The next day, the two packed their luggage, and Xia Jin greeted the staff in her store so that they would be able to find her if they needed anything.
The county where Xia Jin and his friends are now is Zhuang County, which belongs to Bin City and is a port city, while the address where Liu Xiu is going to the countryside is in Yang City, which is already inland. Although they are in the same province, the two places are quite far apart and require a train to get there.
There is no train station in Xia Jin's county town now, but in Xia Jin's memory, the first train station was built here in 1986, so it will be convenient then.
Now the two of them were carrying their luggage. Since they didn't know how many days they would be back, they packed a few clothes and toiletries. Xia Jin took advantage of Gu Jingmo's inattention to store all the money and valuables in the space. Xia Jin knew that there were many pickpockets on the trains in this era. If they put the money and valuables in the space, they could steal them. After all, they were not valuables.
We both had some small denomination notes on us, so we couldn't just buy something and take the money out of our suitcases filled with clothes. Putting the money in the inner pockets of our clothes was much more convenient.
After arriving at the county bus station, the two entered the bus station and found the ticket window. Xia Jin carefully looked at the destination in front of each window to avoid buying the wrong ticket.
After finding the window to Lian City, Xia Jin and Gu Jingmo walked over to queue up to buy tickets. At that time, there were only a few buses a day, and tickets usually had to be bought in advance, so Xia Jin was not sure if there would be tickets when it was her turn.
Soon it was Xia Jin and her friends' turn. Fortunately, they still had tickets, but they were all for the afternoon. Xia Jin and her friends bought the early train, which departed at 1 p.m., but they would have to sleep in Lianshi tonight.
Xia Jin put away the tickets he had bought. It was still early, only around half past ten, so Xia Jin decided to go eat first and then go back to the station to wait. He would not go home. It was almost time for lunch, so he could still grab a good seat on the morning train.
The two of them found a small stall at the entrance of the bus station to eat. Xia Jin was afraid that she would be bored on the bus later, so she found a small shop nearby and bought some snacks and canned melon seeds. Xia Jin had never eaten most of these when she was a child. When she was a child, Grandma Xia would only buy them for Xia Qingqing and not for her.
After buying their things, the two of them went into the bus station. They found their own bus early and chose a double seat by the side. Xia Jin sat next to the window, and both of them held their luggage on their shoulders. Anyway, there was still some time before the bus departed, so Xia Jin took a nap.
When Xia Jin opened her eyes drowsily, most people had already boarded the bus. Known and unknown people alike were chatting with those around them in a friendly manner. They all carried large and small bags, carrying everything.
Some carried dried vegetables and the better things from home to visit relatives, while others packed only the clothes they had on hand, ready to venture out into the world. However, most of the latter were young people who, having heard news from their relatives in the south, wanted to strike it rich.
The whole carriage was filled with all kinds of smells. It was winter and the windows couldn't be opened. Xia Jin couldn't help but rest her head on Gu Jingmo's arm. She smelled the faint scent of laundry detergent on Gu Jingmo's body and took a deep breath.
When the time came, the driver took a look at the full carriage, repeated the destination again to prevent anyone from getting on the wrong car, and then began to prepare for departure.
Xia Jin sat in the car, watching the familiar streets gradually disappear into the distance. Knowing that she would never see them again, she withdrew her gaze, tilted her head on Gu Jingmo's shoulder, and began to doze off with her eyes closed.
Fortunately, most of the roads that cars drove on had been paved with cement at this time, so they were not too bumpy. Otherwise, with the strong smell and the bumpy roads, Xia Jin would definitely vomit in the car.
The two aunts in front of Xia Jin were chatting all the time, and the whole carriage was very noisy, so Xia Jin did not fall asleep like before. Xia Jin leaned on Gu Jingmo's shoulder and listened to the conversation of the two aunts in front with interest.
The aunt sitting by the window went to Lian City to visit her sister. It was said that they hadn't seen each other for many years and only reconnected last year. Xia Jin heard her say that her sister had run away with the educated youth and had no news of her since then.
In a fit of anger, her mother unilaterally severed ties with her, but no matter how hard-hearted parents are, they are no match for their children. When her mother wanted to write to her to say that she didn't blame her and missed her, she found that they couldn't find her.
My aunt's mother passed away last year, and she was still talking about her daughter before she died. It was such an unfortunate coincidence that a month after her mother's death, they received a letter from Lian Shi, and that's how they reconnected with their sister.
Xia Jin thought this was a regret. She had not seen her mother for the last time after more than ten years. She wondered if her sister regretted it. Xia Jin thought maybe I was trying to avoid this regret from happening.
The aunt on the left is quite interesting. She talks endlessly about the village gossip and all kinds of weird things.
There was the story of their village Party secretary having an affair with a butcher's wife, only to be caught red-handed by the butcher, and both of them sent to prison. There was also the story of a girl who got pregnant out of wedlock and refused to reveal who did it, and was eventually forced to jump into a river. Now the father of the child remains a mystery.
Xia Jin spent three boring hours listening to these gossips. After arriving at the Dalian Bus Station, the two of them took their luggage and got off the bus. As soon as they left the station, Xia Jin said, "It's indeed a bit more prosperous than where we are."
In Xia Jin's county town, the number of cars could be counted on one hand, and most of them belonged to factory leaders. As soon as Xia Jin left the station, he saw three or four cars rushing by. The streets and buildings in Lian City were also newer and better built.
Gu Jingmo looked at Xia Jin for a while and then said to her, "Let's go, find a hotel to stay in first, and then we can go out for a walk, how about that?"
Xia Jin said, "Let's go. I'll do as you say."
The two of them found a clean guesthouse and booked two rooms for safety. The two rooms were next to each other. The old house had poor sound insulation, and any movement on one side could be heard quickly on the other side. In this way, Gu Jingmo could know what happened to Xia Jin at the first time.
After putting their things away, the two of them prepared to go out for a walk and pick up the two train tickets that Gu Jingmo's friend had gotten. If they didn't buy them in advance, it would be easy to miss out, and if they didn't, they would have to wait.
The person Gu Jingmo had asked for help this time was called Li Dezhong, the grandson of the brothers of the old Li family in Beijing. Since the generation of Li Dechen's grandfather, the Li family has been divided into two branches. One branch joined the army, which is Li Dechen's family. The other branch is in politics, and its base is also in Beijing. Li Dezhong's father is the second child and is currently gaining experience in Lian City.
When Gu Jingmo arrived, he went to a place where he could make a phone call and called Li Dezhong. The two of them agreed to meet at the People's Hotel. After the call, Gu Jingmo took Xia Jin to get a car. When they arrived at the hotel, Li Dezhong had already arrived.
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