhang Xin was afraid that their relationship would be exposed, so he refused outright.

"No. Stop fooling around, listen to me, I need to take my mom home first."

Chen Yan lost her temper and started acting childish. She insisted on making Ge Qiuqin wait. What did a country girl know? So what if she bullied her?

"Zhang Xin, I won't. If you don't listen to me today, we're done, and I'll never see you again."

When Zhang Xin heard what Chen Yan said, he lost his temper. He was currently infatuated with her, how could he break up with her?

"Okay, okay, my little darling. I'll listen to you! By the way, my mom and sister are coming later, so we need to keep our distance and not let them notice. Just say you're my friend."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yan pouted, determined not to be so obedient.

The sound of a train whistle gradually approached from afar. The train pulled into the station, and a large crowd of people disembarked, carrying bags and suitcases.

Zhang Xin's younger sister pulled her mother out of the car and tiptoed to find Zhang Xin.

Zhang Xin's mother was called Erban Nu (Second Board Girl). In her time, her family was uneducated, and according to the local village dialect, the children were named in order. There were five girls in the family, and she was the second oldest, so she was called Erban Nu.

Ever since Zhang Xin's mother married her father, she has been subjected to her mother-in-law's disdain from the moment she entered the family. Because her family was poor, her mother-in-law disliked her even more. She couldn't even sit on the kang (a heated brick bed) to eat the cooked food; she could only wait until the whole family had finished eating and then eat the leftovers around the stove.

Her mother-in-law would hit her with her cane at the drop of a hat, and she didn't dare to utter a sound, just stood there and endured it.

Over time, the ugly daughter-in-law became the mother-in-law. After Ge Qiuqin entered the family, the mother-in-law intensified the suffering she had endured in her youth and placed it all on Ge Qiuqin. After her son joined the army, he became even more audacious and would beat or scold his wife at home.

She squinted her hooked eyes, had a round face, and a sharp and mean expression.

Zhang Xin's younger sister is named Zhang Lei. She stopped going to school after graduating from elementary school and spent her days idly at home. Spoiled by her parents, she became infatuated with an educated youth from the city a few years ago.

She was constantly trying to get close to him, and in the end, the two of them secretly did a lot of things they shouldn't have done. Their parents didn't know. This year, the educated youth returned to the city and lied to her that he had settled in and would come to pick her up, but he disappeared without a trace.

Have you seen your brother?

The woman on the second board urged Zhang Lei on.

"With so many people around, how could he possibly see? Mom, my brother hasn't forgotten, has he?"

Zhang Lei stood on tiptoe, looking around.

“Your brother has a good memory, he couldn’t possibly forget. He wrote to him a long time ago, he should know. Look for it again.”

Zhang Xin and Chen Yan were also looking around in the crowd.

"Hey, hey, look over there, isn't that your mom and your sister, the ones carrying luggage?"

Zhang Yan pointed forward.

Zhang Xin looked in the direction he was being pointed to.

“That’s not my mom and my sister. My mom is fatter than that person.”

"Those two, right? The fat one."

Zhang Xin looked over again.

"No, my mom is taller than that person."

"Yes, this must be it. Look over there."

Zhang Xin glanced at it and said.

"My dear aunt, please stop pointing randomly, or we really won't be able to find it later."

Zhang Xin wandered around in the crowd, looking everywhere, and finally he spotted Zhang Lei.

He waved, and Zhang Lei saw him in the crowd.

"Mom, my brother's over there! Let's go over there."

The two of them carried large and small bags as they walked out, and Zhang Xin ran against the crowd.

"Mom, I'm so glad to see you! How was your journey? Were you tired?"

The woman on the second board was so excited when she saw her son that tears welled up in her eyes.

"I'm not tired. Your sister and I have a seat, so we can rest for a while. My son looks thinner than before. Is it because your wife isn't taking good care of you?"

Zhang Xin picked up his luggage and said.

"Mom, let's talk about it when we get home. Zhang Lei, give your bag to your second brother, he'll help you carry it."

Zhang Lei was already overweight with dark skin, and she'd gotten even heavier these past few days. She was out of breath just carrying something, and since she had a heavy bag to carry, she was quite tired after carrying it the whole way.

Chen Yan ran up right behind him, grabbing Zhang Xin's clothes and saying:

"Hello, Auntie! Zhang Xin and I have been waiting for you at the station for ages!"

The second-hand woman thought the girl was really pretty; city girls are indeed good-looking. She was wearing a wool coat and leather shoes, and looked like a wealthy person.

"Zhang Xin, who is this young lady?"

Zhang Xin replied somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh, Mom, this is Chen Yan, a friend of mine from the newspaper. We happened to be working on a manuscript together yesterday, and she came to pick you up today."

When the second-floor woman saw the girl tugging at Zhang Xin's sleeve, their relationship seemed different. However, she was happy, thinking that her son was indeed outstanding, having such a beautiful young girl by his side, much better than that Ge Qiuqin.

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