Chapter 88 Met Again
Gao Xiulan and Lin Xiaotong each carried a large woven bag and a backpack on their chests, which contained food and drinks.
"There are so many people, it's a good thing we came early."
Gao Xiulan and Lin Xiaotong arrived early and found a good spot in the waiting hall, leaning against a pillar and sheltered from the wind. They used newspaper to cushion their positions and finally landed on the ground.
The two of them looked at the crowd that kept pouring in, their butts glued to the ground, as the space next to them was already occupied.
Lin Xiaotong didn't dare drink more water, for fear that she wouldn't be able to squeeze in after she finished.
Lin Xiaotong sat close to her mother-in-law Gao Xiulan, looking around. Many people couldn't find a place to sit and had to stand.
It was very stuffy when there were so many people. Everyone's face was red from the heat and they could only wipe the sweat with their sleeves and fan themselves with their hands.
Before leaving, Lin Xiaotong took a few newspapers with her and put a few of them under her butt. She now held the remaining two in her hands, and she and Gao Xiulan each used one to fan themselves and cool down.
With a swish, the train door was opened by the conductor, who lowered the step and shouted that we could get on the train.
For a moment, the crowd was in turmoil, and everyone rushed forward with large bags, and the place was crowded.
The people in front were running towards the door happily, and the people behind were unwilling to fall behind, so they were also trying their best to squeeze forward, pushing and shoving.
But it’s hard for those who are stuck in the middle. They can only squeeze forward with the vortex of the crowd. Their feet are stepped on from time to time, and their shoes may be stepped off if they are not careful.
People who are a little shorter should also be careful not to get hit on the head by the luggage carried on the shoulders of tall people.
Getting on the bus is also a difficult battle between people.
Gao Xiulan and Lin Xiaotong chose a good position, facing the door of one of the carriages.
The moment they heard the sound, they quickly grabbed their luggage and ran forward. After squeezing their way through, they finally got on the train.
The people who got on the bus generally had messy hair, wrinkled clothes, and red faces. Gao Xiulan and Lin Xiaotong were no exception.
Both of their short hair were messy, and Lin Xiaotong's bangs were in clumps. She reached out and pulled her bangs up.
The two of them went to the hard sleeper car according to the ticket position. There was no one inside yet. This time they bought two connected middle and lower berths.
"Mom, let me get some water."
Gao Xiulan's waist had just been pushed by someone, and it still felt a little sore when she sat down.
"Xiaotong, please come back soon."
Lin Xiaotong responded and went out to get hot water with a large teapot.
I squeezed through the crowd with difficulty and arrived at the place where I could get hot water. Even here, it was full of people, most of whom had bought standing tickets and were eating pancakes with hot water.
Many people are in a hurry and feel hungry after drinking porridge in the morning. They carry hard bread with them to fill their stomachs.
Lin Xiaotong squeezed in to get some hot water and passed through the hard seat carriage on her way back.
There were many people sitting opposite the hard seats. Many people who came later had not yet boarded the bus, and those who got on earlier took the children and things handed to them at the window.
The child screamed with excitement, and finally the adults climbed in from the carriage, and the family finally got on the bus safely.
Lin Xiaotong carefully walked around the things piled on the ground and returned to the hard sleeper compartment.
"Mom, come and drink some water to moisten your throat. I mixed it with some cold water."
"Why."
Gao Xiulan leaned on the lower bunk and took a few sips from Lin Xiaotong's hand. After drinking, she lay down and closed her eyes to rest.
Lin Xiaotong stood up and tidied up the middle bunk, stuffing two woven bags between the two bunks.
After packing up, Lin Xiaotong fell asleep. She had gotten up early in the morning and was now sleepy. The carriage rattled forward at a steady speed as she embarked on her journey home.
…
"We're selling boxed lunches! Boxed lunches with meat and vegetables! 30 cents each."
Lin Xiaotong heard the sound of the flight attendant selling lunch boxes in her sleep. She touched her belly, got out of bed and went to buy lunch boxes.
It’s a rare opportunity to take a train, so I have to eat the boxed lunch on the train.
"Comrade, I want two boxed lunches!"
There were still some people buying lunch boxes. When it was Lin Xiaotong's turn in the queue, she directly ordered two lunch boxes.
"Six cents, take it. Two lunch boxes and two spoons. Just wait for me to collect after you finish eating."
Lin Xiaotong returned to the carriage with the hot lunch box. Gao Xiulan also woke up and sat up with sleepy eyes.
"Mom, you're awake. Come and eat your lunch. We'll try it too."
"Just eat it, why buy it for me?"
Gao Xiulan looked at the lunch box that Lin Xiaotong brought in and said with a smile.
"Mom, eat it while it's hot. We're going on a long trip so we have to try the boxed lunch. Otherwise, when we get back, the aunties in the compound will definitely say something."
"That's impossible. I can't let them laugh at me."
Sure enough, after hearing this, Gao Xiulan stopped refusing and directly opened the lunch box.
There really was meat and vegetables inside. The rice was at two-thirds of the aluminum lunch box, with meat and vegetables on top, which was very similar to the rice bowl we have today.
A few slices of meat with thick sauce are placed on the rice, with cabbage and a few pieces of Harbin red sausage on the side, and a little bit of sour beans sprinkled on the edges.
The two of them smelled the delicious food and started eating with their lunch boxes. It tasted pretty good.
The rice underneath was packed very solidly, and Lin Xiaotong finished it while filling her stomach.
…
In the afternoon and evening of the next day, people came to the carriage.
Lin Xiaotong was lying on the middle bunk, eating the crispy little crabs fried by Gao Xiulan, one at a time.
Her feet were shaking with joy, and when she heard someone coming in, she looked down.
Wow, it’s a familiar face.
Lin Xiaotong remembers the young couple, Xiaoxue and Ayu.
I didn't expect to meet you again.
Xiaoxue walked in angrily and sat on the lower bunk opposite, sulking.
A Yu followed behind with the luggage, comforting Xiao Xue in a low voice.
"Xiaoxue, don't be angry. I'll write to them later and ask them to apologize to you."
A Yu put the things on the ground, sat next to Xiaoxue, held her hand and comforted her in a low voice.
"Ayu, you said I came all the way to your house, and your mother has that attitude?"
Oh, it looks like the young couple had an unhappy encounter when meeting their parents.
Lin Xiaotong and Gao Xiulan pricked up their ears at the same time and listened openly in the corner.
"I really can't understand why your mother and sister-in-law can't even sit at the table to eat."
Xiaoxue was yelling, not caring about the people around. She was really angry and she couldn't hold it in until she said it out loud.
"Also, at the dinner table, I asked you to pick up some scrambled eggs for me, but the way your mother looked at me made me so nervous."
Xiaoxue trembled twice when she thought of that look and tried to break free from Ayu's hand.
"Xiaoxue, you also know my family's conditions. My father and brother are exhausted from working for a living, so they need to eat as soon as they get home. For convenience, we let the grown men eat at the same table."
A Yu could only hold Xiao Xue's hand tightly and explain in a low voice.
"My mom and my sisters-in-law always eat slowly and the kids are noisy, so they're used to eating together."
"I actually made the scrambled eggs for you, but my mom gave me a look when she saw I didn't pick any food for you."
"Xiaoxue, you think too much. My mother is not that kind of person."
"Is everything you said true?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
