At this time, people were still in a stage of lacking food and clothing, and their stomachs were dry and lacking in oil and fat. Most of them were pale and thin.
Even though Gu Wei had specially changed into his dusty old clothes, he was still different from the other passengers in the carriage, standing out like a crane among chickens.
It's hard not to notice them.
Not only the young woman sitting in the middle of the three-seater across the aisle, but also the young woman whose eyes kept drifting towards him.
The elderly woman with gray hair sitting opposite Gu Wei was also looking at him.
The middle-aged man accompanying the old lady had his hair parted in a 3/7 style, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a pen clipped to the pocket of his Zhongshan suit jacket.
Seeing his mother staring at the young man, he quickly coughed lightly and said, "Mom, why don't you rest your head on the small table for a while?"
The old lady waved her hand and said, "No need, I'm not sleepy."
At that moment, Gu Wei turned his gaze away from the car window and his eyes met those of the old lady.
Then, it was as if a switch had been flipped.
"Young man, where are you getting off?"
Gu Wei had overheard snippets of the mother and son's conversation and knew they were also going to the provincial capital, so he said directly, "The provincial capital."
The old lady laughed and said, "Oh dear, we're also in the provincial capital. What are you doing there?"
Gu Wei succinctly replied: "Business trip."
"Alright then, we'll have to transfer to the capital to see a doctor later..." The old lady was a talkative person, and she told him about her family's affairs in a very straightforward manner.
Gu Wei didn't really want to know about other people's affairs, but he still had to give a response, otherwise it would be impolite: "Oh, really?"
The old lady liked Gu Wei more and more as she looked at him. "Young man, are you married?"
Gu Wei answered truthfully, "No."
The old lady pressed on, "Do you have a boyfriend?"
Gu Wei suppressed his impatience, "No, there isn't."
"You're so handsome, how come you don't have a boyfriend? Are you picky?"
"It's alright, it's mostly about first impressions, I haven't met anyone suitable yet..."
Gu Wei disliked the old lady's conversational style, which resembled a household registration inquiry.
He doesn't belong to this era, and he harbors a secret.
It's easy to make mistakes if you speak too much to someone you don't know well.
Naturally, he didn't want to talk much.
However, one can understand the elderly person's natural extroversion.
Taking the train is a very boring thing.
Chatting with people can help pass the time and is better than sitting idly.
In addition, everyone has a curious and gossipy nature, which is especially true for people her age.
Moreover, during the journey, people meet by chance and go their separate ways after getting off the bus, so there's not much restraint in talking to each other.
Fearing that his mother would become disliked if she continued like this, the middle-aged man quickly joined in the conversation.
"Excuse me, which organization do you work for?"
Gu Wei casually blurted out, "A timber processing plant. And you, brother?"
"I work in the city government office," the middle-aged man said with a hint of pride.
Gu Wei smiled and said, "Then you have a good job."
The specific position wasn't mentioned, but it's not hard to guess.
He must not be a high-ranking official, otherwise why would he bring his elderly mother to sit in a hard seat? They should have gone to a sleeper or soft sleeper carriage.
"It's alright. It's the job I was assigned after graduation."
After chatting for a while, Gu Wei felt that there wasn't much to talk about with men.
He looked down and took a book out of his bag, his intention to end the conversation quite obvious.
The man also picked up the newspaper he had brought.
Only the old lady remained enthusiastic about chatting.
Then he started chatting with the farmer-dressed man next to Gu Wei.
A new round of household registration-style chat has begun.
The older brother next to him was clearly more adaptable than him, and it didn't take long for him to explain the situation at home.
He also vividly recounted how the father-in-law and daughter-in-law in the east of the village had an affair, which was discovered by their son, who then hanged himself in a fit of anger.
This immediately drew the attention of passengers all around, who pricked up their ears to listen.
Because of this initial spark, some people started talking about even more sensational things happening around them.
For a time, it was quite lively.
Gu Wei appeared to be reading, but he didn't actually absorb much of it.
It seems that gossiping is human nature.
He was no exception.
The green trains were not only slow, but they also stopped at each station, and some of the station names were quite interesting.
Finally, they arrived at the Big Locust Tree Station, where the farmer-looking man next to Gu Wei got up and left.
The young woman next to her had just stood up when a young man with a buzz cut, who had been standing in the aisle, immediately sat down. She couldn't help but show an annoyed expression.
The young man even gave Gu Wei a friendly smile.
Gu Wei smiled back.
However, it is still necessary to maintain a certain level of vigilance and caution.
After all, there are supposedly a lot of thieves these days.
Soon, it was time for dinner.
Soothing music played over the loudspeaker in the carriage.
People took out steamed buns, flatbreads, pickled vegetables, and all sorts of food, and even took enamel mugs or canned jars to fetch hot water.
Train vendors also pushed their food carts through the narrow aisles, calling out, "Cigarettes, soda, peanuts, melon seeds, boxed lunches, come on, young man, move your legs a bit."
As Gu Wei listened to the same hawking voice that still resonated decades later, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
While the country has experienced rapid development in many sectors, some things have remained unchanged.
Someone asked, "How much are the boxed lunches?"
"Three cents, no food coupons required. Want one?"
In an era when monthly wages were only a few dozen yuan, three cents had considerable purchasing power. Therefore, the man hesitated for only a moment before waving his hand and saying, "Well... I guess I won't come."
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