Chapter 46 1
Xin Tianyi sat on the green train, looking out the window.
Her legs were numb from sitting. There were three seats, Xin Tianyi sat by the window and Wang Fang sat in the middle.
Li Zhiye was leaning against the corridor, busy going back and forth.
Sometimes he went to get some hot water, sometimes he went to the dining car to buy food.
Most people on the train brought their own food. A young couple, or perhaps a married couple, sat across from Xin Tianyi and ate some cold steamed buns from their bags.
They didn't bring anything with them on the train, and had to rely on Li Zhiye to buy everything along the way.
The boxed lunches on the train were quite delicious. After Xin Tianyi finished three boxed lunches and two bowls of noodles, he finally arrived at his destination.
As soon as he got off the train, Xin Tianyi felt a different atmosphere.
The buildings here are different from those in my own home.
Here there are green tiles and white walls, while my own home has red doors and green windows.
"You must be tired. We'll be home soon." Li Zhiye kept saying as he followed Wang Fang. "It's just far. The train ride takes so long."
Li Zhiye was carrying two luggage bags, while Wang Fang was only carrying her handbag.
But he still said to Xin Tianyi through Wang Fang, "Give me your schoolbag. I'll carry it."
Xin Tianyi smiled at Li Zhiye and said, "No need, uncle. My bag is very light. I can carry it myself."
Li Zhiye also laughed and said, "Someone will pick us up as soon as we get out of the station. We'll be there soon once we get on the bus."
Li Zhiye asked everyone to walk towards the exit. When they walked out of the exit, they saw the clear blue sky.
Xin Tianyi lived here for three years.
I am very familiar with the train station.
Later, she was admitted to study at a university in the capital, and she walked back and forth through this train station.
Cross the small square and reach the asphalt road.
Looking into the distance, you can see rolling hills.
Li Zhiye searched hurriedly and finally saw his car.
His expression changed slightly. He asked Wang Fang and Xin Tianyi to wait for a moment and ran over with two large suitcases.
After a while, a boy jumped out of the car.
It was a blue pickup truck.
Li Yuan jumped down from the driver's seat and glanced at Xin Tianyi and Wang Fang with half-closed eyes.
He was not tall, and his appearance was not much like Li Zhiye. One could only say that they bore some resemblance.
He was wearing a sweatshirt of an indecipherable color, shorts, and slippers.
He also wore a pair of white gloves on his hands.
Li Zhiye looked Li Yuan up and down and said angrily, "Did you do this on purpose?"
Li Yuan lowered his head and took off the white gloves on his hands. "You didn't say you were bringing anyone back."
"Then tell me, how do you sit here?"
The pickup truck is single-row, with only a driver's cab and passenger seats.
Li Yuan didn't even raise his eyes: "If you ask me, who should I ask?"
"I'm telling you, behave yourself. They came from far away, don't bully them." Li Zhiye warned Li Yuan, "When you meet her later, call her aunt. The girl next to you is her daughter, so call her sister."
Li Yuan didn't answer.
Li Zhiye then shouted, "Did you hear that?"
"Auntie, sister! Right!" Li Yuan said while gritting his teeth.
Li Zhiye pointed his finger at him a few times in the air as if to warn him, then he breathed a sigh of relief, put on a smile, and walked towards Wang Fang.
Li Zhiye was a little embarrassed, his eyes dodging. He walked over to Wang Fang and said, "I'm so sorry, my son went out to deliver goods again. He didn't have time to go home to change cars, so he drove the truck here."
Wang Fang said, "It's okay."
Li Zhiye looked at Xin Tianyi again and said, "Let's go."
Three people walked over, Li Zhiye walked in front. He was very busy. He had to look back from time to time to observe the expressions of Wang Fang and Xin Tianyi, and then turn back to glare at Li Yuan, silently reminding: Call someone, call someone!
Li Yuan looked up at Wang Fang. Before he could speak, he heard Wang Fang say, "This is Li Yuan, right? We've met before. You took me to pick up some goods."
Li Yuan also remembered Wang Fang. Wang Fang bought goods from them and took them back to sell. Li Yuan had asked her to come twice.
Li Yuan nodded.
Li Zhiye was about to lose his temper and scold him for not calling anyone, but Wang Fang stopped him and said, "Go back quickly, it's very hot."
Li Zhiye had no choice but to give up. He took a look at the small truck and saw that it could only seat two people.
He was a little embarrassed and didn't know what to do when he saw Xin Tianyi carrying his schoolbag and climbing up on the rear wheel.
"Mom, I'll sit in the back. I'm a little carsick and I really can't sit in the back anymore."
Xin Tianyi had already climbed into the back of the truck.
This solved Li Zhiye’s big problem.
Li Zhiye was very happy. He quickly said to Li Yuan, "Hurry up and put the two bags up first. I'll drive."
Li Yuan didn't expect that he would be driven into the back of the truck instead of showing off his power to Wang Fang.
After Li Zhiye finished speaking, he opened the car door and let Wang Fang get in first.
Seeing this, Li Yuan could only throw his luggage bags into the carriage one by one, and then climbed up himself.
There is a long row of seats in the carriage. When there are many people, they usually sit here and lean against the cockpit.
Xin Tianyi was already seated at this moment. Li Yuan glanced at her but did not go over to sit down.
He found the farthest place and sat down.
But I forgot that it is summer now and the iron sheets in the truck bed have turned red from the sun.
He almost cried out when he sat like this.
I feel like my butt is about to be cooked.
But his face remained motionless.
Bear it.
What should I do at this time?
A sentence flashed through Xin Tianyi's mind. It seemed like some inspirational quote he had seen somewhere in his previous life. Xin Tianyi couldn't remember the exact words, but the meaning was that when others make a fool of themselves, one must look away and pretend not to see it.
Xin Tianyi pretended not to see it, even though she not only saw it, but also seemed to hear Li Yuan's inner cry.
She pretended nothing happened and looked at the mountains in the distance.
"Where we are is an endless plain." Xin Tianyi suddenly spoke.
Li Yuan paused slightly. He didn't expect Xin Tianyi to take the initiative to talk to him.
"We grow all wheat," Xin Tianyi said. "Most of us eat steamed buns or noodles."
Li Yuan still didn't speak.
It doesn’t matter, Xin Tianyi thought, just listen.
The car drove again and again, and Xin Tianyi would compare the differences between the two places based on what he saw.
Li Yuan listened all the way without saying a word.
Until the car stopped, Xin Tianyi looked at the familiar place.
This is a small farmyard. The yard is very large and there is a two-story building inside.
In the previous life, Xin Tianyi had also come here first. This was Li Zhiye's hometown. After staying there for a few days, Wang Fang met Li Zhiye's relatives, and then Li Zhiye took them to his house in the city.
Later, Wang Fang and Li Zhiye both retired and returned to this small courtyard.
Xin Tianyi still remembers Wang Fang telling her that, for some reason, she didn't want to live in the city anymore as she got older. She wanted to go back to her hometown, grow some vegetables in her yard, raise chickens and ducks, or something.
Xin Tianyi also told her at the time that this was the awakening of the Chinese bloodline.
"We're here." Li Zhiye and Wang Fang had already gotten out of the car. He stood beside the car and looked at Xin Tianyi, "Come down, Tianyi."
Xin Tianyi stood in the truck bed and looked down for a long time.
Finally she nodded, "Okay, Uncle."
Li Yuan jumped out of the car and took the luggage out of the car.
Li Zhiye asked Wang Fang to go in and rest first, while he went to the kitchen to cook.
Wang Fang said she was not hungry and wanted to take a shower and have a nap before eating.
Xin Tianyi was not hungry either, so Li Zhiye led the two of them into the room.
The house was very clean, as if no one had lived there for a long time, and there was an indescribable smell.
Li Zhiye opened all the windows and apologized to Wang Fang, saying, "No one has lived here for a long time, and the corners are a little moldy."
Wang Fang said it was okay, then pointed to the bedroom on the first floor and asked Li Zhiye, "I live here?"
Li Zhiye hurried over.
Wang Fang pushed open the door and found it was also empty inside.
"If you don't mind, you can stay here," said Li Zhiye.
Wang Fang immediately understood that this used to be the wedding room of Li Zhiye and his ex-wife.
"Then." Wang Fang looked back and saw Li Yuan standing at the door looking inside.
Wang Fang said, "I'll stay in the room next door."
Li Zhiye nodded: "It's all right. I've dried the bedding in the sun, so you can spread it out and sleep."
Li Zhiye said to Xin Tianyi, "I'll take you upstairs. There are rooms on the second floor. Is it okay for you to stay there?"
"Okay." Xin Tianyi nodded.
She followed Li Zhiye up, and he introduced her: "This is Li Yuan's room. This is yours. Oh, I forgot to tell you, my son's name is Li Yuan. He's twenty, older than you."
"Yeah." Xin Tianyi said.
"Why don't you go in and rest first? If you want to take a shower, this is the bathroom. Your room has a bathroom, so you don't have to go out to take a shower." Li Zhiye said.
Xin Tianyi nodded to Li Zhiye. She understood Li Zhiye's intentions and painstaking efforts. In order to make Wang Fang feel at ease, he really thought a lot about them.
"Okay, thank you uncle." Xin Tianyi said.
Li Zhiye closed the door and went downstairs.
Xin Tianyi went to wash up as if she was familiar with the place. This small room was still open to her like it was now, many years later, when she had no way to retreat.
After washing up, Xin Tianyi lay down on the bed and fell into a deep sleep.
When she woke up, her body was covered with mosquito bites.
Xin Tianyi walked downstairs, scratching the bag on his back. It was already dark.
I don’t know what time it was when Xin Tianyi went downstairs and saw the time on the big pendulum clock downstairs.
It's already eight o'clock in the evening.
She came down from upstairs without hearing a sound.
However, the frogs in the pond outside were croaking non-stop.
Xin Tianyi walked through the living room on the first floor and stood at the door looking out.
A man sat on a lounge chair outside, swaying back and forth.
Xin Tianyi pushed the door open and came out. Li Yuan, who was sitting on the recliner, still had his eyes closed.
Xin Tianyi was so hungry that she went straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen was located diagonally in the yard, and Xin Tianyi found it effortlessly.
When she came out of the kitchen with a bowl in her hand and walked into the yard to start eating, Li Yuan's surprised look slowly faded.
He didn't understand how this person found the kitchen so easily.
It was as if she had lived in this yard for thousands of years and did not feel the slightest bit of strangeness.
There was food left for her in the kitchen.
The staple food was rice, cooked in a large iron pot. A large hood covered the dining table, with stir-fried dishes underneath.
A dish of tomato and egg, a dish of vegetables, and a plate of sliced braised beef.
Xin Tianyi filled a bowl for himself, put the dishes into the bowl, and placed them directly on the rice.
Sitting on the small stone bench outside, Xin Tianyi began to eat.
"Have you got a meal yet?"
Xin Tianyi suddenly spoke, and Li Yuan knew he was asking him.
Half a day had passed and he still hadn't spoken. Li Yuan was afraid that Xin Tianyi thought he was a fool.
"I ate it." Li Yuan said.
"Are they still sleeping?" Xin Tianyi asked again, as if he didn't treat him as an outsider.
Li Yuan hummed.
Xin Tianyi did not forget to scratch his arms while eating. The mosquitoes in the south were really powerful. Some of Xin Tianyi's mosquitoes seemed to be dissatisfied. When he was bitten by mosquitoes at home, at most a small bump would be left. But here, it was such a big flat red bump, and it was extremely itchy.
But no matter how itchy he was, he had to eat. Xin Tianyi was really starving.
After dinner, Xin Tianyi washed the dishes and brought them back to the kitchen.
Li Yuan had no intention of sleeping and continued to rock back and forth in the recliner.
Xin Tianyi was very bored and could only say to Li Yuan, "Then I'll go upstairs to pack my things."
Li Yuan didn't answer and closed his eyes.
Xin Tianyi had slept for several hours and was no longer sleepy.
She came with a backpack and only a few changes of clothes. She had no intention of staying longer, and this trip was just to accompany Wang Fang to build up her courage. Once she got used to it, Xin Tianyi would go home.
The wardrobe in the room was empty. Xin Tianyi put all his clothes in it and took out a book from his schoolbag.
Fortunately, she was smart enough to bring a novel with her, otherwise these days would have been too boring.
The book was borrowed from Yuan Dabao's house. It is still a martial arts novel by Jin Yong. This time it is The Deer and the Cauldron.
This journey was bound to be difficult and dangerous, so Xin Tianyi found the book that was easiest to relax in.
She lay on the bed and started reading at random.
I don’t know how long I watched before there was a knock on the door.
Xin Tianyi closed the book and asked, "Who is it?"
"Me." Li Yuan's voice rang out.
Xin Tianyi walked over, opened the door, and Li Yuan was standing at the door.
He stretched out his hand, which contained a plate of mosquito coils and a bottle of cooling oil.
Xin Tianyi quickly took it and said, "Thank you. The mosquitoes here are too bad!"
As Xin Tianyi was speaking, Li Yuan had already left.
Xin Tianyi looked at the thing in his hand, remembered something, and quickly called out: "Li Yuan!"
Li Yuan stopped and turned to look at her.
Xin Tianyi waved the mosquito coil in his hand and said, "I don't have any matches."
*
Xin Tianyi accompanied Wang Fang to stay in Li Zhiye's hometown for a few days. During this period, Wang Fang and Li Zhiye hosted a banquet for relatives at home. They were busy for three days before they finally met all the men, women, and children in Liu Zhiye's family.
Wang Fang refused to hold a banquet, saying that she was in her forties and would be exhausted from holding a wedding, and it would just be for show.
She wanted to live the rest of her life freely. They skipped the wedding banquet and went to get a marriage certificate, becoming a family.
Li Zhiye always felt that he owed Wang Fang, so he started to clean up the house in the city early on. He used the most advanced home appliances and bought whatever was expensive. He wanted to spend all his money on Wang Fang.
Xin Tianyi watched from the side and knew that Li Zhiye was worthy of entrusting his life to. After another night, when he was having breakfast the next day, Xin Tianyi said that he wanted to go back.
Wang Fang was very surprised. Before she could say anything, Li Zhiye spoke up: "Going back so soon? Stay a few more days. The house in the city is being renovated. Once it's finished, stay there for a few days before leaving."
Xin Tianyi smiled and said, "I have to go back and prepare for school. I'll stay here next time I come."
"Why are you walking so fast?" Wang Fang was a little unhappy.
"You have a lot of things to do." Xin Tianyi said, "The house needs to be renovated, and it's not good for your uncle to run back and forth between the city and home so often. If you still want to continue your business, it's time to start preparing."
"These are all trivial matters." Wang Fang said.
"I have things to do when I get back," Xin Tianyi said. "I need to buy some things for the start of school. The school will be handing out quilt sizes and other things in the next few days, so I need to go prepare them."
"I have talked to your grandma about this, and she will prepare it for you," said Wang Fang.
"Then I want to go with grandma too." Xin Tianyi said, "I have to choose the pattern I like."
When the three people said this, Li Yuan, who was listening nearby, was the most surprised.
He heard Li Zhiye say that he would bring Wang Fang and Wang Fang's daughter back, but Li Zhiye did not tell him that Wang Fang's daughter would leave again.
Li Yuan thought that Xin Tianyi would stay there with Wang Fang.
Unexpectedly, she was just coming here for a visit and would have to go back.
"Do you have to go?" Wang Fang said to Xin Tianyi.
"Let's go. I can't help you here. And I'll be relieved if you adapt to life here." Xin Tianyi said with a smile.
Wang Fang tilted her head and sniffed, feeling a sour feeling for some reason. Upon hearing what Xin Tianyi said, she scolded him, "If someone didn't know, they would think you were my mother. You're so relieved."
Xin Tianyi said, "Uncle treats you so well, and this place is great too. Why should I worry? You can come home whenever you want. And my grandma has been having a cold all summer. She hasn't been feeling well."
Xin Tianyi knew that Xie Mei was not in good health, so he could only indirectly persuade Wang Fang to go home more often.
"When you have nothing to do, go home more often to visit grandma and grandpa." Xin Tianyi said.
"I know." Wang Fang said, "I haven't finished my business yet, so I must go back often."
"That's good."
Seeing that the situation was settled, Li Zhiye said, "You must insist on going. I'll take you home after dinner."
"Don't you and my mom have to go to a grandfather's place today?" Xin Tianyi said, "You don't have to send us off. Let Brother Li Yuan do it."
Li Yuan almost bit off his chopsticks and looked at Xin Tianyi in surprise.
Xin Tianyi looked at him and asked, "Is it okay?"
"Yes, please ask Li Yuan to send us off." Wang Fang said to Li Zhiye, "The better our relationship, the more likely they will prepare a table of food. It would be bad if we don't go."
Li Yuan could only nod, "Okay, I'll go and take it."
"Make sure to send Tianyi to the train, and then come back." Li Zhiye reminded again and again.
After dinner, Xin Tianyi went upstairs to get his backpack.
The things were packed last night and the backpack was placed on the bed.
Xin Tianyi put on her backpack and went downstairs. Wang Fang and Li Zhiye were standing shoulder to shoulder downstairs waiting for her.
For the first time, Xin Tianyi sincerely felt that these two people were so well-matched.
In her previous life, although she lived here with Wang Fang for several years, Xin Tianyi never accepted Li Zhiye from the bottom of her heart.
She just thought that it would be good to move out of her grandmother's house. No matter how Li Zhiye treated her, Xin Tianyi felt that he was hypocritical.
Moreover, she was thinking about Xin Ziqian in her heart, and was very resistant to Wang Fang's remarriage.
But in this life, Xin Tianyi accepted it calmly.
Not only did she accept it calmly, she also did it to make Wang Fang happy.
Xin Tianyi understood that no matter how good Xin Ziqian was to her and Wang Fang, he had passed away.
Wang Fang is only in her early forties and has a lot of life to live.
She deserves a good man to accompany her through the rest of her life.
Li Zhiye, on the other hand, was a man who was good at making money, honest, and very family-oriented. He was also very kind to Wang Fang.
Looking at the two people in front of him, Xin Tianyi finally understood what it felt like for a couple to stand side by side.
"I'm leaving." Xin Tianyi raised his eyebrows and said casually.
Wang Fang looked at Xin Tianyi, tilted her head slightly, and her eyes turned red.
Her newly permed hair rose and fell in large curls as her shoulders shook slightly.
"I've got my home phone number down," Xin Tianyi said. "Zhang Yang told me his house will soon be getting a telephone. I'll give you the number when the time comes, so you can call directly if you have any questions."
The words were spoken to Wang Fang, but Wang Fang didn't look at Xin Tianyi and still tilted her head.
She felt so sorry.
When Wang Fang agreed to marry Li Zhiye, her first request was to bring Xin Tianyi with her.
Li Zhiye naturally agreed and said that he would find a good school for Tianyi to study.
Although Wang Fang intended to let Xin Tianyi follow her to do business, she was also very happy to hear Li Zhiye say that.
But no matter how much Wang Fang planned, she never expected that Xin Tianyi would refuse to marry her.
By then, the matter was settled, and I couldn't bear to give up on Li Zhiye. I kept thinking that Xin Tianyi might change her mind. This time, I brought her back, and I didn't want her to go back. But I didn't expect that after just a few days, Tianyi would be gone.
Xin Tianyi is determined.
When Wang Fang saw her coming down from upstairs with a backpack on her back, she knew that she was really going to be separated from her daughter.
She already lost her father, and now, she lost her mother.
Wang Fang's tears rolled down like beads on a string, but she made no sound.
"Let Li Yuan take you there," Li Zhiye said. "I've got some food for you and packed it on the bus. Don't just eat what you've got; go buy some food from the dining car, or wait for them to push a cart selling boxed lunches. Be sure to pay attention to safety on the way, don't talk to anyone, and call the crew if you need anything."
Li Zhiye was muttering beside Xin Tianyi. He had already written a draft, but for a moment he forgot what else was in it and could only give instructions based on what he remembered.
"Call me when you get home."
Xin Tianyi looked at him and nodded, "I know."
Then I looked at Wang Fang again, and she was still tilting her head.
Xin Tianyi said, "I'm leaving now. Come back and visit grandma and grandpa when you have time. Don't let them worry. Call more often."
Wang Fang finally turned around, her eyes red and all the makeup she'd put on earlier was smudged. Tears were flowing down, and so was her foundation. Like two small rivers, they finally converged at her chin.
"I know." Wang Fang choked up and said. She held Xin Tianyi's hand and felt that her daughter was too thin.
During the high school entrance examination, Xin Tianyi lost several pounds of weight. There was no flesh on the back of his hands, and his fingers became long and thin.
"You look so thin. You need to eat more. How can you study if you're not in good health?" Wang Fang said. "Don't you still have to take the college entrance exam?"
"Yes, I want to take the college entrance examination." Xin Tianyi felt sad, but she knew that if she cried too, Wang Fang would completely collapse and might decide to go back with her immediately.
Wang Fang can do this.
Xin Tianyi had no choice but to leave quickly.
She quickly looked for Li Yuan in the room. Li Yuan seemed to know she was looking for him and said, "Let's go."
Xin Tianyi looked at Li Yuan and nodded vigorously: "Let's go!"
Li Zhiye dragged Wang Fang along behind him. Wang Fang felt her legs go limp. She couldn't move a step forward, so she leaned against the door and said to Li Zhiye, "You go and see her off."
Li Zhiye looked at Wang Fang, feeling distressed, "How about..."
Wang Fang shook her head, guessing what Li Zhiye might be about to say, and stopped him, saying, "Just go and see him off."
Li Zhiye could only follow alone.
Xin Tianyi followed Li Yuan to the gate, where the car was parked. She placed her backpack on the back seat, where a large bag was already placed. It must be what Li Zhiye had just said he would prepare for her.
Xin Tianyi didn't refuse. After all, this was a token of their love. Only if Xin Tianyi took it would they feel at ease.
After closing the rear door, Xin Tianyi opened the passenger door.
Only after she sat down did she look at Wang Fang.
Wang Fang was already leaning against the doorstep, crying her eyes out.
Xin Tianyi smiled at her and waved vigorously.
"Mom, live your life well. Call us if you have any problems."
Wang Fang nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face, and she could no longer see Xin Tianyi's face clearly.
"Are we leaving?" Li Yuan asked from the side.
"Let's go." Xin Tianyi said.
The moment the car started, Wang Fang ran out.
She ran crookedly and was grabbed by Li Zhiye around the waist.
Wang Fang cried out, "I want to leave too! I want to leave too! Wait for me!"
Li Yuan and Xin Tianyi both heard it.
Li Yuan secretly glanced at Xin Tianyi.
Xin Tianyi seemed not to hear it. His eyes moved from the rearview mirror to the mountains in the distance.
The two of them didn't speak again along the way.
When they arrived at the train station to buy tickets, Li Yuan carried his things and followed Xin Tianyi to the platform.
"Here." Li Yuan said to Xin Tianyi, "This carriage."
Xin Tianyi took the thing from Li Yuan's hand and looked at Li Yuan.
She didn't tell Li Yuan to leave, nor did she say anything, she just looked at him.
After a long while, Li Yuan finally said, "I thought you were going to stay."
Xin Tianyi smiled and said, "We have all lost our loved ones, so we understand better than anyone else what it feels like."
When Li Yuan heard this, his eyes turned red.
"She's my mother, the only relative I have in this world." Xin Tianyi looked at Li Yuan firmly. "She has many shortcomings, but she has a good heart. She's not bad at all. Can you be nice to her?"
Li Yuan raised his chin and looked towards the distant sky.
He tried hard to hold back his tears.
"Okay?" Xin Tianyi asked again.
Li Yuan nodded: "I understand."
Xin Tianyi finally breathed a sigh of relief and she took the initiative to stretch out her right hand.
"Well, brother, goodbye."
Li Yuan felt a little regretful. He was thinking about how to give them a warning when they met for the first time.
He deliberately drove the truck that couldn't accommodate anyone to pick them up.
He wanted to declare his sovereignty and claim that he was the master of this family.
Even though there was a new hostess, she brought a daughter with her.
Li Yuan didn't expect that Xin Tianyi was just here to see Wang Fang off, and when she saw that Wang Fang had adapted, she was about to leave.
She never thought of arguing with herself, and would not even stay for one more day.
Especially since Xin Tianyi just told him that they had lost their loved ones, so they should cherish them even more.
Li Yuan didn't know what his little thoughts had done to Xin Tianyi. But she didn't seem to care, she even called him brother.
Li Yuan regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself twice on the crowded platform.
Li Yuan's hands seemed very heavy and it was extremely difficult for him to lift them.
But the moment he held Xin Tianyi's right hand, he seemed no longer alone.
He has a younger sister.
…
When Xin Tianyi got off the train, his legs were weak.
Just like last time, I sat there for so long.
Li Zhiye prepared too much for her, so she only ate two boiled eggs and a piece of cake. Xin Tianyi took the rest down as it was.
She carried her backpack and stretched her legs on the platform before following the crowd out.
When he came out of the exit, Xin Tianyi saw several familiar figures.
Wang Yuxiu was standing in the middle of the train station square. Yuan Dabao climbed up the steps of the square's fountain.
Zhang Yang and Wei Ran widened their eyes and searched the crowd.
With so many people leaving the station, it’s not easy to find someone.
But Xin Tianyi could see them all the same.
Xin Tianyi took a few quick steps, and Yuan Dabao, who was standing the tallest, saw her.
"Grandpa, Zhang Yang, Wei Ran, look!" Yuan Dabao pointed in the direction where Xin Tianyi was coming, and then he jumped down from the stairs.
Wei Ran was the first to run to Xin Tianyi. "You're finally here! The train was late, wasn't it? We were so scared! We thought we couldn't pick you up."
Xin Tianyi said, "It seems like it's a little late."
"It's not just a moment!" Yuan Dabao also ran over, "Look at the time, it's already half an hour late!"
As Yuan Dabao spoke, he put his wrist in front of Xin Tianyi. Xin Tianyi understood his intention and cooperated very well, exclaiming: "Wow, you bought a watch?"
Yuan Dabao raised his eyebrows: "My dad gave it to me as a reward. Do you know how much it was? It's very valuable."
The two men were so focused on talking to Xin Tianyi that they didn't even notice Zhang Yang approaching.
Yuan Dabao was hit on the buttocks, and Zhang Yang kicked him, "Get out of the way."
Yuan Dabao was about to start cursing when he saw Wang Yuxiu standing next to him and immediately shut up.
"Grandpa!" Xin Tianyi shouted happily, "Why did you come to pick me up? It's so hot today."
As Xin Tianyi spoke, he felt his body lighten.
The bag in her hand had been taken away by Zhang Yang, and the backpack on her body was also put on Zhang Yang's back.
Xin Tianyi looked at Zhang Yang with gratitude. Zhang Yang said nothing.
Wang Yuxiu asked, "Why don't you stay a few more days? Your mom called and was crying. She complained that you came back too early."
Xin Tianyi could only hold onto Wang Yuxiu's arm: "If I stay a few more days, my mother will be even more reluctant to let me come back. There are a lot of things going on at home, and I can't help here. My mother still has to take care of me."
Xin Tianyi thought for a moment and said, "Let her and Uncle Li live a good life together."
Wang Yuxiu looked at Xin Tianyi from the side.
He felt that Xin Tianyi's thoughts were not like those of a child of this age, or even of a person of this era.
While everyone is downplaying social issues such as divorce and remarriage, Xin Tianyi holds a positive and optimistic attitude.
She supports Wang Fang in finding her own happiness and will not tie herself to her family. She loves her family, but is willing to give them more freedom instead of tying them down.
A child who just graduated from junior high school and is only fifteen years old actually has such a broad mind.
Wang Yuxiu felt that he needed to re-examine today's children.
They were born in a good era and grew up in an even better era.
Their minds are open and people are free.
They pursue equality and beauty. They have their own ideas and know how to examine the world, raise questions, and find solutions to problems themselves.
They are united and friendly, and no longer pay attention to the differences between men and women as before.
As a girl, Xin Tianyi cut her hair shorter than boys and never cared about other people's eyes, until she got used to those who looked at her with tinted glasses.
They learn and progress together. No one talks behind their backs. They bravely express love and bravely accept love.
Just like yesterday, when Wang Fang called, Zhang Yang and Yuan Dabao were playing soccer in front of the store. Seeing Wang Yuxiu answer the phone, they concluded it was related to Xin Tianyi. They stopped playing soccer and stood still behind Wang Yuxiu until they heard him say with certainty: Tianyi is coming back.
Before coming to pick up Xin Tianyi today, the three of them were waiting at the door.
They want to come together and pick up their friends.
Wang Yuxiu looked at the four children with satisfaction, and finally said to everyone, "Grandma Tianyi has made delicious food at home. Come to my house for lunch."
"Great!" Yuan Dabao was the first to shout, "I've heard that Grandpa Wang's food is delicious, but Grandpa Wang is partial and always only gives it to Zhang Yang."
"I haven't eaten it either." Wei Ran said with a smile, "Today is a good time to try it!"
"I'll send it to you in the future." Wang Yuxiu said with a smile.
"Then Dabao, you have to eat less, otherwise my grandpa will be exhausted with your appetite." Xin Tianyi teased Yuan Dabao.
Yuan Dabao knew his appetite very well and immediately said, "I'll just eat one bun and a whole plate of dumplings. Is that okay?"
"Tianyi is joking with you. She wants to eat five buns herself, so how come you can only eat one? You three guys should eat at least five." Wang Yuxiu said.
Yuan Dabao's eyes widened in disbelief as he asked, "Tianyi can eat five buns at once? Really?"
Zhang Yang was following behind and laughed when he heard it.
Yuan Dabao immediately turned to look at Zhang Yang. After carefully studying Zhang Yang's expression, he said, "You know, don't you? Or did you see it with your own eyes?"
Xin Tianyi stated his stance: "I was under a lot of pressure from the high school entrance exam, so I only ate five. Now I can't eat any more, so I can only eat two at most."
"I'll count them for you." Yuan Dabao said immediately.
The group went to Wang Yuxiu's house for dinner, where he ordered two more dishes. Not only was Wang a good cook, but he was also a master chef. The three boys quickly snatched up the extra dishes, and only after they had their fill did they apologize and go home.
Zhang Yang and Dabao went back together. When they got home, several people in work clothes were busy in the yard.
Before I went to pick up Xin Tianyi, I heard Pei Juanjuan say that someone would come to install the telephone line today, and I happened to see it when I came back.
Zhang Yang was very curious and stood in the yard to watch. When Pei Juanjuan saw him coming back, she said, "You watch outside. I'll go in and rest for a while."
Zhang Yang nodded, "Okay."
I applied for this phone at the beginning of this spring, but I've been waiting until now for someone to install it. At the time, Zhang Liangpeng thought it was too expensive and hesitated for a long time. But he couldn't resist Pei Juanjuan's constant nagging at home, saying that Zhang Liangpeng was now the factory director, his status was different, and every factory director had a home phone. This saved Xiao Wang from constantly coming to the house in a hurry.
Xiao Wang was Zhang Liangpeng's driver. Whenever something happened at the factory, Xiao Wang would rush over. Or if he couldn't go home, Xiao Wang would rush over again. In short, he was a walking telephone, a human messenger.
Of course, Pei Juanjuan asked for a phone to be installed not because she really cared about Xiao Wang, but because she wanted to make it easier to contact Zhang Mao.
The cotton mill did some more work and reduced the initial installation fee by one thousand yuan, and only then did Zhang Liangpeng agree to install the phone.
Zhang Yang was supervising the work in the yard under the scorching sun. Several workers were carrying ladders and laying wires, and then they were led into the living room.
Pei Juanjuan came out of the bedroom and asked them, "Can we run a branch line to the bedroom?"
The worker said yes.
"Then connect one for us," Pei Juanjuan said, "Put a phone in the bedroom."
Zhang Yang's family installed a telephone, which became the most lively thing in the living area in recent days.
Several sisters who were close to Pei Juanjuan came to watch. A friend who was close to Zhang Yang also came to watch.
Among them, Xin Tianyi made a phone call to tell Wang Fang that she had arrived safely.
Yuan Dabao flipped through the thick booklet next to the telephone, reading it line by line. The first few pages were the phone numbers of various units and agencies. Looking further down, he saw the phone number of the cotton mill.
"Office! Cotton Mill Office!" Yuan Dabao read out, "2346541. Can I find my mother by calling this number?"
"You have to go to the workshop to find your mother," Wei Ran said. "How long will it take to get to the office? The factory is so big, you have to run as far as you can."
Yuan Dabao continued to look for it, but it was gone.
He closed the phone book angrily and said, "There's no workshop. This phone book is not good. It doesn't even print all the phone numbers."
"This is used for external communication. When someone calls the cotton mill, they must call the office. Then they will ask for the specific workshop phone number. How can all the numbers be printed on it?" Zhang Yang explained.
"I see." Yuan Dabao counted the phone number written on the phone, "Your home number is also seven digits. But why do you write the number on it?"
A small piece of paper, the size of a finger, with seven numbers written on it, was taped to the phone.
"My mom couldn't remember my home number, so she asked me to write it down and stick it here."
Yuan Dabao groaned and said, "My dad also talked about installing a phone. He said he'd apply for one when he got back. But it pissed my mom off. She didn't want one, saying it was too expensive, several thousand yuan."
"So expensive!" Wei Ran was shocked.
"What do you think?" Yuan Dabao said, "I don't think it's necessary. It's better to call directly from Zhang Yang's house. We can also save the money of installing a phone."
"You're making this up," Zhang Yang said from the side. "My brother heard it in college."
"School starts in a week." Wei Ran looked at everyone, "Let's go buy stationery tomorrow."
The author has something to say:
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-05-25 09:40:17 and 2023-05-27 10:09:58~
Thanks to the little angel who irrigated the nutrient solution: 1 bottle of Hurricane Pumpkin Lantern;
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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