Xu Ningyan paused for a moment, then accepted the small tokens of their appreciation. She barely managed to accept them all herself, so Gu Zhiyuan helped her take some.
Seeing that Xu Ningyan had accepted the gifts, the officers breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that it was almost time, they didn't dare to talk to the two of them any longer, but only told them that next time they came, they must visit their home.
Xu Ningyan and Gu Zhiyuan got into the car, waved to them, and the car started moving.
Even after driving quite a distance, I could still see those people standing there, waving in our direction.
Xu Ningyan looked away and down at the things in her hands: pancakes she had made, boiled eggs, steamed buns, and two honeydew melons in the net bag.
The food was clearly made by the officers' wives: steamed buns made entirely of white flour, with oil seeping through the skin; and a dozen or so boiled eggs that were still warm, indicating they had been taken out of the pot not long ago.
The pancake also contained eggs, was sprinkled with scallions and then fried, and brushed with a layer of homemade chili sauce, which smelled delicious.
They were all made with care.
In the cold morning in the northwest, the wind blowing in through the car window was chilly. Xu Ningyan held the dozen or so warm eggs in her hand, and her heart softened as well.
There weren't many people traveling from Ganzhou to Beijing, especially in the sleeper carriages, which were almost empty.
The two men got on the train and, since the officers had brought them food that morning, they didn't go to the dining car.
I only filled two tubs with hot water, and then I finished off the steamed buns with the hot water.
The steamed buns are filled with pickled cabbage and vermicelli, with a little meat inside. The flavor is a combination of sour and slightly spicy, which is very appetizing.
After finishing the steamed buns, Xu Ningyan ate a boiled egg and was full.
Gu Zhiyuan had a good appetite and devoured five or six boiled eggs and two pancakes before he was full.
After eating, Xu Ningyan felt sleepy. She was leaving the Northwest Military Region last night, and for some reason, she tossed and turned for half the night. She felt like she had just fallen asleep when she was woken up to get up.
Now that I'm full and satisfied, waves of sleepiness are washing over me.
Gu Zhiyuan told her to take off her shoes and go to sleep on the middle bunk. They had bought one middle bunk and one lower bunk. They originally wanted to buy soft sleeper tickets, but unfortunately they couldn't get them. Even so, they had to ask a lot of people for help.
Xu Ningyan yawned, obediently climbed into the middle bunk, and listened to the rhythmic sound of the train running on the tracks outside. She soon drifted off to sleep.
Gu Zhiyuan closed his eyes to rest, his arms crossed over his chest, seemingly asleep, but in reality, he could be awakened by the slightest noise.
Fortunately, the three days and two nights in the capital were peaceful, and we finally arrived in the capital on the afternoon of the third day.
Xu Ningyan felt like she was rotting all over. Even Gu Zhiyuan couldn't maintain his usual appearance after these three days of travel. He had a green stubble on his beard and his clothes were quite wrinkled.
Fortunately, after buying the train tickets, Gu Zhiyuan sent a telegram to Sun Zhou, informing him of his arrival time in the capital.
After finally squeezing off the train, they saw that Sun Zhou had also seen them and was waving enthusiastically from a distance.
Overcoming the obstacle of the crowd, the three successfully reunited.
When Sun Zhou saw Xu Ningyan, he grinned at her and Gu Zhiyuan, took the things from Xu Ningyan's hands, nudged Gu Zhiyuan with his shoulder, and whispered, "Why are you so proactive? You're managing to do both public and private things at the same time. You've solved the case and won over your wife?"
Gu Zhiyuan kicked him: "Shut up! You talk too much!"
Sun Zhou chuckled, took two steps forward, and moved closer to Xu Ningyan: "Comrade Xu, you've finally made it to the capital, you should stay a few more days and let Old Gu show you around! You must have had a long journey..."
They went on and on with pleasantries.
Xu Ningyan knew that Sun Zhou was a smooth and worldly person. The two were also acquaintances and had dealt with each other a lot over the years. They were very friendly and chatted warmly, forgetting about Gu Zhiyuan.
Gu Zhiyuan glared fiercely at Sun Zhou, but the two in front of him were so engrossed in their conversation that they were oblivious to what was happening.
After exiting the station, Sun Zhou led the two men a few steps forward and stopped in front of a jeep. He opened the door and said, "Old Gu, wasn't I good enough? Knowing you were coming with Comrade Xiao Xu, I immediately went to the bureau to get a car to pick you up! With that thought in mind, shouldn't you treat me to a nice meal tonight? We don't need to go to a restaurant, just have Comrade Xiao Xu cook a couple of dishes and have a couple of drinks? I'm really craving Comrade Xiao Xu's cooking now that we're back in Beijing—"
Gu Zhiyuan put the things in the trunk, gestured for Xu Ningyan to sit in the back, then opened the passenger door and got in, saying, "Let's go—"
Sun Zhou laughed angrily: "You really think of me as your driver?"
Gu Zhiyuan opened the car door, got out, and sat in the driver's seat: "Give me the keys, I'll drive it myself!"
Sun Zhou tossed the keys to Gu Zhiyuan. Before he could even get in the car, Gu Zhiyuan inserted the keys, stepped on the gas, and sped off.
It sprayed exhaust fumes all over Sun Zhou's face.
Gu Zhiyuan leaned out of the car window and said, "Take the bus home yourself! I've settled everything in. I'll return the car tomorrow morning!"
After saying that, he stepped on the gas again.
Sun Zhou was jumping up and down, cursing and swearing, and he didn't forget to chase after him.
After chasing for a full mile, Gu Zhiyuan finally released the accelerator and pulled the car over to the side of the road.
Sun Zhou got into the car in a fit of rage and plopped down in the passenger seat. "Old Gu! You're so heartless! I came to pick you up, and you actually made me drive this far—"
Gu Zhiyuan glanced at Sun Zhou: "You're already panting like this after only running 800 meters. It seems you haven't been training at all while I was away?"
Sun Zhou immediately swallowed the rest of his complaints, which were extremely scathing.
He forced a fawning smile: "Well, it's just that it's hot. Besides, how can two legs outrun four wheels!"
Seeing that Gu Zhiyuan's expression hadn't improved, Sun Zhou's eyes lit up, and he immediately turned to Xu Ningyan: "Little Xu, it's rare for you to come here. Back in Jingshan County, your brother Sun always ate plenty of good food from your family. Now that you're here, your brother Sun should at least show you some hospitality! How about we go for roast duck tonight? I guarantee you've never had it before—"
Then Sun Zhou saw Gu Zhiyuan's expression soften, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Then he wanted to curse again: "You old Gu! I never expected you, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, to be this kind of person! You haven't even gotten your wife yet, and you're already protecting her like this! After we get married, she'll definitely be henpecked!"
Xu Ningyan really wanted to say that she had indeed eaten roast duck before.
Moreover, she smelled sour all over and all she wanted to do was find a place to take a shower, change her clothes, eat something light, and go to sleep. She didn't want anything else.
Hesitantly, she looked at Gu Zhiyuan.
Gu Zhiyuan saw Xu Ningyan's hesitant expression in the rearview mirror, a slight smile playing on his lips, and then said, "Since you're so keen, let's do it tomorrow! You're all tired today, get some rest! Is my house all set up yet? Is it habitable?"
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