Lianshan Station wasn't the starting point. There were already quite a few people on the train when we boarded. Cheng Chao had all her belongings and the letter of introduction, so Jian Da didn't dare to be careless. She held onto Cheng Chao's sleeve tightly, afraid that she would be pushed out of sight again.
When it was time to get on the bus, Cheng Chao carried a huge bundle in one hand and protected Jian Dan with the other, so it went quite smoothly.
Unlike the south, there aren't as many people in the northwest, so there weren't any incidents of people fighting for seats.
It was very quiet in the sleeper area. Well, at this time, being able to afford a sleeper berth required not only money but also connections. After all, sleeper berths were standard for cadres. Anyway, after the two of them boarded the train, no one came in even after the train started moving.
"Is this the only carriage for the two of us? Did Uncle book it all?"
Cheng Chao chuckled.
"No, Uncle can't make that mistake. Maybe the person hasn't come up yet."
She was probably tired from playing, and fell asleep soon after lying down. Knowing that Cheng Chao was on the lower bunk, she felt at ease and slept soundly for a long time.
When she opened her eyes again, the carriage was pitch black, with only the rumble and jerking of the train stopping reminding her that she was on a train.
Blinked to bring his consciousness back, turned his head and called out.
"elder brother!"
There was no familiar reply from below, and there was no sign of another person in the carriage. Instead, a commotion arose outside.
Panic lasted only a second before reason returned. Her drowsy eyes cleared instantly, and she quickly rolled off the train. Just as she regained her footing, the door to the carriage was slammed open with a loud bang.
The person outside clearly hadn't expected anyone to be there. Not only was the light off when they pushed the door open, but a dark figure appeared out, immediately eliciting a scream.
"Ah! Who are you? Why are you scaring people like this?"
She frowned slightly, then reached out and turned on the light.
"I'm a passenger who bought a ticket, is that a surprise?"
This carriage has four-person berths, and there are two of you, so you should have been prepared that there were already people living in the carriage. Saying you're just trying to scare people is just turning the tables on them.
I just woke up and was standing here without saying a word. I was thinking you startled me.
The speaker was a girl with two braids, while the girl next to her, wearing glasses and with a student-style haircut, remained silent, her gaze sweeping around the carriage. She was somewhat surprised to see Jian Dan being so unyielding and speaking so bluntly.
Seeing this, he patted the girl with the braided hair reassuringly, then turned back to Jian Dan and spoke in a softer tone.
"I'm sorry, we were in a rush. We didn't expect anyone to be sleeping at this hour. Could we please come in?"
Jian Dan didn't say anything, silently stepped aside, took two steps back, and sat on Cheng Chao's bed. She was just flustered. What could possibly happen to Cheng Chao? Even if she was worried, she shouldn't be worried about him.
The girl with the braided hair muttered something and plopped down on the lower bunk, then stayed there.
The girl with the student-style haircut stuffed all the bags they had brought under the bed, got up to wipe her glasses, and then prepared to climb up to the upper bunk.
Looking at the simple, fair-skinned girl's face, the girl with braided pigtails felt a flash of jealousy in her eyes and grabbed her companion.
"Xiaoqin, you've just been discharged from the hospital, and bunk beds are quite inconvenient. Why don't you switch with the woman across from you?"
He spoke while staring intently at Jian Dan, who simply closed her eyes to rest, as if she hadn't heard him.
"No need, it's just two steps up, what could be inconvenient about that?"
The braided pigtails seemed to be stubbornly attached to the student's hair, refusing to let go.
"You wouldn't be unhappy about the lady on the other side, would you?"
We were sent to the countryside in response to the national call to build up the rural areas. Comrade, you're really not uniting the masses! You can't just think about your own enjoyment. The leaders have said that this is bourgeois hedonism, and it's unacceptable..."
He simply opened his eyes abruptly.
"Didn't your boss teach you to do unto others what you wouldn't want done to yourself? Didn't he teach you that you have no right to speak without investigation?"
I bought the ticket with my own money, so how is that not uniting the masses? Can you represent the masses?
Do you think that sleeping berths on this train represent bourgeois hedonism?
Why don't you ask the train conductor what kind of people travel the most in the sleeper berths? Are they all hedonists?
Knowing your companion was unwell, you still grabbed the lower bunk first, and then tried to take mine? Who's really being unreasonable here?
His dark eyes darted around impatiently, and the woman with the braided hair avoided his gaze, her eyes darting around.
The girl with the student-style haircut rubbed her freed arm, her face full of helplessness. What was going on? Was it so hard for her to just go up and rest?
"Comrade, I'm so sorry, she,"
The student leader reluctantly tried to excuse her.
"She was just too worried about me. I'm so sorry to bother you again."
After saying that, she didn't look at the braided pigtails again, and climbed up the ladder.
I didn't have a good impression of this student leader, but I didn't want to make things difficult for him either. I nodded in acknowledgment, then turned around and took out a piece of jerky from my bag to chew on. After sleeping for most of the day, my stomach had been growling loudly.
After waiting for a while, familiar footsteps finally came. Just as Jian Dan stood up, Cheng Chao pushed the door open and came in.
Although he wasn't dressed, his broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs instantly attracted the attention of the other two girls in the carriage as soon as he stood by the door. The student with the haircut on the upper bunk looked at him with admiration, while the girl with the braided hair on the lower bunk seemed to have her eyes glued to him.
Cheng Chao noticed, but didn't look; he simply frowned.
"Are you awake? Are you hungry?"
While pushing Jian Dan, he sat down on the edge of the bed.
Jian Dan returned quickly and casually, asking, "What happened just now? Is something wrong?"
There were other people in the carriage, so they didn't ask too many questions. Cheng Chao understood and nodded.
"Yeah, it's Lao Qin's shift again today. I went to see him earlier and thought I could help him out a bit."
The woman with the braided hair across from her stared wide-eyed, never expecting that the person she finally met who she liked would actually know someone she didn't get along with.
Cheng Chao took the food out of his bag: fried pancakes made by Tang Sumei, eggs, pickled vegetables, meat sauce, and fruits like pears that the child had given him. Despite the cold weather, he didn't seem to mind. He simply laid them out on the small counter in the middle, rolled them up, and handed them to Jian Dan.
"Eat up. If you're sleepy after you eat, go back to sleep. There are still several days to go."
"Uh-huh."
Fried dough sticks, eggs, meat, and fruit—each one was a rare treat. The aroma seemed to be wafting straight into her nose, and she tried to keep her eyes from glancing at it. Eventually, she simply turned her head to the side, out of sight, out of mind.
Seeing this, Jian Na smiled like a sly little fox who had gotten a good deal. Cheng Chao was all too familiar with this expression and asked with his eyes, "Did she offend you?"
He simply shook his head and smiled, indicating that it was none of his business. Whether there was any deep-seated hatred or not, it was just a few words, the kind of quick-witted banter between young girls. He, a grown man, shouldn't imitate that.
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