The train left Pingjiang City and passed through countless small stations. When it arrived at Jinyang City Station, the train was detained for another seven hours. The broadcast said that there was a fault on the road ahead and it needed to be inspected.

Meng Tao felt that she and the green-skinned trains were really incompatible. She had only taken them twice, and problems occurred both times.

When the train was not moving, the carriage was very stuffy and it was impossible to sleep. When it was finally possible to move, Meng Tao was so sleepy that she leaned against the back of the chair and slept for more than an hour.

It was not until after five o'clock that Meng Tao heard the broadcast announcing that the next stop would be Mengzhou Station. She breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally arrived and could get off the train.

At this time, the carriage was empty and there were not many passengers. The three people who had originally sat with Meng Tao had already got off the bus.

As she expected to arrive at the station soon, Meng Tao took several bags and cloth packages from the shelf, placed them on the seat, and opened them to check.

She was shocked when she saw that the cloth bag Liu Jianxin gave her contained not only two pieces of smoked pork, four pieces of cured chicken and duck, about five pounds of millet, and a bag of salted duck eggs, but also an envelope with a roll of money inside. It turned out to be thirty yuan in cash, thirty pounds of national food coupons, and some cloth coupons, sugar coupons, and meat coupons! Meng Tao froze, feeling very bad: Did Liu Jianxin give her all the things that his son had received from his hometown? How could she bear to eat them? She was not such a beast as to steal the things of a child.

Put it directly into the space and keep it well for some time.

Looking at the travel bag given by Meng Zhehan, he opened the zipper and saw that it was neatly stuffed with the following items: two cans of milk powder, two cans of malted milk, two packs of White Rabbit candies, exquisite boxes of small cubes of candy, two large packs of hardcover sausages, beef jerky, and candied fruit; there was also a brown paper bag filled with imported biscuits, candies, beef jerky, and chocolates!

Meng Zhehan and Shen Yu actually gave her such a high-end gift! Meng Tao was surprised and thought to herself that she owed them a big favor and she really had nothing to repay them.

She had to put some of these things into the space before returning to the village to avoid causing unnecessary trouble. Especially if Bao Shunfeng saw them and thought she bought them with her own money, he would scold her as a spendthrift girl.

Thinking of the "bride price" money she got back from Tian Zhigao and Xian Fangfang, Meng Tao took it out and counted it again. There were more than 300 yuan left out of the 600 yuan in cash, and the various bills only included a bicycle ticket, 30 kilograms of grain coupons, a dozen feet of cloth coupons, five industrial coupons, one meat coupon, one sugar coupon, and one wool coupon. She would put all these in an envelope and let Bao Shunfeng and the others take a look. They should not take them out to count for her.

Everything was ready, the broadcast sounded, and the train whistled into the station.

As the train glided slowly, Meng Tao, who was lying by the window, saw Zhou Cuiling on the platform. She was wearing a light red dress and was very eye-catching. She waved at her. Zhou Cuiling also saw Meng Tao, jumped up happily and ran after the train.

After the train stopped, Meng Tao handed the luggage out to the window first. Zhou Cuiling took it outside, exclaiming, amazed that Meng Tao could bring back so many bags.

Meng Tao got out of the car and pointed at one of the travel bags and the net bag containing the fruit and said, "This is what Zhang Guoqing gave you. He asked me to bring it back to you. I am so tired."

Zhou Cuiling laughed happily and punched her with her fist: "We took the bus back, and I didn't ask you to carry it. Why are you so tired? Don't try to fool me. He bought the fruit in the net bag for you to eat. He told me that on the phone."

"There's everything for sale on the train. I can't eat anything. Let's eat together when we get home!"

"OK!"

The two of them picked up their bags and walked out of the station talking and laughing. There were no buses back to the county town at this time. Zhou Cuiling took Meng Tao to the hotel where they stayed last time, showed their ID, asked for a double room, put their belongings away, locked the door, and went to find a restaurant to have dinner before coming back to rest.

Zhou Cuiling was in a good mood, so she took Meng Tao for a stroll. The department stores and shops on the street were open until nine o'clock in the evening. They didn't need to buy anything, so they just wandered around. When they passed by a cinema, they simply bought tickets and went in to watch a movie.

It turned out to be "Railway Guerrillas". After watching it carefully, Meng Tao thought it was quite good, at least more realistic and credible than the TV series remakes in later generations.

After watching the movie, Zhou Cuiling took Meng Tao and followed the crowd into an alley. There were actually several snack stalls in the small alley, selling all kinds of sour things, fruits, chestnuts, walnuts, stinky tofu, pancakes, fried cakes, orchid roots, peanuts, melon seeds, popcorn, and some using a small stove burning charcoal to cook sweet wine dumplings... Meng Tao followed Zhou Cuiling straight to the sour thing stall. Many people were queuing here. An elderly couple was busy but not chaotic, collecting money and distributing sour things. Seven or eight small open pottery jars were neatly arranged, filled with sour radishes, sour beans, papaya strips, sour ginger, sour pears, buckwheat heads, etc. If you wanted to order something, the boss would stick a bunch of them on a long bamboo stick and you could eat while walking. The sour and fragrant smell made people drool.

Meng Tao looked at the crowds of people pouring into the alley and asked Zhou Cuiling in a low voice, "Is this a private transaction? How dare you do this?"

Zhou Cuiling also replied in a low voice: "This is the black market. It is not allowed during the day. It is only allowed at night. After the movie, people will come to buy food. At most, by midnight, these stalls will disappear."

"How do you know this place?"

"Zhang Guoqing has an aunt who married in this city. His cousin brought him here once, and he brought me here when he returned. This sour food is very famous. I heard that our ancestors have been making this, and it suits my taste very well. He and I have come here several times."

"Oh, now you bring me here again, thank you."

Zhou Cuiling reached out and poked Meng Tao in the waist: "Why are you being so polite? You seem like a different person after your trip to the provincial capital. You are so weird."

Meng Tao went with the flow and said, "It really opened my eyes. I feel like I've changed. People need to travel more, see more, and learn more. Especially for a fool like me, it's only after a long journey that I realize how big and wonderful the world outside is. Now my mind is no longer confused and my mind is brighter. I've lived in vain before!"

Zhou Cuiling smiled and nodded: "It's not too late now. Good days will come when you have a clear mind."

"Uh-huh."

It was their turn. Zhou Cuiling asked for two big skewers, and Meng Tao followed suit and ordered two big skewers. The big skewers cost ten cents, and the small skewers cost five cents. This was a black market deal, so it was considered expensive.

Zhou Cuiling said that the vegetable company also sells sour vegetables at the counter of the store. You can get a large bunch for five cents, a small bunch for two cents, and there are also portions for one cent, but they are not as delicious as this one, far inferior.

The two girls ate as they walked. Although there was nothing to worry about under the cover of night, the sour juice dripping on their clothes was a problem. Meng Tao remembered her new lunch box and took it out from her schoolbag. Zhou Cuiling was very happy when she saw it, but then complained that she didn't take it out earlier so that she could buy a few more skewers.

Meng Tao was speechless. This much is not enough? He is really a sour drinker.

(End of this chapter)