I leaned against the window and looked out. There were many uncles and aunties pushing carts on the platform, selling delicious food, snacks, chicken legs, duck legs, corn cobs cooked in pots, and all kinds of beautiful handmade products...
"Keep your voice down."
"oh!"
Qiao An suddenly woke up, quickly covered his mouth, his eyes rolling around, and he pulled the bed to see if the uncle next door was disturbed by him.
"Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, I'm hungry. Mom, I brought some cakes." After saying that, he slid off the bed and started looking for his little schoolbag.
"Let's not eat cakes, let's eat." Qiao Lu pulled the person back.
"Where is Fanfan?" Qiao An scratched his face in confusion.
"We'll buy more when Auntie comes over with the cart."
"When will Auntie come over?"
This question is not easy to answer. Qiao Lu threw the pot to Xu Haizhou: "Ask Dad."
Xu Haizhou, who was admiring the beautiful scenery by the window, was suddenly asked. In the expectant eyes of the mother and son, he smiled and said, "The last time I came here was ten minutes ago. It takes about two minutes to walk through a section of the workshop. There are about eighteen sections. It will probably take another half an hour."
Qiao An tilted his head and patted his flat belly: "How long is half an hour? I'm hungry now."
"Hey, little backpacker, take some food to cushion your anger." In the end, Qiao Lu had no choice but to throw the bag to him.
I opened the zipper excitedly, finally having a legitimate reason to eat snacks.
Lifting up a piece of biscuit: "Mom, do you want some?"
Qiao Lu: "I don't want to eat it, you eat it."
Qiao An: "Where's Dad?"
Xu Haizhou: "Dad doesn't want to eat either, so An An eats it."
Qiao An: "Okay then."
Crunch, crunch - after a few bites, the crisp sound echoed in the quiet car, making people feel very hungry.
"Are you thirsty?" Xu Haizhou shook the water bottle in his hand.
The boy nodded: "Thirst."
Xu Haizhou handed the water bottle over: "Drink it."
Patting the biscuit crumbs on his palm, he took it obediently: "Thank you, Dad."
The warm interaction between the father and son made the man in military uniform on the bed opposite laugh. He exclaimed, "This is the first time I've seen such a polite boy."
The man was sitting on the edge of the bed in a neat military uniform. His sitting posture had basically not changed since Qiao Lu and the other two got on the train. He had a long face, handsome features, and a sense of righteousness.
The couple looked at each other and smiled.
"Hello, comrade." said the man in military uniform.
"Hello."
"Where did you get on the bus?" asked the man in military uniform.
"Lian, what about you?" Qiao Lu replied.
"One stop earlier than you, Takiguchi City." The man smiled.
"Oh, then we are fellow countrymen too."
After a few words we started chatting and found out that the man was a veteran who had retired from the army in the south and returned to his hometown in the northeast because of an injury.
If you have a wife but no children at home and suddenly see a family of three, you can't help but look forward to having children in the future.
Half an hour later, the lunch box seller arrived at the carriage where Xu Haizhou was on time.
"Beer, drinks, instant noodles, peanuts, melon seeds, and eight-treasure porridge. Does anyone need a box lunch? Sir, please keep your legs together. Cigarettes, melon seeds, ham, and sausages. Children, please don't run around..."
When passing by the three people, Xu Haizhou stopped them.
"Hello comrade, how many kinds of lunch boxes are there here?"
The conductor stopped and looked at Xu Haizhou for a moment, then smiled and said, "Braised small yellow croaker, stir-fried peas with diced pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, shredded pork with green peppers, and the side dishes are all green vegetables."
Look, this dish sounds so rich. Even though it was only 1984, don’t underestimate the train lunch boxes at that time.
From the early days of liberation to the 1980s, train catering was the pinnacle of China's railway catering history!
In the planned economy era, tickets were indispensable for buying food and buying anything. You could buy food with tickets and the supply was limited. But it was different on the train. You could buy all the food on the train without food tickets. Most people who took the train were people with a certain level of economic strength, so not only were there skilled chefs, but there were also many special products that could not be bought outside.
"What to eat?"
Looking at the dazzling array of goods in the food truck, Qiao An thought for a moment: "Hmm... Dad, I want to eat peas."
"Okay, one with peas."
The conductor handed over the lunch box with a smile. It was an aluminum lunch box and had to be recycled after eating.
"Be careful not to burn your hands."
"Thank you, sister." Our Qiao An was not only polite but also sweet-spoken, and she managed to make the train attendant, who was in her late thirties or nearly forty, laugh.
"Do you two need anything else?" the train conductor asked Xu Haizhou.
"What do you want to eat?" Xu Haizhou turned his head and looked at Qiao Lu.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Well, spare ribs."
"Okay, one serving of ribs." Pass it over.
Finally, it was Xu Haizhou who said, "Give me a portion of braised yellow croaker."
"OK."
The box lunches on the train are a bit more expensive than dining at a state-owned hotel. One box contains two dishes, one meat and one vegetable. Although no tickets are required, three boxes of lunch cost RMB 2.80, which can be called a "huge amount of money".
"There is a dining car on the train. There are freshly cooked home-cooked meals. You can go to the dining car to eat if you need." Judging from their attire and behavior, as well as the berths behind them, it was clear that this family of three would not be short of money, so the conductor suggested this.
"Okay, thank you."
After the conductor left, Qiao Lu kicked Xu Haizhou's calf with her toes and said, "Hey, let's go to the dining car to eat next time. Let's eat something fresh and fresh."
Even with a toe, you can tell that the food truck is not affordable for ordinary people. And if it is newly built, it is probably a waste of money.
But Xu Haizhou responded without thinking: "Okay."
Qiao An was sandwiched between the two adults, taking a bite of her own rice, a bite of her mother's dish, and a bite of her father's dish, and she was having a lot of fun.
After eating and drinking, she nestled in Xu Haizhou's arms, leaning against the window, looking at the scenery outside the car window.
"Is it fun to take the train?" Qiao Lu stroked his chin and teased him.
"Well, that's interesting." The boy spoke softly.
"It means a little bit, a few things."
"It's just a little interesting, that's all." He compared his thumb and index finger and pinched out a small dot.
"It's interesting now, but it won't be interesting in two days."
"It's interesting. Mom and Dad are here, so why is it boring?" Blinking his eyes, Qiao An said excitedly, "Mom, tell me a story, it will be more interesting."
Qiao Lu laughed: "How can I tell you so many stories?"
As he was speaking, the train attendant came again, this time to collect the lunch boxes and provide boiled water to passengers in need.
"Boiled water, does anyone want some?"
An aluminum water bottle as big as a thermos, but because it's cold, the shell is wrapped in a thick cotton cover.
Enamel teacups are an indispensable item for veteran cadres when they travel far away these days. The white teacups are printed with slogans such as "Serve the People", which are full of the sense of age.
"Comrade, please give me some."
"OK."
"Comrade, there's me."
"OK."
Shaking the almost empty thermos cup in her hand, Qiao Lu handed it to Xu Haizhou: "Go get some water."
Xu Haizhou took it and was about to stand up when his son suddenly grabbed his arm and stopped him from leaving. Then the thermos cup in his hand was snatched away.
"I want water for Dad!"
He jumped off the bed and ran towards the train conductor.
In fact, the jogging speed was not that fast, but someone just happened to spill water on the ground, and my feet slipped, and I fell straight into the water bottle in the conductor's hand.
That's boiling water! Wouldn't it be disfigured if you fell into it?!
In a flash, the couple's hearts jumped to their throats and they hurried over, but it was too late...
"ah--"
The shocking scene did not come. Instead, the man in military uniform nimbly grabbed Qiao An's collar, and out of inertia, he spun around in the air before landing steadily.
When I stopped, I was completely confused, staggering and unable to stand steadily.
The couple rushed over, hugged their son and checked him: "How is he? Are you okay?"
Qiao An was so frightened that she dared not move. The train attendant was also stunned. She was almost hit by the little guy, and some boiling water spilled out. Fortunately, she had a stable chassis and quickly stepped back.
Yishui'er's eyes fell on Qiao An.
Panic, helplessness, fear... tears welled up in my eyes.
"Mom, Mom...woo woo..."
"An An, didn't you tell me not to run around in the carriage? What if you get scalded by the boiling water?" Qiao Lu was so anxious that she was sweating all over and her heart was in her throat.
"I'm sorry, Mom." Qiao An was also confused. He obviously didn't run very fast, but his feet were so slippery that he fell down. He was scared to death...
With a crying voice, he hugged Qiao Lu tightly: "Mom, I didn't mean it. An An is a careless mom..."
I felt a little scared when I thought about it, and I was even more afraid that my mom and dad would blame him.
"Don't do that next time, understand? It's very dangerous. Pouring boiling water on your face will cause blisters and ruin your appearance, and make you ugly, understand?"
"Well, Mom, don't scold me. I understand. An An won't dare to do that anymore..."
Sigh: "I'm not scolding you, I'm just asking you to pay attention."
"Well, I'll pay attention. I'll pay attention..."
She cried with tears and snot, and was so sad.
Xu Haizhou was still a little frightened and thanked the man in military uniform with great gratitude.
Retracting his gaze from Qiao An's face, the man in military uniform waved his hand generously: "You're welcome. It's my duty."
After an accident, Qiao An no longer dared to make a fuss in the carriage. She stayed quietly in her mother's arms, not saying a word.
The view outside the window gradually became unclear. It was getting dark, and night was falling. The wilderness was completely dark. I could only rely on the crescent moon hanging in the night sky to vaguely see the mountains and trees outside the window.
At about 7:30, the man in military uniform finally took out a big cake and started to eat it.
…
Because she was frightened, Qiao An slept in the lower bunk with Qiao Lu at night.
Fortunately, I didn't have a nightmare at night and slept soundly. I woke up at dawn, without making any noise or making any noise. I just leaned quietly in Qiao Lu's arms and looked at the scenery outside the window.
It was not until Xu Haizhou got out of bed and went to the toilet that she stretched out her two little hands and asked him to hold her.
Xu Haizhou bent down and took his son out of Qiao Lu's arms. Qiao Lu was startled awake from her sleep, but when she saw Xu Haizhou, she went back to sleep with peace of mind.
I slept until ten o'clock and simply waited until eleven o'clock to have breakfast and lunch together.
At noon, the family of three went to the dining car.
Train restaurants are still very high-end these days. The food variety is richer than the boxed lunches on the carts. There is a menu to order dishes, and there are many high-end dishes, such as fish maw in chessboard, osmanthus shreds, geese chicken, fairy duck, four-happiness meatballs, etc., and the chefs hired are all master chefs who used to work in high-end hotels.
"It's really good, but the price is not good." Qiao Lu complained quietly while flipping through the menu.
Glancing at his young wife, Xu Haizhou put his hand on her shoulder, put his hand close to her ear, and smiled, "Order whatever you want. We have enough money."
The money they earned in the past two years was more than enough for them and their son to spend, and eating well was the top priority when they were away from home.
Of course Qiao Lu wouldn't complain about the price. She knew her family's financial situation very well. She just sighed a little.
Looking at the passengers dining here, they are either veteran cadres or military personnel, and even foreign friends. No wonder they have such a rich menu...
In the end, they ordered one meat and one vegetable, and let Qiao An order a dish he liked. Three plates were just enough for the family of three. Xu Haizhou took the menu and added a plate of braised pork.
Qiao Lu was stunned: "Can you finish it?"
The portion is quite substantial!
"Bring one copy to the comrade sleeping opposite us," Xu Haizhou explained.
After hearing this, Qiao Lu remembered that the other person had saved An An yesterday, but she hadn't had the chance to thank him yet.
"You are still careful."
After finishing the meal, Qiaoan licked his lips with a full stomach and asked, "Mom, shall we eat here again next time?"
"Do you like it? If you like, ask your dad to bring you here. He is the head and housekeeper of our family." She glanced at him teasingly.
Xu Haizhou laughed, stroked her hair, and leaned back in his chair comfortably: "Ask mom, she's the one who manages the money."
Qiao An scratched his face, confused. Who should he ask? One is a housekeeper, the other is the one who manages the finances... They both seem very powerful.
After struggling for a long time, I was dragged out of the restaurant without figuring it out.
On the way, they had to pass through a hard seat carriage. The little guy was held in Xu Haizhou's arms, his eyes rolling around, looking around.
The carriage was packed with people. A booth that could seat three people was crammed with four, five or six people... Some children were even held by their parents and sat on the small table. Some children slept on their parents' shoulders. They had no beds.
"Mom, that carriage is so crowded. Are they going to sit here for many, many days?" Qiao An asked gloomily after leaving the oppressive hard seat.
The environment can infect people's emotions. A good environment creates a peaceful state of mind, while a noisy and chaotic environment makes people unconsciously fall into depression.
"Yes." Qiao Lu walked in front to lead the way, paying attention to the numbers written on the carriages to avoid going too far.
The little face rubbed Xu Haizhou's shoulder, turned around and looked, whispering: "There is no bed here, how do they sleep?"
"Sleep sitting up," said Qiao Lu.
"Won't that be tiring?" Qiao An asked.
Qiao Lu: "Yes, but there is no way, not everyone can sleep in a berth."
Joan: “Why?”
Qiao Lu: "Sleeper tickets are very expensive."
The child was silent for a moment, then looked at Xu Haizhou's face. The father and son looked at each other, and Xu Haizhou laughed out loud: "Look at what I'm doing."
Qiao An tried his best to get close to his father, and said in a low voice: "Fortunately, Mom and Dad are rich. When I grow up, I will make money and let you sleep in the bed."
Only if you make money can you sleep in a berth and not let your baby have to squeeze into a hard seat.
The couple looked at each other and smiled silently.
"Okay, Mom is looking forward to that day."
The braised pork was packed into an aluminum lunch box and handed to the man in military uniform on the opposite side of the shop. The man was very nervous and refused repeatedly until Xu Haizhou said that this was to thank him for helping Qiao An yesterday, and then he reluctantly accepted it.
"You only ordered this portion of meat and didn't buy anything else. I don't know if it's enough for you."
"That's enough, that's enough, what good meat..."
He still took out a large cake from the military cloth bag, but today it had a portion of braised pork on it. It was rich and fresh, and the pork was stewed until it was soft and melted in his mouth before he even took a bite.
The big pancake dipped in meat sauce is so delicious.
The man was reluctant to finish the meat at once, so he ate half of it, covered it with a box, and ate it again in the evening.
…
Although a berth is more comfortable than a hard sleeper, it is still boring to sit in it for three days and three nights.
Every time they arrived at a station, the couple would take Joan off the train and stroll on the platform. Although it was only a few minutes, he felt like he was alive again.
The journey from Li'an City to Ancheng is a full thousand kilometers. During the days trapped in the green train, everyone seemed to be isolated from the world. The berths were crowded enough, not to mention the hard seats which were like "hell on earth".
I am lucky to have a son, a husband, a sleeper, and money to eat freshly cooked food. These days are more comfortable than those of 99% of the people on the train. I should be content.
I have to once again admire Xu Haizhou's wise move in buying a sleeper bed ticket.
On the way, Xu Haizhou told Qiao Lu about his family and friends in detail, and also told his mother and daughter what fun places there were in the north, what delicious food there was that was not available in the south, and finally talked about his childhood...
The train rumbled northward, the temperature was getting lower and lower, and as the cold air pressed into the carriage, my body suddenly stopped shaking.
Looking up again, accompanied by a wisp of green smoke, Ancheng Station has finally arrived!
Most of the troops rushed to the carriage door eagerly, but Qiao Lu and her family of three were not in a hurry. They put safety first and waited until most of the people in front had left before carrying their luggage and getting out of the car hand in hand.
The air outside is so fresh, but the cold wind invades and I can't help shivering.
The wind was howling, and the cold air was drilling up along the train tracks and rushing into people's necks.
I took a deep breath and felt refreshed. I was almost suffocated by the wind.
Cold, cold, cold, cold - the cold in the north is a physical attack, so cold that the body can instantly turn into ice!
Besides the cold, what was more exciting was the novelty of the unfamiliar environment.
Joan opened his eyes wide and looked around curiously, standing in the train station and looking to both sides, as if he had discovered a new continent.
Everything in the north is very different from that in the south. Look at this vast expanse of white. After being used to the beauty of the south, it is hard to overwhelm yourself with the ruggedness and grandeur of the north.
The most obvious point is the difference in architectural style. In the south, where there is a lot of rain, most houses are built with pointed and sloping roofs to facilitate drainage. In the north, where the temperature is low and there is strong wind and sand, most houses are built with flat roofs to facilitate insulation.
Then there is the snow all over the sky, the whiteness that seems to have no end in sight, how breathtaking!
The two southerners instantly transformed into "country bumpkins" who had never seen the world and looked intently at everything around them.
Even if it snows in the south in winter, the snow only lasts for one day at most, and it is still a thin layer.
But in Ancheng, the snow falling from the sky is solid snow blocks, falling down in clumps, landing on the top of the head, shoulders, feet... It doesn't disappear all of a sudden like in the south. A piece of snow can maintain its shape for a long time. If you stand outside for a long time, you will gradually be buried in the snow and turned into a snowman.
No wonder the books teach about snowfall, that any piece of snow falling from the sky is as big as a goose feather!
Qiao Lu and her daughter were already very tired from the car ride, but after seeing this "spectacle", they no longer felt sleepy or tired, and walked past the snowdrifts in high spirits.
After walking for a while, we finally reached the exit and could get close to the snow pile that was as high as Qiao An's knees!
"Mom, I want to touch it." His neck was curled up due to the cold, but he still wanted to touch the snow.
It is said that Qiao Lu was also itching.
Smiling, she looked up at Xu Haizhou and winked at him: "Can I touch it?"
The beautiful almond-shaped eyes blinked, as if acting coquettishly like a little child.
Xu Haizhou laughed, took the luggage from her hand and put it on his shoulder: "If you want to touch it, touch it, but don't touch it for too long, or you'll catch a cold."
"Oh, Dad is so nice." Qiao Lu said jokingly.
"Dad is so nice!" The little guy happily went up to hug him, and then threw himself into the snow.
The mother and son made snowballs and had a lot of fun.
"An An, look, Mommy made a snowball bigger than your head."
"Mom, wait a minute. I'll make a snowball bigger than your head."
The snowball got bigger and bigger, until it became so big that I couldn't hold it and had to hold it in my arms.
Qiao Lu picked up the big snowball and gently placed it on her son's head. It immediately broke into pieces and fell down from the top of his head.
Joan was wearing a thick knitted scarf, so the falling snow did not penetrate into his neck, but only slid down the sides of his face.
After a moment of hesitation, he jumped up with joy: "Mom, squat down, I want to put on a snowball hat for you too!"
It is not normal for adults to play in the snow with children like this, but Qiaolu insisted on playing and she played very vigorously.
She squatted down and let the little guy gently place the snowball on her head, then watched the snowball break into pieces and scatter like stars in the sky.
The mother and son looked at each other, looking at the white snow residue on each other's faces, and couldn't stop laughing.
The two of them were making a fuss like this, laughing and giggling, and a husband/father was standing by and watching the mother and son having fun, with luggage all over his shoulders and arms, and a look of doting on his face and in his eyes.
Passersby looked hurried, and all of them stopped to take a look at this happy family of three.
After about five minutes, the mother and son finally had enough fun.
"It's so cold. I don't want to play anymore."
Qiao An imitated Qiao Lu and threw the snowball to the ground, and it scattered with a pop.
"My hands are cold too~" She laughed crisply, then took Qiao Lu's hand: "Mom's hands are cold too."
Qiao Lu curled her lips and said, "Let's shake hands. It will get warm in a while."
Xu Haizhou laughed out loud and shook the backpack on his shoulder: "An An, come to Daddy, put your hands in my pockets, it's warm."
"Okay~" She ran over in small steps and put her half-dry little hands into his cotton trouser pockets. It was really warm, like a stove.
Then he looked at his wife: "Qiao Lu, come here."
Qiao Lu walked over with a smile and stretched out her hand: "Hmm - it's comfortable. It's great to have a husband."
Then, the family of three walked out of the station step by step in such a strange posture.
Qiaoan was so happy that she skipped a few steps. Nothing made people happier than having their mother willing to play with them.
Outside the station, countless carts and tricycles were soliciting passengers in the cold wind. Xu Haizhou had no shortage of money, so he immediately chartered two tricycles, one for himself and his luggage, and one for Qiao Lu to sit on while holding her son.
It takes about half an hour to reach the tube-shaped building where Xu's father and mother live.
Qiao An looked around the street curiously, asking from time to time where this place was and what was done there. Xu Haizhou answered almost every question.
Ancheng is Xu Haizhou's world. No matter which corner it is, he can always tell its name. It can be seen that he was a naughty child and ran around everywhere.
After laughing, Qiao Lu began to worry. The closer she got to her destination, the more anxious she became.
I don't know what his parents look like, fierce or gentle? What's their temper like? Will they like her... I'm worried.
Accompanied by the howling cold wind, the tricycle slowly drove from the broad avenue into the alleys. The alleys twisted and turned, making Qiao Lu feel dizzy.
It was not until the tricycle drove out of the alley that the road widened again and a row of tube-shaped buildings appeared before our eyes.
We have arrived.
After getting off the car and paying the fare, the driver returned to the train station to pick up passengers and make money. What Qiao Lu was facing was a fear.
She took a deep breath and prepared herself mentally for a long time. Seeing this, Xu Haizhou put his arm around her with amusement.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The cold wind made the movements of my mouth seem so clumsy and stiff.
Qiao Lu forced a smile and looked at Qiao An: "An An, when you meet grandpa and grandma later, give them all the gifts we brought, okay?"
The young man stared with his clear eyes and asked in confusion: "Should I send you off?"
"Yes, to make a good impression on grandpa and grandma."
"My mother also gave it as a gift, and she will be impressed as well." He was afraid that his mother would not get any benefit.
Qiao Lu smiled and said nothing, then asked, "Who is the cashmere sweater for?"
Qiao An replied: "My grandpa and grandma's."
"Where's the watch?"
Qiao An: "For uncle."
"Where's the coat?"
Qiao An: "To... my aunt!"
"Yeah, that's all right."
"There is another skirt for my little sister," Qiao An said confidently.
"Mom will give you the skirt later." Qiao Lu said.
"Mom, do you want to make a good impression on little sister?" She tilted her head and asked in confusion.
"No, mom wants to introduce her to your aunt and find a topic to chat about." After thinking about it, the only person in the Xu family who can accept her the most is probably the eldest sister-in-law.
After all, they are all women who have married into the family. Why should women make things difficult for other women? That’s what Qiao Lu thought at least.
Walking along the tube-shaped building, Xu Haizhou finally stopped with his mother and son when they reached the entrance of the third staircase.
"Just go up, to the third floor."