"Then I've decided, I'll go buy tickets tomorrow too." Seeing that Xie Yuyao and Yang Shumei both said so, Wu Lihong made her decision.
Yang Shumei smiled and advised, "The trains around the Lunar New Year are packed with people, which is when pickpockets are rampant. Try to bring as little as possible when you go back, and don't bring too much money, to avoid any accidents."
“But I still want to buy some local mountain products to take back with me. Would it be inappropriate to go empty-handed?” Wu Lihong hesitated again.
Xie Yuyao had already figured it out: "What's wrong with it? It's not like a married woman returning to her parents' home, where we have to be so formal. You've been working in the countryside for so many years, your family will definitely be happy to see you. They wouldn't expect you to bring anything."
“That’s right. You’ve sent a lot of things home over the years, so losing this one won’t make a big difference. Just tell them that the train is crowded and inconvenient, and they’ll understand,” Yang Shumei chimed in.
"Since you all say so, then fine, I'll take a change of clothes back with me."
Wu Lihong finally felt relieved. She chatted with him for a few more minutes with a smile, then went back to pack her clothes and prepare to go home.
Looking at her expectant back, Yang Shumei sighed, "I hope she can see reality clearly and end it completely."
"Did her family treat her like an ATM?" Xie Yuyao, standing to the side, asked for confirmation.
Yang Shumei asked in confusion, "What is an ATM?"
"Ah!" Xie Yuyao blinked and inadvertently uttered a phrase from later generations.
She paused for a second, then explained, "Oh, I mean, her family used her as a savings account, right?"
"You know what, it's quite fitting." Yang Shumei smiled and told Xie Yuyao what she knew about Wu Lihong and her family.
Xie Yuyao sighed, "The world is truly vast, and there are all kinds of people here."
Nowadays, family planning is no longer in effect; the prevailing belief is that more people mean more power, and having more children means more labor. With more children, they are generally raised by older children, with a more relaxed, hands-off approach.
With more children, it's inevitable that some will be favored. But no matter what, there should still be some parental affection and care.
*
The next day, the educated youth who planned to go home went to the county town to buy tickets and also went to the department store to buy some New Year's goods to take home.
Xie Yuyao went along too. Although she didn't lack anything, what girl doesn't love shopping?
Her target was limited to the department store. The black market in the county was in chaos, and the competition among the major forces had entered a fierce stage. One wrong move could lead to collateral damage.
A group of seven or eight people set off in a grand procession. When they arrived in the county town, Xie Yuyao went to the train station with them.
There are very few train services nowadays, and even though the flow of people is not as large as in later years, there are still quite a few people at the train station.
As Xie Yuyao passed by the waiting room, she noticed that most people were carrying large bags and lots of luggage, much like the Spring Festival travel rush in later generations.
At the train station ticket hall, two windows were selling tickets, and the queues stretched like a long dragon. Some people were carrying a lot of luggage, and Xie Yuyao guessed that these people came from remote areas to take the train.
Online shopping is not available on trains nowadays, and transportation is not as developed as it is in later times. Many people have to leave home before dawn and go through several transfers to reach the train station.
They would buy the nearest train tickets and wait in the waiting room or guesthouse, sometimes for several days if they were unlucky.
Traveling far from home at this time is a real ordeal. Some girls who marry far away can't return home for years, let alone after they have children. Because of this, most parents require their daughters to marry locals so that even seeing each other isn't so difficult.
Seeing that there were many people in line and Yao Yao was bored waiting alone, Yang Shumei said to Wu Lihong, "Sister Lihong, it looks like we'll be waiting for quite a while. Could you buy me a ticket to Beijing for the next few days? Yao Yao and I will go out for a walk."
“Okay, where are you planning to go? We’ll buy the tickets and meet you.” Wu Lihong reached out and took the money from Yang Shumei’s hand.
Xie Yuyao didn't care: "I'm fine with anything."
"Let's go to the nearby railway park then. We can walk around for a bit and then walk back around, depending on how much time it takes," Yang Shumei suggested.
The sky was clear, and the sunlight shone on the snow, bringing only a hint of warmth. Some children were playing in the snow by the roadside, building snowmen and having snowball fights.
"Take this!"
"I'm hiding!"
"Got it! Hahaha..."
Xie Yuyao held Yang Shumei's hand and walked close to the roadside, dodging the flying snowballs.
The children's laughter was infectious; the two watched with smiles for a while before moving on briskly.
"Watching the children play, I couldn't resist joining in," Yang Shumei said with a smile.
Xie Yuyao said, "When we get back to Qingshan Village, we can have some fun too."
The two walked and talked, and the surroundings gradually quieted down.
Suddenly, shouts of fighting and killing came from not far away.
"Quick, hide!" Yang Shumei pulled Xie Yuyao's hand and hid in the corner.
Hiding behind the wall, the two peeked out and saw two men covered in blood running towards the end of the path, followed closely by seven or eight men wielding sticks.
One of them swung his stick, which flew through the air and struck the fleeing man hard on the back. The man screamed and fell to the ground.
Seeing this, his companion stomped his foot, turned back, and pulled him up. Soon, the two were surrounded by the group of people chasing them, and were punched, kicked, and beaten with sticks. Their painful groans were drowned out by the insults.
"What should we do? If this fight continues, someone might die!" Yang Shumei exclaimed in panic.
Xie Yuyao frowned. "Let's go find the police."
"Who goes there!"
The two of them quietly slipped out of the alley, when suddenly a loud shout came from behind them.
Xie Yuyao grabbed Yang Shumei's hand and ran as fast as she could.
However, due to the large difference in their speed, Yang Shumei lost her balance and fell to the ground. Xie Yuyao had just helped her up when they were surrounded by five men.
"They're two pretty girls!"
"Where do you want to run off to?"
"You're so pretty, be with your brother, and I'll make sure you live a life of luxury."
......
Foul language poured from the men's mouths, Xie Yuyao's face as cold as ice. With Yang Shumei beside her, she couldn't guarantee Shumei wouldn't get hurt if she made a move, so she could only endure it and see what they intended to do.
Suppressing her panic, Yang Shumei demanded in a strong voice, "What do you want to do!"
“Come with me, and I’ll treat you to a big meal,” a man with a roguish grin said.
“What if we don’t?” Yang Shumei asked.
The men burst into laughter. "That's not up to you."
Seeing that they were about to make a move, Xie Yuyao said coldly, "Don't come any closer, we'll go with you."
"That's right! A wise person knows when to yield!"
Xie Yuyao sneered: "That's exactly what I wanted to say to you. You guys who run your businesses here don't even have a shred of common sense!"
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