The woman, still shaken, took the child back, her eyes red and brimming with tears: "Thank you, thank you."
The little boy, who was being held in the woman's arms, was awakened by the noise. He opened his round eyes and called out, "Mommy, Mommy, don't cry."
The little boy looked to be three or four years old, with a bit of baby fat on his face. He seemed to be well-behaved. He didn't cry when he was woken up, which showed how sensible he was.
"Mommy isn't crying. Zhuangzhuang, you can stand here by yourself for now. Mommy will give the seat back to this lady," the woman said, putting the little boy named Zhuangzhuang down.
The little boy immediately grabbed his mother's trouser leg somewhat nervously.
After the woman moved her luggage away, Xia Qingqing finally sat down in her seat.
"I'm sorry, I saw this seat was empty so I sat here for a while," the woman said carefully to Xia Qingqing.
She boarded the train yesterday afternoon, but unfortunately she couldn't get a seat, so she had to sit on the floor with her child.
After the people at the previous stop got off, she saw an empty seat here and quickly sat down to rest for a while.
Xia Qingqing said she didn't mind. This seat didn't belong to her before she got on the bus, so whether other women sat there or not was none of her business, as long as they didn't take her seat.
After apologizing, the woman didn't leave. She took out a coat from her bag, spread it on the ground, and let her son sit on the coat.
Xia Qingqing didn't pay attention, idly looking out the car window, and when she got tired, she closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Actually, she couldn't sleep at all, and the seat wasn't very comfortable. She tossed and turned in the seat, so she simply took out a book from her bag and started reading.
Suddenly she felt someone touch her arm. The woman who had been sitting on the floor next to her was looking at her expectantly.
"Comrade, could you watch my luggage for me? I need to take my child to the restroom."
She felt comfortable making this request because she noticed that Xia Qingqing was dressed well and that Xia Qingqing had helped catch her son when he was about to fall.
Xia Qingqing thought for a moment. This small favor wouldn't affect her, so she nodded and said, "Okay, go ahead."
"Thank you," the woman said with a smile, and walked away with her son.
About 10 minutes later, the woman returned with her child, holding a glass of water in her hand.
Having probably just been taught by his mother, the little boy Zhuangzhuang thanked Xia Qingqing in a childish voice, "Thank you, sister."
Seeing this, Xia Qingqing smiled and said, "You're welcome."
Perhaps finding Xia Qingqing easy to get along with, the woman actually started chatting with her. Xia Qingqing had nothing better to do, so she was happy to talk to someone to pass the time.
The woman said she was going to Beijing and asked Xia Qingqing where she was going. Xia Qingqing replied that she was going to Beijing to study.
"Are you also a student at Beijing University?" The woman, He Yulan, looked at Xia Qingqing with some surprise.
Xia Qingqing was puzzled by her sudden excitement and asked, "You're also from Jingbei University?"
“No, no,” He Yulan shook her head shyly, “but my man is from Beijing University, and we went to the school to find him.”
Xia Qingqing raised an eyebrow in surprise. Going to the school to look for someone right after summer vacation? Doesn't that person go home to see his wife and children during summer vacation?
As if she could see what Xia Qingqing was thinking, He Yulan forced a smile: "I haven't heard from the child's father for several months. I wrote to him but he didn't reply. I was worried that something might have happened to him at school, so I thought I'd go to the school to see him."
Perhaps she herself didn't believe what she was saying. Her voice grew softer and softer towards the end. If she was only worried about men, why would she bring such a young child to Beijing?
“He used to be very good to me and my child. He even promised to take me and my child to the city after I finished university,” He Yulan said with a hint of longing in her voice.
Xia Qingqing didn't know what to say after hearing this. Sometimes the truth is actually quite obvious, but there are always people who don't want to accept it.
The story of He Yulan and her husband is actually quite cliché; it's probably a typical story of educated youth abandoning their wives and children.
Her husband's name was Wang Wenxuan. He was an educated youth sent to the countryside. He was gentle and frail-looking, and looked like a scholar.
Having grown up in the countryside, He Yulan was used to seeing burly country men and preferred men with a gentle, scholarly air.
Originally, He Yulan, who was naturally introverted, only secretly liked Wang Wenxuan and never thought about having anything happen between them.
Unexpectedly, Wang Wenxuan took the initiative to chat with He Yulan in order to avoid labor, because she was the brigade leader's daughter.
After the two got married, Wang Wenxuan no longer had to do heavy farm work, and his father-in-law even arranged a scorekeeper job for him.
He Yulan was beautiful and gentle, and the two enjoyed two or three years of happy life together.
Later, when the college entrance examination was reinstated, Wang Wenxuan proposed to take the exam. He Yulan's father did not allow it, fearing that his son-in-law would never return. It was only after He Yulan pleaded with him that her father finally relented.
It turned out that Wang Wenxuan was not good at farm work, but he was indeed good at studying, which led him to be admitted to Beijing University.
Before leaving, the man made many promises to He Yulan and took away their meager savings. However, he was never heard from again.
He Yulan couldn't believe her husband would treat her like this. They had a son together, so she thought she would take her son to Beijing to find him, hoping that he would continue to live a good life with her for the sake of their son.
"You're going to Beijing alone with a child like this? Do you think your family agrees?" Xia Qingqing asked, frowning. Even if you're going to Beijing to find someone, shouldn't you at least have a man accompany you? A woman with a little child—are you afraid bad guys won't target them?
He Yulan smiled bitterly: "My dad doesn't agree with me going to see that person again. He said to just pretend that person is dead and that I came out secretly."
Xia Qingqing was speechless: "Then your family must be very anxious right now."
“I left them a letter before I left. I just wanted an answer. If Wenxuan really doesn’t care about us anymore, I will take the child back,” He Yulan said earnestly.
......
Two days later, the train finally arrived in Beijing.
Over the past two days, Xia Qingqing and He Yulan have looked after each other on the train, helping each other watch their luggage and so on. So when He Yulan asked Xia Qingqing to take her to Beijing North University, she didn't refuse, since it was on the way anyway.
It was Zhuangzhuang's first time riding a bus. He was very excited as He Yulan held him in her arms, waving his arms and shouting, "Mommy, big bus!"
He Yulan stared blankly at the street outside, and sighed softly, "I never expected Beijing to be so prosperous. No wonder," she didn't say what she meant by "no wonder."
Even if she didn't say it, Xia Qingqing understood what she was trying to say.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com