While Li Chu and his group were getting ready to wash up and go to bed, a large crowd poured out of the exit of the Beijing Railway Station.

Because of the snow, the train, which was supposed to arrive at noon, was delayed by nearly ten hours. Those on the train suffered, and those who came to pick them up suffered even more.

Because there's no specific time for the delay, even the train station can't determine exactly how long it will be delayed. And since there aren't any convenient communication tools available now, the people who came to pick them up can only wait here indefinitely.

In this kind of weather, just waiting outside, wow, just thinking about it makes me feel so good.

After most of the people had come out and no one else was walking past, the staff at the exit were just about to close the iron gate when another figure appeared behind them.

The staff member looked impatient and was about to tell her to hurry up when he noticed that the person seemed to have a leg problem. She was carrying a snakeskin bag and was walking with a limp.

Seeing this, the staff member reluctantly shut her mouth. Because she had a leg injury and wasn't deliberately delaying, she still had that much patience.

After the figure came out, the iron gate behind her was closed. Hearing the noise behind her, she turned around, picked up the bag again, and walked towards the roadside outside the train station square.

Under the light, her face was revealed; it was none other than Qin Huairu, who was collecting scraps in the south to accompany her son.

She had to come back.

Last month, in late November, she went to the prison to see Bang Geng on the day of her visit, only to find out that her son had been transferred to the Northwest to serve his sentence the day after her visit.

Upon hearing this news, Qin Huairu was stunned.

Why did she travel all the way from Beijing to this unfamiliar place? Wasn't it just to be closer to Bang Geng? Now look what's happened, the Northwest! She doesn't even know where the Northwest is or how far away it is.

When she heard a policeman at the prison gate tell her that it was nearly 10,000 miles (over 4,000 kilometers) to the Northwest, she immediately sat down on the ground.

Moreover, the Northwest is just a general term; the area is vast, and the locals don't know exactly which prison her son will be assigned to after he goes there.

When the police officer heard that she came from Beijing, he told her to go back, saying that once she was settled there, she could write home and then she would know her address.

To be honest, Qin Huairu didn't believe it; she couldn't believe that her little stick would be sent to the far northwest.

So she didn't leave; she stayed and continued picking up trash, planning to go back and check on things again in a while.

In early December, she went to the prison again, and this time she finally gave up completely.

Because the letter sent from the prison was returned because the recipient could not be found, she saw the returned letter. Although she didn't know many words, she was still able to read the letter, albeit haltingly, and finally confirmed the truth.

There was no other way but for her to set off back to Beijing as soon as possible, because Bang Geng might write home at any time.

That's why we see this scene before us.

Reaching the roadside, Qin Huairu looked around, feeling somewhat lost. This was the place where she had lived for decades, but at this moment she didn't know where she should go.

She no longer had a home in this city. When she left, she sold everything she could, as if she had burned her bridges. Now that she's back, she doesn't even have a place to stay, and she can't even afford to stay in a hotel because she doesn't have a letter of introduction.

Go back to her parents' home? Her parents' home is near Beijing, that's one option, but even if she goes back now, she might not get there by tomorrow morning, and there's a good chance she'll be stopped halfway...

Standing by the roadside for a long time, the only thing she could think of was to go and seek refuge with her two daughters.

Picking up the bag at her feet, she braved the wind and snow and walked westward. Her legs, which had been limping when she came out, had miraculously healed in just a short while.

She didn't know that Xiao Dang and Huaihua lived in the backyard of the shop on Qianmen Street, so she could only go to Xu Damao's old restaurant.

By the time she got here, it was already past ten o'clock. There were almost no pedestrians on the road, except for one or two people who had left early for their night shifts because of the heavy snow.

When she arrived at Xu Damao's house, she hesitated, looking at the tightly closed gate and the dark courtyard.

She recalled that last month when Xu Damao and the others went to pick up He Yuzhu's ashes, all three of them came to her door, but she ignored them completely.

What if she comes to their door now and they treat her the same way?

She stood at the door for a long time until she couldn't stand the cold anymore, and then she gritted her teeth and knocked on the door twice.

Everyone inside was asleep by now, but her knocking woke Lou Xiao'e, who was a light sleeper.

"Da Mao, Da Mao..."

"Hmm? What's wrong?"

"Can you hear someone knocking at the door?"

"Knocking on the door? Are you sure you heard me right? There's a doorbell, who would knock on the door?"

"No, no, I just heard someone knocking on the door."

No sooner had he finished speaking than there were several more knocks on the door.

When Xu Damao heard this, he sat up in surprise.

"Huh? There really is someone outside. Who could it be so late?"

"I don't know, why don't you go and check?"

"Okay, you lie down, I'll get dressed and go take a look."

After putting on his cotton-padded trousers and overcoat, just as he was about to go out, Lou Xiao'e leaned over and pointed to the side of the bed, saying, "Take the flashlight and that steel rod."

"Oh well."

And so, Xu Damao, holding a flashlight in one hand and a steel rod in the other, opened the door and went out.

Lou Xiao'e, who was lying in bed, thought for a moment and put on her cotton-padded jacket and trousers.

After Xu Damao went out, he didn't turn on the lights in the yard and quietly walked to the gate.

First, I peered through the crack in the door, but it was backlit, so I could only see a dark figure outside. I couldn't tell what it looked like or whether it was a man or a woman.

Honestly, I've been using Yeguo Reading to read and follow my favorite books lately. It has easy source switching, multiple reading voice options, and is compatible with both Android and Apple devices.

"Who's outside?" He had no choice but to ask.

"Da Mao, Xu Da Mao, it's me, Qin Huairu!"

"who?"

"I am Qin Huairu."

Xu Damao was almost dumbfounded; he wondered if he had misheard.

Otherwise, why would someone who should be in the south come knocking on his door in the middle of the night?

Who exactly are you?

"Da Mao, I am Qin Huairu, I just came back from Guangzhou."

Okay, now there's no escaping it.

"Who are you with?"

"It's just me. I'm really all alone outside."

"No, Qin Huairu, what are you doing here? Aren't you over there with your son?"

It was the middle of the night, and Xu Damao really didn't want to open the door casually; who knew what was going on outside?