Xiao Jiu did not leave Shijiazhuang directly, but instead followed Tang Cuimei into Beijing first.
With the brand-new camera and film they had seized, they went to various tourist attractions in the capital to take pictures.
There are solo photos, photos of the two sisters together, and individual photos of Tiananmen Square, the Monument to the People's Heroes, and the Great Hall of the People.
I just wanted to show my grandparents what the capital city actually looks like.
Tang Cuimei offered to take her home, but Xiao Jiu refused.
"You've started school too, there's no need for you to come back with me and go through all that trouble. I'm all grown up, I'm perfectly capable of going back on my own. Besides, have you forgotten what I have to rely on?"
After Xiaojiu's repeated persuasion, Cuimei finally agreed to see her onto the train. Of course, this time there were no sleeper berths, only hard seat tickets.
Starting from the capital and going directly to Los Angeles, this line has a lot of trains, so tickets are easy to buy and they are all direct. Los Angeles, as a major stop, is no less developed in terms of transportation than Zhengzhou, the provincial capital.
The entire journey is over 800 kilometers, and the speed is still around 40 to 50 kilometers per hour. Including the time spent stopping along the way to replenish supplies, it will take about 20 hours to arrive.
The train was at 2 PM. Cui Meihua bought a platform ticket for one cent and delivered the small bottle of wine onto the train.
The hard seat ticket cost eight yuan and twenty cents. She happened to find a window seat. In those days, train tickets didn't specify your seat number. You could sit if there was a seat available, and stand if there wasn't.
She brought plenty of food this time, and her older sister told her to keep a low profile. She was also worried that someone might be following her, so she didn't dare to think about going into the space.
"If you can bear the hunger, then drink less water. In the time it takes you to go to the toilet, your seat might be taken. Also, be careful of human traffickers on the bus. Don't trust anyone except yourself."
After getting into the car, Xiao Jiu kept giving her sister's earnest advice, glancing around from time to time to observe their expressions and actions, looking for any suspicious people.
As the starting station, the capital city was not crowded when boarding, and there were seats to choose from. However, as more and more people boarded at the stops, the aisle became crowded. Next to Xiaojiu sat an elderly woman with a Shaanxi accent, and opposite her was an elderly man with a Northeastern accent.
They all seemed very warm and kind, and even talked to her, but Xiao Jiu didn't respond; she just smiled or nodded.
"Oh, what a pity, such a pretty little girl, and she's mute!"
Hearing this, she pretended not to hear it. Anyway, she had been mute before, so she decided to just pretend that the other person was mute.
Take out your books and naturally immerse yourself in the review process, trying your best not to be distracted by external noise.
Before getting on the bus, the two sisters went to Quanjude to eat roast duck. She even asked someone to help her queue up, gave them a penny for their help, and bought ten ducks to take away. Now her warehouse is full of the smell of roast duck.
She bought large ducks, so they cost eight yuan each. Ten ducks plus the one they ate made a total of eleven, which cost eighty-eight yuan.
In addition, you have to add the cost of the pancakes and sauces, which would cost an extra 50 cents per serving. She found eight people to queue up, so that cost 80 cents. In total, it came to 6.3 yuan. All in all, it was less than 100 yuan. What a bargain!
Because he had eaten a full meal at noon, Xiao Jiu only ate an apple and a handful of peanuts by evening.
Because the old lady had asked her to save a seat for her when she went to the toilet, the old lady waved to her warmly as soon as she stood up, saying, "Go ahead, go ahead, I'll hold your seat for you."
After she struggled to squeeze through the crowd, the older woman didn't take her place and readily gave it to her, probably because she knew it would be more convenient for her to have a table to lean against while she was studying. Everyone else in her row was very considerate of her.
When they ate their flatbread and steamed buns, they still thought of her. Even though food was scarce in those days, they couldn't help but feel pity for her because she looked harmless, couldn't speak, and was so eager to learn.
Xiao Jiu declined the enthusiastic offers from the elderly folks, but offered each of them more than ten peanuts, which made them even more embarrassed.
After four or five hours of perseverance, Xiao Jiu's body was so stiff and aching. Seeing that the elderly people around her, who were much older than her, were also persevering, how could she possibly go back to the warehouse to lie down?
They even offered their seats so the old lady could lie down and rest. Looking around at the people standing there, some had climbed onto the luggage racks, some had crouched under the seats, and some were even squatting next to the seats. They were all people from the lower class. Nobody has it easy!
In the middle of the night, she couldn't sit still any longer, so she temporarily gave her seat to a young man who looked kind. She gestured that her back hurt and that she needed to stand for a while. The man thanked her gratefully. She then searched through the carriages one by one and finally found the toilet near the sleeper berths. She didn't lock it after entering, not wanting to disturb other people.
Back in her room, she lay down on the captured cot, grabbed a clean quilt, set an alarm for six hours, and then pulled the covers over her head and fell fast asleep.
At five o'clock in the morning, the alarm clock rang. Xiao Jiu was reluctant to get up, but she was worried that there would be too many people in the carriage and she would not be able to get out.
Before going out, she washed up and drank a bowl of rice porridge, which she had cooked earlier, saving her the trouble.
After eating two boiled eggs and a half-pound bag of chicken breast jerky, she quickly left the space after she was full and heard no more noise outside.
After looking around the sleeper berths and finding that all the seats were full, she didn't go back to her original seat. Instead, she moved a small stool to the aisle next to the sleeper berth's water room and sat down.
As the passengers in the carriage gradually woke up, and with so many people coming and going, they unknowingly found themselves in Henan Province.
Before 10 a.m., she got off the bus in Los Angeles. The moment she breathed in the air of her hometown, she felt that all the hardships of the journey were worth it.
Unexpectedly, as soon as she exited the train station, she saw Tang Cuiju waiting not far away. "Second Sister, what brings you here?"
"I came here based on the telegram my fifth sister sent me,"
Compared to last year, Cuiju's complexion is getting better and better. Her originally dry hair and skin have become darker, smoother, and fairer because she is no longer exposed to the wind and sun.
"Oh dear, I only have one bag, and I'm troubled to come all this way. Did you take time off again?"
"It's okay, I can make up for it by working two more hours later. I've gotten to know them well now, so I can just say hello and come out."
"Then hurry back, it won't keep you from going back to work for another hour or two."
The two sisters didn't waste any words, got into Cuiju's car, and arrived home in half an hour. Yuanyuan was still at school at that time.
"Sis, you should go back to work quickly. I need to get back to school after lunch. Did Yuanyuan bring my bedding with me?"
"Yes, she came back once in the middle to see if you were back. When she found out you weren't, she carried your bedding back to school first."
After Cuiju left, Xiaojiu went to Grandpa and Grandma Weng's house again. She not only exchanged the remaining three small yellow croakers, but also exchanged some grain for the two old people and gave them two cans of fish that had been captured from the Japanese devils. Of course, the two old people did not treat her badly and gave her another small yellow croaker.
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