Chapter 115
A week later, Chen Shengqing was appointed as the head of the group, and the whole family compound was in an uproar.
After all, the news of Captain Guo's retirement had already leaked out, and everyone was guessing who would be promoted to become the new captain.
Most people thought that Li Zhiyong had a greater chance of being promoted to group leader because his qualifications and experience were better than Chen Shengqing's for the position of deputy group leader, so if anyone was to be promoted, it should be Li Zhiyong. But no one expected that the person who was promoted to group leader was actually Chen Shengqing.
For a while, everyone was envious, jealous, and making sarcastic remarks. Some people wanted to visit Chen's house to congratulate him or to get information, but when they arrived, they found that the house was empty. After asking, they learned that the Chen family had already taken a train to the capital after receiving the appointment.
It was no wonder that the Chen family left in a hurry. The train tickets Yang Qiujin had booked were for today, and with Chen Shengqing taking over as the head of the delegation, there would surely be many military officers or their families coming to visit. Yang Qiujin felt exhausted just thinking about welcoming so many guests. She thought it would be better for her to just leave and wait for Chen Shengqing to come back and let him deal with the guests himself.
It takes three days and three nights to travel from Ava to the capital, and it is definitely unbearable to sit on a hard seat. Fortunately, Chen Shengqing is a military officer and Yang Qiujin is a cadre. The country has preferential treatment for military officers and cadres, and they can buy sleeper berth tickets. They bought four sleeper berth tickets and spent a total of more than 150 yuan, which is equivalent to more than one month's salary for Chen Shengqing.
Wu Shulian felt sorry for me and said, "If I had known that a sleeper ticket was so expensive, I would have bought a hard seat ticket instead, which would have saved me half the price."
Yang Qiujin held little Tianxing in her arms and walked into the crowded carriage. She turned back from time to time to help her mother pull the luggage and walked into the sleeper carriage and said, "Mom, you have to sit in a hard seat for three days and three nights. You are no longer a young and strong girl. Your body cannot stand sitting for such a long time. Besides, a hard seat is not as comfortable as a sleeper. Don't be stingy with the money. We can earn more money if you run out of it."
Wu Shulian wanted to say something else, but an old lady who heard their conversation said with great envy: "Sister, you are so lucky. Your daughter is an official, so she is willing to spend money to buy you a sleeper berth ticket. Unlike me, my son is useless and can't even afford a sleeper berth ticket. By the time I get to the capital, my old bones will fall apart."
You can't buy sleeper berth tickets these days just because you want to. Only state officials, office staff, military officers, and people with other special identities are eligible to buy sleeper berth tickets. Ordinary people cannot buy sleeper berths and can only buy hard seats or standing tickets.
When Wu Shulian heard this, she straightened her chest and said proudly, "Oh, my child is so filial that he insisted on buying a berth for me to go to the capital for fun. I am not..."
"Mom." Before she could finish her words, Yang Qiujin gave her a look, signaling her to stop talking.
Wu Shulian was puzzled, but she still kept quiet. After smiling apologetically at the old lady, she followed Yang Qiujin and her family to their sleeper compartment, put down her luggage, and asked, "Why didn't you let me continue talking just now?"
Yang Qiujin put Xiao Tianxing on the lower bunk and said, "Mom, when you are out and about, and on a crowded train, you can't tell whether the person on the other side is a good person or a bad person, or a spy or an enemy agent. If you get excited talking to that old lady, you will tell everyone about your family affairs. With so many people around listening, there is no guarantee that someone will not have bad intentions and harm our family. Let's not talk about many things. For example, Shengqing is now the head of a group. He wears casual clothes when he goes out and keeps a low profile. He is afraid that his enemies will recognize him and cause harm to our family. Not letting you speak is for your sake and for the good of all of us."
Wu Shulian suddenly realized what was going on and said with embarrassment, "I didn't think of these things. It's my fault for blaming you."
Yang Qiujin shook her head nonchalantly and pointed to the lower bunk opposite to little Tianxing and said, "Mom, you and my mother-in-law will sleep on the lower bunk, Shengqing, Tianyou and I will sleep on the upper bunk, and you guys take care of Tianxing."
The four sleeper berth tickets they bought were next to each other, two for the lower berth and two for the upper berth, two opposite each other, with no one else.
This was Chen Tianyou's second time riding on a sleeper train. Without being told, he climbed onto the sleeper skillfully and waved to Tianxing, "Sister, come up and sleep with your brother."
In the past, Tian Xing would have agreed without hesitation. This was her first time traveling far away from home and taking a train. She was very curious about the surroundings and wanted to run around. She decisively refused and said, "No."
Chen Shengqing saw what she was up to and scratched her nose, saying, "The train has already started. You can't run around. You'll bump into other people and cause trouble for them. If you run too far without your parents, bad guys will take you away and you'll never see them again."
The little girl was frightened and didn't dare to run around. However, she was still unwilling to go to the upper shop, so she lay in her grandmother's arms on the lower shop, lying on the car window, watching the scenery passing by outside the window.
The train rattled and the scenery outside the window flashed by slowly. Little Tianxing stared out the window without blinking.
When the conductor came to check the tickets, he saw the cute and beautifully dressed little star and couldn't help but praise her, saying, "Oh, this child is so pretty, she looks like a doll."
Xiao Tianxing turned around and smiled sweetly at the train attendant, "Auntie, it looks good."
The conductor was stunned, then smiled and said, "This kid is not only good-looking, but also sweet-mouthed and not shy. He will have a bright future."
Yang Qiujin smiled and said, "Thank you for your good words."
Since Xiao Tianxing was one month old, she has been taken everywhere by her. When she was a little older, she taught her to call uncles and aunts and say hello to people. Everyone also likes to play with Xiao Tianxing, which has cultivated her into a courageous and cheerful girl who can chat with anyone, and naturally she is not shy about strangers.
In order to save food expenses, Li Xiu'e and Wu Shulian cooked their own food. Li Xiu'e cooked the children's favorite tea leaf eggs, a few corns, and made brown sugar steamed buns.
Wu Shulian made some egg pancakes, wrapped some dumplings, cooked them and put them in the lunch box, and also took some washed cucumbers and tomatoes.
With the food brought by the two mothers, the family did not have to spend extra money to buy food at mealtime. Also, due to the hot weather, cooked food did not last long, so in order to prevent the food from going bad, the family ate the food they brought at their seats for three meals a day.
In the evening, the train passed through a desolate Gobi beach.
Originally, there was nothing to see here. It was just a barren land outside. Apart from some scattered plants, it was all sand and yellow soil, endless and desolate. Just looking at it made people feel desolate.
Xiao Tianxing was curious, so she leaned against the window and kept looking. Suddenly, she stretched out her white and tender little fingers and shouted to Chen Shengqing: "Dad, look."
Chen Shengqing and Yang Qiujin's family were attracted by her voice and looked out the window.
On the endless Gobi beach, there appeared a small sentry house, standing alone between heaven and earth.
In front of the sentry post house, stood a soldier in a military green border defense uniform, facing the train which was about a hundred meters away from the sentry post. Like a white poplar tree, he stood upright and saluted the moving train with a solemn expression.
Everyone on the train was shocked by this scene. Everyone looked out the window. They didn't know how long the soldier outside had been standing at the post, nor did they know when he stood at the post and saluted everyone. They only knew that when they saw the post, the soldier was already saluting them.
There were not many trains passing through this desert, and he was the only one at the sentry post. People didn't know what he was feeling, but when he saw the train, he saluted.
But he stayed on this desolate Gobi desert day after day, and saluted the train day after day. I don't know how strong his iron will was to be able to do these things every day without getting tired of it.
For a moment, the entire carriage was silent, and everyone quietly looked at the soldiers saluting outside the window.
The moment Chen Shengqing saw the sentry, he jumped off the bunk bed, stood upright in front of the car window, raised his right hand and saluted the sentry outside the window.
The train clanged away gradually, and the two people inside and outside the train slowly lowered their right hands in salute until they could no longer see each other.
Chen Shengqing said nothing.
But when Chen Tianyou saw this scene, he was shocked and moved by the soldiers' spirit of fortitude, hard work and endurance, just like the poplar trees growing on the Gobi Desert. He burst into tears and whispered, "So this is the real poplar tree tribute in the textbook."
"Praise for Poplars" is an essay written by the famous writer Mao Dun, which mainly praises the tenacious and unyielding poplars in the northwest. It is now included in textbooks.
When Chen Tianyou read this text before, he didn't understand at all why the poplar trees that were seen everywhere in the border area were worthy of praise.
Now I understand that what Mao Dun praised was not the tree, but the countless frontier builders who, like the poplar tree, took root in the remote northwest frontier, struggled all their lives to build the frontier, but still loved this vast land.
They are as ordinary as poplar trees, but they do extraordinary things. They are unknown and unremembered. They burn their youth and their lives, and constantly dedicate themselves to the country, the people, and this desolate and impoverished land.
They are so simple, strong and kind, and even if no one knows about it, they are quietly doing what they think is right.
This spirit of selfless dedication embodies all the soldiers and civilians in the border areas, as well as Chen Tianyou's father and his mother. They have all become straight and tall poplar trees in different ways, dedicating most of their lives to the border areas.
Chen Tianyou looked at his no longer young parents and swore in his heart that when he grew up, he would work hard to become a poplar tree like his parents and contribute to the country. No matter how insignificant his contribution was, no matter whether anyone remembered his contribution or not, he would do what he wanted to do and have a clear conscience.
After leaving the border area, the train rumbled northward.
Little Tianxing went from being very excited about riding the train to gradually losing interest in the scenery outside the window. He wanted to run around, but was afraid of being taken away by bad people, so he could only curl up in the bunk, asking his parents to tell him stories, then pestering his brother to play rock-paper-scissors, and then pestering his grandmother and grandmother to feed him.
She is the youngest in the family, sweet-talking and good at coaxing people, so the whole family indulges her. The journey is not so boring because of her.
When they were about to reach the capital, Chen Shengqing said to Yang Qiujin: "Before we took the train, I called Commander Zhou and told him that we would be in the capital soon and would visit him. Commander Zhou was very happy and asked me for the specific address. He said that someone would be waiting for us at the train station to help us arrange accommodation. We would stay there for a few days and then talk about renting a house."
Xiao Tianxing finally stopped pestering Yang Qiujin. Yang Qiujin relaxed on the upper bunk bed and sighed comfortably, "You always said that Commander Zhou had promoted you. I always wanted to meet him. He also arranged accommodation for our family. It is our duty to meet him. When we get to the capital, there are still a few days before I go to the Party School. I will take this time to go to Professor Cai's old house, take Professor Zheng and Professor Cai's things, find a suitable opportunity to exchange them for money, and then give them half of the money."
The bed was not big, and Chen Shengqing liked to sleep next to Yang Qiujin. As long as Xiao Tianxing didn't pester Yang Qiujin, he would sleep next to her. No matter how much Yang Qiujin disliked him, saying it was too crowded and too hot, he would never sleep in another bed.
The couple were whispering in the upper bunk, Li Xiu'e and Wu Shulian were both in the lower bunk, their attention focused on the chattering little Tianxing. Only Chen Tianyou was in the bunk opposite them, pretending to read a book but actually eavesdropping on their conversation.
Chen Shengqing held Yang Qiujin in his arms and asked, "What do you think they are hiding?"
There was no air conditioning in the carriage, and in the middle of summer, it was really stuffy with two people huddled together.
Yang Qiujin stood away from Chen Shengqing uncomfortably and said, "It's nothing more than antiques, calligraphy and paintings, or big yellow croaker. No matter which one it is, how to take it out and how to sell it without being discovered is a big problem."
Chen Shengqing was like a dog-skin plaster, and he stuck it on again and said, "I'll take care of these things. Although I've been working in the Border Defense Department, I've been traveling all over the country on missions and have met many people from all walks of life. It's easy for me to deal with these things. In addition to Commander Zhou, I have some comrades and colleagues who have retired from the army and are working in all walks of life in the capital. If we encounter difficulties, we can ask them for help and they will help us solve them."
"Is this true?" Yang Qiujin was extremely skeptical. "I said, can you get so close to me? It's so hot, you're not hot, but I am."
Chen Shengqing hugged her and said, "You feel cool, and I feel comfortable next to you."
He had a hot temper and his body was as hot as fire. Yang Qiujin, on the other hand, proved the saying that women are made of water. She had a lower body temperature. In the summer, her body was icy and cool, like a human popsicle. Chen Shengqing loved to hug her and stay close to her to keep cool.
Yang Qiujin was speechless. "The child is still looking at us. Can't you restrain yourself a little? Hugging him in broad daylight is ridiculous."
Chen Shengqing glared at Chen Tianyou who was eavesdropping on their conversation and said, "We are an old married couple, legally married, even if someone saw us, what can they say?"
Yang Qiujin was almost conquered by his shamelessness and helplessly let him hold her in his arms. The two of them were sweet and tormented each other until the train arrived at the capital's West Railway Station. Only then was Yang Qiujin completely liberated.
They arrived around six in the afternoon. After getting off the train, Yang Qiujin was the first to rush out to feel the spacious and cool air outside.
Chen Shengqing and several others followed behind, some holding children, some carrying packages, big and small bags, covered in dust, looking no different from the other passengers getting off the bus.
The Capital Railway Station is indeed one of the best railway stations in the country. The surging crowds and flows in the station are something that Wu Shulian and Li Xiu'e have never seen in their entire lives.
The two country women followed Chen Shengqing, who was clearing the way in the crowd, with their eyes wide open. As they walked, Wu Shulian exclaimed, "Oh my God, there are so many people in one station. It's so crowded that you can't see the end. It's even more lively than our hometown. It really deserves to be the capital."
Li Xiu'e held Xiao Tianxing tightly in her arms and sighed: "There are so many people, we must follow Shengqing closely and don't get separated by the crowd. It will be troublesome if we can't find each other."
Chen Tianyou stood behind them, carrying large and small packages on his body, looking at the people around him vigilantly.
He did not forget that when they got off the train, the conductor used the train horn to remind them to pay attention to their personal belongings and safety when getting off the train.
This sentence means that there are many pickpockets in the capital, and the train station is crowded with people, making it an easy opportunity for pickpockets to strike, so they have to be on guard.
Fortunately, the family got out of the train station safely. There were many cars parked on the wide road outside the station.
Those who can drive a car these days are either military officers, wealthy businessmen, or special personnel overseas.
Many people see the cars parked on the roadside, look at them with envy, and walk in the other direction to take the tram or bus.
As soon as Chen Shengqing's family appeared, a man in his thirties in military uniform stood next to a Red Flag sedan with a military license plate. He held a sign in his hand that read, "Welcome Comrade Chen Shengqing and his family to the capital."
Before Chen Shengqing could say anything, the man saw the family coming out and walked over first to ask, "Chen Shengqing, Captain Chen?"
"I am." Chen Shengqing stretched out his hand to him: "Who are you?"
The man smiled, shook his hand and said, "My name is Zhou Bochao, Zhou Mingde is my father, and I am the eldest."
Zhou Mingde is the full name of Commander Zhou. He has two sons and one daughter, all of whom are very promising. They all serve as officers in the military region with high military ranks, so he can be considered a military family.
Zhou Bochao is Zhou Mingde's eldest son. He previously served as deputy political commissar in a military district in Shanghai. Now, as his father has been transferred to a military district in the capital to serve as political commissar, Chen Shengqing heard about these things from Commander Zhou.
"So you are Political Commissar Zhou. Thank you for coming to pick us up in person." Chen Shengqing said while shaking his hand in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.
Zhou Mingde looked him up and down and said, "My father has mentioned you to me before, saying that you are young and promising, brave and resourceful, and have a bright future. I am very curious about you, and I just happened to be on vacation, so I came to pick you up."
Zhou Bochao said, calling Li Xiu'e and the others, "These two are your aunts, this one is your sister-in-law, and these two are your children, right? Get in the car, I'll take you to where you're staying."
When the family heard that he was Commander Zhou's son and that he was the political commissar and had come to pick them up, they got on the car with great trepidation. Along the way, they saw the prosperous scene of the capital. Except for Xiao Tianxing's chattering, no one made a sound.
Zhou Bochao saw the tense atmosphere in the car and guessed what they were thinking. He took the initiative to start a conversation and said, "My dad knew that Commander Chen was coming to the capital. He was so excited that he didn't sleep well all night. He asked me to take good care of you. I heard that you were a family coming to the capital and thought it would be inconvenient to live in a guesthouse, so I took the initiative to find a house for you. It's at the north gate, a two-bedroom apartment in an alley. There is no toilet, so you have to squeeze in with others to use the public toilet. It's about half an hour away from the Party School. The house has all kinds of household appliances, so you don't have to buy them separately. The rent is 20 yuan a month."
The rent of twenty yuan was not cheap in that era, equivalent to half a month's salary for a cadre.
However, Zhou Bochao was kind enough to find them a house, and if they stayed in a guesthouse, a guesthouse would cost fifty cents a night, which would cost fifteen yuan a month. Moreover, there was not enough room for their family, and they had to check in for more rooms. After comparing the two, it was still more cost-effective to rent a house. The family was very grateful to Zhou Bochao and finally arrived at the place he mentioned.
They got off the car and walked through an alley of more than 200 meters, with houses on both sides and a public toilet in the middle. The house Zhou Bochao mentioned was in the alley, neither far nor close to the toilet, so it was convenient to go to the toilet without being bothered by the smell of the toilet.
The house has a small courtyard with a gate at the entrance of the alley. Inside is a row of houses. On the left are the two main rooms, and on the right are the living room and kitchen, all of which are small and look very narrow.
Zhou Bochao said, "Most of the household appliances are already in the house. You just need to buy some bedding and some coal to cook. The landlord will come to collect the rent soon. If there is anything inappropriate, just tell the landlord. If you encounter any problems, Captain Chen can just call us. When you are settled, remember to come to my house for dinner. My old man always misses you."
"Thank you, Political Commissar Zhou, for your consideration. Once we are settled, we will definitely come to visit you. Please help us with the arrangements. I will see you out." Chen Shengqing thanked him politely and saw Zhou Bochao out.
As soon as they left, Wu Shulian smacked her lips and said, "Oh my God, the people in this capital have such a hard time. In such a tiny place, the house is not even as big as the yard in my hometown. The room is so small that I can hardly turn around. And the rent is 20 yuan a month. If it were an ordinary person, they would not be able to survive at all."
Yang Qiujin packed her luggage and said, "Mom, just be content. This is the capital, and every inch of land is worth its weight in gold. Political Commissar Zhou was able to help us find a two-bedroom house with a living room and a yard, so that Xiao Tianxing can live here and have fun. That's already good enough. Otherwise, we can stay in a guesthouse, where a room costs fifty cents, and can only accommodate two people, and we can't cook. Over time, which one is more cost-effective?"
Wu Shulian still felt that the rent was too expensive, and muttered: "Such an expensive rent, and I still have to pay for food, drink, and toilet. You have to stay in the party school for half a year, and this is how much money it will cost. Well, it's better to stay in my hometown. Twenty yuan is enough for me to eat and drink well for two years."
After seeing Zhou Bochao off, Chen Shengqing came in and heard her words. He immediately said, "Mom, you and my mom have finally come to the capital. Relax and have fun. Buy what you need and spend what you need. Don't worry about the money. We brought enough money to cover your expenses."
Li Xiu'e put the restless little girl on the ground and let her play by herself. She also advised: "Mother-in-law, the two children asked us to come to the capital to play, so we should be prepared to spend money. They are still young and have plenty of time and opportunities to make money. On the contrary, we are not young anymore, we are almost 50 years old. At this age, we are not sure how many years we can live. We must enjoy ourselves in the limited time to be worthy of ourselves."
Wu Shulian thought about it and realized that this was the truth. She had had a very hard life in the first half of her life. Now that her child had grown up and was willing to respect her, he brought her to the capital city she had always dreamed of. If she wanted to feel sorry for this and that, she would not only dampen the child's interest and disappoint her, but she would also be unhappy. So why not relax and have some fun?
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