After packing up, Xia Ruzheng invited everyone she needed to invite. Some offered pleas to stay, others offered sincere blessings. Xia Ruzheng, following Wen Zhichao around, had come to know these people a lot, and had gained a good understanding of their personalities. Those who had made Wen Zhichao say goodbye were all his friends. As Wen Zhichao's wife, Xia Ruzheng had to be aware of this: future events like births and birthdays would require her to attend to favors.
After being busy for a few days, the couple prepared to set off.
"Aren't we helping our family with the autumn harvest?"
Wen Zhichao said, "We have no shortage of labor at home, so it doesn't matter whether we stay or not."
Xia Ruzheng thought about it. Wen Zhichao paid a lot of money as "tribute" to the two elders of the Wen family every year. Moreover, Wen Zhichao was a very direct person. He gave the money in front of all his brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews and nieces during the New Year's Eve dinner every year to shut everyone up.
This is also the confidence that gives Wen Zhichao the ability to act impulsively.
Getting to Guangzhou wasn't easy these days. First, you had to go to the county seat, take a bus to the city, and then take a train to Guangzhou.
At that time, trains had not yet been sped up. Unlike later generations, high-speed trains could reach Guangzhou in a few hours, and ordinary trains could reach Guangzhou in about an evening. It took a lot of time on the journey.
Wen Zhichao was also very casual: "Just bring a few clothes and jewelry and things like that. We don't pack a lot of bags, so we can buy whatever we need over there."
People going to Guangzhou these days are like the migrant workers of later generations (I disclaim any discrimination or disdain here; I believe migrant workers are one of the cornerstones of society). They carry a ton of bags, from bedding to pots, pans, and even chopsticks and spatulas. It's tiring, but it saves money. They avoid having to buy more every time they go, which is a waste of money.
Wen Zhichao was already very casual at this time. He simply asked his wife not to bring anything with her, and the two of them set off in a clean and refreshing manner. When others saw them, they probably thought they were leaders on a business trip!
Wen Zhichao took good care of Xia Ruzheng throughout the journey, both by car and train. Of course, as a man, it's not right not to take care of his wife. Xia Ruzheng was a bit picky, and she couldn't get used to the expensive and unpalatable food on the train. Wen Zhichao had already bought something rare at that time, like bread, to ease Xia Ruzheng's discomfort.
Wen Zhichao bought a sleeper berth, which wasn't easy to get these days; you needed connections and a letter of introduction. The service level in a sleeper car was much higher than in an ordinary car.
After the train speed was increased, it only took more than ten hours to get to Guangzhou, and people were reluctant to sit. However, these days, it takes more than a day to get to Guangzhou, and you may not be able to buy a seat ticket. If you don’t have a seat ticket, you have to sit in the aisle connecting the carriages. However, the luggage is only bigger and more than in later generations, not less, so the seat carriages are naturally crowded.
The reason trains are so slow these days isn't just because they're only running at 30 or 40 kilometers per hour, but more importantly, they stop at every small station, even a county-level one, for an hour or two. If they don't move for half a day, it's pretty frustrating.
Despite this, those who boarded were incredibly eager. Because the train wasn't air-conditioned and the windows were glass, not sealed, many people climbed in through them, as if afraid they wouldn't be able to get on. This Chinese mentality of rushing to be first is something we've always had.
Since the train windows were open, many people would naturally come to the windows of the stopped trains to hawk their wares. This was especially true in the sleeper cars, where those who could afford them were often wealthy or powerful, and therefore more generous. Xia Ruzheng felt bad watching this, but he didn't dare buy anything. The station wasn't as strictly managed as it would be in later times, and the crowds were even more mixed, with far more thieves and scammers. Xia Ruzheng couldn't bear to see the sallow, emaciated, or disheveled women and children hawking their wares by the windows, so he simply sat in the middle, leaving Wen Zhichao to deal with the people outside.
When he first got on the train, many people pointed at Wen Zhichao and talked about his white hair. His white hair was really eye-catching. Some elderly people's hair was not as white as his.
Wen Zhichao didn't care. When someone talked to him, he responded. Xia Ruzheng had seen how talkative Wen Zhichao was and finally understood why he was able to make such good friends.
After talking with Wen Zhichao more often, most people will forget his strange appearance and think that he is a man of experience and ability.
Looking at Wen Zhichao's wife again, I feel that this man must be no ordinary person, otherwise how could he have the ability to marry such a beautiful wife.
Someone boldly asked Wen Zhichao why he looked like this, since albinism isn't that common. Wen Zhichao honestly told them what the hospital said.
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