Chapter 60 Getting on the Bus
The next morning, Song Lubai got up before dawn.
She tossed and turned all night and didn't get much sleep, but the twins cried and said they didn't want her to leave. They fell asleep soon after they got into bed.
I didn't sleep much last night, but I felt very energetic when I woke up.
She was wearing a yellow-green military uniform issued by the Corps' Commercial Department. Everyone who registered and passed the review would be given such a uniform.
Her mother sewed two pockets onto the inside of the short-sleeved shirt under her military uniform, specifically for holding money and tickets.
With the bonus, Song Lubai had 22 yuan in her own hands, and her mother added another 50 yuan, so now she had a huge sum of more than 70 yuan in her pocket.
Besides money, her mother also exchanged some national food coupons for her, and her uncle and aunt also contributed some, so now she is quite wealthy.
Song Lubai carried a large cloth bag and went out with her mother. The twins inside were still sleeping soundly.
Zhang Cui rode her bicycle with Song Lubai on the back towards the station. They walked from dusk till dawn, and then stopped the bicycle outside the station.
At this time, there were already more than a dozen young men and women dressed in military uniforms like Song Lubai standing outside the station. After saying goodbye to her mother, Song Lubai saw the person in charge of the registration office and automatically joined the line.
This group of young men and women were all people who had registered and been accepted by the Corps' Commercial Department, and the team leader was also among them.
The train whistle sounded, and a green train pulled out of the station, making a clanging sound as it traveled on the tracks.
As time went on, more and more people came in military uniforms.
After counting all the people, team leader Wang Hai said, "There are 32 people in total, and everyone is here."
Someone asked, "When is the train coming?"
Wang Haiquan laughed and said, "Don't worry, everyone. We're not on a train specifically for passengers, but a train for transporting supplies. It'll probably be a while before the train arrives. To prevent anyone from being late, I deliberately moved the departure time forward when I gave the notification."
You're all from the same place, so you can get to know each other now. When you go to XJ, you'll all be fellow townsmen, which will naturally create a closer connection. Let's chat first.
Wang Haiquan is a middle-aged man in his forties with a kind face. Even when he's not smiling, he gives off an approachable vibe.
As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Haiquan was surrounded by everyone.
Everyone started talking at once:
"Brother Wang, how many days will it take us to get to XJ? Is it a direct bus ride?"
"Once we get there, we'll start learning. What will we mainly learn? Will we be trained in some professional skills?"
"Will we be assigned jobs after we finish our training? What kind of jobs will the business department assign us?"
"In the movie 'The Song of the Army Reclamation,' there are many Uyghurs in it. When we go there, will we see Uyghurs every day?"
…
One person asked one question, overwhelming Wang Haiquan, who had no chance to answer.
Wang Haiquan stretched out his hands and pressed them down, "With so many questions from you, which one should I answer first?"
One of the men shouted, "Everyone, if you have a question, speak up one by one. If you all rush to speak, who will Brother Wang answer first?"
The voice sounded familiar. Song Lubai glanced at the man who was speaking and her eyes widened immediately.
The man turned out to be Liu Gao, her high school classmate. She remembered that he had become a teacher at a school in a commune in the area.
Song Lubai also had the opportunity to become a teacher, but she didn't want to go.
Liu Gao had a job just like her, so why did he also sign up to support the border regions like her?
Wang Haiquan was surrounded by people and hadn't even finished answering a question when the station whistle blared.
A dark green train, distinctly different from other dedicated passenger trains, came to a stop.
The train came to a stop, and four men in military uniforms got off from one of the carriages.
The military uniforms worn by these men were clearly different from those worn by Song Lubai and the others.
Wang Haiquan stood up and said to everyone, "Pick up your bags and get on the bus."
Wang Haiquan led the way to the front of the train and talked to the people. After clarifying the situation, he turned to the crowd and said, "Everyone go to carriage number seven. Line up to get on the train and don't push."
Wang Haiquan was still talking to someone when everyone headed towards carriage number seven after confirming its direction.
Song Lubai looked around and turned back, feeling that one of the people talking to Wang Haiquan looked familiar, but the person was wearing a hat, so she couldn't be sure if it was him.
Carriage number seven is a passenger car with six seats in a row. The aisle in the middle divides the six seats into three seats on each side, and all the seats are covered with red cloth.
Above the seats are shelves for storing luggage.
This was Song Lubai's first time traveling far from home and her first time taking a train. Seeing others putting their luggage on the racks, she followed suit.
Someone loudly reminded everyone, "This journey is quite long, and it's inconvenient to keep going back and forth to get things. Everyone, please take out your usual tea mugs and dry rations and put them on the small table."
The small tables in front of the seats were filled to the brim with everyone's belongings, and as everyone started chatting, the train began to clatter along.
There were plenty of empty seats in the carriage, so Song Lubai specifically chose a window seat to enjoy the scenery along the way.
The six seats around their small table were all occupied by women.
In other places, boys usually sit with boys and girls sit with girls.
Judging from the atmosphere inside the carriage, everyone seemed quite excited.
As the women at Song Lubai's table introduced themselves, Liu Gao, who was sitting in front of her, stood up and turned around. "Song Lubai, why did you also apply to support the border regions? I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw you before. Didn't you work in the propaganda department? This is such a pity."
Song Lubai said, "I was so excited watching the movie that I really want to go out and see it."
Team leader Wang Haiquan returned from another carriage and interjected, "That's a good saying. Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles. There's no harm in young people coming out to see the world."
Although most of the people here are looking for a way to make a living that they can't get in their hometowns, they are full of passion. Otherwise, how would they have the courage to give up everything in their hometowns and go to a completely unfamiliar place?
Some people argue: "But when we go to XJ, we're just going from one place to another, and then we're stuck in that other place trying to make a living."
Wang Haiquan understood what he meant and said with a smile, "But you will definitely have different insights into life in the next place and a deeper understanding of the current situation of our country. These insights will change your cognition and behavior, and that is the gain. We won't talk to you about spiritual stuff, because those of you who dare to sign up are all good comrades with high awareness and courage."
After Wang Haiquan finished speaking, he casually found a seat and sat down. Song Lubai continued to chat with Liu Gao and asked him why he had also applied to support the border regions.
Liu Gao's eyes were full of passion. "I'm just like you. I was inspired by the movie. We young people should go to the places where the country needs us most."
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