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After Liu Mianli reminded him many times, Xiao Li exchanged contact information with his comrades, said goodbye to them one by one, and went to the train station.
After driving away Liu Mianli who insisted on going to the platform to see him off, Xiao Li stood at the ticket gate with a wry smile on his face. At this time, the ticket gate had stopped checking tickets, the train had already left, and it seemed that he had missed the train.
When Xiao Li first arrived, the ticket gate was still open. After arguing with Liu Mianli, when he came back, he found that the ticket gate had been closed.
This is really bad luck.
What should I do?
A soldier with an upright posture standing helplessly at the ticket gate is very eye-catching.
The train station attendant standing not far from Xiaoli looked at the person at the ticket gate, head lowered and motionless. He took the initiative to walk over and ask, "Hello, comrade from the People's Liberation Army, how can I help you?"
Xiao Li handed over the small train ticket in his hand and said, "I bought the train just now, but I missed the train."
The train ticket in Xiaoli's hand is a hard-board train ticket, the first generation of China Railway train ticket, the kind that grandpa's generation used.
In order to save paper, train tickets are very small, only 5725 mm, and Braille is printed on the ticket.
Don’t be fooled by its small size, it is actually shockingly expensive.
After carefully examining the ticket, the attendant returned it to Xiao Li and said comfortingly, "Please don't worry, comrade. You can wait for the next bus."
"Do I still need to buy a ticket?" He was very poor now, and his face was cleaner than his pockets. He searched his shirt pockets but didn't find a single hair. It would be embarrassing if the ticket was invalidated and he had to buy a new one.
Call the army? Sorry, I can't afford to lose face.
The train ticket in his hand was a hard sleeper ticket bought with his military connections. There was a word "Military" written on the upper left corner. The ticket price was six yuan and seventy cents, a price that poor Xiao Li could not afford.
Nowadays, one dime and two cents can buy a pound of fine noodles. You can imagine how strong the purchasing power of six yuan and seventy cents is.
If the army had not reimbursed the ticket for his return home this time, Xiao Li, who had no money in his pocket, would have definitely bought the cheapest standing ticket in the ordinary carriage.
"No need to buy a ticket. Your ticket is still valid and has not expired. However, it cannot be used after today."
The waiter then told Xiao Li, "The next train to Beijing will leave in an hour. There are only two trains to Beijing every day. Don't be late again this time, or you will miss the train and your ticket will be invalidated."
The waiter was very considerate and told Xiaoli the next train number, ticket checking time and ticket gate.
Can it still be done this way?
Xiao Li listened in a daze like a fool. After thanking him very solemnly, he finally had time to take a look at the train station in the 1950s.
The train station in my memory was always bustling with people, but there were actually very few people in the train station in the 1950s. In the huge station, apart from a few comrades on business trips to other places, there were also small vendors selling food on the platform.
There is also a waiting room for mothers and babies at the train station. Xiao Li was curious and took a look at the door. He found that the environment inside was good, and there were toys prepared for children and beds for children to rest. A new and unfamiliar world quietly unfolded before Xiao Li.
It was time for ticket checking, and Xiao Li followed the crowd onto the legendary green train.
The train is a traditional old-fashioned green train. Each carriage has XX carriage written on the outside in white paint. There is even a carriage for passengers with children. Passengers with children can choose this carriage, which is very user-friendly.
Xiao Li's ticket was not for this train, and there was no seat number for him on this train, so he went directly to the most ordinary carriage.
There are no seat numbers, so you can only stand.
Five minutes later, with the sound of "clang clang", the train to Beijing finally started.
After the train started moving, a conductor in a light blue uniform approached Xiao Li and said, "Hello, comrade. I'm the conductor on this train. The comrades at the station have already reported your situation to us. Although the carriage isn't crowded right now, we still can't let you sit. I hope you can understand."
After the train started, only a dozen people were sitting in the carriage that could accommodate more than a hundred people. There were still many empty seats in the carriage, but no one could be sure whether anyone would get on the train at the next stop.
After the conductor finished speaking, Xiao Li said he understood: "I can just stand."
The hardships he had endured in the past few years had changed Xiao Li a lot. He just didn't have a seat, but he didn't take it seriously. It really didn't matter to him whether he had a seat or not.
Having seen life and death, and separations, he became tolerant and open-minded.
In the end, the conductor took Xiao Li to seat No. 2 in the carriage because of his military identity.
There are always 3 hard seats and 3 sleeper tickets reserved on each train for railway workers who are off work. Xiao Li was lucky enough to take one today because of his military uniform.
The train moved slowly, and as it moved, more and more passengers came on board, and the atmosphere in the carriage became lively.
"Hello, passengers. Thank you very much for taking this train. We are the service staff of this train." With the arrival of several train attendants, a burst of light music sounded on the train.
"We are now going to bring a performance for all the passengers. We hope you will enjoy it and we also hope you will actively participate in this event. Thank you."
Afterwards, the train attendants began to organize performances by the passengers. Many talented passengers also went up to sing, rap, and tell stories. The atmosphere was immediately ignited and everyone was extremely happy.
Although everyone was a stranger who had never met each other, the activities organized by the train attendants quickly made everyone active.
There are no trivial matters between passengers, no troublesome family matters, and the relationships are relatively harmonious. When they chat with each other, they feel like familiar people.
When they are tired of singing, thirsty or bored, the train attendants will naturally come back and forth with kettles to supply them with hot water, newspapers and magazines. Children who did not go to the children's compartment will also be given picture books separately.
Everything is so strange and new.
So, even though the train was moving very slowly, Xiao Li didn't feel bored, and even felt that this was how life should be.
"Hello." A train attendant walked up to Xiao Li with a sewing kit in his hand. "I see your button is a little loose. Could you please help me sew it up?"
Xiao Li is the only soldier on the train. Everyone respects him very much. The train attendants will always pay attention to him and will try their best to meet his urgent requests.
Xiao Li was stunned for a moment, then he followed the conductor's gaze and saw that the third button of his shirt was loose. He waved his hand a little embarrassedly, "Thank you, I can do it myself."
So, under the watchful eyes of the conductor, Xiao Li stumbled and struggled to sew the first button in his life.
People's gazes and enthusiasm made Xiao Li very uncomfortable. When facing those who were enthusiastic towards him, his body was tense and his expression was serious. He controlled himself with extremely strong self-control, fearing that he would bring unnecessary harm to everyone.
"This train will soon arrive at its final destination, Jingshi Station. Passengers who are getting off the train, please take your belongings with you and disembark in order."
At eight o'clock in the evening on the third day, the announcement of arrival in Beijing finally sounded.
In an instant, Xiao Li became more and more nervous.
Beijing Railway Station.
"Old man, did you remember the time wrong? Why haven't you arrived yet at this late hour?"
After buying the ticket for Xiao Li, the Northeast Military Region immediately called Mr. Xiao and told him the flight number and arrival time that Xiao Li would be taking.
After knowing that Xiao Li would be coming back this afternoon, the family happily went to the train station to pick him up, and then waited from two in the afternoon to eight in the evening.
"It must be because you are old that you remembered the wrong train number." Xiao Li's original train had already arrived at the station, and they did not find him among the passengers. That's why the anxious old lady Li Cuihua said this.
When no one came, guard Oda called the Northeast Military Region and confirmed again that Xiao Li was indeed on today's train. The family then waited anxiously.
But as time passed, the family began to get impatient.
After all, the two old people were almost seventy years old, and Wang Han didn't dare to let them wait any longer. Seeing the weariness on their faces, Wang Han said, "Dad and Mom, why don't you go home and wait? Xiao Ming and I will continue to wait here."
Mr. Xiao and Mrs. Xiao waved their hands, indicating that they could still hold on.
Wang Han couldn't persuade them, so he could only let them continue waiting together.
The train slowly approached. Wang Han handed the silhouette he had cut out of the newspaper to Xiao Ming, who was waiting impatiently. "Mingzi, go see if your brother is on this train."
Xiao Ming understood and ran over with the silhouette.
When Xiao Li left home to study, Xiao Ming was only four years old. Four-year-old children have just begun to remember things, so Xiao Ming actually has no memory of his brother at all.
When looking for someone, he would look exactly like the photo in the newspaper. When he saw a tall person on the platform, he would run over to see if the person was Xiao Li.
The weather in May was not very hot, and it was even a little cold at night. Xiao Ming ran around looking for someone, and soon he became sweating profusely.
As more and more people got off the bus, Xiao Li was nowhere to be seen. Wang Han anxiously asked everyone getting off the bus with a newspaper, "Hello, have you seen this person on the bus?"
"No."
“No.”
"Mom, you and grandpa and grandma wait here. I'll broadcast to find someone." Xiao Ming saw his mother getting more and more anxious, so he ran to Wang Han and comforted her, "Mom, don't worry. I think my brother must be in this car. He should be able to come out soon. When he comes out, we can go home right away."
After the train arrived at the station, the passengers got off and left one after another, and slowly Xiao Li was the only one left.
The conductor, who had been observing Xiao Li for a long time, walked up to him and said, "Comrade, we have arrived at the final stop, Jingshi. You may prepare to get off the train."
"Okay, thank you."
Did Xiao Li not want to get off the car? No, he was just a little nervous.
He was originally a rootless wanderer, drifting in the wind like duckweed, with no relatives and no home.
He had always thought that he had grown up and no longer needed family, but it was not until now that he realized that his heart was still the same as when he was a child...longing for family.
And maybe this time when he gets off the bus, he will be able to see his relatives who are waiting for him eagerly and become a man with a home.
But Xiao Li was scared.
He didn't know how to get along with his family, nor did he know if they would like him. What if they didn't like him?
So, when he mustered up the courage to get off the bus.
The first thing he saw was a little fat boy who looked somewhat similar to him, about fourteen or fifteen years old, tall, white and chubby, talking to a gentle-looking woman. He couldn't help but take a second look.
A hint of envy flashed across Xiao Li's eyes, but he quickly hid it.
He couldn't help but look at the fat white man a few more times. People of this era were all dark and thin, and it was rare to meet someone so round and fair. In addition, he was somewhat similar to himself, so Xiao Li couldn't help but observe him for a while longer.
Then he saw the newspaper in the other person's hand and heard the little fat boy say, "Mom, don't be sad. Wait until my dad comes home. I'll help you complain to him and ask him to treat him to a meal of fried bamboo shoots."
what???
So, this little fat guy is the protagonist's younger brother? And the one next to him is his mother in this life!
The protagonist's younger brother also wants his cheap dad to treat me to fried bamboo shoots...
Xiao Li felt that he needed to interrupt the male protagonist's younger brother, otherwise he would want to make him a meal of stir-fried bamboo shoots.
"Mom, Xiaoming."
Mom, this word is not as difficult to say as I imagined. I have practiced Xiaoli countless times to the air, and today I finally have the chance to say it to someone else.
Wang Han heard an unfamiliar voice calling her "Mom". She looked up and was surprised to find that her eldest son Xiao Li was standing not far from them.
The little boy has grown into a real man. Standing among the crowd, he is so dignified and outstanding that people can't take their eyes off him.
Wang Han burst into tears of joy and ran to Xiao Li to take a closer look: "He has grown up and taller..."
Afterwards, he took Xiao Li to meet the two old men who were still waiting for him.
The old lady held Xiao Li's hand and wiped away her tears, "It's all grandma's fault. I should have persuaded your grandpa back then. Otherwise, how could we have been separated for so long?"
Compared to the plump and white steamed bun-like Xiaoming, Xiaoli was too thin. When people get old, they like their family to be safe and healthy. Seeing Xiaoli, who looked like a telephone pole, was unbearable. She kept crying to Xiaoli.
Old Master Xiao was still relatively steady, but now he was looking at him with satisfaction and pride, looking at the good son of their Xiao family, the pride of their Xiao family.
After the two women calmed down, the old man came over and patted Xiao Li on the arm: "Good, good job. Let's go home and let your grandma and your mom make you a good meal."
Obviously, although he didn't say anything, he also felt that Xiao Li was too thin.
A train station with so many people coming and going is definitely not a good place for people to reminisce about the past. Xiao Li nodded, his voice a little hoarse: "Okay, let's go home."
He will be a person with roots in the future... and he won't have to envy others anymore!
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