A food cart staff member pushed over: "Do you need bottled water for dinner?"
The staff member's voice was crisp and clear. After being on the train for so long, the once lively carriage gradually quieted down.
This is the last time the staff will be selling dinner today; after this time, they'll have to wait until tomorrow morning.
What's served for dinner?
A man in front of them raised his hand to ask a question, and the staff quickly pushed the food cart over.
"There are chicken leg rice, tomato and egg rice, and vegetarian options include shredded potato rice and eggplant rice."
The man glanced towards the food cart and started taking money out of his pocket: "Give me an eggplant rice bowl, how much?"
The staff skillfully opened the blanket covering the food cart and took out the steaming hot boxed meals from the baskets inside.
"Vegetarian dishes are 15 cents, tomato and egg dishes are 20 cents, and chicken legs are 25 cents."
The man promptly handed over the money, and as soon as the boxed lunch was opened, the aroma of eggplant wafted out from the vicinity.
The little girl next to him stared longingly, swallowing hard. She looked up, her bright eyes gazing expectantly at the man beside her.
"Dad, can we have dinner now?"
They were in such a hurry that they didn't eat the lunch provided on the train.
She only ate one steamed bun this morning, and she's been holding on until now. She's starving and has no more food to eat.
The man pulled out all the money from his pocket, crumpled bills, which amounted to only a few dollars.
"Are you hungry, little one? How about we have some shredded potatoes? After we go to the hospital and see Mommy, Daddy will take you to eat something delicious."
The little girl's face lit up with joy: "Okay, potatoes are my favorite food. Thank you, Dad."
The man looked somewhat embarrassed, and hesitantly counted out 15 cents from the small bills with his hands. He looked at the train conductor with a somewhat hoarse voice.
"I want a rice bowl with shredded potatoes."
The man's fingers were cracked in several places, his skin was dark, as if he had been doing hard labor for many years, and he spoke in a dialect that was hard to understand.
When Xie Zhiyan saw this scene, he felt as if something had struck his heart.
He understood the man's feelings very well.
He took ten yuan from his bag and stuffed it into the man's hand as he was about to get off the bus.
He was in a hurry to leave this time, and all he had left was this cash. Once a man becomes a father, he becomes someone who must be capable of everything in this world.
Even if they are short of money, they will not hesitate to give up anything for the sake of their children.
He hugged his luggage tightly, turned to look out the window, the night reflected on the glass, and couldn't help but smile as he thought about how he already had two children.
If he were to see his daughter, he would probably try to pluck the stars from the sky if she wanted them.
Uncle Zheng said that the little girl looked like Shu Ying and had a similar personality.
The father and daughter had never met before, and it was unknown whether the little one would be resistant to him.
I've also heard that her son is very stubborn. Boys are always more mischievous than girls. Will the little guy's upbringing cause Shuying too much trouble?
Over the years, how much energy has Shu Ying spent raising her two children on her own?
He likes lively children, as long as they don't cause Shuying too much worry.
"If you see the children, you won't need to ask any questions. Just one look and you'll know that the boy looks exactly like you."
Uncle Zheng's words were still echoing in Xie Zhiyan's ears.
He was even more eager to see Shu Ying and the two children.
"Eat quickly, we'll be in the capital soon."
The man opened the lunchbox, and the little girl politely turned it towards him, saying, "Daddy, you eat first."
The man smiled with relief: "Dad isn't hungry yet, you should eat."
The little girl happily picked up her chopsticks, carefully took a bite of shredded potato, and put it in her mouth, one eye savoring the brief moment of deliciousness.
Xie Zhiyan's lips unconsciously curled up.
It's often said that girls are a mother's little cotton-padded jacket, I wonder if her daughter will be just as well-behaved and sensible.
"Bang--"
Xie Zhiyan was still thinking to himself, and the smile on his face hadn't even faded yet.
Suddenly a loud bang came from the front carriage, and the carriage began to shake violently.
"Wow, wow wow—"
On the train, children, whether asleep or awake, all began to wail loudly.
The girl, who had been enjoying her meal, looked up in horror and instinctively glanced at the man beside her.
The man held her tightly in his arms, carefully watching the situation ahead.
"Don't be afraid, little girl, Daddy's here, Daddy's here."
A commotion erupted in the carriage, followed by a strange, loud noise that grew louder as it approached.
Before anyone could react, the front of the train exploded, a wave of heat hit them, and the massive shockwave sent everyone who was still moving around inside the carriages flying out.
"Mommy, I want to go home, Mommy!"
Xie Zhiyan's pupils reflected the exploded front of the train. Their carriage was right in the middle, and a group of people were running towards the two passageways like headless flies.
But the train is still on the tracks, and the doors haven't been opened yet. If it runs in the wrong direction, it's like a moth drawn to a flame, only hastening its own demise.
Xie Zhiyan quickly stood up from his seat, put his hands to his lips and shouted, "Everyone, don't be afraid! Everyone lie down under your seats. Don't move around. The train is still shaking, so don't make any sudden movements. Follow the instructions of the train staff, and everyone will be fine!"
"Everyone, don't panic, listen to me..."
"Bang--"
Before Xie Zhiyan could finish speaking, thick smoke billowed towards them at a visible speed.
The carriage is a very enclosed space, and it was already noisy.
The sounds of children crying, adults panicking, and violent impacts from outside created a painful sensation in the ears.
"Is this a car crash or a fire? Everyone, run for your lives!"
I don't know who shouted first. We haven't seen any obvious fire yet, but such thick smoke couldn't have appeared out of thin air.
The situation inside the carriage was becoming increasingly chaotic, with thick smoke carrying a pungent odor, making it impossible to even see what was happening in the adjacent carriage.
Panic grew among the crowd, with everyone desperately trying to jump out of the windows to escape, but it was too late.
The sudden collision between the two trains threw many people off balance, and train staff who had been pushing the dining car were killed instantly.
"Oh no, someone's dead! Someone's dead! What happened? How could trains collide? What are we going to do? Is there anyone to save us?"
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