Chapter 28
Xie Jinxuan leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you scared? This is what a crowded train is like. But it will be better on the return trip, because you will be sitting in a sleeper car, and there will be a conductor to lead you on the train, and there will be fewer people, so no one will squeeze you. Even if some people climb in through the windows of the sleeper car, they dare not stay there for long, because the sleeper car is checked many times, and there are fewer people, and the conductor knows everyone in each car. This time, time was really too tight. When I asked someone to buy the ticket, he said that he couldn't buy a hard sleeper, and I didn't qualify to buy a soft sleeper. I didn't tell my parents at the time, otherwise I could have bought it with their name. But don't worry, next time if we want to go out, I will buy the tickets in advance."
They even made a last-minute decision to register for marriage, and going out of town to visit their grandmother was an even more sudden thing. It was already very good that they could buy two hard seat tickets next to each other.
"It doesn't matter. I've never ridden a train before, so it's good to try the hard seats first." Xia Qingtang said with a smile, "Actually, this is not bad. Although it's a little scary when we get on the train, once we sit down, no one can disturb us."
Those who don't have seats or even tickets stand in the aisles or train connections, and those who have seats always stay in their seats, so as long as they sit down, it really doesn't make any difference.
The train left the railway station, its speed gradually increased, and the carriage gradually became quiet.
Because it was still early, some people were still sleeping. Those who had just got on the bus were afraid of disturbing those who were sleeping, so they kept quiet. Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan also quieted down. The two of them held hands and looked at the scenery outside the window. It felt quite warm.
After half past six, the last few people who were still asleep began to wake up slowly. Many of them were yawning. Everyone took turns going to the toilet to wash their faces. The conductor also came over from the front carriage to check tickets.
Under normal circumstances, people who evaded the fare would have slipped away or hid in the toilet long ago, but two young men fell asleep and forgot to escape, so they were caught red-handed. They had no money on them, so they could only beg the conductor to let them go.
"Follow me, go forward and deal with it in the front." The conductor took them away.
Xia Qingtang thought of how Xia Qinghai would evade tickets and board trains every time he went home. The place where he was sent to work in the countryside was very far away, and the train ride took thirty hours, so he had to hide and fight guerrilla warfare on the train. However, he was lucky, and he had never been caught once after going back and forth so many times.
But seeing how difficult it is for those people who evade tickets on the train, it’s no wonder that Xia Qinghai hates his sister so much.
After all, if it weren't for this sister, Xia Qinghai wouldn't have to go to the countryside to work, let alone endure the hardships of farming, working in the sun, riding on trains, and going hungry.
But the people he should blame are the parents who gave birth to this sister. After all, Xia Qingtang didn't want to be born.
After checking the tickets, the conductor who sold breakfast also came over from the other end and started shouting, asking everyone if they wanted breakfast.
The young man and woman opposite were sleeping very soundly, but they woke up immediately when they heard about breakfast.
"It's time for breakfast? Let's eat!" The young man stood up in a flash. He was thinking about eating before he even opened his eyes.
The conductor said from a distance: "We have steamed buns, dumplings, flower rolls, porridge, pickled mustard tubers, and dumplings and noodles in the dining car."
"I want two servings of porridge, two steamed buns, and a serving of pickled mustard tuber." The young man rubbed his eyes and started to take out money.
"Wait a moment, I'll serve you some porridge when I come over. You should prepare your lunch box first." The conductor said loudly, and then started to serve steamed buns to the passengers near her.
Someone started buying food and took the lead. As the conductor walked forward, many people in the carriage reached into their pockets and bought some breakfast.
After all, when you are away from home, if it is not too difficult, people will still want to reward themselves.
Xie Jinxuan whispered, "We had breakfast early this morning, so we can eat a little more now. I'll ask her if she has any meat buns. If she does, we can buy some."
"Okay, the meat buns here don't require meat coupons, so you have to eat them." Xia Qingtang nodded.
This time she went out with her newly-paid salary and pocket money given by her grandmother. Although she had not counted how much pocket money was in the envelope, her salary alone was enough for her to spend, so she did not plan to treat herself badly.
When the conductor came here, Xie Jinxuan asked, and found out that there were really big meat buns, each as big as an adult man's fist. He ordered four, two each for himself and Xia Qingtang.
The young man opposite bought some rice porridge steamed buns and took turns going to the toilet to wash their hands and faces. When the young woman came back and saw Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan eating meat buns in big mouthfuls, she couldn't help swallowing.
The meat buns on the train are very affordable, just like those made in state-owned restaurants, big and full of fillings. When you take a bite, your mouth is full of oil and it smells incredibly fragrant, which is really tempting.
Seeing the young woman staring at Xia Qingtang eating the meat buns, the young man said, "Don't look at it anymore. Our flower rolls are also very fragrant. Look, the noodles are so white. Isn't it more fragrant than the vegetable porridge we eat every day?"
The young woman turned around and said, "Who was looking at Roubaozi? I was just looking at this pretty comrade. I was stunned."
The young man laughed: "I don't know you? You just want meat buns."
"I am greedy." The young woman sighed, and took a sip of porridge from her lunch box. "How about we have stir-fried pork shreds for lunch?"
"You'd better save some money. We really don't have much money this time. When we go back, I'll ask my family for some money and buy you the most expensive braised pork."
"Okay." The young woman continued to drink porridge.
The young man added: "I know, I have wronged you."
The young woman laughed and said, "Why should I feel wronged? We have such delicious porridge and steamed buns to eat, and we can ride on the train. It's such a luxury, how can I feel wronged? I don't know how many people have never ridden a train. We can afford train tickets now, which is already very good."
The young man looked at her and smiled at her, and the atmosphere suddenly became warm.
Both of them looked very simply dressed. The man was wearing a blue work suit that was very worn out from washing and had several patches on it. The young woman was wearing a light grey checkered cloth jacket that was also very worn out from washing but had no patches on it.
Both of them look good. The man has regular features and the woman is pretty. They are not very old either, probably in their twenties.
Young people of this age are either working in the countryside or have just started working for a few years, so it is normal for them to have no money.
Xia Qingtang finished eating the meat bun while looking at the person opposite him, then took out a clean handkerchief to wipe his hands and mouth.
Xie Jinxuan had already finished her portion. After wiping her hands, she took out a thermos cup from his backpack. Seeing that Xia Qingtang had finished eating, he unscrewed the cup and handed it to her: "Drink some hot water."
This thermos has some conference words printed on it and looks a bit old, but it does keep the water warm and it’s quite effective.
Xia Qingtang took the thermos cup and drank two sips slowly. He felt relaxed all over. "I feel really full. It's great."
Xie Jinxuan looked at her and smiled: "Don't you usually eat enough at home?"
"That's different. At home we don't eat one meal at four o'clock and another at seven o'clock." Xia Qingtang said very honestly. After all, eating consecutive meals like this, and eating meat at the same time, was indeed a luxury.
After she finished drinking the water, Xie Jinxuan also took it and drank a few sips. The thermos cup was almost empty. He looked at the connection between the two carriages and wanted to get some water.
The young man opposite finished his last mouthful of porridge and said with a smile, "If you want to get water, go over there."
"Okay, thank you." Xie Jinxuan went in the direction he pointed.
Xia Qingtang folded her handkerchief and put it back in her pocket. The young woman opposite had just finished her breakfast and hurried to talk to her.
"Comrade, comrade, are you two in a relationship or husband and wife?" the young woman asked curiously.
Seeing that she had a kind look and didn't look like a bad person, Xia Qingtang said, "We are husband and wife, what about you?"
"We are in a relationship, but we are getting married soon. I am taking the train with him this time to go back to his home to get married. We are both educated youth who went to work in the countryside. We were in the same educated youth station, and we have developed feelings for each other after spending a long time together. But our homes are not in the same place, so we don't know what will happen in the future. Anyway, let's get married first." The young woman smiled and said, "No matter what, as long as I am with him, I can always find a way."
The young man just looked at her and smiled without saying anything.
Xia Qingtang said, "So you are getting married. Congratulations."
"Thank you, thank you. Hey, comrade, how long have you been married? I see you are not that old, maybe about the same age as me? I am twenty years old this year."
Xia Qingtang said: "I am also 20 years old and I just got married not long ago."
"Oh, what a coincidence." The young woman smiled and stretched out her hand. "My name is Wang Yunxia, and I'm working in the Laoshu Commune in Hongxing County. What about you?"
"My name is Xia Qingtang, and I'm a worker at a cotton mill."
"Worker? You can actually be a worker. Are you the only child in your family?"
"No, I have an older brother who went to join the queue, so when it's my turn, I can stay in the city."
"It's great. We have a lot of brothers and sisters. Except for those who are still studying, all the others have gone to the countryside. Alas, I don't know when I can go back to the city. I miss home and want to go back to the city." The young woman sighed.
Xia Qingtang knew the course of history. Starting next year, some educated youth would begin to return to their hometowns. Those who did not have jobs would find a way to go back to the city and set up a small stall in the city to do some small business or something.
So she said, "The college entrance examination has been resumed, and it may be soon before you return to the city. I hope you all go back soon."
"Thank you, I hope so too. But even if I can go back to the city, I don't know where I can go. I don't know if his family can find a job for me. If there is no job, I will starve to death if I go back to the city. As for my home, I can't go back even more. My family is against me marrying him. My mother also said that if I marry him, I will never go home again. We got a marriage certificate from the commune. My family can't control me anyway, and I don't want to think too much about it. I'll talk about it after I get married. Can my mother really ignore me for the rest of my life?"
Xia Qingtang smiled and said, "Actually, I'm similar to you. My family also opposed it, but I insisted on marrying my lover. It's best to make your own decisions about your own affairs, as long as you don't regret it."
"Wow, this is such a coincidence. I didn't expect that we have the same thing." Wang Yunxia's eyes sparkled. She said, "Comrade Xia, do you think we can be pen pals? I like you very much as soon as I see you. I really want to be your friend."
Xia Qingtang heard from a co-worker about making friends on the train and then becoming pen pals. Since there was no loss in being pen pals, Xia Qingtang told her his address.
Wang Yunxia took out a pen and paper from her bag and wrote down carefully: "I'll also write you my address so that you can also write to me."
"Okay." Xia Qingtang put away the note she handed over, and Xie Jinxuan also came back.
Seeing him come back, the young man joined the conversation. Knowing that both of them worked in the city and did not go to the countryside, the young man immediately became envious.
"That's great. If I had known, I would have joined the army. But at that time, I always thought it was better to join the team, so I followed my brothers and sisters to join the team."
They chatted along the way. Wang Yunxia talked about the hardships and joys of working in the countryside, and they also looked at the scenery along the way. Xia Qingtang found it very interesting.
The young man also took out a bag of melon seeds from his bag and invited them to eat together.
These are the pumpkin seeds they roasted themselves in the countryside. They are quite fragrant.
Xia Qingtang also took out the apples, eggs and peanut candies that Aunt Liu had packed for them and gave each of them an apple.
It was not easy to eat fruit at this moment. Wang Yunxia almost burst into tears while holding the apple.
"Thank you, thank you! I haven't eaten apples for a long time... Our team does have fruit trees, but after we pick the apples, many people can't get any, and there are not enough to eat."
Xia Qingtang said: "We are going on a long journey, so our family installed it for us."
Grandpa Xie has special treatment and can occasionally eat fruit at home. This is the second time Xia Qingtang has eaten fruit since he moved in.
Therefore, marrying into a better family is an advantage in any era.
"Yes, it's hard to even eat a piece of fruit now. By the way, where are you getting off? We're going to Moon City."
"We too." Xia Qingtang said, "Is your boyfriend's home there?"
"Yes, yes. Oh, this is a coincidence. We are destined to be friends." Wang Yunxia was very happy. "What are you going to do in Moon City this time?"
"I'm visiting relatives."
The young man was also very happy. He said, "My name is Zhang Yongqiang. My family lives in the coal yard family quarters on South Street in Yueliang City. Where do your relatives live? If we are going the same way, we can go together after we get off the bus."
Xie Jinxuan said: "What a pity, we are going to Yongyuan Road, which happens to be in two different directions."
"It's a pity, otherwise we could be together." Zhang Yongqiang said: "How long will you stay in Yueliang City? If you are free, you can come to the coal yard to play with us."
"Thank you for your invitation, but we have to visit a lot of relatives this time, so we don't have time to visit you. Let's talk about it when we have a chance in the future." Xie Jinxuan said.
As they were chatting, it was almost noon. Xie Jinxuan accompanied Xia Qingtang to the toilet. After washing their hands, they came back and heard the conductor coming to sell food.
The meals served on the train at this time were very good. There were several types of boxed lunches at different prices. The most expensive one usually consisted of a braised pork and a vegetarian dish, and the cheapest was two stir-fried dishes. Xia Qingtang heard from Xia Qinghai that he had eaten the braised pork on the train.
This kind of meal will be sold in advance, and the conductor will collect the money and count the items. Then the meals will be delivered at mealtime. They are all packed in aluminum lunch boxes, and after you finish eating, the conductor will collect them and wash them together. It is very convenient.
Of course, if you go to the dining car, you can order dishes. They provide different stir-fries every day, which are freshly made and served steaming hot. It is similar to a state-owned restaurant, except that you don't need food coupons or meat coupons.
Many passengers in the carriage paid for the cheapest meals. The conductor counted the number of passengers along the way and came over to ask them if they wanted to eat.
Xie Jinxuan said: "Shall we go to the dining car to eat?"
"Okay, I haven't been there yet." Xia Qingtang was eager to try it and was interested in everything he had not tried before.
And the most important thing is that she is not short of money now. Xie Jinxuan and she still have 700 yuan in savings, and they also have salary income every month, so she can spend a little money.
Wang Yunxia on the other side said, "You guys go ahead, we'll just eat the cheapest meal, it's also delicious."
So, Xie Jinxuan took Xia Qingtang to the dining car.
I saw that each table was covered with a clean white tablecloth and an ashtray. The windows were spotless and there were white gauze curtains hanging on the windows. It looked very elegant.
Xia Qingtang whispered: "The environment here is really good."
"Yes, the environment here is the same as that of a sleeper car, so the food is not cheap. It's the same price as a state-owned restaurant. The only good thing is that you don't need food coupons here." Xie Jinxuan pulled her to sit in front of an empty table. The two of them discussed and ordered two dishes, one meat and one vegetable.
The meat dish was stir-fried pork with peppers. Xie Jinxuan had eaten it once on the train and said that the portion of pork was large enough and it was guaranteed to be delicious. The vegetarian dish was sweet and sour lotus root slices, plus two bowls of white rice.
After Xie Jinxuan paid the money, they chatted casually, waiting for the conductor to come and serve the food.
The dishes were prepared very quickly, almost as quickly as those served in state-owned restaurants. Before long, they were enjoying hot meals and the dining car was full.
The pepper fried pork was very delicious, with a lot of thickly chopped pork in it. Xie Jinxuan took most of it for Xia Qingtang. While eating seriously, she whispered, "It seems that there are still a lot of people with good conditions. So many people come to the dining car to eat."
"People who eat in the dining car are usually well-off. However, the lunch boxes with meat, including meat dishes, are only 50 cents each. Even if many people don't have much money, they will enjoy themselves on the train because they don't need meat tickets. When I travel with my boss on business, I eat from that lunch box, and it tastes really good."
"On the way back, should we have dinner on the train? Then we can eat the 50-cent meal, right? Anyway, I've been to the dining car before, and I know what it's like. I just want to try something I've never had before."
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Xie Jinxuan obeyed Xia Qingtang in everything.
If his ability was not limited, he would pick the moon in the sky and give it to Xia Qingtang if she wanted it.
They both finished their meal and returned to the carriage feeling satisfied.
There were two people without tickets sitting in the seats. Seeing them coming back, Wang Yunxia quickly said, "Our friends are back. You guys should get up quickly."
The two men made way for him and Xia Qingtang returned to sit by the window.
"What did you eat?" Wang Yunxia asked excitedly.
"We had fried pork with chili peppers and lotus root. It tasted very good, and there was a lot of meat in it," said Xia Qingtang.
Wang Yunxia showed a fascinated expression: "When we go back, if I have money, I will also go to the dining car to eat stir-fried dishes."
After chatting for a while, Xia Qingtang began to yawn.
She got up too early in the morning and took such a long train ride that she felt extremely sleepy.
Xie Jinxuan whispered, "Lean on me and sleep for a while."
"Okay." She yawned again in a daze, then fell asleep leaning on Xie Jinxuan's shoulder.
He slept very deeply and when he woke up it was already 2:30 in the afternoon. Xia Qingtang moved his slightly awkward neck and asked if they were almost there.
Xie Jinxuan whispered, "There's only one more stop left. We should be there around 3:30."
"Great, we're finally here. I'm a little tired from sitting. I never thought I'd be so tired from sitting." Xia Qingtang said, "Did you sleep?"
"I slept for a while too. It's easy to get sleepy on the train."
Many people in the carriage did fall asleep, but most of them gathered together to chat and pass the time.
There is no way, there are too few entertainment activities, and no one dares to play cards in the carriage at this time, so chatting is the best form of entertainment.
Being able to sit in the same row of seats is a destiny, so many people make friends on the train. Some talkative people can even talk about their entire ancestors.
As for whether there will be any contact after returning, that doesn’t matter. What everyone pursues is the happiness and harmony of this journey.
Wang Yunxia and the other person across from them slept even more soundly. They didn't wake up until they were almost at Yueliang City until Xie Jinxuan woke them up: "We're almost at the station."
The two men wiped their faces and woke up, then quickly took their luggage from the shelf.
It was almost half past three when the train finally arrived at their destination.
Xia Qingtang followed Xie Jinxuan off the train, only to feel that his feet were unstable and there was also a sense of vibration on the train.
Xie Jinxuan said: "This is what happens when you sit in a car for a long time. Just walk a few steps. Come, I'll hold your hand and walk slowly."
They walked towards the exit with Wang Yunxia and the other person. There were a lot of people on the platform, and some young boys were running and jumping around in the crowd.
Xia Qingtang had watched TV dramas and knew that these kinds of kids were usually pickpockets, so she quickly hugged her cross-body bag tightly.
There was no money in her bag, but there was a new pen and a bottle of cream that was half full. If they were stolen, it would be a huge loss.
She was just about to remind Wang Yunxia to be careful of the pickpockets here, when she saw Xie Jinxuan beside her suddenly reach out and grab a boy in a green jacket, then whispered, "Hand over your things!"
Xia Qingtang widened his eyes. Zhang Yongqiang reached out to touch his trouser pocket and found that the money in his pocket was gone.
"My money! He stole my money!" Zhang Yongqiang shouted, "Give it back to me!"
The young man was straightforward and handed over the roll of banknotes he had just stolen. He said with disdain, "It's just a few dimes. You're so poor! It's a waste of my energy!"
"You steal money and you think others are poor? If you are not poor, how can you be a thief?" Zhang Yongqiang was very angry. "A few cents are also very important to me. Without this money, I will have no money to take the bus in a while!"
Many passengers stopped to watch what was happening here, and some enthusiastic people even called the staff on the platform.
The staff member looked at the boy in green and said, "It's you again. How many times has this happened this year?"
The boy stuck out his tongue, looking like a dead pig that is not afraid of boiling water.
Wang Yunxia said, "Comrade, this child should be sent to the police station, right?"
"We need to send him there, but I can't leave right now. Please hold him there for a while. I'll ask others to come and take him to the police station with you. But the child is young, so he won't be detained for a few days. He will be released." The staff member said, "Have you got your money back?"
“I got it back.”
"That's good. It's a blessing that we didn't lose the money. Please wait for me, I'll call someone over." After the staff member said this, he ran away.
Xie Jinxuan said, "Then I will leave this child to you."
Although Zhang Yongqiang didn't know any grappling skills, he had been farming in the countryside for several years and was very strong. He grabbed the boy's thin arm tightly and thanked Xie Jinxuan earnestly: "Thank you so much, I didn't even realize my money was stolen. If it weren't for you, I really wouldn't have money to take a bus when I go out. Yunxia and I spent all our money this time."
"You're welcome. I just happened to see him stealing money, so I caught him in the act." Xie Jinxuan said, "My relatives will come to pick us up, and we're afraid they'll have to wait too long, so we'll leave the station first and won't wait for you."
"Okay, okay, you guys can go out quickly. Thank you, thank you so much!" Zhang Yongqiang and Wang Yunxia said thank you several times together, and then watched Xie Jinxuan and Xia Qingtang walk away.
The two of them walked out of the train station slowly, and Xie Jinxuan said, "Grandma must have asked my cousin to pick us up. I'll look for their car."
Xia Qingtang was about to speak when he saw four or five teenagers and a tall bald man in his early twenties surrounding them.
Xia Qingtang also understood this. It was said that these young thieves had accomplices, and there were people leading them from above. It seemed that these people were definitely here to take revenge on Xie Jinxuan.
Xia Qingtang nervously grabbed the hem of Xie Jinxuan's clothes. She knew that Xie Jinxuan was a good fighter, but the big young man looked very strong and had several scars on his face, looking extremely vicious. She was afraid that Xie Jinxuan would suffer a loss.
Xie Jinxuan lowered her head and said to her calmly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here."
The bald young man sneered, "Little white face, you are really boasting too much. What's the use of your presence? Can you beat so many of us by yourself? It seems that you are a person who does not know the rules. Don't you know that we are begging for food here, and everyone has to give us convenience? My brother just stole a few cents from your friend, and you arrested my man. This is too disrespectful to me. Tell me, how do we solve this matter?"
A dark-skinned teenager beside him gnashed his teeth and said, "Brother Huzi, don't waste your words on him. Beat him up first and make him hand over all the money. Then take that woman away from us! I have never seen such a beautiful woman in my life! It's so fucking awesome!"
Xie Jinxuan's expression was originally relaxed and casual, but when the boy talked about Xia Qingtang, his face immediately darkened and murderous intent surged in his eyes.
The bald young man was startled by the murderous look in his eyes for a moment, and he said, "Hey, buddy, have you practiced this?"
"If you want to know, why don't you just give it a try?" Xie Jinxuan said coldly, "Do you want to come one by one, or all together?"
The bald young man laughed loudly, obviously mocking Xie Jinxuan for overestimating her own abilities. Xia Qingtang became more and more nervous. She reached into her bag and grabbed the new pen. If a fight broke out, she would use the tip of the pen to poke those bad guys hard.
At this moment, a thunderous shout came from not far away: "Fuck it, what are you doing surrounding my brother? If you want to fight, come to me!"
Xia Qingtang quickly looked towards the source of the sound, only to see a tall and strong young man running towards them like a tiger.
Behind him was a young soldier in green military uniform, who also looked to be in good shape.
The bald young man's expression immediately changed: "They are from the military district! Run in different directions!"
Before he finished speaking, these people fled in all directions.
Xia Qingtang was stunned, but Xie Jinxuan quickly put on a bright smile and shouted over there, "Cousin, you're here."
"Yes! I'm here! What the hell are those people? Why did you let them run away?" The young man ran over with big strides, looking unhappy.
Xie Jinxuan said, "If I were alone, none of them would be able to escape today. But there are two of us, and we have been on the train for a long time. Qingtang is a little tired. I want to take her back quickly to take a shower and rest."
The young man then focused his attention on Xia Qingtang. When he saw her, he also laughed: "Oh, how come my sister-in-law looks so energetic? She is so beautiful! Xie Jinxuan, you are such a naughty boy, you really know how to find a partner!"
"Qingtang, this is my uncle's son, my cousin. Cousin, this is my wife Xia Qingtang." Xie Jinxuan introduced.
The cousin stretched out his big hand and said, "Hello, Xiaoxia, my name is Tian Feiyang, and I am his eldest cousin. I have a younger brother who is in another military region, and a sister who married and moved to another place."
"Hello, cousin." Xia Qingtang quickly shook hands with him.
Tian Feiyang said, "Let's go, let's go. You must be exhausted from the journey. The car is parked on the side of the road. Grandma has been waiting for you. Go home quickly, take a shower, and then we will have dinner and welcome you home."
The young soldier following behind Tian Feiyang quickly said to Xie Jinxuan: "Brother Xie, give me the luggage."
"No, it's not heavy." Xie Jinxuan said: "Qingtang, let me introduce you, this is my grandfather's orderly Xiao Ding."
Xiao Ding gave Xia Qingtang a simple smile: "Hello, sister-in-law."
"Hello." Xia Qingtang also smiled.
When they were on the train, Xie Jinxuan had told her that her grandfather's family were all from the military region, so Xia Qingtang already knew that their family conditions were also very good.
It's normal to think about it. No matter what era, most people still pay attention to matching social status when getting married. Xie's mother must have come from a good family to marry Xie Chengye.
Grandpa Xie and Grandma Xie were also two children from wealthy families who ended up together because they followed in revolutionary footsteps. So Xie Jinxuan was the first alternative person in their family. He found Xia Qingtang, who was very different from him.
There was a jeep parked on the side of the road. Xiao Ding sat in the driver's seat first, Tian Feiyang sat in the passenger seat, Xie Jinxuan opened the back door and got in with Xia Qingtang.
The car drove forward along the road. Tian Feiyang half-turned his body and said to them: "Grandma knows that after you got married, her spirits have improved a lot. She didn't even go to the hospital in September. Now you bring your brother and sister-in-law to see her. Once she is happy, she may get better."
Xie Jinxuan said: "Really?"
Tian Feiyang sighed and said, "It's hard to say whether it's true or not. Doctor Cheng can't say for sure either. It may drag on for another year, or he may leave at any time."
Xia Qingtang heard from Xie Jinxuan about his grandmother's illness, which was probably cancer. Some elderly people's diseases spread slowly, and it had indeed dragged on for a year.
Afterwards, Tian Feiyang changed the subject and introduced her to his relatives who lived in the city, saying that everyone would come to have lunch tomorrow and they all wanted to meet Xia Qingtang.
Xie Jinxuan's grandparents have two sons and a daughter. Living with them is Xie Jinxuan's eldest uncle's family. His second uncle married the only daughter of a leader and lived with the girl's parents. Although he is not nominally a son-in-law, he has almost been considered a son of that family for so many years.
Some of Xie's mother's cousins also live in this city. They all have a day off tomorrow, so they will all come to the Tian family for dinner and meet Xie Jinxuan's new daughter-in-law.
"There will be a lot of people there, so don't be nervous, we are all family. You will be far away from each other in the future. If you meet someone you don't like, just ignore him. You won't see him for the next few years anyway. If you are really unhappy, just tell me or my wife, and we will help you scold him back!"
Tian Feiyang is as his name suggests, tall, with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He has a very generous personality and speaks in a loud voice like a bell, with full confidence. It is said that people like him have a particularly good physique.
As they talked all the way, the car soon arrived at the military compound, then drove all the way inside and stopped in front of a row of two-story buildings.
Hearing the sound of the car, someone in the house ran out: "Jinxuan and the others are here!"
When Xia Qingtang and Xie Jinxuan got out of the car, they saw a middle-aged woman in her fifties supporting an old lady with silver hair. Both of them were standing in the yard and smiling at them.
"Grandma!" Xie Jinxuan pulled Xia Qingtang and ran in, "We came to see you!"
My grandmother was not tall, had very fair skin and kind eyes. She was very thin due to her illness, and her face was full of wrinkles. She looked very weak, but when she saw Xie Jinxuan, her eyes sparkled and she always had a smile on her face.
She held Xie Jinxuan's hand and was extremely happy: "Let me take a good look at you. You seem to have lost a little weight since the last time we met?"
"I'm not thin. I'm in very good health. I can eat and sleep well, and I can even run three laps around the compound in one breath."
"As long as you are healthy, I'll be relieved." Grandma turned her head to look at Xia Qingtang next to her, her eyes brighter, "You are Qingtang, you are even prettier than Jinxuan described."
Xia Qingtang took the other hand that her grandmother extended to her and said with a smile, "Thank you for the compliment, grandma."
"This is not a compliment, this is describing a fact." Grandma said: "I am so happy that you are getting married."
The middle-aged lesbian next to her also said, "Yes, Jinxuan is picky. We all thought it would be hard for you to find a partner, but we didn't expect you to get married so suddenly."
Xie Jinxuan quickly said: "Qingtang, this is my aunt."
Xia Qingtang called people, and her aunt said, "If you weren't dressed so plainly, I would have thought you were the mainstay of the art troupe. With your face and body, it's a pity that you didn't learn dancing."
Tian Feiyang, carrying a suitcase, said from behind: "Grandma, Mom, let's go in and talk. Jinxuan and the others are tired from the ride, let them go to the bathhouse to take a bath and relax their muscles, then come back and chat while having dinner. Anyway, there are still several days left, so we can talk slowly."
"Yes, let's go in and talk." Grandma pulled Xia Qingtang and walked slowly inside.
The weather was not cold yet, and most passers-by wore a shirt and a coat, but grandma had already put on a sweater and a thick coat. However, such thick clothes still looked empty on her.
Xie Jinxuan felt upset, but didn't want her grandmother to see it, so she fell behind a little, took a deep breath and adjusted her mood before following in.
The layout of the Tian family is similar to that of the Xie family. In this era, families with good conditions basically have the same layout, and no one would be too out of the ordinary.
Everyone sat down in the living room together. The orderly Xiao Ding came over with a thermos and made tea for everyone. He left after the tea was ready so as not to disturb the family chatting.
"Where are grandpa and uncle?" Xie Jinxuan asked.
"The old man went to the political commissar's house to chat and will be back soon. Guohao will not be back until tomorrow to have lunch with everyone." Grandma said, "Your cousin's wife went back to her parents' home and will also be back tomorrow."
Tian Feiyang said, "Why don't you go to the bathhouse and take a shower first? You look so dusty and you smell like cigarettes. Don't bother grandma."
Upon hearing this, Xie Jinxuan stood up and said, "Okay, Qingtang and I will take a shower and come back later."
Tian Feiyang said, "I'll go with you, and you can just rub my back. Mom, how about you accompany your sister-in-law to the bathhouse?"
"I have to make dinner." Auntie said, "Is Qingtang scared to be alone?"
"I'm not afraid." Xia Qingtang said, "What's there to be afraid of in going to the bathhouse?"
So, the three of them each took a basin filled with towels, soap and clean clothes, put on slippers and took their bath tickets to go to the bathhouse in the compound.
Although it was Xia Qingtang's first time here, she had paid for a bath ticket, so she was not nervous.
There were not many people in the bathhouse and there was plenty of hot water. She took a careful bath and felt that every cell in her body came alive.
After taking a shower and putting on clean clothes, Xia Qingtang applied some cold cream on her face and walked outside with her wet hair loose.
As soon as she went out, she saw her grandmother sitting alone on a high stool next to her, looking at her with a smile on her face.
"Grandma, why are you here?" Xia Qingtang hurried over with a basin in his hand.
"I was bored sitting at home, so I came here to wait for you." Grandma's smile was very kind.
"Have Jinxuan and the others come out?"
"No, Feiyang likes to have his back rubbed. It will probably take a while. Come, sit down and talk to grandma."
Xia Qingtang sat down on another old stool nearby. Grandma took out a folded dry towel from the cloth bag on her lap and handed it to her: "Wipe your hair again. This is a new towel. You can use it later. Girls will easily get a headache if they don't dry their hair."
"Thank you, grandma." Xia Qingtang took it and wiped the wet hair until it was half dry.
There was no one at the bathhouse door at that moment. Grandma looked around, took out an envelope from her cloth bag and quickly stuffed it into Xia Qingtang's hand.
"This is?"
"This is something your grandma gave you. Keep it well and don't let Aunt Jinxuan know." Grandma lowered her voice and said, "This is only for you. No one else has it."
Xia Qingtang quickly stuffed the bulging envelope into her shirt pocket. Fortunately, her pocket was big enough to hold it.
"Thank you, grandma."
"You're welcome. This is something I prepared a long time ago, just waiting for Jinxuan to get married, and then I'll give it to his wife. Our Jinxuan has been a good child since he was young, thoughtful and kind. Over the years, he is the one who has written to me the most, and he is the one I'm most worried about. Now that I see you, I can finally leave with peace of mind." Grandma's tone was very calm, so calm that Xia Qingtang's heart skipped a beat.
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