Chapter 11
It was a hot day, and the windows of the green train were all wide open. Amid the clanging sounds, the wind blew unbridled, which was very comfortable. However, there was also a downside: the eyes would often be blocked by messy hair.
When the bus arrived at the station, Chen Lanjun got off with her hair in a mess.
Compared to the empty hands she had when she left her hometown, she now had a dark green travel bag in each hand and a dark green travel bag in the right hand, and a paint-chipped military water bottle slung over her shoulder, which was forced upon her by Chen Mudan, asking her to drink more water on the road.
There were many people on the platform, and passengers were rushing towards the exit.
Chen Lanjun was too lazy to squeeze in, so she got off the bus slowly and walked around to rest.
When she was about to reach the exit, she suddenly heard someone calling her name: "Lan Jun?"
Turning around, a young woman in a railway worker's uniform on the platform waved at her happily. It was Chen Lanjun's classmate, Liu Anan.
Liu Anan walked over quickly and said, "It's really you. I thought I was seeing things. You haven't eaten yet, come on, let's go to the cafeteria and eat."
As she spoke, she grabbed a luggage bag and put her arm around Chen Lanjun.
"I heard from my colleagues that you came to see me. Later, I went to your house during the holidays. I heard that you went to visit your aunt and finally came back."
It was lunchtime and the company cafeteria was bustling with activity.
Seeing Liu Anan, many people greeted her with a smile: "Anan is here, who is this?"
"Auntie Wang, this is my classmate!"
…
They are either aunts, uncles, brothers or sisters. As the child of a railway worker, Liu Anan was basically raised by these predecessors, so he has a good relationship with them.
Liu Anan specially ordered two meat dishes and said, "This fried oil residue is the most fragrant. Try it."
In the days when meat was hard to find, the lard residue made from lard was a good thing. It was fried until golden, crispy and fragrant, and tasted delicious when chewed. It was the best dish to eat with rice.
Chen Lanjun ate half a bowl of rice with fried pork lard. When she looked up, she saw Liu Anan's smiling face.
"You guy, why are you laughing if you don't want to eat?"
Liu Anan said: "I am so happy, sitting and eating with you, just like we used to in the school cafeteria."
She took over her father's position in her second year of high school and left campus. Everyone said that she was lucky because she got the job directly and didn't have to worry about anything else. This was true, but Liu Anan occasionally still missed her time on the high school campus.
After I started working, most of my colleagues are elders, and I don’t have friends of the same age to interact with, so I do feel like something is missing.
Chen Lanjun looked at her expression and guessed a little bit.
She also laughed: "Okay, I'll make you laugh just to get your meal ticket."
After finishing their meal while chatting and laughing, the two of them temporarily left their luggage bags in the cafeteria and asked the cafeteria staff to help look after them and wash the dishes, just like they did in school.
Under the banyan tree next to the cafeteria, there is a long row of sinks. We turned on the faucet and chatted while flushing.
"How is it? Is Suicheng fun?"
“It’s a good place.”
Seeing that the people washing dishes had left, Liu Anan moved closer to Chen Lanjun and asked softly, "Hey, are you... going to Suicheng to do the reselling business?"
Chen Lanjun looked up at her, surprised at her sharpness. Then she thought that it was normal for a child of the railway system to think of this.
Those who were bold enough dared to transport goods by rail for resale in the early days of reform and opening up.
Chen Lanjun pondered and said, "Why do you ask this?"
Liu Anan said: "Your bag is quite heavy."
She frowned. "If it's true, tell me secretly and I can help you cover it up. But don't get caught! I tell you, someone was caught last week and was immediately sent to the 'Daban' (Office to Combat Speculation and Traders) for a study class."
Chen Lanjun shook her head: "I really didn't do that. What I brought are some local specialties, gifts for family and friends, and some for you."
"And mine?"
"Of course."
Before returning, she went to department stores and food companies and bought a lot of small things. She prepared a headband for her friend. The headbands sold these days are very simple in style, either black or blue, but the quality is very good and can be worn for a long time.
After Liu Anan got the blue hair flower, she put it on immediately: "Does it look good?"
"It looks good. It looks really good." Chen Lanjun replied with a smile.
After chatting for a while, Liu Anan reluctantly sent Chen Lanjun to take the minibus.
"When you come back to study in a few days, you must come to play with me often during the holidays, please!" Liu Anan repeatedly reminded him.
"Okay, we will meet often in the future," said Chen Lanjun.
In fact, if they had followed the previous trajectory, Chen Lanjun and Liu Anan would not have met at this moment. She would have stayed in the countryside to teach, while Liu Anan would have continued to work in the county. Then, as time passed, the two of them were like two railroad tracks that met briefly, each running towards their own path. Later, when she went back to her hometown to sort out photos, Chen Lanjun flipped through the old photo album. In the old black and white photos, the two girls held hands tightly and smiled brightly.
However, those good school friends in the photo have not seen each other for more than ten years.
There is nothing worth making a fuss about. Compared to good sisters in movies and novels who break up because of falling in love with the same person, their never seeing each other again was too plain and they just lost contact quietly.
The minibus started off with a bump. Under the gaze of the hen in the basket of the aunt next door, Chen Lanjun waved to Liu Anan vigorously: "Go back. See you in two days."
Another few hours of journey.
When Chen Lanjun finally walked into the fields of her hometown, it was already dusk.
The setting sun shines on the paddy fields, creating a golden glow.
When Chen Lanjun came back, the younger sister was feeding the chickens in front of the house. She looked up and saw her elder sister's figure. Her hands trembled and some bran was spilled, causing the chickens to cluck and loudly thank nature for the gift.
"Dad! Mom! My sister is back!"
The younger sister put away the dustpan in her hand, told her parents the news and went forward to greet them.
Dad Chen Zhisheng ran out from the main room and Mom Zheng Mei poked her head out from the kitchen.
Different from Chen Zhisheng and his younger sister who were concerned about Chen Lanjun's well-being, Zheng Mei had a stern face and looked Chen Lanjun up and down. After confirming that the girl's hands and feet were intact and there was no sign of being beaten, she breathed a sigh of relief, still with a cold face, and walked into the kitchen without saying a word.
Chen Lanjun took off her things and asked quietly, "She's still angry?"
Chen Zhisheng winked at her and said, "That's enough. Go and apologize to her."
Chen Lanjun followed him into the kitchen, with her head lowered and her face submissive.
"Mom, I'm back."
Zheng Mei didn't look at her, and continued to wave the spatula coldly to scoop out the vegetables from the big iron pot.
Chen Lanjun moved closer to Zheng Mei's right side, squeezed into her field of vision, and blinked: "Mom, I was wrong——"
Zheng Mei blew out her breath, but she didn't scold her, nor did she say that she accepted her apology. Instead, she said, "Go, bring me some bacon."
Chen Lanjun smiled, responded, and went to get the bacon.
At the back of the main room, there was a bamboo basket hanging from the roof, and inside it lay a piece of dark bacon, which was specially kept for use as a dish when distinguished guests came or when a happy event occurred.
Take out the bacon, cut it into a small piece, rinse it with water from a large vat, put it on the chopping board and cut it into small pieces.
Although the mother and daughter didn't speak, they cooperated well.
While Zheng Mei was cooking, Chen Lanjun used tongs to stir the burning branches and firewood in the earthen stove to adjust the temperature.
The weather is good today, and there is a lavender glow in the sky.
Chen Zhisheng moved the square table from the house to the lawn in front of the house. My younger sister took out a stack of white-bottomed blue-ringed earthenware bowls from the cupboard and arranged them in order. Chen Lanjun was busy passing dishes between the kitchen and the outdoor dining table.
By the time Zheng Mei in the kitchen stopped waving the spatula, it was time for dinner to begin.
A bowl of fragrant fried bacon was placed in the center of the square table.
The family sat together, and a yellow dog from a neighboring village smelled the meat in the wind, ran over, and circled around the people's legs under the table. This one-year-old puppy, when a piece of meat skin was thrown over, the dog's tail wagged left and right for a long time, and even rolled on the ground, exposing its soft belly to show friendliness, silly and cute.
Chen Lanjun then threw another piece and received another enthusiastic rub from the puppy.
At the dinner table, the younger sister asked Chen Lanjun about her experience, "Sister, do you have to get up very early to set up a stall?"
"Of course, you have to get up around two in the morning." Chen Lanjun explained briefly.
Unexpectedly, the little girl's face wrinkled into a bitter gourd after hearing this, and she looked at her with extremely sympathetic eyes: "Sister, you have worked so hard."
Chen Zhisheng also said: "Yes, second sister, you must be tired during this period."
"It's a bit tiring," Chen Lanjun picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks, "but it's worth it to have meat to eat."
Zheng Mei still had a stern face and looked very serious. She picked up a large piece of meat with the chopsticks in her hand, then turned it in mid-air and put all the meat in Chen Lanjun's hand.
Chen Lanjun looked at the meat and then looked at herself.
"What are you looking at? Eat your meal." Zheng Mei said.
So he lowered his head and ate.
After dinner, my younger sister went to wash the dishes while Chen Zhisheng lit the stove to boil water. When his daughter came back, he had to boil a pot of hot water for her to take a comfortable bath.
Taking advantage of the remaining sunlight, Chen Lanjun moved the chair under the eaves and sorted out the things she brought back.
Zheng Mei took a large palm-leaf fan and sat beside her, fanning her and driving away mosquitoes. This was also a habit. For some reason, Chen Lanjun always attracted more mosquitoes than other people in the family. So Zheng Mei prepared two palm-leaf fans and subconsciously fanned her with one when she held one in her hand.
As she got closer, she caught a glimpse of the dark circles under Chen Lanjun's eyes. She stared at him for a long time, and then she thought of what her younger sister had asked her during dinner just now, and she felt a little distressed.
She raised her second sister to this age, and tried her best to let her suffer as little as possible and let her study peacefully. However, this sister turned out to be as stubborn as a cow and insisted on seeking hardship.
All in all, it's because they, as parents, are incompetent. If they had worked harder when they were young, they wouldn't have to be so stingy even to pay for their daughter's education.
"Mom, this is for you."
Chen Lanjun took out a white shirt from the army green luggage bag and showed it to her.
"Look, this is 'Dacron'."
The so-called Dacron is actually a kind of polyester fabric. Although everyone is pursuing natural fabrics such as pure cotton fabrics later, Dacron is now the king of the clothing market and is highly sought after because it is durable and the material does not wrinkle. There was once a joke that said a person bought a pair of Dacron underwear and wanted to show off, but had no way to do so, so he made a sign with the words "Dacron inside" written on it, hung it on his body and walked around to show off, similar to the enthusiasm of people who bought brand-name bags and watches later. One day, this person wanted to go to the toilet, and before entering the public toilet, he temporarily hung the sign at the door. However, when he came out after using the toilet, he saw a long line, and everyone was looking forward to it, asking: "When will the Dacron inside be released?"
It is evident how popular it is.
In the department store, Chen Lanjun rarely used the power of competition and just got this item from Zheng Mei.
"You're like a funnel. You can't keep any money." Zheng Mei complained, but the corners of her mouth were clearly raised.
She took the dacron shirt, turned it over and over, and said, "What should I wear at my age? I accept the favor, you can wear it."
Chen Lanjun said leisurely, "I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to wear it, so I bought a ready-made Dacron shirt in your size. It's more expensive than buying the fabric alone."
"You are such a slut..."
Zheng Mei muttered something, took the shirt, and continued to fan Chen Lanjun.
Chen Lanjun waited, but she never asked herself how much money she had earned.
“Why don’t you ask me how much money I make?”
"Why are you asking this? The money you earn is yours. If you can earn it, you can save it well." Zheng Mei paused and said, "Oh, I still want to ask, have you earned enough money for tuition and living expenses?"
Chen Lanjun nodded: "I earned it."
"That's fine, Lao Chen, is the water hot? Let my second sister go wash up early." Zheng Mei shouted into the house, then turned around and told Chen Lanjun, "Look at your eyes, they're so dark, go to bed early!"
Late at night, in the sisters' bedroom, Chen Lanjun lit a candle using the kerosene lamp.
The little sister looked at the dancing flame of the candle and said, "This candle is good. It doesn't emit black smoke."
Chen Lanjun smiled and said, "Yes, but it would be better to have electricity. Our family must use electricity next."
As she spoke, she suddenly took out three dollars from her bag and said, "Look, the landlord can collect rent now."
The younger sister rubbed her eyes and said happily, "Wow, sister, you are so awesome."
She took the money and counted both sides.
Chen Lanjun was puzzled: "Well, it can't be □□."
"What are you thinking about?" The little sister laughed, "I just want to feel how to count money. Hehe, it feels like watching a hen lay eggs."
She divided the money into two parts, one dollar in her left hand and two dollars in her right hand, and handed them to Chen Lanjun: "Sister, take them back, you worked so hard to earn them."
Chen Lanjun rubbed her head and said, "Silly, just take it if I give it to you."
"I'm serious!"
"Your sister doesn't need these two dollars."
The younger sister couldn't refuse her, so she compromised: "But I have so much money all of a sudden, I don't know what to do with it. Sister also bought me the pen I wanted. I think it's better to put this money with you."
Chen Lanjun thought about it and said, "How about this? I'll return one yuan of the principal to you, you keep one yuan for yourself, and give me the remaining one yuan as the principal for the next time, and we'll wait for the dividends. How about that?"
The younger sister reached for the notebook and said, "Sister, wait a minute, I'll do the math."
The little girl wrote and calculated on the paper seriously, then looked up and said, "Sister, how about I keep one dollar and fifty cents and lend you the remaining one dollar and fifty cents? This way I can get more dividends later."
"Of course you can," Chen Lanjun laughed, "You really have some sense of investment. Don't worry, I won't let you lose money."
After settling the bill, the two sisters talked privately in the light of candles.
The younger sister briefly told Chen Lanjun what had happened at home during this period: "Mom didn't say anything, but she was worried. When she heard that the arrest warrant had been issued, she went to find out, fearing that it was you."
"Oh, yes," the younger sister suddenly remembered, "your friend, the one called He Miao, came to see you twice."
Chen Lanjun nodded: "I understand. I will go see her tomorrow."
He Miao was also her classmate, living in the next village, and was also her good friend. Like Chen Lanjun, He Miao failed the college entrance exam, and the two of them went to teach in elementary schools together. They went from classmates to colleagues, and their relationship was particularly good.
The next day, Chen Lanjun took gifts and went to find He Miao.
He Miao's mother was very enthusiastic: "Alan is here, He Miao is at home, and her new colleague is also here, come in quickly."
Before entering the house, I could hear He Miao and another girl talking and laughing, very loudly.
But when Chen Lanjun walked into the room, the laughter suddenly stopped.
After a moment of silence, He Miao greeted Chen Lanjun: "You're back?"
"Yeah, I'm back."
He Miao asked her to sit down and introduced her, "She is my colleague, her name is Xiaofang."
Chen Lanjun nodded politely to Xiaofang. She recognized this girl, and she was her former colleague. However, because Chen Lanjun and He Miao were very close at that time, they did not have a deep friendship with Xiaofang.
After a few pleasantries, Chen Lanjun took out the gift she had brought and gave it to He Miao.
"Oh, thank you. This flower is so beautiful."
He Miao accepted the flower and said with a smile, "I heard that you plan to repeat your studies."
Chen Lanjun said: "Yes, I will go back to school in two days."
"That's great," He Miao said, "Then I wish you good grades and a bright future."
Chen Lanjun looked at her and nodded slowly: "Thank you...you too."
There is nothing else to say.
After leaving the house, she stood under the shade of the tree for a while and heard the voices of He Miao and the girl inside the house. They seemed to be talking about their ideas for work and complaining about their failed college entrance examinations.
At this time, Chen Lanjun suddenly remembered that the reason why she and He Miao became familiar with each other was because of this summer.
Having shared the sadness of failing the college entrance exam, the frustration of having to teach, and the fear of the future, she and He Miao were almost inseparable that summer, and they became good friends.
But this time, the summer was coming to an end and she had just met her.
Then, future alienation is also foreseeable.
The sunlight shines on the camphor tree, and the shadows of the leaves are on the ground, swaying in the floating light.
I feel melancholy.
After a moment of silence, Chen Lanjun stepped forward and walked into the sunlight.
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