The train station was packed with people, mostly former educated youth returning to the city. Everyone's face was filled with joy and longing, and the marks left by time seemed to have faded considerably. They were all in extremely high spirits.
Southeast and Southwest, along with Yan Xiaoqiang and Ma Mingchun, Xuemei and Tang Xiaoling, Yan Xiaonan and Ye Chen'er, eight people carrying more than twenty bags of luggage ran to the soft sleeper compartment of the train. Cuihua and Grandma Yan carried two little ones, and Liujin and Wujin and Wuban followed behind.
The compartment had six beds, a table in the middle near the window, and three bunk beds on either side, divided into upper, middle, and lower bunks. Yan Xiaonan glanced at the train tickets; there would be one other person in their room, occupying a middle bunk.
However, Yan Xiaonan wasn't worried at all. In this day and age, those who can afford a soft sleeper are basically people of some status. He would just keep an eye on things and be careful.
One by one, the bags were stuffed under the chairs and into the aisle, and they all fit. Yan Xiaonan cleverly tied red strings to the food bags, making them very easy to identify.
Seeing that it was almost time, Tang Xiaoling and Xuemei took their little ones back, Yan Xiaonan helped his grandmother, Ye Chen'er helped Cuihua onto the train, and Yan Xiaoqiang waved to them, saying, "Go back now."
Liu Jin burst into tears: "Auntie, you have to write to me quickly! Have you written down my home address yet? Don't lose it!"
Yan Xiaonan stuck her head out of the car window and patted Liu Jin's head: "Don't worry, Auntie will remember. If you have anything to say, tell Auntie. You're not allowed to make decisions on your own, remember? Also, learn more from your father. Your father will definitely be a great person in the future."
Liu Jin nodded repeatedly with tears streaming down his face. The train whistle had already sounded, and the train slowly started moving. All the train attendants boarded the train and closed the doors tightly. Liu Jin ran after the train, and Dongnan quickly caught up. Yan Xiaonan waved his hand, telling Liu Jin to hurry back and not run anymore.
Grandma Yan also poked her head out, glancing at the unfamiliar train station. She was about to leave her hometown and head to a city with an unknown future. How would she manage in the future? She glanced at Nan Nan beside her, and her anxious heart immediately calmed down. With her darling Nan Nan by her side, she had nothing to worry about.
Southeast, Southwest, Xuemei, and Liujin all shed tears. Wujinban didn't know why everyone was crying, so he also started crying loudly. As soon as he started crying, the two little ones also started crying loudly.
Tang Xiaoling sighed, "Southwest, Nan Nan is truly a treasure to our family. Even though she took away her grandmother and parents, her family still misses her so much."
Southwest coldly said to Tang Xiaoling, "You're absolutely right. Nannan is the pillar of the family. You'll soon realize how difficult your life would be without Nannan."
Dongnan and Xuemei looked at them strangely. What was wrong with this couple? Liujin ignored them and took Dongnan's hand, saying, "Dad, you teach me to read. I want to study hard and improve every day so that I can go to the capital and be with Auntie."
Southeast nodded: "Liujin, you're right to think that way. Dad will work hard with you to try to go to the capital and reunite with your aunt, grandparents and great-grandmother."
Southeast turned to Southwest and said, "Southwest, now it's just the two of us brothers here. If you need anything, call me. If North and South come back, make sure they don't leave, understand?"
Southwest nodded: "Brother, I'll put your things away separately when I get back. Anyway, there are two cellars. Just come back and get more food when you run out, okay?"
Southeast nodded: "Then I'll take Xuemei and Liujin to catch the train. You go to the post office and send a telegram to your uncle, telling him and your grandmother their train number and time, and reminding them not to forget to pick them up."
Southwest nodded, and the two brothers said goodbye and left, but they both glanced in the direction the train had gone and silently murmured, "Nannan, you have to keep going!"
The train was accelerating, and there were only five people in the compartment. What they didn't know was that the train conductor had bought the train ticket out of his own pocket. The certificate that Southwest had shown when he bought the ticket let the conductor know that it was the major general's mother and younger brother who were taking this train today. How could he let outsiders disturb their family?
Yan Xiaonan kept an eye on the compartment and noticed that no one had entered after the train had traveled some distance. She was relieved; not everyone could buy a soft sleeper, so it was normal that no one had bought one.
Grandma Yan told Cuihua to quickly bring out all the food and drinks and put them on the table so that anyone who was hungry or thirsty could eat as much as they wanted. It was the first time for Cuihua and Yan Xiaoqiang to ride a train, and they were extremely excited.
While touching the soft sleeper bed and measuring its size with his hands, Yan Xiaonan thought, "Why is this bed so small? I'll fall off if I turn over." He pointed to the horizontal bar next to him and said, "Dad, there's this. You won't fall off."
Yan Xiaoqiang shook his head repeatedly: "No, it's too short and too small, it's useless, I'll sleep on the bottom."
Cuihua touched these things too, feeling a little scared. She glanced at everyone and said with a forced smile, "Then I'll sleep on top of Xiaoqiang."
Yan Xiaonan knew her mother was scared, but she couldn't take her mother's place. She was secretly amused, thinking that once she slept in this soft sleeper, she wouldn't have to worry anymore: "Grandma, you sleep here, Chen'er and I will sleep in the highest one."
Ye Chen'er nodded repeatedly, thinking that it would be great if Chen Ming were here, as there would be an empty seat for him to sleep in. What a pity.
Grandma Yan glanced at the highest bed. It's fine that it's so low. Her precious child can run like the wind in the mountains. The height of these beds is nothing to him. She just doesn't know if Ai Dang's daughter-in-law can manage.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they started playing cards. Cuihua didn't know how to play, so she pretended to sleep on the bed. Before long, Ye Chen'er and Yan Xiaonan's faces were covered with thin strips of paper, the result of them tearing a page from an old notebook.
It wasn't surprising that Yan Xiaoqiang knew how to play cards; most men in the village would play from one house to another. But the fact that Grandma Yan was so good at cards was beyond Yan Xiaonan's expectations. Yan Xiaonan felt relieved; Grandma wouldn't be lonely in the capital, at least she knew how to play cards. By the time she learned to play mahjong, he probably wouldn't be able to find her again.
The train lights started to come on, and soon the lights in the carriage would be turned off. The group tidied up quickly, climbed into bed, and went to sleep. The night passed, and Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua both realized that their daughter hadn't lied. This horizontal bar looked small and short, but it actually served a very important purpose. How could she be so clever?
In the morning, everyone took out their towels, washbasins, toothbrushes, and toothpaste, and went to the restroom to brush their teeth and wash their faces. There were fewer people in the soft sleeper section, so it went smoothly. Yan Xiaoqiang and Cuihua and the others gradually went from being excited to boarding the train to being bored.
Especially after the train had been running for only a few days, the train conductor would say that the tracks ahead were damaged and the train would have to wait until the tracks were repaired before it could move forward. As for how long it would take, it depended on the extent of the damage; it could be as short as a few hours or as long as several days.
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