It was already past ten o'clock in the evening when the train pulled into the station. Many people were sleeping on their beds in a daze. They were awakened by the train whistle. Confusedly, they saw the brightly lit station through the train, rubbed their faces casually, picked up their luggage and rushed out of the train.
The Haicheng Railway Station at that time was far from being as prosperous as it is in later generations. The place where the train entered the station was a flat cement platform with a shed on top. Green-painted benches were placed every few meters in the middle of the ground. Many people wrapped in thick coats were either lying or sitting on the chairs, guarding their luggage.
Haicheng Station was not the final stop of this train. When they got off the train, others were getting on. People inside wanted to go out, while people outside wanted to squeeze in. People were almost deformed by the squeezing.
"Auntie, it's so late, can you take care of the child by yourself?" Jiang Dahai asked worriedly as he helped Old Lady Weng carry the luggage out of the train with difficulty.
They had already sent a telegram to Haicheng before they set off, and someone would come to the station to pick them up tonight and arrange their daily life for the next few days.
"No need, I have fellow villagers in Haicheng." Old Mrs. Weng waved her hand and looked at the people waiting outside the iron fence. Her eyes lit up: "My fellow villagers are waiting for me outside. It's okay. I'm sorry to bother you these two days."
The old lady wrapped her sleeping grandson tightly with a cloth belt, picked up a big bag in each hand, and walked away briskly. Halfway through the walk, she turned back and smiled at them.
"Here are our people to pick us up."
The enthusiastic old lady waited for the people to come and pick her up, but they were nowhere to be found.
"snort--"
The little girl who lived in the same carriage with them snorted as she walked past them, gave them an eye roll, and walked away from them with a clattering sound in her high-heeled leather shoes, obviously still holding a grudge.
"Let's go out too. Maybe someone is waiting outside."
Ruan Yuanjiang spoke to the few people, Huo Wu nodded and hugged the sleeping girl in his arms tightly, while Jiang Dahai held his son's hand tightly and followed them nervously.
Haicheng, in his entire life, the farthest he had been was the county town.
"Grandpa Ruan, the people waiting for us are there."
Jiang Yilu had good eyesight and he immediately spotted a man standing not far away, wrapped in a military coat and wearing a military cap. He was holding a sign in his hand with the names of Ruan Yuanjiang and Huo Wu written concisely on it.
"Hello, comrade. I am Jiang Dahai, the person in charge of bringing them to Haicheng. This is a certificate from the team." Jiang Dahai took out the written materials given by the county and the team from his pocket.
The person who came to pick us up was a very kind young man. He took the documents without looking at them carefully and said, "You have two children with you. It's cold outside now. I have arranged a guest house for you. Let's go there first. I will tell you about the arrangements for the next few days when we get there."
The winter in Haicheng is very damp and cold. Although the temperature is not as low as theirs, the biting cold is even worse. The cold wind blowing on the face feels like a knife. I want to shrink my neck and bury my face in my clothes.
In such weather, not to mention the children, even the adults couldn't stand it. After hearing the suggestion of the young man who came to pick them up, they all thanked him and left.
The decoration of guesthouses nowadays is relatively simple. The guesthouse chosen by the young man for them is quite good. It has a separate bathroom and hot water is available 24 hours a day. There are three adults and two children in total, so the other party opened two rooms for them, both double rooms.
Not far from their guesthouse is the most luxurious Overseas Chinese Hotel in Haicheng, which is specially used to entertain foreign guests. The lower floors are the restaurant and the upper floors are the inn. Ordinary overseas Chinese cannot stay there.
When Jiang Yiliu passed by the Overseas Chinese Hotel holding his father's hand, the hotel was still brightly lit. Through the transparent glass, he could see many fashionable men and women walking around in the hotel. Gentlemen in suits and ladies in cheongsams and mink coats, arm in arm, looked very different from the people who were separated by a door.
Jiang Yilu took a few glances, then turned his head and listened to the conversation between Grandpa Ruan and the young man.
The young man asked them to call him Xiao Xu. He was from the Haicheng Overseas Chinese Affairs Office. In recent times, the Haicheng Overseas Chinese Affairs Office has probably dealt with a lot of cases similar to Ruan Yuanjiang's.
"In your case, the government still allows you to emigrate abroad, but the country can only help you handle the procedures for moving to Hong Kong City. It's the same for both Indonesian and American compatriots."
Ruan Yuanjiang is not a politician. Before he was demoted, he was a professor in the Economics Department of Haicheng University. It was only because of his family's overseas connections and his identity as a scholar that he encountered trouble. His application was not like those of sensitive figures, which required layers of political review.
"Your situation is better. It's your relatives in Hong Kong who applied to take you there. But it's troublesome for the overseas Chinese in Indonesia and the United States. China, India and the United States don't have diplomatic relations yet. Even if a group of people are approved and go to Hong Kong and Australia where they are unfamiliar with the place, I don't know how they will live."
When applying for immigration now, the Public Security Bureau will not issue passports. Instead, all applicants for going abroad will be issued a "Hong Kong and Macau Pass". All those who have obtained the certificate can leave the country and arrive in Hong Kong or Macau accompanied by their relatives. Those who arrive in Hong Kong or Macau will receive a "temporary residence permit" that needs to be extended regularly. They can choose to obtain a "permanent residence permit" after living there for seven years, or go to the country they really want to go to with the help of their relatives.
Xiao Xu glanced at the gentle old man. The Ruan family of Haicheng was once very famous. The flour mill and textile factory in Haicheng were all the properties of the Ruan family. There were also a dozen garden houses, some of which became the residences of leaders, and some of which were transformed into dormitories for employees.
He had heard about this old man from his elders and admired him very much. During the most difficult years, it was the Ruan family that donated their assets in the country. At least the older generation in Haicheng gave the Ruan family a thumbs up when they mentioned them.
Xiao Xu's parents worked in a factory called Ruan's Flour Mill. The Ruan family never deducted workers' wages. If people in the factory had any difficulties, the factory would find out the reasons and provide some help. When his grandfather was seriously ill, the Ruan family also paid for a doctor.
Although this incident was just one of the many good deeds the Ruan family had done, and perhaps the old man in front of them didn't even remember the old employee who survived because of his good deed, but for the Xu family, the old man's good deed will always be remembered in their hearts.
This is also the reason why he is so respectful and kind to them at this time. Otherwise, with the hats on Ruan Yuanjiang and Huo Wu's heads at this time, they would not receive such a considerate arrangement.
Sow good seeds and reap good fruits, that's probably what it means.
"Your nephew has already rushed from Shenzhen to Haicheng. He will probably arrive at the Overseas Chinese Hotel tomorrow afternoon. When he arrives tomorrow, I will come to the guesthouse to take you to meet him."
"The guesthouse provides three meals a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner. The serving time of each meal is written at the counter. The Overseas Chinese Affairs Office will settle the cost of food and accommodation, so you don't need to pay for it yourself." Xiao Xu lied about this. In fact, the money was paid out of his own pocket. His family also knew about it and supported him in doing so.
At the beginning, Mr. Ruan was framed by the rebels led by Fang Changzheng. Those who had been helped by him did not have the courage to stand up and speak for him. Now, they can only do what they can to make up for their mistake of standing idly by.
Others didn't know what Xiao Xu was thinking at the moment, they just felt that the staff of the Haicheng Overseas Chinese Affairs Office were of high quality and did things in a thorough and careful manner.
It was already very late at night. After Xiao Xu arranged accommodation for several people, he briefly talked about tomorrow's arrangements and got up to leave. Huo Wu and Jiang Dahai sent them to the door, returned to the room and closed the door.
"Uncle Ruan, Xiaobao and I will stay at the guesthouse and wait for you tomorrow. You and your nephew will not see each other for many years, so we will not disturb you." Jiang Dahai thought for a while and said to Ruan Yuanjiang.
"It just so happens that I didn't get enough rest on the train these few days. Xiaobao and I can have a good rest tomorrow."
Ruan Yuanjiang pondered for a moment and felt that what Jiang Dahai said made some sense: "Okay, tomorrow Da Wu and I will take Ruan Ruan to see Yuan Qing."
He might not be able to take care of Dahai and the others tomorrow. After he has explained everything to Yuan Qing, he will take Dahai and the others for a walk. They will have to go to several shopping malls to buy all the things that the villagers have entrusted them to carry.
Haicheng, he hasn’t been back for a long time.
Jiang Dahai breathed a sigh of relief. For a country boy like him, if he were asked to enter such a high-end place as the Overseas Chinese Hotel, he would probably not even know what to do with his hands and feet. It would be better for him to stay in the guesthouse.
Jiang Yiliu was lying on the bed, with Ruan Ruan who was already asleep beside him. He pretended to close his eyes and snored, but he was thinking about what excuse he could find to sneak out tomorrow. He had already prepared the things in the space, waiting to exchange them in Haicheng.
The voices of several people gradually became quieter, Huo Wu and Jiang Dahai got up and went to the next room. The lights in the room dimmed, Jiang Yiliu closed his eyes, felt the old man standing by their bed for a long time, bent down, and kissed Ruan Ruan who was sleeping beside him.
"Why--"
A sigh, filled with reluctance.
Jiang Yilu wanted to open his eyes and tell him to just keep Ruan Ruan, but he didn't dare because he couldn't afford the risk. Five years was too long and no one knew what would happen in the meantime.
Just like the choice made by Ruan Yuanjiang, leaving is just for the sake of meeting again next time.
“Woo woo—”
The little girl didn't know what she was dreaming about. She twisted her body restlessly and kicked the quilt aside.
Ruan Yuanjiang covered his granddaughter with a quilt, and tucked in the corners of the quilt for Jiang Yilu who was pretending to be asleep, then got up and left.
All night long, Jiang Yilu could hear the tossing and turning of the old man in the next bed. He knew that the old man had not slept all night just like him.
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