Chapter 55
Jiang Jiang and Xie Jinyan returned to the city the day after attending the wedding. School was not scheduled to start until the end of August. At the suggestion of their parents, Jiang Jiang took a bus to the provincial capital a day in advance and stayed at Xie's house for one night. The next day, Xie Xiuming and his wife asked a car to take Jiang Jiang and Xie Jinyan to the train station. They watched them get on the train before asking the driver to drive back.
The trains at that time were still green-skinned trains, and the dark green color was also the most profound memory of trains for passengers of this era. The narrow aisles were packed with passengers' luggage and looked overcrowded. Some bored passengers were playing cards to pass the time. After Xie Jinyan and Jiang Jiang got on the train, it took them a while to find the corresponding train ticket seats according to the instructions on the carriage.
After putting away the luggage, Jiang Jiang sat down at the window seat and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Take a rest if you are tired. This train ride will take more than ten hours."
The train had already started, whizzing away into the distance. Jiang Jiang shook his head, "I'm not tired, I'm even a little excited."
After hearing this, Xie Jinyan stopped paying attention to her, closed his eyes and leaned back in his seat to rest. His facial features were delicate, and he had a cold and aloof temperament that didn't fit in with his surroundings.
When Xie Jinyan woke up, he saw Jiang Jiang talking to a slightly fat woman. The woman was holding a five or six-month-old baby in her arms. The baby was chubby. Jiang Jiang seemed to like the child very much and used her hands and face to make the child giggle.
Xie Jinyan's heart softened when he saw this. It was rare for him to see Jiang Jiang so cute. He asked her gently, "Are you hungry?"
Seeing Jiang Jiang nod, Xie Jinyan took out a bun and a bag of milk from his backpack and handed them to her, "Eat some of this first."
Huang Shuhua had made the buns early in the morning. They were stuffed with cabbage and minced meat and tasted especially delicious. Jiang Jiang was eating the buns and passed one to the woman, "Big sister, have one too."
Seeing Jiang Jiang eating so happily, the woman also felt a little greedy. She wiped her hands on her clothes and said, "Thank you very much, sister."
The woman asked them, "Are you going to the capital to attend university?"
"Yes, where's the eldest sister?"
"My husband has started a small business in the capital, and I was thinking of going over to see if I can help. After all, it's better for our family to be together than to be apart. This is my daughter Lingling, she's just six months old." When the woman mentioned her husband and daughter, the expression on her face softened involuntarily.
“That’s the truth.”
"Are you two in love?"
"No, he is my neighbor's brother, and our parents have a good relationship."
"Oh, I see."
While Jiang Jiang and the others were talking, the baby in the woman's arms looked sleepy, with eyes opening and closing. The woman then stopped talking and gently patted the child to put her to sleep.
"Let's take a break." Xie Jinyan said.
Jiang Jiang yawned. She was indeed sleepy. She finished the milk in her hand and leaned back in her seat to rest.
Xie Jinyan took out a thin plaid jacket from his backpack and covered her with it.
The train was rumbling, and occasionally there was the sound of people walking back and forth. Jiang Jiang said he had rested, but he had only entered a very shallow level of sleep. He was clearly aware of the movements around him. He woke up in the middle of the night, ate a little, went to the bathroom, and was in a daze for two hours before he really fell asleep.
When the train arrived at the station, Jiang Jiang found herself leaning on Xie Jinyan's shoulder. She sat up straight and felt a little uneasy. Seeing that he didn't seem to be awake, she breathed a sigh of relief and gently patted Xie Jinyan, "Brother Jinyan, we've arrived."
"Yeah." He didn't look unusual.
"Your clothes." Jiang Jiang returned the clothes to him.
Xie Jinyan put away his clothes, and the two of them got out of the car with the woman.
The three of them left the train station. The woman's husband had been waiting outside. The woman was exhausted from the long journey and couldn't help crying when she saw her husband. The man hurriedly used his long and thin arms to embrace his wife and daughter, and took the bag from her hand. He coaxed the woman for a while, and the woman stopped crying and laughed, and hit her husband on the chest with her hand.
Jiang Jiang said hello to the middle-aged man, and the three of them parted ways.
It was Jiang Jiang's first time in such a big city. Looking at the high-rise buildings everywhere, the streets and alleys filled with people and vehicles, the noisy voices like a bursting flood, and the whirlpools of black bicycles everywhere, she was a little confused. Fortunately, Xie Jinyan was not unfamiliar with the capital, and he suggested going to a nearby restaurant to eat something first.
They had been sitting on the train for more than ten hours, and Jiang Jiang just had a quick bite to eat on the train. She also wanted to eat something hot, and the two quickly reached a consensus. Xie Jinyan took her through the surging crowd and found a restaurant to sit down.
"What do you want to eat?"
Jiang Jiang looked at the dishes on the menu and said, "I'll have a bowl of vegetable noodles."
Xie Jinyan ordered two bowls of vegetable noodles. There were not many people eating here, so the food they ordered was served very quickly. The noodles were hand-rolled, very thinly, and sprinkled with green chopped green onions and lard. It was fragrant and you could tell that the noodles were absolutely delicious without tasting them.
Jiang Jiang actually didn't have much of an appetite at first, but now looking at the noodles, she felt her appetite was aroused. She picked up the chopsticks and picked up a handful of noodles and ate them. It was indeed very fragrant and chewy. The noodle soup was also delicious, probably made from corn bones, with a strong meaty flavor. Jiang Jiang held the bowl of noodles, ate all the noodles, and drank most of the noodle soup.
After eating and drinking, Xie Jinyan and Jiang Jiang took a bus to Capital University. After entering the school, he first found a place to store his luggage, and then accompanied Jiang Jiang to go through the admission procedures according to the instructions of the school teachers. After registration, they went to the dormitory management office to register for the dormitory and collect the keys.
Jiang Jiang's dormitory was on the third floor. When they arrived at the dormitory, one of their roommates had already arrived and was making his bed. The two greeted each other. Jiang Jiang had never stayed in a school dormitory before, so he casually chose a lower bunk bed next to the window.
Xie Jinyan helped her put her things in order and asked her if she wanted some water. When she came here just now, she saw that there was a store on campus. Jiang Jiang shook her head and said, "Brother Jinyan, I can clean it myself."
"Okay, I'll go back first. If you have anything, just come to our school to find me. You can take bus No. 406 directly there." Xie Jinyan also started school today and had to rush back to school to report, but he was a sophomore and there were no complicated procedures, so he had enough time.
"Okay, I'll take note, Brother Jinyan."
After Xie Jinyan left, Jiang Jiang opened her leather suitcase and began to pack her things. This large suitcase was bought for her by He Guijuan. The suitcase was large enough to hold all kinds of odds and ends. Before Jiang Jiang left, He Guijuan had already prepared all the daily necessities she needed, including soap, toothpaste, slippers, facial towels, face cream, etc.
Jiang Jiang already knew that her roommate was Xu Yingchu, a native of the capital. After making the bed, Xu Yingchu took a look at her clothes and couldn't help asking, "Are you from the city?"
"I guess so. I've lived in the city with my parents since I was five years old."
"The man who came with you just now, is he your boyfriend?"
"No, he is my neighbor's brother, and our parents have a good relationship."
Xu Yingchu nodded thoughtfully. While the two were talking, several other roommates also came to the dormitory. Jiang Jiang greeted them one by one. One of them was called Lin Guiying, who was from a small mountain village in the northwest. Because she started school late, she was two or three years older than Jiang Jiang and the others. When shaking hands, she could clearly feel the thick calluses on her hands, which were the marks of years of labor. There were also Li Wanjun, Fang Yanzi and Liu Huayan, all girls of similar age, and they quickly became familiar with each other.
At dinner time, Jiang Jiang and his new roommates went to the cafeteria to have dinner together. The school cafeteria had a rich variety of staple foods, with food at all price ranges. Jiang Jiang bought two steamed buns and a simple dish to eat. The others in the dormitory went for a walk, went to the school post office to send a letter home to report their safety, and then returned to the dormitory to wash up and prepare for rest.
At night, Jiang Jiang was lying in bed, and thinking that Xu Yingchu was a native of the capital, she asked her how far it was from here to the Capital Dance Academy.
"It's not far, just a few kilometers. If you take the bus, it will take about ten minutes."
Xu Yingchu glanced at her and asked, "Why are you asking this?"
"I have a friend who attends a dance academy."
"Oh."
On the afternoon of the second day of school, an unexpected guest came to their dormitory.
When the two met, they both had sobs in their throats and couldn't help but hug each other before they could say anything.
Jiang Jiang hadn't seen Chen Qiannan for about five or six years. Not long after Jiang Jiang moved to the region with her parents, Chen Qiannan's father was transferred back to Haicheng. However, they had not forgotten their original agreement and both were admitted to universities in the capital.
When they met again, there was no feeling of strangeness. It was inconvenient to talk in the dormitory because there were so many people, so Chen Qiannan suggested going outside, and Jiang Jiang naturally agreed.
After Jiang Jiang took Chen Qiannan to visit the picturesque campus, the two of them found a restaurant outside the school and sat down. It was not that she didn't want to take Chen Qiannan to their school cafeteria for dinner, but mainly because they both wanted to try the authentic capital roast duck.
This restaurant looks quite upscale, with elegant exterior and interior. They probably couldn't finish one, so Jiang Jiang ordered half one and a bottle of orange juice.
Jiang Jiang didn't have to worry about not having money to pay the bill. She had saved all her New Year's money, and her parents always gave her pocket money. They also gave her several hundred yuan for living expenses when she went to school in the capital. She had plenty of money and could fully support her treating her good friends to dinner at such a high-end restaurant.
About ten minutes later, the waiter brought their roast duck. The roast duck was golden yellow. After the chef separated the meat and bones of the duck, he sliced the whole duck into thin slices in front of Jiang Jiang and Chen Qiannan. Watching the chef's knife skills during the duck slicing process was also a kind of enjoyment.
The waiter had already prepared the noodles, sweet noodle sauce, cucumber shreds, green onion shreds, etc. After the sliced duck was served, the waiter had just finished saying "please enjoy your meal" to the two of them when Jiang Jiang called her, "Sister."
"Can you show us how to roll this pancake?"
To be honest, if someone didn't know how to eat roast duck, they would definitely laugh at her behind her back. But the waitress was a little surprised when she saw the girl in front of her look natural, unrestrained, and without a trace of embarrassment or rusticity. After she came to her senses, she stepped forward and put the pancake on a small plate. Then she picked up one or two duck slices with chopsticks, dipped them in some sweet noodle sauce, and put them on the pancake. She put the side dishes on the duck slices and pancake, and finally rolled them into a roll. The waiter rolled a pancake for each of them, and deliberately slowed down the movements so that they could see the steps of rolling the pancake clearly.
"alright."
"Thank you, sister."
After the waiter left, the two began to eat while talking.
After being roasted over fruit wood charcoal, the roast duck has a light smoky aroma. The spring roll skin is as thin as a cicada's wing, chewy and tender. The roast duck sauce is sweet, and the sliced duck skin is crispy and fragrant but not greasy. The duck meat is particularly firm and tender. Jiang Jiang couldn't help but sigh happily after finishing the first one.
“It’s delicious!”
Chen Qiannan couldn't help but nod, "It tastes really good."
Jiang Jiang poured her a glass of orange juice, which was chilled. Refrigerators are becoming more and more popular nowadays. Many restaurants have refrigerators, and Jiang Jiang's family also bought a double-door refrigerator last year.
This orange juice is a bit like the orange-flavored soda she loved to drink when she was a child, but this orange juice has no bubbles, the orange flavor is stronger, and there is fruit pulp in it, so the taste is richer.
"Now that we are both in the capital, we can see each other often. I miss the sweet and sour spare ribs and sweet and sour pork made by your mother." When she and Jiang Jiang went to school together in the county primary school, they could often go to their house for meals.
"I'll ask my mother later and I'll write down the recipe for you."
"Forget it. Even if the recipe is the same, no one else can make the taste the same."
"Then...why don't you come to our house during the winter vacation and I'll ask my mother to make it for you."
"How can I do that... Then it's settled. I'll come visit your house when I get a chance. I haven't been to your house since your parents were transferred. Anyway, I'm grown up now and can travel freely."
"Okay."
Chen Qiannan couldn't help but feel a little melancholy again, "When is the holiday?"
Jiang Jiang couldn't help laughing, "School has just started and you're already thinking about summer vacation."
"Do you like the skirt I gave you last time?" Jiang Jiang's skill in making clothes is outstanding. She sometimes makes clothes for her family members, and even goes out to do some work to earn money when she has nothing to do during the winter and summer vacations. Many old customers specifically ask her to make clothes for them, and are willing to pay more. However, Jiang Jiang usually puts her studies first and does not make much.
Chen Qiannan got excited when talking about this, "I like it very much. When I wore it to school, they all thought it was the latest model bought from Hong Kong City, and they all asked me how I got it through some connections."
Jiang Jiang was very happy that the clothes she made were praised, "I will make you a new one when I have time."
If her hands weren't covered in oil, Chen Qiannan really wanted to hug her dear friend right away, "Jiang Jiang, you are so good to me!"
Chen Qiannan wanted to control her weight, so she ate a few burritos and stopped moving. Jiang Jiang lowered her head to wrap a burrito, and just as she looked up, she saw a black figure from behind.
He has a tall and slender figure with broad shoulders. He wears a well-fitting black suit and exudes an extraordinary and noble aura.
Jiang Jiang was a little dazed.
Without having time to think, she dropped what she was holding and chased after him.
When Jiang Jiang arrived at the door, the man had already got into a black car. In the darkness of the night, Jiang Jiang could only vaguely see the man's jaw, which was as sharp as a knife. The driver started the car, and the car soon disappeared from her sight.
"Jiang Jiang, what's wrong?"
Jiang Jiang shook his head, with a sigh in his tone, "I saw a very familiar figure, maybe I was seeing things."
Although Chen Qiannan didn't know who Jiang Jiang saw, she could feel Jiang Jiang's loss, so she put her arm around her shoulders and patted her comfortingly.
Jiang Jiang forced a smile and said, "Nothing."
After the meal, Jiang Jiang and Chen Qiannan both rushed to pay the bill. After discussion, they decided that Jiang Jiang would treat this meal and Chen Qiannan would treat the next one.
"Since we are in the capital now, are you still worried that you won't have the opportunity to treat us next time?" Jiang Jiang said.
Chen Qiannan nodded, agreeing with her words.
When Jiang Jiang returned to the dormitory, everyone was asleep. After a simple wash, she changed into a set of light purple pajamas and lay down on the bed.
With her thoughts swirling, Jiang Jiang lay in bed for a while but couldn't fall asleep. She simply sat up and picked up the book "Wuthering Heights" next to the pillow. She had read this book many times, and she carried it with her only because there was a photo of Zhong Xing in the book.
Jiang Jiang turned to the page with the photo, took it out, and looked at it vaguely in the light coming in from the corridor.
This photo is several years old. Even though it is not plastic-wrapped, it has been well preserved and does not show any signs of yellowing or aging. The young man in the photo has black hair, a handsome face, clear eyes, and is wearing a clean shirt. At this time, Zhong Xing had just graduated from college.
The back figure I saw in the restaurant this afternoon involuntarily appeared in my mind again.
Brother Zhong Xing, is that you?
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