Upon hearing that Qin Xiaoyu was going on an inspection trip, Zhou Yue immediately became restless and pestered her to go with her.
"If you ask me, I suggest we bring Xiaoyue along. It's good for two girls to keep each other company, isn't it?" Zhou Xing's mother was still worried about Qin Xiaoyu going out alone.
"Mom, don't worry, I've made all the arrangements. I'll be back soon, in four days at most. I'm leaving the child with you."
"You don't need to worry about the child, just take Xiaoyue with you." Zhou Xing's mother coaxed and pleaded on Zhou Yue's behalf, leaving Qin Xiaoyu both amused and exasperated.
No matter what, Zhou Yue absolutely cannot be brought along. If she sees Tang Wenwen pregnant, no one knows what the consequences will be.
If things go well and then she messes things up again, then Qin Xiaoyu would be asking for trouble.
Qin Xiaoyu boarded the train, feeling a little uneasy, wondering if Zhou Xing had boarded yet. They had bought their tickets separately, as the city was too small and they were afraid of bumping into each other. Zhou Xing had deliberately gone to another county early on to board the train from there.
Knowing he would definitely come, Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but imagine a thousand consequences if he didn't show up. This incident revealed that Qin Xiaoyu still lacked trust in Zhou Xing. The last incident had essentially severed their relationship.
Because the New Year celebrations weren't over yet, and it was a northbound train, the carriages were deserted. Thick frost covered the windows.
The journey was so lonely, and there was no phone to play with. Qin Xiaoyu's life was as lonely as snow, so she could only play by making little footprints on the window. She clenched her little fist and pressed a small foot shape into the frost, then used her fingers to draw five little dots for toes.
She was having a great time when she heard someone next to her say, "Can I sit here?"
She turned around and saw a middle-aged man carrying large and small bags, wearing glasses. There were plenty of empty seats in the carriage; he could have taken up six seats without anyone bothering him, but he insisted on sitting opposite Qin Xiaoyu.
"Whatever." Qin Xiaoyu's playful mood waned, and she lowered her eyes, saying coldly.
Zhou Xing hadn't shown up yet, so she'd better behave herself. This time, she was smarter; she wore a thick, long cotton-padded coat that wrapped her from head to toe. Her cousin-in-law had made it by hand, worried she'd get cold while driving. A rabbit fur trim was added to the collar, so when she tucked her neck in, her little face was enveloped in soft fur, even her breath felt warm.
"Are you going to Nenjiang?" the middle-aged man finally spoke up.
"Hmm." Out of politeness, Qin Xiaoyu snorted through her nose.
"We're going the same way. Which farm are you going to?" the man persisted.
"No, it's just to Nenjiang," Qin Xiaoyu replied confidently.
"Oh." The man clearly didn't believe him. He opened a bag next to him, took out a bag of roasted peanuts, poured some onto the table, and called to Qin Xiaoyu, "These are from my hometown, have a taste."
"Thank you, but I don't want to eat." Qin Xiaoyu shrank further into her cotton-padded coat, pretending to take a nap.
"I've been working in the countryside for seventeen years, and I've only been back to my hometown twice." The man was unwilling to accept this and continued talking to himself.
Qin Xiaoyu was touched by this seventeen-year period, twice, and unconsciously sat up straight.
This generation is completely unknown to her.
"Can't you be transferred back to your hometown?" Qin Xiaoyu couldn't help but ask.
"I can't go back. I have a family here, how can I go back? Some people fake a divorce, go back first, and then try to get their wives and children out, and in the end, the fake divorce becomes real. How many people in this world can withstand the test? You can't test people's hearts." The man sighed deeply, filled with endless sorrow.
“Yes, you can’t test people’s hearts.” Qin Xiaoyu thought to herself.
"Have some peanuts, the road's so long, it'll be boring," the man suggested again. Qin Xiaoyu couldn't refuse any longer, so she picked up a peanut and put it in her mouth.
It's so crispy and delicious with just a gentle bite, it's bursting with flavor.
"It's delicious." Qin Xiaoyu wasn't just being polite.
"That's right, I grew up eating this when I was a kid. But when I got to the farm, it was terrible. I was so hungry when I first arrived that I ate whatever was in the wild. One of my female classmates, who went to the countryside with me, ate a few unknown red berries because she was so hungry, and she died that very night. Her whole body turned black..." The man was talking about someone else's story, but Qin Xiaoyu felt a chill run down her spine. The carriage was also gloomy, as if there was someone in every empty seat, those vengeful spirits who could not go home.
"The fruit is poisonous?" Qin Xiaoyu's lips trembled.
“It’s poisonous, but it looks beautiful, bright red, and transparent in the sunlight. She said I’d only try one, just one…” The man’s gaze turned to the outside of the carriage, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he desperately swallowed his tears.
Qin Xiaoyu understood; this deceased female classmate held a very important place in his life.
This female classmate was from his hometown. This trip back to his hometown touched him deeply, but unfortunately, he didn't even have a chance to lick his wounds before he had to return to the reality of the farm.
"How old is your child?" Qin Xiaoyu wasn't trying to spoil the mood, but this was the best way to get rid of sadness. Nothing is more sobering than the messy reality of life.
"One is ten years old and the other is eight years old." Sure enough, the man returned to his position instantly and started peeling peanuts faster.
"How is the education at the farm?" Qin Xiaoyu suddenly thought of the fate of the child Tang Wenwen was about to give birth to and became worried.
If she can't bring the child back legitimately, she'll have to raise him on the farm for a few years. Even if she pays enough money, the farm's material shortages are beyond her ability to solve on her own, not to mention the issue of education.
"Well, that's how it is. We can't expect too much." The man had completely regained his composure. He took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and habitually offered it to Qin Xiaoyu. Seeing her wave her hand in confusion, he chuckled.
"You're visiting relatives, aren't you? You look like a city girl, you don't even smoke, unlike us roughnecks," the man said self-deprecatingly.
“Yes, we’re visiting relatives. My brother will be on the bus soon, we’ll go together.” Qin Xiaoyu pulled Zhou Xing out to deflect the question, but then realized how childish she was and couldn’t help but laugh.
"Don't worry, I'm not a bad person. It's just that the journey was too lonely. Having a girl like you as a companion is a blessing." The man seemed to have lost interest in chatting and took out a book from his bag to read seriously.
It's a clinical medicine journal! I can't believe it. This is Zhou Xing's colleague.
"I'm here." Zhou Xing searched through each train carriage. He was wearing a green military overcoat and a cotton hat. Even in such a low-class outfit, his handsomeness was undeniable, especially when he smiled, which filled the carriage with sunlight.
Qin Xiaoyu realized she had made a mistake: it's easiest for a man and a woman traveling alone to spark a romance, and she had to desperately try to cool things down.
The peanut shells on the table betrayed Qin Xiaoyu, and Zhou Xing glanced at the man a few more times.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
