Xu Ningyan was only awakened when the announcement in the carriage came on.
Seeing that she was awake, Gu Zhiyuan also sat up and told Xu Ningyan to go wash up first.
Xu Ningyan took the teacup, toothbrush, toothpaste, and towel to the connecting area between the carriages.
It's still early, so there aren't many people using the restroom.
She pinched her nose and went to the toilet first. After washing up, Gu Zhiyuan went next.
After Gu Zhiyuan finished washing up, he took the two lunch boxes to the dining car and came back wobbling a while later.
I packed two large lunchboxes of white porridge, four large steamed buns, some pickled vegetables, and two boiled eggs, and placed them on the table.
Xu Ningyan woke up feeling better after a night's sleep. The environment in the soft sleeper was also better, and the smell wasn't as unpleasant, so she finally had an appetite.
He finished a whole lunchbox of congee, a steamed bun, and a boiled egg; Gu Zhiyuan took care of the rest.
With nothing to do after dinner, and since they couldn't talk much on the train, the two stared at each other for a long time. Finally, Xu Ningyan pretended to take out a set of math, physics, and chemistry books from her bag, but actually from her spatial storage: "Since we're just killing time anyway, explain the problems to me!"
Gu Zhiyuan smiled, took the book, and asked calmly, "So, which question don't you understand?"
The whole morning was spent discussing the topics.
At noon, I ate a lunchbox full of hot soup and a stir-fry dish, along with the dry-fried pancakes and meat sauce that Xu Ningyan had brought. Then I packed my luggage and prepared to transfer trains.
Half an hour before they were to disembark, the train conductor came to inform them and warmly explained how to transfer.
When the train arrived at the station, the train conductor helped carry the luggage off the train and, without waiting for the two to thank him, turned around and got back on the train.
After another hour of travel, the two finally boarded a train bound for the Northwest Military Region.
The further northwest we went, the more desolate it became.
Greenery is becoming increasingly scarce, and more and more Gobi deserts and barren mountains are coming into view.
At noon, the sun scorched the earth, and the hot wind blew sand in through the car windows, covering people's heads and faces with sand and dust.
As evening fell, the temperature dropped sharply. Even with the car windows closed, I still felt cold wearing only a single layer of clothing.
Fortunately, both of them were in sleeper berths, so they had blankets to cover themselves with, and if it got really cold, they had that brand-new military overcoat.
They ate mostly noodles and steamed buns, which caused Xu Ningyan, a southerner who craved rice every day, great suffering.
Finally arriving at Ganzhou Station, their destination, Xu Ningyan breathed a sigh of relief.
It was already afternoon when we arrived at the station. Although Ganzhou Station is large, not many people got off. It looked empty and somewhat desolate.
Before leaving, Gu Zhiyuan had already sent a telegram to the military region here, stating his arrival time.
Sure enough, after getting off the train, I saw two men in green military uniforms standing conspicuously on the platform, holding up signs with the words "Comrade Xu Ningyan" written on them.
Gu Zhiyuan gestured for Xu Ningyan to follow him, walked over, and greeted her: "Hello, are you from the Northwest Military Region? This is Comrade Xu Ningyan, and I am her fiancé, Gu Zhiyuan. We received an official letter from your military region and came from Jingshan County to cooperate with the investigation!"
He then pulled out their letters of introduction and the official letter.
After carefully checking the letter of introduction, the two men in green uniforms glanced at Gu Zhiyuan discreetly, then saluted: "Gu Zhiyuan, Comrade Xu Ningyan, we are here from the Northwest Military Region to pick you up. Please get in the car with us!"
As he handed back the letter of introduction and official document, he offered to help take the luggage.
Gu Zhiyuan took a step back to let the two men's hands pass him: "Could you two please show your identification as well?"
The two men in green uniforms paused for a moment, then frowned. Did they not believe them?
However, recalling the organization listed on Gu Zhiyuan's letter of introduction, he understood and readily showed his identification.
After both sides had checked each other's work, they both breathed a sigh of relief.
The officer in green uniform helped take the luggage and led the way while explaining the situation: "Our vehicle is outside. After you get in, it's still a hundred kilometers to the military region. We won't leave tonight; we'll rest at our military region's guesthouse in Ganzhou for the night and set off tomorrow morning!"
Fearing the two might misunderstand, he added, "The road is not easy to travel. If we set off now, it will take five or six hours to get there, barring any unforeseen circumstances. Moreover, there are wolves at night, and if we encounter a sandstorm, it will be even worse. So, for safety's sake, we will set off tomorrow morning."
Gu Zhiyuan nodded: "I'm sorry to have troubled you!"
The two men in green uniforms said solemnly, "This is what we should do!"
Outside the station was a jeep. After getting in, the car drove for a short while before arriving at the military region's guesthouse in Ganzhou.
There was a guard post at the entrance of the guesthouse, and they checked and registered my identity before letting me in.
Walking inside, there was a rare two-story building with a few trees planted in front of it. There weren't many people inside. Besides the green-uniformed soldiers and staff coming and going, there were a few ordinary people sitting under the trees by the door chatting. Not far away, a few children were playing and laughing.
Everyone looked over when they saw the jeep drive in.
Gu Zhiyuan and Xu Ningyan got out of the car and were taken to the front desk to complete the formalities.
There are plenty of rooms, one single room per person, arranged across from each other, so you can hear each other if anything happens.
Two men in green military uniforms helped carry the luggage into the room and told the two that there was a public bathhouse for showering and a canteen for dinner. They told them to collect their shower and meal tickets at the front desk with their keys.
The cafeteria serves food from 6 PM to 7 PM; after that, there's no more food left.
The same goes for showering; the hot water stops running after 7 p.m.
Breakfast will be at 6:00 AM tomorrow, and we will depart at 7:00 AM. We will meet at the entrance then.
After explaining these things, the two men in green uniforms took their leave.
The two tidied up their things a little, and the first thing they did was take a shower.
After being on the train for several days, not only our clothes but also our bodies smelled sour.
After gathering a change of clothes, along with an enamel basin, towels, and soap, the two went to the front desk, each receiving a bath ticket. Following the staff's directions, they exited through the main gate, walked fifty meters to the right, and then turned left.
The bathhouse was divided into men's and women's sections, and Xu Ningyan went straight into the women's section.
There weren't many people in the bathhouse at this time, and Xu Ningyan was the only one inside.
The place was empty except for rows of hot water taps. There were no partitions, which meant that if a large group of people came to shower, everyone would have to be completely naked.
Xu Ningyan randomly chose a tap near the back and turned it on, and hot water gushed out.
Xu Ningyan lathered her hair with soap three times before she felt clean.
After changing into clean clothes, I saw Gu Zhiyuan standing not far away, looking at the sunset on the horizon, lost in thought.
Judging from his appearance, he had already finished washing up and had been waiting outside for quite some time.
Hearing footsteps, he turned around and saw that Xu Ningyan's hair was still dripping wet. He took the enamel basin from her and gestured for her to dry her hair first.
The two walked slowly toward their lodgings.
Upon reaching the gate, the group of people dressed as ordinary civilians tentatively greeted them: "Comrades, were you also sent here by the military region?"
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