He Tingjun left his seat and returned a while later, holding an oil-paper bag containing two large fried dough sticks, each about twenty to thirty feet long.
"I've already reissued my ticket. The conductor will come to collect the fare soon. Don't bother reissuing it."
After He Tingjun finished speaking, he handed the fried dough sticks wrapped in oil paper to Yun Qiao: "Be careful, the fried dough sticks are just out of the pan and are still a little hot."
Yun Qiao carefully took it in her hand and took a bite. The skin was fried crispy and the core was soft. She curved her eyes in satisfaction and sighed secretly: Sure enough, high-fat food can bring people a sense of happiness.
However, these two fried dough sticks were too big, and Yun Qiao estimated that he could not finish them.
She put the other fried dough stick aside and said, "Brother He, I can't finish two fried dough sticks. You can have this one."
"You can't finish two?" He Tingjun looked at her in surprise.
Yun Qiao nodded in agreement: "The fried dough sticks in the Northeast are so big, one is as big as two in Shanghai."
A female train attendant wearing a badge came by, carrying a tin kettle with a long spout, pouring water for each passenger. She smiled brightly upon hearing this: "Of course not. We Northeasterners are very practical. No matter what we make, we always make it in sufficient quantity. We never worry about anyone not having enough to eat."
Yun Qiao smiled and said, "Yes, Northeastern cuisine is substantial and generous, while Shanghainese cuisine is small but exquisite. Just like Shanghai cuisine, each has its own style."
The female conductor nodded hurriedly: "Yes, yes, that's what I mean. Qi Zhi, are you from Shanghai?"
Yun Qiao hummed, "I'm an educated youth from Shanghai who came to the countryside to support farm construction."
"You educated youth who went to the countryside! You're not afraid of hardship and have high consciousness! Our rural railway passes through this area, and you can see educated youth who went to the countryside everywhere! Thanks to you, the Great Northern Wilderness can be built." The female conductor picked up the tin kettle with a long spout and poured a cup of hot water for Yun Qiao. "Mr. Yun, you must have had a hard time coming all the way from Shanghai. Come, drink some hot water to warm yourself up!"
Yun Qiao's ideological awareness is not as high as she said.
The main reason for this was the salary of several dozen yuan a month for the educated youth in the Agricultural Reclamation Corps.
She pursed her lips indifferently, tightly grasped the teacup filled with hot water, and whispered softly, "Thank you."
The female train attendant quickly went to get some water. Yun Qiao pushed the remaining fried dough stick in front of He Tingjun and said, "Brother He, you can eat this fried dough stick. Fried food should be eaten while it's hot, otherwise it will dry up and become inedible when it gets cold."
Seeing that Yun Qiaoshi couldn't eat anymore, He Tingjun nodded and quickly finished the remaining fried dough stick.
Yun Qiao sat by the window, looking out at the snow-covered woods and farmland, squinting his eyes comfortably and sipping hot water in small sips.
At this moment, the female conductor who had poured water for everyone came back and asked, "By the way, Shizhi, are you two brother and sister? Or husband and wife?"
The female train attendant's words were so shocking that Yun Qiao couldn't even swallow a mouthful of water and choked on it.
“Cough cough cough…”
He Tingjun quickly patted her back: "Drink slowly."
Yun Qiao's face flushed red from choking, and she was speechless. She quickly raised her hand and waved, indicating that He Tingjun didn't need to pat her on the back.
He Tingjun stopped immediately, then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and stuffed it into her hand so that she could wipe her mouth.
The two of them had a tacit understanding. When the female conductor saw this, she smiled knowingly: "I know, you two are a couple, right? I was saying, you two look so good together. A talented man and a beautiful woman, you're a perfect match! If you have a child in the future, it'll be a handsome kid!"
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